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Backstage
CC Law, 36, single, and on the edge of bankruptcy joined the secret society for a steady paycheck. She never counted on mystery, romance, or a chance to change the world one improbable increment at a time. Join CC as she attempts to decipher just who runs Backstage, and what is the source of their seemingly limitless power.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2017
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29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 7, 2020
This book is difficult for me to rate. Mostly because it is NOT my typical genre. I read mostly horror, but also a cozy mystery from time to time. If I had to genre classify this book, it would be difficult. It is a romance, but not really. There is a lot of humor, but it's not exactly a comedy. Let's recap the story. Cc needs a job and stumbles across a very mysterious job, and to get the job she has to pretend to be someone's girlfriend. I don't wanna give spoilers,but don't most fake relationships usually turn real?
At first I was going to rate this book lower. But that's only because I am not an Acceptor. Lol. Then I realized that since the book lingo is rubbing off on me that I had to rate it higher.
Ccs new job is a problem solver for a company called Backstage. After finishing the book, I'm still curious as to who or what Backstage is. I wish the book would have answered some of my questions, but maybe that's what makes this book so funny.
There was one political part that I did not like. Other than that, I found this book to be a light hearted fun read.
At first I was going to rate this book lower. But that's only because I am not an Acceptor. Lol. Then I realized that since the book lingo is rubbing off on me that I had to rate it higher.
Ccs new job is a problem solver for a company called Backstage. After finishing the book, I'm still curious as to who or what Backstage is. I wish the book would have answered some of my questions, but maybe that's what makes this book so funny.
There was one political part that I did not like. Other than that, I found this book to be a light hearted fun read.
March 10, 2019
Disclaimer land again: I have a bias. Know this up front. I didn't get the book for free or anything like that, but there is a personal connection here. The author herself and I had a chat at a convention and she pointed me at this one. Go, buy it. Check it out and see what you think, but most importantly, make sure the author gets paid.
On to the work itself. I actively struggled with the title. After having attempted to just search it up under "backstage" I understand why there's a need for differentiation. Personally I would have cut it down to Backstage: Imaginary Cats or some significantly shorter name.
Then I started reading. This book put me very much in the mindset of 'The Adjustment Bureau'. The main difference is the main character is working for the bureau rather than against it. IF you enjoyed the idea of people toying with the way the world functions you'll probably get into this one.
The invisible cat thing is actually a great call back in the story. I hope that part carries on.
Go, check out this author's work!
On to the work itself. I actively struggled with the title. After having attempted to just search it up under "backstage" I understand why there's a need for differentiation. Personally I would have cut it down to Backstage: Imaginary Cats or some significantly shorter name.
Then I started reading. This book put me very much in the mindset of 'The Adjustment Bureau'. The main difference is the main character is working for the bureau rather than against it. IF you enjoyed the idea of people toying with the way the world functions you'll probably get into this one.
The invisible cat thing is actually a great call back in the story. I hope that part carries on.
Go, check out this author's work!
December 31, 2021
This book meshes genres in the best of ways. At one level, “Backstage” is a romance, but CC’s sardonic wit makes the book an absolute hoot, which doesn’t often happen in books that strictly fit into the “romance” genre. I like CC. In the first chapter, she muses about Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs, saying, “Maslow said food, clothing, and shelter first, medical insurance and a 401k second, THEN you can worry about finding Mr. Beyond Improvement.” The humor in this book is clever.
CC solves problems as a quality control specialist, and at the beginning of the book, she impresses a couple of people she encounters by accident. This meeting leads to a job opportunity so long as she and her pretend-boyfriend Lyle can convince the organization’s higher-ups that they are legit. This book is quirky and fun. I highly recommend it.
CC solves problems as a quality control specialist, and at the beginning of the book, she impresses a couple of people she encounters by accident. This meeting leads to a job opportunity so long as she and her pretend-boyfriend Lyle can convince the organization’s higher-ups that they are legit. This book is quirky and fun. I highly recommend it.
