King, Mia: Good Things
Good Things
Author: Mia King
Genre: Chick Lit
Pages: 319
Final Thoughts: A good, light read. I'll come back to this one.
I found this on a random run through Barnes and Noble. It caught my eye several times before I caved and bought a copy, and then I designated it as reading material for our Alaskan cruise, which was perhaps two months away at the time. I knew I'd want something relatively light for vacation reading, and I was right - this pretty much hit the spot, and I'm glad I saved it for vacation.
The premise of the book is that Deidre McIntosh is a "living simple" TV guru in the Seattle area. Her show has an avid following, but (little does she know) her producer is padding the figures and the show is costing the studio money. She gets dropped just as another network picks up a show that is obviously meant to be competition with Deidre's material. On top of that, her gay roommate is moving in with his new boyfriend, and Deidre's whole world is falling apart.
Enter Kevin Johnson. Tall, dark, handsome, and a virtual stranger, he offers her the use of his vacation home in rural Washington, and she takes his offer.
I liked the book in general, and I read it quickly (as I do most vacation books) so it's hard to pinpoint certain aspects that I liked or disliked. The characters were well-drawn, including several supporting characters like Lindsey, who operates the small-town diner. The plot worked for me, especially with the parallels between encounters Deidre has in Seattle as compared to those in Jacob's Point - and those in the cabin versus those in the lake house. Mia King has her hands on the reins with this story, and it works wonderfully.
Of course, it wouldn't be chick lit without a bit of steamy romance, and Ms. King has a deft touch there as well. Everything from Deidre's gut-wrenching anxiety about how things will turn out to the lovely touches when they do is perfect. Sure, there are things I could pick at, but it's not worth it - not for my light reading, and not for yours, either.
It all goes together to make this one of the few non-fantasy novels I'll probably keep on hand when I just need the bookish equivalent of a good chick flick. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing this made into a movie, and I hope someone decides to option it.
Oh, and there's a nice little section at the back of the book with recipes for several of the key dishes from the story, which is always fun. I just may try a few of them to see what they're like.
Book #26