NEW RELEASE
Skinnydipping - Bethenny Frankel (2012)
New Yorker Faith turns up on her estranged father's doorstep in LA, determined to make it as an actress. With tons of ambition, she tries to get ahead in a land where it's not what you know but who you know. She works in a number of jobs, from waitress to production assistant, making some good contacts along the way. But eventually Faith gets fed up with the LA scene and heads back to New York where she sets up an organic muffin business. This sees her get chosen for a reality TV show based around the empire of Domestic Goddess Sybil Hunter. But it seems Sybil has taken an instant dislike to the outspoken contestant and of course there's lots of bitching and backstabbing on set. This first novel from Frankel, best known as one of the Real Housewives of New York City, is obviously heavily influenced by her own experiences. You can hardly miss the parallels with her own life such as her stint on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart or her involvement with a natural foods bakery and her Skinnygirl business. It is certainly a pacy read full of juicy behind-the-scene stuff. Real addictive. You don't need to be a fan to enjoy dipping into it.
American reality TV star Bethenny Frankel's first foray into fiction, Skinny Dipping, is about a woman who takes the plunge into reality TV for a chance to have it all. The summary says: "Faith is an aspiring actress just out of college, who moves to LA determined to have it all - a job on the most popular TV show, a beach house in Malibu, and a gorgeous producer boyfriend. But when reality hits, she finds herself with a gig as a glorified servant, a role that has more to do with T&A than acting, and a dead-end relationship. Finally, Faith decides she's had enough of La La Land and moves back to New York with just a suitcase and her dog Muffin. Five years later, Faith has finally found her groove as an entrepreneur and manages to land a spot on a new reality TV show hosted by her idol - the legendary businesswoman and domestic goddess Sybil Hunter. Diving into the bizarre world of reality TV, Faith's loud mouth and tell-it-like-it-is style immediately get her in trouble with her fellow contestant - the delusional socialite, the boozy lifestyle coach, the moody headband designer, and her closest friend, the ambitious housewife who eventually betrays her. Even Sybil is not what she appears. As the show comes to a dramatic close, Faith discovers that the man of her dreams may have just walked in to her life. Will she choose fame or love? Or can she have it all?" Frankel appeared on The Real Housewives of New York City and Bethenny Ever After. Skinny Dipping is being promoted as a roman a clef and is out in May.