The Publicist

The Publicist #1

by Christina George

Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t sell, and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.
Enter the star editor, MacDermott Ellis: Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author—now as forgotten as last year’s bestsellers and his nephew Nick: Tall, gorgeous, sweet, single, and ready to sweep Kate off her feet. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions.
As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week,” she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more romance and sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.

Welcome to the world of publishing. The ego has landed.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Fiction, New York

227 pages, ebook

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

I've worked in publishing for twenty years and I sincerely love books and authors. I started this journey with my own books planning to write just one, and then well - all I can say is the stories kept coming. My original series The Publicist, follows Kate, Mac, Nick, Vivienne and a host of other awesome characters as they make their lives in New York, amidst the chaos that publishing often brings with it.

I am now exploring a fictional small town called Harper's Corner. This series is so fun, because there are so many characters in this town, from sexy firemen and hot Army guys, to an awesome group of women that I affectionally call "the coven." These books will explore each of these characters, and their journey to finding the loves of their lives.

I love writing, and I love reading and if I'm not actively writing a book, I'm probably dreaming of what I'll write next.

Please feel free to email me at authorchristinageorge@gmail.com with your thoughts on any of my books.

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Being a publicist is like management in a lot of ways - you're their friend, you're their mother, you're their confidante."

----Deborah "Debi" Mazar, an American actress and television personality


Christina George, an American author, has penned an insightful as well as passion-stirring love story, The Publicist which happens to be the first book in the The Publicist series. This book shows us behind the closed-door drama of the publishing world.


Synopsis:

Welcome to the world of publishing. The ego has landed.

Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t sell, and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.

Enter the star Editor, MacDermott Ellis: Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author--now as forgotten as last year's bestsellers and his nephew Nick: Tall, gorgeous, sweet, single and ready to sweep Kate off her feet. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions.

As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week,” she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.

The story only an insider could tell.


Katherine Mitchell, 34-years old, single, lives in NYC- No, this is not a character from Sex and the City, where a Carrie works as a writer in some top-shot fashion magazine office, instead Kath is a regular New Yorker who works as a publicist in a reputed publishing company and moreover her life is no where near to glamorous or happening as compared to Carrie's. Anyhow, Kath is quite unfortunate when it comes to love, she falls for the wrong men in her life.

But a top-shot editor from her firm has his eyes fixed on Kath, and on the same time Kate too have a crush on this guy, but one problem- he is married and he will stay married as long as he lives! Whereas Kate is falling hard for his forbidden dude.

So apart from handling some crazy and suicidal authors, Kate's life is nothing too glitzy or charming, and Kate works her ass off to climb the corporate ladder on building a successful name in this publishing house.

Two things that I would like to mention is that the storyline is nowhere closer to reality and everything sounds fictitious, especially Kate's relationship with this guy, Mac. And second, this author is a great story-teller, who can thrill you and fill you up with desire and longing and can enlighten you with her story.

The writing is quite fine, especially the narrative which is kept catchy and free-flowing. Thanks to the author, because of whom, I got to see a lot of things behind the glossy and sliding doors of a top-shot publishing house which have a large number of imprints under it's name. (Aah, sounds like Penguin!!)

The life of a publicist is really hard and Kate fits the bill perfectly. The characters are all very well-developed, especially the supporting cast which are very striking. The narrative shifts from Mac to Kate and because of which we could get to see the story from both Mac and Kate's POV.

The author have layered the plot with some deep emotions that are surely going to impact you. The pacing of the book is really good and I've already started reading the next book in the series where Kate fulfills the challenge given to her by a dead author.

Verdict: Go ahead, it's a must read if you want to know about all-that-fuss in the life of a publicist.

Courtesy: I received the book for a blog tour.

[Christina George]

It's mine, so I love it!

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this a B- at All About Romance, so 3.5 stars here.

When I saw the blurb for this self-published novel, I'll admit it caught my eye. Christina George is, per the author's description, the pseudonym of someone who has worked 20+ years in the publishing industry and the book promises one author's view of the publishing world from the inside. And that peek behind the curtain contained in The Publicist: Book One makes for interesting reading. However, one does not get so vibrant a look at the life and loves of lead character Kate Mitchell, so as a work of fiction, this book falls a little short of the mark for me. Even so, I have to admit that it had a certain cracktastic quality about it.

Publicist Kate Mitchell works at Morris & Dean Publishing (known as "MD") and dreams of hitting it big. For now, she represents lesser known(and not terribly respected) authors but she's working hard in search of her big break. It appears that this break may be about to come in the form of a project that star editor MacDermott "Mac" Ellis demands she work on with him. On the surface, the project sounds like a dream as it involves the follow-up to MD's latest runaway bestseller. However, Kate has an uneasy feeling about the author and Mac's advances turn her world upside down, too. On the one hand, Kate finds Mac unbelievably attractive - but he's also very much married and Kate knows he'll stay that way.

This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I started reading The Publicist, I knew that I was going to love Kate. The book opens with her essentially having to be a knight in shining armor, and she does it with grace and compassion...even if she doesn't want to. Kate is a publicist for a pretty well-known publishing company. The different situations she's put in and the relationships that she has with Mac, Nick, Allan and even Grace, are just very personable.

Mac...I wanted to hate him. Really I did. But Ms. George definitely gets you to be on his side. He's wounded. Sure, he does MANY questionable things, but, there are so many reasons.

I loved to watch Kate's relationship with Allan. The fact that she didn't flaunt her friendship with him just proved to me what a good (and true) friend she is to him.

