Review: Both books reviewed below !
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2014
The Publicist4 starsI was curious about the ‘insider’ approach to publishing: so often we hear author stories, or as book reviewers only read the title: and we aren’t aware of the struggles to get a title TO the public: we are removed from that part of the journey. Christina George gives us a character in Kate: a publicist with a well-respected NY house that is struggling to keep their market niche.I really enjoyed Kate: her ability to just tackle things head on at full tilt, without letting all of the ridiculous bad behaviors get her too flustered: at least not that we see. Kate is at the bottom of the feeding pool at her work: the editors get the credit for the titles, the owner takes the accolades and awards, and she is often left to deal with screaming mimi fits at 3 am when an author is having ‘a moment’. I will say that I was more than a bit disappointed in her when she stepped over the line with Mac, the star editor and renown philanderer of the office. There was a bit of “insta-love’ there, falling for all of the safe and secure feelings that she had with him, even though I felt many were based in her fear of commitment – with him married she could enjoy the moment.Mac is an interesting guy: usually the editor who grabs the best titles: the books that are literary winners and manage to rise to best—sellers, he is entrenched in his marriage, but that will not keep him from choosing a side dish frequently. While one of the catch phrases in the book is “the ego has landed”, when often referred to authors, Mac is the first (yet not the only) character who also has some aggrandized self-import.While a publisher cannot exist within a vacuum, there are several other characters worth more than a brief mention: the president of the publishing house is more concerned with the NYT list and the bottom line than quality: always seeking to push editors to accept books in the “next hot” phase. Kate’s best friend Grace is a dose of reality: making Kate face her own failings, being there to support her, and even sharing the questions and potential pitfalls in her relationships. In fact, it is Grace who ultimately provides Kate with one of the necessary tools to change her life. Alan, is the other person who gave Kate a Hand. An award-winning author, much like Salinger, he only wrote one book, and then retired from the spotlight. Kate was tasked with bringing him some information from the publisher one day and the two formed an easy friendship: he would answer her questions and provide his insight, she would provide company and conversation and bring him fresh groceries. Alan has also been talking Kate up to his nephew, Nick, and was not so secretly hoping that the two would hit it off, despite Nick’s living in California. Other minor characters develop more importance in the second story, and are often integral to the twists.Told from Kate’s point of view, with insets of conversations and descriptions, the sense of ‘being there’ is entirely tactile and intriguing. Not only did I enjoy the sense of the publishing world and the frustrations that are common to those in the industry as they were revealed, but the ability to actually apply titles to some of the situations that Kate both sorts and manages was a fun time: while only experiencing some of the pressure that a publicist does, as a book blogger I could SO relate to some of the temper tantrums, gossip and rumors.To me, this was less of a romance and more of a “week in the life’ of a publicist: although I did have several issues with the romance element. WHY oh WHY do single women ALLOW married men to use trite, tired and patently ‘easy’ excuses to justify their bad behavior, and then become partners in crime? My marriage is in name only, she lost interest in me, I won’t ever divorce her BUT….. **insert eyeroll here**…. Yeah, that just made me cringe more often than not. But, I will say that their connection was real, if I only felt it as a lusty one.Intriguing, with lots of elements to identify with and a great opportunity for Kate to make huge changes in her life’s direction and work, this was a fun story that I devoured in one sitting, and went straight into the second in the series right after.I received a Galley copy of the title from Marketing Experts via the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.Shelf Life – 4 starsPicking up right where The Publicist left off, Christina George continues to follow Kate’s journey as she navigates her choices and decisions.  I’m not always a fan of her romantic entanglements: involvement with a co-worker is messy, one that is married and has a reputation as a Casanova is even messier.  But, she is trying to find new footing and moved to the other side of the country to give a relationship with Nick a try.I really did like Nick, but Kate was so unnecessarily unfeeling toward him: we could see her confusion and the need to get away, but running to someone just wanting them to fix the issue was immature at best, and destructive at worst.  The only piece of Kate’s life that was working was her plan to continue to publicize and promote books, starting with opening her own office as she brings a favored employee from the old firm into her new world.Most of the story however, is Kate struggling with her next step: seeing if she really does want to continue in the publishing world, and whether or not she can overcome the judgment of others regarding her decisions.  Kate’s life certainly doesn’t lack for dramatic moments, and neither does the publishing world: from publishers caring only about the bottom line, to authors who need therapy, the look at the people behind the curtain in the publishing world is a fun read for everyone.Mixing in some redemption and comeuppances for the characters, and twists that resolved several of the character’s personal issues, perhaps too neatly, the story manages to stay fresh and moving forward while wrapping up many of the loose ends that appeared early on.  I believe that this is expected to be a trilogy, and it will be nice to have one more look at the characters and how they are faring in the cutthroat publishing and promotion world as they navigate personalities, evolving reader tastes, and attempt to master the media outlets to get the books in front of readers.I received an eBook copy of the title from Marketing Experts for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.