Hardly Working (Red Dress Ink Novels) [Paperback]

Betsy Burke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Red Dress Ink Novels | Publication Date: November 1, 2005

CAUTION! Dangerous Waters Ahead

Dinah Nichols, PR chick for Green World International, knows how to spin a story. She has to, otherwise how else would rescuing loons get the media attention it deserves? But a visit from Higher Management guru Ian Trutch means she'll have to put some spin on the "fabulous work" she and the staff have been doing. Sure, her latest hobby of haranguing a cocky colleague is worthwhile, but it isn't part of GWI's mission statement or anything. So, how to convince the higher-ups she and the others are working hard for their higher purpose? Hmm. Dating Trutch seemed the obvious move, but now she's not so sure he is what he says he is, and the office is turned upside down as acts of local ecoterrorism are suddenly on the rise, and Dinah's famed mother—a bona fide well-known Jacques Cousteau type—makes an unforgettable appearance, putting Dinah's entire career in jeopardy.

Will Dinah navigate her eclectic crew to safety, or will they have to swim for it?

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Dinah Nichols has it pretty good doing PR work for Green World International, an environmental-protection agency. She's friendly with almost everyone in the office, save for Penelope, a self-righteous virgin who looks down on Dinah. But when upper--management guru Ian Trutch comes in to examine the company's financial state, Dinah and her co-workers get very worried about their jobs, especially after their biggest contributor goes bankrupt. To complicate matters, Dinah has finally learned the identity of her father, and manages to track him down, but not to tell him that she's his daughter. When handsome Ian starts to take a decidedly personal interest in Dinah, she figures she can buy herself and her co-workers time to locate a reclusive Scottish millionaire who might be interested in making a major donation. But Ian soon proves to be duplicitous, Penelope scores a major victory, and Dinah begins to fear for her job. Burke's charming tale will appeal to young professionals navigating family, work, and love. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 331 pages
• Publisher: Red Dress Ink (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373895429
• ISBN-13: 978-0373895427
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,814,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betsy Burke was born in London, England, and grew up on the West Coast of Canada. She received her Bachelor of Music in voice performance and worked as an opera singer in Victoria and Vancouver before moving to Italy in 1986. Other jobs on her resumé include guitar teacher, nurse's assistant, charwoman, cook, illustrator and mural painter, salesclerk, puppeteer and, for the last sixteen years, freelance translator.
She is the author of three chicklit novels for Red Dress Ink (Lucy's Launderette, Performance Anxiety, and Hardly Working) and is currently working on a mystery series set in Florence. Her first mystery novel, The Laughing Madonna, is about to be re-released in a Kindle edition. She lives on the Arno river outside of Florence with her husband and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hardly memorable.., May 28, 2006

By 

Janice (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hardly Working (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

"Hardly Working" by Betsy Burke centered around Dinah, who worked as a PR person for a non-profit organization focusing on environmental issues in Vancouver. Fresh from a recent breakup, Dinah was eager to start a new relationship with Ian Trutch, her new boss who was set by the headquarters to manage the Vancouver office. In midst of all this, Dinah was eager to find out more about her biological father as her mother raised her alone and she was never allowed to ask any questions regarding her father. Soon, Dinah discovered that Ian wasn't who he said he was.

This was not a very good chick-lit as there was never a strong storyline. The author focused on too many things and none of it was fully developed. It was hard to be engaged as a reader and I never had the urgency to keep on reading. There are definitely better books in this genre out there.

1.0 out of 5 stars Worst book from Red Dress Ink, March 15, 2011

By 

Connie Broeder (Gurnee, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hardly Working (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

Wow...I don't even know where to begin. First, I finished this book because I have a long commute, so I had time to spare. However, this book was one of the worst books that I've ever read. The plot goes nowhere and new characters are continously introduced - none of which are well developed or make the book interesting. The author often brings up that a character has this "secret" but never tells us what it is. It was a terrible book. I wouldn't recommend it. I'm surprised because the Red Dress Ink novels are usually great. This one was terrible.

4.0 out of 5 stars Hardly Working, September 2, 2010

By 

P. Newhart (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hardly Working (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

Betsy Burke works for an environmental agency doing PR work and soliciting donations. She has just turned thirty, and besides her eccentric mother and ongoing search for her father, is living life pretty happily, until the announcement that the new CEO is coming to check out the office and rumours are flying about layoffs. It has the entire office worried and anxious to meet the boss...the only thing is, no one counted on him being so handsome. Sparks fly between Betsy and him, but will this save her job? And is he everything he says he is?

This was a quick, entertaining read. I liked the fact that it had a little more of a storyline than some of the other Red Dress Ink novels I have read. I loved that it is based in Vancouver, B.C. and mentions familiar landmarks. A great book to curl up with for the weekend!