The Publicist was a quick, easy read for me......BUT, I must warn you....see that up there ^^^^
Book One
My kindle almost lost a battle with my wall at the ending of this sucker. I was happily reading along and then Ba-BAM! Done. Over. No more conversation with Mac and Kate. I had a sad.

Needless to say, I enjoyed the story very much! I just wish it hadn't ended so abruptly and that there was a little bit more somethin', somethin' in the 2nd half. There was so much detail and the stories were so fun in the first half of the book, and then it just sort of seemed rushed to me in the second half. I am VERY anxiously awaiting book 2 so that I can find out what the heck is going on!

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I purchased The Publicist, I expected a steamy and simple romance. However, what I got was a complex romance without the steam.

The focus of the story is on Kate Mitchell, a publicist for Morris and Dean Publishing, one of the top-notch publishing agencies in New York. She is determined to make her mark in the publishing world and in the process try to change the age-old institution of publishing. She just needs to focus on her job and stay away from the charismatic, handsome and how so married editor MacDermot Ellis.

Mac is funny and charming and has his eyes set on Kate. Known for his many liaisons, which he ends the moment the other party becomes emotionally involved because he had no intention of divorcing his wife. However, with Kate he wanted more. Kate believed she could handle the affair despite the many warnings she received against it. Then to make the situation even more complicated, Nick, the handsome single nephew of a dear friend, shows his interest in cultivating a relationship that goes beyond friendship. Can Kate fulfil her dreams of making waves in the publishing world while trying to handle her complicated love life?

I found the story engaging. It started out on a high note, which had me looking forward to more. Kate is called upon to utilise her skills to avert a potential crisis. The story featured several laugh out loud moments that had me laughing hard until my eyes teared up. The ending, which was a cliff-hanger, left me with lots of questions and had me curious about what is next in store for the characters.

I enjoyed spending time in the world the author created. I got an inside look into the world of publishing and learnt it was not all glamour and glitz. I saw first-hand the struggles publishers face dealing with high strung authors who cannot handle a negative review as well as the excitement garnered when her client ends upon the best seller list.

Kate Mitchell is hard working, and I admired her uncanny ability to handle the stressful situations with her clients. However, she is an enormous mess when it comes to her personal life. She had a knack for making poor choices regarding relationships, which was clear from her decision to get involved with Mac. Don’t get me started on how easy it was for her to get involved with Mac, despite the many warnings from her best friend. What had me shaking my head even more was her involvement with Nick while claiming to being love with Mac.

I am sorry to say I did not like Mac. He remains in a loveless marriage for twenty years and tries to justify it by using the catholic church’s stance against divorce while engaging in many affairs. Talk about hypocritical and selfish. Sorry I have no sympathy for cheaters.

I was not a fan of the romance for obvious reasons. Cheating coupled with a love triangle is for me a recipe for disaster. That being said, the manner in which the author wrote the love scenes the reader had no choice but to imagine what went on behind closed doors.

I had a wonderful time listening to Lisa Cordileone, and I thought she did a superb job. She brought the story to life, and it made my experience a pleasurable one.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Despite my disappointment in the main characters, the story had its good points.

[The Author Visits · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Publicist

Christina George

The Author Visits received a copy of The Publicist in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Publicist is the first installment in Christina George’s three-part romantic series.

Kate Mitchell is a publicist in the world of publishing. Working for Morris and Dean keeps Kate incredibly busy. Always fishing her authors out of a sea of trouble, Kate is more often than not, trying to keep her own head above water. She is good at what she does but trying to keep her authors from committing public suicide (literally and figuratively,) is more than a full-time job.

Enter Mac Ellis. A star editor at Morris and Dean, he not only has a reputation for picking best-sellers but also for his insatiable appetite for women despite his marital status. Mac has set his sights on Kate and the remainder of the Publicist dissects the relationship between Mac and Kate.

But there is a twist. Enter Nick Lavigne, the handsome nephew of elusive best-selling author and Kate’s good friend, Allan Lavinge. Nick is the complete opposite of Mac. Where Mac uses his unhappy marriage as the catalyst to behave badly and is selfish about his needs, Nick is considerate and genuine in his concern for Kate. Nick adds another dimension to Kate’s story.

What I liked about The Publicist:
1. Cast of characters:

Grace Adler is the kind of best friend every girl needs. Grace understands Kate, maybe better than Kate understands herself. She doesn’t mince her words and is always truthful, never sugar-coating her opinion which frankly speaking, is a breath of fresh air where Kate is concerned.

Allan Lavigne is one of Kate’s truest confidantes. Proclaimed to be one of the great writers of his time, Allan has given up writing in exchange for a quiet existence in his smallish Manhattan apartment. Their friendship is genuine in the fickle world of publishing. Allan loves Kate and the two share a father-daughter type bond, one filled with genuine affection and mutual respect.

Honorable mention: Lulu Proctor, the hard-working and loyal assistant to Kate.

2. Writing:

George’s writing is straight-forward, clean and without frills while well-paced and steady. George can definitely write.

3. Insight into the publishing industry:

Kate is adept at navigating the world of publicity for a slew of crazy authors thrown her way by Morris and Dean. I enjoyed reading about those escapades and Kate’s handling of her clients and the clean-up that went with the fiascos. Gotta love the crazy world of authors and publishing!

