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Glamorous Life #2
Head Over High Heels
Irina “Ira” Jeffries and her roommate, Fernanda Lopez, turn heads, even in a paradise like Miami’s South Beach where beauty is the rule, not the exception. Ira lands local modeling gigs while working at an ultra-hip art deco hotel. Fernanda’s classic Hispanic looks catapult her to the top of the local pageant scene. Both women take a mind-blowing ride into the cutthroat and competitive fashion and pageant worlds filled with seductive men, thousand dollar champagne toasts, Botox parties, spiked drinks, and the most incredible cities. Ira must choose between the frenetic pace of the fashion runways or the man she loves, sexy Spaniard and aspiring shoe designer, Pablo Andrews. Fernanda’s quest for being the best and nabbing the crown of Miss United States drives her into the arms of local celebrity and former trash-talking Miami Tarpon football player, Thomas Traylor. Each woman eventually has to make the biggest decision of her life about who she really wants to be. The options leave them both Head Over High Heels.This is the second book in the A Glamorous Life Series with no cliff hanger ending. The series is You Had Me at Merlot (Book #1), Head Over High Heels (Book #2), Saving Face (Book #3), All's Fair (Book #4 - coming soon!) this book contains material intended for a mature audience, including sexual content and situations, drug and alcohol use and reference, and language. 18+
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2013
16 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Marley Gibson
39 books277 followersMarley Gibson is the author of the hit young adult paranormal fiction series, "Ghost Huntress," from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Graphia line, as well as "Radiate," which is a fictionalized version of the cancer she went through as a teenage cheerleader.
Gibson was featured on the premiere episode of The Biography Channel’s "My Ghost Story," as well as being interviewed by CNN.com for a Halloween feature on ghost hunting in 2008. She appeared on the Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," as we as an episode of "Ghost Adventures."
Her publishing credits include "Ghost Huntress: The Awakening," "Ghost Huntress: The Guidance," and "Ghost Huntress: The Reason," "Ghost Huntress: The Counseling," "Ghost Huntress: The Journey," and soon to come, a Christmas novella, "Ghost Huntress: The Tidings."
She has also co-authored a teen ghost hunting how-to guide entitled “The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal" with her husband, Patrick Burns, from TruTV's "Haunting Evidence," and Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," and "Ghost Adventures."
Gibson is also the co-author of the wildly successful "Christmas Miracles," and it's sequel, "The Spirit of Christmas," published by St. Martin’s Press and co-written with New York Times bestselling author, Cecil Murphey.
Gibson holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and a double minor in Political Science and Speech Communications from The University of Alabama. She has worked on several political campaigns, as a United States Congressional intern, and has been a marketing events manager in the medical, higher education, financial, and technology sectors, but is now happy being a full-time author, creating stories and characters for fans to love.
An avid SCUBA diver, closet gourmet chef, and electronic music lover, Marley and her husband, Patrick, live in the Florida Keys with their two rescue kitties, Madison and Boo, in an RV they lovely call, Midge.
She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com and www.radiatebook.com on Facebook at MarleyGibson Author and on Twitter @MarleyGison
Gibson was featured on the premiere episode of The Biography Channel’s "My Ghost Story," as well as being interviewed by CNN.com for a Halloween feature on ghost hunting in 2008. She appeared on the Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," as we as an episode of "Ghost Adventures."
Her publishing credits include "Ghost Huntress: The Awakening," "Ghost Huntress: The Guidance," and "Ghost Huntress: The Reason," "Ghost Huntress: The Counseling," "Ghost Huntress: The Journey," and soon to come, a Christmas novella, "Ghost Huntress: The Tidings."
She has also co-authored a teen ghost hunting how-to guide entitled “The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal" with her husband, Patrick Burns, from TruTV's "Haunting Evidence," and Travel Channel's "Paranormal Challenge," and "Ghost Adventures."
Gibson is also the co-author of the wildly successful "Christmas Miracles," and it's sequel, "The Spirit of Christmas," published by St. Martin’s Press and co-written with New York Times bestselling author, Cecil Murphey.
Gibson holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and a double minor in Political Science and Speech Communications from The University of Alabama. She has worked on several political campaigns, as a United States Congressional intern, and has been a marketing events manager in the medical, higher education, financial, and technology sectors, but is now happy being a full-time author, creating stories and characters for fans to love.
An avid SCUBA diver, closet gourmet chef, and electronic music lover, Marley and her husband, Patrick, live in the Florida Keys with their two rescue kitties, Madison and Boo, in an RV they lovely call, Midge.
She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com and www.radiatebook.com on Facebook at MarleyGibson Author and on Twitter @MarleyGison
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 7, 2020
Es un libro entretenido y te hace querer llegar al final. El libro comienza con una situación difícil, pero luego se devuelve unos meses atrás, así que uno quiere llegar a entender cómo se dieron las cosas. Irina Jeffries tiene un sueño, ser modelo, como su papá le dijo que sería cuando era niña. Fernanda López quiere ser Miss USA, para demostrarle a su familia que vale. Ambas recorrerán un difícil camino hasta encontrar lo que realmente quieren.
