Customer Reviews

Pick Me Up

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book after seeing Zoe Rice's MySpace page and the quote from Sophie Kinsella (my favorite author), and I'm so glad I did! Literally, I couldn't put the book down and read it nearly from start to finish in one day. Since there aren't other reviews yet, I'll do plot first: Izzy Duncan's about to get a huge promotion at the Emerson Bond Gallery, where she's the director, but starting from the first chapter, everything goes wrong. First Emerson Bond dies, then Izzy accidentally offends her next star artist, and then her love life turns to disarray. Things start to look up when Izzy finds out her boss just might be her dream man, but then she discovers that the new boss (Avery) *and* her new artist might have some hidden secrets that could change everything. At the same time, her best guy friend, Jamie, writes a newspaper column about pick up lines, and suddenly all of New York is spouting out hilarious, cheesy pick up lines and coupling right and left. Every chapter starts with a pick up line, and some of them are groaners, but the really fun kind.

PICK ME UP has great characters and dialogue, which made it feel like a clever as well as funny read. I enjoyed how Izzy was sweet, but also fiesty--she'll stand up for herself. And the love story was so, so engaging without being too sappy. Now that I know the ending, I've got to read the novel again and see if I missed some revealing clues! I couldn't wait to get to the end so I could find out what the characters' mysterious secrets were. And it's a totally satisfying reveal! I love that. Also, I appreciated how Izzy is a smart, accomplished career woman who loves her job. Too many chick-lit books have the same old "hate my job, bitter, bitter" heroine, but Izzy's at once smart, warm, and a joy to read.

Please write more books Zoe Rice!

I really enjoyed reading Zoe Rice's first book.
Along with Isabel "Izzy" Duncan, I was crushing on Grady. Who couldn't fall for a manly artist type guy? If you're an art lover and a chick lit fan, this is a book you'd truly like to read because it combines the two to make one fab story!

I heard about "Pick Me Up" on Zoe Rice's Myspace page and was immediately interested in the book after reading the rave reviews by Sophie Kinsella(one of my favorite chick lit. authors).

The book is highly engaging and you can connect easily to the characters. The book is definitely a page turner. It's funny and clever and you learn to love and hate certain characters through out the story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves the chick lit. genre, or anyone that wants a fun summer read.

For a first novel this was superb, and I look forward to reading more books by Zoe Rice in the near future.

Pick it up! I couldn't put it down from the moment I did. Izzy and the other characters are wonderfully realized; I really cared what happened to them. And I laughed out loud too many times to count.

I really enjoyed this book. I am an avid reader. My sister says I am out of control. I love a good Chick Lit book packed with dysfunction and humor.. This book had it. I am a huge Sophie Kinsella fan and since she said it is clever and witty I thought I would give it a go. I couldn't put it down. You can grab onto the characters. I enjoy books that make it easy to attach yourself to the characters. This book has many enjoyable characters. So, stop reading these comments and BUY the book and start reading...

I picked up this book as a leisure read on flights. From Sophie K's 'endorsement' on the front page I was expecting it to be along the same line as the Shopaholic series - and that's what it turns out to be. Light, enjoyable read with witty dialogues here and there! In fact, I prefer this novel over the Shopaholic series as the main character seems a lot more down-to-earth and personable. (Becky in Shopaholic can get a little too colorful sometimes). This novel stands out from the other chick-lit I've came across the bargain shelf - not overly sexual (there are a few romantic scenes, yet its all PG rated), interesting dynamics among characters, and a sane main character that most young women can relate to.

This chick-lit is great if you need a fun, light-hearted book for vacation on the beach or for your daily commute.

Pick Me Up by: Zoë Rice
Book Review
August 13th 2008

With chapters named for bad pick-up lines, I knew after skimming through this book at the library, I had to give Zoë Rice a try. Pick Me Up was in the romance section, so I was a little hesitant. But my mind was quickly put to ease as a laughed out loud the first afternoon I picked it up, and had a hard time putting it back down.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

Sex and the City let the rest of the world in on a little secret... being a confident, hard-working, harder playing socialite with tons of friends and tons of money is AWESOME! Given the right set of circumstances, and the right set of gene's that would transform me into Sarah Jessica Parker, I would make an awesome socialite. Just not the Sex and the City variety.

Would you like a raisin? How `bout a date?

Instead, I dream of being Izzy from Rice's "Pick Me Up." She's a more practical character. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. She's real.

If I told you that you had a great body, would you hold it against me?

Real friends that any woman would fantasize about. A wonderful best friend who just happens to be one of New York's best celebrity "handler". A funny and awkward newspaper journalist who writes a relationship advise column so popular it transforms his status in life overnight. A, somewhat cartoon-ish and over-the-top gay boss. I guess since the book rotates around the art world, Rice felt obligated to stay a little stereotypical when it came to the "fill-in" characters surrounding her gallery.

You look like a masterpiece - so how "bout I be the master and you give me a piece?

The dream job! Art director for a smaller gallery where she has a good amount of leg-room to go about business as she sees fit. That is until....

Would you like gin and platonic or do you prefer Scotch and sofa?

Nope. I won't ruin it. It's a pivotal part of the novel. But, whatever does happen that I'm not spoiling, causes two new men to come crashing into Izzy's life. One, a laid back, rude, full of himself artist who immediately bumps heads with and constantly teases our hero. The other, a man who in the embodiment of everything Izzy thinks she wants in a man.

May I have this dance ... horizontally?

The characters dance their way though life, each learning a little bit about each other and a lot about themselves. Pick Me Up isn't a coming of age novel - per say - but there is definitely some growing up done as the chapters progress.

If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.

Never boring and frequently laughable, Izzy's life spirals up then down then up - you get my drift. Zoë Rice is an artist of discription, a master of sarcasm, and a new addition to my "must read" list of authors.

You look like you've heard every line in the book. So what's one more?

I love this book. It reminds me a lot of the movie 27 dresses. I love the chemistry between them - it's young and fun. I love Grady - he teases Izzy or tries to make her laugh. And how they met. It's a giggle out loud moment. Off I go to reread it!

This is the story of Izzy, the director at an Upper East Side art gallery in New York. Izzy's life is thrown into upheaval when the gallery's owner dies and she gets a new boss, Avery Devon, along with a new major artist, Grady Cole.

Things get off to a bad start between Izzy and Grady when she yells at him on the subway, not knowing who he is, for something he hasn't done. Avery, on the other hand, appeals to Izzy immediately. However, Avery and Grady both have a secret, and no one's telling Izzy.

The Avery-Grady-Izzy love triangle didn't really work for me because it was obvious from the beginning which of the guys was a "bad guy" and which one she was going to end up with. One of the guys is well-characterized, while the other is more of a two-dimensional villain. Nevertheless, the secret helps drive the plot, especially toward the end. It was also a little densely written and detail-heavy, but nonetheless enjoyable.

After a stressful spring, I loved curling up with this great book. "Pick Me Up" is chick lit at its very best--it's smart, hilarious and an absolute page turner. I fell in love with the main character as soon as we learn that she carries around a pair of flip flops in her bag in case she can't last the night in high heels. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends!