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Younger
When PR pro Anna Wallingham gets dumped by her last client, she finds herself running out of options in LA, where looks trump experience. Desperate to prove she is still relevant, the fiftysomething accepts a shady job offer from Pierre Barton, secretive billionaire owner of Barton Pharmaceuticals. Isolated in a facility outside London, she agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger. Anna is starting to look on the outside the way she feels on the inside: ageless. But she soon discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, leading her to research just who stands to gain—and lose—with this miraculous product. When Pierre drops dead in front of her, she takes off on a dangerous journey across Europe hoping to stay alive long enough to uncover the truth.
With the hard-won knowledge that younger isn’t always better, Anna is determined to escape and reclaim her life before it’s too late.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2015
746 people are currently reading
3944 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Munshower
20 books11 followersSuzanne Munshower is a former waitress, short-order cook, go-go girl, movie extra, celebrity interviewer, journalist, fashion columnist, advertising copywriter, and beauty industry publicist. The author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, she’s lived in New York, Los Angeles, San Juan, St. Thomas, London, Berlin, and Città di Castello, Italy. She currently resides in Las Vegas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
March 8, 2015
This book started with a lot of promise. Anna's boss arrives at her apartment out of breath and dies shortly after. Anna grabs all her things and goes on the run. And then the reader spends the next 50% or so of the book seeing how Anna got to where she is now. In my opinion, this was very tedious. I didn't care about every shopping trip or the specifics of all her "coaches". I also didn't get the feel anywhere during the first 50-75% of the book that she was actually in danger. Even when there were "present day" scenes and Anna was city hopping through Europe, the story didn't really do anything to indicate that the bad guys were on her heels. Approximately 75% of the way through, things finally started to get interesting and suspenseful. If the whole book had been like that, I would have loved it. Unfortunately with all of the backstory and the secondary characters I couldn't keep track of, I checked out way before things got suspenseful. The only reason I got through the book is because I kept forcing myself to keep reading it. I don't like to leave books unfinished even if I'm not excited about them. In my opinion, I shouldn't have to force myself to read a book that I'm reading for pleasure.
I think the biggest reason I didn't enjoy this book is that it was listed on the Kindle First page as a thriller. To me danger, suspense, and edge of my seat excitement are important in a thriller. With the exception of the beginning and the end, this book didn't deliver that. If it had been listed as something other than a thriller, and I hadn't gone in with expectations of suspense throughout, I probably would have enjoyed it a great deal more.
I think the biggest reason I didn't enjoy this book is that it was listed on the Kindle First page as a thriller. To me danger, suspense, and edge of my seat excitement are important in a thriller. With the exception of the beginning and the end, this book didn't deliver that. If it had been listed as something other than a thriller, and I hadn't gone in with expectations of suspense throughout, I probably would have enjoyed it a great deal more.
May 12, 2016
A suspenseful mystery full of spies, double agents, beauty and cosmetic industry espionage with a bit of love thrown into the mix.
Anna works in the beauty industry in pr and marketing and was as the top of her game, however in her late 50's, she is beginning to feel unwanted and pushed out of the glamorous world she inhabits. After losing her job and her reputation, tarnished by rumours she is past it, she knows she will struggle without a steady income and likely lose her house, car and glitzy lifestyle. Until a contact in the cosmetic world offers her an offer she can't refuse; money and 30 years off her age. However, things begin to spiral out of control and Anna wonders if she made the right decision, and whether her life was really that bad before.
I was a bit worried about not liking this book, the story sounded intriguing, but I read some pretty bad reviews. This is one of those times I'm glad I ignored those reviews because I'd have missed out on the intrigue. Sure, it jumps back and forth a bit between Anna's present day and how she ended up in that situation, but I quite like timelines that jump around. It certainly wasn't distracting or impossible to follow, and it filled in all the pieces in the puzzle.
I also enjoyed the theme and questions the book forces you to contemplate, and how society still views women of a certain age; either like they are invisible or infirm, and the detrimental effect getting older can have on even the most successful careers. With almost every female celebrity having succumbed to surgery or anti ageing treatments, the pressure always seem to be on women to look as youthful and glamorous as possible. Even some women in their teens/early 20's have already started down the anti ageing route, and it seems quite sad in a way, what will happen when nature eventually does catch up with them, or the surgery starts making them look like melted monsters? Don't they realise that getting older isn't a bad thing, if you're lucky enough to live a long life and have the signs of this on your body, it's only nature. So many other people who die young would have loved to have experienced this process. It just seems so superficial, inside they are still ageing naturally and the treatments don't actually prevent the body and organs from ageing, only parts of the exterior shell. I understand in some industries it seems more lucrative to stay young as long as possible, although maybe this is a sign that society needs to take a good look at how women are portrayed in the media, the double standards involved and that women of all ages should be respected and treated equally to stop this obsession with youth. I'm in my 30's and although I haven't yet thought about going down the surgery/botox route yet, it does make you question what you will do when you begin getting older, just get on with life or do anything to retain the elusive fountain of youth.
Anna works in the beauty industry in pr and marketing and was as the top of her game, however in her late 50's, she is beginning to feel unwanted and pushed out of the glamorous world she inhabits. After losing her job and her reputation, tarnished by rumours she is past it, she knows she will struggle without a steady income and likely lose her house, car and glitzy lifestyle. Until a contact in the cosmetic world offers her an offer she can't refuse; money and 30 years off her age. However, things begin to spiral out of control and Anna wonders if she made the right decision, and whether her life was really that bad before.
I was a bit worried about not liking this book, the story sounded intriguing, but I read some pretty bad reviews. This is one of those times I'm glad I ignored those reviews because I'd have missed out on the intrigue. Sure, it jumps back and forth a bit between Anna's present day and how she ended up in that situation, but I quite like timelines that jump around. It certainly wasn't distracting or impossible to follow, and it filled in all the pieces in the puzzle.
I also enjoyed the theme and questions the book forces you to contemplate, and how society still views women of a certain age; either like they are invisible or infirm, and the detrimental effect getting older can have on even the most successful careers. With almost every female celebrity having succumbed to surgery or anti ageing treatments, the pressure always seem to be on women to look as youthful and glamorous as possible. Even some women in their teens/early 20's have already started down the anti ageing route, and it seems quite sad in a way, what will happen when nature eventually does catch up with them, or the surgery starts making them look like melted monsters? Don't they realise that getting older isn't a bad thing, if you're lucky enough to live a long life and have the signs of this on your body, it's only nature. So many other people who die young would have loved to have experienced this process. It just seems so superficial, inside they are still ageing naturally and the treatments don't actually prevent the body and organs from ageing, only parts of the exterior shell. I understand in some industries it seems more lucrative to stay young as long as possible, although maybe this is a sign that society needs to take a good look at how women are portrayed in the media, the double standards involved and that women of all ages should be respected and treated equally to stop this obsession with youth. I'm in my 30's and although I haven't yet thought about going down the surgery/botox route yet, it does make you question what you will do when you begin getting older, just get on with life or do anything to retain the elusive fountain of youth.
March 17, 2015
What if you could erase thirty years from your face but retain the experience and wisdom that living those years have amassed? Does the thought of not being pigeonholed or becoming invisible because of aging appeal? A wonder "cure" for looking old is being tested, and the results are incredible. It's not shocking to know that there will be a price to be paid for such a thing. Spies and lies and cosmetic espionage make this an entertaining read. Fresh idea. This is one of the Kindle First offerings for this month.
January 13, 2018
It’s the first of the year......so time for me to revisit my DNF or Unreviewed shelf.
I still felt the same about this book so I’m releasing my review into view.
I would like to thank Thomas & Mercer via Net Galley for allowing me to read and honestly review this book.
For those that follow me and read my reviews, its not often I give below 3 stars. I am no judge or jury on a book I read, the stars just highlight how I PERSONALLY FELT about a book.
Even in surveys you have a list....fair, good, bad, not so bad....etc
Well, this was not for me. I DID read it until the end. I never want to feel that I don't give an author my respect and stop reading, I live in hope that something is going to switch my thoughts around and suddenly I am going to like what I am reading. If it was THAT awful I would just stop and not give a review. But this one deserved something from me.
The concept of the story was OK, but it reminded me of the "magic cream" I have had at the dentist that numb my pain. The reason I mention cream is because this is about cream, a cream for the youth.
The story itself was painful to read as it just was like reading something that you sat urging the author on and on to pick up pace, make something more happen, get ME INTERESTED.
It didn't happen.
This book has potential, just needs some umf for me.
Anna was the most frustrating of characters I have met in a book.
Plot was loose.
September 3, 2016
Fifty something career woman suddenly fired despite just having a successful product campaign. Classic ageism. Panicking because she will no longer be able to afford her lifestyle, she takes up a too good to be true offer to be a guinea pig for a new product that will reverse the aging process of the face. When people start lying and dying, she figures out what she had wasn't so bad after all.
The Wizard of Oz for adult women. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.....Now if you like to shop, this one may be for you. There is a lot of shopping, and name dropping. It annoys me when an author instead of describing the physical features and letting the reader conjure the look,they say things like, "think Pierce Brosnan" or "a young George Clooney". I find it insulting.
This story had some potential. But it lost it's way. It could have been better.
The Wizard of Oz for adult women. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.....Now if you like to shop, this one may be for you. There is a lot of shopping, and name dropping. It annoys me when an author instead of describing the physical features and letting the reader conjure the look,they say things like, "think Pierce Brosnan" or "a young George Clooney". I find it insulting.
This story had some potential. But it lost it's way. It could have been better.
February 14, 2017
I love an easy read and that's exactly what this book was for me. Not to say an 'easy read' is a bad thing, I thought this book was thrilling and interesting. Though there were elements of this book you could easily compare with plenty of others, the plot was different and intriguing.
While Anna's story is intriguing I found her quite an irritating character. I don't blame her for the suspicions she has throughout the book, however she loves to moan and after a while it just gets annoying to have to read this angsty middle aged woman complain about everything.
While the plot is a bit ridiculous and reasonably predictable, it's still a fun read. I would recommend this as a holiday book.
While Anna's story is intriguing I found her quite an irritating character. I don't blame her for the suspicions she has throughout the book, however she loves to moan and after a while it just gets annoying to have to read this angsty middle aged woman complain about everything.