April 4, 2014
I downloaded this book for free on amazon when I was doing research to see how other authors managed the descriptions in their books. This book was similar to the rest of the modeling books that I've read. Shy, sweet, otherwise perfect girl doesn't realize how incredibly gorgeous she happens to be and becomes a super famous, super popular, superstar of a model while struggling with whether or not she'll lose her true identity to the evils of fame. Meanwhile girl meets a boy who appreciates her for being real but gets angry with her as modeling pushes her further and further toward fake. This book was written for adults so there was more sex, drugs, and plastic surgery than the YA versions of the tale, but otherwise it was similar. There were some plot points that bordered on the ridiculous, but all in all the book was good fun and for a free read completely worth the download.
Pros: Girl Friendships. Too often this type of book features the wallflower who is *different* from other girls and consequently doesn't get along with other women. Gibson neatly sidesteps that oh so annoying cliche that sets women up against each other and puts a friendship front and center of the story that is every bit as important as the romance. Another major prop every character in this story has their own life. Even the love interest. And it doesn't revolve around the protagonist! Instead everyone is reaching for their own goals, experiencing their own dramas, and supporting each other along the way.
Cons: The book got preachy on a few points, being anti-drug didn't bother me, but the book came down just as hard on plastic surgery and botox. Now, I happen to agree that as women we should be happy with our appearance and screw anyone who tries to pressure a woman into going under the knife and I'm never going to spent my money on plastic surgery because for me, it's just not a priority. However, the degree it was frowned upon ruffled even MY feathers. I don't think it's anyones, particularly not two natural born super models written as mouth pieces, place to judge whether or not a woman chooses plastic surgery. That's no ones business but theirs and the sheer snide comments from the virtuous good guys about the amount of work different models got done just came off as grating.
There was also a missed opportunity in this book that completely made me lose respect for one of the characters involving a person who'd undergone a sex change. The character turned down an opportunity because *spoiler*
she'd originally lost to someone who was born male and was offered first place once this fact was uncovered. Her reason for turning down the opportunity was that she was insulted she'd lost to a biological male in the first place. She could have made a statement about how this person who identifies as female and went through numerous and painful operations so the rest of the world would see them as they perceived themselves won and she didn't think it was right to take that from them. No, she just basically said she should have won in the first place. And I get that not everyone shares that opinion but in a book that's completely about discovering who you really are and going after your dreams while discovering yourself, it seemed an odd plot point to throw in there for almost no reason.
But that's my opinion, and that has nothing to do with the writing just an opinion I have. Ignoring those two things that just grated on my nerves, the book was fun to read. Well written descriptions too. Worth checking out.
Pros: Girl Friendships. Too often this type of book features the wallflower who is *different* from other girls and consequently doesn't get along with other women. Gibson neatly sidesteps that oh so annoying cliche that sets women up against each other and puts a friendship front and center of the story that is every bit as important as the romance. Another major prop every character in this story has their own life. Even the love interest. And it doesn't revolve around the protagonist! Instead everyone is reaching for their own goals, experiencing their own dramas, and supporting each other along the way.
Cons: The book got preachy on a few points, being anti-drug didn't bother me, but the book came down just as hard on plastic surgery and botox. Now, I happen to agree that as women we should be happy with our appearance and screw anyone who tries to pressure a woman into going under the knife and I'm never going to spent my money on plastic surgery because for me, it's just not a priority. However, the degree it was frowned upon ruffled even MY feathers. I don't think it's anyones, particularly not two natural born super models written as mouth pieces, place to judge whether or not a woman chooses plastic surgery. That's no ones business but theirs and the sheer snide comments from the virtuous good guys about the amount of work different models got done just came off as grating.
There was also a missed opportunity in this book that completely made me lose respect for one of the characters involving a person who'd undergone a sex change. The character turned down an opportunity because *spoiler*
she'd originally lost to someone who was born male and was offered first place once this fact was uncovered. Her reason for turning down the opportunity was that she was insulted she'd lost to a biological male in the first place. She could have made a statement about how this person who identifies as female and went through numerous and painful operations so the rest of the world would see them as they perceived themselves won and she didn't think it was right to take that from them. No, she just basically said she should have won in the first place. And I get that not everyone shares that opinion but in a book that's completely about discovering who you really are and going after your dreams while discovering yourself, it seemed an odd plot point to throw in there for almost no reason.
But that's my opinion, and that has nothing to do with the writing just an opinion I have. Ignoring those two things that just grated on my nerves, the book was fun to read. Well written descriptions too. Worth checking out.
January 9, 2014
I don't usually read steamy romances, but Marley Gibson, the author, knows how to persuade the reluctant male reader! For one thing, she puts in a lot of detail that a) is important to the story, b) educates the reader without sounding like a lesson, and c) provides a hook to those readers who enjoy all genres. I learned a lot about not just the rivalries within the fashion industry, but also how the models prepare for the runway (I learned that models do not wear underwear because of the unwanted raised lines that underwear creates!)
