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Bicoastal Babe
Hired to write articles for The Pulse, a newletter that tracks the latest trends in everything from fashion to entertainment, Lindsey Miller finds herself jetting back and forth between New York and L.A. in search of the hottest trends and is torn between two different men--slick Wall Street broker Victor Ragsdale and gorgeous surfer Danny Wynn. A first novel. Original. 35,000 first printing.
313 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2006
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138 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Langston
2 books6 followersCynthia Langston grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from Northwestern University. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she owns and operates a company that researches consumer trends and insights.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 7, 2012
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were times that I really liked it, and times that it was pretty slow. I got really into the idea of trend tracking and was constantly thinking about spotting patterns when I wasn't reading the book. I consider myself a pretty observant person and I enjoy people watching, so I'd like to think I'd make a good trend spotter. I was constantly frustrated with Lindsey's decisions and the way she handled herself all throughout the book. I know that no one is perfect, but come on! The way she handled the breakup...over-the-top! I could tell right off that Victor was no good and that Danny was as sweet as could be. To watch her slack off so badly at her job and to agonize over a decision that I thought to be crystal clear, was a little aggravating. Overall, I did enjoy the premise of the story and I think my favorite character overall was Carmen. The only thing I'm confused about is that the way the book leaves off, it seems like there should be a sequel, but I haven't seen anything about it. I guess I'll have to look in to it, because even though it wasn't the best book in world, I left off wanting to know what happens.
June 14, 2012
This was supposed to be some summer "fluff", as I like to put it. Instead, I was merely annoyed by the main character, Lindsey. I suppose it is my age showing, but I was not really interested in a self-absorbed 28 year-old who spent way too much time waffling throughout the book (i.e. "do I like him, or do I like him?", "I should be working, but instead I will sit around and watch TV all day..."). I kept thinking, "grow up!" Another thing I did not like about the book is how it seemed to just stop. It reminded me of how my students (1st-5th graders, mind you) don't know how to wrap up a story, so they just write "The End" like that makes a conclusion. I wouldn't have been so irritated if the author hadn't thrown in one last twist (completely unnecessary and just kind of weird) at the very end. What was the point? This book wasn't so bad that I put it down unfinished, but it is not one I would recommend to others.
December 8, 2019
I-as fi dat 5 stele daca nu ar fi avut un final in coada de peste. Urăsc genul asta de sfârșit. Povestea e scrisa bine, personajele sunt drăguțe, haioase si cu chef de viata... dar n-are capăt. Adică, stai toata cartea sa te întrebi ce va alege Lindsey si atunci cand sa zicem ca face o alegere, un telefon ii da totul peste cap... si sfârșit... Nu-ti poti da seama ce va face, nici macar nu-ti poti imagina ce vrei... pt ca nu e o alegere... in fine... simpaticuta povestea, dar nu pot sa-i dau mai mult de 4 stele.
May 27, 2012
this book was TERRIBLE! I thought that the idea was fun and it would be a good pool read but the author just jumped all over the place and had no idea how to create an engaging contiguous story line - she jumped all over the place and there in random events that had a tangential relationship to the story but just left me going, seriously?
March 10, 2014
Finalul a fost cu totul neaşteptat, frumos, şi magic. Mi-a plăcut mult.
December 19, 2018
I really loved this book. The main character is a fun mess. She's trying to get her life together after a break up after losing her job. Her new job is completely different from anything that she's done before.
September 3, 2025
I thought this was a super fun easy read.
December 19, 2012
Allow me to begin by saying I spent the first three quarters of the book wanting to headbutt Lindsey, the main character. She makes decisions and clearly understands the possible negative repercussions but goes through with them, anyway. I really respect the author for being so true to Lindsey’s personality and her faults. Lindsey makes decisions that are honest to who she is and her character is clearly defined throughout the story. While this didn’t work for me, individually, I think this is a real pull for many people looking to connect to the heroine of a story. She isn’t perfect and she makes decisions that aren’t the best but are what she’s capable of doing at the time. It may be a somewhat polarizing technique in writing as some readers are looking to relate to their heroines and others are looking to see the heroine they want to be. However, the technique doesn’t mean the book isn’t enjoyable.
