Title: Shelf Life (The Publicist #2)
Author: Christina George
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
The story only an insider could tell.
Publishing: An industry of out-of-control of egos, unrealistic expectations, and books with the shelf life of milk.
This is Kate’s world, but for how long?
When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, she thinks it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold onto but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. When her career and love affair hit their expiration date, Kate sets off on a new adventure….
Starting over in California is easy, but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn’t. Nicholas Lavigne is eager to help her forget, but two things still own her heart, the dream of discovering the next great American novel, and MacDermott Ellis.
As Kate tries to rebuild her life she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest bestsellers publishing has seen in ages and she’s welcomed back with open arms. At the height of her success the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she’d been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart.
I loved Shelf Life because it took place in a world I was curious about, and definitely wanted to know more of – the lives and perils of publicists and editors in New York. Main character Kate is a publicist for a high-standing New York based firm, and she works with several editors to publish books and promote authors.
Kate was a lovely character. She was funny and quirky, but she was also determined to do the best she could for her job on a daily basis. The only downside in her life, except for a job which can be very stressful – for instance if your author needs to go on TV and gets a panic attack – is her love life. She’s torn between two guys. One of them, Mac, an editor for her firm. He’s gorgeous and one of the most well-known and best editors out there. The downside? He’s married.
Even though Kate and Mac’s relationship has been going on for a while, he has no intention of divorcing his wife – at least Kate doesn’t think so, which basically means their relationship is headed nowhere.
Then there’s Nick, another guy interested in Kate. He’s cute and endaring, willing to take care of her, no matter what, and best of all, he’s not married. He genuinely seems like a honest and caring person caught on the wrong end of a love triangle. I felt for him, but yet I kind of wanted Kate to end up with Mac because she seemed happier when she was with him.
There’s also a series of secondary characters, from authors going crazy over books they’ve yet to write, to authors involved in elaborate Amazon review schemes. I’m usually quite the fan of romance, but in this book, I actually enjoyed the parts about Kate’s professional life and her dealings with authors, more than the romance itself.
The writing was spot on. The book has very short chapters, which for some reason, pulled me into the story a lot faster than large chapters do. I never realized this until now. There was plenty going on, enough subplots to keep me entertained, and the characters were intriguing as well.
If you’re in the mood for some romance, I highly recommend “Shelf Life”.
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