The Interview

Susan Wade Saga #1

by Virginia Gray

With graduation looming, Susan Wade’s job prospects are bleak. Following her semi-boyfriend to the bowels of Texas or managing a dilapidated diner are her only options until she’s unexpectedly offered the interview of a lifetime. But when a corporate shark challenges her integrity, will she blow her chance at this dream job or swallow her ego? Find out in this hilarious comedy, rife with psychotic roommates, questionable fashion choices, and an epic search for the perfect cup of coffee.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Amazon, Contemporary, Ebooks

ebook

Published January 14, 2016

About the author

Bestselling Author Virginia Gray is a North Carolina native and a graduate of Wake Forest University. She is known for her intimate portrayals of women's lives, her attention to setting, and her trademark humor. Gray brings to life the many colorful people and compelling story layers of her North Carolina home and its beaches.

She is a great lover of humor, music, and all things food. Please visit www.virginiagray.com to learn about her new releases and giveaways.

Reviews

[Angel Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

The throw away line about Susan having Multiple Personality Disorder was the first star off. The abysmal way she treated Ben, and her roommate, along with Brittney, was the second. There was nothing funny in this book, and it certainly wasn't a romantic anything. It's a serial, not a series. Looks like you'll have to read at least 4 books to get some kind of conclusion. No thanks.

As someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder, I don't appreciate being used as the punchline for a joke. Nothing funny about being ableist.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just giggle snorted for almost 100 pages! This first installment in the Susan Wade saga drew me right back to my college days and dragged me through the emotional roller-coaster of trying to get that first job and prove to the world that I was a force to be reckoned with! It was poignant, funny, hilariously accurate and all-around impossible to put down! I can't wait to read more about Susan Wade in the next installment!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/19/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
With graduation looming, Susan Wade’s job prospects are bleak. Following her semi-boyfriend to the bowels of Texas or managing a dilapidated diner are her only options until she’s unexpectedly offered the interview of a lifetime. But when a corporate shark challenges her integrity, will she blow her chance at this dream job or swallow her ego? Find out in this hilarious comedy, rife with psychotic roommates, questionable fashion choices, and an epic search for the perfect cup of coffee.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

prefer this book cover over the other one i see on Goodreads... this one is way cool!
so glad to see this is a series, i am such a new fan of Virginia ... hey, i live in VA. way cool!! found that totally awesome! i know it is the small things folks!! so cool! i love books that make me laugh, smile and just recall memories, or moments in my life. love it! novella. do most ladies (or men, i have no clue?) have a inner-dialogue ... right? so fun.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Spoiler Alert*
**Short read, short review**
I wanted to like it more. I tried to like it more. It was just...meh.

Basically; girl from small town goes away to college and tries to forget where she came from while making a name for herself in the world of IT.

My main issue with the book is the fact that it ends with a 5 year later cliff hanger. Are you serious? The book was just getting good and it ends...I am not amused.

There, I saved you from yourself. You're welcome.

[iread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite funny

I enjoyed this book. Susan Wade is a very funny character. I wasn’t thrilled with all the cussing in the book. However I loved the sarcastic quips.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

No

This book was, to put things bluntly, very bad. Everything happens much too quickly to be even a little bit believable. The parts the author does spend more time on - like Susan’s flight to her job interview - feel interminably long. Not one character feels believable in this book, and all relationships feel forced and, well, written. This character must make this choice to have this connection with the protagonist.

Plus grades absolutely do not matter in the real world and that bully who spent all her time socializing is probably far more equipped to deal with life after college than Susan.

[Robin Haught · Rating 5 out of 5]

You just can't help rooting for Susan Wade and her roller coaster ride of transitioning from college to the real world.....Exceptionally written to draw the reader in and grasp your attention! I can't wait to see what the future holds for Susan Wade!!!

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't help, but feel for Susan Wade. We have all been through big life changes where you hope for the best, but feel like we might not get there. Susan is likable, funny and determined. It was witty and engaging. A joy to read! I can't wait to see what happens to Susan in the future!

[R Huiszoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virginia Gray, ‘Caught up in Me’. A romantic comedy.

As an Hidden Gem ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here it is. English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.

Rating: 5 stars (of 5).

In general: From enemies to lovers in North-Carolina.

Main characters:
- Susan Wade.
Born and raised in the South: Havelock, North Carolina. After her study in Chicago she got a job in Philadelphia with INTech Corporation, a computer firm. She’s intelligent, talented and very ambitious. So during her study and in her first years of her INTech career she gets rid of all the attributes of her upbringining as a southern girl. And when she’s promoted to regional service representative of her firm in a troublesome part of North-Carolina, she accepts the job. If she succeeds to get the regio branch out of the red figures it will be very good for her career. But she will keep her Northern businesslike, unpersonal and tough attitude and not return to the docile, men obeying and appearances building behaviour she learned as a good southern girl.

