Liz Ireland The Pink Ghetto

The Pink Ghetto

Liz Ireland

Strapless, May 2006, $12.95

ISBN: 0758208291

Needing to find a job quickly since her former employer Sylvie Arnaud suffered a heart attack which led to her state of unemployment; Rebecca Abbot seeks work even if it means no feather boas on the job. She enhances her resume, which helps plus the magic of Sylvie as her last boss scores Rebecca an associate editing job at Candlelight Books though she has no experience with publishing, romance in or out of novels (the firm's prime genre), or editing. She does have a lot of enthusiasm and energy so she dives head first into her new vocation with plans to learn on the job rather quickly so that she can be the best at what she is supposed to do (whatever that is).

However, as she tries to learn her new trade in Midtown Manhattan, she gets an education in trust as her peers and her former boyfriend backstab her. Still she does her best and is beginning to learn the ropes though she still struggles with waistline office politics even as she helps her former employer Sylvie with a crisis leading to Inventing My Life and Luke.

This satirical chick lit tale enables the audience to see a different side of the publishing world from the perspective of editor competition within a company. Rebecca is a terrific prime protagonist who learns the hard way how one can end up below the food chain in the office ooze if one is not careful of protecting your back; waistline politics can destroy your career. Liz Ireland provides a delightful character study that romance readers will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner