Book review of Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr

Two blog posts in two days - what's going on I hear you say? Well, I had been waiting for this book to come out so I could hardly not review it as soon as possible. Plus you may remember I interviewed Meredith and reviewed her previous book not so long ago.

Here's the blurb!
What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out. A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” Kim, with her blog, “Pastel is the New Black,” has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that “chick lit is dead” once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm. While Kim’s day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that’s turning heads—and pages—a cross the land. It’s also popped into Kim’s inbox—for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim’s coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.

I'd read Meredith Schorr's previous novel, A State of Jane and really enjoyed it, so was keen to read Blogger Girl. As an avid reader and someone who also writes a lot of book reviews, I was even more interested to read this particular book. The story skips along well, with the sexy Nicholas introduced early on, as a work colleague who the protagonist, Kim, fantasises about. The novel was a little racier than I'd expected, but laid bare how dating in 21st century New York works and was very direct. Women can have as loose morals as men when they want to, or when they want someone. On the one hand, Kim has insecurities over being a PA, when she sees the man of her dreams alongside his female peers, lawyers. How can she match up to them, when they're also beautiful? Of course, they're bitches. A high school reunion, a fantastic best friend and a first love whom she has practised her loose morals on, all offer up a bundle of laughs. Possibly my favourite part was the relationship with uber bitch, Hannah - Kim's high school nemesis. Who hasn't had one?! The to-ing and fro-ing between them, the dilemmas Kim faces and the eventual outcome were all highly entertaining. I also didn't see coming her competition in the love stakes.
There are a lot of social networking references, so those who are into that will be delighted. Perhaps it will take some getting used to for those who aren't, or have never heard of Facebook and Twitter.
What I love about Meredith's books is they ARE pure chicklit. They don't purport to be anything else. There are no deaths, grief, life lessons we are meant to pick up on, no-one with life threatening illnesses. I felt Kim, although flawed, seemed more real than many chicklit heroines too.
All in all a good, easy read - perfect for the beach, or if like me, you live in the UK, for curling up on the sofa under a blanket.

Here are the buy links - http://amzn.to/15L7KcL (Amazon UK)
 http://amzn.to/1dxvwO4 (Amazon.com)

 Enjoy and have a good week
Sooz