Review: "My Own Personal Soap Opera" by Libby Malin

Frankie McNally is the head writer for the soap opera Lust for Life, whose ratings have seen better days. It doesn't help that Frankie's own life resembles a soap opera- she's forced to work with Victor Pendergrast, the nephew of the soap's sponsor, against her will, their lead actor has broken his leg and is holed up in Frankie's apartment, and her secretary is more often away from her desk than at it. Add to this the fact that someone is copying one of the show's storylines and acting it out in real life, and her cheating ex-husband has just written a bestselling book- and she's in it!- and Frankie doesn't know what's more complicated- the soap or her personal life. It's up to Frankie to sort everything (and everyone) out; that is if she can stop long enough to listen to what her heart's been trying to tell her all along.

My Own Personal Soap Opera is a light-hearted romp through the life of a talented soap-opera writer. It offers some fun insight into what goes on both behind the cameras and when the cameras aren't rolling. Frankie, the book's main character, was well-developed. As a reader I really had a sense of her own personal dilemmas, and cheered her on as she figured out what she wanted from life. Frankie's quirky personality also paved the way for a few really funny scenes which had me laughing out loud.

Frankie wasn't the only great character- Victor (the sponsor's nephew) was charming as an older man who truly has the best interests of his aging aunt in mind. I loved Kayla, Frankie's often absent secretary as she added a lot of spark to the plot as well.

You don't have to be a fan of soap operas to enjoy My Own Personal Soap Opera (I'm not!). Libby Malin has created a warm and funny story about a woman who just doesn't have it all figured out yet that will appeal to a large audience, especially to those who enjoy women's fiction.

Thank-you to Danielle at Sourcebooks for this review copy. Check back tomorrow, as Libby Malin will be guest posting and I will be giving away two copies of this book!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Women's fiction lovers, those who enjoy soap operas and light fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge