Review by Booklist Review
Lucas Callahan is a lowly fact checker at Empire magazine. Carmen Kelly is the magazine's sex columnist. They meet for the first time in a bar when Lucas sees Carmen jotting on a napkin and offers her a piece of paper. They strike up a conversation, and before long, they are in Carmen's bed, Lucas having his first-ever one-night stand. The next day Carmen writes about the evening's sexcapades, highlighting Lucas' inexperience. Outraged and embarrassed, Lucas pens a rebuttal, signing it ""Mr. Nice Guy."" The columns go viral, magazine sales skyrocket, and their editor makes them an offer they can't refuse: sleep together on a weekly basis and write about it. Married couple Miller (The Heart You Carry Home , 2015) and Feifer's first literary collaboration runs deeper than two columnists writing about their sex lives. It is a provocative story of sexual exploitation, relationships, and at its core, the simple desire to be wanted. With multiple story lines and a Sex in the City vibe, this book is perfect for those looking for a war-of-words, clash-of-worlds summer read.--Erin Holt Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Spouses Feifer and Miller's witty romp through the allegedly glamorous world of magazines follows an aspiring writer and the jaded sex columnist who unintentionally launches his career and boosts it into the stratosphere. NaA_ve Southerner Lucas Callahan worships Empire magazine and is thrilled when he lands a gig as a fact-checker there. When he embarks on his first one-night stand with an attractive brunette he meets in a dive bar, he doesn't know she's Carmen Kelly, the sex columnist for Empire. Carmen is increasingly jaded, and after a night of so-so sex, she excoriates Lucas in her well-read column. Hurt, Lucas pens an eloquent rebuttal-and soon finds himself cast as "Mr. Nice Guy" in a relationships and sex column in Empire. Neither expects to fall in love-but when they do, they'll be forced to decide between ambition and desire. The authors' intimate knowledge of the New York City media world is on full display in this smart successor to glossy media business tell-alls such as The Devil Wears Prada-and they aptly illustrate the sometimes ruthless tactics endemic to this career path. Sharp and satisfying, this well-plotted, expertly characterized tale will have readers turning the pages quickly to get the latest dishy details. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
A writing duo writing about dueling writers brings a singular perspective to this charming New York City-centric novel. Lucas Callahan is the eponymous "nice guy" who is new to the city and thrilled when he has his first one-night stand. Unbeknownst to him, his partner, Carmen Kelly, is a coworker at Empire magazine, where he toils as a fact checker and she is the überpopular sex columnist. Lucas learns this when he reads about their encounter in the magazine. Mortified, he pens a scathing response and signs it "Mr. Nice Guy." To his surprise, the magazine publishes it, and he and -Carmen continue to date and write about their encounters. The column breathes new life into the magazine, and Lucas and Carmen forge a relationship of sorts that transforms as they both change and grow. Political intrigue at the magazine adds to the drama, but there are plenty of laughs as well. VERDICT This first-time effort from author and journalist Miller (The Year of the Gadfly) and spouse Feifer, a journalist and blogger, offers a fun read that is sure to satisfy admirers of Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot.-Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young journalist sleeps with a sex columnist and finds himself at the center of a viral sensation.Lucas Callahan, a recent NYC transplant by way of North Carolina, is an aspiring journalist. Stuck at his desk as a fact-checker for Empire magazine, he's lonely and frustrated. But when he meets a glamorous woman named Carmen at a bar and then spends the night at her apartment, things seems to be looking upthat is, until he reads a column in his own magazine and realizes that Carmen is Carmen Kelly, Empire's sex columnist. In her column, she refers to him as "Mr. Nice Guy" and eviscerates his sexual performance. Humiliated, Lucas writes a scathing anonymous rebuttal from Mr. Nice Guy's point of view, including plenty of criticism of Carmen herself. When his response goes viral, Empire proposes a new column: "Screw the Critics," wherein Lucas and Carmen sleep together every week, then critique each other in print. Carmen, who knows she can write about so much more than just sex, feels backed into a corner. Lucas, however, relishes the opportunity to get his words in print, even if he doesn't have a byline. Although the two hate each other at first, they quickly become partners in crime as the column becomes wildly popular. But as things progress and their feelings start to become real, the column, their jobs, and their relationship get complicated. Miller (The Year of the Gadfly, 2012, etc.) and Feifer hit all the beats of a satisfying rom-com while still managing to surprise. Lucas can be unlikable, but he always feels realistic as a young man in the city trying to climb the journalism ladder. Carmen is the more outwardly prickly and inwardly complex character, and if there is any criticism to be found, it's that readers don't get enough of her point of view.A fun and fast-paced look at the risk and value of real intimacy. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
