How to Sleep with a Movie Star

Kristin Harmel
5 Spot (2006)
ISBN 0446694479
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (5/06)

Not being an overly avid fan of "chick-lit" my expectations from these authors are usually somewhat sub-standard to the rest of the literature world. Too many sappy, unwitting writers have crept into the chick-lit world and lowered what seems to be the norm for what people have come to expect. Chick-lit tends to mean a book of just girly stuff, light reading with no brains needed. When I find an author that truly knows how to write and keep someone's attention without having to resort to sappy, 'chick' stuff, I'm not only surprised but impressed. Well Chick-Lit writers beware, there's a new kid on the block and she writes with poise, intelligence and a hint of comedic air that will make all other chick-lit writers have to step up to the mark! Kristin Harmel gives a wonderful look at the world of modern chic magazines and keeps a hint of snickers and goofaws there to keep you from getting too intense. While she shows the ins and outs of the 'too chic for themselves' upper office types, she also pulls you in with the realistic view of those poor writers that truly do join the ranks of magazines to make a difference, only to be scoffed at and humiliated by the snooty editors and writers that make life in the chic lane too unbearable.

Bringing you in with a down to earth main character, Harmel keeps you wanting more to see if the girl you're rooting for gets her justice. While the title suggests the novel could be a slightly risque version of instruction books, it's far from that! The main character and her best friend find a way to not only keep their own values and morals but perhaps show those who thought they're one up on the common gal pals what life is really about.

You simply can't put the book down as you go through the trials and tribulations of a young writer, her best friend and their careers together. Rooting for the plain styled editor and writer you find yourself grinning from ear to ear as she pulls one over on her nemesis. And you never know, you might actually truly learn how to sleep with a movie star if you pay attention! A wonderful suggestion for any reader of chick-lit and even some that have slightly higher expectations for that genre, you might finally be satisfied with Harmel's wonderfully touching novel! She definitely has set the bar up a notch in the standards of "chick-lit". Keeping the reading light enough to enjoy any time, any place it also isn't so lacking in sustenance that you don't feel the need to use your brain to read. I loved the light reading with a twist of humor and reality, added to just a touch of enchantment that you expect from this type of genre. Two thumbs up for sure!

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