I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but what I got was a pleasant read with likable characters and a mystery that wove itself through the plot.
That makes it sound more serious than it was. This book was actually a lot of fun.
I expected to dislike Dana. She’s a New York City actress and she sells merchandise on a shopping channel, the first job she has apparently been able to hold down in quite a long time.
But instead of hating her, I found myself wanting to know her. I could see her being fun to be around. Could have had to do with her quips and reactions to what others said to her.
That reminded me of…well, me.
Frankly, she reminded me a lot of me. I moved to NYC, auditioned a couple of place, and ended up bartending (no home shopping channels for me). I even dated an NYC officer.
Spoiler: I married mine 😊
Anyway, back to Dana. While I thought her life was entertaining (and would have been a great story on its own), the mystery that popped up was woven seamlessly into the narrative.
Honestly, there’s not a lot to unpack here, because it was a light, fun story.
Anyone who has ever watched even five minutes of a home shopping channel will appreciate Dana’s talents onscreen. Even I was impressed with her capabilities. Those were very entertaining scenes.
I will say that there were more than a few times that I found “Friends” references. Not only were there over mentions (Ross and Rachel) but there were also some clever points that only a die-hard fan might recognize.
Dana’s play, her relationship with Ari, even a boot heel…I counted at least ten events/plot points where I could reference Friends.
Now, that might just be because Friends was that universal. Regardless, it provided additional enjoyment to me.
This is a perfect beach read and one of my favorites of the year.
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Author Bio: Ellen Meister is the author of several novels including LOVE SOLD SEPARATELY, DOROTHY PARKER DRANK HERE; FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER; THE OTHER LIFE and others. Ellen is also an editor, book coach, ghostwriter, and frequent contributor to Long Island Woman Magazine. She teaches creative writing at Long Island University Hutton House Lectures and previously at Hofstra University. Her latest novel is THE ROOFTOP PARTY. For more info visit ellenmeister.com.
