Fashionably late

Beth Kendrick

Book - 2006

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FICTION/Kendrick, Beth
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Subjects
Genres
Romance fiction
Published
New York : Downtown Press 2006.
Language
English
Main Author
Beth Kendrick (-)
Edition
1st Downtown Press trade pbk. ed
Physical Description
301 p.
ISBN
9780743499590
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

For some women a marriage proposal would be a dream come true, but for Becca Davis it's her worst nightmare. When Becca's boyfriend Kevin Old Faithful Bradley unexpectedly proposes, Becca suddenly sees just how truly boring her life has become. Deciding that it is time to finally start doing something about her dreams, Becca breaks up with Kevin, quits her sales associate job, and leaves Phoenix for Los Angeles to try to become a new star in the fashion biz. While looking for ways to get her designs in front of L.A.'s style mavens, Becca takes a part-time job working for sexy Connor Sullivan, an adrenaline junkie with an addiction to extreme outdoor adventures. Tired of playing it safe, Becca is ready to embrace Connor's risk-taking philosophy of life, but her biggest challenge yet may be in finding some way to convince Connor to take a chance at romance with her. Kendrick expertly accessorizes her latest laughter-laced creation with an impeccable and irresistible combination of wickedly clever writing and sharply defined characters. --John Charles Copyright 2005 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Becca Davis, 25 and living with her parents in Phoenix, is struggling with controlling ex-fiance Kevin Bradley, who is determined to win her back. Liberating herself, Becca heads to L.A., where her rich married sister, Claire, lives, to start a career in fashion, with only one wedding dress and corset in her portfolio. Becca secures a job as a hostess in an upscale eatery run by a handsome, single and adventurous restaurateur. Conner is everything Kevin wasn't, and sparks fly. Meanwhile, Becca may have her first break when she meets Fiona, an aloof and diabolical celebrity stylist who needs someone to put her clients together. Claire, who is a very material girl, is put to the test when husband Andrew loses his studio exec job (Claire ponders putting her unborn twins up for adoption in response to the job crisis). Becca's arc from a flighty, floundering young woman into a self-aware adult features kitschy, cat-scratchy banter ("Don't be jealous of my rico suave finesse") and a happily-ever-after close. The author of Exes and Ohs, Kendrick gives chick lit clich?s an adroit turn. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

1 I knew what was coming as soon as he handed me the teddy bear. White and fluffy, clutching a little red satin heart, this was the harbinger of Kevin's marriage proposal. No matter how I wanted to deny it, I knew, deep in the pit of my stomach, that the moment of truth had finally arrived. "I have a surprise for you," he murmured, sitting down next to me on the inn's lace-canopied bed and pressing the bear into my hands. "Oh..." I conjured up a shaky smile and tried to gaze at the bear with a reasonable facsimile of adoring, childlike whimsy. "It's so...cute." "I'm glad you like it, but there's more," he said, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "This bear has a secret." Oh no. "Oh yeah?" "Look closely." It could not have been more obvious that the red satin heart had been gutted and resewn; from the garish pink thread and large, uneven stitches, I'd say he did the handiwork himself. But in a desperate bid to buy some time, I feigned bewilderment, turning the bear upside down and examining the manufacturer's tag, the back of the head, the red-lined ears. "Aw, sweetie." My voice came out thin and scratchy. "It's adorable. Listen, do you want to go grab some dinner at that little café we saw down the street?" "In a minute." He turned the bear back over and placed my fingers on the red heart. "Look at this." "It...it looks like..." "There's something in there." His face lit up as he squeezed my hand. "Something special." "Let me go grab my nail scissors." I jerked free and dashed into the hotel room's tiny bathroom. After splashing some cold water on my face, I caught my reflection in the mirror above the sink -- a wild-eyed, ashen-faced woman who'd just lived through a car crash or a bank robbery. I couldn't let Kevin see me like this. He'd be devastated. But when I emerged from the bathroom, manicure scissors in hand, he didn't seem to notice my distress. He just smiled and thrust the bear back into my arms. "Open it." Each severed stitch brought me closer to the inevitable. Snip. Snip. Remember to exhale. I could feel his hot breath in my ear, accelerating each time another stitch gave way. Snip. Snip. The room started to spin. Snip. The heart burst open, spilling polyurethane stuffing and a diamond ring into my lap. Before I had time to put together an appropriate response, he dropped to one knee and slipped the ring onto my finger. "Rebecca June Davis, I love you and I'll love you forever. Will you marry me?" I looked at his face, bathed in hope and pride. I looked at our suitcases by the door, already unpacked since we were going to be at the bed-and-breakfast for three more days. And then I looked at the ring, already on my finger, and said the only thing I could say: "Um. Yes?" Copyright (c) 2005 by Beth Macias Excerpted from Fashionably Late by Beth Kendrick All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.