I have to admit that review quotes on book covers frequently worry me. On the edition of Jennifer Belle's second book that I was holding, Cosmopolitan felt that the book "will have you rolling on the floor". Whilst I have a (in my opinion) well adjusted sense of humour I was a bit worried that I wouldn't find it lived up to this grand statement. There was only one way to find out...
'High Maintenance' tells the story of Liv Kellerman. At the age of 26 she finds herself divorced from her unfaithful husband, and even worse kicked out of her apartment. This apartment... well as far as apartments go its more than a little bit special. It has the perfect view of the Empire State Building, and Liv has devoted her tme to decking it out in a perfect blend of style and practicality. Liv's new apartment is in Greenwich Village, and to be perfectly honest leaves a lot to be desired. But even a hovel needs paying for...
A chance encounter sends Liv on a new career path. She has an eye for detail and a talent for description that makes her think that real estate could be profitable. The mandatory training course and exams are no problem for her - shame the same can't be said for the people she has to deal with... colleagues, sellers and buyers. You would be hard pressed to imagine a job that involved such a motley crew. And then there's Andrew. He's taken a shine to Liv, despite the fact he has a live-in girlfriend... and a nasty habit of biting ears!
The story follows Liv through her beginnings as a realtor and through Andrew's systematic pursuit of her. Whilst the career theme is readable and at times bears strong reminiscence to other books such as 'The Ivy Chronicles'. Sadly, the romance is frustrating at its least, and at its worst made me want to throw the book through the window. I found it hard at times to accept that Liv could be quite so weak.
I felt that this book was a real shame. I really wanted it to be much better than it was. It almost feels worse that part of the book was so strong.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Like this? Try 'Jemima J' by Jane Green
