Diary of a Working Girl

by Daniella Brodsky

A struggling freelance writer desperate to sell an article to pay her rent, Lane Silverman makes a successful pitch to Cosmopolitan on how to find true love in the workplace, and now all she has to do is to meet a successful eligible man who will find her irresistible--in the next two months. Original. 40,000 first printing.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Humor, Contemporary Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2004

About the author

Daniella Brodsky is the bestselling author of dozens of contemporary romance novels--one of which has been adapted by Disney as the film, Beauty & The Briefcase, starring Hilary Duff (I know, right?!).

She writes sexy, sweet, intelligent romance that often takes readers into far-off destinations. This is because she’s lived all over the world, from New York to London to Sydney and Honolulu. She lives in Australia, and lots of her alpha males are Australian because let’s face it: they’re hot. And the accent doesn’t hurt either. That’s why she married one.

Daniella is an adjunct Creative Writing Lecturer at James Cook University and edits and teaches fiction craft at her Captain Cook Studio. A native New Yorker, she lives in Canberra, Australia, where she is writing her next contemporary romance novel in the FLAME SERIES: INSANELY HOT, THEN NOT, which launches in April and features a particularly epic bad boy billionaire come good.

Do you sometimes like to have a break from your book boyfriends and keep yourself up all night with a heart-pounding twisty psychological thriller full of “oh no you didn’t!” moments? Check out her pen name: Dan Noble

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book...all the way until the "bonus" chapter at the end, that takes place 8 months later. Then I wanted to throw my book across the room and stomp on it. The only other time I was this angry about entertainment, was the stupendously awful ending of the show "Lost". That was a whole lot of wasted life I can never get back...sorry, I digress. If you read until the ending where everyone is in love and happy, STOP! Go no further, and you will have had a an enjoyable, uplifting experience. I subtracted one star for being subjected to that god-awful attempt to improve upon a book that needed no improving (aka: the "bonus" at the end).

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah it was a little predictable- which is a pet hate of mine when it comes to a good book, but the story that led up to the ending was good enough for me to look past the predictability and enjoy it.

Loved the book. Loved the movie (which was made in 2010 titled Beauty and the briefcase with Hilary Duff). And I loved the writing.

Good book, very funny and cute and I LOL'd my way through it.

Recommend to girls who are fans of chick lit. :)

[Victoria Dini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Никогда не знаешь, какая книжечка тебя вдруг возьмет и за руку выведет из читательского тупика, когда ты бросаешь уже десятую за месяц, не дочитав. А вот! (эту я начала еще до Капоте).

Классический любовный роман, который для меня прежде всего не про любовные романы, а про райтинг, работу. Журналистка там героиня. И так точно и честно - про минусы фриланса, про одиночество, про уныние без заказов, как будто ты отменяешься сразу вся.
Но и вдруг - про ее упорство! Про настойчивость с утра садиться и делать, не имея гарантий! Бодрит это читать.

Ну и вообще как-то такая хорошая это книжка. Простая хорошая книжка, нормализующая реальность. Ключ всегда в контакте с реальностью, о да.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this book was just awful. It start off bad, I pushed myself to keep reading in hopes that it would get better, but it only got worse. The book was flat, predictable, and kind of all over the place. It just didn't seem to flow very well. I hated the last chapter where the main character was talking to the audience. I hate when authors do that. I really didn't enjoy this book and I doubt I'd pick up another book by this author ever again.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow start. Had a hard time getting into it at the beginning. Halfway through the book was more interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I saw the movie first and sort of knew what was going to happen, but once again the book is not like the movie and is better. I had to see the movie because I am a huge Hilary Duff fan!!!

[Necole Moreau · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, first this book took me forever to read. It just kept going on and on and on. The idea for the book was awesome, but the author just took forever to tell it. Then, after it all seems to work out and I am happy with the ending, there is an added ending that is so cruel to the people that finished this book. I can't believe the author would leave her readers that way. Not a fan at all.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't bring myself to finish this book....didn't care for the writing style, characters, content......didn't really care for any of it

[Prerit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly predictable book ... The "Bonus Chapter" ruined it.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t make it past the first chapter.

[Lissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one - a fun, light read that was perfect for the beach. Funny and fun.

[Frank Roberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my kind of book!