4. This isn’t a Fifty Shades kind of love story:

Bravo! That is a major selling point with me as a review. I am so over erotica. What I love about The Publicist is what George leaves to the imagination of the reader. There is no doubt that Mac Ellis knows his way around a woman’s body and I am cool with not having every touch and caress documented in graphic detail on the page. It takes a deft kind of writer to build up want and need between two characters through implicit suggestion rather than the explicit and George does a stellar job.

5. Storyline:

The Publicist has an interesting storyline. With a love story set against the backdrop of publishing in my most favorite city in the world, Manhattan, I was definitely intrigued, especially because I am an aspiring writer and am always interested in the mechanics of how publishing works while also being an avid romance reader.

What I didn’t like about the Publicist:
1. Info. dump about the publishing industry:

This worked for and against George. There were scenes in the book that served no purpose. I didn’t really need to know about imprints and when sales meetings were held at Morris and Dean. There was backstory on the history of Morris and Dean and Edward Sherman, the head of the publishing house that provided no insight into what I felt was missing, which is history on where Kate came from, her roots, how she became who she was more from a character development stand-point than an infomercial point of view.

At times, the detailed explanations of Kate’s work-life as a publicist were overkill and often highlighted the short-comings of Kate’s character development and this is where I would have liked to see Kate’s definitiveness where it came to the matters of her heart.

2. Kate’s character development:

Kate Mitchell is our protagonist and when it comes to her work, she is an ace publicist. The story reveals her uncanny ability to handle the most over-the-top situations with her authors. But when it comes to Kate as Kate, I am left scratching my head. Why? I don’t think I understand Kate’s motivations. It seems she falls a little too easily for Mac. She doesn’t strike me as a woman who is that wanton. I felt Grace was far more steadfast as a character as opposed to Kate who I felt was too needy. I wasn’t sure how someone like Kate could be so easily seduced by someone like Mac. It was a little disheartening. She didn’t even make him work to attain her. Instead, Kate let him kiss her and that was it, Kate was a goner. This is almost counter-intuitive to the Kate who is both driven and perceptive. Again, I was left scratching my head where Kate’s character was concerned.

3. Mac.

Nothing redeeming about Mac. He is an egotistical, self-absorbed, philandering fool and makes for the perfect kind of character I love to hate. In this case, his selfishness was transparent and I just couldn’t find it in me to like Mac for any reason what so ever.

Despite not liking certain aspects of the book, I do give the author credit because her writing does have a great deal of potential. The good news here is that the foundation of good story telling is ever-present. I am definitely invested as a reader and interested in seeing how the story of Kate, Mac and Nick works out.

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Read our reviews at The Author Visits

[Dani C. (Polly's Place) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Mitchell is one of many publicists in a large New York City publishing house. Every day she has to deal with crazy authors, books that don’t sell and trying to promote whatever book is given to her. She has a few people who help her deal with it all: Her friend Grace who is not involved in the publishing world, an elderly former author and his handsome nephew Nick and of course one of the top editors at her office, Mac. Mac has been trying to have a ‘relationship’ with Kate for a while and she has been turning him down because he is already married.

I really liked this story. Really, really like it! I like the plot development and I like the pace it moved in. I like the short chapters and how it makes the book easy to read. I liked the characters but I just couldn’t connect with one of them.

The one thing that bothered me the most in this book is the romance. I hate that I couldn’t connect to Kate because of her decision to have an affair with Mac who is a married man. He tried to excuse his behavior away because of his wife losing interest in him after they lost a child. Unfortunately I don’t agree with any kind of excuse for these actions.

Other than that The Publicist gives us a unique view into the publishing world. Very enjoyable it does end on a bit of a cliff hanger and I know I can’t wait to see who Kate ends up with.

[Pam Godwin]

I'm not going to rate this book because I'm not sure I gave it a fair chance. I quit at 25%. I expected more of a story and less info dumping. There's just too much telling and monologue for my taste buds, and not enough action, showing, or characterization. The narration creates a kind of disgruntled ambiance with its negative viewpoint of authors. My reaction is subjective - this one just wasn't for me.

[Chrissy Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The author does a great job of showing you how things works behind the scenes in the publishing world. The book caught my attention because I've always wanted to work in publishing or be published. Kate was a great character, she was always working hard to try and make happy or comfortable. I was hoping for a little more heat with the romance that slowly built in this book, but overall I think this book was worth the four stars. If you want a glimpse into publishing and a clean romance, this is a good book for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/10/2019)! 🎁

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is working her dream job. She is a publicist for a book publishing company. She really does not have any time for a relationship with anyone. But she has always had a crush on one of her co-workers. She knew that he was married so she never really did anything about it. But one day she got involved with him. She also found out how he felt about her. But the major issue for her is that she knows there is no future with him; and she is in love.
Mac is an editor and is married. He stays in the marriage because he does not want his wife to get any more depressed then she already is. The whole thing is that he is no longer in love with his wife. So he has affairs with various women but they never last. When he started spending time with Kate he realized that his relationship with her is different. He actually started falling in love with her. He just does not know what to do about it. Because he knows that he will probably not leave his marriage.
Throughout the book Kate tells her story; from her personal life and her professional life. Her heartache for losing a friend to her falling in love with someone who cannot promise her a future. Kate always knew that her life would be in the publishing world. She always knew that her life would be in New York City and that she would never want to leave. She just never thought that falling for someone in her work place would also have the possibility of breaking her heart.
Kate and Mac were always good together. He as an editor and her as the publicist of the books he edited. Throughout the book their feelings for each other grew. Mac never thought he would love someone like her. Kate never thought she would fall in love with a co-worker. The book shows that even though you are in love with someone life still needs to be considered. Even if it means having a broken heart because you knew it was the best thing you could do.
In the beginning when I first started reading this book, I was not completely sure what to make of it. But the more I read the more I got into it. And by the time I was done reading the book I was looking forward to see what the second book would be like.
The author put so much thought and effort into this book. It is defiantly a page turner for the modern career woman. She brings the workplace and life into a book and meshes them so well. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how much is accurate about the publishing world - but it sounds pretty accurate - from the little I know. I've been reviewing books for a long time and I've not only met and mingled and conversed with authors, but with publishers, and public relations people and the book is on the money with what I've learned. I still found it fascinating because the publishing world is just that - fascinating; the fast paced dog eat dog world - and will the book get published and will it be a success.

There is also humor in the book. Laugh out loud humor. This is from a scene where Kate is talking an author from jumping off a roof.

"How does on decide what to wear to a suicide? Kate pondered. 'I'll never get past this - I'm ruined. Oprah cancelled on me! No one will ever speak to me again!' ...'You don't know my friends.'...'and the next I'm cast aside, discarded by some lowlife producer and replaced by some bleeding-heart novelist.' Kate rolled her eyes. Jesus, this girl. If she wasn't so close to the edge of the roof, Kate would rush over and give her a good wallop. Oprah was off the air, but her name still sounded like magic to many authors."

"'But I bought Armani!' Kate was silent for a moment, a line of officers standing behind her. She wasn't sure what Haley was talking about. 'Haley,' she began, 'what do you mean?' 'I bought Armani for the show. An outfit, you know. Clothes?' Her sarcasm was dripping, and it was all Kate could do not to slip her foot in front of one of Haley's expensive shoes and topple her off the roof. Kate thought for a moment about leaving Haley on the ledge and walking ov er to the nearest bar to watch the rest on TV while she shipped a Cosmo. But she didn't. She stayed. She couldn't, after all, let Haley jump."

Can you imagine being a publicist and having to deal with so much drama?

Then, there's the love story. While Fifty Shades left little to the imagination, I enjoyed the way author Christina George did leave some to the imagination. It's always much more fun that way. I wouldn't want to give any spoilers away and I just hate regurgitating the book blurb, but I will tell you the books are enjoyable and you will love them. I'm giving The Publicist five stars.

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Christina George knows a few things about the world of book publishing and how to make her characters intriguing with a plot full of new twists and turns. Her first book, The Publicist, is a story that brings you into the fascinating world of Kate, a publicist at a high profile New York publishing house who is caught between authors, publicists, and two male suitors.

Needless to say Kate's world is anything but boring. The story begins with a suicidal client perched on the ledge of a tall high rise building whom Kate must convince to not give up. Every author it seems wants to be on the "best seller" list and Kate's clients have huge expectations that she must deal with. But one high profile project sends her into a romantic tailspin with the publishing house's top editor, Mac, who is unhappily married and very interested in Kate.

After romance blossoms between Kate and Mac, Kate must make a decision as she knows he will not leave his wife. Enter irresistible Nick, the nephew of her high profile client, who is young, handsome, and also very interested in Kate. Their relationship starts to heat up while Kate must keep Mac at bay. This creates a fun dilemma along with some romantic tension that keeps you wanting for more.

The predicament of choosing between two handsome men has been written about before; however, Georg's novel, The Publicist, puts you in the mindset of the characters while they are striving for success and the need for each other.

Kate must choose to either stay with Mac, who is a married man, or give in to Nick who has seemingly swept her off of her feet.

The struggle between Kate's professional and personal life is something many women like her can relate to. The Publicist has some humorous elements to it with just enough spice, which makes it a delightful read for those who enjoy romantic fiction and would like to know more about the publishing industry.

The story will leave you at the edge of Kate's romantic dilemma as Christina George's The Publicist will be continued in the next intriguing installment, Book 2. I can't wait!

[Kathy Cordero · Rating 5 out of 5]

El primer libro de Christina George cuenta la historia de Kate, una joven publicista tratando de escalar en medio del mundo de los libros donde no hace falta el ego, inseguridad y algunas veces la ingratitud de algunos autores. Sumado a todo esto están los dramas de siempre, que si el chico que te gusta no es para ti pero parece siempre estar allí, que si algunas cosas que sabrías que saldrían mal salen peor, es decir la agitada vida de un mundo donde solo la satisfacción de hacer lo que realmente te apasiona es la mejor recompensa.

Estaba sumamente atraída por la historia y aunque pase varios meses con ella en mi kindle antes de leerla permítanme decirles que lamento no haberlo leído desde que lo compré.

Desde el primer capítulo supe que es el tipo de libro que suelo disfrutar, una lectura ligera en la cual encontraría personajes con los que me identificaría fácilmente.

La pasión de Kate con los libros es palpable, no solo le encanta leer sino que sabe luchar porque los libros (ya sea que le gusten o que no) lleguen a ser conocidos por el público pues ama lo que hace, pero además de eso su historia personal le presenta al lector un tema romántico controversial lo cual le da al libro otro toque más complejo a la historia.

Una de las cosas que aprendí acerca del mundo editorial es lo importante que es el publicista en todo el proceso de publicación de una historia, claro que el editor transforma el núcleo de la historia en algo literalmente vendible pero es el publicista el que debe darle forma al producto final.