It does mean, however, that it took me a little extra effort to make it to the action of the book because I kept yelling “why would you do that?”. It’s easy for me, the reader, to say this given I see more of her universe than Lindsey does. I acknowledge that. But in real life, I don’t have that capability and that’s what Ms. Langston is writing about.
This is, perhaps, the absolute best part of the book, as a whole. Ms. Langston, the author, never once sugar coats a character or makes him or her palatable. Rather, she has a character and she makes him or her absolutely real. You expect character archetypes in books. This is a book with no archetypes, just real people. Every character has a real flaw and some equal strengths, as well. Granted, the slicked-back dark-haired stock broker may be a type of stereotype and the blonde-haired golden-skinned surfer-beach-bum may strike you as a classic concept, their personalities are neither good nor good, but unique. She shows that each character identifies themselves with a particular stereotype in society, but maintain their individual selves, with equally unique intentions and traits. This adds a depth to all characters I don’t commonly see in similar books. These are now people, not characters, all of whom are as easily predictable as they are unpredictable.
There is no firm line between antagonist and protagonist. Just like in real life. Granted, from our perspective of the story through Lindsey, we are aware of who to consider the protagonist, Ms. Langston works hard to show the good and the bad in them, and it’s up to the reader to decide.
The professional growth of Lindsey is actually quite interesting and Ms. Langston is either an expert in market research and analysis or did some serious researching, herself. I was drawn into Lindsey’s professional discoveries without being overloaded with data. Ms. Langston did a truly remarkable job of not wasting words. They may not seem necessary at the time, but generally they applied at some point or another and drove the plot along.
Perhaps the only exception to this rule was the prologue. I understood Lindsey’s character enough from her breakdown (where the story actually begins) and her decisions from then on. It was a bit more than I needed and I kept expecting Steve to show up again at some point to provide the pivotal moment of emotional maturation.
This is a good segue into what I didn’t particularly enjoy in the story: character growth. Or lack thereof. The story seems somewhat half-finished. Even at the end of the book, Lindsey is making decisions and facing consequences near identical in concept to those in the beginning of the book. The plot ending was perfect and I loved it! However, the lack of character growth was notably anticlimactic. There was no real resolution because we never quite hit the actual character conflict.
The book is worth the read and I hope it does well among its contemporary peers. It’s smooth, easy-going, and realistic. It may not rank among my favorite books, but tastes aside, I think it deserves the TV show founded on it and I admit to being interested in watching.
I’m looking forward to the second book in the series with my fingers crossed that we see Lindsey’s growth into the unique strong woman we’ve seen hints is lurking inside.
It does mean, however, that it took me a little extra effort to make it to the action of the book because I kept yelling “why would you do that?”. It’s easy for me, the reader, to say this given I see more of her universe than Lindsey does. I acknowledge that. But in real life, I don’t have that capability and that’s what Ms. Langston is writing about.
This is, perhaps, the absolute best part of the book, as a whole. Ms. Langston, the author, never once sugar coats a character or makes him or her palatable. Rather, she has a character and she makes him or her absolutely real. You expect character archetypes in books. This is a book with no archetypes, just real people. Every character has a real flaw and some equal strengths, as well. Granted, the slicked-back dark-haired stock broker may be a type of stereotype and the blonde-haired golden-skinned surfer-beach-bum may strike you as a classic concept, their personalities are neither good nor good, but unique. She shows that each character identifies themselves with a particular stereotype in society, but maintain their individual selves, with equally unique intentions and traits. This adds a depth to all characters I don’t commonly see in similar books. These are now people, not characters, all of whom are as easily predictable as they are unpredictable.
There is no firm line between antagonist and protagonist. Just like in real life. Granted, from our perspective of the story through Lindsey, we are aware of who to consider the protagonist, Ms. Langston works hard to show the good and the bad in them, and it’s up to the reader to decide.
The professional growth of Lindsey is actually quite interesting and Ms. Langston is either an expert in market research and analysis or did some serious researching, herself. I was drawn into Lindsey’s professional discoveries without being overloaded with data. Ms. Langston did a truly remarkable job of not wasting words. They may not seem necessary at the time, but generally they applied at some point or another and drove the plot along.
