The Other Side of the Story

March 15, 2004
Ever wondered what the Other Woman was thinking as she stole your man? Couldn't bear to ask an old best friend if she'd ever forgiven you for absconding with her boyfriend? Itched to be a fly on your agent's office wall as she ignored your calls? Here's voyeurism at its playful, charming finest in Keyes's latest (after Sushi for Beginners
; Under the Duvet
; etc.). Gemma Hogan is living a lovely carefree life in Dublin when her father walks out on her mother, and she is summoned to play mom to her mom. But the magic of e-mail allows her to vent her woes to a friend in Seattle, who finds them hilarious enough to send to a top London agent, JoJo Harvey. JoJo, who is half Jessica Rabbit and half corporate powerhouse, likes Gemma's work but has bigger fish to fry—she is having a tormented affair with her married boss; her slimy co-worker is trying to beat her out for a coveted partner position; and her famed client Lily Wright, who wrote a gorgeous little cheerful fable that sold hundreds of thousands of copies, can't seem to get it together to write another book. Lily, in turn, is struggling with young motherhood, catastrophic finances and the paralyzing guilt of stealing her now-husband Anton from her former best friend, one Gemma Hogan. Keyes skillfully ties her interlocking plots together with grace and humor, and explores three disparate but gloriously real women's lives. It's a credit to Keyes that although she never exactly breaks new ground, she always serves up funny, heartwarming, believable fiction. Agent, Emma Parry.
(May)

Forecast:
Morrow has done an excellent job of branding Keyes with a series of playful, eye-catching jackets. Her latest—which is also her longest yet (great page count to price ratio)—should sell like hotcakes. Three-city tour.

January 1, 2004
Keyes does her magic with the world of publishing.

Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

August 2, 2004
This rambling, chatty audiobook draws listeners in slowly (sometimes painstakingly so) as it follows the lives of three dynamic women—jilted Gemma Hogan; literary agent Jojo Harvey; and bestselling English author Lily Wright, who "stole" Gemma's boyfriend Anton. Gemma, hurt and betrayed by her best friend's actions, must put her emotions on hold to care for her mam after her dad takes off with a younger woman. Reader Donnelly enthusiastically captures Mam's dour Irish voice and Gemma's younger, more innocent one. Her energetic reading style also helps sustain readers during the book's plodding moments, such as when Keyes describes the happenings of Gemma's work day, her drive home, her trips to the chemist and so on. The details don't let up when the story abruptly shifts its focus to Jojo, who works at a prestigious London firm. Donnelly doesn't quite capture Jojo's American accent, but the English accent she adopts for Lily is spot-on. On the whole, Donnelly does a fine job narrating this marathon-length audiobook, and though it takes a while for the pace to pick up, listeners will be wrapped up in the characters' lives by the story's end. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Forecasts, Mar. 15).

March 15, 2005
Keyes portrays three distinctly individual women in an engaging, convoluted tale of love, revenge, loss, and the various sides of publishing. Gemma Hogan was once best friends with surprise best-selling author Lily Wright, who stole her boyfriend, and is represented by transplanted New York City cop -turned -literary agent Jojo Harvey. The former friends become competing writers as Keyes creates a roller coaster ride of their love lives and literary fortunes, treating the ups and downs with humor, imaginative fancy, and honesty. Jojo's sections add inside views of the publishing world as she tries to juggle career, an affair, and her authors' contracts. Terry Donnelly captures quite well Keyes's range of humor, from Gemma's witty despair to Lily's self-deprecating gloom. Recommended. -Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NY

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.