Little Lady Agency Book

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this book, especially as I've been kind of "off" chick-lit these days. But, I thought it was really great--fabulous and fresh and frothy while still having backbone and heart. I love how it avoided a lot of the cliches so prevalent in chick-lit (for example, the heavenly Nelson, our leading lady Melissa's flat-mate, is neither gay nor her former lover... he is simply a dear friend who happens to be of the opposite sex!) I also loved that I DIDN'T really know what would happen in the end--yes, it wasn't all spelled out from page one. I found it unbelievably refreshing that Melissa is a GOOD person with the basic tribulations that we all might encounter in the course of being a good person, trying to be kind to our family, trying to have a fulfilling career, and hoping that maybe, just maybe, true love will come along. Also, this book is CLEAN--there is some innuendo, but Melissa prides herself on not being one to jump into casual intimate relationships. (That is not to say there aren't some very pleasant romantic moments, but they are heart-full and sexy in a PG, non-bodice-ripping way!) Finally, Melissa's business is really fascinating! :-) I'm looking forward to reading more in the series and hope the quality will continue.

I didn't care much for it, but that's probably because romance has never been my genre. The protagonist of this novel is a very sweet girl Melissa. Very very sweet....well, a bit too sweet and a bit too naive. Nevertheless or perhaps because of it, she is quite easy to relate to ( we were all naive at times) and she is even likable to a degree, especially when she starts to develop some spine with the help of her alter ago persona Honey. I found it refreshing to read about Mellissa's /Honey's initial struggles, that part about her losing her job and struggling to find a new one was quite realistic and well written. Actually, that was the favourite part of this novel for me, all that talk about the heroine's determination to build her own business and to put her life in order. The fact that she decided to do something for herself was almost a surprise considering what a push- over this character generally was. That was nice to see. Speaking of the good sides of this novel, there is a fair amount of humour in it. It is British humour of the lighter kind, not the really dark one that I like so much, but still there are some funny moments in it. Yet, the novel doesn't feel distinctly British. It feels American...or maybe as a mix of the two? Like the love couple in the story.

What else do you need to know about Melissa? As soon as the love story develops, she seems to lose all her IQ points but maybe that is how it is supposed to be in this kind of novels? What else? Our protagonist comes from a particularly dysfunctional family and has a horrid father. I felt that the author didn't make the most of it, albeit I give her points for trying. It was a kind of a bold move, including a father that was such a brute...and oddly enough, he seems more real than most of the characters. Perhaps she plans to develop this 'daddy issue' more in the sequels? Too bad that I won't be reading them.

So, basically, this book was ok but I didn't enjoy it. I did like the beginning of the novel and some parts in the middle but as soon as the love story started to unfold, I lost my interest. Melissa, being the uncertain girl she is, starts to complain all the time and it gets tiring. The ending was also a disappointment. The love story itself bored me immensely. While Mellisa had some good points, the guy she falls for was so unremarkable...the writer kept singing him praises, but I failed to see why. What a bore! The love triangle was even more dull and unconvincing. Quite possibly the major problem I had with this one is its genre? I just don't like romance novels. Hence, I'm not a good person to recommend a one. It is that simple. I tried to share my views about it, but instead of the conclusion, I will have to get very generic and say something along the lines... If you're a fan of romance novels, by all means go for it. If you're not, stay away of it. It is a typical romance, if you ask me. That's the best I can do.