Brenda Scott Royce Monkey Love

Monkey Love

Brenda Scott Royce

NAL, Feb 2006, $12.95, 304 pp.

ISBN: 0451217543

To supplement her income, Manhattanite Holly Heckerling takes in typing while she hopes to make it big as a stand-up comedian with her partner Danny, whose girlfriend Carter is her best buddy. Holly's mom died years ago, and when her father deserted her, she moved in with her demanding Aunt Kuki until she was old enough to move out on her own. She cannot say no to anyone, so ends up in messes trying to be the Good Samaritan.

In Starbucks, Holly feels sorry for Tom, a father, and his precocious daughter Nicole, as he has an immediate elementary school crisis, as only a little kid could cause. Holly steps in, takes charge and saves the day. A grateful Tom asks Holly out, explaining he is getting a divorce. She accepts, but struggles with her cousin stealing and selling celebrity socks, his girlfriend demanding she cut off her leg cast, and a writer leaving a deep manuscript for her to type that feels close to home. Now she rooms with a monkey, a snake, a cat, and a rodent, while wondering about the writer and about her Starbucks man, even as Aunt Betty joins the menagerie forcing Holly to hide the freeze dried mice.

This zany contemporary tale stars a nice young woman who wants to help everyone, but her efforts usually end in worse disasters, except when she helped Tom and Nicole. The ensemble cast, including Tallulah the monkey, have distinct personalities and seem like every person's friends and relatives, but because of the multiple happenings, at times it can get difficult to keep track of who is stealing socks. Still fans will appreciate this amusing modern day version of You Can't Take It With You, that contains the serious undertone of to thine own self be true.