Reality Check

Rating:
Summary: A Superb Tale!
Review: I have been a devotee of Ms. Carroll's since I read her first novel, Miss Match. This is a smart, funny story that fully takes advantage of the nation's obsession with Reality Shows! Bravo again!

Rating:
Summary: What fun!
Review: I normally do not like first person offerings so I opened this with trepidation. Truth be told, it was a freebie at a writer's conference in NYC. I found myself on the way out the door to a doctor's appointment and needed a book. I grabbed and ran.

I am so glad I did! From the very beginning ad to the introduction of Liz, Nell and Jem to the yo-yo guru and chef Jack, I was hooked. I read at stoplights and in traffic jams! I stayed up late.

The premise is fresh and Ms. Carroll did a fabulous job with it. She didn't overdo the reality tv show nor did she underdo it. She offered hysterical characters that didn't devolve into caricatures. Her sensitivity to gay and lesbian issues was very much appreciated by me as well.

I happen to love neat wrap-ups. Everyone was taken care of by the end except for our Mr. Bryon. I am actually hoping that her next book will be the woman that conquers him and puts him in his place.

Liz Pemberly and her gang will go on my shelf of keepers. First chick lit book to do that! I am a die hard regency and historical gal so this book had to impress me.

And it did. There is even a bit of intrigue... is Jack trying to kill Liz?

Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Romp that's Very Real!
Review: I picked this book out because I am a reality Tv junky. If you want a happy funny kind of a book this is the book for you. I loved all these charaters, Jem and Nell they were so funny I would love to have friends like that. Liz and Jack were the best! This book made me laugh out loud and thinking about it know I am laughing all over again. I highly recommend this book.
Happy Reading Lisa

Rating:
Summary: Irresistably Funny TV Fantasy
Review: Leslie Caroll has done a terrific job providing the ideal "what if" scenario in Reality Check, a contemporary urban fantasy for anyone who has ever daydreamed (or had a nightmare) about auditioning for a reality-based t.v. show.

In Reality Check, Liz has decided to audition for Bad Date, a t.v. show in which contestants compete for one million dollars with stories of how badly their romantic lives have gone. Though Liz and her roommates audition for a lark (each of them has an altruistic reason to want the big bucks), when all three of them are cast trouble is ahead. A bigger brouhaha may be coming when Liz and fellow contestant Jack begin to find each other irresistibly attractive.

The real nugget of gold amidst all these dreams of winning is Carroll's sense of humor. Though the novel is an insubstantial read, Carroll thoroughly enjoys manipulating the peccadilloes of the English language. She is unable to restrain herself from giving Liz, an ad copywriter, ludicrous products with equally ridiculous names for which to create ad campaigns. Bars and restaurants have playful names as well. Carroll writes with a light and even hand, creating a book that's easy to pick up, laugh-out-loud funny, and quick to read.

Rating:
Summary: contemporary satirical romance
Review: New York's SOHO copywriter Liz Pemberly feels her personal life is at zero so when she sees a NY Post advertisement for contestants to go on TV's Bad Date she decides to try out. The rules are simple as fourteen participants will vie for the one million dollar jackpot with each telling about a terrible date they suffered through. Each week, the audience will vote one person off the show and there is to be no fraternizing or the contestant will be disqualified. At the audition, Liz meets Miami restaurant owner Jack Rafferty, who she thinks is quite a hunk.

As several weeks pass in which Liz and Jack survive, they feel a deep attraction to one another. However, both know that if they begin dating, they will lose the opportunity for the grand prize. Still they start to wonder if the money is worth it as they are starting to fall in love, but what will happen if they ever commence dating.

This contemporary satirical romance spoofs the reality shows leaving no one standing at the end. The story line is amusing especially when the worst dates are presented and more so as Liz and Jack squirm to ignore their feelings, as deep in their hearts they believe that the show might cause them to miss a perfect match. Leslie Carroll furbishes a cheeky tale that readers will laugh with the characters while checking into the next rounds of reality TV.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Romp that's Very Real!
Review: The author is right on the cutting edge of popular culture. Having worked in the field of publishing, I know that books are written and bought long before their publication date, and my guess is that REALITY CHECK, which debuted in January, 2003, was well along in the publishing pipeline LONG before many of the current TV reality dating shows, and even some of the big non-dating shows like "American Idol" ever made it to the small screen. The advertising agency scenes are right on target ! Obviously the author, a native NYer, knows her turf. REALITY CHECK is delightful entertainment, taking a deliciously wry look at America's seeming endless fixation with Reality TV shows, particularly the dating shows.

Rating:
Summary: Very fun
Review: The book is such a fun book to read. It is one of those books that you cant ever put down. You will feel like the characters are your new best friends because you learn so much about them