Product Description

Janice Gentle, under pressure from her money-obsessed agent, writes delicate, romantic novels with one goal in mind: to make enough money to find the man she loved and lost twenty years ago. But when Rohanne Bulbecker, a sucessful New York publisher, asks for Janice's help with an extremely marketable idea, it's an opportunity for Janice to abandon her usual predictable genre and try something entirely new...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109711 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
"'Makes you laugh out loud, even as you are wincing in pain.' Daily Mail; 'Like Joanna Trollope, she combines a sharp eye for the foibles of human nature with a generous amount of sympathy for her characters.' The Times"

Customer Reviews

Really clever, really original, really good read
Janice Gentle is plump, old fashioned and emotionally narrow - romance for her is of the "across a crowded room" type only - and she has a talent for writing slushy Mills and Boon style novels which have a wide readership. Her agent has been milking her for years because she says that when she sells enough books to retire she will put down her pen and seek her own true love. Her agent knows that her own income stream will run dry at this point so she must keep JG writing. Along comes another agent from America who wants JG to write a book in which SEX figures. And that's where the fun begins. And it is fun - I think this is the finest of Mavis Cheek's books, all of which rely on humour, because the plot line is so strong and the side characters so clever. I loved this book and have given it to both men and women, young and old and all have agreed that it's a one-off and hugely enjoyable read. And the end is very satisfying and can't be seen a mile off - the whole is very creative and will get your guffaws flowing.

A departure for Cheek!
I've read six other Mavis Cheek books and found them all witty and enthralling. This one is more of a challenge. It has numuerous themes rather than one simple premise - but cleverly this reflects the story itself concerning an author experimenting with an unusual style. I wasn't entirely convinced that this new Cheek suited me so it might be best for those readers who are new to the writer to start with this one and then move on to the others.
I couldn't always remember which characters were which! I certainly didn't care as much about them as I did with those in other Cheek novels. However I hope Mavis Cheek returns to her original style which I would always rate at 5 star.

genuinely hilarious
I bought this book because I found the title interesting. It is so often the case that when indulging in this highly subjective form of selection, one is disappointed. One wasn't!

This book has an immensely original plot. Heaven knows how the author came up with it, I suppose it's called being a novelist. All I can say is that she's led a more interesting life than I have. The characters are beautifully described and are unlike anything you might have come across before.

I'm not given to laughing out loud as I read, but I did - countless times whilst reading this book. Highly embarassing on a crowded metro (private joke - read the book). I've given a copy of Janice Gentle to at least three people, and will probably give a few more. Where's my commission? It is a really fun read and her others are great too esp. Three Men on a Plane.