Review: "Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City" by Holly Denham

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is the sequel to the huge hit Holly's Inbox. Just when Holly Denham thinks that life couldn't be more perfect- she's in line for a big promotion at work, she's living with her boyfriend, Toby, and her friends and family are managing to keep out of trouble for the most part- things start falling apart. The witch at work is out to get her, her boyfriend is acting strangely and working long hours, and her new job proves to be more difficult than she thought it would be. Holly has to decide if she's willing to fight for everything that she's worked so hard for, or if it's just not worth fighting for anymore.

Written entirely in e-mail format, Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is a fast and fun read. The supporting characters are quirky and lovable (with special mention going to Holly's grandma, who is as spunky as ever), the situations that Holly gets herself into are hilarious (she hides in a closet determined to spy on her boyfriend, and it ends differently than she planned) and Holly herself is a woman that you can't help but cheer for. Making the whole thing even more fun is the fact that the Holly's Inbox books are actually written by a man, Bill Surie. I find myself fascinated by the fact that a man can write chick lit this well.

I do recommend that you read Holly's Inbox before reading Scandal in the City. The characters, most of whom we meet in the first book, are not re-introduced this time around, so it helps to have a bit of background ahead of time.

Don't be scared off by the fact that this book is over 500 pages. I started this one in the morning, and had it finished that night. The e-mail format makes for a quick read, not to mention that I was unable to tear myself away from the addictive storyline for any significant length of time. Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City will make the perfect addition to your beach bag this summer.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of chick lit
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge

Thank-you to April at Sourcebooks, who sent me this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.