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Simply the Best
Simply the Worst…Alice Cabot’s only great love is science, but a lapse in judgment has exiled the New York journalist to the glitzy Gallerias and vapid bubble-babble of Beverly Hills. The assignment to do a flattering feature series on Simply the Best and the superficial nonsense it sells threatens to crush what little is left of her spirit.
Simply the Best…Pepper Addington can’t believe she’s moved up from grunt intern to personal assistant for Helene Jolie, the celebrity socialite founder of SimplytheBest.com. Succeeding at the job she worked so hard to get is her only priority. Keep a cynical know-it-all reporter in check? She promises Helene that she can.
Simply Irresistible…Expecting nothing but games from the beach-blond surfer girl that Helene Jolie has assigned to keep an eye on her, Alice is fully prepared to resist any and all of California’s charms. Or so she thinks.
Simply the Best…Pepper Addington can’t believe she’s moved up from grunt intern to personal assistant for Helene Jolie, the celebrity socialite founder of SimplytheBest.com. Succeeding at the job she worked so hard to get is her only priority. Keep a cynical know-it-all reporter in check? She promises Helene that she can.
Simply Irresistible…Expecting nothing but games from the beach-blond surfer girl that Helene Jolie has assigned to keep an eye on her, Alice is fully prepared to resist any and all of California’s charms. Or so she thinks.
382 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
28 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Karin Kallmaker
81 books711 followersKarin Kallmaker has been exclusively devoted to lesbian fiction since the publication of her first novel in 1989. As an author published by the storied Naiad Press, she worked with Barbara Grier and Donna McBride, and has been fortunate to be mentored by a number of editors, including Katherine V. Forrest.
In addition to multiple Lambda Literary Awards, she has been featured as a Stonewall Library and Archives Distinguished Author. Other accolades include the Ann Bannon Popular Choice and other awards for her writing, as well as the selection as a Trailblazer by the Golden Crown Literary Society. She is best known for novels such as Painted Moon, Simply the Best, Touchwood, The Kiss that Counted and Captain of Industry.
The California native is the mother of two and lives with her wife in the Bay Area. You can catch her blogs at Romance and Chocolate: https://kallmaker.com/blog/. Find her on social media by searching for "Kallmaker" - there's only one.
In addition to multiple Lambda Literary Awards, she has been featured as a Stonewall Library and Archives Distinguished Author. Other accolades include the Ann Bannon Popular Choice and other awards for her writing, as well as the selection as a Trailblazer by the Golden Crown Literary Society. She is best known for novels such as Painted Moon, Simply the Best, Touchwood, The Kiss that Counted and Captain of Industry.
The California native is the mother of two and lives with her wife in the Bay Area. You can catch her blogs at Romance and Chocolate: https://kallmaker.com/blog/. Find her on social media by searching for "Kallmaker" - there's only one.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 8, 2021
3.50 Stars. This was an interesting one. There were parts that I really loved, but there were also parts that didn’t work very well. I think in the end, this was an above average romance but it was nowhere near what Kallmaker can really do.
For those newer to WLW fiction, and might not know, Karin Kallmaker is an OG of this genre. She has been writing for over 30 years with more than 30 books to show for it. She really helped pave the way for so many WLW authors that are popular nowadays. So as you might imagine when I see a new Kallmaker book coming out I’m always excited. This book had some great ideas with interesting plot points and characters, but in the end it just didn’t all come together as much as I had hopped.
I love books that have the sort of Devil Wears Prada feel; a woman trying to make a name for herself by working hard for the successful, smart, sexy ice queen boss. And while I love the direction that most of these WLW romance go in, I liked that this book had a completely different take on that boss/employee role. I won’t say exactly what that different take was, but it won’t be hard to figure it out by even just reading the blurb. The point is that this book had a different feel and I liked that Kallmaker mixed it up that way.
I think the biggest issue I really had with this book was due to its length. This is a long book at around twice the length of the average WLW romance. That in itself was not the issue since I like longer romances, especially for slow-burn ones, but the problem was that much of the extra length was not needed. This book was too long for the story and there were parts that slowed way down or were clearly just not needed. I do get that this is a Kallmaker book and if anyone has earned her own story length choices it is her, but this story should have been edited down at least another 15-20%. It would have made the story tighter and I think it would have worked so much better. There were parts in this book that were wonderfully written, just classic Kallmaker, but then there were parts that felt like Kallmaker was struggling. I don’t know how to explain it any better than to say that some parts felt forced and almost too introspective and didn’t have that smooth flow that I’m used to with this author.
I was pretty happy with the main characters. I found them to be mostly likeable and I liked how Kallmaker slowly built up their connection. They had some good chemistry together that I enjoyed. However, I do wish there were a few more moments of them getting to know each other. There were some angsty parts, but Kallmaker often doesn’t follow the formulaic WLW romance rule which is something else I always appreciate. I did struggle a bit with the fact that one of the characters drank too much. I wonder if I’m picking too much for a romance book, but I wished it was handled a little differently than “I’ll just cut back”. It seemed liked it was an important plot point to just be resolved that way.
In the end, I enjoyed this but there were more bumps than I expected. This story really had the potential to be great, the ball was teed up for a homerun but Kallmaker hit a double instead. I would recommend this for people that like the feel of a Devil Wears Prada. This will not make it on my lists of Kallmaker favorites but I’m still glad that I got to read it.
An ARC was given to me for a review.
For those newer to WLW fiction, and might not know, Karin Kallmaker is an OG of this genre. She has been writing for over 30 years with more than 30 books to show for it. She really helped pave the way for so many WLW authors that are popular nowadays. So as you might imagine when I see a new Kallmaker book coming out I’m always excited. This book had some great ideas with interesting plot points and characters, but in the end it just didn’t all come together as much as I had hopped.
I love books that have the sort of Devil Wears Prada feel; a woman trying to make a name for herself by working hard for the successful, smart, sexy ice queen boss. And while I love the direction that most of these WLW romance go in, I liked that this book had a completely different take on that boss/employee role. I won’t say exactly what that different take was, but it won’t be hard to figure it out by even just reading the blurb. The point is that this book had a different feel and I liked that Kallmaker mixed it up that way.
I think the biggest issue I really had with this book was due to its length. This is a long book at around twice the length of the average WLW romance. That in itself was not the issue since I like longer romances, especially for slow-burn ones, but the problem was that much of the extra length was not needed. This book was too long for the story and there were parts that slowed way down or were clearly just not needed. I do get that this is a Kallmaker book and if anyone has earned her own story length choices it is her, but this story should have been edited down at least another 15-20%. It would have made the story tighter and I think it would have worked so much better. There were parts in this book that were wonderfully written, just classic Kallmaker, but then there were parts that felt like Kallmaker was struggling. I don’t know how to explain it any better than to say that some parts felt forced and almost too introspective and didn’t have that smooth flow that I’m used to with this author.
