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The Mannequin series is an exciting erotic romance journey that gives readers an intimate look into the not-so-glamorous sides of the fashion and modelling industries. This book contains explicit content and is not intended for younger readers! Everything seems to be going Elodie's way now that her modelling career is finally taking off. She's booking all of the best campaigns, shooting the most prestigious editorials and strutting down the most elusive runways. With her perfect boyfriend at her side, she should feel as if she's on top of the world. So why does she feel so unsatisfied? Continue on with Elodie's story as she faces the ups and downs of her fast-paced life. With rapid changes meeting her at every turn, will she be able to stay strong and persevere? Or will the broken girl inside of her cause her to flounder? Filled with all of the fashionable drama and outrageous characters that are mainstays in Elodie's life, "Bijou" is an exciting tale about growing up, surviving hardships and learning to love.' to 'The Mannequin series is an exciting erotic romance journey that gives readers an intimate look into the not-so-glamorous sides of the fashion and modelling industries. This book contains explicit content and is not intended for younger readers! Everything seems to be going Elodie's way now that her modelling career is finally taking off. She's booking all of the best campaigns, shooting the most prestigious editorials and strutting down the most elusive runways. With her perfect boyfriend at her side, she should feel as if she's on top of the world. So why does she feel so unsatisfied? Continue on with Elodie's story as she faces the ups and downs of her fast-paced life. With rapid changes meeting her at every turn, will she be able to stay strong and persevere? Or will the broken girl inside of her cause her to flounder? Filled with all of the fashionable drama and outrageous characters that are mainstays in Elodie's life, "Bijou" is an exciting tale about growing up, surviving hardships and learning to love.
The Mannequin series is an exciting erotic romance journey that gives readers an intimate look into the not-so-glamorous sides of the fashion and modelling industries. This book contains explicit content and is not intended for younger readers! Everything seems to be going Elodie's way now that her modelling career is finally taking off. She's booking all of the best campaigns, shooting the most prestigious editorials and strutting down the most elusive runways. With her perfect boyfriend at her side, she should feel as if she's on top of the world. So why does she feel so unsatisfied? Continue on with Elodie's story as she faces the ups and downs of her fast-paced life. With rapid changes meeting her at every turn, will she be able to stay strong and persevere? Or will the broken girl inside of her cause her to flounder? Filled with all of the fashionable drama and outrageous characters that are mainstays in Elodie's life, "Bijou" is an exciting tale about growing up, surviving hardships and learning to love.' to 'The Mannequin series is an exciting erotic romance journey that gives readers an intimate look into the not-so-glamorous sides of the fashion and modelling industries. This book contains explicit content and is not intended for younger readers! Everything seems to be going Elodie's way now that her modelling career is finally taking off. She's booking all of the best campaigns, shooting the most prestigious editorials and strutting down the most elusive runways. With her perfect boyfriend at her side, she should feel as if she's on top of the world. So why does she feel so unsatisfied? Continue on with Elodie's story as she faces the ups and downs of her fast-paced life. With rapid changes meeting her at every turn, will she be able to stay strong and persevere? Or will the broken girl inside of her cause her to flounder? Filled with all of the fashionable drama and outrageous characters that are mainstays in Elodie's life, "Bijou" is an exciting tale about growing up, surviving hardships and learning to love.
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First published November 9, 2013
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April 29, 20144.5 Stars
ARC generously provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the first book in this series, Etoile, but I loved this one. I am now completely hooked on this series and these characters. Elodie's career is finally taking off, she is now actually making money as a model and becoming in high demand. She made the decision to be with James, even though is was kind of made for her by Tyler. Once Tyler found out Elodie was seeing both him and James he made it known he couldn't stand to see her.
As much as Elodie misses Tyler and hates that she hurt him she is determined to be with James. He loves her and wants her with him. Okay so he works all the time, and he is really kind of boring, and the sex, well at least one of them enjoys it, but he is a good guy and he listens to her. Yes Elodie has to hide her smoking from him but really he just wants her healthy. She also spends more time with his friends, most of whom she does not like, but it is okay as long as James is happy. The question Elodie has to ask is why if everything is so great is she more lonely then she has ever been and why can't she stop thinking about Tyler.
