This easy, breezy, beautiful day along the San Diego coast, I offer a delightful surprise, for me anyway: a humbling and downright awesome follow-up review to my Skype interview about The Darlings of Orange County with Natalie Wright. As I mentioned previously, Natalie calls 'em likes she sees 'em. Lucky pour Moi, she sees 'em a far cry from Fifty Shades of Grey. Phew!
Reprinted with permission via Natalie Wright's YA
Natalie Wright
Friday, June 15, 2012
I was fortunate enough to recently snag a Skype interview with author Jennifer Devore, a charming and witty Southern California gal and authoress. In addition to writing novels, Jennifer writes for Good to Be Geek and her own blog. Whatever Jennifer is writing, you can be sure it will be funny and smart. I highly recommend her blogs. Jennifer's posts never disappoint and I am continually amazed at her vocabulary in several different languages. If you missed my interview with Miss Jenny, check it out here.
Having become a fan of Jenny's writing via her blog, I eagerly snagged a copy of Ms. Devore's The Darlings of Orange County
for my e-reader. The description promises "salacious and comical" and this book delivered. I had downloaded a sample of Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy
and did not find the book compelling enough to hit the "buy" button. A lot of people must disagree with me, because the book sits atop the bestseller list!
But I was in the mood for a read that is a bit naughty. Nothing too serious. I wanted a break from gritty, moody, YA fiction. If Fifty Shades wouldn't fit the bill, would The Darlings of Orange County?
for my e-reader. The description promises "salacious and comical" and this book delivered. I had downloaded a sample of Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy and did not find the book compelling enough to hit the "buy" button. A lot of people must disagree with me, because the book sits atop the bestseller list!But I was in the mood for a read that is a bit naughty. Nothing too serious. I wanted a break from gritty, moody, YA fiction. If Fifty Shades wouldn't fit the bill, would The Darlings of Orange County
?My answer: Yes! Let's get some deets on the book. Here is the description from Goodreads:
The casually-cashmere, sexy beaches of Orange County and San Diego aren't always what they seem. The dirty little secret here is what it takes to make it. Everybody has a trick up their silk sleeve. Veronica Darling is smart enough to know what it takes and is willing to soil her soul to bring Hollywood to the California Riviera. The Darlings of Orange County is a salacious, comical and harrowing romp chock full of eco-terrorism, horse-racing scandals, weed deals and the obligatory lipstick-lesbian affair that inevitably leads to murder. It all builds to a mind-shattering, white-knuckled climax in a glitzy, celebrity-stacked Laguna Beach Film Premiere that spells success for Veronica Darling and trouble for her friends and family.Others who like The Darlings of Orange County also like Absolutely Fabulous, Arrested Development and The Real Housewives of Orange County.
The Darlings of Orange County is a laugh-out-loud romp set in Southern California. Jennifer Devore's formidable powers of descriptive detail create a setting so rich, you'll swear you've been there. They say, "Write what you know." It is clear that the author knows the California setting - and people - that fill the pages of this book.
When I interviewed Jennifer, she admitted that it was her goal to write a sexy book (as opposed to her previous historical fiction). The age old moniker - sex sells (just witness Fifty Shades of Grey). But Ms. Devore is a witty and smart writer. Thus, while the Darlings is certainly filled with sex (and wine drinking and occasional dope smoking), it is also smart, witty, and does not shy away from commentary on our culture when it fits the storyline.
The main character, Veronica Darling, is a likable character. Veronica is an author of historical fiction. Veronica watches in stupefied amazement as her own, serious, historical fiction books are backseat to her agent's recent find - a book called My Vagina Loves You by female author Raina Schein, who bares her own nether region for photos that are in book. No surprise, the salacious book flies off of the shelves.
To add fuel to Veronica's growing fire, her lovable but dumb-ass husband, Ryan, goes head to head with a shark during a round of ocean fishing with his friend, Pardo (the fact that Pardo is into naked, Encino Man fishing adds hilarity to the scene). When Victoria's husband makes the Today show for his ill advised shark fishing, Veronica is pushed to the edge.
What ensues is a funny, sexy and witty tale set in the Southern California sun. The Darlings of Orange County is a perfect summer read for your e-reader. But be careful where you read it. In some places, laughing out loud while reading may be embarrassing.
Note: This book is for adults. Due to strong sexual content, I do not recommend or endorse this book for those under the age of 18.
