Usually, finding oneself happens in earlier ages than forty-one in most novels, but in this novel the main character Lousie (a.k.a LuLu) finds and accepts herself after she turns forty-one, and why not? In real life, some people exist who are still self-conscious and uptight in their platinum years.

Louise is healthily chubby, loves food, owns her beauty business called Skin-Deep, and has a few good friends, but she is in a tight situation financially. Living inside the apartment on top of her store had not been so bad until her water-heater started leaking and conking out on her. She needs at least a thousand dollars for a new one, but there is little she can do. Yet, her good friend and neighbor Adrian has a surprise for her. He has entered her into a contest to become the Glow Girl, a face for a beauty products company.

Although Louise is not happy about the contest, for the sake of her water heater, she goes along with entering the contest. To say more on the plot would be doing injustice to the novel and its readers.

What l liked best about the novel was its characters, parallel to or in contrast with one another. For example Louise’s mother is her direct opposite, with eccentric character traits. Adrian’s hurtful relationship with his lover is a parallel to Louise’s flawed one with the company CEO. Louise’s relationship with the photographer Cody is a parallel to Adrian and Kyle’s budding romance at the end of the novel. Then, most characters are developed so skillfully that, as a reader, I could almost see them in three dimensions in my mind’s eye.

I have to say, this is neither a literary work nor the best book I have ever read, but then, it has a valuable lesson to teach. I have always loved books where the main character learns how to take charge of her own life and accepts herself as she is, regardless of outside opinions; in that aspect, this book succeeds with flying colors.

enjoyment and watching a character go through a serious change

the characterization and the different plot ploys.

is Janet Wellington who is also the author of Cowboy for Sale, Up Close and Personal,Homecoming, and Cats of Italy.

its reading is enjoyable with several different plot twists and a satisfying happy ending.

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Created Aug 01, 2014 at 6:29pm • Submit your own review...