Aunque al principio puede parecer que trato de decirles que es una historia algo tonta tengo que aclarar que también te presenta situaciones que trasladadas a un ámbito de moral podrían ponerte a dudar, podrán hacer que el lector analice ciertas situaciones que se dan en el libro para sacar luego sus propias conclusiones lo que al final convierte al libro en algo no solo divertido sino capaz de llevar al lector al sitio de su mente donde se confronta a sí mismo.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The copy I received of The Publicist had the cover on like in the book set (two people on the couch *ahem* reading between the lines, shall we say). So when I opened the package, I got a little worried; as a rule, books with copious amounts of blatant sex are not my cup of tea. But I had agreed to review the books and the author had included a hand-written personal note - which I thought was very, VERY classy - so I determined to forge ahead.

And I am so glad I did.

On page one, we are introduced to Katherine Mitchell (Kate), and are immediately drawn to her compassionate nature. Why? Because in the second paragraph of The Publicist, she goes tearing out of her office to go talk to an author who is threatening to jump off a roof in New York because her Oprah interview was cancelled.

Kate has also stayed cordial to the point of friendship with the author of her firm's most successful book ever, Allan Lavigne, who has not seemed to be able to write the second book in his contract - ever. She visits him regularly, really enjoys his company, and brings him groceries now and again because he rarely gets out and she wants to make sure Allan is taking care of himself.

But in at least one sense, we learn that Allan can take care of his interests quite well, thank you.

And then there is Mac. Handsome, talented in more ways than one, married MacDermott Ellis. I really never thought I could have any sympathy for a cheating husband. And while I certainly not a fan of extra-marital affairs, Ms. George does an incredible job of showing Mac's humanity and basic decency. I actually wound up liking Mac.

This is a good read for anyone who likes to read or who is involved with publishing. It adds another dimension to (my) reading when we understand a little of what is involved in bring the work from the keyboard to our reading stacks.

(Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Publicist from the author and iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was offered, requested or received.)

[Jonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thoughts? Holy cow! What a way to start the story. George draws you in right from the first scene, dropping you right into the middle of her heroine’s life. She continues her story in an intensely captivating manner that will have you racing forwards to find out how it ends. The short chapters add a quick, forward pace to the novel, while the author’s well written, emotional style really packs a punch. George combines interesting subject matter with realistic characters that you can actually identify with into a novel that I not only loved, but had me questioning why I think what I do. There are definitely aspects of this novel that some will find controversial or immoral. The author doesn’t skirt around these topics or sugar coat them to try to put her characters in a better light. She lets the chips fall where they may. This novel was like a breath of fresh air for me. I found that the real life, career based backdrop made it all the more poignant.

I really liked the main character in this novel. She was a bit of a paradox, even for herself. She was firm in her beliefs, but followed her feelings and these rarely coincided. Watching her come to terms with this was quite endearing. The over the top emotions from the authors is absolutely brilliant. It really shows a sharp contrast between everyday reality and the reality of the main character’s job. You can’t help but laugh, even though you feel for the main character. The narrator in the audio version definitely does the characters justice. She brings everything to life in an unforgettable way.

This is a book about books & life & romance. How can you get much better than that?

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Mitchell a women who wants to change the world of publishing, but can she? She works as a publicist at a large respected publishing house, but she is at mercy of a broken system where books don’t sell and authors with bigger egos then New York itself. Kate is barely making it all day with wanting to throw her phone out the window but in walks star editor MacDermott Ellis: Tall, Sexy, charming married and ready to save the day if he needs too. She also has Allan Lavigne, a long forgotten bestseller and his nephew Nick: Hot, sweet and Single, ready to sweep Kate off her feet.

Kate is trying to make a name for herself in the crazy world this is working in, but with sandal around ever turn and two men wanting her. Will Kate be a sandal herself?

I knew from the moment I started to read this that I would love Kate and it did. She is strong willed and knows what she wants most of the time. I wanted to hate Mac so much, but I felt sorry for him after read what happen to his marriages. Yes his dose many questionable things but he has his own reasons for doing what he does. Nick on the other hand was easy for me to hate and I can’t tell you don’t like him. I like how Kate and Mac relationship starts over time and not right off the bat and Mac tells he from the beginning what he wants and how it would work. It was slow at times, but it still kept you reading.

Christine shows you the world of publishing like you never seen it before and it’s funny, sexy and keeps you guessing. Her writing is spot on and clever with an edge of wittiness. It just leaves you wanting more.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Mitchell, a publicist for a New York publishing company, gets a call telling her that one of her authors is threatening to jump off a roof. The reason? Her appearance on Oprah was cancelled. Kate is able to stop her with vague promises that might include an invitation to a movie premier and being photographed with George Clooney. This is just the Prologue of Christina George's novel, The Publicist, Book One.Kate is the main character and in her voice the reader gets an inside look into the publishing world. Her life is populated with authors who crave success, no matter what. Further complicating her life is editor, MacDermott Ellis who is good looking, charming, married and determined to have an affair with her while making it clear he will never leave his wife. Her friendship with writer, Allan Lavigne, leads to her meeting his good looking, successful, single, nephew, Nick. Nick, too, wants a relationship with Kate. Two attractive men, a stressful job and the unexpected gift of a manuscript that could determine a legacy are just a few of the components of Kate's life. "How do the most significant moments in life begin? Often it's hard to remember. We end up with our lives forever changed and wonder how we got there." All Kate has to do now is to make decisions and choices.
This is a cleverly written, fast moving and witty book. The ending leaves the reader wanting more. I can't wait to read Book Two.
I received this book free of charge. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was unimpressed with The Publicist. While the publishing escapades are relatively interesting, the romance is stale and obvious. This book adds nothing to the expected romance formula. I spent most of the time thinking "just get it over with already because we all know what's going to happen". I found myself forgetting what I had just read and getting confused about events/characters. I skipped pages towards the midpoint and skimmed dialogue. I rolled my eyes through the entire second half of the novel. I'm also disappointed in the use of language; the word choices didn't match the supposed passion between Mac and Kate. I also couldn't separate Kate's affection for Nick from the intensity of her draw to Mac. The language doesn't really provide a dividing line that would create a sense of investment in either guy for the reader. The book tells more than it shows, which makes it hard to believe.

