The Rooftop Party by Ellen Meister

The Rooftop Party by Ellen Meister

Published by MIRA ISBN 9780778309512

Trade paperback, $15.99, 336 pages

If you are someone who enjoys watching the home shopping networks, Ellen Meister's novel The Rooftop Party is a must-read for you. It's the second novel featuring Dana Barry, a successful host on the Shopping Channel, who once again finds herself in the midst of a death at the network.

At a party for the Shopping Network staff,  Dana tries to convince Ivan, the new CEO, that her idea of selling a new skin care line is a great idea. Ivan wants to eliminate all the fashion product lines, the bread-and-butter of the Shopping Channel, and sell only electronics. This idea panics the staff as they assume most of their jobs will be eliminated.

As Ivan is hitting on Dana, and grabbing her, the lights suddenly go out and Ivan's body is found on the sidewalk below. Dana doesn't know what happened as someone put something in her drink, and all she remembers is someone pulling her away before she passes out.

Dana's boyfriend, police detective Ari, is called to the scene to investigate. Dana is desperate to find out what happened; what if she was the one who pushed Ivan over the edge? She must find out what Ari knows.

She turns to her assistant Ashlee, a former beauty contestant from Tennesee, to help her uncover what happened at the roof party. Ashlee is my favorite character in the book, she is such a hoot. She always has a hilarious way of saying things- such as "she squeezes a quarter so tight the eagle screams". Ashlee is one smart cookie, and always up for a scheme. She's Ethel to Dana's Lucy.

Another thing I enjoyed was Dana finding a great deal on an apartment on the West Side of Manhattan. When she saw how fabulous it was and what a steal it was, she snatched it up without consulting Ari, even though he would be moving in with her. That infuriated Ari, but as someone who lives in Manhattan, I know Dana made the right decision. You do not wait if you find a good apartment, that is rule number one.

The Rooftop Party is a rom-com mixed with a mystery that adds up to a highly entertaining read. I truly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at a shopping channel, even though I don't usually watch them on TV. The characters are interesting, the plot moved along, and even though I felt the ultimate reveal of the murderer was a bit of a letdown, it is still a terrific book. I didn't read the first book in the series, Love Sold Separately, but I am going to buy it because I like these characters so much. (You will not be lost if you didn't read the first one.) I hope there is a third book coming; who knew working at the Shopping Channel was so dangerous?

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer 2021 Women's Fiction Tour.

Friday 5ive- May 8, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly blog post about five things that caught my attention this week.

1) Spring has sprung here in NYC and in addition to the pollen in the air, we have beautiful tulips blooming, like these pretty ones in shades of pink along 72nd St.

2) Sunday is Mother's Day, and one of the things I most grateful that my mother gave me is a love of reading. She read my favorite book to me, Miss Suzy, countless times and I even have a copy of the book in my collection. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

3) I finished my 9th virtual bike ride, this one was a 340 mile Tour de Fleur Virtual Spring Challenge. We virtually rode a route that included Buffalo and Eric County Botanical Gardens and six more, such as Sonnenberg Gardens, in Western New York. We got some great swag for this one- gardening gloves, a packed of wildflower seeds, a tote bag, t-shirt, and of course a fun medal.

4) If you are a 30 Rock  and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fan, you must head over to the Peacock streaming network (it's free!) and watch Girls 5Eva, a comedy about a 90's girl group that is having an unexpected resurgence. Renee Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton), Busy Phillips (Dawson's Creek), the always hilarious Paula Pell (A.P. Bio), and singer Sara Bareilles play the reunited band as they try again for stardom. The writing is sharp and one-liners fast and furious, and Sara Bareilles is a revelation. She is so funny and a really terrific actress. I watched the premiere episode and can't wait to binge the rest. Tina Fey executive produces. 

5) I read two terrific books this week that I enjoyed a great deal. Susan Mallery always writes characters we care about and her new novel,  The Stepsisters, continues in that vein. Daisy, Sage and Cassidy are related in various ways- stepsisters, half-sisters- and haven't seen each year in years. They never got along, and now circumstances bring them together as adults. Can they reach a truce or maybe even have a true sisterly relationship? My full review publishes on May 24th.

Ellen Meister's The Rooftop Party will appeal to anyone who wants a peek at the behind-the-scenes on the addictive shopping channels. Dana is a successful host on the Shopping Channel who wants to get her acting career moving. When the new CEO of the company is pushed off the roof at a staff party, Dana can't remember what happened and fears she may have done it after he tried to force himself on her and possibly roofied her drink. With the help of her hilarious  and efficient Tennesee beauty-pageant assistant Ashlee (I loved her!), Dana must find out the truth before her NYPD detective boyfriend assigned to the case does. It's a rom-com mystery mix and it's a fun read. My full review posts on May 25th.

Stay safe and socially distant, wash your hands, wear a mask when necessary, and get your vaccine if you are able. We all want to have a fun summer.