I was pretty happy with the main characters. I found them to be mostly likeable and I liked how Kallmaker slowly built up their connection. They had some good chemistry together that I enjoyed. However, I do wish there were a few more moments of them getting to know each other. There were some angsty parts, but Kallmaker often doesn’t follow the formulaic WLW romance rule which is something else I always appreciate. I did struggle a bit with the fact that one of the characters drank too much. I wonder if I’m picking too much for a romance book, but I wished it was handled a little differently than “I’ll just cut back”. It seemed liked it was an important plot point to just be resolved that way.
In the end, I enjoyed this but there were more bumps than I expected. This story really had the potential to be great, the ball was teed up for a homerun but Kallmaker hit a double instead. I would recommend this for people that like the feel of a Devil Wears Prada. This will not make it on my lists of Kallmaker favorites but I’m still glad that I got to read it.
An ARC was given to me for a review.
September 19, 2021
Women's empowerment and other things.
Kallmaker has been around the lesfic scene for a long time and has written a ton of books, but so far I've only read one other book of hers. I can't say that I'm familiar with her works, but if this book is any indication of her writing style, I don't think it suits me very well.
Kallmaker doesn't write poorly. She writes well actually. But she uses so many words that I found it hard to connect with the story, especially since the parts that were descriptive weren't the romance bits. In Simply The Best, Kallmaker explores many topics like gender equality in the workplace and empowerment of women, etc. Many of these are topics that would interest me into a discussion on a normal day, but it didn't hold my interest here and I found myself skimming the pages to reach the end.
There's a romance that develops between Alice, an opinionated and jaded journalist tasked to write a flattering piece on a successful company that sells women's products, and Pepper, the brand new personal assistant to its CEO, but their story ended up being not too engaging too.
I received an ARC from Bella Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kallmaker has been around the lesfic scene for a long time and has written a ton of books, but so far I've only read one other book of hers. I can't say that I'm familiar with her works, but if this book is any indication of her writing style, I don't think it suits me very well.
Kallmaker doesn't write poorly. She writes well actually. But she uses so many words that I found it hard to connect with the story, especially since the parts that were descriptive weren't the romance bits. In Simply The Best, Kallmaker explores many topics like gender equality in the workplace and empowerment of women, etc. Many of these are topics that would interest me into a discussion on a normal day, but it didn't hold my interest here and I found myself skimming the pages to reach the end.
There's a romance that develops between Alice, an opinionated and jaded journalist tasked to write a flattering piece on a successful company that sells women's products, and Pepper, the brand new personal assistant to its CEO, but their story ended up being not too engaging too.
I received an ARC from Bella Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2021
Karin Kallmaker has been writing romance novels for thirty years or so and she knows how to bend the rules just enough to keep things exciting. I didn’t read the blurb, because it’s Kallmaker and I knew the story would interest me. I wasn’t sure for a long time which characters would get romantically involved. Suspense isn’t often an ingredient in romance and I enjoyed it.
Alice Cabot is a very driven science journalist on the verge of burnout, which leads to her not always keeping her big mouth shut when she should. An incident with a congressman results in her editor moving her to the Style section for a report on Simply The Best, an extremely successful company selling women everything they can dream of, from clothes to yoni eggs. The CEO is the gorgeous and guarded Helene Jolie, and Alice can’t help but wonder what’s beneath the glamourous veneer. Helene’s new assistant Pepper Addington is tasked with providing Alice with all the information she needs while protecting the brand and Helene. All sorts of sparks fly when the New Yorker arrives in Beverly Hills and starts asking questions.
Karin Kallmaker is one of the first authors I read when I first found sapphic fiction 25 years ago and the only one from that period I still read. Her books are consistently good and her writing has grown without losing any of its energy.
As usual, Karin Kallmaker writes excellent characters. First impressions turn out to be mostly wrong and the characters’ true personalities are unveiled as the story unfolds. When we first meet Alice, she sounds burnt out, permanently grumpy and depressed, and the pandemic didn’t help. Neither does the alcohol she relies on to get through the day. She’s a New Yorker through and through and can’t believe anything good can come out of the land of pretence and bling. She’s also an excellent journalist, determined to get to the bottom of things, even when it means fighting her own bias. Helene has charisma in spades, her employees love her and so do her clients. Simply The Best seems to have found a miraculous formula to please women of various generations and backgrounds. Yet there are reasons why Helene is so wary of “serious” journalists. Then there’s Pepper. Not just a surfer girl, definitely not an airhead, Pepper is highly capable yet often underestimated. She’s kind, she’s smart, she’s enthusiastic and while probably not perfect, she’s profoundly good. And she’s one of those rare people with whom what you see is actually what you get, provided you’re willing to really look.
I don’t usually think of an imaginary cast for characters, since I don’t picture characters, despite the sometimes very detailed descriptions authors provide. I hear them though, and I had Jean Smart in my head every time Alice interacted with her mother. I’m not sure which woman I’d have her play, however. I also had Danielle Brooks at other times for Alice. Then I thought Cate Blanchett would be great as Helene, even if her hair and eye colour is all wrong and her company as seen through Alice’s eyes sounds like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop. Her energy is right though. As for Pepper, Brie Larson came to mind.
Chemistry in this book goes three ways, not all heartwarming and sexy. Sparks fly at first sight and do their best to hold on despite characters being deliciously obtuse and fighting the inevitable. Verbal sparring and powerplay between uneasy enemies bring a different kind of chemistry in the arena, with awe and admiration completing the triangle.
Pepper’s friends, Helene’s trusted PA, Alice’s mother are all interesting secondary characters. There’s also an unexpected cameo by a well-known bear. Or the idea of the bear. Anyhow, it made me laugh more than once.
One of the things I love in Karin Kallmaker’s books is the way she sets the scene. Her characters have real jobs, not just titles mentioned here and there. It’s part of who they are, part of the story, almost akin to world-building in sci-fi or fantasy. That said, Karin Kallmaker has earned the right to write all the words she wants and I’ll happily read them, but to be honest, this novel could have been quite a bit shorter and the ins and outs of Simply The Best may be where those extra words could have been found.
Neither fluffy nor too heavy, Simply The Best hits the right balance, incorporating current news and societal themes in what remains, fundamentally, a romance novel.
ARC provided to Rainbow Literary Society for an honest review.
Alice Cabot is a very driven science journalist on the verge of burnout, which leads to her not always keeping her big mouth shut when she should. An incident with a congressman results in her editor moving her to the Style section for a report on Simply The Best, an extremely successful company selling women everything they can dream of, from clothes to yoni eggs. The CEO is the gorgeous and guarded Helene Jolie, and Alice can’t help but wonder what’s beneath the glamourous veneer. Helene’s new assistant Pepper Addington is tasked with providing Alice with all the information she needs while protecting the brand and Helene. All sorts of sparks fly when the New Yorker arrives in Beverly Hills and starts asking questions.
Karin Kallmaker is one of the first authors I read when I first found sapphic fiction 25 years ago and the only one from that period I still read. Her books are consistently good and her writing has grown without losing any of its energy.
