Trashionista: Marsha Mellow And Me

January 31, 2006 11:57 AM

Marsha Mellow And Me

Mellow_2 How do you tell your mother than you write erotic fiction? That's the problem facing our heroine in Maria Beaumont's witty tale of secrets, lies and consequences. Amy Bickerstaff is leading a double life. By day she's a secretary at a rubbish freebie magazine. But behind closed doors, she's Marsha Mellow, the author of the sex-filled bestseller 'Rings On Her Fingers' and the Daily Mail's biggest enemy...

If you enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's 'Can You Keep A Secret' and Hester Browne's 'The Little Lady Agency', the premise of this book will appeal straight away. It's all about the trouble that secrets can cause and the silly things that happen as a result of them. We spend the entire novel wondering when the penny will finally drop and poor Amy will be 'outed' as the 'sex book' author, and through a series of funny events and close calls, we're lead through a laugh-out-loud read which sees us realising that everyone has a secret!

The characters are fairly instantly recognisable as chick lit regulars - the religious, conservative mother who just wouldn't understand, the quiet and unassuming dad, the pushy sister, the slick and sexy boss, the nasty ex-boyfriend - but the novel doesn't really suffer from a lack of imagination. The set pieces are great and the idea of the sex novel gives the whole thing a new spin and stops it from being just another Bridget Jones-esque romp about single girls who work in publishing.

All in all, this is an enjoyable read with a good, easy plot and a good pace and style. It's witty and modern and a bit edgier than most rivals. Romance isn't the main theme of the story, which is a nice change (though there's plenty of men and (of course) sex to keep us entertained) and the larger-than-life characters make for some great set pieces. Don't expect world-changing literature, but it's a funny, flirty little read!

If you liked this, try Asking For Trouble by Elizabeth Young.

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Posted by Gemma on January 31, 2006 in British Authors, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink