Party Girl by Rachel Hollis
Series: The Girls #1
Published by Lake Union Publishing on February 11, 2014
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 360
Format: ebook
Source: Author
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Landon Brinkley is making her dreams come true. After years of poring over glossy photos of celebrity parties in People and US Weekly, she’s landed her Holy Grail: an internship with the fabulous Selah Smith, event planner to the Hollywood elite.

Moving from small town Texas to Los Angeles, Landon finds herself in a world in which spending a million dollars on an event – even for kids’ birthdays – is de rigueur. The thrill of working on A-list parties and celeb weddings is enough to get her through the 75-hour workweeks, the nightmare of a multi-day film festival, and abuse at the hands of a mercurial boss. LA is full of opportunity for fame, fortune and even love. But confronted with the seamy realities of the business, she is forced to make a choice: do whatever it takes to get ahead, or stay true to herself.

A roman a clef in the vein of The Devil Wears Prada, PARTY GIRL draws on the author’s real life experience for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the celebrity-obsessed world of event planning. From the party habits of America’s favorite underage singer to the worst Bridezilla of all (the kind that graces the cover of your favorite magazine), PARTY GIRL reveals the ugly side of Hollywood’s prettiest parties.

While planning out my winter break TBR, someone on Twitter suggested I read Party Girl.  I was hoping to get some books from my TBR read but after checking out some reviews and the synopsis, I decided Party Girl might just be the perfect read to start off my break.  It certainly had some flaws but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m so glad I gave it a shot.

Landon is a bit of a country mouse.  She’s from Texas (like me) and shew as raised as a true southern girl with all the manners and charms you would expect.  To be completely honest, I thought the southern charm was a little overdone at points but not throughout the whole book.  Otherwise, I loved how Landon’s upbringing played a role in everything she did.  She was a little naive when she arrived in LA and landed her internship but she looked at life in a very positive way.  I don’t  know if I could have dealt with all the crap she had to put up with.  Her family and their role in her life actually ended up helping her through tough times and helped her bond with some of the people she came in contact with.  She used every aspect of her life to help her get ahead in her job.

The characters were by far my favorite part of Party Girl.  Landon was charming and sweet and I loved her even with her overly positive attitude and naivete.  She was open to new things and new people.  She didn’t let first impressions affect whether or not she got to know someone.  Her roommate, Max, was kind of like a porcupine.  She definitely had some defenses up outwardly but underneath it all she was really great.  She was funny and smart and very driven.  She had some secrets that she kept from Landon but she had a good heart and good motives.  Miko, Landon’s friend and coworker, was definitely the funniest character.  She had such an amazing personality.  She took charge but she always had fun.  She was a great asset to Landon, both outside of work and at work.  There was also the possibility of a love triangle but it luckily never amounted to anything.  Taylor was a sweetheart but he seemed like he could be a bit of a player.  I also just always saw him as nothing more than a friend to Landon.  Brody, on the other hand, brought out the flutters.  He was so cute.  Sure there were times when I thought he was a pompous asshole but he eventually grew on me.  He had a soft side to him that Landon brought out and she had an awkward side to her that he brought out.  Points to Rachel Hollis for having a totally awkward character that I couldn’t help but relate to.

The party planning aspect played a huge role in the book and Rachel Hollis definitely knew what she was writing about.  The details were intense but not overdone.  I loved getting a look into the lives of party planners and all the stuff they have to deal with when planning a party that only lasts a few hours.  Every aspect of the book was centered on party planning and it was a totally unique story.  If it didn’t seem like such a demanding job, I’d totally look into being a party planner!

Overall, Party Girl is the perfect read if you’re looking for something fun and flirty.  The romance was just right, the characters provided laughs, and the story itself had me hooked.  I look forward to reading more in this series.

What others are saying about Party Girl:

The Bookish Babe’s review: “Landon was such a winsome character, and I couldn’t help but to be drawn in by her infectious enthusiasm for the journey ahead.”

This Chick Reads’ review: “Even if the story reminded me a lot of “Devil Wears Prada”, it is a great and enjoyable read with so many lovely characters.”