While the plot is a bit ridiculous and reasonably predictable, it's still a fun read. I would recommend this as a holiday book.
gave-up-on
March 15, 2015I only got about 20% in before giving up. The characters felt flat, and I didn't care about the high-glam cosmetics industry. The theme of the older woman being pushed out of her career by powerful men that didn't appreciate her experience should have at least evoked some sympathy from me, since I'm somewhat close to the main character's. Yet I didn't care. Not going to give it a rating since I gave up so early.
April 19, 2015
It’s been a very long time since I’ve had the opportunity to sit down and read a book from beginning to end in one day. But I’m on a long-overdue vacation and made it a personal goal to actually relax and do whatever I wanted, when I wanted. That included reading.
Now, I only include this prelude because it’s possible in my exuberance that marking Suzanne Munshower’s Younger with 5 stars was influenced by the sheer pleasure of what I just described. On the other hand, I don’t believe that under any circumstances would I NOT put a book down if it wasn’t so damned compelling from start to finish. This book, for me, was.
Basic storyline: Anna, a 57-year-old woman who’s clearly at the top of her game in her own marketing business, abruptly loses her biggest client. It would appear a clear case of age discrimination — and an obvious problem in securing any new clients who tend to smile but brush off “women of an age.”
In rides a knight in shining armor, a charming man named Pierre who learned of Anna’s reputation and wants to involve her in a top-secret marketing role for a pharmaceutical company. The project is for rollout of a tested and FDA-approved product to market cosmetic creams that really do roll back the years. In fact, it’s partly her age and the experience that comes with it that make her an ideal candidate. The problem, he explains, is that industrial espionage is huge in big pharma; he needs someone with her qualifications and who can be trusted, assuming she signs a confidentiality clause. Conflicted, but pleased at a job that sounds fascinating and clearly will bring her much greater income, signs.
You can read more about the book elsewhere. All you really need to know is Anna’s in over her head. She doesn’t realize that at first. Later, though, when she discovers more about the company and the real players behind it, it becomes apparent that her own life is in jeopardy. It’s time to bail, but how? And who can she trust?
Her work has taken her to several countries, and as the plot takes unexpected twists and turns, so does Anna. She becomes a woman on the run.
Munshower is excellent with character and plot development. That’s important to note because too many mystery writers deliver on character, but fall short on plot. Or vice versa.
So 5 stars it is. And now I’m going to look for more of this author’s books. I hadn’t heard of her before, but I’m glad to have made her acquaintance. You will be, too.
Now, I only include this prelude because it’s possible in my exuberance that marking Suzanne Munshower’s Younger with 5 stars was influenced by the sheer pleasure of what I just described. On the other hand, I don’t believe that under any circumstances would I NOT put a book down if it wasn’t so damned compelling from start to finish. This book, for me, was.
Basic storyline: Anna, a 57-year-old woman who’s clearly at the top of her game in her own marketing business, abruptly loses her biggest client. It would appear a clear case of age discrimination — and an obvious problem in securing any new clients who tend to smile but brush off “women of an age.”
In rides a knight in shining armor, a charming man named Pierre who learned of Anna’s reputation and wants to involve her in a top-secret marketing role for a pharmaceutical company. The project is for rollout of a tested and FDA-approved product to market cosmetic creams that really do roll back the years. In fact, it’s partly her age and the experience that comes with it that make her an ideal candidate. The problem, he explains, is that industrial espionage is huge in big pharma; he needs someone with her qualifications and who can be trusted, assuming she signs a confidentiality clause. Conflicted, but pleased at a job that sounds fascinating and clearly will bring her much greater income, signs.
You can read more about the book elsewhere. All you really need to know is Anna’s in over her head. She doesn’t realize that at first. Later, though, when she discovers more about the company and the real players behind it, it becomes apparent that her own life is in jeopardy. It’s time to bail, but how? And who can she trust?
Her work has taken her to several countries, and as the plot takes unexpected twists and turns, so does Anna. She becomes a woman on the run.
Munshower is excellent with character and plot development. That’s important to note because too many mystery writers deliver on character, but fall short on plot. Or vice versa.
So 5 stars it is. And now I’m going to look for more of this author’s books. I hadn’t heard of her before, but I’m glad to have made her acquaintance. You will be, too.
November 22, 2022
2.5 stars
Way back when I still got one free book a month with my Prime membership by taking part in it and selecting a book with Amazon's First Reads (previously called Kindle First) foisting program, I found this book.
Younger starts out rather promising. The book opens with a prologue that has Anna Wallingham clearing out her apartment — aiming to leave no trace she was there. The doorbell rings and she admits Pierre Barton. Barton manages a few sentences before collapsing in front of her. Wallingham calls emergency services and sneaks away when the ambulance has arrived and she's wiped down the apartment.
From there Munshower takes us back to the "before" when Wallingham, 57, a highly valued personal relations professional, has just managed to pull of a truly celebrated launch of a beauty product known as Madame X. She has also just been told she's going to be let go and is spiraling into devastation as she tries to come to terms with having to find another job at her age.
Before long, another job finds her. Pierre Barton is impressed with Wallingham's launch of Madame X and is offering an incredibly secretive assignment to test a revolutionary skincare product that takes 30 years off someone's appearance. Wallingham has been offered the chance to test and participate in the product's launch. This is being so guarded, Wallingham will have to move to London and assume a temporary new identity, but the paycheck looks to be worth it. Plus, Barton has set her up with a string of coaches to improve her movement, her speech, and her physique in order to match the soon-to-be much younger-looking skin.
Somewhere along the way, Younger flat out runs out of steam. The balance between the "before" chapters and the "now" chapters with Anna on the run, trying to stay hidden and alive, lacked proper pacing, separation, and cohesion. The latter half of the book is especially off-kilter with large chunks of pages with little-to-no dialogue and detailing the most mundane of movements as Anna tries to navigate running from bad guys unknown in Europe. Then, when there was someone with whom she could converse, much of the dialogue (predominately in the last quarter) was incredibly stilted and artificial.
I received this book for free as a Prime Member via Amazon's First Reads program. This affected neither my opinion of the book, nor the content of my review.
Way back when I still got one free book a month with my Prime membership by taking part in it and selecting a book with Amazon's First Reads (previously called Kindle First) foisting program, I found this book.
Younger starts out rather promising. The book opens with a prologue that has Anna Wallingham clearing out her apartment — aiming to leave no trace she was there. The doorbell rings and she admits Pierre Barton. Barton manages a few sentences before collapsing in front of her. Wallingham calls emergency services and sneaks away when the ambulance has arrived and she's wiped down the apartment.
From there Munshower takes us back to the "before" when Wallingham, 57, a highly valued personal relations professional, has just managed to pull of a truly celebrated launch of a beauty product known as Madame X. She has also just been told she's going to be let go and is spiraling into devastation as she tries to come to terms with having to find another job at her age.
Before long, another job finds her. Pierre Barton is impressed with Wallingham's launch of Madame X and is offering an incredibly secretive assignment to test a revolutionary skincare product that takes 30 years off someone's appearance. Wallingham has been offered the chance to test and participate in the product's launch. This is being so guarded, Wallingham will have to move to London and assume a temporary new identity, but the paycheck looks to be worth it. Plus, Barton has set her up with a string of coaches to improve her movement, her speech, and her physique in order to match the soon-to-be much younger-looking skin.
Somewhere along the way, Younger flat out runs out of steam. The balance between the "before" chapters and the "now" chapters with Anna on the run, trying to stay hidden and alive, lacked proper pacing, separation, and cohesion. The latter half of the book is especially off-kilter with large chunks of pages with little-to-no dialogue and detailing the most mundane of movements as Anna tries to navigate running from bad guys unknown in Europe. Then, when there was someone with whom she could converse, much of the dialogue (predominately in the last quarter) was incredibly stilted and artificial.
I received this book for free as a Prime Member via Amazon's First Reads program. This affected neither my opinion of the book, nor the content of my review.
February 23, 2016
Just an okay read for me. I can't help but think that by the time I had read to chapter 19 and found the character was still newly arrived at her temporary apartment with the girl she met on the train back in chapter 9 (so literally a day since the event that apparently set off this whole cat and mouse chase introduced in chapter 1) and still had made no headway on the actual mystery), the story had lost much of the hope I'd invested in it.
This meandered on a lot of things meant to give a sense of the character's preoccupation with posh material possessions and the further tendrils of rarefied web she's drawn into. Ultimately, I found much of that tedious as the name brand notice by Anna (a woman many years my senior) made me think her frivolous and I had difficulty taking her seriously. She literally noticed what brand watches and shoes people were wearing in passing. She came across as trite for it and also fairly pretentious and worst of all, narcissistic (and that's even with her slow reckoning that she'd taken the few people in her life for granted and had made for herself a mostly valueless, empty life). I found her slighting opinion in the beginning (while she's under the tutelage of her coaches) of what young women were like was the worst broad brush ever. That the majority were supposed to be vapid, real life text speakers and cared only or most about being conversant in whatever passing trend there is at the moment with no interest or knowledge of anything that came before this moment, was frankly, a bore. Ostensibly she was still supposed to be inhabiting a professional job and had a worthy degree behind her so I didn't understand why she needed to try and blend this way.
Anyway, all comes to a tidy conclusion and let me just say that I knew from Chapter 1 when Pierre staggered into Anna's London apartment and died (like a dwarf in D&D and carrying a briefcase of intel instead of a scrawled note as the clue), that the persons he mentioned last would be the ones responsible for this sad cabal. On the up side, I got this as one of my Kindle First books and there's something to be said for having read it at no additional cost to me. It certainly passed some time but if I'm honest, I've got a TBR list that's years long so it's not like I'm spoiled for choice.
This meandered on a lot of things meant to give a sense of the character's preoccupation with posh material possessions and the further tendrils of rarefied web she's drawn into. Ultimately, I found much of that tedious as the name brand notice by Anna (a woman many years my senior) made me think her frivolous and I had difficulty taking her seriously. She literally noticed what brand watches and shoes people were wearing in passing. She came across as trite for it and also fairly pretentious and worst of all, narcissistic (and that's even with her slow reckoning that she'd taken the few people in her life for granted and had made for herself a mostly valueless, empty life). I found her slighting opinion in the beginning (while she's under the tutelage of her coaches) of what young women were like was the worst broad brush ever. That the majority were supposed to be vapid, real life text speakers and cared only or most about being conversant in whatever passing trend there is at the moment with no interest or knowledge of anything that came before this moment, was frankly, a bore. Ostensibly she was still supposed to be inhabiting a professional job and had a worthy degree behind her so I didn't understand why she needed to try and blend this way.
