Book – Build a Man, Talli Roland
This is the third book I have read from the talented Ms Roland and the way she is writing them I cannot keep up! As with the previous duo, I’ve waited until the paper version despite the online book being available long ago. I just prefer the pages and the ownership of a book, which I hope the author will sign next time I have the pleasure of seeing her! You can’t sign a kindle!
In a similar, page turning but easy to read style, as is now the Talli benchmark, with ‘Build a Man’ our heroine is a writer (great!), or rather an aspiring tabloid (interesting!) writer. An American in London, (Marylebone, don’t you know!) Serenity currently works as a receptionist at her boyfriend’s cosmetic surgery clinic and whiles away her time reading gossipy websites and dreaming of a potentially glamorous life on the UK’s tabloids. In the evening, she returns with her rather drab boyfriend to his Marylebone home around the corner and they eat healthy, dull meals and watch boring TV. Grilled chicken features heavily.Her life transforms when she pitches an idea to one of the biggies about a male client who wants to change everything about him in order to find the woman of his dreams. This chap has money but wants his life partner to be attracted to him rather than his bank balance. The idea gets accepted on the online version of the tabloid and Serenity has to change all the names to write her regular article. Now she is an investigative tabloid journalist!Clearly this is a recipe for disaster as Serenity, now continuing in her day job in order to work undercover, means sooner or later someone is going to see past the made-up names in the column and put two and two together. It’s how and when that happens that this makes story so entertaining. Throughout the book, Serenity has her one true friend, her American best mate, a successful corporate type, for company.As with the other books, there is the happy ending we long for but until then, there is a message included during this joyful and funny read.8/10Inspiration factor 9/10