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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another wild ride through Vegas courtasy of Brian Rouff, December 4, 2004
This review is from: Money Shot (Paperback)
Money Shot is the story of Alan Nichols, a successful Las Vegas advertising executive as well as being your typical family man, who finds himself in possession of the chance of a lifetime. On a day like any other, purchasing a simple bottle of Bigg Fizz soda, Alan discovers Lady luck smiling in the form of a winning bottle cap. The prize is one million dollars, but before he can start counting that green there's a catch. In order to win the million dollars, he must make a three point shot during half-time at a NCAA championship game, a feat made all the more difficult considering he hasn't touched a basketball since high school.
With dreams of leaving the office job for good, Alan heads for the local gym to get some much needed practice only to injure his shoulder with his first attempt at sinking a basket and missing the shot by a number of feet. Even more trouble at the office when he asks for a well-deserved vacation to work on his shot, only to find himself fired after a confrontation with the boss. Now, unemployed, Alan needs to make that shot more than ever. With the help of his coach, a feisty former female player named Angela, Alan begins to train for that one life changing shot day by day, while with each passing day his life is becoming more crazy due to his new found fame.
Money Shot is another hysterically witty novel by Brian Rouff, author of Dice Angel. Being a long time Vegas resident himself gives him a chance to write about `Sin City' from an insider point of view, a perspective absent from most other Vegas books and films. Brian Rouff's style is fast and energetic, you get familiar with Alan's character instantly and cannot help but be charmed by his never ending one liners. I especially liked the very authentic yet humorous family dynamic taking place in the Nichol's household throughout the story.
Overall, Money Shot is a brilliant page turner, not only filled with wit and humor but also a little heart and an unmistakable character!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Here's to middle age angst, December 10, 2004
This review is from: Money Shot (Paperback)
Alan Nichols is a guy just like me. Hell, he IS me! Brian Rouff has captured that special kick in the balls that life reserves for all middle class, middle aged, fair to middling guys who feel like they're doomed to play out the hand that life dealt them. But, he gives Alan a chance to get even.....and maybe, just maybe, make a BIG score. This book is smart, funny, and a perfect fit for its Vegas backdrop. I loved the characters in Alan's life, especially his wife, Pam ; daughter Amy and the unforgettable "coach", Angela.
Hurry up and read this book before they make a movie out of it. I already have it cast in my middle aged, middle crazed mind.
FUN, FUN, FUN!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Funny and Affirming Story, December 20, 2004
This review is from: Money Shot (Paperback)
I like novels with happy endings. Not that I'm giving anything away here -- there's a fabulous little twist at the end where the outcome can go either way -- but give me fiction with a life-affirming conclusion over the typical mayhem and spiral staircase to the cemetery any day. Money Shot fits the bill.
Like Brian Rouff's first novel Dice Angel, Money Shot is a fun read. It's lighter and breezier than DA, mostly because it's more slice-of-life, more realistic in the sense that, though not everyone gets a shot at launching a million-dollar basketball on national TV, some people do and many of us have seen it. We can all imagine what it must be like to stand there in the spotlight and go for it.
The main character, Nick Nichols, could be any of us. His relationships with his wife, daughter, boss, co-workers, coach, and friends are typical, ranging from high drama to low comedy. And Rouff's tight style and witty voice are perfectly suited for keeping the day-to-day details of such characters entertaining and engaging.
It all builds up to the final moment when Nichols is standing on the three-point line, taking his money shot. And the twist will make you sit back, shake your head, and smile at a great novelist at the height of his powers. And then ... everything works out OK in the end. Which is the way it should always be.
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