- Pete Walsh.
Born in North Carolina. Studied in California for architect. After a bad break up with his fiancée he returned to his beloved North Carolina and started there his own, very successful firm. Silent co-owner and bartender of the ‘Rusty Frog’ a bar in Havelock, from the outside somewhat sloppy looking but very popular because of its relaxed amosphere.

Together with an employee, her PA Mona, (quickly becoming a good girlfriend) Susan visits Pete’s bar. From the first momen it seems that they hate each other. Pete tries to impress ‘Susie-Q’ with his good looks and southern boy charm and Susan dislikes that enormously and reacts with her unpersonal, a bit bitchy, Northern attitude.
But Havelock is a very small town and the ‘Frog’ is Mona’s favorite bar (she has a crush on Pete’s friend and pub co-owner Jimbo). And Pete’s firm is a client of INTech. So - in spite of their dislikes - they meet regularly. And get accustomed to each other almost starting to like their differences. Offences are often exchanged with a smile. It results in a lot of dialogues that are sassy and funny. But sometimes Susan and Pete end up in situations in which they care for each other. So - step by step - the enemies become lovers.
The author, Virginia Gray, describes this development very extensive and explains to this reader from a foreign country in a very interesting and credible way the influences of the different mentality between North and South (the Carpetbaggers/rednecks/Yankees vs the old boys networks and anti feminism of the Southern gentlemen and ‘belles’) on the relationship between Pete and Susan. Also the author gives an interesting picture of the ‘rat race’ between managers of a big firm who are hunting for the best positions in the top of their corporation.
So, ‘Caught up in Me’ was for this reader a page turner, interesting, informative, real fun and a pleasure to read.

R. Huiszoon.

[Frank Carver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about the title of this book attracted me when I was looking through my big virtual heap of e-books. And no, it wasn’t just the alliteration. The start of the story grabbed me, too, with a protagonist heading for the end of a university computer course, struggling to balance study and part-time work, and contemplating the massive life change which is finding a career job. Had it continued like that I probably would have given it a higher rating, but as the book progressed, I noticed a few things.

First, the author has a strangely skewed, and somewhat old-fashioned, idea of what computer skills and the computer business are like. Although published in 2018 it feels like a story from perhaps the 1970s or 1980s. Nobody seems to use email, mobile phones, or social media, with all communication by letter or package. The “big three” computer companies in the story show no similarity to modern large organisations such as Google, Apple and Amazon, there is a complete absence of software development, a key part of a computer science degree these days, and the lifeblood of a modern business. There’s also no evidence of the “positive discrimination” practiced by pretty much all tech companies these days. Such male-dominated businesses are desperate for more women in the workforce, and Susan would likely find it much easier to get a job than her male friend Ben.

Second, this book is very short. Just when I thought it was getting going, it stopped and jumped to a scene a few years later. We never find out what happened to anyone in the story apart from hints that the protagonist becomes an unpleasant, selfish, and manipulative person in the future, possibly in a later book. That in itself is enough to put me off reading any sequels.

These problems are a shame, because the writing style is generally good, and the characters avoid a lot of cliche situations, but all I can give it is a middling 3 of 5 stars.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Interview - Susan Wade Saga Book 1
Author: Virginia Gray
Publisher: Virginia Gray
Published: 1-14-2016
Pages: 136
Genre: Women's Fiction,
Sub-Genre: Humor, Satire,Single Women, Novella
ISBN: 9780990523642
ASIN: B017-2VGC2
Reviewed for Virginia Gray (Author) I received this as an ARC
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.75 Stars


Susan lives in a perpetual state of upheaval. It is not her fault, it is just the way things are. About to graduate her job prospects are minimal, She needs an income so she is considering managing a run-down diner when she is offered a job on the fast track. She only has to compromise her dreams. The benefits and pay are great and after all it is only a teeny tiny compromise...


Funny, laugh out loud comedy that will keep you coming back for more. Susan is a likable character that you will quickly come to love. You want her to get ahead, but deep down know it is not likely to happen the easy way. The plot is well thought out and flows quickly and smoothly. Look for the next offering in the series "The Carrot".


My rating of "The Interview - Susan Wade Saga Book 1" is 4.75 out of 5 stars.


Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0990523640/...

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[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right away, I was overjoyed by Susan’s wry and witty candor as she recited her mock interview spiel in front of the bathroom mirror. What do I do in my spare time? Well, when I’m not doling out gruel to starving children in Africa, I am an astrophysicist. What a hoot!

