Book Review: The Assistants by Camille Perri

PURCHASE/ GOODREADS

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You are thirty. For six years you’ve been an assistant to one of the richest most powerful men in the world. Although you are respected, everyone needs a favour from you, you run his life accordingly, you are still underpaid and overworked.

You are drowning in student-loan debts and your 30,000 dollars a year is kind of sucking at bailing you out. But of course, slowly you’d get that loan off your neck, maybe in six to seven to ten years.

Then a cheque lands on your desk. The exact amount of your student loan debt. No one has any idea of it except you. You’ll keep it in your bag for a few days. You’re not going to use it. Only if they hadn’t invented that app where you snap a checque and immediately it gets cashed in into your account.

Relief! Your student loans-debt are paid!

Except you are not all free, some assistants have caught wind of what you’ve done. And they as well, have student-loans to pay too. And if you don’t help them… they wouldn’t help you too.

MY REVIEW

I loved this book! Since (the Devil Wears Prada) no book has been able to quite capture the not so glamorous life of The Assistant…

Amazing storyline! The Assistants of a multi-billion firm duping their filthy rich bosses to clear off their student-loan debts, because of course what they earn a year is what their bosses spend on a golf-club! Brilliant! It starts out as a chick-lit novel, a random one. Then it evolves into a title subversive and revolutionary. A star to the storyline.—★

You’d love the main character! Tina Fontanna! She’s a loner, known as a dyke back in school, spends too much time making sure her boss’ life runs smoothly yet can’t keep hers in check. The typical assistant. However, you wouldn’t find her seething about her boss being a slave-driver (maybe he is, but he has a good heart) and Tina works for him happily. She’s funny. She’s super timid. And is very generous… with money that’s not her own. A star.—★★

Other characters you’d love are Emily, the ‘bonafide’, Harvard-graduate (press her and you’d find she’s lying), accomplice and roommate. You’d also love Wendi Chan, the Asian, band-drummer, anarchist-at-heart computer geek assistant from the IT department. There’s also Margie Fischer, the burly woman who hates Tina’s guts for whatever reasons. Robert Barlow, the boss being duped who has one too many quotes embedded in our lead’s head. A star to these characters and other more amazing Assistants I can’t mention for fear this review might turn into an epic poem of some sorts. —★★★

And there’s a very amazing, and satisfying ending too.—★★★★

My rating: Four out of five stars.

Go get The Assistants by Camille Perri (it’s her debut!) on amazon.

I recommend it to anyone who wants a chicklit title that isn’t all about sunny summers and jilted vacationers, but one that is full off revolutionary material, checking on some error on society.

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Amazon as well as Goodreads.

Killer Review: Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

*The Killer Reviews are reviews for my 'A Killer Season' feature where I review psychological thrillers on which much fuss has been made declaring them worth the read (or not)*

Purchase• Goodreads 

MY Synopsis 

Imagine This: She used to be your best friend. That was until she killed your two sons in a reckless accident.

She took the life of your sons and yours with theirs. Now you have no life. Nothing to live for. A husband who's walked out. A livelihood that has been reduced to plotting to inflict the same pain you went through—and still go through now—on her.

For three years, you've set the Day you are going to make your best friend suffer, then kill her.

Now the Day is drawing near, and you are still set on her demise. Nothing can stop you. Not even the law.

Catrin Quinn's intricate murder plot summarized for your delight.

My Review. 

I loved, loved this book!

A powerful storyline that's chilling right from reading the blurb. What's the worst thing you can do to your best friend? Beautiful! A star to the storyline.—

Catrin Quinn is just deadly! You'd love her for that, you'd love her so much you'd even support her cause.  (And probably go kill some old best friends of your own). Sharon Bolton cuts her open and reveals her pain, suffering and grief so brazenly you feel you have to explode from all the emotion oozing out of our lead and reeling you in. A star to her.

Other main characters such as Callum, the man who can't understand Catrin has crossed over to the dark side, and Rachel, the best friend who's about to SUFFER, will just make you love this title more.

