Customer Reviews

Talk of the Town

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Talk of the Town is a piece of fluff.....a delightful bit of fluff. Rebecca Covington has reigned as Gossip Queen in Chicago's Daily Mail. Along with the scoop she enjoys all the perks of her job, all the best party invites, tables at the best places and a sense that she is safe in her world. Safe until a blind item about a senator and his girlfriend/ not his wife gets her kicked out of her office with a view and sent down to Home and Food in the reporter's pool. Humiliated, Rebecca is determined to get her old job back, convinced that the paper's new owner is mixing business with pleasure. David Allen Sumner , the Mail's owner has his hands full.

Instead of fighting, Rebecca joins Kate down in Hand F and knocks out a food column, no matter she can't really cook, that's what her best friend Harry is for. Tweaking recipes and adding her own twist at the column's end, Rebecca is once again a hit. She can't completely enjoy her success because there is the matter of David Sumner. Rebecca's boss is not only watching her success, he is so darn attractive and so available and......Sherrill Bodine has whipped up a rambunctious romp through the newspaper and kitchen and this is a quick read, don't want to put down delight.

This a great romantic uplifting story with a enough curves and bumps to make you want to see what is coming next. The fact that it takes place in Chicago makes it all the more fun. I found myself having trouble putting it down during the day and forget about it at night, just had to fionish it!

Well this morning I read my first book by Sherrill Bodine and went and bought another on my kindle Talk of the Town. I was not disappointed by either book. I expect I will read more books from Sherrill.
Rebecca is a popular gossip colume when she is let go in order to hire a younger writer. She still had two years left on her contract. So she got moved to food colume. She does not cook. She was still throwing in gossip that got people laughing.
David the new owner of the paper who fired her is a widower who is not going to love again. Is attracted to her. David ends up asking her out saying business was seperate than personal. Finds it hard to keep things seperate.
Rebecca is funny, fiesty and stubborn. She was tossed over by her husband for younger model now her job for the same reason. She is not giving up.
I enjoyed reading this book and as someone who is middleage I want to slap guys too for always wanting younger.

STORY BRIEF:
For 15 years, Rebecca has been Chicago's gossip columnist for the Daily Mail newspaper. David the new owner has replaced her with twenty-something Shannon. Rebecca is now reassigned to write recipes for the Food Section. Rebecca can't cook, but with the help of her gay plastic surgeon friend Harry, she creates recipes with gossipy tidbits at the end of each one. She wants her old job back. David's the enemy. But when she meets him, sparks fly. She can't resist him.

David lost his wife Ellen to cancer five years earlier. He promised himself he would be true to Ellen and never love another woman. He's strongly attracted to Rebecca.

Shannon hates Rebecca and causes problems.

REVIEWER'S OPINION (WITH SPOILER HINTS):
The major conflicts were based on vague communication and inaccurate assumptions - a pet peeve of mine. When David traveled, Rebecca was hurt and jealous because she incorrectly assumed he was traveling with another woman. Later in the story, someone told David something based on an incorrect assumption. He believed it too easily which did not fit with his motivations and knowledge. When he confronted Rebecca, she should have asked him exactly what was said and clarified it with the truth. But she didn't. She let him believe something false, and they broke up.

Throughout the story, Rebecca was frequently putting on a false front to her friends and others, pretending to be happy and in control. I'm naturally drawn to a character being open and honest among friends, so this bothered me. But I had to admire her resilience, talents, and quick wit.

DATA:
Story length: 310 pages. Swearing language: mild, including religious words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 8. Setting: current day Chicago, IL. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary romance.

Talk of the Town by Sherrill Bodine

Rebecca Covington was well known for her gossip column in Chicago's Daily Mail newspaper. All seemed right in her world, designer clothes, the single life dating much younger men, and having the best job in the world. That is until someone else bought the newspaper and wanted to put a more "reality TV" type spin on it. She had been replaced by the younger girl, Shannon, and was given the choice to either except termination or work in the Home and Food department writing 2 recipes a week. Deciding that she would do whatever it took while trying to get her `real' job back, she was about to find out how much work this new position actually was.

David Sumner is now the new CEO and from the moment he laid eyes on Rebecca Covington he felt sparks shimmer between them. He has been mourning his late wife for years and fears that Rebecca is the one that can get him out of this funk. She is witty, bright, and dead sexy for someone in her mid forties. But he's her boss and has no business mixing in pleasure. David can't help his feelings... there is more to Rebecca than meets the eye.

Rebecca and Shannon are not the best of friends or even friends at all, it is a cut throat business being a journalist and Rebecca is going to have to work double hard to prove she's just as good as her younger competition. Rebecca has not had such an easy life, and when it seems that Shannon keeps leaking secrets or the public finds out more about her personal life that the readers will think differently about her, she remains her fabulous self and adding her own flair to the recipes. Her heart is on the line, and that is not something she'd give away to just anyone. But David Sumner is drop dead gorgeous... but soooo off limits! Or could he be the man that will hurt her so deeply that she has to let go of any fleeting thoughts of love?

Talk of the Town by Sherrill Bodine is a great read for the 35 and up crowd, it is fun, lively, and dramatic. For me, as a 25 year old I felt the book was written for the more sophisticated palate, for those women that have worked their butts off only to be replaced by someone younger. Sherrill Bodine portrays her character as a lady who knows what she wants and do whatever it takes to get what she deserves. Strong women, lies, and love... Talk of the Town, it's on a book shelf near you. 4 Hearts

Hachette Book Group
ISBN# 0446618588

Gossip Queen Rebecca Covington is the "gossip Queen Bee", she knows her stuff and is sitting pretty at the Daily Mail - until one faithful day - she is told by her quivering boss that she is being terminated. Rebecca cannot believe it!!! she spends some quality time in the washroom getting herself "together" and decides to accept the offer of a "lower" position at the paper - that of food columnist. The only problem is, Rebecca cannot really cook and she mainly lives on Diet Coke! Yet, she is determined to prove to all, especially her new CEO David Summer, that she will always be "the queen of gossip" and is due her rightful place at the head of THAT column.

