Number of Book #22
Date Began and Finished 4/10 - 4/13 2008
Genre - Romance
Year It Was Published - January 2008
Publisher - Avon
Number of Pages 371
Mass Market Paperback
Reason for reading: Review for CURLED UP
Rating 4/5 stars
Blurb or Synopsis: This book was fun! At the center of the story is Keenan James. He is currently a guru to women everywhere, in that he gives advice on relationships. He's done quite well and is quite the celebrity. Tory Hoffstra is an insecure psychologist who despises people like Keenan, people who will take advantage of the average consumer and pretend they are experts for a quick buck. Tory has been asked by her publisher to co-write a book with the famous Keenan James, because they want credibility from her but Keenan will bring in the big bucks and guarantee a best seller. Tory is appalled, and says that she wants to check him out first in action.
Keenan leads a weekly group of women to meet and discuss their relationships, and Tory manages to get a spot in his group, but disguises herself as the luscious Vicky Smith. Coincidentally enough, Keenan has just moved into the same building as Tory's s ex-boyfriend Stewart (although they still seem to be in this relationship going nowhere fast), and she runs into him while he is walking his mother's dog (which he has taken on unwillingly to help out his mother). Tory is deathly afraid of dogs, especially the cute golden doodle named Barbara Streisand.
There are a lot of laughs between the antics of this uncontrollable dog and Tory's disguised moments as Vicky Smith at the round table. Tory uses her own relationship with the ex-boyfriend to use for the round table, and eventually it's apparent that she's taking a lot of her own real life; she is no longer making things up. And while Tory at first despised the idea of dressing up, putting on makeup, and making herself look attractive to the opposite sex, she notices the affect she has on men. The scenes with Tory and the two ladies who help make her up every day at the cosmetic counter are pretty funny in themselves.
On top of the main story line with Keenan and "Vicky", we are also introduced to Keenan's family - his brother who seems to be reluctant to see their aging mother who now lives in a home, and of course their mother who loves both her sons and wants them both to be happy. Claudia, Tory's sister, is mistaken for a friend of Tory's, because there is no way Keenan would believe they are related to begin with. Claudia is the opposite of Tory - glamorous, has a lot of friends, and seems to be their mother's favorite. And Tory doesn't like her, but what i found amazing was how Claudia's true self comes out and Elaine Fox did a great job with creating such a fully dimensional character, first allowing the reader to see her through Tory's eyes, and then watch the transformation as Tory begins to understand what her sister is all about.
I think you could classify HELLO, DOGGY partly as a Cinderella story, because Tory goes from ugly duckling to someone very attractive. But it's also a very funny and entertaining book and well written too. I will definitely read more by Elaine Fox.
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