And the supporting cast! There's Skye, the gangly LONG cop who keeps banging into everything in her way. There's also BOB-Cat, the owner of the Island's most regularized coffee shop who won't take shit from none of her customers who want their coffee a bit warm and not turbid and cold. There's Queenie, Catrin's adorable dog who understands her loss. You'd also love Bee, Rachel's horse who keeps butting into her internal monologues. The whole setting of Falkland Islands was an amazing character on its own. A star.—★

I put daily reading limits on this novel. That's how distracting it can be. The suspense felt like disembodied hands reaching out to me, waiting to yank me to wherever they are creeping from. But I wouldn't let myself succumb, because I had work to do. Though apportioning my time became fruitless because when I wasn't reading, my brain was wherever I left off twitching disturbingly to connect the dots of the tale. A star to the suspense!—★★ 

I love a well-researched novel. A novel that shines with informative detail weaved beautifully into the story. Sharon, clearly is not the kind of sloppy thriller author, struggling to make their work seem intellectual—especially when their stories and the info they are relaying do not correlate. A star!—★★★

And the OMG moments!!!  Too much of it right down to its last line (even in the epilogue). A star.—★★★★

The writing... BEAUTIFUL.—★★★★★

I have a little confession though: when this book popped up in my mail last year, I 'back'-listed it because it sounded too interesting a read. I knew if I read it, it would have set the bar high for all the other subsequent titles. I'm regretting I put it off for so long, then I would have stopped reading titles that gave me so much headaches and made me want to weep so much I couldn't put up a review.——★★★★★★ 

My rating:  six out of Five stars!

Sharon Bolton's Little Black Lies is available on Amazon. Go purchase now! Now!

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a psychological thriller that doesn't have one of those sorry, anti-climatic things most authors of the genre reserve for an ending. If you love your thriller with writing that glows so bright you can hold it up so a moving truck can hit the brakes before you are made into some sort of gymnastic star, go grab this. I envy all you who haven't read this, because you'll never have THAT BOOK that will make you reconsider your current rating system!

My review not done here. Off to post my review on Amazon as well as goodreads.

Festive Book Review: A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley

PURCHASE / GOODREADS

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You are in a relationship that's been ongoing for almost a year. You love him. You find his surfer-boy charm irresistible. Though you wish you guys lived in the same vicinity and you didn't have to journey miles for quick, blissful shags over the weekend.

Then he proposes. And you are thrown in a whirlwind of wedding preparations. A wedding that's happening on Christmas!

Your whole family is excited for you. Except your sister—who would have been your maid-of-honour—decides she's not going to put her family through the potential snowstorm risk they might be facing at the decided venue.

You want simple. But your fiance's mum wants extreme—"I'm not traveling miles so I could have some hot-dogs on a bench and return." And suddenly a wedding that's supposed to be quick and easy is looking difficult and stressful.

Hopefully, this year the mistletoe would work its magic again and you are going to have an amazing wedding without breaking-down...

Then your ex who jilted you weeks before your wedding comes back into the scene—precisely a few houses away—with his adorable dog... Uh-oh.

Thea's chaotic, Christmas wedding summed up for your delight.

My Review.

Great storyline. Not, really unique, but enjoyable all the same. What with Thea's parents contemplating on moving out into a low-maintenance home, fearing the prospect they might get old and get put in homes? And also, Thea's sister Emily who's going through post-partum depression. A star!── ★

The main characters are Great. It's told in the point of view of mother and two daughters who have funny voices and different, likable personalities. There's Anna, the mum, who's fearing the prospect of becoming an oldie cliche complete with a home and a giant ball of crocheting thread to knit. There's Emily, worried London is no more a safe place to live because someone stole her pram. You'd also love Thea, who has to scream how much She loves her fiance into the phone so her ex snooping in through the back-gate wouldn't miss a word. A star!── ★★

You'd also love the funny cast of characters! There's Mike, Anna's husband who won't take being called old because he's only in his early seventies. There's also Charlotte, Mike's younger ex who's popping in and out of Emily's home without invitation helping out with the kids and helping herself with all their bottles of wine. There's also Rich, Thea's ex who thinks he can win her back by flashing by with his dog. Star to all these characters and more.── ★★★

A very funny festive read. So I give it a star too.── ★★★★

Though a sequel, it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. (Not following the stereotype perception about sequels, this sequel is even more enjoying than its prequel.)