Anyway, all comes to a tidy conclusion and let me just say that I knew from Chapter 1 when Pierre staggered into Anna's London apartment and died (like a dwarf in D&D and carrying a briefcase of intel instead of a scrawled note as the clue), that the persons he mentioned last would be the ones responsible for this sad cabal. On the up side, I got this as one of my Kindle First books and there's something to be said for having read it at no additional cost to me. It certainly passed some time but if I'm honest, I've got a TBR list that's years long so it's not like I'm spoiled for choice.
March 5, 2015
I would rate this as a solid 3 stars. Readable but nothing exceptional.
The plot: Anna is a 57 yr old in an age-conscious industry. After she is fired from her lucrative job, she accepts a seemingly dream job: move to London with a high salary and start using face creams that will make her look 30 years younger. Once there she questions who is really behind this face cream and what they want with her.
Going into this novel I thought the book would be more about the effects of this miracle cream or how it feels to be younger, but instead it is a corporate espionage thriller that ended up being cliched. (Russians should say it all.)
The characters all came across as flat with many serving no purpose, other than to show that Anna is a horrible friend. Romance is thrown in in an unbelievable way-Anna runs into an ex from 30 years ago and of course he helps save the day. Many of the plot points don't really reflect a world-savvy 57 yr old. For example, she doesn't question how the drugs work and of course the science is not explained at all.
Overall, I thought it was an okay read but not one I was staying up to finish.
The plot: Anna is a 57 yr old in an age-conscious industry. After she is fired from her lucrative job, she accepts a seemingly dream job: move to London with a high salary and start using face creams that will make her look 30 years younger. Once there she questions who is really behind this face cream and what they want with her.
Going into this novel I thought the book would be more about the effects of this miracle cream or how it feels to be younger, but instead it is a corporate espionage thriller that ended up being cliched. (Russians should say it all.)
The characters all came across as flat with many serving no purpose, other than to show that Anna is a horrible friend. Romance is thrown in in an unbelievable way-Anna runs into an ex from 30 years ago and of course he helps save the day. Many of the plot points don't really reflect a world-savvy 57 yr old. For example, she doesn't question how the drugs work and of course the science is not explained at all.
Overall, I thought it was an okay read but not one I was staying up to finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2015
Mystery/Suspense Interesting premise
This story took awhile to grow on me, mostly because I could not relate to the Anna, the main character, but as the novel progresses, Anna begins to realize how shallow and pretentious her life has been.
The author does a great job with the pacing, an unhurried feel combined with slowly building suspense. I would have given this 4 stars except for three things.
The last 20% of the novel begins to introduce so many new characters and name changes, combined with the author sometimes referring to characters by their first name and sometimes by their last, it makes the ending quite a chore to read.
I also feel the ultimate "who-dun-it" seems weak, in terms of the bad guys' motivations.
And for romance lovers, like me,
Bottom line, I did enjoy the novel. There are a few bad words, intimate scenes all behind closed doors.
This story took awhile to grow on me, mostly because I could not relate to the Anna, the main character, but as the novel progresses, Anna begins to realize how shallow and pretentious her life has been.
The author does a great job with the pacing, an unhurried feel combined with slowly building suspense. I would have given this 4 stars except for three things.
The last 20% of the novel begins to introduce so many new characters and name changes, combined with the author sometimes referring to characters by their first name and sometimes by their last, it makes the ending quite a chore to read.
I also feel the ultimate "who-dun-it" seems weak, in terms of the bad guys' motivations.
And for romance lovers, like me,
Bottom line, I did enjoy the novel. There are a few bad words, intimate scenes all behind closed doors.
March 10, 2015
Too busy for me
I chose this as one of my Kindle Firsts because it was about a woman of a certain age struggling to survive in a youth-oriented world. But she turned out to be so superficially obsessed with fashion/food/wine/jewelry labels, many of which I never heard of, that I couldn't even begin to relate to her.
She's hired for a fantastic fee (which should have given her a hint that something wasn't right) to try out a product that would make her look much more youthful as long as she used it, and to be involved in promoting it. But the people around her start turning up dead and she flees, not knowing who to trust. There are an awful lot of characters in this book and details of her journey that are anal to say the least. I started getting bored about a third of the way through and didn't pay much attention to the rest of the book.
It's OK for readers who like 37 things going on and care about how it all resolves. I didn't.
I chose this as one of my Kindle Firsts because it was about a woman of a certain age struggling to survive in a youth-oriented world. But she turned out to be so superficially obsessed with fashion/food/wine/jewelry labels, many of which I never heard of, that I couldn't even begin to relate to her.
She's hired for a fantastic fee (which should have given her a hint that something wasn't right) to try out a product that would make her look much more youthful as long as she used it, and to be involved in promoting it. But the people around her start turning up dead and she flees, not knowing who to trust. There are an awful lot of characters in this book and details of her journey that are anal to say the least. I started getting bored about a third of the way through and didn't pay much attention to the rest of the book.
It's OK for readers who like 37 things going on and care about how it all resolves. I didn't.
