Side Dish [Paperback]

Kim Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

She's funny, she's attractive, she's lovable-and she doesn't know it. Meet Muriel, a.k.a. Mutt, a twenty-something wayward waitress with a college degree, who has resigned herself to low standards, simple pleasures, and erotic fantasies. Though seeming to get by on margaritas and old movies, in her heart of hearts, Mutt is actually searching for true love.

While Mutt chases the bars with her best friend Jeff, she is, in turn, chased by Diane, a former college classmate with a decidedly romantic agenda. When a rich, seductive Beverly Hill lawyer named Allison steals Mutt's heart, she is in trouble, and like the glamorous facade of Sunset Boulevard, things are not quite as they seem.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Are you trying to seduce me?" she whispers.

"I think so." I kiss her again. "Why don't we move to the back seat?"

She steps out of the car; I crawl over the seat. We face each other, not talking, just staring. She pulls off her shirt, never once removing her gaze from me. She grabs my arms and pulls me on top of her. I graze my lips along her jawline and whisper, "I don't actually believe this is happening."

She moans, holds me tight, and roughly kisses my neck. "How does this feel?" she asks.

"Wonderful."

We roll over. He hair falls across my face and chest; its softness makes me shudder. She yanks my jeans down to my hips, then wraps herself around me. I feel I am floating high above all those twinkling lights, high above the smog. We swirl together over the city until all the separate lights become one. Her hands and lips and fingers touch every part of me.............

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

I get into my Saab to go to work at Mexicali Joe's (home of the best margarits in Los Angeles) on one of those mornings when the brown-yellow smog of a million cars has already strangled any available bit of sunlight. I have yet to get up at 5 a.m. to breathe the ten minutes of clean air, but, hey, it could happen.

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Rising Tide Press (AZ); 1 edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883061180
• ISBN-13: 978-1883061180
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,592,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and Very Funny, December 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Side Dish (Paperback)

Muriel (Mutt) the narrator of this novel, is really quite lovable,in a sarcastic and caustic way. She can't see love when it's right in front of her, but instead runs after a fantasy obsession. Her ability to survive L.A. is what gives the book its kick with lots of funny descriptions of events and places and people. I really laughed! Good read!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, Very Funny, December 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Side Dish (Paperback)

I picked up this book because it looked funny - and everyone needs a laugh. I started it, and couldn't put it down! It's about a waitress in Los Angeles named Mutt (tells you something about her self-esteem) who is in love with the WRONG person. While the story is sweet and all about love, the best part is the one-liners about living in L.A. - Mutt's perceptions are right on. I laughed aloud so many times, my partner finally asked me what was going on. Great, fast read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Whoof...take a pass on this book., September 7, 2005

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This review is from: Side Dish (Paperback)

Yes, Mutt is allegedly beautiful, but her treatment of Diane is not so beautiful. I found it difficult to like Mutt, and she became more disagreeable as the book went on. A bit of a weak effort by the author, with little or no motivation on Mutt or Diane's part to explain their attractions to each other or to other people.

Somewhat lacking. I wanted to give it two stars, but for some reason, I couldn't change it from three to two when I revised this.