My rating:  Four out of Five stars!

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is available on Amazon.

I recommend this read to anyone who loves their festive titles full of humour, miracles the festive season brings and lots of adorable characters!

My last review of 2015, so a Happy New Year!

Festive Book Review: The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah

PURCHASE|

GOODREADS 
MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: You are forty and in a hospice. 

There's a lot you can do in a hospice without keeling over from boredom. 1: Listen to the loud juddering breaths of your cancer next-door patient.  2: Stare at the walls of your room idly waiting for your nurses. 3: Invite family over and have a blast.

Probably the last option. The most tempting of all. Except you'd die before you speak to the 'family that bought the earliest train ticket to dumping you in this shithole. 

But it's not that much of a shithole is it? There's a nurse who regularly stops by to check (up) on you. There's the family of the cancer-patient waving warmly and—sometimes—sitting in to have a chat with you if they are not going haywire for the health of your neighbour.

But, really there's not a lot to do holed up in bed, all day, everyday, waiting for your last breathe. Of course the thoughts of your past threaten to catch up with you. But you can't have that. You can't think of all the moments you fucked-up your life.

Then one day, your favorite nurse stops in, and introduces the Game that would bring your past right next to your present with a cuppa in hand. A Game that would bring up thoughts of WHO you could have led a clean life for but DIDN'T. 

Ivo's almost-ending life summed up for your delight.  

My REVIEW. 

I liked this book!

Storyline amazing! Guy in hospital thinking of all the times in his past from childhood till adulthood till he met YOU(—not you), naming every body part from A to Z and telling the stories associated with them to keep you(—really mean you this time) engrossed. Lovely──★.

A beautiful narrative. Told in first person-point of view with a dash of second person for when he's referring to YOU. Some parts are so irregularly breathtaking, they read like poetry. A nice incorporation. Prose and poetry all merged into this delight. A star!──★★

Oh, you'd love Ivo! Amazingly unique voice. Perfectly resembles his character. It's a sad thing though for him life is ending at forty. A star.──★★★

OK. Let's take a second to praise all the other amazing cast. A quirky book with a quirky set of characters to match. From Laura, the annoying sister who wouldn't act her age as the oldest. There's Mal, the friend who you'd hate with a passion. There's also Becca, the hot black girl with an amazing skin and body (who everyone loves). There's Ivo's mum—funny as hell! Mr. Miller, the teacher who despises Ivo for being part of the naughty sniggering bastards at the back of the class. There's also Kevin, the threesome of Ivo and Mal who outshines Ivo in the naive and hopeless department. Sheila, the amazing nurse also deserves a honking from my klaxon. And of course, there's YOU. A star to all these delightful characters.──★★★★ 

My rating:  Four/Five stars.
Ivo's beautiful story can be found on Amazon. Big-ups to James Hannah for penning this heartwarming/renching debut.

I recommend this to anyone who loves their fiction with the death, hospice, cancer, kidney failure theme. If you want a book with a quirky cast, oh go for this! A perfect read for this season, a book that topics on kindness and love, forgiveness—attitudes you'd need in large store this holiday season for when that crazy aunt drops by to get on your nerves!

MY work not done here. Off to post my review on Amazon as well as Goodreads 

Fall Book Review: Disclaimer by Renee Knight

PURCHASE|GOODREADS 

My Synopsis. 

Imagine This: You have been hiding this big secret all your life. With your adorable husband and son who's recently moved out of home, your life is perfect. You recently won an award in your field of investigative journalism. Everything is going like it's supposed to. Your secret is safe. No one knows. Your life isn't in tatters... yet.

During a pastime, you pick up a book to while the hours away—you have no one to look after these days, why don't you look after yourself then? So you begin reading this novel with your feet up, a glass of wine by your bedside—more like it!—and happen to be enjoying this novel. Until you realize you are reading about you. The secret you kept all these years unraveled in a book.

Who knows? Who's out to destroy you? You would only find out if you go back in the past. 

Meanwhile, the writer of your work of 'fiction' is presently working on their best revenge yet. You will pay for what you did years ago.

Catherine's life summed up for your delight! 

My Review. 

I love this book!

The storyline was what reeled me in! I loved the whole idea conceptualized for a psychological thriller! Woman finds herself reading a book about her dark secret. Writer is out to make Woman pay with pen... or more! Lovely! A star!—★

Oh, you'd love its main character, Cath! Very ruthless (at times), very bold. Kind of the character you'd expect to handle a writer who's lost their hinges! A star to her!—★★

I cannot read this book and not comment about its opening chapters! Edge-of-your-seat fun! Very gripping and fast-paced! Most thrillers do not begin this way!!!—★★★

You'd love other characters too. The deluded writer out to get our main character's blood, our lead's husband who's for most part of the book supportive (till he finds out...)—★★★★

Ugh! What killed me about this book is its anti-climax, with such a promising start I was expecting more for an ending. Though, the ending was very soulful and fulfilling, I just wanted... something that would have this book imprinted in my mind forever!

So my rating: Four-out-of five stars. 

The Disclaimer is up on Amazon!

I recommend this book to anyone in need of a psychological thriller laden with flashbacks (of so many versions from the POVs of some characters) that are as gripping as the current day events! You won't be able to put this book down!

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Amazon and Goodreads! 

Blog Tour + Review: Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin

Purchase|Goodreads

My Synopsis 

Imagine This: You are a mother pushing through forties. Your only daughter is twenty. And here's a secret you do not tell anyone:

You do not have sex all times, any time.
But ten years ago, something remarkable happened in your life. One of your students in your Fem Economics class, stepped too far with you. He's young, you are older. He was leaving college the next day. But somehow you two managed to have sex—make-love all over your appartment. So many times.

Ten years later, he's back into your life. He needs your help. He might be still in love with you. You might enjoy more of him than you want to. But he brings your daughter home for dinner...

And that's when your life implodes: your daughter needs a nose job. She's getting it no matter how much you tell her she's perfect. And she's getting into porn to prove that she can make it (her nose) in life without your help.

Ally Hughes' life summarized for your delight.

My Review  

I liked this book.

Storyline is amazing. A feminist professor with her daughter and her lover go through lots of shenanigans to prove sex represents power for all females, and support the neo-feminist stand but agree that women need men for a whole lot of things: sweeping them off their feet, giving them some good loving. It trashes the porn industry and Hollywood/society for the image they confine on all women. A star to the storyline!.──★

It's fun when you pick up a chick-lit title which is a staunch-educator on women affairs. It crosses the thin line between commercial and literary fiction and appeals to audience of both genres. A star..──★★

The characters are great. Ally Hughes, the main character represents all (middle-aged) women who believe celibacy is underrated, but sometimes getting a break and having sex is also good. There's Lizzie, the daughter who's deeper than she likes to portray with a pool of knowledge on women affairs (post-feminism) she picked up from her mum. There's Noah, the actor who has a thing for older women and has never forgotten Ally since he sat in the back row of all her classes, listening attentively. There's also Anna, the super-funny friend of Ally who I loved (more than the lead). There's the super-fishy Fishman and Ted who run a porn business. A star..──★★★

Humor in this title is also a plus. And the SEX!.──★★★★

I liked this book. But I wish I could have loved, loved it. I wanted more. More suspense, more plot twists, less predictability. 

My rating: Four/Five stars.

Jules Moulin's debut available on amazon 

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a funny chick-lit title that also touches on issues that affect women. Anyone who wants something romantic (—because it is very) to cosy up to this summer.


My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads as well as Amazon. 

Book Review: The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

MY SYNOPSIS

Imagine This: Life has been so good to you. With a lovely family, mother to your amazing precocious daughter and indulging in the heart-swelling romance of your life with the man who you never quite let go. Except the cancer is back, spread all through your body now, threatening to take away all the people you’ve loved your entire life.

But you would overcome! You know you would. You beat it the first time so, stage IV cancer can go screw with someone else who isn’t that strong enough!

Except when you are really determined to fight, a hospice isn’t the ideal not-giving-up solution, your dad thinks. He’s troubled, worried your mum, a born-fighter has given up on you. Worried he cannot do anything to take you out of this death prison.