Yes I was rooting for Tyler and was disappointed when the first book ended but I was willing to give James a chance, the problem was the more we get to know James the less trustworthy he becomes and then the fear hits that he may be just as big of a douche as his friends are.
Bijou takes us on more of Elodie's journey's in the fashion world, which have gotten a little better since she is in more of a demand, we learn more of her roommate (whom I absolutely love, they cracked me up, esp Heddi) and as Elodie tries to make things right with Tyler I will admit I actually shed a few tears.
This book was completely addictive to me, I could not put it down. I don't want to give anything away but in the last scene with James it was cracking me up, I was yelling "I knew it" while completely enjoying Elodie's reaction to it. Elodie continues to prove to be such a great girl who works in an industry that is cruel and unforgiving.
Once again Olivia Besse does a great job with her writing on really connecting with the characters and making you feel like you are really there.
ARC generously provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the first book in this series, Etoile, but I loved this one. I am now completely hooked on this series and these characters. Elodie's career is finally taking off, she is now actually making money as a model and becoming in high demand. She made the decision to be with James, even though is was kind of made for her by Tyler. Once Tyler found out Elodie was seeing both him and James he made it known he couldn't stand to see her.
As much as Elodie misses Tyler and hates that she hurt him she is determined to be with James. He loves her and wants her with him. Okay so he works all the time, and he is really kind of boring, and the sex, well at least one of them enjoys it, but he is a good guy and he listens to her. Yes Elodie has to hide her smoking from him but really he just wants her healthy. She also spends more time with his friends, most of whom she does not like, but it is okay as long as James is happy. The question Elodie has to ask is why if everything is so great is she more lonely then she has ever been and why can't she stop thinking about Tyler.
Yes I was rooting for Tyler and was disappointed when the first book ended but I was willing to give James a chance, the problem was the more we get to know James the less trustworthy he becomes and then the fear hits that he may be just as big of a douche as his friends are.
Bijou takes us on more of Elodie's journey's in the fashion world, which have gotten a little better since she is in more of a demand, we learn more of her roommate (whom I absolutely love, they cracked me up, esp Heddi) and as Elodie tries to make things right with Tyler I will admit I actually shed a few tears.
This book was completely addictive to me, I could not put it down. I don't want to give anything away but in the last scene with James it was cracking me up, I was yelling "I knew it" while completely enjoying Elodie's reaction to it. Elodie continues to prove to be such a great girl who works in an industry that is cruel and unforgiving.
Once again Olivia Besse does a great job with her writing on really connecting with the characters and making you feel like you are really there.
September 7, 2016
“I could never hate you but do you know what I hate about you? I’m so sure of how I feel about you, but you’ll never be sure how you feel about me…You’re so lost and you don’t even know it”—Tyler
I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review.
It took me a while to write this review, not because the book was terrible, but because I wanted to spend my time on it. If I had written the review right after finishing, I would’ve given the book 3 stars as opposed to 4. I remember HATING it when I first finished. But, having read it the second time around, I now know why I hated it so much.
We’re all used to the happily ever afters, the young and tortured souls who are annoying at first but redeem themselves in the end. The girl falls for the right boy and you get to read their happily ever after, with a couple of lame (usually predictable) roadblocks thrown in there. That’s what we all expect, right? Well, Olivia Besse doesn’t give us this. I know what you’re thinking, “if she doesn’t give us this then why the hell should I even bother reading this?” The answer to that is quite simple: she gives us reality. None of that sugar-coated fairytale jargon. I expected the fairytale ending in this book…especially after the cliffhanger from the first book. But, if we really take a minute to think of it, life is not like that at all. Besse took a bold move, and wrote an honest and REAL story.
Besse offers a story of what it can often feel like to be a girl in a world full of images and unrealistic beliefs of what us women should be like: strong, independent, successful, happy, skinny, beautiful, flawless. This book really focuses on the effects living up to these unrealistic expectations can really be to a girl. Elodie has no belief in herself, no confidence, no idea of her own self-worth. Instead, she strives for what she thinks she wants and this leaves her feeling empty, confused, lost, and unhappy. In real life, we become so focused on what we think happiness looks like that we disregard when we are genuinely feeling happy. It is for this reason that I have respect for Besse for writing the cold, hard truth for many of us.
