SHE'S GOT ISSUES

Author: Stephanie Lessing ISBN: 0060756969 7/2005 CHICK LIT Publisher: AVON TRADE

Chloe Rose is living the dream. She is the newest assistant to the assistant at Issues Magazine, and she has a key to the shoe closet. Her natural talent for accessorizing, not to mention her happy-go-lucky attitude, are attracting lots of attention. Everyone is being so nice to her! Could life get any better? Well ... It's just that filing pedicure receipts all day can be hard work, and Chloe's starting to get the feeling that maybe all those underfed beauty editors don't like her as much as she thought. And is it a problem that both the Editor-in-Chief AND the Publisher seem to be following her wherever she goes? And that hatchet job she just read in the latest issue about a grasping assistant who is trying to sleep her way to the top -- could that have been about her?! Is it all true? Has Chloe Rose's sweet, bumbling lovability just been an act she uses to steal shoes (lots of them), tell lies (whoppers), and undermine her idiot boss in the hopes of stealing her job? Maybe, but more likely ...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Chloe Rose is in her late 20's, lives in NYC, and is about to realize the dream she has had since she was seven years old. She has been hired to work at her favorite fashion mag, Issues. Her passion for fashion, shoes in particular, is helping Chloe make quite a name for herself ... and not a few enemies. SHE'S GOT ISSUES is Stephanie Lessing's debut novel and not too shabby. I would describe it as a mix of the movies 'Legally Blonde' and 'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'.

Chloe was a character that I had to warm up to. Ditzy and naive, I wanted to know how she could have lived to see 27, let alone make it in the city. Chloe turned out to be smart in her own way. She just wasn't focused until it came to fashion, and then she shined. I started to feel for her when she unfairly becomes the target of jealous co-workers and the victim of her own lack of perception. It became easier to laugh at her character instead of cringing at the thought that I was supposed to take her seriously.

What helped make this book work at all was the cast of solid characters fleshing out the story. Her sister, Zoe, is everything Chloe isn't. Brainy and political, she has spent her life defending Chloe. Zoe balances Chloe's character well. Ruth is her boss and crazy. Dan is the 'corporate trouble shooter' who seems to always be popping up at embarrassing times. Rhonda is the one co-worker Chloe can trust.

If you decide to read this, I suggest keeping the movies I mentioned earlier, especially Lisa Kudrow, in mind. It seemed to make the read much more enjoyable for me.

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