Kate comes across to me as only half formed. She can't figure out what she wants because she has no real motivations. She falls into these relationships where the men seem to take what they want and hope for the best. She never really initiates anything - at her job, with her friends or with these men. For someone so adept at putting out fires and directing other people, she doesn't seem to have any real drive to direct her own life. I think Ms. George has talent, but she needs to spend more time with her characters (the actual important people, not all the extras) to flesh them out.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Great story, felt more fiction than romance"
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
It was a very interesting read and entertaining throughout. I loved the inside look into the life of a publicist. I love those aspects of the book. The mixed narrative is fantastic, it gets you into the heads of the characters and adds plenty of insight.

Would you be willing to try another book from Christina George? Why or why not?
Yes, she is a great storyteller. The character of Kate is fantastic. Definitely interested in seeing what happens next for her. The supporting characters were engaging and kept things popping for Kate. I loved the crazy authors she had to deal with.

What about Lisa Cordileone’s performance did you like?
Loved it!! She is a fantastic narrator with plenty of energy and enthusiasm in the read. I loved her pace which kept the story moving right along. I am eager to find more of her work, she gives good voice!

What would have made this romance irresistible?
I wasn't really feeling the romance angle. I thought it worked better as a fiction about a sassy chick in the publishing industry.

Any additional comments?
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon deciding to read The Publicist I did not know what to expect. I was presently surprised how the book just flows. Literally I could not put it down, knocked it out the span of two and a half hours. George did her thing, she gave us a glimpse into the world of a publicist. Who knew how multi-talented one has to be just to get an author published, out to the masses and not to mention dealing with their egos and the competition of other publicists. It is a dog eat dog world.

George gives us comedy, drama, a realness within this novel. It is not a short story but just long enough for some comfortable reading with a simple plot that grasps you just enough to keep you wanting to know more. I am very delighted to know that George is making a part two. There are so many story lines that can be explored. If a quick read with bits of drama/comedy/romance is what you need, do not sleep on Christina George's novel "The Publicist."

[Sharon Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a book reviewer, I deal with a lot of publicists - a lot! Some of them I count among my dear friends. And some, a very very few, I'd like to kick to the curb. But most of them do their job, and do it well, and I appreciate them for a job done with professionalism and grace.

So I was excited to review this novel featuring a book publicist by a book publicist. Christina George (not her real name, for obvious reasons!) does a fantastic job of describing the world of publicity in the book industry. She captures all the nuances of the job in a fast-paced, lively story that features a bit of romance, a bit of laughter, and a great deal of wonderful storytelling.

"The Publicist" is listed as Book One, and I, for one, look forward to reading more in future installments!

I highly recommend this book as an entertaining fiction read.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Publicist' gives you a sneak peek to the other side of the barricade- where the books are made.
In an extravagant kind of way, mocking the publishing industry, the Author brings us closer to the real world behind the scenes.
The love triangle in between also helps to cover the tracks and all in once it is the biggest part of the story that keeps you interested. Because truth be told I couldn't be less enthused by deals and deadlines.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was curious about the ‘insider’ approach to publishing: so often we hear author stories, or as book reviewers only read the title: and we aren’t aware of the struggles to get a title TO the public: we are removed from that part of the journey. Christina George gives us a character in Kate: a publicist with a well-respected NY house that is struggling to keep their market niche.

I really enjoyed Kate: her ability to just tackle things head on at full tilt, without letting all of the ridiculous bad behaviors get her too flustered: at least not that we see. Kate is at the bottom of the feeding pool at her work: the editors get the credit for the titles, the owner takes the accolades and awards, and she is often left to deal with screaming mimi fits at 3 am when an author is having ‘a moment’. I will say that I was more than a bit disappointed in her when she stepped over the line with Mac, the star editor and renown philanderer of the office. There was a bit of “insta-love’ there, falling for all of the safe and secure feelings that she had with him, even though I felt many were based in her fear of commitment – with him married she could enjoy the moment.

Mac is an interesting guy: usually the editor who grabs the best titles: the books that are literary winners and manage to rise to best—sellers, he is entrenched in his marriage, but that will not keep him from choosing a side dish frequently. While one of the catch phrases in the book is “the ego has landed”, when often referred to authors, Mac is the first (yet not the only) character who also has some aggrandized self-import.

While a publisher cannot exist within a vacuum, there are several other characters worth more than a brief mention: the president of the publishing house is more concerned with the NYT list and the bottom line than quality: always seeking to push editors to accept books in the “next hot” phase. Kate’s best friend Grace is a dose of reality: making Kate face her own failings, being there to support her, and even sharing the questions and potential pitfalls in her relationships. In fact, it is Grace who ultimately provides Kate with one of the necessary tools to change her life. Alan, is the other person who gave Kate a Hand. An award-winning author, much like Salinger, he only wrote one book, and then retired from the spotlight. Kate was tasked with bringing him some information from the publisher one day and the two formed an easy friendship: he would answer her questions and provide his insight, she would provide company and conversation and bring him fresh groceries. Alan has also been talking Kate up to his nephew, Nick, and was not so secretly hoping that the two would hit it off, despite Nick’s living in California. Other minor characters develop more importance in the second story, and are often integral to the twists.