As usual, Karin Kallmaker writes excellent characters. First impressions turn out to be mostly wrong and the characters’ true personalities are unveiled as the story unfolds. When we first meet Alice, she sounds burnt out, permanently grumpy and depressed, and the pandemic didn’t help. Neither does the alcohol she relies on to get through the day. She’s a New Yorker through and through and can’t believe anything good can come out of the land of pretence and bling. She’s also an excellent journalist, determined to get to the bottom of things, even when it means fighting her own bias. Helene has charisma in spades, her employees love her and so do her clients. Simply The Best seems to have found a miraculous formula to please women of various generations and backgrounds. Yet there are reasons why Helene is so wary of “serious” journalists. Then there’s Pepper. Not just a surfer girl, definitely not an airhead, Pepper is highly capable yet often underestimated. She’s kind, she’s smart, she’s enthusiastic and while probably not perfect, she’s profoundly good. And she’s one of those rare people with whom what you see is actually what you get, provided you’re willing to really look.
I don’t usually think of an imaginary cast for characters, since I don’t picture characters, despite the sometimes very detailed descriptions authors provide. I hear them though, and I had Jean Smart in my head every time Alice interacted with her mother. I’m not sure which woman I’d have her play, however. I also had Danielle Brooks at other times for Alice. Then I thought Cate Blanchett would be great as Helene, even if her hair and eye colour is all wrong and her company as seen through Alice’s eyes sounds like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop. Her energy is right though. As for Pepper, Brie Larson came to mind.
Chemistry in this book goes three ways, not all heartwarming and sexy. Sparks fly at first sight and do their best to hold on despite characters being deliciously obtuse and fighting the inevitable. Verbal sparring and powerplay between uneasy enemies bring a different kind of chemistry in the arena, with awe and admiration completing the triangle.
Pepper’s friends, Helene’s trusted PA, Alice’s mother are all interesting secondary characters. There’s also an unexpected cameo by a well-known bear. Or the idea of the bear. Anyhow, it made me laugh more than once.
One of the things I love in Karin Kallmaker’s books is the way she sets the scene. Her characters have real jobs, not just titles mentioned here and there. It’s part of who they are, part of the story, almost akin to world-building in sci-fi or fantasy. That said, Karin Kallmaker has earned the right to write all the words she wants and I’ll happily read them, but to be honest, this novel could have been quite a bit shorter and the ins and outs of Simply The Best may be where those extra words could have been found.
Neither fluffy nor too heavy, Simply The Best hits the right balance, incorporating current news and societal themes in what remains, fundamentally, a romance novel.
ARC provided to Rainbow Literary Society for an honest review.
August 26, 2021
“Simply the Best” by Karin Kallmaker is tagged as a romance but honestly, while I did enjoy the romance that’s here, it mostly felt like women’s fiction. There’s a lot going on that isn’t connected to the romance and those things take up a lot of pages. I wanted to throw that out there in case anyone is skimming these reviews for a romance. Saying that, I liked this book, quite a bit actually. It’s not perfect in that it’s overly long and I found myself skimming certain parts. But I’ll get into that more later.
Alice Cabot is in trouble with her editor for getting caught on camera calling a congressman a douchebag. She’s a science journalist and as punishment is assigned a style series on Simply the Best, a Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop-like conglomerate. She’s 40 and because of Covid, she’s become somewhat depressed and bitter with the world. Alice is a New Yorker through and through and isn’t looking forward to spending time in Los Angeles, especially for this piece.
Pepper Addington is 27 and recently been promoted personal assistant to Helene Jolie, the brains behind Simply the Best. Helene doesn’t like journalists and Pepper’s job is to help Alice and get her in and out of Helene’s hair as quickly and painlessly as possible. Pepper is a mostly happy and optimistic person. I want to say she see’s the world through rose colored glasses but I’m not sure if that’s right or not. She definitely wants to see and believe the best in those around her.
Alice and Pepper have an attraction to one another but this is a slow burn and it takes a while for things to happen. They don’t actually meet until after 20% so there’s a lot of getting to know them before that happens. I liked their spark and how their personalities complemented one another. However, I would’ve liked more scenes of them together and more depth to their emotional connection. It felt like we got to know them mostly when they were on their own or with their friends/family and not so much as them together.
As I said above, there’s a lot going on in this. There’s a lot of talk about social issues, the pandemic, workplace politics. Some of it is just gets lightly hit upon and some of it Kallmaker goes into a lot more depth. I didn’t mind this for the most part. But it did take away from the romance and became the center piece.
Kallmaker writes a lot of details in her books and this is full of them. I usually love details but there was a lot of details about the surroundings and buildings that I didn’t really need. This led me to skim parts of chapters, so not important parts, just descriptive bits that I, as a reader, don’t need. As an example, Simply the Best headquarters is described in detail from both Pepper and Alice. STB stores are also detailed several times so it gets long and repetitive. People that value a lot of details will really enjoy this one a lot.
Overall, I enjoyed “Simply the Best” and it left me feeling hopeful for Alice and Pepper’s future.
I received an ARC from Bella Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Alice Cabot is in trouble with her editor for getting caught on camera calling a congressman a douchebag. She’s a science journalist and as punishment is assigned a style series on Simply the Best, a Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop-like conglomerate. She’s 40 and because of Covid, she’s become somewhat depressed and bitter with the world. Alice is a New Yorker through and through and isn’t looking forward to spending time in Los Angeles, especially for this piece.
Pepper Addington is 27 and recently been promoted personal assistant to Helene Jolie, the brains behind Simply the Best. Helene doesn’t like journalists and Pepper’s job is to help Alice and get her in and out of Helene’s hair as quickly and painlessly as possible. Pepper is a mostly happy and optimistic person. I want to say she see’s the world through rose colored glasses but I’m not sure if that’s right or not. She definitely wants to see and believe the best in those around her.
Alice and Pepper have an attraction to one another but this is a slow burn and it takes a while for things to happen. They don’t actually meet until after 20% so there’s a lot of getting to know them before that happens. I liked their spark and how their personalities complemented one another. However, I would’ve liked more scenes of them together and more depth to their emotional connection. It felt like we got to know them mostly when they were on their own or with their friends/family and not so much as them together.
As I said above, there’s a lot going on in this. There’s a lot of talk about social issues, the pandemic, workplace politics. Some of it is just gets lightly hit upon and some of it Kallmaker goes into a lot more depth. I didn’t mind this for the most part. But it did take away from the romance and became the center piece.
Kallmaker writes a lot of details in her books and this is full of them. I usually love details but there was a lot of details about the surroundings and buildings that I didn’t really need. This led me to skim parts of chapters, so not important parts, just descriptive bits that I, as a reader, don’t need. As an example, Simply the Best headquarters is described in detail from both Pepper and Alice. STB stores are also detailed several times so it gets long and repetitive. People that value a lot of details will really enjoy this one a lot.
Overall, I enjoyed “Simply the Best” and it left me feeling hopeful for Alice and Pepper’s future.
I received an ARC from Bella Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2021
I liked this book. Very much. What can I say, I'm a big fan of Karin Kallmaker.
Although...
I was left wanting a little more at the end. I think an epilogue would have worked well to round off the story a little more.
Although...
I was left wanting a little more at the end. I think an epilogue would have worked well to round off the story a little more.
