Description
From Publishers Weekly Anna Brown, the 32-year-old London native who narrates Bagshawe's contrived latest chick-lit offering (after The Devil You Know ), is ugly. She describes her unfortunate traits (large nose, masculine build and extra weight) soon after the story begins and never lets the reader forget them. The novel plods along as self-loathing Anna is dumped by an acne-ridden boyfriend, argues with her thin, gorgeous roommates (they're models) and achieves some small successes as an underpaid script reader for a film company. Despite Anna's low self-esteem, when she meets powerful film director Mark Swan, she manages to sabotage their budding friendship by tiresomely insisting that Swan help her sell her first attempt at a script, thus scuttling her best chance for romance. To make matters worse, she agrees to marry another man, super-rich—and super-unattractive—Charles. Few of Bagshawe's characters shrink from opportunism, and their eventual redemption may ring a little false after so much gleeful money-grubbing. Some readers will enjoy the bitchiness, but others may think that ugly is as ugly does, and that Anna deserves her big nose—though the inevitable makeover scene is good fun. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Readers jaded by British chick lit will get suckered into adopting this hapless, lovable heroine. Script-reader Anna Brown longs to make it in the film production biz, but she's lousy at sucking up (unlike office-mate John) and sexy flirting (unlike office-mate Sharon). When's she not fetching coffee or taking abuse from her quixotic boss, Anna nurses a serious case of the glums from living with two glamorous models. Anna's big break arrives in the form of England's hottest bad-boy director, Mark Swan, who unearths Anna's potential as a screenwriter when she goofily interrupts his location scouting with her witty badinage. Believing she'll never make it in showbiz or catch Mark's eye, Anna allows herself to be talked into an arranged marriage with the wealthy and arrogant Charles. Traditional mishaps include getting fired, romantic misunderstandings, and hiding figure flaws. Expected resolutions include discovering hidden talent, shucking loser boyfriend, and fabulous makeovers. The same tired chick-lit elements are present but wrapped up in snappy dialogue and entertaining characters. Readers won't care if they can second-guess the plot. Kaite Mediatore Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “ Girl offers a fun peek at the not-so-glam side of filmmaking--and a cheesy but satisfying Hollywood ending.” ― Entertainment Weekly “Witty and entertaining, Bagshawe's written a delight. Readers will empathize with Anna, a woman who suffers insecurities about her appearance, in this complete package of romance, humor, and emotion.” ― Romantic Times Book Club (Top Pick) From the Inside Flap Praise for For All the Wrong Reasons "Unputdownable Bagshawe"- Cosmopolitan "Sexy, page-turning girl-power glamour blockbuster with nothing to rival her...it's a winner"- Publishers Weekly "Brash, bright and breezy...A classic rags-to-riches tale. Toss this sexy read into your Gucci beach bag and enjoy."- Antoinette Stockenberg, author of Tidewatåer Praise for For All the Wrong Reasons "Unputdownable Bagshawe"- Cosmopolitan "Sexy, page-turning girl-power glamour blockbuster with nothing to rival her...it's a winner"- Publishers Weekly "Brash, bright and breezy...A classic rags-to-riches tale. Toss this sexy read into your Gucci beach bag and enjoy."- Antoinette Stockenberg, author of Tidewatåer Louise Bagshawe is the author of bestselling novels. At the age of 14, she became the youngest-ever contributor to the British magazine Tablet. An Oxford graduate, she was also named Young Poet of the Year, 1989, and president of the Oxford University Rock Society. She has been Press and Promotions Officer at EMI Classics and has worked for Sony Music International. Louise Bagshawe now writes full time. She lives in New York and married a man she met on the internet. Her books include For All the Wrong Reasons , The Devil You Know and The Go-To Girl . Read more
Features & Highlights
- Gorgeous goddesses seem to surround lowly script-reader Anna Brown--from her deranged, glamour-queen boss to her perfect, pouting roommates. For Anna, being less-than-beautiful is hard to bear. With a dead-end job and a dead-beat boyfriend, she wonders if she can ever be a success. In beauty-crazed London, perhaps being talented just isn't enough. Enter Mark Swan, Britain's hottest director. Rugged, reclusive and powerful, everybody wants a piece of him--from studio heads to supermodels. He could be Anna's ticket to the top, but how can she ever hope to snag such a big star? Fed up with being dowdy and downbeat, Anna decides to chase her dreams, and with a little help from her friends, embarks on a madcap scheme to get what she's after.