Your daughter is quite unaware of this dire turning state of your health. Your sister relieves her tension by throwing mugs at her husband and making her children go on a diet. Your brother is contemplating on the what-happens-to-your-daughter-when-you-are-dead even though he’s scared to give much thought to this. Your closest friend has taken up shopping more frequently than ever. Everyone has a way of dealing with their pain towards your impending doom.

And you, through all the breakthrough pain, the bloating body parts, and the funny nurses who think they’d be better appreciated if they auditioned for the X-Factor, the only way to deal with this predicament is to sleep. Sleep and dream of the one very love in your big, dissipating heart.

You are not giving up yet, cancer!

MY REVIEW

OMG! Stop whatever you are doing and go get this book the moment you are done reading this line! (I’m not continuing if you don’t…).

The storyline isn’t fresh. Dying girl in her forties, battling cancer. Haven’t we heard of this so many times? Yawn. But no one said anything about the dying girl having the craziest family who are willing to stay by her side through thick and thin, no one said anything about the nurses who fancy themselves as Ireland’s biggest talents and actresses in a CBS-styled drama, no one said anything about a dreamy boy with the voice of [INSERT NAME OF KING OF ROCK AND ROLL AS MY VIEWS MAY CONFLICT WITH YOURS] who brought so much joy to Dying Girl’s life, no one also said anything about Dying Girl’s addiction to the principles of atheism. Lovely. A star to the storyline.── ★

You would adore Rabbit Hayes! OMG! Even strapped to a hospice bed, she could still gain your attention than heroines with all their boobs intact running around aimlessly (—this bring any heroine to mind?). You would love the way she tries to put humour in every situation, how she’d want to laugh her heart out at times despite dealing with bloated body parts (—but could you blame her when it’s hard to locate your ribs?), how she sometimes cusses at her doctors when she’s dealing with heart-wrenching pain. As if all the above is not enough, you would admire her life as a teen—when the only thing she could think about was her big, rock and roll sweetheart; her funny cancer column about when she was first diagnosed with mild breast cancer. Brilliant.── ★★

The presentation of this work is also one of its stunning features. The switch between the present and the past, the use of lots of flashbacks to provide engaging backstory throughout the whole novel. The story is told in third-person perspective of all the major characters in this title. And every character’s narration is distinct to their personalities as well as enjoyable. A star.── ★★★

The supporting cast… breathtaking! You would love Molly Hayes, the matriarch of the Hayes family who tries to hold it together even though she could do with learning to say the right things at the right time and not threatening to murder, kill or drown her family right at the presence of her dying daughter. You would love Jack Hayes, the father who relies so much on the strength of his wife he wouldn’t take an initiative if she doesn’t(——you know his type?) You would also love Davey Hayes, the superstar drummer who still lives in a tour bus despite approaching mid-forties. You would love Juliet, the charming daughter. You would love Grace Hayes, the sister who finds hospices more appealing than hospitals. The nurses, the priest, the band members of Kitchen Sink… Christ, I really do realize I could go on and on! Every single character delivered and there was no moment you would doubt the relevance of a character. Anna McPartlin demonstrates, in finding joy through life’s treacherous moments, you need a whole bunch of friends, family and health workers to help! A star to all the characters. Most of all, to Rabbit Haye’s one truest love, Johnny Faye.── ★★★★

It’s the thing with all cancer books——Oh, no, wait! The good, good cancer books. Too much suspense and sitting at the edge of your seat to find out what would happen to the main character in the end. Oh, and as if all that isn’t enough Anna McPartlin gives you so, so, so much to laugh at. Hell, you’d think a cancer book should be all about MRI scans, mastectomy, diagnoses after diagnoses! Throw that notion away when entering into Rabbit Hayes’ world!── ★★★★★

Something about Irish Chick-lit. The writing is raw. The plot is brilliant. The story is beautiful. Just as Anna McPartlin’s amazing debut!

My rating is definitely a six out of five stars—I’m not dumb, I know this is very possible in math, albeit in rare cases. (6/5stars)

Go buy the hell out of this book on amazon. And if you have any cancer relatives, friends, or even acquaintances—no offense, but you most probably do, go get this book for them all. Because, this is a story about laughing through life’s surprises and finding joy in every [treacherous] moment.