This story is (in my opinon) one of growth, realisation, and a search for happiness underneath it all. Many novels give us all of the above but so exaggerated: perfect boyfriend with a perfect job, instant connections, overwhelming love and attraction, safety and the most supportive and perfect friends. Most of that is what drags us in as readers; we are subconsciously falling in love with this idea of perfection and happiness and if we can have all of that happen in the course of one book, then all the better right? We like those happy feelings we get while we immerse ourselves in the book. It’s for that reason that I found it so annoying reading this book the first time. I didn’t get those feelings and instead I was immensely frustrated with this stupid girl—she couldn’t see that happiness was there all along!! It wasn’t until reading it the second time that I realised I was no better. REAL life isn’t all black and white. There are so many shades of grey that it does leave most of us confused and led in the wrong directions. Some of us sacrifice our own happiness for that of others while others do so because of feelings of unworthiness. So to me, this is a REAL book.
Would I have loved to see Elodie and Tyler? 110% YES. But I can appreciate what Olivia Besse was trying to do here—she showed us an actual reality for some of us. We all make mistakes. We all get confused and sometimes live the lives we think we want and accept the love we think we deserve. Sometimes we just have to take a step back and really love ourselves first; stop being so hard on ourselves and just look for ourselves and what it is we want. I think this was a turning point for Elodie, or at least I hope so. I look forward to finally seeing Elodie HAPPY in the next book, because (like all of you REAL girls out there) she so deserves it.
Summary: ***SPOILER ALERT***
“You just need to stop worrying so much and learn to embrace everything that comes your way. Everything happens for a reason, but it's up to you to choose what directions you want your life to take. Make decisions based on what you want, not on what you think you should want.”—Heddi
I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review.
It took me a while to write this review, not because the book was terrible, but because I wanted to spend my time on it. If I had written the review right after finishing, I would’ve given the book 3 stars as opposed to 4. I remember HATING it when I first finished. But, having read it the second time around, I now know why I hated it so much.
We’re all used to the happily ever afters, the young and tortured souls who are annoying at first but redeem themselves in the end. The girl falls for the right boy and you get to read their happily ever after, with a couple of lame (usually predictable) roadblocks thrown in there. That’s what we all expect, right? Well, Olivia Besse doesn’t give us this. I know what you’re thinking, “if she doesn’t give us this then why the hell should I even bother reading this?” The answer to that is quite simple: she gives us reality. None of that sugar-coated fairytale jargon. I expected the fairytale ending in this book…especially after the cliffhanger from the first book. But, if we really take a minute to think of it, life is not like that at all. Besse took a bold move, and wrote an honest and REAL story.
Besse offers a story of what it can often feel like to be a girl in a world full of images and unrealistic beliefs of what us women should be like: strong, independent, successful, happy, skinny, beautiful, flawless. This book really focuses on the effects living up to these unrealistic expectations can really be to a girl. Elodie has no belief in herself, no confidence, no idea of her own self-worth. Instead, she strives for what she thinks she wants and this leaves her feeling empty, confused, lost, and unhappy. In real life, we become so focused on what we think happiness looks like that we disregard when we are genuinely feeling happy. It is for this reason that I have respect for Besse for writing the cold, hard truth for many of us.
This story is (in my opinon) one of growth, realisation, and a search for happiness underneath it all. Many novels give us all of the above but so exaggerated: perfect boyfriend with a perfect job, instant connections, overwhelming love and attraction, safety and the most supportive and perfect friends. Most of that is what drags us in as readers; we are subconsciously falling in love with this idea of perfection and happiness and if we can have all of that happen in the course of one book, then all the better right? We like those happy feelings we get while we immerse ourselves in the book. It’s for that reason that I found it so annoying reading this book the first time. I didn’t get those feelings and instead I was immensely frustrated with this stupid girl—she couldn’t see that happiness was there all along!! It wasn’t until reading it the second time that I realised I was no better. REAL life isn’t all black and white. There are so many shades of grey that it does leave most of us confused and led in the wrong directions. Some of us sacrifice our own happiness for that of others while others do so because of feelings of unworthiness. So to me, this is a REAL book.
