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Phone Kitten
Marika Christian’s comic mystery, PHONE KITTEN, introduces an absolutely unique, first-time-ever kind of female sleuth—a totally lovable, intelligent, downright hilarious down-home girl who happens to earn her living as a phone sex worker.
Shy, slightly overweight Emily would die if she had to talk dirty face-to-face—especially to her hot cop boy friend. She sure didn’t set out to do phone sex—she wanted to be a writer. But when her BFF framed her for plagiarism, she got in a tiny financial hole and saw this ad for “phone actresses”… Hey, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. No pantyhose or pantsuits, no regular hours, you’re your own boss, and lots of people to talk to. Guys, that is. But here’s the odd thing—lots of them want to talk about more than Emily’s imagined attributes; they start to think of her as the best friend they’ll never have to meet. Next thing you know, one of her customers gets killed and Emily knows a lot more about it than she should. But she can’t tell the nearest cop, who’s also her own true love, because then he’ll find out about her secret life. What’s a phone kitten to do? Solve the murder herself, of course—because wouldn’t it be a great story for the newspaper that wrongly fired her? It’s her ticket back to her real life—if it doesn’t get her killed.
PHONE KITTEN is your ticket to hours of giggles—so long as you’re not looking for raunch. Because this is so not it. Somehow, first-time author Christian manages to handle a potentially smokin’ subject with such sly wit, authentic detail, and clever writing that you’ll wonder why this subject was ever considered taboo.
Shy, slightly overweight Emily would die if she had to talk dirty face-to-face—especially to her hot cop boy friend. She sure didn’t set out to do phone sex—she wanted to be a writer. But when her BFF framed her for plagiarism, she got in a tiny financial hole and saw this ad for “phone actresses”… Hey, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. No pantyhose or pantsuits, no regular hours, you’re your own boss, and lots of people to talk to. Guys, that is. But here’s the odd thing—lots of them want to talk about more than Emily’s imagined attributes; they start to think of her as the best friend they’ll never have to meet. Next thing you know, one of her customers gets killed and Emily knows a lot more about it than she should. But she can’t tell the nearest cop, who’s also her own true love, because then he’ll find out about her secret life. What’s a phone kitten to do? Solve the murder herself, of course—because wouldn’t it be a great story for the newspaper that wrongly fired her? It’s her ticket back to her real life—if it doesn’t get her killed.
PHONE KITTEN is your ticket to hours of giggles—so long as you’re not looking for raunch. Because this is so not it. Somehow, first-time author Christian manages to handle a potentially smokin’ subject with such sly wit, authentic detail, and clever writing that you’ll wonder why this subject was ever considered taboo.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2010
251 people are currently reading
1712 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
July 17, 2016
This was actually not a bad read.
It was lacking, but it wasn't bad.
Emily needs money, so she decides to work as a phone actress, as in she does phone sex.
One day, one of her clients is murdered, so Emily takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.
It was actually pretty fun!
The one thing that drove me nuts the most in this book was that Emily had zero self confidence.
She kept worrying about her image because she's on the fat side.
But nearly every straight guy in this book, old and young, has shown interest in her, hit on her, and/or asked her out.
It's very clear that she is attractive.
And yet with all that attention that most people don't even experience, her self esteem still didn't go up.
And her boyfriend is a hot detective!
*le sigh*
But other than that, it was a fairly light read. And free on Amazon!
My book-hoarder self loooves free books on Amazon ;)
It was lacking, but it wasn't bad.
Emily needs money, so she decides to work as a phone actress, as in she does phone sex.
One day, one of her clients is murdered, so Emily takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.
It was actually pretty fun!
The one thing that drove me nuts the most in this book was that Emily had zero self confidence.
She kept worrying about her image because she's on the fat side.
But nearly every straight guy in this book, old and young, has shown interest in her, hit on her, and/or asked her out.
It's very clear that she is attractive.
And yet with all that attention that most people don't even experience, her self esteem still didn't go up.
And her boyfriend is a hot detective!
*le sigh*
But other than that, it was a fairly light read. And free on Amazon!
My book-hoarder self loooves free books on Amazon ;)
June 30, 2015
Okay, time to have some fun with this one! :-)
Emily Winters is a chubby young woman who dreams of being a journalist for the St. Pete Times. After her "friend" deviously takes credit for an article she writes, she explodes in anger, resulting in her termination. While perusing the classified section in search of new employment, she comes across an ad for a phone sex worker.
"Phone sex girls get retirement benefits? Who knew?"
The opportunity is too good to pass up. So Emily begins her new life adventure as Delilah the phone kitten. The men who call in think they're talking to their fantasy girl. Little do they realize that they're getting
There's even a man who works there...an effeminate man with a sweet-sounding voice.
"So they think they're talking to a Britney Spears hottie, and they're jerking off with a four-hundred-pound gay man and his electric toothbrush?"
Yeee-up! {giggle}
Being a phone kitten transforms Emily's life and helps to boost her self esteem and confidence. As it turns out, she's pretty good at what she does. It isn't long before another opportunity comes along and she begins working from home. This time, she transforms into Peyton, the sexy blond from Georgia.
Everything is going well until a chance meeting with one of her clients...who later turns up dead. Now Emily worries that her secret life will be revealed, or worse, that she might be a suspect in his murder. She takes on a different role, this time as a detective, and tries to solve the murder. And the mystery begins.
Honestly, I enjoyed this book much better up until the point it became a mystery story. Then, some of the things Emily did just annoyed me. I know fiction doesn't need to be realistic, but I thought the story just wasn't very plausible. Still, the book was entertaining and I did enjoy the humor. And learned a few new things about fetishes! Who knew some men actually enjoy certain...things...