I recommend this book to anyone! Anyone battling cancer or not! Anyone looking for an uplifting book or not! Anyone looking for something to laugh their hearts out to or not! Anyone who wants something to render them all weepy because they have no use for their Kleenex or not! Anyone who wants a fantabuloustastic(——OMG! Did you hear that??) debut author to watch or not!

My work not done here. Off to post my review on Goodreads.

Ground-Breaking Titles of 2014: Books That Changed The Face of Chick-lit

I had been meaning to post this way back when I had too much time on my hands but never got around to. So as I have taken a mini-blogging break, I would leave you with my list of:

GROUND-BREAKING Books of 2014: BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF CHICK-LIT.

(Not listed in any order)

The List by Joanna Bolouri.

Following the adventures of one shy girl with a naughty list, this book has a plot that sets it apart from all other chick-lit titles you’ve ever read. Told in the form of a diary, this book has lots to keep you engaged and SO MUCH MORE TO KEEP YOU GASPING FOR SHOCK! Not to mention it’s funny as hell, and of course sexy as Helen Mirren.  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

An Open Marriage by Tess Stimson.

I love Tess Stimson because she’s not afraid to use the letters on her keyboard to talk about issues a lot of society frowns upon (except for the old who are now embracing a YOLO approach to life). Focusing on the much hush-hushed swinging life of older marriages, Tess Stimson pens an emotionally steamy novel stacked with lots of lessons to learn from in our rapidly-changing society blurring the lines between adultery and fidelity as well as morality and immorality.  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

Christmas In The Snow by Karen Swan.

This book puts down the notion that Chick-lit cannot be fast-paced and very intriguing without guns and women sleuths. Karen Swan speaks on issues of feminism and women in high-ranking positions where male-domination is the opposite of what’s said in a Beyoncé track. Now, a book about ‘dark family secrets’ with dark, twisted family secrets! Absolutely ground-breaking! .  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

A Husband’s  Confession by Zoe Miller.

This is not your ordinary infidelity book! I never thought the main issue behind a book about infidelity could be something besides the ‘Oh, well, he cheated’ fact. Laced with family rivalry, intrigue, suspense and lots of ‘when the fuck is he going to cheat?’ moments, this book is told in present day and past day narratives that gives it a hallmark character! .  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

Courting Trouble by Kathy Lette.

Listed as the funniest book of 2014, Kathy Lette’s latest release isn’t all about one big book with so much chemistry between the protagonists and too much to laugh at. Putting across issues such as battling rape and its repercussions for feminists and rape-haters all-alike, Kathy Lette tells a remarkable story laden with suspense and so many issues of sexism swept under the carpet. .  PURCHASE| READ REVIEW

So there you have it. And you can vouch that as it appears on this blog, these books have NEVER, EVER, EVER BEEN DONE in chick-lit/women’s fiction. These titles demonstrate chick-lit is not all about ‘That Pink Book’! And by these titles, CHICK-LIT WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Chick-LOL Awards 2014: Funniest Books of 2014

 

Everyone who reads this blog knows there’s one thing I never joke with! (Sadly, it’s not punctuation) It’s humour. I love a good laugh. And these books, trust me, start the rumble of laughter way below your belly (——half of the time I do not understand my own expressions so bear with me).

The Chick-Lol Awards celebrates the funniest titles of 2014. (Check out 2013’s winner).

Book Number T

Take Mom Outby Fiona Gibson.

Book Number I

Love andChaos by Gemma Burgess

Book Number L

The BestThing That Never Happened To Me by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice.

Book Number K

DoubleStrike by Gretchen Archer.

Book Number C

ShopaholicTo The Stars by Sophie Kinsella.

Book Number I

The List byJoanna Bolouri

Book Number H

CourtingTrouble by Kathy Lette.

As you can see, a letter is missing. Because I am down to only one chick-lit title of 2014 which all the reviews said was hilarious. So I am waiting to read it and see if I could include it on this list or pick another title that fell out of the shortlist.

BUT BY FAR, The Funniest, Rib-cracking entertaining Chick-Lit of 2014, goes to Kathy Lette’s Courting Trouble.