Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Everything Nice-Ellen Shanman

Everything Nice
Ellen Shanman
Bantam, Aug 2008, $12.00
ISBN: 9780553591477

In Manhattan Michaela "Mike" Edwards learns the truth when she was fired from her job as a copy writer at A.S. Logan Advertising because she bet on the wrong horse at the office politics race and no one on the other teams wants a woman who cannot relate to other females. No income means no more expensive New York apartment so she moves back in with dear old dad who raised her as a single father and his live in girlfriend.

Mike obtains work as a substitute life skills teacher to a group of seventh-grade girls. She wants to nuke the curriculum which teaches girls to be domestic girlie girls instead of all you can be. Meanwhile, she and visiting Aussie reporter Gunther seem attracted to one another, but he must soon leave the city of "oy vey" pessimism to return to home land of sunny optimism.

Mike is fabulous as a tomboyish kick butt woman who cannot cope with the inane office females arguing over mascara and lipstick color; she prefers to be one of the guys. The story line is fast-paced as she struggles with earning money, residing in the land of barbarians (Brooklyn), teaching girls to cook and sew, and dealing with Gunther who has turned her life upside down. Fans will enjoy Ellen Shanman’s fine chick lit character study as the heroine makes EVERYTHING NICE, RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES.

Harriet Klausner

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