She is a college student approaching graduation and is frantically in pursuit of a job that will launch her to her power-driven career. To her, success meant financial freedom and a life of excess (a beautiful apartment, fine clothing, and a hot car.)The thing is that most Fortune 500 companies are not too eager to hire an inexperienced kid right out of college.

I liked how relatable she was. She had a young, fresh-faced, “eager to take the world by storm” attitude, but she was also grounded in reality, which brought out her sarcastic humor. With only $200 in her savings and student loans itching to come after her after graduation, she’d take almost anything, but, still, she wasn’t going to work for free (unpaid internship.) Of course, being bugged by the meddling Brittneys—those perky, pretty blondes always got the boys, the friends, and anything else they wanted—only added to her angst as well as her derisive commentaries. You feel her tenacity and frustrations.

Overall, I enjoyed Susan’s quest to climb the corporate ladders; however, I thought her story was a little juvenile at times, especially with her run-ins with the mean girls. Sometimes I wished she would just chill out about this whole corporate fantasy of hers. But I think that most readers would gain some insight from this character. A decent read.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the beginning to the story of Susan Wade's adult life. In this first book of the series it tells of college graduation and the scary part of waiting for "The Interview", that one that will offer you a job that will shape you life. Susan has worked hard to get where she is. Top grades, working late hours and no time for fun. Susan just needs a job offer from her top 3 computer corporations.

This book starts the development of the characters. Especially Susan. She is extremely smart and works really hard for what she has accomplished. She has very little friends. As the story goes on you learn more about who Susan is and her hopes and dreams of the life she wants. I did want to see a little more from the romantic side, but I think that will come in the next book "The Carrot".

This was an interesting and quick read. Easy to relate to what happens when college graduates prepare for the next step. It was an entertaining read. A little bit of comedy mixed with seriousness.

*ARC provided by Virginia Gray

[Jenifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. Susan is an awful person.
I skimmed most of this book - mostly because her sentences were long and flowery with too many metaphors. It would probably be extra credit for a creative writing class essay but is annoying in a book. The fact that it was boring was just an added annoyance.
I just don't feel like Susan was a good person. She's jealous of the pretty popular rich girl that is always a snarky mean girl. I think Susan wants to be the mean girl. She pretty much is to the boy that has a major crush on her and follows her around like a puppy dog. She leads him on then shuts him down and basically kicks him around - until he happens to find a girlfriend. Then she's pissed, of course. She's self-centered, rude, immature, and naive to the world. The example of book smart vs common sense smart.

Time is precious, I suggest you spend it elsewhere. This book, while short, is not worth it.

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the Interview by Virginia Gray was in many ways a walk down memory lane. The nervousness about researching for companies you wanted to work for and hoping to get that interview meeting. However, I do not recall any opportunities to laugh as I did going through the process with Susan, the main character. The development of Susan’s character was brilliant. She alone with her warts and all provide the structure for the book and those to follow. The one thing I missed was the time span between her starting her job and being sent to North Carolina to handle a job along with a possible promotion. Questions I would have during the missing span would be personal. Where does she live? What is her social life? Does she ever speak to Ben? (Note: I received this book in exchange for an honest review) –Tex. Overall, The Interview is a really good that I would RECOMMEND reading.

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suddenly Susan was a light, quick read, but one with pretty annoying parts nonetheless. I didn’t like the character’s treatment of Ben, a guy with a hopeless crush on her, and how she reacted when he finally wised up and walked away. It felt like the author was forcing something unlikeable about the main character to avoid a Mary Sue situation, and ended up overdoing it. Susan has several moments where she indulges in pettiness and where she takes the high road, but this was pretty juvenile and didn’t mesh with the character the author had created.

The ending felt abrupt and, upon reading another review, I don’t like that the series may have more of a serial “stay tuned to get some resolution” feel to it. It’s too bad, because for the most part I enjoyed turning my brain off and reading this for pure entertainment.

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Robyn Gaye-Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suddenly Susan by Virginia Gray
Susan Wade we met in Caught Up In Me by Virginia Gray where she was transferred back to South Carolina where she had grown up. Susan hated everyone and everything about the South and growing up there. She always loved the water though.
Well this book tells us more about Susan’s life and the architect she fell in love with. As well as Mona her caring assistant who has become her best friend and embraces all things Southern. This story of Susan and her Pete is delicious in all its details, twists, turns and lessons on friendship, love and loyalty.
It is a ‘must’ for readers of Caught Up In Me by Virginia Gray. I bought this book. My review is entirely my own after sheer enjoyment of my read.