When I read what this book was about, I thought that it sounded interesting. However, I I was never able to get into it.

[Lisa Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different genre for me. It was fun, lighthearted, and easy to read.

[Amanda Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, but kind of predictable.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

""

[Merredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally, i love chicklit. its supposed to be stupid, in an entertaining sort of way. this one just went over the line and is stupid in a stupid kind of way. this woman is more boy crazy than a stereotypical teenager! all she wants is this perfect, romantic man. she is lucky enough to be a work from home freelance writer, but decides that in order to find her perfect man, and jumpstart her career, she will get a real office job and meet a guy there, because that's where all the guys are, and publish it as an article. randomly, she gets this great job on her first try, despite having no experience, which would never happen. and for some reason, there are a billion cute guys working at her company, and she can't even go downstairs for coffee without collecting a pocketful of numbers. the guys treat her like some weird species theyve never seen before, instead of a coworker. its like the show mad men, only its modern times, so there's no excuse. the main character Lane is quite unlikeable. i found myself skimming most of the book, and the only reason i read it was because the idea of leaving a work from home writing job to go work in a cubicle was so weird (coming from someone who would LOVE to work at home and instead is stuck in a cubicle). I ended up skimming the last couple chapters cuz i was so done with this woman and this book, and it was so predictable, i knew what the ending would be anyway. its not the best specimen of chicklit out there, by a long shot.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow start...Much like "The Other Boleyn Girl," the main character is self-absorbed, making her difficult to respect and appreciate. I will admit that the final "true love" interest was predictable, though how it got there was not altogether so. I will also admit that after she finally made the career change for love/her story, the book's pace picked up and was an easy and consuming read. Not poorly written, but the story was not impressive.

[Kourtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one! It is a cute, quick read but be warned - you have to be in a good mood to read this or otherwise Lane's personality can grate on your nerves. I found myself in a bad mood when reading this and I wanted to throw the book across the room. Naive? Yes. Fun to read (when in a good mood)? Yes! Definitely a "beach read."

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this after watching the film adaptation, Beauty and the Briefcase, which I actually enjoyed more than the book. Unfortunately, in this book about a writer, I did not enjoy the writing style of either. It seems to try too hard to be too cute and girly, and the run-on sentences become confusing and tedious.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, lighthearted. They added an extra chapter that leads you to believe there will be a sequel. I like how the message was: Don't believe what you read in romance books or watch in romantic movies. Real love is great but not 'perfect'. The main character is so wrapped up in herself and her own little world, but you can't help but think she is cute.

[Barbara Lunsford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diary of a working girl

I am sorry but, this is the worst book I have ever finished reading. The author must have been drinking or on something as it was so rambling I had a hard time keeping up with the characters. The ending was a complete joke. I will not be reading anything from this author in the future.

[Aunt T · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is light, funny and predictable until the bonus chapter. It would have been better if left out completely because it changed the tone of the book and ends abruptly. I thought I missed something or there was a second book because it ends with an about face of one of the main characters which causes a huge issue and left unresolved.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a beach read. It's a cute story of a free-lance writer that comes up with a pitch to a mag that she'll get a true blue job and then write about her experience.
All in all, she's in love with love. Or the idea of love.

[Olly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sudah lama banget ga baca chicklit, jadi baca lagi rasanya fresh. Seperti biasa, gaya bercerita chicklit satu ini lincah ceria dan menarik. Bagi yang terbiasa baca romance pasti gak suka genre ini karena bukan tipe lovey dovey nan romantis gitu.
Tapi gak nyesel deh bacanya.

[Tricia Loveridge]

Well, this was a cute book, easy to read...very much "confessions of a shopaholic"....actually reminded me to much of shopaholic...almost copy-cat-ish. Though I half enjoyed it and had no problem getting through it I would only recomend it to anyone who hasn't read the "shopaholic" series...

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watched the movie first and loved it, and then i was like hey i should read the book because books are usually always better, so i read it and i liked it up until that horrid bonus chapter..it makes no sense, i don't even know why its there....

[Thais]

Its a book about a girl who finally gets an article accepted. Her article is on getting a corporate job to find romance.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as good as Shopahoic....

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any girl that has worked at 388 Greenwich should definitely read.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite boring after page 30 ...

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot believe I read this whole stupid book - so bad...