Review: The Second Assistant

The Second Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare

A tale from the bottom of the Hollywood ladder

Genre: Chick-lit
Pages: 357
Published: 2005

The heroine of this gossipy tale is Elizabeth Miller, a young, former campaign worker for a US congressman who finds herself between employment opportunities. Unable to obtain any more socially responsible work, Lizzie is lured into the job of second assistant to an executive at a glitzy Hollywood agency. Once there, she's hit with all the "pick-up my dry cleaning," "walk my dog," "hire strippers for my party" torment that the higher-ups can dish out. At first Elizabeth is isolated, out-of-place, and under dressed in her new world, but she makes friends, builds her wardrobe, and eventually grows to care for her menial job, her Ritalin-snorting boss, and the entertainment industry in general. Finally, she reaches the conclusion that thousands of other Californians have before her: what she really wants to do is produce. 

I had a strange feeling with this book. It was fun, I giggled, and I read it real fast, but at times I didn't feel it.  I don't know, I just didn't feel.

But if we forget that for a moment. This is a book about Elizabeth who leaves the political world and gets a job as a second assistant at a big time agency. But it's a cut-throat world. The famous wants it all and their way, the bosses are mad and she feels lonely. But she does come close to a co-worker and a guy she meets. She fancies a producer, and she makes a fool of herself with another one. But as time goes by she grows to like this crazy world.

I liked Lizzy even if things at times sure fell into her lap, she was lucky even if she was unlucky too. The guys sure seemed to like her too. But still, she was nice, but she sure could have been a bit less naive, I mean it is Hollywood.

The people at the agency were just as I could have pictured them. Angry bosses that are never in, and pretty young assistants that did something.

The love then, well first there is the producer crush, but he is a bit of a slut. There is the nice guy she meets at the coffee place, the sleazy guy she meets at a party, and the guy she fancies at a distant. Yes there is love, and I had my hopes for who she should end up with

The book gave me some laughs, because you know there will be comedy in a chick-lit book that takes place in LA. There was love, and backstabbing. A cute and funny book that I read a lazy Saturday.

I just wished the ending could have been a bit more, we were left off so soon, but then there is a part 2.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: I do like chick-lit covers.

Reason for reading: Library book

Final thoughts: Funny