Customer Reviews

Phi Beta Bimbo

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

 

 

Sociology graduate student Leah Smith decides to conduct a comparative analysis research study for her doctorate; her subject is to compare a bimbo to a nerd in the work place. To obtain data, Leah accepts two interviews under different names for employment at Just Peachy, her brother's cosmetics firm.

For one appointment she arrives dressed and acting like a "classic" bimbo; for the other she behaves as a nerd. Her sibling Steve hired security specialist Mark Colson to determine who in his successful company is selling secrets to competitors. Mark notices that the bimbo and the nerd are the same person. Leah is his prime suspect for why else would she pretend to be two other people besides herself.

The anecdotal approach seems lacking in terms of statistics, but not in terms of a wacky wonderful contemporary romance. The story line is fun as Leah as the student, the bimbo, and the nerd drives Mark to distraction. Though he suspects she is the culprit, he also finds he loves her in her two distinctive poses, but mostly for her energetic self. Adding to the insanity is that Steve to succeed in a female world comes up with Stephanie as his alter ego. PHI BETA BIMBO is a cross dressing laugh out loud romp.

Harriet Klausner

I am a longtime Trish Jensen fan, but wow, this book
is the best yet. What a unique premise for a book!
What a title! What great humor! Can't wait to see
what Trish does next.

Leah Smith, who has just received her doctorate in Sociology wants to put her education and her theories to the test so she decides to see who would get the job at her brother Steve's cosmetic company, Just Peachy, a busty blond bimbo or a flat chested, smart as a whip, plain Jane. She applies for a job as the company receptionist as both stacked and flashy Candi Deveraus and as Leah Smith, plain and overqualified. And guess what, they both get the job on a trial basis.

But Leah isn't the only one at Just Peachy who is sometimes one person and sometimes another. Her brother Steve has a financial backer who insists that a cosmetic company must be run by a woman, so Steve invented a twin sister for himself. So sometimes he is the head honcho, or rather honchette, named Stephanie and at other times he plays himself as the financial advisor. Once Steve earns enough money to buy out the backer he plans to throw away Stephanie's high heels forever.

To further complicate Steve's live a competing company, Apple Blossom Cosmetics, has launched a number of new products that bear suspicious resemblances to his own products. Kate Bloom the CEO of Apple Blossom denies it, but Steve isn't buying it, even if he is attracted to her. So he hires an ex-FBI agent turned security consultant named Mark Colson to investigate. Mark notices right off the bat that Leah has two different identities, and she becomes his number one suspect, despite the fact that he is strongly attracted to her.

Leah, who only wanted to further her sociological studies, finds herself attracted to Mark as well and winds up acting as bait to catch the spy. Mark is as stubborn as any man alive, maybe even a little over the top, plus there is a whole lot of other stuff going on in this outrageously funny novel that I don't have room to mention here, but if anybody can juggle two different identities, an ex-FBI man and keep everything straight it's definitely a Phi Beta Bimbo.

...I could say all kinds of things about how funny and talented a writer Trish is. They would all be true, as her fans would attest. Bottom line, though, what makes Trish the BTO of romantic fiction is the fact that she's a northern woman who writes just like a Southern one. And that's just pure greatness, anyway you want to slice it!

I picked up this book after reading "Legally Blonde," thinking it would be a book about the unfairness of the sorority bimbo stereotype (well, I'm hopeful, I was a sorority girl back in college). This book doesn't even have anything to do with sororities, so the title is a real misnomer. The way the cosmetic companies were run was so ill-researched-- that was what really did it for me. I got about 1/3 of the way through before the grammatical errors and the implausibility of the entire book got on my nerves so bad that I threw this book across the room and said, "this book is awful!" and quit reading.

OK, I'm being a bit harsh, this is somebody's blood, sweat, and tears. But, seriously, I was dissappointed in this book. I wonder if the publisher even had a proof editor read this book before publishing. Somebody off the street can't just walk into the corporate headquarters of a multi-million-dollar company, especially into the place where confidential files are kept, like the ingredients and formula to the cosmetics. When that happened, that's when I threw this book across the room. There's sign-ins, check-ins, certain areas of companies that are restricted to employees only, electronic badges that unlock doors, and to work in the headquarters of such an office would probably require an extensive security and background check on the social security number-- how would Leah get two separate ones for herself and Candi-with-an-I? And that's super-illegal, too, but then again, big bro Steve could probably pull a few strings. But, then again, I'm basing my observations on the way that all my companies I've ever worked for operate.

