A Little of Chantelle Rose
by Cristina Hodgson
I first heard about this book by reading an author interview on The Writing Greyhound, a fun book reviewing blog, and I picked up a copy during the next Amazon sale. A young woman gets cast as a film extra, and after an uncanny set of circumstances, she finds herself signing a million dollar contract with a producer and headed off to Hollywood! The blurb captivated me, and Cristina Hodgson’s absolutely hilarious and delightful tone carried me through the story.
During every page of the title character’s first-person account, I found myself actually laughing out loud. She was so awkwardly charming, and I absolutely loved her inner monologue. Besides the Hollywood scenes, the book takes place in England, and the main character is English, so I found the constant British slang utterly hysterical. Maybe for English readers, this book is normal, but from an American point of view, it’s funny and charming.
If you like humorous novels, told by a protagonist who doesn’t shy away from real details, like a deodorant stain on a dress, using an airplane bathroom, and the hazards of frizzy hair, grab a copy of A Little of Chantelle Rose. I got the kindle version because it was on sale, but I’m planning on buying a paperback copy so I can enjoy it and keep it on my bookshelf!
Check out this hilarious excerpt to get a feel for Hodgson’s writing:
. . . and even from where I was standing – at the other end of the garden from where he sat poised on a huge and high-spirited black stallion – I could see he had clear sky-blue eyes.
I was suddenly aware that Tammy was still holding my hand, or rather, squeezing the blood out of it, and under my breath, for her ears only, I hissed sharply, “Let go. He’ll think we’re a right pair of dykes.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Nevertheless, at this precise moment I didn’t want Mr Sex to think I was a raving lesbian.
I could feel his piercing blue eyes stare at me as I untangled my hand from Tammy’s.
“May I help you?” he continued, as his horse started nervously pawing at the soft earth below its feet, looking like it was going to charge right at me. I reminded myself, as I tried to keep calm, that as far as I knew, it was bulls that charge.
During every page of the title character’s first-person account, I found myself actually laughing out loud. She was so awkwardly charming, and I absolutely loved her inner monologue. Besides the Hollywood scenes, the book takes place in England, and the main character is English, so I found the constant British slang utterly hysterical. Maybe for English readers, this book is normal, but from an American point of view, it’s funny and charming.
If you like humorous novels, told by a protagonist who doesn’t shy away from real details, like a deodorant stain on a dress, using an airplane bathroom, and the hazards of frizzy hair, grab a copy of A Little of Chantelle Rose. I got the kindle version because it was on sale, but I’m planning on buying a paperback copy so I can enjoy it and keep it on my bookshelf!
Check out this hilarious excerpt to get a feel for Hodgson’s writing:
. . . and even from where I was standing – at the other end of the garden from where he sat poised on a huge and high-spirited black stallion – I could see he had clear sky-blue eyes.
I was suddenly aware that Tammy was still holding my hand, or rather, squeezing the blood out of it, and under my breath, for her ears only, I hissed sharply, “Let go. He’ll think we’re a right pair of dykes.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Nevertheless, at this precise moment I didn’t want Mr Sex to think I was a raving lesbian.
I could feel his piercing blue eyes stare at me as I untangled my hand from Tammy’s.
“May I help you?” he continued, as his horse started nervously pawing at the soft earth below its feet, looking like it was going to charge right at me. I reminded myself, as I tried to keep calm, that as far as I knew, it was bulls that charge.