Bulletproof Mascara

Nikki Lanier #1

by Bethany Maines

What do you get when you cross Avon Ladies with Charlie’s Angels?

A world-class intelligence organization run by women who really know their foundation.

When Nikki Lanier signs up as a cosmetics rep at Carrie Mae, it’s hardly her idea of a dream job. With a degree in linguistics and a hard-core workout regimen, the twenty-six-year-old redhead once had hopes for a real career. But unemployed and desperate to escape life at home with her nagging mother, she’ll try anything—even selling makeup to housewives. Soon, Nikki learns that the powder and lipstick are simply cover-up for the Carrie Mae a secret organization of international espionage and high-tech mascara founded for the purpose of “helping women everywhere.”

Whisked off to Thailand with the legendary Carrie Mae agent Val Robinson, Nikki is soon in over her head. Between investigating the abduction of a human rights activist, tracking down a murderous arms dealer, keeping up with her wildly dangerous new partner, and occasionally trying to date a hunk who may or may not be CIA, Nikki has to use all the courage and cosmetic technology she’s got to bring down the bad guys and get out alive.

With the support of the colorful Carrie Mae crew, Nikki will overcome even the most harrowing obstacles—including incessant phone calls from her mother—or die trying.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Chick Lit, Humor, Romance, Espionage, Thriller

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2010

About the author

Bethany Maines, a native of Tacoma WA, is the award-winning author of action adventure tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing after her daughter, or glued to the computer working on her next novel.

FB: www.facebook.com/AuthorBethanyMaines
INSTA: @AuthorBethanyMaines
TWIT: @BethanyMaines
WEB: www.bethanymaines.com

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded like a lot of fun and something I would like but unfortunately I just can't connect with the story, nothing really grabs my attention and it's not something I'd like to continue with.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! Aside from a few frustrations - lapses that caused me to go back and re-read something to figure out what I missed (and I didn't, usually it was something that could have been fixed with a bit of judicious editing) - I found this great escapism. (I'm grateful Ms. Maines didn't find it necessary to use the ubiquitous foul language. Made reading this much more enjoyable.)

While this did have a sort of "first novel" sense about it, I have high hopes for future books from Ms. Maines. I loved the interaction between Nikki and Z'ev. Yes, completely wacky and not quite believable, but still fun. I could even "get" the stuff with Nikki and her mother.

Nikki's character could have used a little work: at times she was almost too dense to be a worthy heroine. A 25-year-old would act a bit more mature in some of her circumstances, to my way of thinking. But if Ms. Maines makes this a series, I can see her "hitting her stride".

That said, I abandoned the laundry, vacuuming, and errands to just sit and finish this book. Which says to me that I had immersed myself in the reading and enjoyed the day away.

A favorite quote: "She wished she had Val's ability to stand around looking like the whole point of a setting was to display her, but she knew she'd be more comfortable blending into the background."

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book! Full review on my blog. Please click on the link below.

http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

BULLETPROOF MASCARA is Bethany Maines' debut on the mystery scene, and the book is definitely good escapist fun. If you like spy novels with humor, this one will float your boat. This line from the back cover of the advanced copy I read says it all: "What do you get when you cross Avon ladies with Charlie's Angels? A world-class intelligence organization run by women who really know their foundation." BULLETPROOF MASCARA is out on March 2, 2010.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A promising start to a light action series. Like a TV series pilot, a lot of it was taken up with introducing characters and setting up the universe, but still there was a bit of story and adventure, and it held together pretty well. I'll be continuing with reading these stories when I need a break from heavier fare.

[Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a long time. This is definitely a brain candy book. It's about an unemployed linguist who has a nagging mother who is trying to motivate her to get a job. Through some funny situations and amusing dialogue (there's lots in the book) she winds up going to a training camp for an international cosmetic company that looks out for women's rights. The training includes martial arts, various weapons, cocktail party skills and much more. The action scenes in the last half of the book were so much fun, that I couldn't put the book down. The author, who was born and raised in Tacoma, is writing a sequel due to come out next year, and I plan to get on the waiting list to read it. Here's a link to an interview with the author: http://www.trashionista.com/2010/03/a...

[Dlora · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb on the book is a great summary: "A pinch of James Bond . . . a handful of humor . . . great escapist fun." The Carrie Mae Foundation philosophy is to improve the lives of women everywhere through education, medical, and financial assistance, which is financed by selling affordable, quality cosmetics. But the Foundation also has a secret arm of trained operatives who literally fight for the rights of women everywhere. Redhead Nikki Lanier, who is a horrible cosmetic saleswomen, seems like a good fit for the spy activities given her blackbelt training and linguistics background. So she is sent to the training camp in California and then on assignment to try to rescue a woman who has been kidnapped in Thailand. Like the blurb says--lots of fun humor, believable spy adventure and action with spy tools masquerading as cosmetics, and just fun escapist reading. You'll enjoy it.

[LeeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book!! I liked this book a lot more than I expected to but the premise was so funny that I had to give it a try. Nicole (Nikki) Lanier, unemployed linguist, is convinced by her mother to try selling "Carrie Mae" cosmetics as a career move. Little does Nikki know, Carrie Mae does a bit more than just sell cosmetics. This is a funny and clever, high-action thriller that brings "chick lit" to a new high. I look forward to the next installment of what could prove to be a highly addictive series.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to find a thriller these days that doesn't have graphic sex and bad language but other than a few swear words the book focused on the principal character, Nikki, and the action. With her job prospects non-existant and still living with mom after college, Nikki finds herself as a reluctant makeup consultant turned spy. Her company fights for women's issues around the world and she goes there. A love interest does come into the story. Hard not to like a book that uses my favorite word, anachronistic. Great beach read or escape from life book. Not hard to read but entertaining.

[Porsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a creative premise! I love how the home party selling makeup giant is "Carrie Mae." LOL.
Nikki Lanier (that's lan-yay to you, buddy!) is an out of work linguist, who finds herself in an interesting situation. A man is trying a pick up line on her that he needs a "wife" so his business contact stops trying to set him up with his horse face sister. Would you go with it?
Nikki definitely kicks butt (strong female-w00t!) while using fairly clean language (it's okay, Mom).

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun romp that combines Avon Ladies with James Bond in an adventure story with a touch of romance. Light easy reading but captivating and characters that you remember

[Audrey George · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy read, totally enjoyable!

[Pamela Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago and decided I needed to read it again to see if it was still as good as I remembered -- and it was. The story starts slow but I stayed with it because of the main character Nikki -- who is trying to find her way in the world. Her mother keeps pushing her to find a job and she stumbles into the world of Carrie Mae Foundation -- a cosmetic company that helps with women's health issues worldwide by training special agents -- the book describes it as James Bond meets Charlie's Angels.

Nikki is a unique agent bringing her skills of linguistics to the table which draws the attention of Mrs. Merrivel who is high up in the Carrie Mae Foundation and thinks that Nikki is just the thing she needs to set things straight with the company. Nikki is just Nikki adjusting to each new adrenaline rush adventure as it comes.

Throw in a sexy special agent from a different organization and the sparks start to fly as well as the bullets.

This is the an adult version of one of my favorite series which happens to be THE GALLAGHER GIRLS young adult series by Ally Carter -- Good for adults as well.

[Barbara A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is so clever, but I found the characters lacking luster— especially Nikki who seemed more middle grade aged than in her 20s. Part of it was probably the Shirley Templesque tone of the audio reader-petulant and high-pitched. Also, there was a lot of action that would’ve been easier to follow in print format. But I would try another one in the series, definitely.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to pick up this novel because of the title! The background stories of the main characters weren't filled in enough for me, so I had a hard time engaging with any of them, which always makes it difficult to really get into the story. A light read mystery that had potential, but never seemed to quite get there.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining fluff book. Not too much commitment required.

[John Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heard audible own collection Outline to remind myself of the story

Q: What do you get when you cross Avon Ladies with Charlie's Angels?

A: A world-class intelligence organization run by women who really know their foundation.

When Nikki Lanier signs up as a cosmetics rep at Carrie Mae, it's hardly her idea of a dream job. With a degree in linguistics and a hard-core workout regimen, the twenty-six-year-old redhead once had hopes for a real career. But unemployed and desperate to escape life at home with her nagging mother, she'll try anything, even selling makeup to housewives. Soon, Nikki learns that the powder and lipstick are simply cover-up for the Carrie Mae Foundation: a secret organization of international espionage and high-tech mascara founded for the purpose of helping women everywhere. Whisked off to Thailand with the legendary Carrie Mae agent Val Robinson, Nikki is soon in over her head.

First encounters CIA agent Zeb (Cover name Jim as a lawyer and not revealed and confirmed until Thailand episode) in Canada when Nikki is on the spot drinking at the bar having failed dismally in selling cosmetics creating a scence where the police are called. A Carrie Mae lawyer gets her signed up and released all at the same time.

After training in Californa a call comes through from the ambassador's wife in Thailand for help as abduction of a human rights activist from young ladies help centre project. Girls who have no family to help. Between investigating the, tracking down a murderous arms dealer, keeping up with her wildly dangerous new partner, and occasionally trying to date a hunk who may or may not be CIA, Nikki has to use all the courage and cosmetic technology she's got to bring down the bad guys and get out alive. With the support of the colorful Carrie Mae crew, Nikki will overcome even the most harrowing obstacles (including incessant phone calls from her mother) or die trying. Her partner Val yurns out to be a couble agent and in the end is shot.
All works out and she gets a permanenet job plus a good salalry and Zeb turns up as well.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. Nikki has an overbearing mother and at 25 is still wondering what to do after becoming a linguistcs major. She tries for a job and after a bad interview, and is drinking at a bar when a handsome man asks her to pretend she is his wife. She finally agrees, and notes some strange things about the situation that helps her later on. Then, pushed by her mother, she attends a Carrie Mae convention, (Carrie Mae being a transparent spoonerism of Mary Kay) and wins a free starter kit, but is actually propelled into the clandestine side of Carrie Mae, after a disastrous attempt to sell beauty products. She is sent to a camp where women are trained in espionage, and finds herself in Thailand where she is about to have the adventure of a lifetime. Some language and suggestiveness, but generally a fun and good read if you like thrillers.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. It's a good book in theory, and some parts I really liked, it just wasn't quite there to be a good book. It really lags in the first half with too much action description of mundane things I found unnecessary. In the second half some parts seem to think they are an action flick and not a novel. This would be fine if novels had moving pictures to show these action sequences off better as many of these scenes were tricky to follow. A few too many cliches both in language and content but some good ideas, a fun, relatable heroine and an intriguing love interest. Its worth reading if you don't take it too seriously. Despite criticizing it too much in my head while reading it, when I was down to only 50 pages left I found myself googling to find out if there was a sequel.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the perfect beach read. Fun, fast, and (most important) clean. There was enough action and excitement to keep me turning the pages.

