Customer Reviews

Nice Girls Finish First

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having previously read and laughed my head off with American Idle by Holliday, I looked forward to Nice Girls Finish First. Kirby had been a great secondary character in Idle, and I looked forward to HER story. I wasn't disappointed! Kirby isn't what anyone would call nice...especially the three employees she just fired. Her assistant Brianna, is too nice...wipe-your-feet-on-your-way-out nice. When Kirby finds herself in trouble at work and needing to find someone to call her 'nice' and quick, Brianna steps in offering her services. As long as Kirby teaches Brianna to quit letting people walk all over her. The result is hilarious! Both women work to discover who they really are, who they really want to be, and who they want to be it with. There are a ton of laughs, a few tears, and a whole lot of fun in this book. You'll love the characters in Nice Girls, so pick it up and hit the beach, for a great read!

Can I say how much I loved this book? I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I am a big fan of stories that carry over from one book to the next, and in NGFF we get to hear all about Kirby Green, Jules Verne's best friend whom we first met in "American Idle" (another fabulous book!!).

Kirby is a tough girl. She has to be, considering that she works for a company that sells lingerie and sex toys, with a little whips and chains thrown in for a good measure! No shrinking violet, our Kirby, but it's exactly that devil-may-care," eat-sh**-and-die "attitude that gets her in hot water with her new boss when he calls her on the carpet for firing her entire marketing staff within the first couple of months of attaining the vice presidency position at W&L. It doesn't help that said boss is gorgeous, in a Hugh Jackman sort of way, so when he offers to make her a bet, Kirby is taken off guard and agrees. It doesn't seem too difficult, really. All he wants her to do is find ONE person to call her "nice"--ANY person--within the next four weeks and she can go on her trip to Italy, which she has been planning for months now, without any problem. If not, she has to stay and work on the new product line which is coming out at the end of the month. Of course Kirby balks so he ups the ante--he DOUBLE DOG DARES her. AND he raises the stakes to include her JOB. If Kirby can't find one person to call her "nice" in a month, not only will she lose her vacation, she will lose her job also! The problem is that her boss doesn't seemed to be very concerned about losing the bet, which makes Kirby start to doubt herself. Is she really THAT awful? Plus it doesn't help that her boss is pretty hot and she's having rather unprofessional thoughts about him, which is a strict "no-no" in her own code of ethics. Maybe she should let him fire her if she can get him instead! What's a girl to do?!

Meanwhile, Kirby's secretary, Brianna, is having her own problems. While Kirby is a bitch on wheels, Bree is still on training wheels! She is so nice that she would rather marry her over-bearing fiance than break up with him, because she doesn't want to hurt his feelings! What she really wants to do is be a professional opera singer, but everyone else in her life thinks she is silly and that it is just a passing fancey. However, when Bree's opera instructor manages to get her an audition for a position in the local opera company, Bree must choose what she really wants for herself. When she learns about the bet, Bree jumps to Kirby's defense, much to Kirby's surprise, and offers to help her learn to be "nice" if Kirby will help her learn how to stand up for herself. Together they set out to prove that "nice" doesn't have to mean "weak" and discover that they are a lot more alike than they would have ever guessed.

Alesia has a wonderful way with a story. She knows how to have her characters reach out to the reader, grab them by the hand and drag them head first into the story and keep them there, breathless with laughter, until the very end. I loved Kirby in "American Idle" and I was thrilled to get to read more about her in NGFF. This book had me laughing out loud (much to the consternation of my children and husband!) and I never had a slow moment thoughout. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sassy, well-written story. Alesia rocks!

I adored Ms. Holliday's writing style when I first read American Idle and I can tell you truthfully that this book has shown that her books are consistently funny, well-written and involving. I liked Kirby in the first book and was ecstatic when I found out she was getting her own story. I stayed up all night finishing it. I appreciate another reviewer's opinion about sharing it with your friends, but honestly, I'm making all my friends buy their own copy because this one is going on my keeper shelf.