Perhaps the only exception to this rule was the prologue. I understood Lindsey’s character enough from her breakdown (where the story actually begins) and her decisions from then on. It was a bit more than I needed and I kept expecting Steve to show up again at some point to provide the pivotal moment of emotional maturation.
This is a good segue into what I didn’t particularly enjoy in the story: character growth. Or lack thereof. The story seems somewhat half-finished. Even at the end of the book, Lindsey is making decisions and facing consequences near identical in concept to those in the beginning of the book. The plot ending was perfect and I loved it! However, the lack of character growth was notably anticlimactic. There was no real resolution because we never quite hit the actual character conflict.
The book is worth the read and I hope it does well among its contemporary peers. It’s smooth, easy-going, and realistic. It may not rank among my favorite books, but tastes aside, I think it deserves the TV show founded on it and I admit to being interested in watching.
I’m looking forward to the second book in the series with my fingers crossed that we see Lindsey’s growth into the unique strong woman we’ve seen hints is lurking inside.
November 11, 2012
Cynthia Langston is a delight to read. I admit I was a bit skeptical like all new authors are to me, but Bicoastal Babe was right up my alley.
From the first page, Lindsey Miller calls to me. She is awkwardly right and she reminds me a lot of well…me in different ways. And I’m sure Lindsey Miller will touch your heart and make you giggle as you read about her latest guffaw and chuckle as she drives by her ex boyfriend’s house for the millionth time and is caught, and yes Lindsey will make you laugh out loud as she gets booted out of her new apartment by her roommate and is made to wait out in the hallway as the couple on the other side of the door continue to have sex.
At the opening of Bicoastal Babe, Lindsey Miller has lost her long time boyfriend, and is caught doing a drive by of his house. Humiliated, she drives home only to be fired from her job the next day. Depressed, she secludes herself for months in her apartment to the point where it looks like a junkyard of pizza boxes and used Kleenex. Exasperated, her trio of friends breaks into her apartment when she won’t let them in, never showing an ounce of sympathy, they steamroll her into a job interview for an ad agency. Her dream job. Not really trusting that dreams do come true; Lindsey never the less buys a power suit and walks into a fiasco of a career.
Her new job? Fashion trend forecaster. Flying from Los Angeles one week and New York the next, asking random people on the street corner what they like and don’t like about the current fashion trends. Between figuring out how to succeed in smoozing people and trying to contend with her new roommate who is also her partner in the job, Jen; Lindsey hasn’t got the time for men. Or does she?
First up? Victor Ragsdale in New York, who she meets in a bar….when she’s drunk. Before she knows what hit her, she spends all her time, energy, and thoughts on Victor Ragsdale. And that leaves no time for work, the very reason she is in New York in the first place. All is merry in the love department when her week in New York is up and she starts in on her first week in Los Angeles. But how can she ever leave Victor after just finding him? But she just can’t lose another job, so she hightails it to the West Coast where she meets love interest #2.
First off, she meets guy #2 by way of ditching work to lie out in the sun on the Pier in Santa Monica and dream of Victor. How will she ever concentrate on anything else, much less work when all she can count are the days leading up to when she can see Victor again?
Victor who? Danny Wynn is an all American Californian surfer, blond hair, blue eyes, and toned body but when she ends up in the hospital after a surfing lesson she thinks she will never see him again. But she does.
What follows is a hilarious sojourn from coast to coast, week after week. Juggling two guys at the same time as well as trying to be good at her dream job; that’s just hard enough, but when her bussiness partner/roommate is trying to undermine her at every turn; well, a girl could only take so much.
Oh my God, how I loved this book…but not really the ending until I was told Cynthia was in the process of writing a sequel. Well, thank God for that. I need to see who Lindsey eventually chooses, although you get an inkling at the end of Bicoastal Babe, you as a reader are still none too sure. Anything can happen. I am willing to bet every girl/woman who reads Bicoastal Babe will be able to identify with at least one of Lindsey’s fiasco’s in this book
From the first page, Lindsey Miller calls to me. She is awkwardly right and she reminds me a lot of well…me in different ways. And I’m sure Lindsey Miller will touch your heart and make you giggle as you read about her latest guffaw and chuckle as she drives by her ex boyfriend’s house for the millionth time and is caught, and yes Lindsey will make you laugh out loud as she gets booted out of her new apartment by her roommate and is made to wait out in the hallway as the couple on the other side of the door continue to have sex.