Told from Kate’s point of view, with insets of conversations and descriptions, the sense of ‘being there’ is entirely tactile and intriguing. Not only did I enjoy the sense of the publishing world and the frustrations that are common to those in the industry as they were revealed, but the ability to actually apply titles to some of the situations that Kate both sorts and manages was a fun time: while only experiencing some of the pressure that a publicist does, as a book blogger I could SO relate to some of the temper tantrums, gossip and rumors.

To me, this was less of a romance and more of a “week in the life’ of a publicist: although I did have several issues with the romance element. WHY oh WHY do single women ALLOW married men to use trite, tired and patently ‘easy’ excuses to justify their bad behavior, and then become partners in crime? My marriage is in name only, she lost interest in me, I won’t ever divorce her BUT….. **insert eyeroll here**…. Yeah, that just made me cringe more often than not. But, I will say that their connection was real, if I only felt it as a lusty one.

Intriguing, with lots of elements to identify with and a great opportunity for Kate to make huge changes in her life’s direction and work, this was a fun story that I devoured in one sitting, and went straight into the second in the series right after.

I received a Galley copy of the title from Marketing Experts via the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beware. You are now entering the publishing zone!

First things first. I had a bit of a rough patch with Kate and Mac. He’s married, after all. I don’t condone that behavior one bit. But there are special circumstances here. I actually found myself hoping these two would get their happy ever after. This is the first of three books so I was pretty sure it wouldn’t happen soon. And the author throws in Nick. He’s just as sexy as Mac, and single. Who knows where it will go.

What a lovely mess is the world of publishing. As a publicist, Kate has to deal with some crazy stuff. From authors faking 5 star reviews, to stage fright, to squeezing that next book out of them, she’s always stressed out. I bow to her tenacity. No matter how impossible some things seemed, she found a way, often making me laugh at her ingenuity.

I read a lot of books and have come to know many authors and some of their experiences with being published. Now I have a peek into the other side of that process. I don’t envy either. It can be cut throat and you need a tough skin and lots of patience. And sometimes, a heart.

Many characters are introduced. A few secondary ones really had an impact. And there are some I’d gladly show to the door.

The chapters are short, making it a fast read. I read this straight through in one night. I started it, got sucked in by the smooth writing and genuine characters, and kept thinking I’d read just one more chapter. It was the wee hours when I finished it and I kept looking at the second book, but I resisted and did get some sleep.

I recommend this to authors, publishers, and word lovers everywhere.

“It’s a mad mad mad mad world.”

I received this book for my honest review.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of the book world, I love reading books about Bloggers, Authors , PR etc as I could imagine myself one day in that world. That's why when I read that Christina George had released a book called "The Publicist" I wanted to read it as it sounded right up my alley and I loved it. In Book #1 we meet Kate aka Katherine Clark who is "The Publicist" , she works for a large but non-commercialised publishing company called MD. In this book it starts off with a bang as Kate is called to help with a jumper situation as one of her celeb authors is threatening to jump because Oprah cancelled her segment on the show. Kate talks her down but we will soon discover that this incident is just another day in Kate's world. In The Publicist we read as Kate makes connections with authors, pulls strings to save her friends - the newfound writers, try to get the books she likes and wants to promote but at the same time she gets lumbered with the ones that nobody wants. Also the romance side in The Publicist is that Kate falls for Mac's charms and soon they start a relationship but Mac is married and it seems that single guy Nick has captured her attention as well . Who will Kate choose, will she go simple or complicated ?

Find out in "The Publicist" - the job that you take home with you and is always filled with challenges.

[Cheryl Drake johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

This was a really good read Mac and Katie's story was a lot of emotions through out bk. 1 and 2. Katie fell for Mac and then she meets Allan's nephew Nick and she realizes that even though she is in love with Mac she has to give him up during the holiday's and in comes Nick to make her time past while Mac is spending time with the family. Mac seeing Kate with Nick makes him realizes he loves Katie. They were actually happy for a minute. I had to change my mind about him until he turned coward and he betrayed Katie and says I love you after she is almost raped by Edward (low life) because he was her boss. After her complete betrayal by boss and lover Nick comes because he hears what happened to Katie and she runs off to California with him and moves into his house big mistake and she should never have gotten in engaged to Nick. But he did encourage her to get back to work and she does excellent in her new job as a publisher until she meets Mac again and her movie premiere all the old feelings start an avalanche of emotions again. You have got to read book 1&2 book 3 coming soon.
Excellent.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Publicist follows Kate Mitchell as she tries to make a difference in the publishing world and manage her love life at the same time. She’s stuck publicizing authors with crazy egos (or who are just plain crazy), battling to get better literature published, and trying to figure out a pretty complicated relationship with an unavailable man.

I thought that this book was a funny, insightful and well written take on both the publishing world and relationships. The situations that Kate often found herself in thanks to her authors were always entertaining and usually made me laugh. At first, I did not really know how to feel about Kate and Mac’s relationship, but I thought that the author fleshed out their relationship, making it much more real and nuanced. I definitely suggest getting this and the second in the series as I really wanted to see how Kate and Mac would deal with the issues they faced by the end of this book.