August 7, 2021
Simply the best by Karin Kallmaker introduces us to Alice Cabot and Pepper Addington. Alice is a journalist recovering from a controversial spat in the politics section within her company. Her punishment is being moved to the style section, placing her in the direct path of Simply the Best. Simply the Best is a successful company owned by the well known, Helen Jolie. Enter Pepper, initially an unpaid intern at Simply the Best who finds herself as Helen's personal assistant and soon to be Alice's guide. Sparks fly but so does Alice's suspicion about Helen.
This is my first book by this author despite her having many to her name and as much as I wanted to enjoy this book it fell short for me.
My first problem would be the writing and content. There was a lot of irrelevant moments and paragraphs that was totally useless to this book. In the end that added to an unnecessarily lengthy and somewhat boring novel. The conflict was strung out and presented an anticlimactic ending.
I don't know how else to describe my disdain for the writing or contents of this book other than the way it resonated the same feelings that I get when my grandma tries to relate to me. No disrespect to the author but the writing was very try hard. To some extent I love Pop culture references but it was very overdone and as much as I hate to use this word to describe things it was, cringe.
It's very hard for me to imagine grown adults saying stuff like, "Ya basic" or "Bitch, I'm Beyonce."
On the up hand, Alice was a very likable character and she did have chemistry with Pepper, but perhaps if the author spent less time writing random facts about the world and more time building their relationship I would have taken more of a liking to this book.
I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to read this book but I will not be adding this to my recommend list.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for a honest review.
This is my first book by this author despite her having many to her name and as much as I wanted to enjoy this book it fell short for me.
My first problem would be the writing and content. There was a lot of irrelevant moments and paragraphs that was totally useless to this book. In the end that added to an unnecessarily lengthy and somewhat boring novel. The conflict was strung out and presented an anticlimactic ending.
I don't know how else to describe my disdain for the writing or contents of this book other than the way it resonated the same feelings that I get when my grandma tries to relate to me. No disrespect to the author but the writing was very try hard. To some extent I love Pop culture references but it was very overdone and as much as I hate to use this word to describe things it was, cringe.
It's very hard for me to imagine grown adults saying stuff like, "Ya basic" or "Bitch, I'm Beyonce."
On the up hand, Alice was a very likable character and she did have chemistry with Pepper, but perhaps if the author spent less time writing random facts about the world and more time building their relationship I would have taken more of a liking to this book.
I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to read this book but I will not be adding this to my recommend list.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for a honest review.
June 5, 2025
I listened to the audio of this one on Hoopla. And it was Simply “Adorkable“ in every way for me. I loved this book. Loved the characters, loved the detail in the writing, loved the longer length of the book, loved the teasing and banter, loved the connection.
I read some reviews that thought Alice was cold or withdrawn, I thought she was brilliant and loyal and hot. Pepper Abington grew on me throughout the book. She was so hardworking and smart and full of gumption in the end. This book also goes after climate change and super nerdy science. Abby Craden was excellent as always.
I highly recommend this one.
I read some reviews that thought Alice was cold or withdrawn, I thought she was brilliant and loyal and hot. Pepper Abington grew on me throughout the book. She was so hardworking and smart and full of gumption in the end. This book also goes after climate change and super nerdy science. Abby Craden was excellent as always.
I highly recommend this one.
May 14, 2022
Age gap and bitterness gap I suppose. At one point Alice’s anger affected me. Her view of recent events like pandemic and politics (subtle on that last one) have been a personal issue for me as well so it hit me hard. Good for author to tackle that. Not many books with characters post pandemic.
December 6, 2021
A really thought-provoking novel that gave due diligence to interesting topics and the pandemic. It felt more mature and was therefore a richer read. Highly recommended.
August 18, 2021
Karin Kallmaker is truly a legend in the world of LGBTQ+ romance authors. She has been writing lesbian fiction since the late 1980’s, and has won many prestigious awards for her work. I’m in awe of her career as an author, and I’ve enjoyed every book that I’ve read of hers including Simply the Best.
This is a good solid romance novel. I liked the idea of two very different characters slowly connecting and falling in love almost in spite of themselves, and these two are very different. Pepper Addington is a young woman raised in California who is starting her life with this naïve outlook about her career and specifically the company (and boss) she works for. You can almost see Pepper putting the metaphorical blinders on as she leaves for work every day so she only sees the rosy outlook in front of her and not the harsh reality all around. Alice Cabot is almost her opposite. Alice is older (over a decade) and very world weary in her views, probably due in part to her work as a Science journalist with a New York newspaper. Putting these two together too quickly would have been a disaster, but the author let the connection build incrementally, which was the best way to handle two such disparate people.
I did have a few problems with the novel. The book had a slow start for me. It took me a while to get into the tale. While I would have liked seeing more of Alice and Pepper together in the story, the book would have benefited being a little shorter overall.
Other than these, few things, I really did enjoy this novel and recommend it to those who love WLW romance.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
This is a good solid romance novel. I liked the idea of two very different characters slowly connecting and falling in love almost in spite of themselves, and these two are very different. Pepper Addington is a young woman raised in California who is starting her life with this naïve outlook about her career and specifically the company (and boss) she works for. You can almost see Pepper putting the metaphorical blinders on as she leaves for work every day so she only sees the rosy outlook in front of her and not the harsh reality all around. Alice Cabot is almost her opposite. Alice is older (over a decade) and very world weary in her views, probably due in part to her work as a Science journalist with a New York newspaper. Putting these two together too quickly would have been a disaster, but the author let the connection build incrementally, which was the best way to handle two such disparate people.
I did have a few problems with the novel. The book had a slow start for me. It took me a while to get into the tale. While I would have liked seeing more of Alice and Pepper together in the story, the book would have benefited being a little shorter overall.
Other than these, few things, I really did enjoy this novel and recommend it to those who love WLW romance.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
November 8, 2021
I enjoyed this read for so many reasons. First, I am always excited and happy to read a new Karin Kallmaker book. I have been ever since I read her first book many years ago. I was also happy that this book runs longer than the typical romance. It made it feel like a bigger story. I also have the sense that this book could feel different on a second read.
January 5, 2022
Review of Simply the Best by Karin Kallmaker, narrated by Abby Craden
Karin Kallmaker is a trailblazer among lesfic writers, with more than 30 novels in her catalogue. I have read a few but I need to catch up with them all yet. Listening to the audiobook version of Simply the Best, narrated by one of my favourite narrators, was a good way to finish my 2020 listens.
Alice Cabbot is a science journalist in NYC who, after a faux pas with a prominent politician, is sent to LA to write a story about Simplythebest.com, a women’s beauty products company, for the style section of her newspaper. Pepper Addington is the newly promoted personal assistant to Helen Jolie, founder of Simply the Best. She’s been assigned to keep the NY reporter in check and she’s determined to achieve her task even though the annoying Alice Cabbot is smart and attractive in a dorky way…
This is an opposites-attract romance that goes beyond the differences between the mains: East Coast/West Coast, hard science/beauty style, grumpy/sunshine characters, butch/femme, etc. Ms. Kallmaker describes these contrasts very well, and how people can build bridges to connect them and find a middle ground. Not everything is black and white as it might appear, there are lots of grey areas in between.