"I've talked to men who wanted me to be their own private giantess, who smashes them until they squirt like jelly between my toes. Yeah, I don't get it either."
Me, neither! :O
I'm not sure how this book made its way into my Kindle library, but it was a nice break from the horror and gore I'm used to reading.
And here's a video that someone made for this book. It's pretty funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcZk_e...
November 15, 2012
I picked this up on a whim. Honestly it's probably something I wouldn't normally have read but the name and description of the novel was interesting enough that I pulled the trigger and frankly, I needed a break from all the dark and brooding horror that I've been reading lately. Phone Kitten is a breath of fresh air!
Emily has hit a rough patch. A friend of hers stabbed her in the back at work, causing her to lose her job so what's a self professed 'chub' girl to do? Why, why not be a phone sex operator? Turns out that the 'chub' girl who's often called by the wrong name and seems to be invisible to the general type public has a sexy voice and decides to use it to work her way through some college courses. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems and when something happens to a client of hers she decides to get to the bottom of it. Who knows? Maybe she'll even get a good newspaper article out of it?
The first thing that stands out about this book is the author's voice. Christian pens Emily in such a funny and realistic way that you can't help BUT like her. She's about as likeable a character as I've read in a long time. She's got real problems. She's not a super genius (but she's plenty smart) and she's not runway thin either. She is, in essence, the 'every-girl'. Even though I'm a guy, I could relate to her. She's got job problems, problems with the opposite sex, issues with her appearance. It's tough not to put yourself in her shoes and say to yourself 'yes, that makes complete sense. I can empathize'. In short, Emily is REAL and completely human and FUN to read.
The dialogue is fast and snappy and many times, laugh out loud funny. Emily's inner musings are both hysterical and touching as she reflects on her life, her friends, her problems and her love life.
Wrapped up in all of that is a fun little mystery that's well plotted and paced very nicely.
I think one of the things that impressed me the most about the book was the fact that Emily's job is that of a phone sex operator but the book never gets trashy or overly graphic. In fact, there is even only a slight dusting of curse words. Not that I'm a prude but I always thought that it's harder work for, let's say, a comedian to be funny while being clean than just dropping f-bombs and being foul (although I do like both, heh). For a book that features a phone sex operator, the novel never goes into gutter-ish territory. My hat's off to the author for being able to still make it real without having to degrade into smutty territory. No easy feat I'm sure.
If you're looking for a fun and entertaining mystery that's surrounded by an authentic character with charm and sense of humor you'd be doing a disservice to yourself if you didn't drop the coin on Phone Kitten!
Highly recommended.
Emily has hit a rough patch. A friend of hers stabbed her in the back at work, causing her to lose her job so what's a self professed 'chub' girl to do? Why, why not be a phone sex operator? Turns out that the 'chub' girl who's often called by the wrong name and seems to be invisible to the general type public has a sexy voice and decides to use it to work her way through some college courses. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems and when something happens to a client of hers she decides to get to the bottom of it. Who knows? Maybe she'll even get a good newspaper article out of it?
The first thing that stands out about this book is the author's voice. Christian pens Emily in such a funny and realistic way that you can't help BUT like her. She's about as likeable a character as I've read in a long time. She's got real problems. She's not a super genius (but she's plenty smart) and she's not runway thin either. She is, in essence, the 'every-girl'. Even though I'm a guy, I could relate to her. She's got job problems, problems with the opposite sex, issues with her appearance. It's tough not to put yourself in her shoes and say to yourself 'yes, that makes complete sense. I can empathize'. In short, Emily is REAL and completely human and FUN to read.
The dialogue is fast and snappy and many times, laugh out loud funny. Emily's inner musings are both hysterical and touching as she reflects on her life, her friends, her problems and her love life.
Wrapped up in all of that is a fun little mystery that's well plotted and paced very nicely.
I think one of the things that impressed me the most about the book was the fact that Emily's job is that of a phone sex operator but the book never gets trashy or overly graphic. In fact, there is even only a slight dusting of curse words. Not that I'm a prude but I always thought that it's harder work for, let's say, a comedian to be funny while being clean than just dropping f-bombs and being foul (although I do like both, heh). For a book that features a phone sex operator, the novel never goes into gutter-ish territory. My hat's off to the author for being able to still make it real without having to degrade into smutty territory. No easy feat I'm sure.
If you're looking for a fun and entertaining mystery that's surrounded by an authentic character with charm and sense of humor you'd be doing a disservice to yourself if you didn't drop the coin on Phone Kitten!
Highly recommended.
July 7, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it’s characters. Emily feels invisible to the outside world, and has allowed people to walk over and dismiss her all of her life. Until she discovers her ‘friend’ has stolen her work and passes it off as her own. Fed up, Emily finally lets all her pent up emotions boil over, but it ends up costing her her job. Faced with tuition and bills, Emily becomes a phone sex operator to make due, and murder, mystery, and comedy ensue.
I loved Emily’s character because she seems so very realistic. I think many women feel looked over for one reason or another, and Christian did a good job in capturing that in Emily. But Emily doesn’t remain passive and invisible and that’s what makes her so cool. She has already begun to take steps to be more noticeable, like working out with her best friend. But the more she has to pretend to be Peyton, her phone sex identity, the more her inner Peyton begins to come out in her real life. As a result, Emily begins to open up and take more risks. So much so, that when her best customer is offed, she decides to solve his murder. Surprisingly, Emily makes a pretty decent sleuth.
