American Idle (ISBN 0505526549)

Intelligent and funny:
Alesia Holliday has written a book that is both fun and intelligent. AMERICAN IDLE is a great romp behind the scenes of reality television. But while Holliday takes the reader through a series of crazy (and funny) scenes, she also makes you care about the book's sometimes-feckless heroine, rooting for her to connect with Mr. Right, whoever he might turn out to be. This book is a sweet, smart and sassy read -- a breath of fresh air. Libby

American Ideal:
When one reads an average of 2 Romance novels a day, the books themselves have a way of disappearing into a gray haze of monotony. It becomes more rare with each page, to find that book that stands out from the crowd. You begin to categorize and remember books by their authors rather than their content. So it is a bright day indeed when you come across one of those gems that sends you to the email list to recommend that your friends "read this book immediately". This. Is. That. Book. Laugh till you pop the button on your skirt funny, this is definitely a book for the keeper shelves, and an author that has moved herself into the top position of my automatic reads. Well done Alesia, I can't wait to see what comes next.

slow start:
Take a 30 something woman with insecurities and "storm" tendencies-- add in a job that seems surreal and other characters that seem as though they are on a day pass and you have the start of this book. I have to admit the first half of the book I was not impressed with -- but as I continued with reading it -- I enjoyed the book more and more -- It is not my usual type of book but it is good to get out of the box now and then to stretch the legs.

You'll Laugh Your Jimmy Choos Off!:
"Don't screw this up, Jules." It's the story of Jules Vernon's life. One disaster after another seem to follow her around like a whirlwind, hence the nickname "Hurricane Jules." With this track record, it's hardly surprising that she has never kept a long-term job. Now Jules is working for a reality show, which is not, repeat "Not" a ripoff of American Idol. Long, sweaty days allowing her nerves to be shredded by no-talent wannabes are nothing compared to the chaos of actual show production. Plagued with judges that range from raging hypochondriac to oozingly nasty, Jules finds herself in charge of "babysitting" the finalists and dealing with their crises. And don't forget the hunky set builder, Sam, who can't decide if he wants a relationship or not. At this point, it'll be a miracle if Jules makes it to the end of the production with mind and body intact. Maybe she should just go buy another pair of Jimmy Choos. After all, shoes don't talk back. In this witty debut novel, Alesia Holliday serves a real treat with the hilarious antics of Jules Vernon. The characters are larger than life, the situations great, and with a dash of romance, it's the kind of book every girl needs on her shelf for those days when she needs some cheering. Bridget Jones, watch out! Jules Vernon has your number! Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer 5-12-2006

Not my idea of fun.:
I have read other books by Alesia Holliday and enjoyed them so I looked forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I could not get any farther than the first 25 pages. I even tried diving in further into the book to see if it got better and I still could not read more than 5 pages without turning away. The best I can do to pin down why I dislike it so much is to say that it tries too hard. No character seems to even approach reality. They are all, including the main character and her love interest, over the top.