I have to admit that the story felt on the long side for me. I’ve realised that it’s because Ms. Kallmaker provides a lot of details in her writing. While it’s good to have a precise picture in the reader’s mind’s eye, I’m not a fan of this. I think that in some parts of the plot, less would have been more.
Simply the Best was published in December 2020, after a hard year for writers, well… for everyone really. I applaud the authors who found the motivation and inspiration to produce a book during those trying times. Most authors avoided any references to Covid, I guess because no one wanted to be reminded of the real-world woes. Ms. Kallmaker chose to incorporate those issues in her fictional world, talking about real problems such as unemployment and how the pandemic affected life in general. These elements provided the story with a layer of reality while, at the same time, didn’t feel depressing. Kudos to Ms. Kallmaker to navigate that fine line.
Even though this isn’t a love triangle strictly speaking, there are three main characters involved in a game of seduction and power. In the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, I found that this author takes a brave stance to highlight that the abuse of power isn’t exclusive to men in high places. That part of the plot gave me the creeps, which I guess was the author’s idea. I didn’t mind feeling a bit uncomfortable because I think it’s a message that needs to come across too. Regarding the romance itself, it sometimes takes the back seat to those other parts of the story that I mentioned before but it was satisfying nevertheless. I wouldn’t call this a traditional romance but it has all the elements of one.
I’m glad I listened to the audiobook because I believe that Ms. Craden’s fantastic performance improved my overall enjoyment of this story. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been so tolerant with the book’s length if it wasn’t for this narrator reading it to me. I loved the different voices chosen for each character, especially the lower sultry tone for Pepper and the affected French accent for Helena. As usual, Ms. Craden’s performance elevated the written words. Not my favourite audiobook by this author/narrator but still enjoyable. 4 stars.
Length: 11 hours, 35 minutes
Karin Kallmaker is a trailblazer among lesfic writers, with more than 30 novels in her catalogue. I have read a few but I need to catch up with them all yet. Listening to the audiobook version of Simply the Best, narrated by one of my favourite narrators, was a good way to finish my 2020 listens.
Alice Cabbot is a science journalist in NYC who, after a faux pas with a prominent politician, is sent to LA to write a story about Simplythebest.com, a women’s beauty products company, for the style section of her newspaper. Pepper Addington is the newly promoted personal assistant to Helen Jolie, founder of Simply the Best. She’s been assigned to keep the NY reporter in check and she’s determined to achieve her task even though the annoying Alice Cabbot is smart and attractive in a dorky way…
This is an opposites-attract romance that goes beyond the differences between the mains: East Coast/West Coast, hard science/beauty style, grumpy/sunshine characters, butch/femme, etc. Ms. Kallmaker describes these contrasts very well, and how people can build bridges to connect them and find a middle ground. Not everything is black and white as it might appear, there are lots of grey areas in between.
I have to admit that the story felt on the long side for me. I’ve realised that it’s because Ms. Kallmaker provides a lot of details in her writing. While it’s good to have a precise picture in the reader’s mind’s eye, I’m not a fan of this. I think that in some parts of the plot, less would have been more.
Simply the Best was published in December 2020, after a hard year for writers, well… for everyone really. I applaud the authors who found the motivation and inspiration to produce a book during those trying times. Most authors avoided any references to Covid, I guess because no one wanted to be reminded of the real-world woes. Ms. Kallmaker chose to incorporate those issues in her fictional world, talking about real problems such as unemployment and how the pandemic affected life in general. These elements provided the story with a layer of reality while, at the same time, didn’t feel depressing. Kudos to Ms. Kallmaker to navigate that fine line.
Even though this isn’t a love triangle strictly speaking, there are three main characters involved in a game of seduction and power. In the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, I found that this author takes a brave stance to highlight that the abuse of power isn’t exclusive to men in high places. That part of the plot gave me the creeps, which I guess was the author’s idea. I didn’t mind feeling a bit uncomfortable because I think it’s a message that needs to come across too. Regarding the romance itself, it sometimes takes the back seat to those other parts of the story that I mentioned before but it was satisfying nevertheless. I wouldn’t call this a traditional romance but it has all the elements of one.
I’m glad I listened to the audiobook because I believe that Ms. Craden’s fantastic performance improved my overall enjoyment of this story. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been so tolerant with the book’s length if it wasn’t for this narrator reading it to me. I loved the different voices chosen for each character, especially the lower sultry tone for Pepper and the affected French accent for Helena. As usual, Ms. Craden’s performance elevated the written words. Not my favourite audiobook by this author/narrator but still enjoyable. 4 stars.
Length: 11 hours, 35 minutes
August 10, 2021
This book is long is what first pops into my mind. I don’t mind longer books, it usually gives you more time to enjoy the journey, but for this book it was like a plane that just couldn’t lift off.
It took me a good 1/3 of the book to get into it. There is so much of setting the scene, getting the who is who, but it’s all a bit too leisurely in my opinion, too long winded. There are so many tiny details that take up pages that I actually just could have done without, they add next to nothing to the story. At least this is the way for me in the first third of the book.
Maybe it just helps set the scene all the better for Pepper and Alice, but I’m not entirely sure that is the case. Honestly I grew a little frustrated with both characters in the beginning of the book. Pepper kept me in my corner of frustration for a good long while actually. In the end I did like both characters, or at least I could appreciate them, but somehow they don’t work as a couple for me.
The entire book I had a feeling the author would take the book in a certain direction. It was there, not as prominent as it could have been, but it was there and I think this is actually a great thing to have. I won’t say what it because, you know, spoilers. All I can say is I didn’t want it to go that way, but when it did I was hoping for a little more fireworks, it was setup like there could be a whole display.
In my opinion this isn’t a fun and easy light romance, but it isn’t overly dramatic either. It’s a good read with very different main characters on very different journeys that somehow want to fit in each other’s life. If you’re looking for a bit of a longer read that isn’t your standard lesfic this is the book for you. I liked the middle section of the book just ok, but the last third is what really sold me to this being a solid book: 3.5 stars
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
It took me a good 1/3 of the book to get into it. There is so much of setting the scene, getting the who is who, but it’s all a bit too leisurely in my opinion, too long winded. There are so many tiny details that take up pages that I actually just could have done without, they add next to nothing to the story. At least this is the way for me in the first third of the book.
Maybe it just helps set the scene all the better for Pepper and Alice, but I’m not entirely sure that is the case. Honestly I grew a little frustrated with both characters in the beginning of the book. Pepper kept me in my corner of frustration for a good long while actually. In the end I did like both characters, or at least I could appreciate them, but somehow they don’t work as a couple for me.
The entire book I had a feeling the author would take the book in a certain direction. It was there, not as prominent as it could have been, but it was there and I think this is actually a great thing to have. I won’t say what it because, you know, spoilers. All I can say is I didn’t want it to go that way, but when it did I was hoping for a little more fireworks, it was setup like there could be a whole display.
