Discover Well-Read Black Girl Books and the projects reshaping publishing →

Book Summary and Reviews of The Romantics by Galt Niederhoffer

The Romantics by Galt Niederhoffer

The Romantics

by Galt Niederhoffer

  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Aug 2010, 288 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Book Summary

Paperback. Laura and Lila were college roommates--one brooding and Jewish, the other the epitome of golden WASP-dom. Now it's ten years later, a day before Lila's wedding to Laura’s former boyfriend, and as the guests arrive, Laura finds herself the only one not coupled up. Struggling with the traditionally thankless role of maid of honor, Laura realizes for the first time why she can't stop thinking about her long, tangled relationship with the groom. And it appears that he is not entirely ready for the altar himself. Unfolding over two days off the coast of Maine, The Romantics follows the shifting allegiances among an unforgettable set of characters.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

"Niederhoffer weaves the characters together in an intense, crisp story line that will appeal to readers who enjoyed her first book. For most fiction collections." - Library Journal

"Niederhoffer's follow-up to the clever A Taxonomy of Barnacles (2005), while gracefully written, never soars above the dislikable characters and the dated depiction of blue-blood customs." - Kirkus

"Neither the characters nor the story convince as Niederhoffer repeats thin stereotypes in a vain attempt to strengthen the plot." - Publishers Weekly

"...The Romantics offers more cynicism than flights of romantic fancy. But it is well enough executed by Ms. Niederhoffer to illustrate why well-wrought cynicism never goes out of style." - New York Times, Janet Maslin

This information about The Romantics was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Click here and be the first to review this book!

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

More Information

Now a major motion picture starring Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel and Anna Paquin, in theaters September 24, 2010. First published in hardcover, June 2008.

More Author Information

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked The Romantics, try these:

  • Seduction Theory jacket

    Seduction Theory

    by Emily Adrian

    Published 2026

    About this book

    For fans of Conversations with Friends and Vladimir comes a magnetic, fresh take on marriage and loyalty: when two married professors tiptoe toward infidelity, their transgressions are brought to light in a graduate student's searing thesis project.

  • The Last Mrs. Parrish jacket

    The Last Mrs. Parrish

    by Liv Constantine

    Published 2018

    About this book

    The mesmerizing debut about a coolly manipulative woman and a wealthy "golden couple," from a stunning new voice in psychological suspense.

  • Barbara the Slut and Other People jacket

    Barbara the Slut and Other People

    by Lauren Holmes

    Published 2016

    About this book

    A fresh, honest, and darkly funny debut collection about family, friends, and lovers, and the flaws that make us most human.

We have 10 read-alikes for The Romantics, but non-members are limited to three results. Join free to see the complete list of recommendations.
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

More Literary Fiction

Browse all Literary Fiction books

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
When No One Else Will
by Amanda Skenandore
1940s Chicago nurse risks everything at an illegal women’s clinic during a high-profile trial of courage and sisterhood.
About Discuss

Members Recommend

BookBrowse Free Newsletters
Who Said...

A library is a temple unabridged with priceless treasure...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Book
Trivia
Wordplay

Solve this clue:

Q S, S

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.