Kirby is a modern herione. She is a strong buisiness women with a flair for fashion. Just two problems...she works for a sex toy company and her sexy boss, Banning, thinks she is the devil. Before she can take her long awaited vacation to Italy, Kirby must get someone to call her nice...if she fails...she loses her high paying job! With that on her plate and juggling work with her new "Little Sister" found in the "Big Brothers/Big Sisters" organization, Kirby has a wild time with a few surprises on the way.

Honestly, I kept laughing out oud and startling my family. This is a smart, funny, thoughtful story that really came as a surprise to me. It had come highly recommended, but I like to keep my expections in check....

You know that feeling you get, when your in the first couple of chapters of a book... and you suddenly realize that this might be a great book... but then you worry cause, you've never read the author before, and you'e too excited too early on and your worried that the author may not be able to deliver by the end? Well, around page 119... right around naked bungee jumping... I started to relax because I had read enough to know that I was in good hands with Ms. Holliday.

I finished the book with a satisfied smile, and a feeling of regret that the ride was over so soon. But then I perked up thinking about American Idle. I'm going to get that as soon as possible, let me tell you.

I thoughly enjoyed this book. Alesia knows how to write laugh out loud funny (whips and lace!) while touching your heart in very real ways. This book explores how much society pressures us to conform, but how in the end you really need to be true to yourself. A great summer read!

Kirby is a strong-minded business woman who thinks being nice will leave her vulnerable. Brianna is an aspiring opera singer who believes being nice is the only way to success. But when both of them realize they have a lot to learn from each other, a bond forms and they begin to see the realization of their dreams. Alesia Holliday pens another winner with this fast-paced, sassy, and sexy tale of romance, friendship and change. You won't be able to put this one down!

I am so glad I discovered Alesia Holliday! She is an awesome, talented, funny writer. Kirby is hilarious and endearing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have fun and forget their troubles for a while. Get immersed in an Alesia Holliday book--it'll become a keeper on your shelves!

I loved AMERICAN IDLE, but didn't care much for the Kirby character. Kirby's the star in this book, and she won me over! Hilarious plot with fine writing--fantastic chick lit book. If you liked AMERICAN IDLE, you've gotta read NICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST. A winner!

Are you too nice for your own good? Or... are you a type of person that would never be labeled as "nice" in a million years? Even if you are neither of these, you will most likely enjoy Alesia Holliday's latest novel "Nice Girls Finish First".

This book is told from two points of view. Firstly, there is Kirby, VP of marketing for a sex toy manufacturer. She is a type of woman that has never been mistaken for being nice. As a matter of fact, after recently firing most of her department, her boss Banning Stuart has issued an ultimatum: Kirby either gets someone to declare that she is nice, or she will not be able to go on the Italian vacation she has planned. Not only that, but she will lose her job. Kirby steps up to the challenge, albeit a bit reluctantly. After all, you don't get ahead in life by being nice, right?

Then there is Brianna, Kirby's assistant. She is Kirby's opposite: just too nice for her own good. She is currently engaged to a sweet guy named Lyle, and trying to make it as an Opera singer. Putting up with Kirby's terrible handwriting and tempers isn't easy, but she is determined to do her job well. When Brianna finds about Kirby's challenge, she decides to help her out.

With the quirky characters and sometimes laugh-out-loud madcap moments that Holliday is known for, Nice Girls Finish First is a completely enjoyable read. It's intriguing to be able to see both sides of the coin: a girl who is too nice and a girl who is too mean. There is also a romantic side plot to both girls' stories that I loved.

The plot was a tiny bit far-fetched - after all, an office bet that hinges on a person being called nice doesn't happen much in real life, but Alesia Holliday does a wonderful job of keeping it realistic despite the circumstances. I really couldn't find anything about this novel I didn't enjoy.

Overall, I highly recommend this novel for some good, solid, romantic summer reading. Fans of this author's other book will also enjoy this novel, although it's not quite as zany or hilarious. I'm looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next!