In my opinion this isn’t a fun and easy light romance, but it isn’t overly dramatic either. It’s a good read with very different main characters on very different journeys that somehow want to fit in each other’s life. If you’re looking for a bit of a longer read that isn’t your standard lesfic this is the book for you. I liked the middle section of the book just ok, but the last third is what really sold me to this being a solid book: 3.5 stars
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
August 8, 2021
Alice is a journalist she love’s everything about science and writing about it. Her boss is not so please when she speaks her mind and after recovering from it she is move into the style section as a punishment and assigned to write articles about Simply the Best successful company that a woman name Helene founded and made a success which is about “empower” women although some of the products are questionable.
Alice thinks there more to Helene then people see and decides to get to bottom of it in comes Helene assistant Pepper who gets thrust into being Helene assistant after being a lowly paid intern. Pepper is task as the liaison between Alice and Helene.
Alice is a good journalist who is very cynical wants to make sure Helene isn’t about greed and power that she wants to help women. Pepper who Alice thinks is naive because she believes in Helene and what she doing tries to get to her to see boss might not be on the up.
I like Pepper because she proves she isn’t a pushover her and Alice have great chemistry and the romance was good.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Alice thinks there more to Helene then people see and decides to get to bottom of it in comes Helene assistant Pepper who gets thrust into being Helene assistant after being a lowly paid intern. Pepper is task as the liaison between Alice and Helene.
Alice is a good journalist who is very cynical wants to make sure Helene isn’t about greed and power that she wants to help women. Pepper who Alice thinks is naive because she believes in Helene and what she doing tries to get to her to see boss might not be on the up.
I like Pepper because she proves she isn’t a pushover her and Alice have great chemistry and the romance was good.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
July 10, 2022
3 ⭐️. Yes I did enjoy the romance! The mains had great chemistry and the secondary characters were a really nice addition.
Otherwise, I‘ll follow Lex‘s review. The book was long and dragged a bit. The mains only met at 23% and I wish a lot of the Simply the best research stuff would have been cut out. Although I did enjoy the Simply the best bits from a feminist POV, and it does remind me of Goop, too, as Jude pointed out, there would have been so much more focus on the romance.
I liked that there wasn‘t much drama and the romance wasn‘t formulaic.
What I really didn‘t like was Alice‘s drinking problem, which wasn‘t even portrayed as an issue, that was somehow super weird. Otherwise I liked Alice, but to be honest, the Betty Ford Center would have been a good place for her.
Sadly at 75% this was a DNF for me.
Otherwise, I‘ll follow Lex‘s review. The book was long and dragged a bit. The mains only met at 23% and I wish a lot of the Simply the best research stuff would have been cut out. Although I did enjoy the Simply the best bits from a feminist POV, and it does remind me of Goop, too, as Jude pointed out, there would have been so much more focus on the romance.
I liked that there wasn‘t much drama and the romance wasn‘t formulaic.
What I really didn‘t like was Alice‘s drinking problem, which wasn‘t even portrayed as an issue, that was somehow super weird. Otherwise I liked Alice, but to be honest, the Betty Ford Center would have been a good place for her.
Sadly at 75% this was a DNF for me.
December 3, 2021
I’m a big fan of Kallmaker’s and this book didn’t disappoint. As in all other Kallmaker’s books, there are important social topics as backdrop to the romance. In this particular book, those topics, from societal expectations for women, #metoo, social injustice on how interns and workers in general are treated, the hypocrisy of those who are in the 1%, including women at the top, were even more appealing to me than the actual romance.
August 7, 2021
Karin Kallmaker has been writing f/f fiction for over thirty years. I've read a few of her books from the early 2000's and was surprised at how current and relevant this story felt in comparison. Alice Cabot (40) is a NY journalist specializing in science. Her publisher tasks her write a series of articles about Simply The Best a company that specializes in selling products to women to help them feel confident and empowered. (Think Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop.) Alice sees it as a punishment but takes her task seriously. She is a little lost, jaded and angry as seeing her beloved journalism industry dying. She is also saddened by those colleagues lost to the pandemic.
Pepper Addington (27) works for Simply The Best. She has been virtually an unpaid intern for a year but catches the eye of the founder and is hired full time as one of her assistants. Pepper is smart, driven and doesn't mind paying her dues to get the job she wants. She becomes Alice's contact during the few weeks of research and interviews. Pepper has her own challenges. The boss she admires might want more than a working relationship.
This is an age gap romance that works for me because Pepper is bright and intellectually an equal to Alice. (I don't like age gap when the younger wants to be taken care of or shown how to love.) One of my favorite scenes have both women dancing to the song Staying Alive. Alice knows it from the Bee Gees and Pepper from Lizzo. But both can enjoy it and share the moment together. A lot of topics are up for discussion in this book, climate change, science, workplace compensation, #me too etc. This is a romance with a lot of heft and I'm glad to have gotten an early read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Pepper Addington (27) works for Simply The Best. She has been virtually an unpaid intern for a year but catches the eye of the founder and is hired full time as one of her assistants. Pepper is smart, driven and doesn't mind paying her dues to get the job she wants. She becomes Alice's contact during the few weeks of research and interviews. Pepper has her own challenges. The boss she admires might want more than a working relationship.
This is an age gap romance that works for me because Pepper is bright and intellectually an equal to Alice. (I don't like age gap when the younger wants to be taken care of or shown how to love.) One of my favorite scenes have both women dancing to the song Staying Alive. Alice knows it from the Bee Gees and Pepper from Lizzo. But both can enjoy it and share the moment together. A lot of topics are up for discussion in this book, climate change, science, workplace compensation, #me too etc. This is a romance with a lot of heft and I'm glad to have gotten an early read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2022
I am surprised I got through this one, as I stopped and started so many times. But I persevered! The characters didn't seem to fit, though I liked Pepper quite a bit. At first, I wasn't sure whom the match would be between, but it was Alice, and felt forced. I didn't feel the sparks between these two. And undoubtedly, the book was just too long, which I see others have pointed out as well. There were so many pages devoted to minute details of the "Simply the Best" brand that my eyes crossed. Skimming was necessary. This author is pretty great normally, but this just didn't hold up for me.
June 15, 2022
Karin Kallmaker’s ability to write consistently great sapphic fiction for so many years is incredible. It will take a while to get through her whole catalogue, as there are a lot, but for me, she is one of those authors whose books I turn to when I need a guaranteed great read. I have yet to be left disappointed.
Alice Cabot, science reporter, comes across as a cool, hot geek. I guess I took a liking to her. She is brash and cynical and doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind on issues she deems important. She’s lost faith in humankind and relies on a few drinks to get her through the day, but still manages to stand up for people being manipulated.
Pepper is working hard in her dream career in a company that she believes enriches the lives of women, with a boss she idolizes. She is a surfer chick who hasn’t had time for waves, but is living in the now, and will stop at nothing to impress Helen Jolie, CEO of Simply the Best.
Alice and Pepper are thrown together when Alice is exiled to Beverly Hills to write about Helen, and Simply the Best, two subjects that disgust her. The two hit it off, but both are oblivious to the obvious mutual attraction. Fighting what is right, versus perception, Alice comes to terms with the trajectory her life has been on, while Pepper is hit with a hard dose of reality. Both characters grow throughout the story, facing truths and finding their intended paths.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and as usual, Abby Craden added her personal touch, taking a great book and upping it a notch.