March 27, 2015
Just meh. That's it. I'd like to start with a warning that this novel is, in no way, a thriller. Maybe the most fascinating thing about this novel is how the author could drone on an on with backstory all while not providing any dimension to her characters. I couldn't identify with anyone. There was too much designer name-dropping and who could forget the endless shopping?? Between shopping excursions, the author goes on endless tirades explaining the plot. While tedious, this is sort of necessary because the plot is so convoluted, it is difficult to keep up. It could have been written for a teenager except for the fact that the protagonist was 57.
I don't mind unbelievable plot-line and/or flat characters as long as the book makes up for with the hook. This one didn't. It was readable but didn't have any intrigue or suspense whatsoever.
I don't mind unbelievable plot-line and/or flat characters as long as the book makes up for with the hook. This one didn't. It was readable but didn't have any intrigue or suspense whatsoever.
March 10, 2015
This is an overall positive review, although in retrospect, a lot of the plot was totally implausible. But it was a fun ride while I was reading. Marriage of pop culture, spy elements, and the beauty myth.
July 18, 2016
*Book source ~ Kindle First
Anna Wallingham is in her 50s and runs a moderately successful ad business in the cosmetic industry when her largest client suddenly dumps her. Spending beyond her means to keep up appearances in LA means she’s now desperate for additional clients and the prospects are beginning to look very grim when Pierre Barton hands the drowning Anna a lifeline. If something looks and sounds too good to be true then chances are it is. But Anna takes the unusual offer without much thought about the hows, whys and wherefores. Which is why she ends up running for her life. Can she outthink and outrun a trained killer? But more importantly, who can she trust in this game of murder and industrial espionage?
The whole concept of looking 10, 15, 20 or more years younger is a fascinating one on the surface, but as Anna goes through the process, she learns the disadvantages. Yes, there are some, but I’ll not rehash them here. This book made me think about whether I’d want to look younger. Maybe not so much look younger as fix the damage the sun has done to my skin. I grew up in a time where sun damage down the road wasn’t thought about especially for blondes like me who loved a nice glowy tan. While I’m not 50, I’m not far from it. So yes, maybe if there were a cream to fix that 100% I’d go for it.
Anyway, the plot, while stretching the bounds of believability just a touch, is still a great thrill ride. Anna’s journey from a 50-ish to a 20-ish woman is quite interesting. I enjoyed the present day and flashback scenes as well. The only thing that I really didn’t enjoy is all the damn shopping. Seriously? I don’t give a shit about what brand of…well, everything she bought was. Or what color every single item was. Just tell me she purchased some pants and shirts and be done with it. All the clothing descriptions could probably have knocked off like 50 pages. Ok, I’m not positive that’s correct, but it seems like it. LOL All-in-all though I enjoyed the story and every time I put it down I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
Anna Wallingham is in her 50s and runs a moderately successful ad business in the cosmetic industry when her largest client suddenly dumps her. Spending beyond her means to keep up appearances in LA means she’s now desperate for additional clients and the prospects are beginning to look very grim when Pierre Barton hands the drowning Anna a lifeline. If something looks and sounds too good to be true then chances are it is. But Anna takes the unusual offer without much thought about the hows, whys and wherefores. Which is why she ends up running for her life. Can she outthink and outrun a trained killer? But more importantly, who can she trust in this game of murder and industrial espionage?
The whole concept of looking 10, 15, 20 or more years younger is a fascinating one on the surface, but as Anna goes through the process, she learns the disadvantages. Yes, there are some, but I’ll not rehash them here. This book made me think about whether I’d want to look younger. Maybe not so much look younger as fix the damage the sun has done to my skin. I grew up in a time where sun damage down the road wasn’t thought about especially for blondes like me who loved a nice glowy tan. While I’m not 50, I’m not far from it. So yes, maybe if there were a cream to fix that 100% I’d go for it.
Anyway, the plot, while stretching the bounds of believability just a touch, is still a great thrill ride. Anna’s journey from a 50-ish to a 20-ish woman is quite interesting. I enjoyed the present day and flashback scenes as well. The only thing that I really didn’t enjoy is all the damn shopping. Seriously? I don’t give a shit about what brand of…well, everything she bought was. Or what color every single item was. Just tell me she purchased some pants and shirts and be done with it. All the clothing descriptions could probably have knocked off like 50 pages. Ok, I’m not positive that’s correct, but it seems like it. LOL All-in-all though I enjoyed the story and every time I put it down I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
March 14, 2015
Anna Wallingham is highly respected in her public relations job, overseeing a national campaign for cosmetics. But when the company is taken over by Barton's Pharmaceuticals, Anna is let go. At fifty-seven, she is more than glad to sign a contract with Barton's owner, Pierre to take on a very secretive job.
Soon Anna undergoes great changes testing a product that literally takes years off of your skin. Everything concerned with the product is top secret and Anna learns that her predecessor died under suspicious circumstances,
This espionage begins in London and takes the reader on a journey across Europe. Who can the reader trust? In addition to the mystery, author Munshower presents a type of travelogue as Anna tours the various settings of the story.
In the end the book is a discussion of aging and how society sees it, with Anna realizing the truth of this Kurt Vonnegut quote, ""We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
Soon Anna undergoes great changes testing a product that literally takes years off of your skin. Everything concerned with the product is top secret and Anna learns that her predecessor died under suspicious circumstances,
This espionage begins in London and takes the reader on a journey across Europe. Who can the reader trust? In addition to the mystery, author Munshower presents a type of travelogue as Anna tours the various settings of the story.