Also, the author is clever in making the main characters virtuous. It would be very easy to set characters in a book about romance and modelling to be shallow and superficial, but Ms. Gibson wisely avoids such traps. She sets the two female characters to be best friends, who are always supportive of each other. She also places the hunk of the story as principled enough to still want to earn his own living, his own way despite an inherited fortune. For good measure, she also has the two aforementioned female characters are proud of themselves, setting out to prove that much more than skin beauty is required to succeed in the world of fashion.
Bravo, Ms. Gibson! The writing is smooth, and I found absolutely no errors in the book.
Also, the author is clever in making the main characters virtuous. It would be very easy to set characters in a book about romance and modelling to be shallow and superficial, but Ms. Gibson wisely avoids such traps. She sets the two female characters to be best friends, who are always supportive of each other. She also places the hunk of the story as principled enough to still want to earn his own living, his own way despite an inherited fortune. For good measure, she also has the two aforementioned female characters are proud of themselves, setting out to prove that much more than skin beauty is required to succeed in the world of fashion.
Bravo, Ms. Gibson! The writing is smooth, and I found absolutely no errors in the book.
May 3, 2014
I wanted to rate it with 2.5 stars.. but... there were just to many flaws in my opinion.
When I read the book description I was hook by it. As soon as I star reading I enjoy it... but it became doll and boring when I've read half of the book... by this point I just wanted to finish it.
The main character "Ira" annoyed me. She is just your typical character that's beautiful but not conscious about it... she undermined herself in some aspects but... let's give her this... she had her moments too and she became a kickass character but sadly at the end...
I found annoying almost every translation or interpretation of the words and frases that were in spanish. I'm not sure if the translation and edition were wrong or was just the kindle edition.
Although predictable the final was ok... every girl overcome their issues and got the life they wanted... happy ending.
If you love a novel about beauty pageants, fashion models and drama... this is your novel.
When I read the book description I was hook by it. As soon as I star reading I enjoy it... but it became doll and boring when I've read half of the book... by this point I just wanted to finish it.
The main character "Ira" annoyed me. She is just your typical character that's beautiful but not conscious about it... she undermined herself in some aspects but... let's give her this... she had her moments too and she became a kickass character but sadly at the end...
I found annoying almost every translation or interpretation of the words and frases that were in spanish. I'm not sure if the translation and edition were wrong or was just the kindle edition.
Although predictable the final was ok... every girl overcome their issues and got the life they wanted... happy ending.
If you love a novel about beauty pageants, fashion models and drama... this is your novel.
February 25, 2014
Another free book from Amazon, picked up to read yesterday.
Irina "Ira" is a tough girl who has put up a wall to protect herself having lost her father at age 10 and growing up with a horrible step mother and step brothers she thinks money is the answer to her happiness.
Fernanda is Ira's roommate since college and she is working to win a pageant to get the approval she seeks from her family and the validation that she is smart and beautiful.
These 2 girls appear to lead a fun life from the outside but both are seeking approval they need to find within themselves.
Fernanda's cousin Pablo comes to town and he is attracted to Ira.
Great book about finding love for yourself and others. Sweet romance. I enjoyed even the dark places this story takes you.
Irina "Ira" is a tough girl who has put up a wall to protect herself having lost her father at age 10 and growing up with a horrible step mother and step brothers she thinks money is the answer to her happiness.
Fernanda is Ira's roommate since college and she is working to win a pageant to get the approval she seeks from her family and the validation that she is smart and beautiful.
These 2 girls appear to lead a fun life from the outside but both are seeking approval they need to find within themselves.
Fernanda's cousin Pablo comes to town and he is attracted to Ira.
Great book about finding love for yourself and others. Sweet romance. I enjoyed even the dark places this story takes you.
February 9, 2016
Given all the amazing detail in this book, I really wanted to love it. But honestly, I liked Fernanda better than Ira, and felt like a lot of Ira's hangups came across as pretty pretentious and somewhat hypocritical. The ending felt rushed (even though it was expected) and there wasn't a satisfying closure with Step-Mommy Dearest.
This was a painfully slow read for me - I actually read two other books between starting and finishing this - but I would definitely try another book by the author, as the level of detail and thought put into the book were excellent.
This was a painfully slow read for me - I actually read two other books between starting and finishing this - but I would definitely try another book by the author, as the level of detail and thought put into the book were excellent.
March 10, 2014
A wanna be model and a wanna be Miss Florida living together in Miami. Wow!! Both 25, so you would think they would know that this is the end of the road and they do. But, they both try as hard as they do to give it one last shot and give up a lot on the way to gain a lot more to get it.
August 22, 2014
And they all lived happily ever after. Beach reading about beautiful people in beautiful places with tons of product placement.
February 26, 2014
Loved the characters. Nice settings. Predictable storyline
February 7, 2015
I couldn't even finish this book. The characters were just boring.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews