fuonlyknew

The Publicist (Book One)

Beware. You are now entering the publishing zone!

First things first. I had a bit of a rough patch with Kate and Mac. He’s married, after all. I don’t condone that behavior one bit. But there are special circumstances here. I actually found myself hoping these two would get their happy ever after. This is the first of three books so I was pretty sure it wouldn’t happen soon. And the author throws in Nick. He’s just as sexy as Mac, and single. Who knows where it will go.

What a lovely mess is the world of publishing. As a publicist, Kate has to deal with some crazy stuff. From authors faking 5 star reviews, to stage fright, to squeezing that next book out of them, she’s always stressed out. I bow to her tenacity. No matter how impossible some things seemed, she found a way, often making me laugh at her ingenuity.

I read a lot of  books and have come to know many authors and some of their experiences with being published. Now I have a peek into the other side of that process. I don’t envy either. It can be cut throat and you need a tough skin and lots of patience. And sometimes, a heart.

Many characters are introduced. A few secondary ones really had an impact. And there are some I’d gladly show to the door.

The chapters are short, making it a fast read. I read this straight through in one night. I started it, got sucked in by the smooth writing and genuine characters, and kept thinking I’d read just one more chapter. It was the wee hours when I finished it and I kept looking at the second book, but I resisted and did get some sleep.

I recommend this to authors, publishers, and word lovers everywhere.

“It’s a mad mad mad mad world.”

4 Stars

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Behind every book, there’s always more to the story. Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t always sell (at all) and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.Enter the star Editor, MacDermott Ellis. Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author, now as forgotten as yesterday’s news; and his nephew Nick, who wants to sweep Kate away from New York for another coast, California.

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I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was anxious to see where Kate and mac were in this next chapter.

The world or a publicist is a crazy as ever. From authors faking 5 Star reviews, to one who wrote a book about how she lost a bunch of weight, except shed didn’t, to an author being arrested for a despicable crime, Kate is in the thick of it.

Then Kate is betrayed by the man she loves and is assaulted by someone and her whole world comes crashing down. No way will she be returning to Morris and Dean.

Now Kate is behind the wheel of a  pink Cadillac convertible, heading towards Los Angeles and a new future and maybe a new romance.

Nick is opening his home to her, as a guest, but I’m sure he wants more. He’s still in love with her and remains hopeful Kate will get over Mac.

Mac betrayed her in the worst possible way. I couldn’t believe it. He always seemed so strong, so sure of himself. I guess he isn’t that strong after all. He chose a cowards way out of a sticky situation and it hurt Kate deeply.

I wanted to give Kate a high five for finally putting the brakes on her relationship with Mac. He is married and shows no signs of leaving his wife. His latest stunt broke her heart but set her on a new path. One I find very exciting.

There are big changes in this second book. Some so exciting I wish I could share. But that would be spoiling it. Gots to leave you with some anticipation.

I’m still having fun with this series and am almost finished reading the third book, Climax. If your looking for a great summer read, these will do nicely. I hope you try them.

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​ It’s an industry of out-of-control egos, unrealistic expectations, and unfulfilled promises.This is publishing and it’s Kate’s world, but maybe not for long.When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, 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. With the shelf life of her career and her love affair quickly expiring, 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. Nick 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. But 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. Behind the book, there’s always more to the story. Welcome to Publishing, the ego has landed.

*****

Author Christina George

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