Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Call Me When You're Dead is a darkly comic novel about payback gone wild, gone sour, maybe even sweet. "If anything bad happens to me, I want you to get him." That's what Eleanor Birch's glamorous friend Sasha Cole requests of her during a New York City dinner one hot August night. Something bad does happen, and Eleanor is forced to become another person altogether in the wilds of Manhattan, acting as her own little Pygmalion in the harsh world of advertising and its remorseless denizens. How she triumphs, and how her prey becomes first her ally and then her lover, makes her journey a tragic romp, a hilarious disaster, and even an all-out farce--but one with very serious consequences.

Review:

I didn't quite know what to expect when I requested Call Me When You're Dead, by A.R. Taylor.  Was this a serious revenge thriller?  A rom-com?  A story about life and death?  This novel had some elements of each.  But also, it was a screwball comedy that I think would make a terrific movie.  This is a comedic, modern-day look at thirty-somethings in Manhattan, friendships, and the world of advertising.  The main character, Eleanor, in her quest to seek revenge on her dead friend's ex-boyfriend, transforms from a quiet, librarian, into a woman at ease in the New York social scene. I found her journey to be a reminder to live life to the fullest now, because one never knows when life will be cut short.  There were also many other wonderful characters, especially the ex-boyfriend, Jon, and his brother Walter, along with a cadre of Jon's colorful advertising colleagues.  While the antics sometimes were over the top, the behind the scenes look at making commercials was hilarious.  This was a fun, engaging book.  I highly recommend it.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Eleanor lives in Buffalo, New York and has a job that she loves as a research librarian.  But her social life is pretty stagnant.  The antics of her high school friend Sasha provides lots of exciting stories whenever they get together for dinner.  But, when Sasha suddenly dies, Eleanor feels obliged to grant Sasha a last request: get even with the man who broke Sasha's heart.  But what is Eleanor supposed to do?  She doesn't even know the guy's last name!  Well, Eleanor does what a librarian does best; she does her research.  Also, luckily, she teams up with another of Sasha's friend, a New York actor who knows everything about New York.  While figuring out what she needs to do, Eleanor undergoes a transformation, inspired by Sasha.  What I loved about this change was it was driven by Eleanor finding out what she really liked.  She didn't change into a fake version of a Manhattanite, but into her authentic self.  

Jon, is a career-driven advertising executive.  Far from trying to hurt Sasha, he is just so busy, and under so much pressure, he can't focus on anything but his job.  And (probably unknown to Sasha) Jon has a very complicated family that includes overbearing parents, and his brother, Walter, who has some challenges of his own.  When Eleanor finally meets him to inform him of Sasha's death, it hardly registers, at first.  But, as the story progresses, Jon begins to see how he let Sasha down.  And he is intrigued by that friend of Sasha's (is it Eleanor?) who he keeps running into. 

Romance:

As all good rom-com's go, there is an unusual meet-cute, hidden intentions, and then heartfelt connection.  Eleanor first meets Jon on one of the worst days of his life.  The commercial he has just created, gets stuck on a loop on CBS, making it one of the most instantly annoying commercials in history!  Jon is so caught up in his now imploding career, he barely hears Eleanor's news about Sasha.  His seeming indifference is infuriating to Eleanor, who doubles down on her commitment to ruin Jon on Sasha's behalf.

But, eventually, Eleanor sees Jon for the stressed out person that he is, who cares deeply for his parents and brother.  And Jon begins to notice how genuine Eleanor is with everyone.  They are actually a perfect match.  But can Eleanor fall in love with the man she has vowed to avenge on behalf of her friend?

Advertising:

I really loved this aspect of the book.  The people at Jon's advertising company are as cutthroat as they come.  One of his colleagues is a brilliant art director, with a heavy addiction to drugs, alcohol, and affairs with his co-workers.  With all the chemicals in his body, it's a wonder he's still alive.  His other co-workers all seem to be scheming to get ahead. And if that mean sabotaging another's work, then so be it.  But who messed with Jon's commercial?  Jon leaves no stone unturned to find out.  And if he has to break into other peoples computers?  Well, they shouldn't have left them turned on.

Things come to a head as Jon and his rival both have to shoot commercials in the desert with wives, girlfriends, a herd of buffalo, and the world's most obnoxious director in tow.  These scenes were really funny and would make for a terrific movie.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date: September 6th, 2022

Author:  A.R Taylor

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Page Length:  368 Pages

Format: E-Book

Source:  NetGalley

Recommendation:  This was a really entertaining read with plenty of great characters and romance.  I highly recommend it.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .

Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie's most prized customer, and today she's wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?

For years, Marnie's had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie--distracted--makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne's gorgeous son, Luke. In the end, will it be her head or her heart that wins out?

Review:

I love a good rom-com, and With Love, from Wish & Co., by Minnie Drake, has all the ingredients for a delicious story.  There's the career-driven 30'ish woman and her friends who have all paired up.  There's a hunky furniture builder who still hasn't found true love.  But, I also found lots of unique elements that aren't usually found in this genre.  As much as this is a story about 30-somethings finding love, there is also an older married couple who are trying to come to grips with their marriage.  Along with many happy times, there are difficulties, and betrayals that must be addressed if they want their relationship to continue.  And it's not a simple question of whether or not to forgive.  The author never judges the characters, and this helps to make these people actual humans, with lots of problems.  Each of the characters has their issues, and their charm.  I really enjoyed this novel for it's gift-giving advice, as well as it's romance.  And, even though it seems at first to be following a formula, there were lots of twists and turns that kept this book a real page-turner.  I highly recommend this book.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Marnie is a successful business owner who is always working.  She runs a successful gift-giving service, mostly for wealthy men who don't have the time (and don't want to be bothered) to shop for gifts. She genuinely loves what she does.  But this doesn't leave much time for a social life.  Even when she's off the clock she is doing research by scouring social media for gift giving ideas for her clients.  But she is really driven to prove to her father's family that she is an upstanding, hard-working person.  There's a whole history to this that I don't want to spoil.  But it makes for a compelling motivation on Marnie's part.

Luke is the son of Marnie's most important client, and she has been "buying" gifts for him for years.  When they meet IRL, the sparks fly!  Even though it feels to Marnie that she already knows him, there are parts of his life that he hasn't shared on social media.  He's just found out he has a daughter.  What will his parents think?  Should Luke get to know his daughter, or is it too late?

Suzanne and Brian are Luke's parents and are going through a VERY rough patch.  At first, I would say that Brian is pure evil, but as the story progresses, we begin to see his motivations.  I would not say his character ever became completely likable, but I certainly didn't think him the as the devil incarnate by the end.  Suzanne, far from being the sweet little stay at home mom, has lots of fire left in her.  If Brian wants to stay married to Suzanne, he's going to need to work for it.  

The Art of Gift-Giving:

Since Marnie's business is all about gift-giving, there are many interesting takes on what a good gift is, and how one can go about finding it.  There are many great tips that I intend to try out for myself, as Christmas approaches.  Don't know what someone's interests are?  Look on their Instagram and Facebook accounts to see what they're talking about.  Don't have lots of money?  Create an experience for them that is unforgettable.  I loved this!  

But, all fun aside, I really enjoyed that the author took the time to really make Marnie's business interesting.  You could really see someone having a business like this. Rather than making this just a quirky detail of the character, it actually enriched the story.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  August 16, 2022

Author:  Minne Darke

Publisher:  Dell Books

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Page Length:  416 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This is a fun, romantic book, and I highly recommend it.