[michelle banouvong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical at first with all the mediocre reviews of the first book The Publicist. I had fun reading the books, I liked the excitement, the fame,busy city work and the character build up. I've read some reviews compare it similar to Fifty Shades of Grey (Which I loved) Then some reviews about it being to clique. I really think you have to read for yourself, with such mixed reviews. Kate's life which is fast paced, with work chaos and the people in her I could sort of relate to. I'm also a fan of reading up on celebrities and social media so, I liked that action aspect it was exciting. I liked the characters, the crazy behind the scenes things that were happening during publishing tours Kate lead. I laughed and cringed. Romance part was fun, excited and daring. I would definitely recommend this book to my girlfriends. We tend to swap reads during girl trips while lounging, I think they would like this one to read while sitting by the pool.

[Dennis Littrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Women’s fantasies fulfilled?

George has talent and she writes carefully with some subtlety. Unfortunately there are a few problems with the novel that will keep some readers from finishing it. But let’s begin with the positive.

In the Prologue George’s protagonist Kate Mitchell saves Haley, one of her “authors,” by talking her out of jumping off a roof to her death. The Prologue ends with this cute couplet between her and “a tall, handsome police officer”:

“May I ask who you are? Her friend, sister, lover?”
“None of the above.” Kate’s mouth turned into a slight smile. “I’m the publicist.”

The first problem is that Kate really desperately needs some flaws. She is a very boring character, always doing good and working hard and conscientiously. In Chapter Sixteen she actually does get a flaw. It turns out she can be on the bitchy side. So she’s boring and bitchy. The reader wonders what Mac (who is tall, a bit dark and very handsome) sees in her. She must be a knockout, perhaps a frigid one. But we really don’t see her yet. She only comes into focus gradually. Since she had struggled on her own for “a number of years” before becoming a publicist ten years ago, she has to be at least in her middle thirties. Apparently she doesn’t date, has never been married, yet she is so enchanting that Mac is doing everything he can to get her into bed. And Mac! He’s just a cliché of an impossibly smooth, handsome man on the make.

The next problem is the narrative. It is third person omniscient; however the author so closely identifies with her heroine that for the first several pages it appears to be “third person limited” so that we only know what Kate is thinking. So it was jarring to suddenly realize we are getting interior thoughts from Mac. I am not a narrative purist but I think George should have stuck with an exclusive focus on Kate and just show what the other characters are doing.

This leads me to the third problem which is too much telling and not enough showing. For example when Mac asks Kate why she hasn’t been “snapped up yet” (p. 61) Kate replies to herself ‘Because I’m always attracted to the wrong men’ but says “Just busy, Mac, you know, with work.”

Now this is okay, even good in that it foreshadows her relationship with Mac who is clearly the “wrong man,” but what George should do is give us some vivid background possibly in the form of flashbacks so that we can see exactly what those wrong men were like. As it is Kate is a character without much of a past.

The fourth problem is all the action aside from the steamy and inevitable love affair to come is quite frankly as boring as Kate herself, not to mention superficial. The great book that Kate is the publicist for, “The Continued Promise” seems from what little we know about it to be vacuous. There are a couple of mentions of “the scientific piece” (one on page 81) to come with the book, but the phrase “scientific piece” screams vacuousness. And, despite the fact that George apparently knows the publishing business, what Kate actually does lacks the nitty-gritty veracity that really exists in any business. We hear about the whining, self-absorbed authors but they just make quick appearances, characters without any depth without any real attachment to the plot.

The fifth problem is that many of the scenes are just vignettes neither furthering the plot nor integrated with people or events that move the story along. An example is the opening scene where Kate heroically talks Haley out of jumping to her death.

And finally there is the romance novel/chick lit playing out of the dark and handsome temptation that Kate will eventually yield to. I presume. I didn’t stay around for the finish.

...Okay, that’s the way I felt after the first twenty chapters (86 pages) But since George had sent me the book and being the conscientious person that I am (small smile) I returned to the book and began to see some subtleties that I had missed. Not only that but I began to see that maybe what I thought was superficial in the novel was really just my superficial reading of it.

I went back to my notes. There it was. A very nice line on page 2: “Her heart almost jumped out onto her desk.” (The “onto” almost makes me see it wiggling on the dark wood.) And on page 9: there were evenings spent “thumb-dancing on her iPhone...” This girl can write! And guess what? On page 124 we actually do get a mention of one of the “wrong” men in her life before Mac. He was an architect, whom Kate describes as “Insane control freaks that spend much of their day trying to make up for their raging insecurities by building things.”

This inspired me to tough it out to page 127. I told myself this IS chick lit., this IS a romance novel and I have to respect the traditions. Yes, he is a superb lover and she is indeed swept off her feet. (Sorry about the spoilers, but all of this is known to readers of the genre. They know what’s coming they just want to live it again.) And yes we discover that he has a heart of gold and yes! he can even cook!

Okay it all plays out, but what was it that stopped me from finishing the novel? Nicholas. It turns out that Kate’s kindness to old washed up author Allan is going to pay some nice dividends since in Chapter Twenty-Seven she meets Allan’s nephew who is (have you read this before?) “tall, handsome and tan.” The plot thickens.

Bottom line here: whether this is good chick lit or okay chick lit, great chick lit or bad, I don’t know. I do know that after the 126 pages I read I need to read a spy thriller, an espionage caper tale, a football novel, “Moby Dick,” or something by Cormac McCarthy!

—Dennis Littrell, author of “Novels and other Fictions,” in which I say nice and nasty things about other novels, and pontificate freely