August 4, 2021
Backstage was an enjoyable take on the: “there’s secret organization running the world” angle. CC, the main character, embellishes her curiosity of this strange organization which she has stumbled into. As she gets closer, she realizes that the organization appears to be pulling the strings of the world. Using her special skillset, she finds herself solving problems for this organization, and wondering just how deep the rabbit hole goes. The diverse cast of quirky characters, though at times did seem a little full of themselves (but aren’t we all sometimes,) were engaging and fun to read. The ending felt a little bit rushed, or maybe incomplete—there are a few unanswered questions. However, I understand that there is a second book to this strange world, so happy reading! If you like secret society, behind the curtain stories like “Adjustment Bureau,” Backstage is probably right up your alley!
August 28, 2024
I absolutely love this book! I need more!! I am so happy that there is a second book I can’t wait to start it! Joan does an amazing job at world building! CC and Lyle are so cute together! I love their chemistry and can’t wait to see what happens next!!!
March 5, 2018
A fun lighthearted read.
Joan Wendland has produced a fun lighthearted read. True love, revenge, mysteries to investigate, all this and more. I look forward to a sequel.
Joan Wendland has produced a fun lighthearted read. True love, revenge, mysteries to investigate, all this and more. I look forward to a sequel.
March 8, 2018
With a romance you can believe, a conspiracy theory you want to believe, and a sense of humor that makes you believe again in intelligent fiction, Backstage: A Novel of Secret Agendas, Slow Burn Romance, and Imaginary Cats has something for a wide variety of discerning readers. We meet bad ex-boyfriends, role-playing game novices, and bureaucracy-savants as we learn how the world really works and how all of us - fundamentally flawed as we are - have indelible, often predictable impacts on each other and the world around us. The protagonist's natural curiosity and particular gifts make her a likeable character whose success we can't help but root for as the true nature of the world slowly takes shape around her - and around us, as we see it through her eyes.
September 26, 2019
That was so much fun! I really enjoyed the quirkiness of the characters and the world-within-a-world setting. I already was massively enjoying this book (read it in less than 24 hours even) but then we got to the rpg geekiness and I lost my mind. This. Was. Perfect. Why hasn't this book gotten more press? It deserves so much more attention than it's gotten.
Re-read: Still love it! It holds up and I missed these characters more than I knew. Can't wait for book 2!
Re-read: Still love it! It holds up and I missed these characters more than I knew. Can't wait for book 2!
March 13, 2019
To be clear, I WROTE this book. I think it's the imaginary cat's meow.
October 18, 2023
This book was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but I immediately began rooting for CC and wanted her to become a part of Backstage even before I knew what it was.
Despite being a problem-solver professionally, it doesn't seem to give CC the skills to get her own life in order. Fortunately, she starts figuring out how to do so when she falls into a plan to get her into the doors of Backstage. The plan to get her a job includes a fake dating situation. The romance-lover in me loved this plotline. I also appreciated that the acquaintance to lovers storyline wasn't sped up and felt realistic.
I thought most of the characters were well-developed with only some scenes coming off maybe a tad over-the-top due to how old the character were. There was a wide range of emotions being dealt with among all the characters, giving them each unique issues to overcome as they adjust to having an outside become one of them. I also loved seeing how CC encouraged those from Backstage to be more aware of what happening Outside, and the scenes with the role playing game were some of my favorites in the book.
I do wish the ending had felt more complete. I found it rather abrupt and it left me with too many questions I wanted answer for. I look forward to finding out in the second book.
Despite being a problem-solver professionally, it doesn't seem to give CC the skills to get her own life in order. Fortunately, she starts figuring out how to do so when she falls into a plan to get her into the doors of Backstage. The plan to get her a job includes a fake dating situation. The romance-lover in me loved this plotline. I also appreciated that the acquaintance to lovers storyline wasn't sped up and felt realistic.
I thought most of the characters were well-developed with only some scenes coming off maybe a tad over-the-top due to how old the character were. There was a wide range of emotions being dealt with among all the characters, giving them each unique issues to overcome as they adjust to having an outside become one of them. I also loved seeing how CC encouraged those from Backstage to be more aware of what happening Outside, and the scenes with the role playing game were some of my favorites in the book.
