Princess of Park Avenue

Coming from a small corner of New England, I have read Ms. Brodsky's previous books and tremendously enjoyed them. "Princess" provides all the fast-paced NY life without having to travel to The City. Her research is detailed and shines in the detail of her characters and desciptive locations. It transfers you into the pages to forget your every day life or your recently purchased Starbucks 'pepperment mocha latte.' I recently met Ms. Brodsky at a public appearance in Connecticut - it was a pleasure! If you live in The City, want another reason to love The City, this Brodsky novel is a must read for the geography and storyline in The City.

As always Ms. Brodsky doesn't disappoint with this fun, fast and funny read. The storyline is great with tons of hilarous New York details thrown in. You really want these characters to work out their lives and have Lorraine turn into a true princess. I loved all the insider fashion tips that the friends give Lorraine when she is living in NYC. Also the parts about Brooklyn are so true! Take it from me, I live there. This is the perfect book to read on a trip or vacation and great for a summer beach read.

I stayed up until 1:00 AM to finish it... it was so good, I couldn't wait to see what happened next! At first I thought it would be your typical "chick" type book... but it was not at all!!! At the risk of sounding cliche', I must say this book tells a wonderful and inspiring story of love, personal growth, and following your dreams. The NYC references were so fun to read, having lived in NYC myself. The story itself holds a great, positive message, and an interesting twist at the end. I REALLY HOPE to see this come out in a movie! I highly recommend this book!!!

Okay ladies, let's admit it. We've all had a guy in our lives who we just couldn't get over even though he treated us in a less than sterling manner. It might have been when you were younger or even at an embarrassingly older age, but we've all done it. Oh yeah, there might be a few of you out there who don't take any crap, but the rest of us have been there in Lorraine Machuchi's shoes, so to speak. Now I'll have to say, it usually doesn't continue for the amount of years that Lorraine has been hanging around waiting for Tommy to crook his finger so she can go running, but hey, who are we to judge? Lorraine and Tommy are from Brooklyn, Bay Ridge to be exact, a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else and their business. Family members know other family members and there are no secrets. Such is the setting where we meet Lorraine. But a girl can only take so much, and when the opportunity for a new job in Manhattan presents itself, Lorraine takes the leap and moves across the bridge to a new job and a new life. While her heart is still in Brooklyn, changes are taking place in and around Lorraine. For instance, a free apartment in Manhattan makes it irresistible for Lorraine to avoid the move from all that is familiar. The new apartment, a rich, sexy neighbor named Matt, and a gargantuan but lovable dog known as Pooh-Pooh take Lorraine out of herself and force her to get involved in life around her. While PRINCESS OF PARK AVENUE might be a story of unrequited love, it's also a fish-out-of-water story. While life in Manhattan may be strange to this Brooklyn-born girl, she digs down deep to find her inner strength and rises to meet the challenges her new life provides. Lorraine might start out as a lowly shampoo girl in the swanky salon, but she soon rises to fame thanks to her unique hair-coloring skill, which draws the attention of an illustrious group of socialites known as the Park Avenue Princesses. While you might find yourself gritting your teeth and urging Lorraine to get some gumption and stand up for herself, keep reading. She finally manages to get back in touch with the girl she used to be. Daniella Brodsky, author and freelance magazine journalist, charms us with her second novel, following the success of DIARY OF A WORKING GIRL and her nonfiction work, THE GIRL'S GUIDE TO NEW YORK NIGHTLIFE. PRINCESS OF PARK AVENUE is an entertaining and amusing book that will remind any of us who have found ourselves lost in a relationship with a man that the real "us" still exists and we only have to look in order to find her. --- Reviewed by Amie Taylor

Bravo for Princess of Park Avenue! Amid the thousands of chicklet flooding the market finally a literary voice that is real. Daniella Brodsky does it again. I couldn't put it down. What a great way to spend my week off, reading this book!!