In the end the book is a discussion of aging and how society sees it, with Anna realizing the truth of this Kurt Vonnegut quote, ""We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
June 4, 2017
I am torn. I kinda liked the book, but something kept me from loving it. It is basically so unbelievable that it is hard to love.
Anna Wallingham is a PR pro, 57 (!) and seemingly washed up in the youthful world of Los Angeles. After she loses her last client, she is offered a chance to try out a new bio-cosmetic that will make her look 30 years younger. There are a few troubling things in the contract, but she is offered $1 million over the course of the next year, so she goes for it.
The formula works, partly, she changes her name (twice), gets imbroiled in industrial espionage and ends up running for her life. Oh, and she also accidentally runs into her old lover from 30 years ago.
Good beach read if you don't want to use too much brain power to follow an almost incomprehensible story
Anna Wallingham is a PR pro, 57 (!) and seemingly washed up in the youthful world of Los Angeles. After she loses her last client, she is offered a chance to try out a new bio-cosmetic that will make her look 30 years younger. There are a few troubling things in the contract, but she is offered $1 million over the course of the next year, so she goes for it.
The formula works, partly, she changes her name (twice), gets imbroiled in industrial espionage and ends up running for her life. Oh, and she also accidentally runs into her old lover from 30 years ago.
Good beach read if you don't want to use too much brain power to follow an almost incomprehensible story
April 18, 2015
The premise of the book, our society’s focus on youth and what some people will do to maintain that look was promising, but the book didn’t deliver. The plot development was slow, the characters one dimensional, and I just never connected with the story. Perhaps if I was more interested in endless shopping trips, the cosmetics industry or designer brands this would have appealed to me more.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
April 8, 2021
Beauty is Skin Deep
This tale is about a woman who has been fired and down on her luck. She receives a chance to trial a new product that will take years off her. She is so excited to go and motivated by the money, she does not think too much about it until soon others are after the formula and her life is on the line when people seem to die. In search of the truth she realises she is in more danger than she thought.
This story was not really for me, it just hung around in my library for ages.
This tale is about a woman who has been fired and down on her luck. She receives a chance to trial a new product that will take years off her. She is so excited to go and motivated by the money, she does not think too much about it until soon others are after the formula and her life is on the line when people seem to die. In search of the truth she realises she is in more danger than she thought.
This story was not really for me, it just hung around in my library for ages.
October 7, 2016
I loved it! Corporate espionage at its best. But not just boring corporate worlds, this was a battle with cosmetic/pharmaceutical companies, all of whom were trying to create the first true anti aging skin formula. Hiring a 57 year old cosmetic pr woman for exorbitant amounts of money she actually begins to look 30 years younger. Alas, like all things too good to be true, she finds herself a pawn in a deadly game of cat and mouse. I highly recommend it!
April 20, 2015
As a 60 year old woman the concept was interesting; a breakthrough cream that will take 30 years off your face. However, the book was more about espionage than “the fountain of youth.” Didn’t think most of the writing felt very real but the author did manage to capture the thoughts of an aging woman in a youth centered society.
March 13, 2015
A basic but fairly engaging thriller. I liked the protagonist, an older woman who's still plenty sharp and who investigates shady business and manages romance and life on the run (as well as the weirdness of looking mysteriously much younger for a while).
May 13, 2015
This book was just a delight! It's an international, cosmetics thriller. And doesn't that more or less say it all? The sci fi comes in by way of a rather amazing skin treatment. The whole concept could have been just silly, but it isn't. Great read!
May 12, 2015
I got it free from Amazon, and my own stubbornness won't let me not finish a book. Can one invoice Amazon for the time wasted on free crap?
January 12, 2016
Liked it.
This is a pretty good book. Once or twice it seemed a little slow but overall it kept me interested and wondering what would happen next.
This is a pretty good book. Once or twice it seemed a little slow but overall it kept me interested and wondering what would happen next.
August 7, 2015
Great read!!
Very well written. I couldn't put this book down. I would recommend anyone who enjoys reading to read this book.
Very well written. I couldn't put this book down. I would recommend anyone who enjoys reading to read this book.
December 27, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
When PR pro Anna Wallingham gets dumped by her last client, she finds herself running out of options in LA, where looks trump experience. Desperate to prove she is still relevant, the fifty-something accepts a shady job offer from Pierre Barton, secretive billionaire owner of Barton Pharmaceuticals. Isolated in a facility outside London, she agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger. Anna is starting to look on the outside the way she feels on the inside: ageless. But she soon discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, leading her to research just who stands to gain—and lose—with this miraculous product. When Pierre drops dead in front of her, she takes off on a dangerous journey across Europe hoping to stay alive long enough to uncover the truth.
With the hard-won knowledge that younger isn’t always better, Anna is determined to escape and reclaim her life before it’s too late.
Well, let me start by saying that I don't like to give one-star reviews. I don't think that is fair to the author (who bears the brunt of the poor ratings), but I think the publisher here should take some responsibility as well...
Claiming this to be a thriller is one of the most ridiculous tags I have ever seen - there was not one thing "thrilling" about this story - except, I guess, whether or not I would finish it...
A main character who is so worried about her age, a character that, for more than half of the book, does nothing more than shop (and we get all of the brand names and shopping stores...) and then some plot at the end, which makes no sense, as the author hasn't bothered to develop the charcter instead of making her go shopping...
A huge letdown and something I couldn't recommend...
Paul
ARH
When PR pro Anna Wallingham gets dumped by her last client, she finds herself running out of options in LA, where looks trump experience. Desperate to prove she is still relevant, the fifty-something accepts a shady job offer from Pierre Barton, secretive billionaire owner of Barton Pharmaceuticals. Isolated in a facility outside London, she agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger. Anna is starting to look on the outside the way she feels on the inside: ageless. But she soon discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, leading her to research just who stands to gain—and lose—with this miraculous product. When Pierre drops dead in front of her, she takes off on a dangerous journey across Europe hoping to stay alive long enough to uncover the truth.
With the hard-won knowledge that younger isn’t always better, Anna is determined to escape and reclaim her life before it’s too late.
Well, let me start by saying that I don't like to give one-star reviews. I don't think that is fair to the author (who bears the brunt of the poor ratings), but I think the publisher here should take some responsibility as well...
Claiming this to be a thriller is one of the most ridiculous tags I have ever seen - there was not one thing "thrilling" about this story - except, I guess, whether or not I would finish it...
A main character who is so worried about her age, a character that, for more than half of the book, does nothing more than shop (and we get all of the brand names and shopping stores...) and then some plot at the end, which makes no sense, as the author hasn't bothered to develop the charcter instead of making her go shopping...
A huge letdown and something I couldn't recommend...
Paul
ARH
June 21, 2017
I would give the book 3.5 stars if I could, but since that's not possible, I "rounded up". I enjoyed the premise of the book and given society's obsession with feeling, looking and being young - especially if you're female - it was not difficult to understand Anna's motivation in accepting an offer that definitely changed her life; just not in the way she expected.
In response to some of the other reviews: yes, there are many references to designer labels, expensive stores, wines, restaurants, etc. Rather than find that annoying, however, it must be understood that this was Anna's world, her life as she lived it. She wanted to maintain it. Everyone I know who is "of a certain age" and faced with losing a job has concerns for their financial future. Many people love their job, are good at what they do and thrive on the mental exercise and social interactions involved; it makes them feel vibrant, useful, meaningful and more. There's no question that such employment is very much connected to one's feeling of self-worth. Anna was not only facing the same losses when she loses her employment, but she is single, has no family and few friends. Most of us would be fearful of the future in similar circumstances.
The book does have a few implausibilities, a few inaccuracies, but they can be overlooked in favor of the story being told. It had enough action and suspense to keep my interest. I read fiction for entertainment, not enlightenment. I was entertained.
In response to some of the other reviews: yes, there are many references to designer labels, expensive stores, wines, restaurants, etc. Rather than find that annoying, however, it must be understood that this was Anna's world, her life as she lived it. She wanted to maintain it. Everyone I know who is "of a certain age" and faced with losing a job has concerns for their financial future. Many people love their job, are good at what they do and thrive on the mental exercise and social interactions involved; it makes them feel vibrant, useful, meaningful and more. There's no question that such employment is very much connected to one's feeling of self-worth. Anna was not only facing the same losses when she loses her employment, but she is single, has no family and few friends. Most of us would be fearful of the future in similar circumstances.
The book does have a few implausibilities, a few inaccuracies, but they can be overlooked in favor of the story being told. It had enough action and suspense to keep my interest. I read fiction for entertainment, not enlightenment. I was entertained.
September 20, 2018
From the moment I read the blurb I was interested in this book. It has been on my kindle for months and I am not sure what took me this long to give it a try, could be the fact that my reading habits change every so often.
I read this book in about a week, and that's quite slow for me on 315 pages. The prologue had me, I was all in. Then, I thought it was going a little slow, being just 32, I felt I didn't have much in common with Anna and the detailed description of her lifestyle. The demise of her career due to her age, and her eagerness to find the fountain of youth, which she thought would raise her prospects of finding work.
Things kicked into gear for me when the the whole spy, thriller, whodunit part of the book happened. I enjoyed the descriptions of her days on the run all over Europe, and the cities she crashed in. She never gave up, she had tenacity and courage, and she wasn't about to let some Russian greedy "Princess" kill her. I wish her romance with David was a little more developed and I was happy to see her come to terms with her age and realize YOUnger isn't always better. Most of all, I enjoyed the fact there were so many bad guys, I had not figured out for sure who was behind the whole scheme until the last few chapters.
All in all a good read, and quite enjoyable.
I read this book in about a week, and that's quite slow for me on 315 pages. The prologue had me, I was all in. Then, I thought it was going a little slow, being just 32, I felt I didn't have much in common with Anna and the detailed description of her lifestyle. The demise of her career due to her age, and her eagerness to find the fountain of youth, which she thought would raise her prospects of finding work.
Things kicked into gear for me when the the whole spy, thriller, whodunit part of the book happened. I enjoyed the descriptions of her days on the run all over Europe, and the cities she crashed in. She never gave up, she had tenacity and courage, and she wasn't about to let some Russian greedy "Princess" kill her. I wish her romance with David was a little more developed and I was happy to see her come to terms with her age and realize YOUnger isn't always better. Most of all, I enjoyed the fact there were so many bad guys, I had not figured out for sure who was behind the whole scheme until the last few chapters.
All in all a good read, and quite enjoyable.
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