Pitifully Ugly by Robin Alexander is a funny f/f romance from very early in this lesfic comedy queen’s backlist.
Shannon Brycen is tired of her sister, Kalen, setting her up on terrible dates. So, Shannon takes matters into her own hands and signs up for a dating site. (Important note: this book was released in 2010, before the days of swiping left or right.) And, because she’s not feeling particularly great about herself, she uses a terrible photo from childhood with the profile name “Pitifully Ugly.”
Shannon quickly learns that online dating can lead to equally terrible dates. However, it can also lead to some pretty amazing emails, so maybe love isn’t as far away as it seems. She just has to decide if she can listen to her inner voice instead of the opinions of friends and family, and get over some preconceived notions.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I was looking for a stress-free listen and Pitfully Ugly was a solid choice. While the central romance has some angst, it’s just enough to keep things interesting.
The whole story is told from Shannon’s perspective and I appreciated seeing her growth. She starts out with really low self esteem and that grows over the course of the story. I also appreciated seeing how things develop between her and her love interest, although I can’t get into that without spoilers.
Some of the side characters are fabulous. My two favourites are Randy, a hair stylist that Shannon brings over to the salon that she and her sister own, and the love interest’s dog. That dog’s favourite movie is Grease, and isn’t that the cutest thing ever?!
Also, fans of slow burn romances will be happy with this one because the burn is very slow, with a delicious, believable payoff.
Cons And Heads Up
I first read this book near the beginning of my lesfic journey, 8 or 9 years ago, and I remember really enjoying it. A few aspects don’t work for me anymore and I don’t know if that’s because I’ve grown since then or because certain sensibilities have changed since then. Regardless, here they are:
- Shannon is super down on herself at the beginning because she’d put on 10 pounds since her last break-up. It made me uncomfortable hearing her beat herself up over it, because she does it quite a lot early on in the story. If fatphobia is a trigger, this isn’t going to be the best book for you.
- One of the women Shannon meets through online dating is very open about wanting sex on the first (and only) date and gets pretty explicit about what she wants, including anal play. Shannon’s reaction is VERY negative and the woman is painted as a crazy nymphomaniac. I get that not everyone is going to be up for sex on the first date, but Shannon’s reaction felt out of proportion and unfair.
- The love interest had cheated on her husband prior to the events of the main story. She acknowledges that cheating is wrong and explains that that relationship is how she came to understand that she’s queer. For people who can’t stand cheating in content in books, this is important to know. However, if you’re a person who doesn’t mind cheating content and believes that everyone’s different, situations can be complicated, and people can change, you may not love this aspect either because it’s held against her. “Once a cheater, always a cheater,” is said by people in Shannon’s life and I wasn’t a fan.
If any or all three these are going to be issues for you, you may want to reach for another book from this author’s backlist, all of which I heartily endorse.
The Conclusion
Pitifully Ugly has a lot going for it and is hilarious in parts. It’s also very much a book of its time, so keep that in mind if you pick it up. For anyone who wants to check out this book, I especially recommend it in audio, because Lori Prince’s narration is outstanding. She captures everyone beautifully, as always.
Personally, I’m glad I revisited it. I’ve been having a hard time lately with getting into books as I hit yet another pandemic wall, and Pitifully Ugly sucked me in and held my attention. It doesn’t entirely hold up for me, but it holds up enough that I enjoyed spending time with Shannon and her lady love again. I recommend trying a sample, because you’ll know pretty quickly whether this book will be for you or not.
Excerpt from Pitifully Ugly by Robin Alexander
Perhaps it was unwise to build my online dating profile in the Rainbow Room after consuming half a bottle of cabernet, but it gave me the courage to hit the enter button.
Mid-thirties…well, maybe a little north of that, still single, house broken but rabid. If you’re looking for something different, then I’m your girl. Write me if you dare…
I chose a picture taken by my mother when I was six and had cut my own hair. Mom had done her best to minimize the damage, but no amount of doctoring could help the freckle-faced kid with fire engine red hair. She’d taken what was left of my hair and put it in two dog ears that stuck straight up on either side of my head. My smile was huge, showing off the gap between my teeth.
My hair fortunately grew back out and turned a deep auburn as I grew older. Braces had erased the Brycen gap in my front teeth. The freckles that I detested had all but faded away, and even still, I saw myself as the ragged imp in that picture. Pitifully Ugly was the perfect user name.
After I’d sent my profile off to the local lesbian cyber matchmaker, I went to bed. The chips would fall where they may, but I seriously doubted that my cynical
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781935216216
Publisher: Indie author
Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Lori Prince
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