Customer Reviews

Tales of a Drama Queen

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Elle Medina is definitely a drama queen. Not only is she out of a job, money, and a place to live, her ex-fiance Louis wasted no time on his 5 day trip to Iowa; he met and married another woman! Elle is left with 5,000 dollars and needs to get her life back together!!

She moves into a trailer, "No, it's a trolley!" she exclaims. She tries her hand at undercover shopping (basically catching shoplifters) but loses her job when she decides to lecture them instead. Then she meets Joshua, who she will come to think is the love of her life. Is he really this wonderful, or too good to be true?

She also meets Merrick (actually, Louis, but she can't stand the name anymore) and this is where the Bridget Jones antics begin! The first time they meet she thinks she is making Cosmopolitans, but somehow adds brandy, the second meet (first date) condoms fly out of her purse and into his hands.(She was using them as water balloons to get back at her landlord's grandson) The third time they meet... well, you get the picture. Can this girl ever win?

This book had me going for two days. Elle Medina is the most wonderful anti-heroine! Humorous, excellent writing, and full of DRAMA! What more could a girl want?

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. Meet Elle Medina, a twenty-something year-old girl who has just been dumped by her fiancé and is left to pick up the pieces of her life. Not only did her fiancé dump her, but he actually married someone else while on a business trip to Iowa, mere weeks before their wedding!

"Tales of a Drama Queen" is written by Lee Nichols, and is one of the July Red Dress Ink books. This chick lit novel seems to be geared towards the younger, single gal, although I believe anyone can enjoy this story. Lately there have been so many chick lit books about married women and/or mothers. I can understand that chick lit is "growing up", but I'm glad that there are still authors penning younger, single-girl books.

At the beginning of the story, Elle has just moved in with her good friend Maya (who lives with her Perfect Boyfriend Brad) in Santa Barbara, CA. After the requisite few days lying around feeling sorry for herself and watching endless hours of TV, she makes a to-do list. She must: find an affordable car, find a decent job, find her own place, and get her head (and life) together. Add in a new boyfriend and she'd be thrilled. However, things just don't seem to go very well for Elle. She gets fired within a week at her new job; not long after moving into a tiny new place, gets evicted because of an unfortunate accident involving water-filled condoms; has a couple of embarrassing mishaps in front of the guy she'd like to date; and much more. It is one disaster after another for Elle. Will she ever be able to find something tangible and get her life together? Or is she destined to become a failure?

"Tales of a Drama Queen" is a fast-moving, well-written book that many women will be able to identify with. The main character Elle is one of those types that despite all her wrongdoings and mistakes, comes across as someone you'd want to know. Somehow she retains her aura of innocence even through all of the mayhem that ensues due to her mishaps. She is also a very real character that jumps off of the page with her vibrancy. I found myself unable to put this book down, because I had to keep reading to find out what would happen to Elle next!

The supporting characters in "Tales of a Drama Queen" were very well crafted and defined. Lee Nichols definitely has a great talent for characterization. This book is also very funny, so beware of reading it in public (unless you don't mind howling with laughter from time to time wherever you may be!)

As for the downfalls of "Tales of a Drama Queen", I really can't say I found anything worth mentioning. Unlike many chick lit books, this one wasn't predictable in the least. Some readers will undoubtedly be put off by Elle's many mistakes and flaws though. I definitely wasn't, however. I feel the book was true-to-life because whenever the character made a mistake, (intentional or not), disastrous results would usually follow, and isn't life like that usually? It is for me at least!

Lee Nichols is definitely a new voice in chick lit to take notice of. Make sure not to miss this book!

This book was just so enjoyable and so funny. There were laugh aloud moments and the main character was very endearing. Nichols is a very skilled chick-lit writer.
Expect to see a lot more of her.
Many books are compared to Bridget Jones. This is not quite as funny as Feilding but it gets pretty close at times.
If you want to read about a heroine whose life is more screwed up than yours then read this, it will lift your spirits.
Another book similar to this in style, content and theme is "Save Karyn". But "Save Karyn" is a true story. Check it out if you liked "Tales of a Drama Queen."

--in public!

You'll embarrass yourself by laughing out loud. This is the funniest chicklit book I've ever read. It sneaks up on you, you're reading along, having a nice time, and suddenly you burst out laughing.

This is nothing but pure pleasure. If you want a serious book, don't buy this! If you want angst and tragic romance, forget it. But if you want a silly, outrageous, incredibly funny romp, you MUST read this book! It's fast, it's funny, and it's fabulous.

"Tales of a Drama Queen" is easily the funniest, laugh out loud book I have read in a very long time.

When her fiance (Louis, a successful DC attorney) comes home from a business trip to Iowa of all places and announces that not only is the engagement off, but he has married someone else, Elle Medina does what any drama queen would do - toss scalding creme brule on him and flee to the left coast.

She moves into the apartment of her best bud from childhood, and quickly becomes the houseguest from hell. Elle has never finished anything nor has she ever been on her own. She has never worked, and has never had to worry about where her next meal will come from.

Drifting aimlessly (and hysterically clueless), she causes calamity at every turn. Her stints with temporary employment as well as living accommodations (it's a trolley not a trailer) add further nuances to this flawed character, as she makes one bad decision after another (with men particularly) on a path to self discovery and an independence she is not sure she wants.

Will Elle ever grow up and take on adult responsibilities? It is a joy for all of us to take a ride on the wild side to see what Elle will do and what havoc she will cause next.

This book was beyond hilarious. In the beginning I found myself not liking the main character and hoping that wasn't going to be the way she stayed thorughout the book. Slowly, though, I found myself loving this character. She slowly evolves through this very fast paced book.
I could not put this book down. The chapters are very short which I love because that is always my stopping point.
I very rarely laugh out loud while reading, but I found myself doing it often in this book and even going back and re-reading a portion just to laugh again. Especially the condom story with Merrick, the trolley toilet accident (with Merrick again) and her talking about her poor dog, Scab...oh wait, I mean Mui Mui. Get this book, you won't be dissapointed.

The basic synopsis of the story is this... Elle Medina is suddenly dumped by her fiancé, Louis after being together for six years. She then high tails it back to her home town of Santa Barbara, CA and immediately moves in with her best friend. Elle begins to make a list of what she must get .... a job, a car, a boyfriend, and a place to live, but she is having big problems. She has no money or useful job skills. What follows is a hilarious story of Elle finally growing up and finding out that money does not grow on trees and you have to work for what you want.


Tales of A Drama Queen has got to be one of the funniest chick lit books I have read and enjoyed in a long time. It has many laugh out load scenes so be careful where you read the book or you might just get odd looks.

I picked this book up at an airport, and read and read way after the flight landed. I embarrassed myself on the plane by laughing out loud. As an avid reader of chiclit, I was sure it would be another "good escapeist fluff" book, but was pleasantly suprised at how hilarious it was. Read it - you won't be sorry!!!

HILARIOUS!!!!

Elle Medina has never worked a day in her life and doesn't need to because her powerful, attorney fiance takes care of her just fine! At least until he breaks off the wedding. Elle is sent into an emotional tale-spin and is forced to find a J-O-B. Her delusions about work are fantastic! And her job choices, priceless!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

This is a very fast, light read. Great beach reading! It was one of those stories where I was laughing half the time, and frustrated with the main character half the time. The main character- Elle- she is completely clueless- she has no concept of money, keeping a job, and is sort of selfish. Elle gets into all sorts of man, friend and money trouble; one incident after the other. She was sort of like a train wreck; which is why I couldn't put the book down...