His Insignificant Other is one of the funniest and most endearing debut novels to hit the shelf since Bridget Jones's Diary. With a freshness and wit that is at times laugh-out-loud funny, at others heartbreaking, Karen V. Siplin brings to life a truly memorable character. "They say there are few guarantees in life, but when you're a woman on the verge of turning thirty, there are several. Without fail, a gorgeous woman will always manage to introduce herself to your boyfriend at a party the very minute you stick a chicken wing in your mouth. The part of you that turned off the telephone ringer and lowered the volume on the answering machine just to have a couple of hours to yourself will disappear and you'll want to talk to the man in your life, whether he's special or not, every minute of the day. And the moment you and your boyfriend reach a significant milestone, like an anniversary, a woman from his past is sure to reappear." These are the words of Casey Beck, a twenty-nine-year-old African-American college professor from New York City who is sick of her job, her friends, her boyfriend, even the margaritas at her favorite Southern-style bar. Staring at the road to thirty, Casey is hoping for a little love, a little sex and a little bit more out of her world. And then -- boom. Her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, whom she had hoped never to see again -- the ex-girlfriend who had slept with her man only a few months before; the ex-girlfriend who always acted prettier, sexier, smarter, cooler than her -- walks into her apartment one night and refuses to leave her life. A hilarious, heartrending look at twenty-something living, His Insignificant Other is the story of a group of friends who are trying to decide whether it's time to settle down or move on. When Casey finds herself re-examining the contented couple life she thought she had created, she begins to realize that sometimes the pictures we paint for our own happiness are not always so accurate. Telling more than just the story of a bored professional searching for satisfaction, Karen V. Siplin brings to light the ennui that exists in all of our lives, both at the workplace and in the bedroom. Whether laughing or crying at the wild, risky world of relationships, His Insignificant Other is a candid look at life and love on the verge of thirty. Read Less