Fifteen Minutes of Shame [Paperback]

Lisa Daily (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 25, 2008

America's favorite TV dating expert just found out her husband is cheating on her.

Romantic Comedy at its Hilarious Best!

Darby Vaughn, a small-town girl turned dating guru, has finally landed the life she's always dreamed of: A handsome, charming husband she's crazy about, a fabulous home in an exclusive neighborhood, a bestselling dating book, and tax-deductible pedicures. Thousands of women have attended Darby's famous Dreamgirl Academy and followed her man-snagging advice to the letter, in hopes that their lives will turn out just like hers. But when she finds out her husband is cheating, her publicity-perfect world spins out of control. Not only is the most humiliating moment in her life splashed across every supermarket tabloid and celebrity gossip show, but her reputation as America's favorite love expert is shot. Her book sales have tanked, her publisher has canceled the rest of her tour, and her love life has become fodder for late-night TV. To make matters worse, Darby's husband's ex-wife Gigi keeps feeding the media frenzy in hopes of furthering her own reality TV career. If Darby takes her philandering husband back, she will be breaking her own most cardinal law of relationships (Never stay with a cheater!), and her career will be over. If she sticks to her own rules, she'll lose the only man she has ever truly loved. As her marriage and career fall apart, Darby learns that even dating experts get their hearts broken, and that when it comes to matters of the heart, none of us are in complete control.

Editorial Reviews

"Holy #@%*!
This book is going to be a bestseller.
I loved Fifteen Minutes of Shame
and I don't know a woman who wouldn't."
- Michael Alvear
Star of HBO's Sex Inspectors

"Comedy, romance, Fifteen Minutes of Shame has it all."
- Coleen Murphy, Riverbank Studios

"I was instantly hooked on this funny romance"
- Clare Naylor
Author of The Second Assistant

"Lisa Daily has a knack for putting the "pop" back into pop culture. A pitch perfect romantic comedy"
- Marci Wise
Senior Producer, WFLA

Fifteen Minutes of Shame is brilliant and funny chick lit comedy,
Daily is an author on the rise."
- Best selling author Mia King

"A smart, hilariously funny gem of a book."
- Lisa Earle McLeod
syndicated columnist, Buffalo News

"Fall-out-of-your-chair hilarious! One of the funniest chick lit romance novels you'll read all year!
- Miss Lit Blog / Fiction Bestsellers for Women

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A real-life dating columnist and book author (Stop Getting Dumped!), Daily puts her debut novel's heroine into her professional shoes. Darby Vaughn, 31, is enjoying her success as the nation's most popular romance expert: she's got bestselling books, TV appearances and even her own perfume. But her empire threatens to topple when her cheating husband, aka her publicist, humiliates her and leaves her vulnerable to giant aftershocks in the press. After a few days of intense girlfriend therapy, Darby emerges from the haze of margaritas and sappy movies to rebuild her life starting with spin dating—i.e., dating for publicity. Besides being photographed canoodling with a basketball star and a young model, Darby hires the best divorce lawyer in town, who also just happens to be the hottest. Daily keeps things moving along quickly, and though her style is not exactly seasoned, she delivers some surprising depth and a heroine with heart to root for. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I cheered! Fifteen Minutes of Shame is a dream of a read.”—Dennie Hughes, USA Weekend’s Relation Tips columnist and author of Dateworthy

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Plume (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452289130
• ISBN-13: 978-0452289130
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,063,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Daily can tell you why he didn't call, the color you should never wear on a first date, and even where to snoop for evidence if you think your guy's been fooling around.

She's the love and relationships expert on DAYTIME, a nationally-syndicated morning TV show, and a popular media guest who has appeared everywhere from MTV Live to Entertainment Tonight, and been quoted everywhere from the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune to Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Men's Health, Christian Science Monitor and US Weekly Magazine. Lisa did a cameo as a real-life dating expert on the HITCH movie DVD starring Will Smith. She's is the author of 7 books, including Stop Getting Dumped!, Fifteen Minutes of Shame, How to Date Like a Grown-Up, Southern Fried Farce, Beauty, Is He Cheating? and Is She Cheating?

WANT TO GET/STAY IN TOUCH?

For more on Lisa, please visit her website http://www.lisadaily.com or her dating advice blog http://www.stopgettingdumped.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical fiction debut from a real life relationship guru April 19, 2008

By Tracy Vest TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Darby Vaughn is a successful relationship expert, having authored several books, columns, and personal appearances on the subject. At first suspicious that there is something going on with her husband and publicist Will, he is soon able to explain it all away and she embarks on her latest book tour. Nothing prepares her when her idyllic world comes crashing down when she discovers on national television that she has been dumped by her husband, as he has reconciled with his ex-wife and taken the daughters she has been raising with him. What's a girl to do? If you are Darby, you barf on Matt Lauer's shoes in full Technicolor. At first, she wallows in self pity, particularly when she is abandoned by her fans and turns into a late night joke. Then she brushes herself off and tries to do damage control deciding to seek custody of her ex's children. Her attorney prepares her for the worst. As new opportunities come her way both professionally and personally, Darby realizes that she might not be able to have it all.

Real life TV relationship guru Daily's fiction debut is a hilarious tale of a woman wronged who is forced to lick her wounds in a public arena. The dialogue is crisp and the characters are well developed. She cleverly inserts dating tips from Darby's columns to bring authenticty to her character. I particularly enjoyed her second chance at romance.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Way More Than FIfteen Minutes' Worth of Fun August 20, 2008

By Rachel Kramer Bussel VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I loved Darby's voice and attitude; Daily shows that even though Darby is a dating expert, she can still be thrown a curveball by life (and men). She winds up falling hard hard hard, and then has to make a very tough decision. I loved the tension built up in the romance here, but I questioned a major turnaround Darby has at the end (I don't want to give it away). I understand why she made her decision, but it seemed slightly out of character, though was motivated by love. This is a rollicking romance but also one with a maternal emotional core, and the lessons Darby learns, as well as imparts, are valuable ones.

While I enjoyed Darby's hilarious stint on reality TV, what moved me more was her relationship with Holt and what she learns from it ("you can't manufacture love by adhering to a plan"). Perfect beach reading (or anywhere reading), it made me consider Darby's dating advice (some I agree with, some I didn't). Kudos to Daily for turning her real-life career as a dating expert into a fun novel that also gets at what being a stepmother, and falling for a family, not just a man, is all about.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very realistic and wonderful book! July 24, 2008

By Colleen Laughlin

Format:Paperback

Maybe it's not realistic in that people get dumped on national tv every day, but the book does a great job in getting the reader tangled up in Darby's life as it spirals out of control. Who hasn't faced a situation in their life at some point where they thought their entire life was over as they knew it? This book allows you to see how Darby regains control of her life after her loser of a husband betrays her in the worse possible way (personally and professionally). Of course as with all chick-lit books there is a happy ending and a new love interest for Darby, but getting to this point for Darby is definitely not something that comes easy for her. She has to make some tough decisions and face her past head on.