In a seemingly flawless macrocosm of pretty good reads, Sapien bookcases vertically riddled with cutesy tomes from interns who gab too much or stay-at-homes who discover their latent editrix by a steady diet of watching fashion TV. What's a stylish girl to do when she wants a little chic in her chicklit, some irony, a sporadic giggle, and a really fun romp to read while not-so-patiently waiting for her flight to finally take off?

She fills in the blanks...

So here we have a novel (Face Value) with a fairy tale premise (how to make a splash in the glamour biz without really having a clue) by a seasoned U.K. journalist (beauty director at Tatler) who is unerringly witty (her blog and newsletter are highly addictive), a real beauty (former model who starred in the Pantene shampoo tv-commercials), and with brains (degree in Law at Sussex University).

... for a very special ah-hum moment.

Face Value by Kathleen Baird-Murray is a devilishly divine novel about a small town British girl who stumbles into the world of big time beauty as the new editor of a major American fashion magazine. Whooshed in, clueless and out of place, with a bad haircut and crummy wardrobe to boot, the book's heroine Kate Miller finds herself to be the twinkle in a celebrity L.A. plastic surgeon's eye who fancies her to be the "imperfect perfect" of his desire, all the while she is pursuing him for a plastic surgery story and then some.

There you have it. A delish tale that you will want to read cover to cover and may not even mind that you are still grounded on that poorly ventilated plane for an extra hour. Buy now, take with, and read on. Or cozy up on your comfy couch for a little beauty-lit-cation... just read Face Value. And, don't forget to shape your brows!

--December 19, 2008

Buy at Amazon:
Face Value by Kathleen Baird-Murray