Word to Dreams

I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.

Years ago, when The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic were hitting the shelves and I was knee deep in classic chick lit novels, I had this feeling when reading them. A giddy feeling, where I could enjoy these novels and not really have to think about the story, but let them flow and bring me into a world that the characters were fun, exciting and bold. This book, New York Dolls, brought me back to that time and I can happily say that the author sits well with the likes of Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin and Laura Weisberger.

Like most chick lits, you have a title that could mean so many different things and a story that you can pretty much figure out where it's going, but you also have the ups and down, quirks and thrills, spills and chills that get you to the end. This book does not disappoint in any of those areas. It also puts you right in with the character, to the point that as you read, you are the character and you don't want to stop reading until you are fixated on the last sentence of the last page.

A child of the 80's, growing up in the Midwest, I had been fixated with NYC once I got into my teen years. The music, the styles, the look, the scenes, Saturday Night Live, and so much more had me devouring everything I could get my hands on about the city. Reading this book brought everything back. Luckily, I've been to NYC three times as an adult, so I was able to put more of a realistic perspective into everything while I was reading. I had also been really into the fashion mags of that time frame. Elle, Young Miss, Seventeen, etc, I read just about everything fashion magazine that I could get my hands on. With Denton working for such a magazine, it was icing on the cake.

The author gave Denton the ride of her life. Celebrities, fashion, romance, chaos and so much more. There was a depth to Denton that you just wanted to see everything go her way. You couldn't help but laugh at her guffaws, want to hug her when she felt the world was crumbling around her, want to celebrate with her during the good times, etc. All this is the work of an amazing writer and storyteller. It's one thing to tell a story, it's another to bring the listener/reader into the story as it's being told.

Anyone who likes chick lit will like this book. Don't like the term chick lit? I don't like the term women's fiction to describe this awesome genre of fun and exciting reads. I look forward to reading more from this author and I can see her going far. One of the things I would suggest to bring more readers in, is a different concept art for the cover. What she has is good, but I don't think it brings the story into the cover like it should.