The supporting characters were great too. I particularly liked her best friend Dennis and his partner Craig. Those two were a riot and I laughed myself silly when Emily asked Dennis to help her run through a faux phone sex call. Her suspects were quite interesting too, and oddly enough, I took a great liking to the Gangster her client was friends with. I wasn’t that over the moon about her boyfriend though. He was nice enough, but I wanted to know more about him, and I just wasn’t very invested in him. But if Christian continues Emily’s story, I hope to find out more about him.
The only issue I had with this book was the editing. There were a lot of errors and mistakes throughout the novel, and sometimes they could be a bit distracting. But otherwise, this was a lovely book with a wonderful cast of characters. I really loved Emily. She was cute, funny, and brave. I really hope to read about more of her adventures in the future.
I loved Emily’s character because she seems so very realistic. I think many women feel looked over for one reason or another, and Christian did a good job in capturing that in Emily. But Emily doesn’t remain passive and invisible and that’s what makes her so cool. She has already begun to take steps to be more noticeable, like working out with her best friend. But the more she has to pretend to be Peyton, her phone sex identity, the more her inner Peyton begins to come out in her real life. As a result, Emily begins to open up and take more risks. So much so, that when her best customer is offed, she decides to solve his murder. Surprisingly, Emily makes a pretty decent sleuth.
The supporting characters were great too. I particularly liked her best friend Dennis and his partner Craig. Those two were a riot and I laughed myself silly when Emily asked Dennis to help her run through a faux phone sex call. Her suspects were quite interesting too, and oddly enough, I took a great liking to the Gangster her client was friends with. I wasn’t that over the moon about her boyfriend though. He was nice enough, but I wanted to know more about him, and I just wasn’t very invested in him. But if Christian continues Emily’s story, I hope to find out more about him.
The only issue I had with this book was the editing. There were a lot of errors and mistakes throughout the novel, and sometimes they could be a bit distracting. But otherwise, this was a lovely book with a wonderful cast of characters. I really loved Emily. She was cute, funny, and brave. I really hope to read about more of her adventures in the future.
March 4, 2018
Good girl Emily thinks that taking a job as a 900 number operator is the most daring thing she's ever done. Then one of her clients ends up dead, and she thinks its up to her to find the killer.
I'd rather give this book 3 1/2 stars than four, but no way could I give it only three stars. The book was fun, silly, and totally girly. In fact, it reminded me of Caprice Crane and other of my favorite chick lit authors. Emily, the main character, was immensely likeable and easy to relate to, and her friends were also well written. The prose was smooth and the plot moved at just the right pace - not too slow, not too fast. I also loved the Florida setting. I know that a few FL natives mentioned some nits with the location, but for me (a native Michigander), it was very convincing. And considering this is a story about a phone sex operator, the author managed to keep everything to a PG-13 rating. All of these things made the book a cute, easy read.
Unfortunately, there were some things that troubled me quite a bit. The first was the romance. The love interest was just too perfect. Too cute, too understanding, and way too forgiving considering what Emily puts him through. The leading man lacked depth and personality. Another thing that bothered me was that there were too many coincidences, especially at the beginning and end of the story. I found myself thinking, "Really??" when Emily just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time. Finally, although I understand that these kinds of books need to be zany, a lot of Emily's antics were too outrageous to be believed. She poses as a number of people in order to dig up information on the murder, yet no one ever questions her credentials, nor does she get into trouble for impeding an ongoing investigation. This really bothered me.
Phone Kitten did have its flaws, but it was enough of a good read for me to enjoy it from start to end. I think this is the author's first novel. If so, I hope she'll put out others.
I'd rather give this book 3 1/2 stars than four, but no way could I give it only three stars. The book was fun, silly, and totally girly. In fact, it reminded me of Caprice Crane and other of my favorite chick lit authors. Emily, the main character, was immensely likeable and easy to relate to, and her friends were also well written. The prose was smooth and the plot moved at just the right pace - not too slow, not too fast. I also loved the Florida setting. I know that a few FL natives mentioned some nits with the location, but for me (a native Michigander), it was very convincing. And considering this is a story about a phone sex operator, the author managed to keep everything to a PG-13 rating. All of these things made the book a cute, easy read.
Unfortunately, there were some things that troubled me quite a bit. The first was the romance. The love interest was just too perfect. Too cute, too understanding, and way too forgiving considering what Emily puts him through. The leading man lacked depth and personality. Another thing that bothered me was that there were too many coincidences, especially at the beginning and end of the story. I found myself thinking, "Really??" when Emily just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time. Finally, although I understand that these kinds of books need to be zany, a lot of Emily's antics were too outrageous to be believed. She poses as a number of people in order to dig up information on the murder, yet no one ever questions her credentials, nor does she get into trouble for impeding an ongoing investigation. This really bothered me.
Phone Kitten did have its flaws, but it was enough of a good read for me to enjoy it from start to end. I think this is the author's first novel. If so, I hope she'll put out others.
June 1, 2015
Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be when I looked at the cover.
Please note: I don't go for cutesy. So, any time you see the word "strumpet" in this review, please replace it with "kitten". I refuse to call my profession "kitten"y.
I don't know if Ms. Christian is a phone strumpet, or if she just interviewed a lot of them, but I will give her major props for realism. It's very difficult in this profession to find a form of media that is realistic. People, upon learning what I do for 1/2 of my living, immediately click to the movie Valentine's Day.
I do not scream like a harpie about how unrealistic it is, but. There are suuuuuch problems with Anne Hathaway's version of a strumpet.
I do strictly at home business, and have no experience with a call center environment, but I have to believe they took some liberties here. At least in regards to pay scale. Same with the at home bit. Strumpets get paid criminally low, unless you have your own service. But maybe Emily's service was just...yeah, I don't know.