Alice Cabot, science reporter, comes across as a cool, hot geek. I guess I took a liking to her. She is brash and cynical and doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind on issues she deems important. She’s lost faith in humankind and relies on a few drinks to get her through the day, but still manages to stand up for people being manipulated.
Pepper is working hard in her dream career in a company that she believes enriches the lives of women, with a boss she idolizes. She is a surfer chick who hasn’t had time for waves, but is living in the now, and will stop at nothing to impress Helen Jolie, CEO of Simply the Best.
Alice and Pepper are thrown together when Alice is exiled to Beverly Hills to write about Helen, and Simply the Best, two subjects that disgust her. The two hit it off, but both are oblivious to the obvious mutual attraction. Fighting what is right, versus perception, Alice comes to terms with the trajectory her life has been on, while Pepper is hit with a hard dose of reality. Both characters grow throughout the story, facing truths and finding their intended paths.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and as usual, Abby Craden added her personal touch, taking a great book and upping it a notch.
April 22, 2024
An intriguing age gap/slow burn romance. Alice is 40 and a science reporter who's been demoted to Style.She has to do a piece on Simply The Best and its founder/CEO Helene Jolie. She has to go through her assistant 27 yr old Pepper Addington.
Alice is skeptical and Pepper isn't, shes a hard worker and efficient. But did Helene hire Pepper to exploit her later? Alice has many questions that she can't ask, but can research. Will her skepticism affect her relationship with Pepper?
I found this to be an interesting read! 5 stars.
Alice is skeptical and Pepper isn't, shes a hard worker and efficient. But did Helene hire Pepper to exploit her later? Alice has many questions that she can't ask, but can research. Will her skepticism affect her relationship with Pepper?
I found this to be an interesting read! 5 stars.
August 19, 2021
Simply the Best was my first read from Karin Kallmaker even though she's been writing lesfic for years (whoops!). Obviously I'm way behind the eight ball.
I hate to admit it, but I found this book a tad hard to read. I found the pace really slow and the length of the book didn't help with feeling as though it took too long for the story to actually start. I really liked the different take on the ice-queen boss and the employee, but I think the story development and romance missed the mark for me.
Pepper seemed really smart but also very young, whereas Alice felt a lot older and definitely jaded. It was hard for me to put the two of them together as romantic leads. The romance that 'built' between them seemed very weak, and I truly had to stretch belief that these two would end up in a HEA. Helene, on the other hand, was ice-cold but with no redeeming qualities. I think the characters could've also played to why I didn't enjoy this novel.
All in all, a difficult novel for me to relate to or enjoy. I think this book just didn't work for me but I'm hopeful that another Karin Kallmaker novel tickles my fancy in future.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I hate to admit it, but I found this book a tad hard to read. I found the pace really slow and the length of the book didn't help with feeling as though it took too long for the story to actually start. I really liked the different take on the ice-queen boss and the employee, but I think the story development and romance missed the mark for me.
Pepper seemed really smart but also very young, whereas Alice felt a lot older and definitely jaded. It was hard for me to put the two of them together as romantic leads. The romance that 'built' between them seemed very weak, and I truly had to stretch belief that these two would end up in a HEA. Helene, on the other hand, was ice-cold but with no redeeming qualities. I think the characters could've also played to why I didn't enjoy this novel.
All in all, a difficult novel for me to relate to or enjoy. I think this book just didn't work for me but I'm hopeful that another Karin Kallmaker novel tickles my fancy in future.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2021
4.25 Stars. Well, here's another great one from Kallmaker. This time it is a bit of a Devil Wears Prada but the Miranda Priestly character is actually bad. It also brings up issues with how many products sold for women advertise themselves and how it balances capitalistic urges with actual female empowerment a la GOOP. These themes are handled well, and it has a really good romance at the core of it. While I think it probably went on alittle too long and has some problems with forcing characters in to some archetypes that they may not belong in, it still is a great read.
First off, I love Pepper Addington. She's the idealistic intern/ assistant character who idolizes her boss, the charismatic Helene Jolie. I believe she subverts the naïve assistant character because she mostly realizes what 'Simply the Best' is selling but does believe in the overall good she thinks the company does. Of course that gets stripped away, along with her idolization of Jolie as we see the mask slowly get stripped away. When it finally happens, Pepper isn't forced to get swallowed up in the miasma of bad that we can see is brewing, but is allowed to break out of it on her own terms. She also mostly is able to see through things on her own without her love interest, Alice Cabot, telling her about it. Alice, unfortunately kind of gets crammed into the heavy drinking, broody butch archetype that I don't quite she her being. She's disillusioned with her career, in a way that Pepper could have been if she was given time to stew in the crap that is 'Simply the Best', but I feel like it was taken to an extreme.
I do have to point out that, holy crap does it do a great job on how people react to powerful, female predators. Helene Jolie is charismatic, powerful, and beautiful and she knows it. She plays with her assistants then discards them. When Alice notices how Helene treats Pepper, she makes a note to say she'd know what was happening if Helene was a man, but it was harder to tell. Even Pepper, as uncomfortable she is when Helene, say puts her hand on the small of her back and turns up the charm, doesn't really know what to make of it. This smoothly points out, not the hypocrisy of how we treat female predators, but how we are culturally trained to look at men and women and judge the same behavior - on its face- differently, especially if it is a woman who is predating on other women. Super well done.
I do believe it drags in places, but does make up for that with some really good takes on industries selling female empowerment and how does people handle female serial sexual harassers with power. I do wish that Alice was as complex as Pepper was, or at the very least, forced into an archetype that I thought she doesn't quite fit. Still, Kallmaker does an darned good job overall, and I will more than likely have this one in my re-read pile.
*I received this ARC in exchange form my honest review.
First off, I love Pepper Addington. She's the idealistic intern/ assistant character who idolizes her boss, the charismatic Helene Jolie. I believe she subverts the naïve assistant character because she mostly realizes what 'Simply the Best' is selling but does believe in the overall good she thinks the company does. Of course that gets stripped away, along with her idolization of Jolie as we see the mask slowly get stripped away. When it finally happens, Pepper isn't forced to get swallowed up in the miasma of bad that we can see is brewing, but is allowed to break out of it on her own terms. She also mostly is able to see through things on her own without her love interest, Alice Cabot, telling her about it. Alice, unfortunately kind of gets crammed into the heavy drinking, broody butch archetype that I don't quite she her being. She's disillusioned with her career, in a way that Pepper could have been if she was given time to stew in the crap that is 'Simply the Best', but I feel like it was taken to an extreme.
I do have to point out that, holy crap does it do a great job on how people react to powerful, female predators. Helene Jolie is charismatic, powerful, and beautiful and she knows it. She plays with her assistants then discards them. When Alice notices how Helene treats Pepper, she makes a note to say she'd know what was happening if Helene was a man, but it was harder to tell. Even Pepper, as uncomfortable she is when Helene, say puts her hand on the small of her back and turns up the charm, doesn't really know what to make of it. This smoothly points out, not the hypocrisy of how we treat female predators, but how we are culturally trained to look at men and women and judge the same behavior - on its face- differently, especially if it is a woman who is predating on other women. Super well done.
