Bad Boy
- Book Review,
by Olivia Goldsmith
From Publishers Weekly
For all its hip talk and flaunting of high-tech accessories, Goldsmith's (The First Wives Club) cream-puff new read is an old-fashioned tale of love and friendship. In the new SeattleDa town suddenly stinking rich, "famous for its bad boys, good coffee, and Micro Millionaires"DTracie Higgins is a young reporter for the Seattle Times. Though she has a musician-poet-lout boyfriend, every Sunday Tracie meets platonic chum Jonathan Delano for brunch. Jonathan is a techno-wizard for Micro/Con; he is responsible, dedicated, environmentally correct; good to his mother and stepmothers; and alas, an ugly duckling dweeb who hasn't had sex in a year. Tracie agrees to give him a "make over": the clothes, the moves, the haircut, the linesDin short, attitude. "Women don't want nice guys," she says. She should know. In fact, every man in the book (except Jon) is a selfish leech, abusive or indifferent. Every woman seems clueless. But the dialogue is crisp and funny, and though the characters are shallow, they're lively, comradely and comic. The makeover itself is wonderfully funny, especially as poor Jon remains pretty hapless on the pickup. Soon, however, his spiffy clothes, spiked hair, stale lines and casual cruelty turn his love life around. Has the loyal friend, the true lover, the decent, smart, stock-optioned man vanished into chic-ether? Read on. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Tracie and Jonny are just buddies complaining to each other about their lousy love lives until Tracie decides to remake Jonny as a red-hot loverAand then falls for him. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Goldsmith delivers another pleasurable read. This time she uses the standard Pygmalion story line, but this isn't your usual My Fair Lady. A woman, Tracie Higgins, is the teacher, while the pupil is her best male friend, Jon Della. Jon's problem is that he is too nice, too sweet, and too much of a "computer geek," making his romantic life nonexistent. Wanting to change his kindly ways, he enlists Tracie to transform him into the type of guy that women fall head over heels for--a "bad boy." Tracie can't help but fall for bad boys herself--her current boyfriend, Phil, is consistently unavailable and commitment-shy. Goldsmith's timing is right on: as Jon progresses from nerdy to knockout, the story becomes clever and more engaging. Although the plotline is familiar--the dynamics of the platonic teacher-student relationship change as the tutor, unprepared for the pupil's successful evolution, becomes jealous--Goldsmith fashions a fresh and amusing story. Tracie must change as well; the bad boys are beginning to bore her, and she's tired of picking up the bill. Readers who do not think of light romantic comedy as "their cup of tea" should take a sip, relax, and enjoy--realistic yet entertaining characters and witty dialogue are Goldsmith's top priority. Michelle Kaske
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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