There was also the idea that a wig and a bra could fool the guy you're dating. Uh, what about the color of your eyes? Your face shape? Her smell? I mean, come on, does Leah really think Mark's that stupid? IS Mark that stupid? Is Mark only looking at her hair color and her boobs? What does that say about what Leah thinks about men?

I thought the first scene between Mark and Candi was funny, but it seemed to be all down-hill from there. I don't quite get why all these people are talking about how funny this book is in their reviews. I would NOT recommend this book.

Did someone NOT read this book before it was published? Ok so they do not want to read the entire manuscript because it SUCKED!!!! but at least up to page 206 where the biggest literature faux pau took place. Come on..........

To prove that when men assess women their top criteria is her sex appeal, Leah Smith conducts an experiment, donning a bimbo-esque disguise to interview for a job in her brother's company then interviewing as herself. Making it more interesting is wager she and Steve make on the outcome. Steve's security expert picks up on the fact that both Candi- with an i and Leah are the same person immediately, especially when Candi's disguise- deflates. However, not letting on that he knows, Mark tries to date both versions of her to see if she is the mole in Steve's cosmetic company. Mark does not realize, though, that Leah is merely carrying on a family tradition of going incognito; for corporate purposes, her macho brother is also his own twin sister.

**** If you resolved to exercise this year, laughter is a great exercise, so pick up this book- and you can read and exercise at the same time by giggling. This story works on two levels, basic laugh out loud humor and sharp satire that appeals to the intelligence as well. ****

Phi Beta Bimbo by Trish Jensen is very hard to explain. It was very funny with everyone pretending to someone else. It had two fun exciting romances with a nice mix of mystery. Off to read more by this author....

After a dearth of writer Trish Jensen - no book since her Stuck With You, September 2001 for Dorchester Publishing - I am treated to two great Jensen efforts in one week! Without A Clue (Harlequin's Flipside) and now Phi Beta Bimbo from Dorchester. It's great to see this very talented, funny writer back in print.

This time Jensen asks the question - on the minds of women every where - who fares better in the workplace: the brassy bimbo or the plain Jane? Checking out if blondes really have more fun, Leah Smith decides for her doctoral dissertation for sociology to find out the bottom line. Trading in her mousy persona, drab brown hair and less than ample cleavage, she makes herself over into a bleached blonde, with a 'gravity-defying' chest. With mile-high spiked-heels and a miracle bra she takes on the question with 'hands on' determination. She hires on at Peachy Cosmetics with both personalities so she can get a real view of which one does best in the world of business. However, she doesn't realise Peachy Cosmetics is upset about recent leaks in formulae of their new cosmetics and has hired an security expert to plug those leaks.

Mark Colson is the security expert who has been hired to ferret out evil-doers of corporate espionage and the newest employee of Peachy Cosmetics is his number one suspect. He quickly spots she is posing as two completely different women. Ditsy blonde or more academic brunette. He feels it will be a matter of time before he catches her red-handed. But in order to catch Leah, he will have to trade secrets...

Jensen is so witty, charming and delightful, this book shines with her marvellous talent. It's great to have her back. Linda Howard was out of writing for a long spell at one point in her career and she came back to shoot to the top of her profession. I have a feeling Jensen will do the same!

Trish Jensen wrote a very funny book about a woman so unsure of her own attractiveness that she goes out of her way to prove herself right. Needless to say after several very hilarious situations, she's proven wrong by the love of a good man. The book made for great light reading while being curled up on the couch late at night.

The one thing that I found extremely distracting were the bloopers in the book. Where was the editor/proofreader before the book was published? Why was the person asleep at the 'wheel'? Twice in the book instead of naming the character Steve they changed his name to Mark, once for over a page! It definitely broke up the flow of what should have been a great scene. Too many books lately, in my estimation, are guilty of doing the same thing. Do publishing firms depend on computers to do their editing? If they are, someone needs to do a little reprogramming in order to catch more of this type of bad proofing.