[Janet Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Self Absorbed and Shallow..Meh!
This short novella introduces this series about Susan. It seems like the entire saga will be spread over the 3 volumes. While this could stand alone, it leads into the next book. It is not sweet or clean, but it isn't graphic or over the top, either. There is significant foul language and bits of sex. There are some cute spots of humor, some enough to laugh out loud. For the most part, it is a well -written pile of shallow, self-absorbed pap that could have been written in the late eighties. It is about striving for that education that will let you strive for that job that will enable you to claw your way up the corporate ladder and prostitute yourself to greed. Oh, boy! I received this book for free and it was worth every penny. This is my honest review.

[D.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than just a coming to adulthood story. Susan is just a witty character that goes through the ups and downs of her Senior Years in college - moving from the phase of college student to her 'what's next.' As she does so her adventures with her best "guy friend" and her best "girl friend" are intertwined into a tale that is more than just a glimpse of what the senior year of a college student is like.

This book is well written. It will have you turning pages to find out what happens next. It will connect you emotionally to Susan - the good and the bad side. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!

I received this as an ARC.

[Glenis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing chick lit

This is the beginning story of Susan, a girl not impressed with life thus far. Her main joy in life is being a snarky, demanding, troublesome non tipper to the barista who is the "popular girl" in college. Susan also finds it amusing to taunt her roommate by leaving a package from her mother unopened for weeks. Susan does have her good qualities, a good work ethic, drive to improve her lot in life and determination to make it happen.
While this is an amusing book I did not find it laugh out loud hilarious, which I expected. It is well written and flows smoothly with well developed characters.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Wade is looking forward to finish college and get the job of her life, while struggling with a very tough work to get some money, a long-time friend called Ben that want to be more than friends and Avery Southern family for her likes. She has to endure three interviews after finally landing in her dream's job. A very refreshing book. Looking forward to read more about Susan Wade's life. I received a free copy of this book by AXP's authors in exchange for my honest review and I voluntarily reviewed it.

[Judith Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun, likable characters...

A look into the inner workings of a college student trying hard to get that elusive dream job. While studying for a double major, Susan must work to survive. Coming from humble roots, she had to do whatever it took to provide food, clothing and college supplies herself. As graduation approached, she began to receive answers to her job applications. The top three companies in her field all answered with varying replies. A fun read which prompts the reader to continue the saga!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story about a young girl in college that knew what she wanted and didn't take no for an answer. This story was well written and easy to follow. The characters were all believable and interacted well with each other. I did find it a little irritating that she did not want a boyfriend, but kept "dating" him. She pushed him away so many times, then got upset that he found a girlfriend and broke up with her. Other than that, this was a very enjoyable book and I will be reading the rest of the series.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was something about this book that just made me feel good. I think that it was that it was written in a way that felt real and at the same time we got to see a young woman who didn't always feel good about herself, who was made to feel she wasn't worthy, finally realize that she was in fact worth it, she was worthy, and deserved better. And she reached out for what she truly wanted and got it. This is the kinda thing more young women need to see letting them know it's OK to have better self worth for yourself than others think you deserve but then to stand up and demand that your worthiness be acknowledged. I really liked this one.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book after reading The Carrot and absolutely loving it, and was not disappointed at all. It is refreshingly witty and superbly optimistic, and I think my appreciation for The Interview was actually heightened by having read The Carrot first. This short novel is a delightful precursor to the meatier second book, and the perfect introduction to the ever-hilarious Susan Wade. A must-read.

[Jennifer Kerr · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book follows the main character Susan wade through the last of her time at college and interviewing for her dream job.
Susan is self absorbed and shallow, she seems to have some sort of problem or another with every character mainly stemming from not getting her own way, it made me want everything to fall apart for her and not actually like her. The idea for the story was great but I just couldn't get into it.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan's life isn't going like she thought it would. After all that time in college, Corporate America isn't as eager to hire Susan as she thought they would be. She needs experience but where to get it? With Ben who isn't what she would call 'relationship material' in the bowels of Texas or manager a small diner in the town she is living in now? Then one night everything changes....but how? You will need to read the book to find out. I voluntarily reviewed a free ARC of this book.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was frustrating, and it almost felt like a lie at the end. I guess I just didn't connect with the main POV. She wouldn't have been one of my friends. It felt like I waisted a bunch of time investing in these characters to have nothing happen between them. I will not read anymore of this series. There wasn't a lot of sex because the guy was a virgin and the main girl wasn't interested in him. I don't remember there being anything explicit, just sexual tension.

[Robin Alford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Life Choices!

A simply amazing book about that moment when life comes rushing towards you with a fork in the road. The main character is in her senior year of college and choices about life all seem to be needed at once. How does one choose between personal dreams, comfortable mediocrity and settling expectations?
Excellent conveyance of emotions, thoughts and external obstacles college graduates face on the road to self fulfillment.