Based upon Availability

The fantastical and wondrous Manhattan's Four Seasons Hotel is the "set" for this imaginative and brutally honest novel that introduces readers to lives that are intertwined by fate, happenstance, pain, and hope. As we open to the first page, we meet Morgan. Morgan is the hotel manager - the woman who literally takes care of the famed Four Seasons. She is also the one who holds all the duplicate passkeys to all the rooms...and uses them to discover the ins and outs of her guests. Every nook, cranny, and crevice is Morgan's to explore, and she does this with wild abandonment. As she goes through things, and delves into the lives of the people staying with her, she thinks about her mother - a woman whose loves included restaurants, theatres, supper clubs, and, her husband, the surgeon. Her dislikes, unfortunately, seemed to include being a mother to her children. It is the anniversary of Morgan's sister's death, and not one person - even Mom - seems to remember it or note that it is a sad anniversary for the whole family. As we follow Morgan through her "undercover" spying, we also meet her boyfriend - who is way too much man for a woman who hasn't seemed to embrace her adulthood as of yet, seeing as that she throws herself into the arms of one of her young staff members in order to have a tryst that will prove to her that she's still alive. Also involved in her life is her Uncle Marty, who uses the hotel for all of his affairs; a rock star who needs to use the hotel as a detox center; and, a young woman named Trish, who spends half her days wishing she were an accomplished artist like her parents so she won't let them down, and the other half worrying about her best friend who has had severe weight loss and is about to marry a man who is absolutely no good for her. We meet Robin staying in Room 1512, who is picking up her horrific sister at the airport because she's coming to NYC for a visit. This is that sister who you can't be friends with, let alone even like, and what she does with her sibling will blow your mind. Ellen is a decorator who is trying desperately to get Morgan to give her a job at the Four Seasons re-doing a room. Ellen is in her own little world, thinking about how happy she is that she's finally going to have a baby after all these years of trying. Unfortunately, her creative mind far outweighs the truth. Franny Jamison is a southern belle who loves the big city and ends up as a part of the Four Seasons story when a fire takes out her apartment building. Sheila in Room 1608 is a teacher who meets a man at Starbucks - a doctor who specializes in OCD cases. He's the love of her life, she thinks, until she realizes that she may just be another notch on his Four Seasons' bedpost. Louise is a rock star trying to figure out where, exactly, life is taking her; and, Anne is the Front Desk Concierge who is a mass of fear, panic, and rituals that help to keep her together. She is the sibling that makes her parents happy - seeing as tha

Have you ever stood in the lobby of a 5-star metropolitan hotel speculating about what really goes on within such a sumptuous establishment? Did you wonder if it might be even remotely possible that someone similar to you has checked into that penthouse suite? Well, place those musings into Manhattan's Four Seasons Hotel and you have the premise of Based upon Availability, a recently released novel by Alix Strauss, a lifestyle trend writer who appears on national morning and talk shows. In Availability, Strauss takes you into the lives of eight very different but equally compelling women; all of whom are connected in some way to Morgan, the hotel's seemingly "got it all together" general manager and the book's central character. The author uses her "lifestyle trend" expertise to describe each character's individual struggle to establish truthful, meaningful human connections. In addition to the aforementioned Morgan, who is still grieving for the sister she lost over 20 years ago, we meet Louise, a drug-addicted, faded rock star attempting rehab in the hotel's Suite 2410; Anne, a sad and lonely hotel concierge suffering from OCD; and Ellen, a decorator whose self-worth is irretrievably tied to her ability--or lack thereof--to conceive a child. And not to be overlooked are Robin and Vicki who manage to take sibling rivalry to a whole new level. Are you hooked yet? You'll be sorry if you dismiss this novel as merely another shallow beach read. While Availability is without question imminently entertaining, it is also an insightful and engrossing character study of eight women not so very different than you or I. Looking past their superficial differences, you will find yourself identifying, in at least some small measure, with each and every one of them--like it or not! Who cannot relate to feelings of isolation--whether it be in the middle of Manhattan or simply at a family gathering? And who among us has not had to face the heartbreaking reality that the object of our deepest affection--be it lover, sibling or friend--doesn't share that emotion? Availability is smart and unpredictable, and alternately dark and humorous. Strauss's writing is superbly crafted as evidenced by how she conveys each character's story in a manner that is simultaneously concise, yet complete. I found that the ties she established between each character to Morgan and the Four Seasons were incredibly clever, yet totally believable. The primary strength of this novel, however, is Strauss' ability to not only cause us to relate to these characters but to also make us care what ultimately happens to them--yes, even Lou, the druggie! Availability is a natural choice for book clubs. Members will relish hashing over the all-too-real trials and tribulations of these Manhattan ladies. And when these individual scenarios are played out in the suites, offices, bars and restaurants of a swanky Manhattan hotel, you've got one truly satisfying read--on or off the beach!

Although the years have passed, Manhattan's Four Seasons Hotel manager Morgan has never moved beyond the death of her beloved older sister Dale, who died of leukemia when they were children. Morgan has no one to talk to and has not had anyone since Dale died though she is always there for her mom especially on her late sister's birthday and death day. This is ironic to Morgan as she is seeing someone, but cannot truly tell anyone how much she wants to talk to Dale. When Morgan meets art gallery owner Trish, she believes she has met a similar hurting kindred spirit. Trish has never moved passed her fiancé dumping her just prior to their wedding and her friendship with her BFF seems over as her former buddy gets married. Trish, like Morgan, sees a kindred hurting spirit and soon they meet others like them. This is a poignant drama as the audience sees deep inside Morgan, Trish and several other women. Alix Strauss escorts readers behind closed doors of the hotel that serve as a metaphor for taking fans beyond the closed doors into the minds of various people. Morgan is terrific as she with the hotel holds the story line together as readers meet a horde of women (besides the two above) with diverse relationship issues; as one never fully moves on passed a trauma. Harriet Klausner

Alix Strauss' Based Upon Availability is like a perfect visit to a Five Star hotel! Once you check in, you will never want to leave! From beginning to end, this book is both clever and impressive as Strauss so brilliantly weaves and intertwines the stories of eight captivating, complicated, and distinctively different women. Based Upon Availability is undoubtedly moving and creative...an absolute page-turner you won't want to put down!

If you're looking for run-of-the-mill chick lit or bland commercial fiction, go elsewhere. If, however, you want an edgy, cosmopolitan, fun read, a book penned with gracious style and irresistible page-turning intrigue, Based Upon Availability is an absolute MUST for you! Strauss portrays real women with real-world problems. They may not be nice, but they sure are interesting. This author is, furthermore, a highly accomplished trends journalist. She has an unerring eye for the meaning, the beauty and even the occasional ugliness to be found in status symbols. Based Upon Availability is a book for all seasons, yes, all four seasons.