Jenn's Review: The Agency

Summary: Meet Tess Drake. She’s earned everything she has. Now it’s time to get what she deserves…Sexy super-agent Tess Drake has worked hard to make a name for herself in the glamorous yet cut-throat entertainment industry. Tess works at an international agency, where she skillfully manages some of the world's biggest egos—her company, Bardwell International operates in the thrilling, fast-paced worlds of Rights, wrongs and revenge. Tess has been an agent there for longer than she cares to remember and now she's in trouble. Real trouble. After the mysterious death of the agency's senior partner, Lowell Bardwright, Tess's sworn enemy, Cosima Tate, has taken over and would do anything to send Tess's career down in flames. And Cosima is only one of the rogue’s gallery of agents in London and New York who want Tess to take a fall. Tess has another little complication, too. She’s sleeping with men on both sides of the Atlantic who are in bed with the women who are trying to sink her.

Can Tess jump ship without losing her clients and breaking her heart? Or will she lose everything before finding out if she really has what it takes to do what she’s always wanted? There’s risk and reward in this wickedly funny novel that turns the world of agenting inside out and lays bare all the ambition, sex, adrenaline, bad luck, and good luck at the center of one young woman’s success. ~StMartinspress.com

Review: I've been starting most of my reviews with disclaimers lately, and this one is no different. I don't read a lot of Chick-Lit but this one captured my attention. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into this story because I just couldn't stand Tess. I know she's not written to be likeable, but I disliked her to the point of having to set the book down several times and walk away. I don't have a high tolerance for lying and even less for infidelity, so I kinda felt like Tess was the recipient of 'American Karma' (American because, like everything else in our culture, it comes around faster ~ you don't have to wait for it to catch up with you next lifetime, it'll bite you this time around), although in this case, I guess it's British Karma.

As the plot became more complicated I was drawn in more, or at least to the point where I was no longer routing for Tess's demise. There were also some nice twists and turns to the plot. Although I was a little flummoxed by what I perceived as a lack of resolution to the mysterious death of Tess's boss. It was just a little too open ended for me. I realize that it's not the main plot line but I'm a crime girl, I need resolution!

All in all, it was a very consistent read from start to finish, especially considering that Ally O'Brien is the pen name for the writing team of author Brian Freeman and London-based entertainment agent Ali Gunn. I didn't, however, find it "wickedly funny" as St Martin's suggests ...maybe just wicked.


Julie's Review

Final take: 3/5

And The Winner Is......

Congratulations to Bev for winning a copy of The Agency by Ally O'Brien.


Want to know how we did it? We listed each commenter sequentially; then we visited the handy dandy Random.org and it produced the number "10 ".

Thank you all for participating in our giveaway! Surely there'll be more books to giveaway, so please keep your eyes peeled to this blog.

Bev - We'll be in contact via email for your address for St. Martins to send you a copy of the book.

Giveaway: The Agency

We are excited that Sarah from St. Martin's Press is allowing us to giveaway one copy of the new release The Agency. An exciting novel set in London's entertainment industry. Here is the Girls Just Reading Review by Julie of the novel.


Here are some early rave reviews for the book:

"A delicious read! Even more entertaining than Sex & the City and Lipstick Jungle combined… The Agency is one hot, exciting, and sexy book, with a seductive plot that makes those pages fly. Don’t miss this exquisite jewel!” –Publishers Weekly

“With an insider’s take on the book biz, and an appealingly foul-mouthed heroine, this debut is fast, funny and a bit nasty—not unlike Tess. A naughty, catty good time.” –Kirkus

"The duo writing as O'Brien proves there's nothing like teamwork. The book combines genres effectively, melding into one fantastic novel... Cleverness abounds, especially in the dialogue and plot twists." –Romantic Times (4 stars)

“The Agency's got bite -- it sucks you in and leaves teeth marks.”–Amanda Goldberg and Ruthanna Hopper, coauthors of the New York Times bestselling Celebutantes

“The Agency is brash, cheeky, and cuttingly smart. Move over Bridget Jones, there's a new girl in town! Despite enemies who hate her, lovers who betray her, and clients who desert her, Tess Drake is a marvelously irrepressible heroine. You'll want to stick with The Agency from start to finish, through thick and thin, through hell and high water--what a fabulous ride!” – Joan Johnston, author of the New York Times bestselling novel A Stranger’s Game

"Sex, drugs, and literature…" –Sarah Ivens, editor-in-chief of OK! Magazine
(Reviews courtesy of StMartins.com)

Please leave a comment here by Sunday, February 15 Midnight EST to be automatically entered. The winner will be announced on Monday, February 16th.

Julie's Review: The Agency

Summary: Meet Tess Drake. She’s earned everything she has. Now it’s time to get what she deserves…Sexy super-agent Tess Drake has worked hard to make a name for herself in the glamorous yet cut-throat entertainment industry. Tess works at an international agency, where she skillfully manages some of the world's biggest egos—her company, Bardwell International operates in the thrilling, fast-paced worlds of Rights, wrongs and revenge. Tess has been an agent there for longer than she cares to remember and now she's in trouble. Real trouble. After the mysterious death of the agency's senior partner, Lowell Bardwright, Tess's sworn enemy, Cosima Tate, has taken over and would do anything to send Tess's career down in flames. And Cosima is only one of the rogue’s gallery of agents in London and New York who want Tess to take a fall. Tess has another little complication, too. She’s sleeping with men on both sides of the Atlantic who are in bed with the women who are trying to sink her.

Can Tess jump ship without losing her clients and breaking her heart? Or will she lose everything before finding out if she really has what it takes to do what she’s always wanted? There’s risk and reward in this wickedly funny novel that turns the world of agenting inside out and lays bare all the ambition, sex, adrenaline, bad luck, and good luck at the center of one young woman’s success. ~StMartinspress.com

Review: The Agency is a fun, witty, quick read. I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers and am so I glad I requested it. I love anything about the Entertainment industry and this book was about the little written about world of Publishing Agents. What a world it is. I know that most lines of business are cut throat but this business takes the cake, in my opinion.

You can't help but like Tess even if she's brash and has a "no holds barred" attitude, but she's honest and knows her flaws; one of them is thinking with the nether regions of her body. That gets her into trouble all the time.

Tess is at the point in her life and career where she's ready to break out on her own and start her own agency. The problem is that her boss just died and there's a new boss in town and she's not exactly a big fan of Tess. We meet Dorothy, Tess' biggest and most successful client and she's up for a new contract. Tess wants to keep her without a deal until she can break out on her own. This is where the fun starts.

The cast of characters is fun from her assistant Emma, her married lover "Darcy", her dear friend Sally, her other client Oliver and a few more. Time is over the essence when you are going out on your own and the book doesn't cover more than a couple weeks in time. This lends itself to a very quick pace and it keeps you on your toes.

I can't say a whole lot because it'll give the novel away. I can see that there is a pretty big twist that I did not see a mile away but there is something else that occurs that I figured out towards the middle of the book. I didn't mind because it was Tess' realization of everything going on around her that makes the book savvy and entertaining. I think one part of the ending is a bit unrealistic but not so much that I think it's not possible. After all the book is about the entertainment industry.

I'd like to see Tess come back in another novel; following her into the next phase of her life. Seeing how things are turning out for her. I highly recommend picking up The Agency for a good read. It would be a perfect beach/vacation book. I devoured it fairly quick.

Final Take: 4/5