That being said, I only gave it three stars because I didn't find it well written. There were several times that the awkward writing pulled me out of the story. Some of the characters were not well developed - I discovered at the end of the book that I had combined two different characters into one. Two characters had similar roles and were not well developed enough that I thought they were the same person. It wasn't until the end when they showed up so close together that I realized they were two different people. Oops.

Overall a fun, quick, clean read. But not great literature.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't bother to finish this book. I am amazed that someone nominated it for a Reader's Choice Award at the library. The synopsis made this book sound like a fun, light read; Avon ladies as James Bond-style agents sounded kind of entertaining! However, as I read this, I kept wondering when I would become interested in the story. I didn't find it particularly horrible, nor did I find it particularly good. It wasn't very well-written, and I found that I didn't care about any of the characters. The all-around feel of this book was dorky: not fun-and-entertaining dorky, but roll-your-eyes-and-yawn dorky. I wouldn't recommend this one!

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gets 2 stars because while I didn't like it, I also didn't hate it. It was just dumb. Cool premise, just horribly executed. If it wasn't going into WAY too much detail on the military tactics and gun facts, then it was them discussing makeup and shoe shopping. Really? Not quite sure who the intended audience for such a book is. Too prissy for me at parts, too butch at others, is probably the best way to put it. The best part was when they actually showed the main character going on her test mission. Wish there had been more of that because the actual mission was overall dumb and predictable.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Growing up I always wanted to be a spy or detective, but I ended up an accountant. Books like this are nice because they speak to that part of me that still desperately wants adventure. I believe I have had daydreams very similar to this plot and it felt like I may have written something similar in my head, I do have the same first name as the author... But, it was a great book. Good excitement, good adventure, good romance, good twists. And intelligently written, unlike some books that read like a teenager wrote them. Very good work.

[Laurie Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do make-up and espionage have in common? Nikki Lanier! I very much enjoyed reading this book and couldn't put it down. Finally, there's a female answer to James Bond. Not as suave, maybe, at least not in the beginning. :) Bethany Maines does a great job of weaving important issues into an entertaining format. Her characters stand out from the page and the story is just downright fun. I was very entertained by this debut book of Ms. Maines and look forward to the next installment.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a "what if" book -- what if Mary Kay Inc. had a clandestine group dedicated to fighting women's causes around the world, such as human trafficing? Under the umbrella of the Carrie Mae Foundation, poised and talented women fight for right. This is not great literature, but it was a lot of fun for someone who is with the the Mary Kay Foundation. Their work is a lot more exciting! I was entertained.

[Nicole Shelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only persevered because the main chick's name was Nicole...called Nikki (my nickname until kindergarten). I'm in the fifth chapter, and considering quitting. Following a training session, one girl was called out for blue eyeliner...because you know spies must always be impeccable dressed with perfect makeup...

(a day later) okay, i finished it. it was a fun little good-once read. not brilliant...but not prohibitively irritating either.

[Candi Criddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little slow at the beginning, kind of a lot of flashbacks, but then it really picked up. It's a spy novel using make-up ladies which is pretty fun. I'd like to read the next one in the series since it should start out running on the ground. I've got to read some [author Ian Flemming] to see how it compares with manly spy novels, but who hasn't thought that make-up cases would be great for smuggling?

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it because it was cleverly written and entertaining. I liked that it was a spin on the more male dominated genre of the spy novel. Yes, it did have it's elements of romance but was not a romance. I think that it had a good opportunity to bring to a more serious light the issue of human trafficking but in the end I did pick it up as a light read. It is what it is.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly kind of "spy" story about a woman who tries to get away from her mother by going to work for Cammie May, a cosmetics company that "hides" spies in training. Some of the lines are quite clever, but the whole suspense and mystery was a little hard to follow and not very strong. Fun story, but a little weak.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was hilarious! Not great writing, not much plot, but the Mary Kay jokes were really fun. If you're looking for a good laugh without any substance, this is the book for you! Okay there's slave trading, kidnapping and death, but it all happens in a way that's impossible to take seriously!