I was irked by Emily's attitude towards strumpeting, but that may be my own hang up. I have no shame, as evidenced by the fact that I've devoted...four paragraphs of this review to my own personal experience with the profession. I sing it from the roof top. The only people in my life who don't know what I do are those who are too young to know what s-e-x is.
And she is just so...and it's not even just her. How is this Dennis person her BFF when he's such an extreme asshole to her about it? Like, that is not in any way okay. And why wouldn't you tell your "History Hottie"? Sure, it's not first date material, but for fuck's sake. You are going to school, you are earning a living, you are getting your shit together. Do you actually want to date someone who judges you for doing what you have to do to get your life moving forward?
And why why why why why why why would you ever go somewhere you know one of your clients will be at? I have a client who lives about 3 hours from my city. If I were ever in the same town for some reason, I would be ducking and diving and disguising my voice to make sure he neeeeever knew it was me. Not out of some fear he would blackmail me, but because hi, these people are freaks. You do not want them to know anything personal about you. Hello.
Okay, so see this is why I can't read/watch anything that involves strumpeting. I just take it all so personally.
Anyway!
I cared little to nothing for anything not involving strumpeting or "investigating". However, as with all these amateur sleuth novels, I was mostly irritated with the meddling. Seriously, the jump drive thievery made me want to scream. Do these people not understand the word "inadmissible in court"?
How about, "Someone's trying to kill you, stop going places alone"?
I know I sound like I hated this book. I REALLY didn't. It's fluff, and you just can't take fluff seriously. If Emily had had another profession, I never even would've picked this up because I don't do fluff well.
Please note: I don't go for cutesy. So, any time you see the word "strumpet" in this review, please replace it with "kitten". I refuse to call my profession "kitten"y.
I don't know if Ms. Christian is a phone strumpet, or if she just interviewed a lot of them, but I will give her major props for realism. It's very difficult in this profession to find a form of media that is realistic. People, upon learning what I do for 1/2 of my living, immediately click to the movie Valentine's Day.
I do not scream like a harpie about how unrealistic it is, but. There are suuuuuch problems with Anne Hathaway's version of a strumpet.
I do strictly at home business, and have no experience with a call center environment, but I have to believe they took some liberties here. At least in regards to pay scale. Same with the at home bit. Strumpets get paid criminally low, unless you have your own service. But maybe Emily's service was just...yeah, I don't know.
I was irked by Emily's attitude towards strumpeting, but that may be my own hang up. I have no shame, as evidenced by the fact that I've devoted...four paragraphs of this review to my own personal experience with the profession. I sing it from the roof top. The only people in my life who don't know what I do are those who are too young to know what s-e-x is.
And she is just so...and it's not even just her. How is this Dennis person her BFF when he's such an extreme asshole to her about it? Like, that is not in any way okay. And why wouldn't you tell your "History Hottie"? Sure, it's not first date material, but for fuck's sake. You are going to school, you are earning a living, you are getting your shit together. Do you actually want to date someone who judges you for doing what you have to do to get your life moving forward?
And why why why why why why why would you ever go somewhere you know one of your clients will be at? I have a client who lives about 3 hours from my city. If I were ever in the same town for some reason, I would be ducking and diving and disguising my voice to make sure he neeeeever knew it was me. Not out of some fear he would blackmail me, but because hi, these people are freaks. You do not want them to know anything personal about you. Hello.
Okay, so see this is why I can't read/watch anything that involves strumpeting. I just take it all so personally.
Anyway!
I cared little to nothing for anything not involving strumpeting or "investigating". However, as with all these amateur sleuth novels, I was mostly irritated with the meddling. Seriously, the jump drive thievery made me want to scream. Do these people not understand the word "inadmissible in court"?
How about, "Someone's trying to kill you, stop going places alone"?
I know I sound like I hated this book. I REALLY didn't. It's fluff, and you just can't take fluff seriously. If Emily had had another profession, I never even would've picked this up because I don't do fluff well.
April 26, 2011
I really loved this book. An author I sort of "stalk" on here mentioned he had picked up this book, and from the premise, I expected this to be a fair amount spicier, but no matter, it was so adorable.
I very much enjoyed the main character, Emily. She's fun and relate-able and perhaps a bit goofy, but not a total bubblehead like some amateur sleuths who you wonder how they managed to get to adulthood alive. I certainly learned a lot about a career as a "phone actress."
Her love interest sounds like a total dreamboat as well. I know they say you should have a flaw in your romantic hero so he has a way to grow, but nope, let's have this guy be perfect. Which he is. More please.
Another thing, and this is something I don't usually notice, is how good a job the author did with the setting. I've never been to the Tampa/St. Pete area, and now I kind of want to visit.
I see in another review that someone mentioned laughing out loud, and I know I did that too at least once. Even though this is a murder mystery, this is pretty light and fun.
To be fair, it's not perfect. There is a bit of "telling" and "info dumping" in the first chapter or two when the main character gives back story about a rival named Dani or a gay friend named Dennis. But the writing smooths out very, very quickly. Also, I'm not a good enough writing "analyst" to know why I felt this way, but that character, Dennis, felt a little flat. I kind of liked him and his more likable boyfriend, Craig, but I'm not sure I saw his purpose in the story. I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be the super ego/voice of reason character who grounds Emily, but...hmm...she kind of pays zero attention to anything he says, and Craig kind of duplicates that roll (role?) and is a bit more effective.