At the opening of Bicoastal Babe, Lindsey Miller has lost her long time boyfriend, and is caught doing a drive by of his house. Humiliated, she drives home only to be fired from her job the next day. Depressed, she secludes herself for months in her apartment to the point where it looks like a junkyard of pizza boxes and used Kleenex. Exasperated, her trio of friends breaks into her apartment when she won’t let them in, never showing an ounce of sympathy, they steamroll her into a job interview for an ad agency. Her dream job. Not really trusting that dreams do come true; Lindsey never the less buys a power suit and walks into a fiasco of a career.
Her new job? Fashion trend forecaster. Flying from Los Angeles one week and New York the next, asking random people on the street corner what they like and don’t like about the current fashion trends. Between figuring out how to succeed in smoozing people and trying to contend with her new roommate who is also her partner in the job, Jen; Lindsey hasn’t got the time for men. Or does she?
First up? Victor Ragsdale in New York, who she meets in a bar….when she’s drunk. Before she knows what hit her, she spends all her time, energy, and thoughts on Victor Ragsdale. And that leaves no time for work, the very reason she is in New York in the first place. All is merry in the love department when her week in New York is up and she starts in on her first week in Los Angeles. But how can she ever leave Victor after just finding him? But she just can’t lose another job, so she hightails it to the West Coast where she meets love interest #2.
First off, she meets guy #2 by way of ditching work to lie out in the sun on the Pier in Santa Monica and dream of Victor. How will she ever concentrate on anything else, much less work when all she can count are the days leading up to when she can see Victor again?
Victor who? Danny Wynn is an all American Californian surfer, blond hair, blue eyes, and toned body but when she ends up in the hospital after a surfing lesson she thinks she will never see him again. But she does.
What follows is a hilarious sojourn from coast to coast, week after week. Juggling two guys at the same time as well as trying to be good at her dream job; that’s just hard enough, but when her bussiness partner/roommate is trying to undermine her at every turn; well, a girl could only take so much.
Oh my God, how I loved this book…but not really the ending until I was told Cynthia was in the process of writing a sequel. Well, thank God for that. I need to see who Lindsey eventually chooses, although you get an inkling at the end of Bicoastal Babe, you as a reader are still none too sure. Anything can happen. I am willing to bet every girl/woman who reads Bicoastal Babe will be able to identify with at least one of Lindsey’s fiasco’s in this book
January 17, 2013
Reviewed by: Angie
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Bicoastal Babe is one humorous read. Poor Lindsay isn’t recovering from a recent breakup with the man she thought she’d marry. When he catches her stalking his house, and losing her job, Lindsay goes into a massive depression. She spends weeks without showering, ordering pizza, and lazing about her house smoking incessantly. Finally her friends have enough and decide to help Lindsay get back out there. She gets a job as a trend tracker, living in Los Angeles one week and then traveling to New York the next, in the hopes of finding out what the next biggest thing is going to be in fashion, food, etc.
Lindsay spends a lot of the book moping about nearly everything. She isn’t very confident in her job and nearly loses it several times; if it weren’t for her boss, Liz, bailing her out in the beginning, I’m pretty sure she would have ended up back on her Chicago couch eating pizza out of a box. I like how Liz was able to see more in Lindsey then Jen and even Lindsey herself could see. Once Liz boosted her confidence a bit, Lindsey was able to really concentrate on her work and realize she’s really good at tracking trends.
Of course she has a boyfriend in New York and one in California. Neither knows about the other; only her LA friend, Carmen, and coworker, Jen, know about the men. I did cringe when Lindsay decides which man she wants, mostly because I thought she went with who was safe to her; which surprisingly wasn’t whom anyone else would have found safe.
Overall I really liked the book, however, I disliked the ending…what a cliffhanger! I sure hope that Ms. Langston has another book in the works because that’s just not a good way to end a book otherwise. WHAT HAPPENS?!