With a wonderful sense of humour, this book takes us through Rebecca's trials and tribulations as she tries to prove to everybody that she still has "it". Of course, to add to the mix is the sexy potential pairing up of Rebecca and David who eventually meet face to face and feel an instant, if not annoying, physical attraction to each other. Will the new CEO follow his heart? or will he put his professional career ahead?

This novel is charming and what I truly enjoyed about it is the fact that the main character is ALWAYS nice. She is somewhat clueless for most of the book, but I love that even at her worse, she just picks herself up and keeps going - with a smile (albeit a fake one) on her face.

This book is funny, funny and the speed of the narrative is non-stop - not too many dull moments here. The storyline was a tad predictable, but that's part of the fun of these romantic comedies.

I would qualify this book more of a romantic comedy and less of a chick lit book - but if you are looking for an uplifting read, this is a good bet.

I really enjoyed it.

I was thrilled to find a romance with lead characters over 40. Unfortunately, this book is just not very good. It is poorly written, a little on the boring side, and has a heroine with whom it is difficult to connect. I question whether all of the four- and five-star reviews are really from readers...

There are not many romances out there where the main couple are both past the age of forty. With the majority of the romances I have read, the hero and heroine are usually anywhere from their mid-twenties to late thirties, with the exception of a few books where the hero is in his early forties. Usually the main female character is much younger than the hero by five to ten years, especially if he is around the big 4-0.

It was quite refreshing to read Sherrill Bodine's new book, Talk of the Town, with the heroine not in her thirties, but forty-five years old! And the man she falls for is almost fifty. Sherrill shows that age is indeed just a number, and when it comes to passion and love, a man and woman can have great romance and sex as they enter the second half of their lives. So what if one of the characters has grown children and a grandchild on the way? Maybe it helps that the male protagonist, David Sumner, is a Pierce Brosnan look-alike.

Rebecca Covington is the star columnist of Chicago's newspaper, the Daily Mail. For the past fifteen years, Rebecca has been the paper's gossip queen, and is respected and looked upon fondly. Her column, "Rebecca Covington's World", is loved by all of Chicago. Her life couldn't be better even though her forty-fifth birthday is right around the corner. Rebecca keeps that bit of information about her age to herself because she looks more like a woman ten years younger. Rebecca makes a small mistake in her column and runs a blind item about a married politician cheating on his wife. Because Rebecca didn't have her facts straight, she will be demoted, and her gossip column will be taken away from her. David Sumner, the new owner of the paper, wants a new columnist who is younger, sassier and sexier. This is quite a slap in the face to Rebecca, and she is ready to storm off to the competition, when the managing editor offers her a very different type of writing position.

Rebecca's new job is working for the Home and Food Section where she will write a twice-weekly recipe column for the section. Rebecca is deflated but takes the position. And since Rebecca has worked so hard to get where she is, she will add a bit of flair to her new column, which will catch the eye of David.

Harry, who is Rebecca's gay best friend, and likes to compare himself to Rupert Everett from My Best Friend's Wedding, work together as a team to come up with the wonderful recipes. See, Rebecca can't cook at all and if she didn't have Harry to help her, she would be up a creek without a paddle. Soon, their dishes, along with her witty comments make the Home and Food section a success. And when David and Rebecca finally meet, they are both in for a surprise because neither is what the other one expects.

David is a widower who deeply loved his wife. He promised himself he would never love like that again. But when he meets Rebecca, he is intrigued. He would love to get to know the woman behind the writing. Rebecca doesn't mind stringing David along, and if she keeps him happy, perhaps she can get her old column back. Not only do these two find themselves enjoying each other's company, but their relationship changes from a working one, to that of friendship and finally of lovers. Rebecca is soon falling for David, but she can't decide how truthful she should be with him. She can't really cook, and lately she is not sure which way her life is headed. Also, she accepts an offer from another competitor that may ruin any hope of a future with David.

I absolutely loved Talk of the Town. Sherrill Bodine has written an engaging read that made me smile as I turned every page. When you are first introduced to Rebecca, you may think she is a bit of a spoiled Prima Donna, but your opinion quickly changes when you see how loyal she is to her friends and readers. Rebecca may care about having the best clothes money can by, as well as making sure to remain in the spotlight, but she doesn't let all that go to her head. She is one smart cookie who can sell herself and overcome most problems. She is self assured and proud and that is all the things that attracts David to her. David is simply, "the cat's pajamas". He is handsome, and shall I say dreamy? But even though he has these looks, he is also a great person. He is generous and wants the best for his employees and friends, much like Rebecca wants. When Rebecca enters his life, she is a whirlwind of energy and optimism that makes him happy. Plus, these two are so very compatible when it comes to sex. David and Rebecca steam up the sheets. Sherrill Bodine is quite a pro at writing these scenes.

Talk of the Town hits so many high marks for me. I really couldn't find any fault with this book and it is one contemporary romance that should tickle your fancy. I was tickled all the way till the last page.

Katiebabs

This book is so today. Older professional people are frequently faced with being replaced by a younger person. Rebecca Covington is an overcomer and not only finds success in a challenge but also finds love in the mean time. I greatly enjoyed this book because it hit close to home.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! I could not put it down..I am 26 and thoroughly enjoyed it..I want more of Sherrill Bodine's books but there are no more right now and tis truly saddens me. I am now addicted to this author! Once you Pick this book up, it will be very hard to put it down. Do not listen to the negative reviews on this book!