Also, and I never take "points" off for this, the bad guy comes after the hero which means the hero didn't really solve the mystery. Instead, the bad guy reveals himself. I have to say I haven't read a mystery in years where the sleuth clearly figures out who the bad guy is instead of either stumbling onto the right answer or the bad guy decides to go after the hero. (Wait a minute. There was a fantastic Josh Lanyon mystery that came pretty close.) So, yes, while I'd be insanely impressed with an author who doesn't use the "pursue the hero" device, I think the way the murderer is revealed in Phone Kitten is very satisfying.
I would LOVE to read a sequel.
I very much enjoyed the main character, Emily. She's fun and relate-able and perhaps a bit goofy, but not a total bubblehead like some amateur sleuths who you wonder how they managed to get to adulthood alive. I certainly learned a lot about a career as a "phone actress."
Her love interest sounds like a total dreamboat as well. I know they say you should have a flaw in your romantic hero so he has a way to grow, but nope, let's have this guy be perfect. Which he is. More please.
Another thing, and this is something I don't usually notice, is how good a job the author did with the setting. I've never been to the Tampa/St. Pete area, and now I kind of want to visit.
I see in another review that someone mentioned laughing out loud, and I know I did that too at least once. Even though this is a murder mystery, this is pretty light and fun.
To be fair, it's not perfect. There is a bit of "telling" and "info dumping" in the first chapter or two when the main character gives back story about a rival named Dani or a gay friend named Dennis. But the writing smooths out very, very quickly. Also, I'm not a good enough writing "analyst" to know why I felt this way, but that character, Dennis, felt a little flat. I kind of liked him and his more likable boyfriend, Craig, but I'm not sure I saw his purpose in the story. I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be the super ego/voice of reason character who grounds Emily, but...hmm...she kind of pays zero attention to anything he says, and Craig kind of duplicates that roll (role?) and is a bit more effective.
Also, and I never take "points" off for this, the bad guy comes after the hero which means the hero didn't really solve the mystery. Instead, the bad guy reveals himself. I have to say I haven't read a mystery in years where the sleuth clearly figures out who the bad guy is instead of either stumbling onto the right answer or the bad guy decides to go after the hero. (Wait a minute. There was a fantastic Josh Lanyon mystery that came pretty close.) So, yes, while I'd be insanely impressed with an author who doesn't use the "pursue the hero" device, I think the way the murderer is revealed in Phone Kitten is very satisfying.
I would LOVE to read a sequel.
August 16, 2013
A friend of mine turned me onto this free Kindle book site called Pixels of Ink. I both love and hate this site. Usually twice a day they list 3-5 books that are free for Kindle on Amazon at the time of the post. I LOVE free books. I HATE the temptation because, even though they aren't taking up physical space, adding 5 books a day to my to-be-read pile is intimidating even for me. Anywho, this leads me to my latest book, "Phone Kitten", which I got free thanks to the above mentioned Pixels recommendation.
This book was just a funny, cute, and light hearted mystery. Emily Winters finds herself fired from her newspaper job, through no fault of her own, sees an ad to be a phone sex operator and thinks why not. Now, I do have to say that I was slightly worried about a raunch factor, but the author handles the subject matter with a sly, witty, subtle touch that just had me giggling in some parts. What Emily finds is that once the deed is done, most of these guys just want someone to talk to and at two dollars a minute, she's happy to oblige.
With her life back on track Emily has met a new guy and on their first date, she accidentally runs into one of her clients. When he turns up murdered the next day, she is sure she's in trouble. So she decides to start "Drewing it", as in Nancy Drew, against the advice of her best friend Dennis. Emily is sweet and completely inept in the style of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. The romance with Rick is just adorable and hot in all the right places.
Did I mention that I liked this book? It hit all the right notes in all the right places for me. Chick Lit, Romance, Comic Mystery, what ever, it was enjoyable. Like a perfect cupcake. You couldn't live on it, but boy is it good. I can't wait to see where this series goes. As I said it was free when I got it and is now listed at $2.99. Unfortunately it only seems to be available in ebook format at the moment. Hopefully that changes soon.
This book was just a funny, cute, and light hearted mystery. Emily Winters finds herself fired from her newspaper job, through no fault of her own, sees an ad to be a phone sex operator and thinks why not. Now, I do have to say that I was slightly worried about a raunch factor, but the author handles the subject matter with a sly, witty, subtle touch that just had me giggling in some parts. What Emily finds is that once the deed is done, most of these guys just want someone to talk to and at two dollars a minute, she's happy to oblige.
With her life back on track Emily has met a new guy and on their first date, she accidentally runs into one of her clients. When he turns up murdered the next day, she is sure she's in trouble. So she decides to start "Drewing it", as in Nancy Drew, against the advice of her best friend Dennis. Emily is sweet and completely inept in the style of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. The romance with Rick is just adorable and hot in all the right places.
Did I mention that I liked this book? It hit all the right notes in all the right places for me. Chick Lit, Romance, Comic Mystery, what ever, it was enjoyable. Like a perfect cupcake. You couldn't live on it, but boy is it good. I can't wait to see where this series goes. As I said it was free when I got it and is now listed at $2.99. Unfortunately it only seems to be available in ebook format at the moment. Hopefully that changes soon.
April 18, 2011
Phone Kitten
by Marika Christian
In the mood for a lighthearted mystery with a little romance on the side? Check out Marika Christian's PHONE KITTEN.
Christian introduces Emily Winters, an imperfect but perfectly lovable character. Emily is a self-proclaimed Chub and accustomed to going unnoticed. When she is fired from her job as a copy clerk for a large newspaper, she needs to find work fast and signs on as a phone sex operator.
Emily's life begins to change when Emily discovers that as Peyton, her sex kitten alias, she is able to tap into resources she never knew she had."What would Peyton do?" becomes a kind of mantra, pushing Emily further and further from her shell.
When one of Emily's clients is murdered, she decides to solve the case and write the story that will make her the journalist she has always dreamed of being. Of course, nothing turns out exactly as planned but Emily will keep you laughing as she stumbles into unexpected situations--and acquires a new boyfriend along the way.
My only problem with Phone Kitten was that it was over too quickly. Who knew murder could be so much fun? Just hope Christian has another Emily Winters book coming soon.
by Marika Christian
In the mood for a lighthearted mystery with a little romance on the side? Check out Marika Christian's PHONE KITTEN.
Christian introduces Emily Winters, an imperfect but perfectly lovable character. Emily is a self-proclaimed Chub and accustomed to going unnoticed. When she is fired from her job as a copy clerk for a large newspaper, she needs to find work fast and signs on as a phone sex operator.
Emily's life begins to change when Emily discovers that as Peyton, her sex kitten alias, she is able to tap into resources she never knew she had."What would Peyton do?" becomes a kind of mantra, pushing Emily further and further from her shell.
When one of Emily's clients is murdered, she decides to solve the case and write the story that will make her the journalist she has always dreamed of being. Of course, nothing turns out exactly as planned but Emily will keep you laughing as she stumbles into unexpected situations--and acquires a new boyfriend along the way.
My only problem with Phone Kitten was that it was over too quickly. Who knew murder could be so much fun? Just hope Christian has another Emily Winters book coming soon.
December 13, 2015
This was really cute and fun. The plot was silly, but it was supposed to be. Emily made relatively stupid choices several times, but she was supposed to. What mattered here, I think, is that Emily herself (even when she was being stupid), was credible and very well portrayed. She grows some over the story, but not enough to make the story moralistic or heavy-handed. Nice, light reading, and not as graphic as one might think given the blurb.
January 15, 2021
I loved this clever cozy. Emily is a likeable and relatable heroine just trying to pay the rent and her tuition when her job as a 'phone kitten' sex line actor gets her mired in a mess. Well, it's partly her job and partly her Nancy Drew tendencies. Supporting characters are richly drawn and memorable. The Florida St Pete setting will make you yearn for a vacation. In all, a perfect cozy read! Five enthusiastic stars. Bring on more Emily!
January 25, 2015
Don't be turned off by the 3 stars!
This book is not what I expected at all.
I expected a fun and cute romance with a bit of naughtiness thrown in for good measure. I expected it to be a bit raunchier than it was. However, Phone Kitten was such an amusing book, I didn't find myself missing it.
Emily Winters is easily forgotten. Her boss doesn't even know her name. People look over her like she was no more interesting than a crack in the sidewalk. The only men in her life are a gay couple who are like brothers to her. Emily is finally taking charge of her life though. She is trying to write articles for the newspaper that she works for, she has lost a ton of weight and she is finally starting to have some self confidence. But a woman that she thinks is her friend betrays her and gets Emily fired from her job.
Distraught, Emily finds herself looking in the classifieds for a job and the words "phone actress" stand out to her. It's easy money and after a little bit of getting settled, Emily gives herself the persona "Peyton" and goes to work. Her confidence goes up and she finds herself dating one of the most attractive men that she has ever met, a cop named Rick. Emily keeps her profession a secret though for obvious reasons...
Emily is a phone sex actress. Every day, she talks to lonely men and *ahem* satisfies their needs. But not everything is sexual and she finds that some men call her over and over just to have someone listen to them. One of these men is the real estate developer that is trying to "improve" the up and coming neighborhood Emily lives in with high rise condos and expensive boutiques.
When Emily finds out that he is killed, she is determined to find out who did it and why.
But Emily is way over her head and suddenly this detective lifestyle is too much, especially juggling not telling her supa-hot cop boyfriend and not getting caught.
This really was a fun amusing book. I found myself giggling at the random things Emily would say and her insecurities are rather refreshing. She is extremely body conscious and it shows with the writing. She is going through all of the stuff that women go through when they want to lose weight. She is surprisingly awkward, shy, and her self confidence needs a lot of work. Emily is easy to relate to throughout the book.
She creates this all powerful alter ego in Peyton and she becomes stronger by acting without fear like she thinks Peyton would do. Despite it being a somewhat unconventional profession, Emily is able to build up her confidence by being appreciated by these men that would otherwise ignore her.
Emily:
Peyton:
The other characters in the book were fun as well. Dennis and Craig were amazing and I want to have a friends like them in real life. They are supportive but tough on her, not letting her get away with being stupid and putting herself at risk. They act like over protective brothers and are sort of necessary to Emily's life to keep her from doing incredibly reckless things.
There are a few issues I had with the book overall though. The writing style was rather amusing but there are some plot holes that I couldn't get around. The entire time, Emily is saying that she is plain and not noticeable but then she all of a sudden has men hanging off of her. Rick, Jim, Damon...it is kind of silly in a way. There is a lot to be said for confidence and a change of clothes but I just don't believe it. Also, I can get why a guy wouldn't want to tell you he's a cop but after you have made out with her on your couch, you sort of need to tell her what you do for a living.
Not a bad book though. It was light and fluffy and just what I needed.
This book is not what I expected at all.
I expected a fun and cute romance with a bit of naughtiness thrown in for good measure. I expected it to be a bit raunchier than it was. However, Phone Kitten was such an amusing book, I didn't find myself missing it.
Emily Winters is easily forgotten. Her boss doesn't even know her name. People look over her like she was no more interesting than a crack in the sidewalk. The only men in her life are a gay couple who are like brothers to her. Emily is finally taking charge of her life though. She is trying to write articles for the newspaper that she works for, she has lost a ton of weight and she is finally starting to have some self confidence. But a woman that she thinks is her friend betrays her and gets Emily fired from her job.