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Bicoastal Babe is one humorous read. Poor Lindsay isn’t recovering from a recent breakup with the man she thought she’d marry. When he catches her stalking his house, and losing her job, Lindsay goes into a massive depression. She spends weeks without showering, ordering pizza, and lazing about her house smoking incessantly. Finally her friends have enough and decide to help Lindsay get back out there. She gets a job as a trend tracker, living in Los Angeles one week and then traveling to New York the next, in the hopes of finding out what the next biggest thing is going to be in fashion, food, etc.
Lindsay spends a lot of the book moping about nearly everything. She isn’t very confident in her job and nearly loses it several times; if it weren’t for her boss, Liz, bailing her out in the beginning, I’m pretty sure she would have ended up back on her Chicago couch eating pizza out of a box. I like how Liz was able to see more in Lindsey then Jen and even Lindsey herself could see. Once Liz boosted her confidence a bit, Lindsey was able to really concentrate on her work and realize she’s really good at tracking trends.
Of course she has a boyfriend in New York and one in California. Neither knows about the other; only her LA friend, Carmen, and coworker, Jen, know about the men. I did cringe when Lindsay decides which man she wants, mostly because I thought she went with who was safe to her; which surprisingly wasn’t whom anyone else would have found safe.
Overall I really liked the book, however, I disliked the ending…what a cliffhanger! I sure hope that Ms. Langston has another book in the works because that’s just not a good way to end a book otherwise. WHAT HAPPENS?!
February 25, 2013
"Bicoastal Babe" is the type of book that you want to read when you're ready for a mental vacation. It's a fairly fast read but is still super engaging and oh so much fun! I was ready for a little book vacation and this book was just perfect to that end!
In "Bicoastal Babe," Lindsey Miller lands a dream job, which sounds pretty darn good to me. She basically gets to make a living checking out the hottest restaurants and openings to find the next big thing. She gets to spend half a month in NYC and half the month in L.A. It sounds like it could be a really fun job for at least awhile. It's a chance for Lindsey to get away from her old life and to create a new one or two new ones as it were.
Lindsey is a very well written character. Ms. Langston succeeded in making her both likeable and real. She doesn't always make the best decisions (the parts where she skips out on the new job to hang out with the stockbroker in NYC made me want to shake her. Why would you do that with a brand new job or any job really? Seriously?). On the other hand, you want to root for her because of some of the other things that happen in the book (some of the work things that happen to her would be pretty tough to deal with). I think it had to have been pretty hard to write a character like that! Lindsey's character was definitely a stand out for me in this book!
Bottom line: This book will appeal to readers who like interesting characters, a little bit of armchair traveling, and are looking for a fun, light read.
In "Bicoastal Babe," Lindsey Miller lands a dream job, which sounds pretty darn good to me. She basically gets to make a living checking out the hottest restaurants and openings to find the next big thing. She gets to spend half a month in NYC and half the month in L.A. It sounds like it could be a really fun job for at least awhile. It's a chance for Lindsey to get away from her old life and to create a new one or two new ones as it were.
Lindsey is a very well written character. Ms. Langston succeeded in making her both likeable and real. She doesn't always make the best decisions (the parts where she skips out on the new job to hang out with the stockbroker in NYC made me want to shake her. Why would you do that with a brand new job or any job really? Seriously?). On the other hand, you want to root for her because of some of the other things that happen in the book (some of the work things that happen to her would be pretty tough to deal with). I think it had to have been pretty hard to write a character like that! Lindsey's character was definitely a stand out for me in this book!
Bottom line: This book will appeal to readers who like interesting characters, a little bit of armchair traveling, and are looking for a fun, light read.
November 23, 2012
Lindsey Miller got a dream job tracking the hot trends and writing about it in “The Pulse.” The only problem is she isn’t really sure what the hot trends are or how to track them. By taking this job, she has to give up the comforts of her home in Chicago and become a Bicoastal Babe, spending a couple weeks in New York and a couple in Los Angeles.
In each location she is on the “in” list to visit all the hot spots. Getting invited to the hottest clubs, cafes, and parties is a huge perk. Lindsey also has a boyfriend in each city and feels guilty about this. When her partner portrays her as un-hip during a television interview she fears her job is over and that she will have to decided whether to live in glamourous Manhatten, laid back New York, or head home to Chicago.
