Review: Nice Girls Finish First

Are you too nice for your own good? Or… are you a type of person that would never be labeled as “nice” in a million years? Even if you are neither of these, you will most likely enjoy Alesia Holliday’s latest novel Nice Girls Finish First.

This book is told from two points of view. Firstly, there is Kirby, VP of marketing for a sex toy manufacturer. She is a type of woman that has never been mistaken for being nice. As a matter of fact, after recently firing most of her department, her boss Banning Stuart has issued an ultimatum: Kirby either gets someone to declare that she is nice, or she will not be able to go on the Italian vacation she has planned. Not only that, she will lose her job. Kirby steps up to the challenge, albeit a bit reluctantly. After all, you don’t get ahead in life by being nice, right?

Then there is Brianna, Kirby’s assistant. She is Kirby’s opposite: just too nice for her own good. She is currently engaged to a sweet guy named Lyle, and trying to make it as an Opera singer. Putting up with Kirby’s terrible handwriting and tempers isn’t easy, but she is determined to do her job well. When Brianna finds about Kirby’s challenge, she decides to help her out. (more…)

Review: The Perfect Manhattan

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to bartend in New York City or the Hamptons? I know I have! The Perfect Manhattan will take you behind the bartending scenes and show you both the good and bad.

Meet Cassie, a fresh graduate from Columbia University who wants to be a writer but knows she needs to support herself in the meantime. No corporate slave-driven job for her! Instead she decides to become a bartender, telling herself it will only be temporary. After long hours of schmoozing customers and her boss, she ends up with a great opportunity to work in a bar in the Hamptons for the summer.

So after snagging a decidedly questionable summer share (a house occupied by a bunch of drunken frat-boy types), Cassie and her good friend Annie (a cocktail waitress) begin work at what turns out to be the hottest bar/club in the Hamptons. (more…)

Review: Pounding The Pavement

There have been a slew of “working girl in the city” chick lit novels this summer so far, much to my delight. This latest debut novel by Jennifer van der Kwast features Sarah, a young woman who has been unemployed for over six months. Luckily she is scraping by with the odd freelance under-the-table manuscript-reading job (for her previous boss who had laid her off) and a string of unfortunate temp positions. However, at one such position she meets Jake – a gorgeous guy who had recently dumped his girlfriend after catching her cheating.

Sarah and Jake really hit it off and are very attracted to each other and share the same passion for movies, but Sara can’t help but wonder if Jake is merely on the rebound. After all, the break-up with his stunning ex girlfriend seems to have devastated him.

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Review: Chalking It Up

Working Girl Chick Lit is fast becoming one of my favorite sub-genres of chick lit. These novels usually feature women struggling to find their right career path, and in the process, go over a lot of bumps or end up having to claw their way up the ladder of success. This book is a wonderful example of such a novel.

Heather Hall, the main character, is what you would call a “corporate rebel”. She has been working for a large corporation called Commerce World, and along with her friend Regan, is testing just how far she could go without getting “laid off” or fired. Since the company had been doing layoffs for some time, she fears her turn is coming up soon. Sneaking away on two hour lunches, watching movies during company time, and coming in late every day, Heather knows her number will be up soon. And sure enough, it is one day.

Knowing she’s burned some bridges, Heather tries to find another job she is happy in and can make a decent salary at. It’s not easy – the economy is terrible and she has a family at home that she must juggle along with her job. After flitting to a couple of other companies and not finding a job that is a good fit, Heather finally realizes where her true talents lie, and sets out to find true job satisfaction. (more…)

Review: The Twins Of Tribeca

There is nothing like a breathtakingly good book that simply will not let you put it down, regardless of what time you have to get up the next morning. Even better is when it is a debut novel. I found The Twins of Tribeca by Rachel Pine to be such a novel. It was so good, so gossipy, so dishy, and so well-written that I simply had no choice but to finish the book in one read.

Bored with her job at CNN, Karen Jacobs (our main heroine) jumps at the chance to work in the publicity department for Glorious Productions. Despite having heard terrible rumors about the working conditions there, she manages to get hired on as a junior publicist – assistant to the infamous Allegra Orecchi. (more…)

Review: True Hollywood Lies

True Hollywood Lies
by Josie Brown
Avon Trade
Published September 2005
4/5 Stars

If anyone has ever had a bad few days, it’s Hannah Fairchild, main character of True Hollywood Lies. Not only has her famous movie-star father kicked the bucket and left his trust fund to his latest conniving wife, but her boyfriend has dumped her for another woman. Hannah’s only option at this point is to take a job as a personal assistant to Louis Trollope, who also happens to be one of the most eligible and sought-after actors.

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Review: Beyond The Blonde

Beyond The Blonde
by Kathleen Flynn-Hui
Warner Books
September 2005
5/5 Star

There’s nothing like a refreshingly unique “Working Girl Lit” book where the character has a job other than in the publishing or movie industry. In Beyond the Blonde by Kathleen Flynn-Hui, our main character Georgia has the job of a stylist.

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Review: Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky

Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky was simply one of the best [adult] chick lit novels I have read in quite some time. It is a working-girl chick lit novel, but also falls into the glamour lit category quite easily. The plot revolves around Jill White, a woman who has a magazine named after her. She manages to make a very strong and passionate name for herself, although the ride along the way was a little bumpy.

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