Distraught, Emily finds herself looking in the classifieds for a job and the words "phone actress" stand out to her. It's easy money and after a little bit of getting settled, Emily gives herself the persona "Peyton" and goes to work. Her confidence goes up and she finds herself dating one of the most attractive men that she has ever met, a cop named Rick. Emily keeps her profession a secret though for obvious reasons...
Emily is a phone sex actress. Every day, she talks to lonely men and *ahem* satisfies their needs. But not everything is sexual and she finds that some men call her over and over just to have someone listen to them. One of these men is the real estate developer that is trying to "improve" the up and coming neighborhood Emily lives in with high rise condos and expensive boutiques.
When Emily finds out that he is killed, she is determined to find out who did it and why.
But Emily is way over her head and suddenly this detective lifestyle is too much, especially juggling not telling her supa-hot cop boyfriend and not getting caught.
This really was a fun amusing book. I found myself giggling at the random things Emily would say and her insecurities are rather refreshing. She is extremely body conscious and it shows with the writing. She is going through all of the stuff that women go through when they want to lose weight. She is surprisingly awkward, shy, and her self confidence needs a lot of work. Emily is easy to relate to throughout the book.
She creates this all powerful alter ego in Peyton and she becomes stronger by acting without fear like she thinks Peyton would do. Despite it being a somewhat unconventional profession, Emily is able to build up her confidence by being appreciated by these men that would otherwise ignore her.
Emily:
Peyton:
The other characters in the book were fun as well. Dennis and Craig were amazing and I want to have a friends like them in real life. They are supportive but tough on her, not letting her get away with being stupid and putting herself at risk. They act like over protective brothers and are sort of necessary to Emily's life to keep her from doing incredibly reckless things.
There are a few issues I had with the book overall though. The writing style was rather amusing but there are some plot holes that I couldn't get around. The entire time, Emily is saying that she is plain and not noticeable but then she all of a sudden has men hanging off of her. Rick, Jim, Damon...it is kind of silly in a way. There is a lot to be said for confidence and a change of clothes but I just don't believe it. Also, I can get why a guy wouldn't want to tell you he's a cop but after you have made out with her on your couch, you sort of need to tell her what you do for a living.
Not a bad book though. It was light and fluffy and just what I needed.
June 1, 2020
While the main character got a bit annoying the plot was good.
June 2, 2012
I loved this book!!
Very fun and funny! The story never slowed down and the characters were all very distinct and lovable. I personally was amazed that for the first time in a long time, I guessed the wrong suspect to be the murderer. Major kudos for being unpredictable. (I'm crazy good at guessing, surprises, twists, etc)
Emily does work as a Phone Sex Operator, but nothing ever gets gross or unclassy. In fact, this book is EXTREMELY tame considering her line of work. Every time work is mentioned for her, it results in a good hardy laugh.
One thing that did irk me and keeps me from a full 5 star rating,
Defiantly don't miss this one if you want a good comedy mystery!
Very fun and funny! The story never slowed down and the characters were all very distinct and lovable. I personally was amazed that for the first time in a long time, I guessed the wrong suspect to be the murderer. Major kudos for being unpredictable. (I'm crazy good at guessing, surprises, twists, etc)
Emily does work as a Phone Sex Operator, but nothing ever gets gross or unclassy. In fact, this book is EXTREMELY tame considering her line of work. Every time work is mentioned for her, it results in a good hardy laugh.
One thing that did irk me and keeps me from a full 5 star rating,
Defiantly don't miss this one if you want a good comedy mystery!
August 31, 2013
This is definitely Chick Lit. Fluffy, light, like cotton candy—don’t expect great depth, and as it is (or was) a freebie on Amazon, accept that we now live in a world where e-books are going to increasingly have greater need of editing by people who proofread while they aren’t multitasking fourteen other things, but those people seem to be a rare breed, disappearing, so try not to let missing words or faulty punctuation that crop up occasionally irritate you.
Having said that—this was actually a fun read, even if I am a guy, and some diverting escapism. Although the premise might discourage some—our heroine Emily has discovered she has a flair for success at her new phone sex job and through this job she suddenly gets pulled into a murder mystery—I think it is both her self-deprecating wit and the reader’s quick identification with and sympathy for her (she lost her old job at a newspaper because she was screwed over by a bullying beautiful-but-oh-so-shallow false friend) that makes this work. I laughed more than usual while reading this—it’s not coarse, it’s clever, and that earns a thumbs up from me.
Having said that—this was actually a fun read, even if I am a guy, and some diverting escapism. Although the premise might discourage some—our heroine Emily has discovered she has a flair for success at her new phone sex job and through this job she suddenly gets pulled into a murder mystery—I think it is both her self-deprecating wit and the reader’s quick identification with and sympathy for her (she lost her old job at a newspaper because she was screwed over by a bullying beautiful-but-oh-so-shallow false friend) that makes this work. I laughed more than usual while reading this—it’s not coarse, it’s clever, and that earns a thumbs up from me.
July 6, 2011
A stellar debut from Marika Christian incorporating the world of phone sex with a murder mystery. Phone actress, Emily Summers, takes it upon herself to solve the crime of the murder of one of her most frequent callers; but soon eneough she finds herself in more danger than maybe even Nancy Drew can handle. Meeting a lot of crazy, kooky and just suspicious characters on her path, Jim Alexander's killer could be anyone. To top of all the drama, Emily's met a guy she really likes, but when he turns out to be a cop, all of a sudden, Emily's job and plans to find the killer become not so secret anymore. Will she solve the case before she or anyone else gets hurt again? A great debut with a quick-moving plot; quirky characters you won't forget and all the drama you could hope for in a contemporary fiction novel. Take this one to the beach this summer; I'm holding out hope for Phone Kitten Part Two!!
