Monday, 23 July 2012

The Out of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty (Fiction, 9/10E)



5th July 2012, Headline
313 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: publishing industry, 'dream' job not so dreamy, huge pressure & huge stakes, awol luggage leading to some character building, Sicily, Italian fashion, secrets kept out of the sun, partying, life for the rich, the movie industry, ghost writers, being out of place, experimenting with who you are, trusting your instincts after you consult with friends, skewed perspective, moderate & occasional adult romance, mention of drugs, tissue needed

Summary from Headline

From London ....

Alice Roberts is having a rubbish summer.

She's terrified of her boss, her career is stalling, and she's just been dumped - by text message. But things are about to change ...

... to Italy

When her boss Olivia is taken ill, Alice is sent on the work trip of a lifetime: to a villa in Sicily, to edit the autobiography of Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson. But it's not all yachts, nightclubs and Camparis. Luther's arrogant agent Sam wants him to ditch the book. Luther himself is gorgeous, charming and impossible to read. There only seems to be one way to get his attention, and it definitely involves mixing business with pleasure. Alice is out of the office, and into deep trouble ...

... with love\

Nayuleska's thoughts

I spent the entire book convinced the dark secrets would involve the mafia. I was completely wrong. I'm not entirely sure why when I hear Sicily I automatically think mafia. I just do.

I kept hoping it would all unravel st the end - it all made sense in my head. But with 3 chapters left I realised it wasn't happening. I was a little disappointed, but only until I thought about what Alice taught me. I don't read books for romance, and had several eye rolling moments at her broken/mending heart. She does have courage and guts some of the time. I learned that different doesn't mean bad, and endings aren't bad: it means new concepts & events are on the horizon. Alice doesn't always see that, but help comes from an unexpected source - well two. One I can't say. The other is Poppy.

Dear Poppy. I loved her breezy nature from the start. Her strike action moment made me want to leap in the air - she's the best friend Alice could hope for. Alice ends up being not as alone in the world as she imagined herself to be, and she learns other people have problems just as huge & complex as her own.

You can find out more on Nicola's website.

Suggested read
For another taking risks in life read try Semi-Sweet by Roison Meaney

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