Name Dropping [Paperback]

Jane Heller (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martin's Paperbacks (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312978332
• ISBN-13: 978-0312978334
• ASIN: B002MLC2LK
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)

More About the Author

I hope those who've enjoyed my novels of romantic comedy will try my first nonfiction book, "Confessions of a She-Fan," about my passion for the NY Yankees. Yes, it's about baseball, but it's also about marriage (mine) and what it really means to be a fan. If you aren't into baseball, maybe you know someone who is and you'll tell them about it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jane Heller has done it again., May 30, 2000

By 

Nancy R. Katz "NancyK18" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Name Dropping (Hardcover)

As she did in her previous books, Jane Heller in her latest book, Name Dropping, provides her readers with a light and witty reading experience.

Nancy Stern, a divorcee living in New York, spends her days as a nursery school teacher at the prestigious Small Blessing school. She spends her nights with friends listening to them chart their romances or lack of romances and wonders if she'll ever meet Mr. Right among the play-doh.

Then out of the blue she begins receiving invitations to society eveneings, phone calls from strange men and even beautiful bouquets of flowers. As she wonders what's going on, the mystery is solved when she learns that the celebrity interviewer and writer, another Nancy Stern, has moved into her building. And then when a man calls asking for a blind date with the other Nancy Stern, nursery school teacher Nancy decides its time to seize the man and spice up her life. What ensues is a comedy of errors and intellignece which only a witty writer like Jane Heller can deliver to her readers.

This is a fun book, most likely meant to be read this summer on the beach. But remember when you laugh out loud, others around you may be wondering why.

Have fun with this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining light read, July 27, 2000

By 

HH (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Name Dropping (Hardcover)

Name Dropping begins with two women, both named Nancy Stern, living in the same building. One of the women interviews celebrities for a living and the other (our heroine) works at a preschool. When the preschool-teaching Nancy starts receiving invitations to parties with celebrities and phone calls from strange men wanting to sleep with her, she knows there's been a mix-up between the two Nancys. Annoyed, our Nancy accepts a blind date with a man who unintentionally called her while trying to reach the other Nancy. There's a murder and some missing jewels, and our Nancy has to try to sort everything out.

I really liked the characters in the book. Preschool-teacher Nancy was fun and believable, as was Bill (the blind date she fell for). Celebrity Nancy was easy to dislike. The kids at the preschool were entertaining as were the other teachers. I read the book quickly because I wanted to find out what happened to everyone.

While this was by no means a literary masterpiece, the writing style was enjoyable and easy to read. I felt like I could relate to the people and the surroundings even though I had never been in that particular situation. The plots and subplots kept the book moving and there wasn't much lag time between events.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy first-person, self-depracating novels about women who aren't gorgeous or important. I would also recommend it to people who like light mysteries without much horror or blood.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What's in a Name..., July 26, 2000

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Name Dropping (Hardcover)

Meet Nancy Stern, nursery school teacher with the girl next door looks and a nice studio apartment on the upper east side of New York City. Life is easy, steady and rather unexciting until one day roses arrive for her from someone she doesn't know; then fancy party invitations and interesting phone calls. As Nancy investigates these odd occurrences, she finds that another Nancy Stern has moved into the penthouse of her building. She's blond, rich, gorgeous and writes celebrity profiles for popular magazines. She's got the kind of life that nursery school Nancy wishes for. So when a nice sounding man calls nursery school Nancy for a blind date, thinking she's the other Nancy Stern, our girl goes for it pretending to be celebrity Nancy. So far, so good, until celebrity Nancy is found murdered in her apartment. Confusing? Not really. Jane Heller gives you a light, witty, well written mystery full of funny scenes and irreverent dialogue. The writing is wonderful, the characters, interesting and the story line, just lots of fun. Did the killer get the wrong Nancy? Hang in there to the very satisfying ending and find out. This is a great book to take along to the beach. Read and enjoy!