I do believe it drags in places, but does make up for that with some really good takes on industries selling female empowerment and how does people handle female serial sexual harassers with power. I do wish that Alice was as complex as Pepper was, or at the very least, forced into an archetype that I thought she doesn't quite fit. Still, Kallmaker does an darned good job overall, and I will more than likely have this one in my re-read pile.
*I received this ARC in exchange form my honest review.
August 15, 2021
This was a really satisfying romance with plenty of chemistry between the two MCs. I was glued to my screen for the last half of the book and stayed up entirely too late to finish it. I worried, based on other reviews, that this would be too long and lose my interest, but that didn’t happen for me. I think Karin Kallmaker’s type of romance novel just really works for me. This one reminded me of some of my favorite Kallmaker romances (Captain of Industry, Finders Keepers, Rollercoaster) where there is a lot more depth to the story and characters than your standard romance. I’d been really looking forward to this release and it didn’t disappoint.
August 23, 2021
What an interesting read. Yes, it was a story about family. Yes, it was a story about success. Yes, it was a story about finding self. Yes, it was a story about truth. Yes, it was a story about love. Mostly, it was a reflection of recent events in the world. As I read, I was thinking about all the introspection provided through Pepper Addington, personal assistant to Helene Jolie and Alice Cabot, journalist, as well as Alice's mother, Barbara. This is not so much a love story but a testament to what is going on in our world today. The author uses Pepper and Alice (especially Alice) to detail the social, economic, environmental, and political issues impacting the world today. It is a perspective that I was not expecting. Although from some of the reviews I read, I knew something was going to be different, and this is my take on the different.
ARC provided by Bella Books via NetGalley
ARC provided by Bella Books via NetGalley
August 24, 2021
A heartfelt novel with a huge dose of commentary on many current social issues. The romance arc is also entwined with a MeToo thread. How much one will enjoy the read may depend on the degree of escapism one expects from a lesfic romance.
September 27, 2021
Very enjoyable. Kallmaker's writing never disappoints, and her stories only are rarely not to my taste, so it was no surprise I found this one a good read. I liked the poking fun of a Goop-like business, and the "idealist wins in the end" theme.
December 28, 2021
4,5
Two worlds collide - the conscientious intern who still believes in the good of big business and the jaded, cynic journalist. It starts out a bit black and white but becomes an intricate woven tapestry. I loved that the pandemic is woven into it.
Two worlds collide - the conscientious intern who still believes in the good of big business and the jaded, cynic journalist. It starts out a bit black and white but becomes an intricate woven tapestry. I loved that the pandemic is woven into it.
December 6, 2021
I have been a fan of Kallmaker since I was a teenager! She is a queen in the WLW genre but this book wasn’t one of her best.
It was obviously written during the pandemic with references of past pandemics and business closures. It felt very timely and little dark.
I felt like one of the main characters drinking issue was weirdly addressed or not really addressed at all.
The book felt long and a little disjointed in parts.
Kallmaker has a long list of extremely great books, if you’re not into this one she has so many others to choose from. She was the first lesfic author I read when I was a teenager. I found a gay book store in the city and purchased one of her books and that began my life long love affair with lesbian romance novels.
A bonus to this book is that Abby Craden did the narration. I think I would have liked it less without her amazing voice.
It was obviously written during the pandemic with references of past pandemics and business closures. It felt very timely and little dark.
I felt like one of the main characters drinking issue was weirdly addressed or not really addressed at all.
The book felt long and a little disjointed in parts.
Kallmaker has a long list of extremely great books, if you’re not into this one she has so many others to choose from. She was the first lesfic author I read when I was a teenager. I found a gay book store in the city and purchased one of her books and that began my life long love affair with lesbian romance novels.
A bonus to this book is that Abby Craden did the narration. I think I would have liked it less without her amazing voice.
January 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book on a lot of levels. I found the reporter's cynicism and analysis of a "post-COVID" world spot on. And I loved that love kinda saves her and definitely drags her out of her self destructive spiral. Another romance with depth from Karin Kallmaker!
December 19, 2022
This story has been quite interesting, it goes without saying that this author is one of my all-time favorites, so I go into each of her books with great enthusiasm and have rarely been disappointed.
In this case, it is particularly curious how two women with the same background and similar status have such different behavior, not only in their conduct but also in their morals and ethics. And the woman with the most reprehensible ethics is the most successful and professionally considered, real as life itself. Also, as it happens in real life, the behavior of women when they arrive at positions of command and direction is reflected here and is identical to that of men in those positions, with the abuse of power as normal.
The three protagonists are Helene, Alice, and Pepper. Helene is the owner of the company that gives the book its name, she is haughty and arrogant and fascinating to most people, including her employees. Alice is a journalist, focused on science issues, but who is not going through the best of it. Alice, after a nasty incident badly done on her part, is "punished" with the task of doing a report on Helene's company. Helene is originally from New York, like Alice, but she has moved the company to California, due to a shady affair. So, Alice has to go to LA to perform the task that has been entrusted to her much to her regret. Alice and Helene are going to collide on everything from their outlook on life to their focus on work and they will distrust each other right from the start. And Pepper? Poor thing, in the middle of the two, who pull her consciously or unconsciously, with more or less interest, with more or less scruples. Or is she not so poor little thing? She’s certainly the most sensible.
The truth is that Helene and Alice's behavior is sometimes very reprehensible, even intolerable. But it's like in the real world, misused power always causes collateral damage unfortunately. Without winners or losers, the story has been quite interesting and at some point, makes you reflect.
In this case, it is particularly curious how two women with the same background and similar status have such different behavior, not only in their conduct but also in their morals and ethics. And the woman with the most reprehensible ethics is the most successful and professionally considered, real as life itself. Also, as it happens in real life, the behavior of women when they arrive at positions of command and direction is reflected here and is identical to that of men in those positions, with the abuse of power as normal.
The three protagonists are Helene, Alice, and Pepper. Helene is the owner of the company that gives the book its name, she is haughty and arrogant and fascinating to most people, including her employees. Alice is a journalist, focused on science issues, but who is not going through the best of it. Alice, after a nasty incident badly done on her part, is "punished" with the task of doing a report on Helene's company. Helene is originally from New York, like Alice, but she has moved the company to California, due to a shady affair. So, Alice has to go to LA to perform the task that has been entrusted to her much to her regret. Alice and Helene are going to collide on everything from their outlook on life to their focus on work and they will distrust each other right from the start. And Pepper? Poor thing, in the middle of the two, who pull her consciously or unconsciously, with more or less interest, with more or less scruples. Or is she not so poor little thing? She’s certainly the most sensible.
The truth is that Helene and Alice's behavior is sometimes very reprehensible, even intolerable. But it's like in the real world, misused power always causes collateral damage unfortunately. Without winners or losers, the story has been quite interesting and at some point, makes you reflect.
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