I do wish the ending had felt more complete. I found it rather abrupt and it left me with too many questions I wanted answer for. I look forward to finding out in the second book.
October 31, 2024
Backstage by Joan I. Wendland is a gripping blend of mystery, suspense, and personal transformation. The story centers on CC Law, a 36-year-old woman struggling to stay financially afloat. On the brink of bankruptcy and seeking stability, she makes a fateful decision to join a secretive organization known as Backstage. But what begins as a bid for survival rapidly spirals into an unexpected journey filled with intrigue, romance, and a tantalizing web of secrets.
CC quickly learns that Backstage isn’t just an ordinary organization; its influence is vast, its inner workings opaque, and its true purpose elusive. Tasked with deciphering Backstage's secrets, she finds herself enmeshed in a world of covert power where every choice counts. As CC delves deeper, she realizes that Backstage’s potential for change is limitless—albeit one small, improbable step at a time. Alongside her quest, romance unexpectedly blossoms, adding depth to her journey and challenging her perceptions of loyalty, purpose, and self-worth.
With each twist and revelation, Backstage draws readers into a carefully woven narrative of resilience and discovery. Wendland's novel is a testament to the power of transformation, no matter the odds, making it a captivating read for fans of suspenseful storytelling.
CC quickly learns that Backstage isn’t just an ordinary organization; its influence is vast, its inner workings opaque, and its true purpose elusive. Tasked with deciphering Backstage's secrets, she finds herself enmeshed in a world of covert power where every choice counts. As CC delves deeper, she realizes that Backstage’s potential for change is limitless—albeit one small, improbable step at a time. Alongside her quest, romance unexpectedly blossoms, adding depth to her journey and challenging her perceptions of loyalty, purpose, and self-worth.
With each twist and revelation, Backstage draws readers into a carefully woven narrative of resilience and discovery. Wendland's novel is a testament to the power of transformation, no matter the odds, making it a captivating read for fans of suspenseful storytelling.
March 8, 2021
This book zings from the first page and drew me in with its main character before the main action even started.
CC needs a job. She needs to get rid of her sponging ex and, once those things are seen to, she needs to figure out what she wants to do with her life.
Instead, she stumbles into a place called Backstage, where they find solutions for issues like high divorce rates, conflict in the Middle East and how to ensure that zoo visits aren't ruined by pandas failing to live up to expectations. CC is so good at it that they offer her a job.
What I loved was that CC has a lot of questions that no-one knows the answers to: how are the problems selected, who is making the decisions, what are they trying to achieve? Her inquisitiveness and problem-solving approach are entirely in keeping with her character.
Although the story deals with some weighty issues (and includes some useful relationship advice), it's lightly and wittily written. It ended rather abruptly, but that's fine because I'm going straight on to the next one.
CC needs a job. She needs to get rid of her sponging ex and, once those things are seen to, she needs to figure out what she wants to do with her life.
Instead, she stumbles into a place called Backstage, where they find solutions for issues like high divorce rates, conflict in the Middle East and how to ensure that zoo visits aren't ruined by pandas failing to live up to expectations. CC is so good at it that they offer her a job.
What I loved was that CC has a lot of questions that no-one knows the answers to: how are the problems selected, who is making the decisions, what are they trying to achieve? Her inquisitiveness and problem-solving approach are entirely in keeping with her character.
Although the story deals with some weighty issues (and includes some useful relationship advice), it's lightly and wittily written. It ended rather abruptly, but that's fine because I'm going straight on to the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2023
BACKSTAGE was so much fun because of Wendland’s quirky humor. CC is having a spate of bad luck. She’s in debt, having a terrible rash of bad luck with men, and going from one job interview to the next as a Quality Control Specialist (l loved the interview, by the way.) She stumbles into a portal in the bathroom and finds an underground group that secretly is responsible for trying to solve all sorts of the world’s problems. The thing that makes this book is the HUMOR. It’s sci fi in a way, with a touch of romance, but mostly humor. Favorite moments: I was cackling at the scenes about the pandas and the grizzlies, loved the group dynamic as they all work together with outside the box thinking to try to fix the world. They kept debating how they could have prevented WW2, for example and why they failed. I had a hard eyeroll at the problems with textbooks in my home state. Don’t even get me started there. CC’s response to Alex the ex-boyfriend was too funny. I also liked the visit from the IRS. I enjoy all of Joan Wendland’s books and this one might be my favorite. 5/5 stars.
January 4, 2020
Backstage
Disclaimer: Having written a book about a secret society working to change the world they live in, I wanted to see how another author dealt with the concept. The author and I bought each other’s books and my honest review follows. I have not read her review of my book before submitting this review.
I found Backstage to be an enjoyable read. The characters are believable but a little shallow for people in their 30s. The concept of a secret society working to improve the world of humanity is handled well. The author of Backstage did a good job with the secret society. With that setting, the author leads us through the developing of relationships and how difficult they are to grow and maintain. The writing is excellent and the story progresses at a rapid pace. I would have liked some of the issues addressed, like sexting and divorce, to be handled in more depth. Overall, worth reading.
Disclaimer: Having written a book about a secret society working to change the world they live in, I wanted to see how another author dealt with the concept. The author and I bought each other’s books and my honest review follows. I have not read her review of my book before submitting this review.
I found Backstage to be an enjoyable read. The characters are believable but a little shallow for people in their 30s. The concept of a secret society working to improve the world of humanity is handled well. The author of Backstage did a good job with the secret society. With that setting, the author leads us through the developing of relationships and how difficult they are to grow and maintain. The writing is excellent and the story progresses at a rapid pace. I would have liked some of the issues addressed, like sexting and divorce, to be handled in more depth. Overall, worth reading.
April 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this story in the beginning particularly. There were engaging characters and intriguing thoughts and ideas. I wanted to know what would happen to them and more about the unusual world they inhabited. I was still enjoying the story by the end, but as an inhabitant of the UK I felt like an outsider looking on to what was an American viewpoint. The end was a bit disappointing. It felt unproperly resolved, and I wanted more. Still, the book was edited well and contained very few mistakes. In addition, I felt that I was in the hands of a competent story teller and I would have no hesitation in looking for the book by this author that I was supposed to be reading (but I got the wrong one), a horror story. In fact I am looking forward to it.
August 8, 2023
“Backstage,” has a fabulous subtitle: A novel of secret agendas, slow burn romance, and imaginary cats. When the story opens, CC, AKA Constance Law, is struggling to stay afloat under a sea of bills. After a disappointing job interview, she stumbles into a portal to a hidden world, that she later learns is called “Backstage.” She uses her ingenuity to assist a pair of “stagers” (Backstage members) with a puzzling assignment. They are so impressed, that they conspire to get her hired on. This is a fascinating and witty contemporary fantasy, quite unlike anything I have read before. If you are a fan of contemporary tales infused with magical realism, give this book a try!
April 23, 2020
What really goes on in the background?
Come Backstage in this delightful take and learn how the problems of the world are solved. This is an intriguing romance with unusual backgrounds. I found the entire premise an intriguing literary concept.
Come Backstage in this delightful take and learn how the problems of the world are solved. This is an intriguing romance with unusual backgrounds. I found the entire premise an intriguing literary concept.
May 29, 2020
Fun read
This is such a fun story and very timely. Trump will be impeached in 6 months. Put yourself in the story and have some fun. Enjoy
This is such a fun story and very timely. Trump will be impeached in 6 months. Put yourself in the story and have some fun. Enjoy
May 14, 2021
Topical, hilarious, imaginative
Highly inventive backstage story of "what if" comprised of unusual and/or normal characters, set in Washington DC.
Deserves a sequel.
Highly inventive backstage story of "what if" comprised of unusual and/or normal characters, set in Washington DC.
Deserves a sequel.
Read
January 8, 2020A bit like 'The Adjustment Bureau" only more fun, interesting and from a different point of view. For people who love it when a work takes time to explore an interesting concept.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews