Audiobook Book Tour: The Publicist

This audiobook was given to me free in exchange for an honest review.  It is my first audiobook review and, to be honest, I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks.  I have the time on my commute to work each morning and afternoon but audiobooks are usually more expensive so I don't usually go in that direction. Once I got my iPad to cooperate with my usb port, I was happy I had agreed to the review.  I found the book to be a nice change from my usual morning radio station.

Synopsis of The Publicist:
Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t sell, and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan. 
Enter the star editor, MacDermott Ellis: Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author—now as forgotten as last year’s bestsellers and his nephew Nick: Tall, gorgeous, sweet, single, and ready to sweep Kate off her feet. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions. 
As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week,” she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more romance and sex, more celebrities, and more scandal. 

Welcome to the world of publishing. The ego has landed. 

My review:
I actually found it to be truly enjoyable, and this is coming from a reader who isn't usually fond of romance novels unless they are full of sarcasm and snark.  Sure, the characters were a but cookie cutter.  Kate was beautiful and Mac and Nick both gorgeous but really, isn't that why we read this type of story?  We want to escape into the world of tall, dark, and handsome and read about women being swept off their feet.  Otherwise, we wouldn't be picking up the romance novel in the first place.  If Mac had been the perfect man with no baggage, would he be as attractive to us? I think not.  We need a bit of bad in our boy.  For me, the story provided exactly what it should.  I liked the characters, their back stories, the romance and the turmoil that came with it.  It left me wanting more which is the goal of every story and so I can say that I probably will grab the next installment in the series to see what path the characters take next.  This book is perfect for anyone who likes a nice romance with just a touch of humor.

My only issue had nothing to do with the story whatsoever.  When I read a book, I see and hear the characters in my head as I think they should be.  With the audiobook, the reader was a female.  She did an excellent job but I have to say that I had trouble finding my mental image of the male characters in the story and the reader's change in tone just didn't cut the cake for me.  I may go for the paperback version for the next book depending on the cost difference.  However, this was my only misgiving and I otherwise quite enjoyed the experience.

About the author:

Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn't. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.

Connect with Christina: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~ Goodreads

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