Would I have loved to see Elodie and Tyler? 110% YES. But I can appreciate what Olivia Besse was trying to do here—she showed us an actual reality for some of us. We all make mistakes. We all get confused and sometimes live the lives we think we want and accept the love we think we deserve. Sometimes we just have to take a step back and really love ourselves first; stop being so hard on ourselves and just look for ourselves and what it is we want. I think this was a turning point for Elodie, or at least I hope so. I look forward to finally seeing Elodie HAPPY in the next book, because (like all of you REAL girls out there) she so deserves it.
Summary: ***SPOILER ALERT***
“You just need to stop worrying so much and learn to embrace everything that comes your way. Everything happens for a reason, but it's up to you to choose what directions you want your life to take. Make decisions based on what you want, not on what you think you should want.”—Heddi
April 21, 2014
At first I was in love! Elodie was with Tyler!! They were perfect for each other but she due to her past she wasn't sure that Tyler was the one for her. She decided to see both guys behind their backs to see which one was best and for some dumb reason she chose the banker!! Months past and Elodie feels like something is missing, she's bored!!! That's right the sexy model is bored of her boring banker!! She had to change everything about her to be with him!!! She doesn't smoke or drink unless its a glass of wine and the worst part? HES BAD IN BED!!! That's right with Tyler she felt like every part of herself, body and soul, was apart of Ty's but with James it's like he is in, he finishes, and he's out!!! He doesn't even have the decency to let her finish!! She becomes sexually frustrated which makes her not smoking even worst!!! Then after multiple emotional moments with Tyler and finding out that he has been depressed without her she starts to realize what is missing in her life and starts to try to make it work with James even more, then one unfortunate night she decides to surprise her boyfriend at work and finds him cheating on her with his secretary on his own desk!! She is shocked but also relieved and immediately heads to Tyler's apartment. After the long emotional ride to his place she makes in front of his door and is stuck with fear. Fear of how Tyler would react, fear of what's going to happen. Just as she was going to knocked she heard the worst noise ever. The laughter of Tyler's ex! And then the book ends!!!!! I was so happy at the beginning and then so frustrated thru out the rest of the book!!! I hope the ending I want comes in the next book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2016
I was given the opportunity to review the second book in this series and, once again, Olivia has worked magic :)
I LOVED everything about the book except the plot. I guess that the plot is central to the storyline, but I really wish that we got more Tyler in this book!!!! At least everything seems to have FINALLY worked out in terms of the love triangle (kind of)
Everything that was present in the first book is here in the second = fashion, drama, funny moments, and extreme frustration at the idiot that is Elodie :)
There IS a bit of a cliffhanger, so make sure that you're aware of that before starting this. The ending was totally unexpected (again!) and I can't wait for the next book!!!
I LOVED everything about the book except the plot. I guess that the plot is central to the storyline, but I really wish that we got more Tyler in this book!!!! At least everything seems to have FINALLY worked out in terms of the love triangle (kind of)
Everything that was present in the first book is here in the second = fashion, drama, funny moments, and extreme frustration at the idiot that is Elodie :)
There IS a bit of a cliffhanger, so make sure that you're aware of that before starting this. The ending was totally unexpected (again!) and I can't wait for the next book!!!
Want to read
December 27, 2014I just finished reading the first book and my my my, I was left hanging! I can't find a free ebook for book 2 and 3 and I am losing my mind already!!!! I am really into fashion and all that, that's why I am so hooked swith this.
I really love Olivia Besse's writing here. She just kept it real. How the industry really works, and it is not all the glamorous things we see.
And why did Elodie pick James, even? I mean, come on! Tyler is her Knight in Shining Armor. Just hope she sees that.
Oh well, I'm completely bummed out to the fact that I can continue reading the series. I am desperate for someone kind enough to share a copy for book 2 and 3. Like a fairy godmother.
P.S. I love you Olivia Besse! You rock!
I really love Olivia Besse's writing here. She just kept it real. How the industry really works, and it is not all the glamorous things we see.
And why did Elodie pick James, even? I mean, come on! Tyler is her Knight in Shining Armor. Just hope she sees that.
Oh well, I'm completely bummed out to the fact that I can continue reading the series. I am desperate for someone kind enough to share a copy for book 2 and 3. Like a fairy godmother.
P.S. I love you Olivia Besse! You rock!
no-thank-you
August 27, 2013First available from/as Olivia Best.
March 24, 2014
review to come...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews