When Liza Weiler left Yale she was ready to set Broadway on its head. Sadly she soon learns her hopes are not going to be fulfilled so easily. Working as a clerical assistant in a nunnery isn’t what she had in mind either, but hey, it pays the bills. Excitement comes in the form of an offer to perform her play, but the director is going to change it. When gorgeous George helps her to the ER after hurting her ankle, she’s mean to him. Tim, the ER doctor straps her up and dates her. So why is it she doesn’t quite feel the buzz that just looking at George creates whenever he pops up? Her Aunt Fran and best friend Parrot begin to meddle in her life, and the pace quickens. When a Manhattan group like her play she dreams of success, but she seems to create havoc whatever she does, even hurting those she loves the most. 

Ms. Shanman’s debut novel is witty and deep with some very interesting twists and turns in the plot. Set in New York where making it big is hard on the hopeful heroine. She has a hard time getting her play accepted, as she navigates her way through the pitfalls of life in the theatre. The writing is polished and the characters interesting, especially her Aunt Fran and best friend Parrot. They create a warm ambience around the hapless Liza, bolstering her flagging confidence. It’s a fun, entertaining and complex read, with many conflicts between the different characters. The dialogue is razor sharp; with sexy innuendoes that are also very laugh out loud funny. The evil dictatorial director and the oddly cute ER doctor who never quite gets anything other than medical matters right adds another layer. The characters are quirky and fun, especially George who is on the verge of martyrdom by the end of this tale.

July 2007

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