I read this book quickly. The writing and story flowed together perfectly, keeping the story going with no lagging. Lindsey is the character I instantly loved. She is so real with flaws and all. The fact the Lindsey took her dream job with very little knowledge of what to do made me shake my head and smile, but I loved that she never gave up and eventually became the stronger of the two ladies writing “The Pulse.”
The ending (I won’t give it away) left me hoping for a sequel. Never ever would I have ever thought up an ending like Cynthia Langston did, but I loved it. Everything about BiCoastal Babe was wonderful. I would highly recommend this to any of my girlfriends.
In each location she is on the “in” list to visit all the hot spots. Getting invited to the hottest clubs, cafes, and parties is a huge perk. Lindsey also has a boyfriend in each city and feels guilty about this. When her partner portrays her as un-hip during a television interview she fears her job is over and that she will have to decided whether to live in glamourous Manhatten, laid back New York, or head home to Chicago.
I read this book quickly. The writing and story flowed together perfectly, keeping the story going with no lagging. Lindsey is the character I instantly loved. She is so real with flaws and all. The fact the Lindsey took her dream job with very little knowledge of what to do made me shake my head and smile, but I loved that she never gave up and eventually became the stronger of the two ladies writing “The Pulse.”
The ending (I won’t give it away) left me hoping for a sequel. Never ever would I have ever thought up an ending like Cynthia Langston did, but I loved it. Everything about BiCoastal Babe was wonderful. I would highly recommend this to any of my girlfriends.
September 3, 2012
I finished Bicoastal Babe last night! A super fast, super engrossing read. I have to say that the writing was exceptional - it flowed along without ever losing my interest. Lindsey is a real character. She's young, flawed, impatient, and frequently she's wrong. I admit there were times when she did or said things that made me want to sit her down for a chat - to clear things up and set her straight. But that's the sign of a good book, when you feel compelled to steer the heroine in the right direction. I also admit that I had a soft spot for Danny from the get-go - Victor, smickter ;). Maybe it was the blue eys and shaggy blond hair?
I smiled, laughed, and sometimes winced, through Lindsey's foray into her new (undefined) career of trending/trend spotting. I smiled, laughed, and oftentimes winced as Lindsey fumbled through her assorted relationships. And I enjoyed this book.
BUT I will say that the ending left me a little flummoxed. I don't want to give it away for anyone, so I won't spill the beans. I will say that it left me feeling more than a little anxious over Lindsey. Yes, she grew over the course of her book - for the better. But has she reached the level of confidence and maturity it will take for her to thrive and flourish within the scenario at the books end? Hmm, I'm not so sure? But I do hope so!!!
I smiled, laughed, and sometimes winced, through Lindsey's foray into her new (undefined) career of trending/trend spotting. I smiled, laughed, and oftentimes winced as Lindsey fumbled through her assorted relationships. And I enjoyed this book.
BUT I will say that the ending left me a little flummoxed. I don't want to give it away for anyone, so I won't spill the beans. I will say that it left me feeling more than a little anxious over Lindsey. Yes, she grew over the course of her book - for the better. But has she reached the level of confidence and maturity it will take for her to thrive and flourish within the scenario at the books end? Hmm, I'm not so sure? But I do hope so!!!
November 29, 2010
This book was pretty slow at times and I almost stopped reading it a few times since the author felt the need to use swearing instead of more creative ones. I was able to relate some to the main character in her search to find joy in her work. Overall their wasn't much depth to the story and I didn't like how it had such an abrupt ending.
December 8, 2007
Funny and light hearted. I liked the way the author described the different settings. The problem with this book, is that it takes a long time before you is drawn into it. It's not like you can't put away...
April 12, 2014
It is a good read! I like her sense of humor and her style of writing. Of course, there are some language and sexual content. I didn't like that part but overall the story was cute and very inventive!
June 22, 2008
Great chick lit book....much better than the description lets on....fun, inspiring, cool main character....I really liked this one a lot.
November 13, 2012
My review will be posted at www.romancing-the-book.com shortly.
April 8, 2007
A fun light read...
November 1, 2012
slow but got better and better.. wish there was a sequel so we could find out what happens
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews