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Be Careful What You Wish For

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When Nina Morey gets her perfectly pedicured toe on the first rung of the highly-competitive magazine publishing ladder, she can't believe her luck. Then she lands the hottest man in town and her best friend relocates from the other side of the world to help her paint the town neon pink. Nina's life has suddenly turned from dull to dream come true, securing dream job after dream job, while schmoozing her way around Sydney's hottest spots. What could possibly go wrong? Strap on your highest heels for a fast-paced peek inside the glossy world of the Australian magazine industry.

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

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87 people want to read

About the author

Gemma Crisp

2 books5 followers
Gemma Crisp developed her love of books and magazines while growing up on a sheep farm in the prehistoric days before the internet. After her first magazine internship, Gemma moved to Sydney and has spent the last 12 years working for some of Australia's glossiest magazines, including New Woman, Girlfriend, OK!, Cosmopolitan Bride, NW, DOLLY and CLEO and is currently the associate editor of Stylist in the UK.

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5 stars
32 (13%)
4 stars
50 (21%)
3 stars
79 (34%)
2 stars
50 (21%)
1 star
18 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
27 reviews
July 19, 2015
The disappointing thing about Be Careful What You Wish For is that you can see how good it could've been. Initially I thought my dislike of this novel might have stemmed from it not being like I expected - the blurb suggests we're in for something not entirely unlike The Devil Wears Prada but the reality is that they're not really similar at all - but even once I cast aside my preconceptions it still proved to be a weak novel.

A lot of my frustration comes from what parts of the narrative Crisp chooses to gloss over and what she wastes a ridiculous amount of time over. For [a very vaguely spoilered] example, at one point she spent page-upon-page building up how Nina was looking forward to a new job as she was going to bring so much to the position and make this particular magazine into something fantastic. This plan seems to be derailed when Nina meets her new boss, who we know from the outset will be difficult to work with. You might think 'Oooh exciting! I can't wait to watch all this drama unfold!' but instead the chapter ends, a time skip occurs and in the next chapter we are told - not shown - that Nina's boss is the mega bitch from hell. This is just lazy writing. Having said that, it's not nearly as bad as when . You think this would be a major plot point, something that gets some significant time devoted to it. Instead it's thrown into the book in the last few pages, a kind of after thought. What makes this even more enraging is that this pattern of building things up by focusing on the less interesting aspects and then skipping over the actual meat, the interesting part, is heavily present throughout Be Careful What You Wish For. The end effect is that you end up feeling like everything has happened at arm's length.

I have to say, I honestly don't know if I've seen a more blatant attempt to set up for what would otherwise be a completely unnecessary sequel. It wasn't until I came to write this review that I learnt that Crisp HAD written a sequel but I was not even slightly surprised. This could've easily been a self-contained novel. It would make SENSE as a self-contained novel. Instead of giving up an ending, an actual conclusion, Crisp does the plot equivalent of cutting off mid-sentence. This is even more problematic when one considers that where she cuts off is the only point where we truly see what can actually go wrong. really should have happened earlier - it's the crescendo of the story, it shouldn't have been crammed into the final pages - and there should've been a stronger catalyst . As it stands, the "conclusion" seems rushed, forced and unrealistic. If I had paid for this book (I didn't, I borrowed it from the library) I would feel ripped off as it feels like Crisp tore out the pages that have the conclusion on them and is now asking for more money in order to read what should rightfully be included in THIS book.

Many of the other reviewers have already touched on Nina's character. I have to say, Nina being s self-absorbed bitch isn't, in itself, a bad thing. Where Crisp goes wrong is in her character development. For much of the story Nina stagnates - her character seems to remain completely unaffected by the events that take place in her life - until Crisp seemingly remembers that characters ought to change over the course of a novel . After this sharp nose dive, Crisp performs an equally sharp ascent as Nina abruptly realises . There's just no satisfaction in this character arc; it just leaves me feeling unfulfilled.

On the whole, I think there are better chick lit reads out there than this. Go read them before wasting your time with this one.
12 reviews
February 16, 2013
It's ok. It is an easy read. But the author explains in too much detail things are not of interest or obvious, and the things that you want to hear more about she barely mentions. For example; She will write word for word the conversations she has in job interviews, but when she finds out one of her friends has HIV or is depressed, she just brushes overs them in a a page or two. The end of the book doesn't provide conclusions for any of the characters except for Nina. It kind of feels like it ends just as it gets interesting.
10 reviews
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March 21, 2013
I really was looking forward to reading this until I actually read it. I don't want to bad mouth it, but it's not fabulous it's not even good "trashy" chick lit. It's just well, blah. But each to their own.
Profile Image for MaryG2E.
399 reviews1 follower
November 21, 2019
2.5★s
This mildly amusing piece of Chick Lit was a pleasant, easy read, but it really didn't grab my imagination. It was formulaic in many aspects - y'know those typical elements of most Chick Lit:
lots of name-dropping, lots of brand-dropping, the mandatory reference to very, very expensive shoes, lots of inebriated escapades, and the gay guy got all the best one-liners.
Some Chick Lit has narrative threads that are deeper and more insightful. This novel is totally superficial. A good book to read on a plane or beside the pool on holidays, when you definitely don't want to tax your brain with anything meaningful.
Profile Image for Karen.
11 reviews
March 30, 2013
I was quite looking forward to reading this book but once I started I found it to be a little bit boring... I hate leaving bad reviews but the book just needed a little bit more 'sizzle' and 'pop', although towards the very very end the book picked up and got a little more exciting - if only it had been that was from the very beginning.
Easy enough to read, and very ideal for a late teens, early 20's :)
Profile Image for Meg.
272 reviews68 followers
April 10, 2020
Look, it wasn't terrible, but as far as the chick-lit genre goes, Be Careful What You Wish For is below average. I don't mind reading a book like this as something light, and I love an ambitious Aussie girl, but this fell short for me. Had potential, but I don't think the author knew how to get the story to where it needed to be. Recommended reading for the beach-goer, a one-book-a-year kinda person.
Profile Image for Tiana-lee Fackrell.
9 reviews
April 20, 2013
"Be Careful What You Wish For" is a fictional novel aimed at Young Adults and I highly do not recommend it for readers younger than 15. The focus of the book is the protagonist Nina, she dreams big but soon learns the consequences of her choices and solves most of the complications of her work choices and drinking issues toward the end of the sequence of events that occur. This is why I rate it 2/5 stars.
2 reviews
January 31, 2014
The book was okay... Great concept and I found it really interesting as someone who is obsessed with the magazine industry however, the storyline was a bit wishy washy and would skip months or years between chapters with no real explanation... E.g., Nina would be deal with a crisis, then in the following chapter it had been a year since that had occurred... Overall it was a decent chick lit book, nothing spectacular though
Profile Image for Grace🌻🐝.
78 reviews4 followers
December 15, 2014
Quick read! When i first read the back, I was looking forward to reading it. it's highly detailed which i think can be a little bit of a downfall and i suppose i just found it a little too immature. i did read it and i didn't mind it but i don't think i would rush out and read it again.
14 reviews
February 10, 2024
I really felt disappointed by this book, no substance, the plot was all over the place and each component of the story either drastically over done or drastically under done. I wouldn’t bother with this book.
116 reviews
June 9, 2024
I enjoyed it until the end. Not great. Felt like it just stopped abruptly.
Profile Image for Sam Still Reading.
1,653 reviews66 followers
May 25, 2014
I am a total sucker for books set in ‘glamorous’ industries – Hollywood, television and magazines. Why magazines? It’s not just a The Devil Wears Prada thing, but following the Instagram accounts of several magazines gives me the impression of beautiful lunches, stunning product launches, reveals of new products months before us plebs and zillions of flowers. I know there’s work too, but it always seems a life away from my usual day to day. Be Careful What You Wish For not only tracks Nina Morey’s career up the ladder in magazines, but has the benefit of being set mainly in Australia. How could I resist? There might be some gossip hidden amongst the pages, particularly as the author has been editor of Cleo (the magazine you read at uni) and Dolly (the magazine you read in high school).

The story opens up as Nina Morey, an Aussie expat in London is dreading another shift at one of the city’s plushest hotels. Princess Cupcake needs a legion of fans to wish her well as she drives down the street and there’s clients to be extra sweet to for extra sweet (above board) tips. It’s not what Nina wants to do with her life. Her only escape is buying and trawling through a newsstand’s worth of magazines at every opportunity. So when her best friend suggests going for an internship at fashion bible Marie Claude, Nina jumps for it – then promptly thinks she’s not worthy. Despite her misgivings, she does get the position and a surprising promotion to the editor’s PA temporarily. It’s a move into the spotlight that propels her onto the editor’s radar and sets Nina up. On returning to Australia, Nina uses her contact to get a new job at the most dreary magazine ever. But never mind, she’s got a hot new boyfriend and there’s a great job coming up on the radar. Suddenly Nina’s got everything she ever wanted – and more. But with the good side comes several not-so-good things to hit Nina…

This book was a fun read. I enjoyed reading Nina’s climb up the ladder – most of it was predictable until towards the end and then it just spiralled. Kudos to Gemma Crisp for really knocking the socks off her heroine and then some! The ending was a bit abrupt, but knowing there is a sequel (Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone) and knowing it was on my bookshelf for immediate access helped. There are some things towards the end that I would have liked to read more of (Johan’s problems for example) but I think it would have reduced the ‘fun’ tone of the book.

Nina’s an interesting character. You’ll probably love her or hate her. She’s outwardly confident but quite insecure and immature in her thoughts. Also, she thinks to herself in full, proper sentences which seemed a little clunky, but hey, at least we knew what she was thinking. Some of the dialogue was also a little awkward at times, but us Aussies tend to speak in slang shorthand quite a lot which doesn’t work on the page too well. Once I got into the rhythm of the book, it worked really well. I would have liked to see some chapters start with say, ‘six months later’ as occasionally there are times when the narrative jumps ahead quite quickly. However, Nina’s ascent in the magazine ranks brought out new aspects of her personality – not all of them pretty, but she had the strength of character to admit when something was really wrong. For that, I’ll stick with her into the sequel.

This is a great book for a flight, a lazy weekend or one on the beach. It’s light and interesting, as well as capturing the Aussie lifestyle.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
8 reviews3 followers
January 17, 2013
It is perhaps not so surprising that the debut novel from former Cleo (and Dolly) Editor Gemma Crisp Be Careful What You Wish For delves into the glossy world of magazine publishing. The official synopsis says: "When ambitious Nina Morey got her perfectly pedicured toe on the first rung of the magazine publishing ladder, she couldn't believe her luck. Then, she landed the hottest man in town AND her best friend relocated from the other side of the world to be closer to her. Nina's life had suddenly turned from dull to dream-come-true. Soon she was climbing the magazine ladder, securing dream job after dream job. Her relationship was going from strength to strength and she had her very best friend with whom to drink copious amounts of cocktails. Life was good. What could possibly go wrong?" Alas, everything can (and does) go spectacularly wrong.

Nina - an Australian who is living in London - is a magazine addicted receptionist who works at the desk of one of London's swankiest hotels. After being encouraged to apply for a three-month internship with a prestigious women's title, Nina's career change lands her back in Sydney where she goes from strength to strength, quickly scaling the ladder in the glitzy world of magazines. Until it all starts to go wrong.

What I loved the most about this book was the realistic glimpse into the industry. Yes, the glamorous side of movie premiers, freebies, celebrity shoots, VIP parties and the latest need-to-be-seen-at restaurants are mentioned but the arduous deadlines, problematic colleagues, nightmarish celebs and a host of other not-so-great-but-all-apart-of-the-industry issues are portrayed here to utter perfection.

Be Careful What You Wish For is definitely a light read but an engaging one nonetheless, leaving the (entirely hooked) reader (me) completely hanging at the end (after a particularly eyebrow-raising public meltdown) thus perhaps hinting at a possible sequel.

Review first appeared via my blog: http://diaryofafashionmuse.blogspot.c...
Profile Image for Jocelyn (foxonbooks).
417 reviews20 followers
March 16, 2013
Nina Morey doesn't love hospitality. As much fun as it is catering for the every whim of rich, entitled guests at one of London's most exclusive hotels, she's had about enough. Figuring out what she does love to do is the hard part - but when Nina spies an opportunity to intern at a fashion magazine, she jumps at the chance. Soon, she's racing through the ranks of glossy mags in London and then in Sydney, juggling deadlines, professional frenemies, potential boyfriends and nightmarish hours as she tries to live the age old adage of the working woman who has it all.

Nina's story contains elements of what feels like a meteoric rise to success - although in reality it's over a number of years - as well as a gradual escalation of personal problems that are ignored in favour of work. Her focus narrows considerably from when we meet her - as a harried hospitality employee who has to be concerned not only with her friends' lives but with every detail of her important guests' - to the final chapters of the novel, where we see Nina failing to notice big changes in the people she's technically the closest to. It's an interesting look at what we sometimes sacrifice - knowingly or unwittingly - in the pursuit of that next step.

I didn't love Nina, which may have been Crisp's intention. She is authentically flawed. Determined but selfish, ambitious but sometimes not sensitive to those around her. This is such an easy thing to fall into in Nina's situation: focus and drive are positive qualities, but Crisp's novel takes a look at what can happen if these qualities are focused on to the exclusion of others.

While Be Careful What You Wish For wasn't a particularly groundbreaking or memorable story, it had a really interesting perspective on the trials of following your dreams, and I enjoyed the read.
Profile Image for Natalie TBGWP.
401 reviews23 followers
July 18, 2013
Be careful what you wish for follows the career and life of Nina Morey as she works her way up the publication chain of numerous magazines. When things one by one start crashing down around her and her life starts taking a nosedive how can she possibly be pulled out of the rubble?

You know the saying there's a very fine line between confidence and arrogance? Well that is exactly the phrase needed to represent Nina Morey during her chaotic magazine journey. A sweet, caring and lovely girl turns into an egotistical, arrogant, monster. So wrapped up in her high flying career she doesn't see her BestFriend/cousin Tess needing serious help, her second Best friend Johan turning into a shadow of his former self and her boyfriend Jeremy struggling to cope with her constant mood swings.

This book is really good. It's full to bursting point of bitchiness and partying, but also offers a softer side too. All characters are well balanced and all bring something new and different to the table. A mixture of quirky, lovable, funny and vile it has someone for everyone to connect with personally.

The strange thing about this book is that even though it is slow paced, for some reason that didn't bother me at all. Maybe because it's really well written and has numerous different sides to it, I don't know.

This is a perfect beach read or even a lazy summer garden read.
A great girly book bursting with designer clothes, drama and gin.
Profile Image for Nicki.
2,201 reviews16 followers
June 29, 2014
After a shaky start, happy to say this book did pick up. Light and breezy initially, it soon turned into something a bit darker.
Interesting look at the magazine world and what can happen when you work too hard. Nina was not the most likeable or nice heroine, but I guess that's realistic for her to have gotten as far as she did in the industry. She becomes obsessed with work and stops noticing what is happening at home to those she cares about. She has also found an unhealthy way of coping with her stress and overworking. Things go badly wrong in the final chapters. I didn't see that coming in such an initially fluffy and superficial novel which was so far bordering on corny I was seriously wondering if it was a YA novel despite Nina being in her 20's.
Quite interested in reading the sequel.
7 reviews
May 5, 2013
I could not put this book down! I loved it and was hooked from the beginning. Personally, I'm obsessed with magazines and am a reader of Cleo (where Crisp held the former editor role).

The one thing I'd have to criticize is that it jumped through time pretty fast and too often. I would have like to have heard more of Nina's London days. Also, we never heard about Adam after she had her convo with Tess about him. I assumed he'd come back somehow - he seemed like a strong character in the story line.

I guess we will just have to wait for the sequel!
Profile Image for Angel.
12 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2016
I liked this book, it was a nice easy, cheeky chick read. Funny and relatable. Aussie author.. Gemma crisp is a magazine editor in real life so she has written what she knows, and it works. Not usually my genre of choice, but a refreshing change for once.
Profile Image for Jess.
67 reviews
February 21, 2013
was pretty disappointed with this one. Easy enough to read but a bit pointless and quite a horrible, depressing ending. I wanted it to be more than it was.
Profile Image for Blythe Mondays.
96 reviews16 followers
April 5, 2013
I found it very boring. I couldn't get into the story or characters. I just found the writing style was very lax, she's. good writer but it didn't keep me interested at all.
Profile Image for Katerina Whitefield.
93 reviews
July 8, 2013
This was pretty predictable but it was easy and quick to read. The main character was a little annoying and I kinda wanted to finish it so I didn't have to read about her.
1 review
August 31, 2013
this was an easy read. it was ok the writing was kind of boring. I didnt find it that grabbing, I think it was rushed. the ending was quick, I dont think I'd read it again.
Profile Image for Sarah Dawidowski.
27 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2015
I love hearing about the nitty gritty of what goes on in the world of publishing - especially magazines! Would love to read the second book to see what happens to Nina!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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