Author: Rachel Hollis
Publisher: Chic Publishing
Publication Date: February, 2014
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Landon Brinkley is making her dreams come true. After years of poring over glossy photos of celebrity parties in People and US Weekly, she’s landed her Holy Grail: an internship with the fabulous Selah Smith, event planner to the Hollywood elite.
Moving from small town Texas to Los Angeles, Landon finds herself in a world in which spending a million dollars on an event – even for kids’ birthdays – is de rigueur. The thrill of working on A-list parties and celeb weddings is enough to get her through the 75-hour workweeks, the nightmare of a multi-day film festival, and abuse at the hands of a mercurial boss. LA is full of opportunity for fame, fortune and even love. But confronted with the seamy realities of the business, she is forced to make a choice: do whatever it takes to get ahead, or stay true to herself.
A roman a clef in the vein of The Devil Wears Prada, PARTY GIRL draws on the author’s real life experience for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the celebrity-obsessed world of event planning. From the party habits of America’s favorite underage singer to the worst Bridezilla of all (the kind that graces the cover of your favorite magazine), PARTY GIRL reveals the ugly side of Hollywood’s prettiest parties.
My Thoughts: First time reading this author’s work and I really enjoyed her voice and writing style. I immediately felt a connection to Landon and empathized with her as she realized that her dream job was turning into a complete nightmare. From day one, Landon is treated with disdain, sarcasm and outright dislike by those around her. I admired her tenacity and courage to stick it out and show the haters she is made of stronger stuff. I also liked the supporting characters. Happily, Max and Jin get their own stories so I am excited to see what happens with them down the road.
An excellent sign of talent is when an author creates characters that draw a huge emotional response from the reader. I had such a reaction with Selah Smith. Everything about this character made me want to gouge out her eyes, pull her hair and then slap her into next Tuesday. She is truly despicable and pathetic. She treats her employees abominably and the level of schmooze she displays to her clients was nauseating. There are a few moments in this story that I was worried that Landon would not be able to hold her own against Selah. I loved that Landon is a fighter and isn’t willing to compromise her principles and values to play the game.
My Final Verdict: What The Devil Wears Prada does for publishing and fashion, Party Girl does for party and event planning. It looks really glittery and glamorous on the outside, but the inside can surprise you with the level of brutality and hostility that goes on behind the scenes. Readers of books that enjoy an interesting backdrop in their story that breathes so much life into the book, it’s almost like it’s a character, will enjoy Party Girl.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Party Girl from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