July 17, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. So much so, that since I had checked it out from Amazon Prime, as soon as I finished I went in and purchased it because this was one I knew I needed to own! Made me laugh out loud, much like the first time I read Janet Evanovich. I immediately went online, hoping with fingers crossed, that there were more books with this character or more books from this author. Unfortunately there are not at this time, although the author's posted responses to the comments all said she is working on book 2. Keeping my fingers crossed that it happens soon!! I can't wait!!!
March 15, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. When Emily starts working in the phone sex business I found myself several times giggling on the couch... and my boyfriend looking funny at me :) After the storyline changes towards mystery it isn't quite as funny anymore but still very entertaining. Emily makes quite a few decisions that a person would likely normally not make but I didn't really mind. I would love to see more books from this author but since this one is out there for quite a while and nothing else has been released I am not going to hold my breath .... unfortunately.
May 18, 2011
Very enjoyable. Cute main character,Emily -- reminded me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. Mysteries can be confusing for me with my trouble concentrating and the generally large number of characters. But the author did a good job making the characters distinct which made it much easier. Nice, sweet romantic subplot too. If there ends up being a sequel, I'll be sure to get it.
March 4, 2012
This was an enjoyable book that kept my attention nearly all day. If you enjoy romantic mysteries with a big dash of humor, Christian delivers.
I might have given this 5 stars if main character Emily had not put herself down so often or put herself in danger so often. Some of the secondary characters could be better developed.
I would read a sequel.
I might have given this 5 stars if main character Emily had not put herself down so often or put herself in danger so often. Some of the secondary characters could be better developed.
I would read a sequel.
May 12, 2012
This book kept my interest and was a good story. I liked the characters and the fact that it was a nice, light read. I'm often impressed with Amazon's free ebooks and appreciate the fact that it helps me broaden my reading genres.
September 11, 2013
It started out great really funny. However I get annoyed when the heroine sits on information and puts herself in danger. How stupid can you be? That reduced it to three stars.
September 29, 2019
Loved the book at the start, then it all went a little far fetched.
January 3, 2022
This is an enjoyable read and the plot is believable enough. However, I think there are some... disconnections from reality that prevent me from giving it a higher rating. For example, I find it hard to believe that this Emily is more capable of solving a murder than the police department... yes, the story is told from her point of view so we don't know what's going on in the actual investigation of the crime, but I think that some information about it is fundamental to the story, and it is all missing. I like the author's style in general, but the constant explanations and clarifications in the middle of every single dialogue are a bit too much. All in all, it's a good, entertaining book.
February 1, 2021
I tend to 'automatically' pick up a "Cozy Mysteries" book as, having read a fair number, they have been the kind of stories that I could have read to my maiden aunt (if I had had one!) without any embarrassment on either side.
Then I read this one! Telephone sex; homosexual couple; 'Escort'; adultery. My (mythical) maiden aunt would have been appalled.
At least I have learned one lesson - don't assume that "Cozy Mysteries" are all of the same kind!
I shall not be returning to this author!
Then I read this one! Telephone sex; homosexual couple; 'Escort'; adultery. My (mythical) maiden aunt would have been appalled.
At least I have learned one lesson - don't assume that "Cozy Mysteries" are all of the same kind!
I shall not be returning to this author!
December 31, 2022
Phone Kitten. Yep, it's about a girl who ends up working on a phone sex line. I wasn't sure how the author would handle the phone sex scenes without being too graphic. She handled it perfectly!
The opening scene was catching and the characters were fun! I wasn't sure if the "History Hottie" was a good guy or a bad guy for most of the book. (I'm not telling. You have to read it yourself!) ;)In fact, the whole mystery was intriguing and I was kept guessing until the end.
The book was full of action, comedy and a little bit of romance!
The opening scene was catching and the characters were fun! I wasn't sure if the "History Hottie" was a good guy or a bad guy for most of the book. (I'm not telling. You have to read it yourself!) ;)In fact, the whole mystery was intriguing and I was kept guessing until the end.
The book was full of action, comedy and a little bit of romance!
December 14, 2018
Florida but not as I know it ....
It started with plagiarism & ended with friendship & love. In between phone sex that paid well, a hot cop. A murder with reporter turned detective & nearly getting killed in the process. Thankfully it all ended well with the hot cop recovering & all the criminals in jail & a bunch of flowers from mafiosa
It started with plagiarism & ended with friendship & love. In between phone sex that paid well, a hot cop. A murder with reporter turned detective & nearly getting killed in the process. Thankfully it all ended well with the hot cop recovering & all the criminals in jail & a bunch of flowers from mafiosa
June 2, 2017
I somewhat liked the MC but not happy with the mystery. So not satisfying on the sleuthing or puzzle side. 2 star but would give more a chance.
March 12, 2019
A witty romp of sex, murder and love.
The title doesn't really give any clue to the story so when I started reading it was a pleasant surprise. It was witty, exciting and clever. It really had me at the first word and I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
The title doesn't really give any clue to the story so when I started reading it was a pleasant surprise. It was witty, exciting and clever. It really had me at the first word and I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
June 8, 2022
When I started this I didn't know what to expect nor were it would fit on the old bookshelf. Humorous in places but had the potential to be very funny. Chick lit certainly as a mystery the plot seemed to meander not sure exactly were it was head. At least it was a quick and lighthearted read.
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