Julia London’s MATERIAL GIRL = Culture Clash
MATERIAL GIRL
The Fancy Lives of the Lear Sisters #1 (Formerly Lear Sisters Trilogy)
by Julia London
Performed by Natalie Ross
Audible Audio Edition | Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Listening Length: 13 hours and 56 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook Version: Unabridged
Audible.com Release Date: May 21, 2013
Blogger purchase. No remuneration exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
In a modern update of King Lear, three sisters must find their way in the world when they learn their powerful father is dying. In Material Girl an ice princess hires a contractor to renovate her house, getting more than she pays for. A Beauty Queen must prove to a hot shot attorney she’s more than just a pretty face. And a love spell is cast, but Prince Charming may not be who he seems in Miss Fortune. http://julialondon.com/books/
Meet the glamorous Lear family whose dying patriarch has vowed to teach his spoiled, pampered daughters some lessons.
Rich, beautiful, sexy-Robin Lear is all that. Until her father tells her he’s dying and demotes her from a cushy job in the family business. In an instant her world has unraveled-she spends a night in jail, works as a lackey to her ex-boyfriend, and is way too distracted by a sexy contractor…
Jake Manning has had some tough knocks in life. Now all he wants is to make enough money to finish his degree, and maybe get a nice house, wife, and kid. But ice princess Robin Lear is turning his life upside down. Jake’s head tells him to run, don’t walk, from her. He’d have to be crazy to pursue someone like her. But Jake is crazy-about her.
http://julialondon.com/books/material-girl/
In the first book of The Fancy Lives of the Lear Sisters trilogy, a spoiled socialite discovers the best things in life are worth working for.
Robin Lear’s extravagant lifestyle is the envy of every socialite in Texas—until a personal tragedy changes everything. Her father, shipping tycoon Aaron Lear, announces he has just months to live. Determined to teach his spoiled daughter one final life lesson, Aaron demotes her from her cushy job in the family business and sends her to work for an insufferable manager. Now, for the first time in her life, Robin will have to earn her place in the world—and the sexy new contractor renovating her house may be just the man to show her how.
Jake Manning never had it easy, and after years of hard work, he’s finally ready to settle down and enjoy the fruits of his labor. Yet one look at gorgeous Robin Lear is all it takes to turn his carefully laid plans upside down. Jake knows better than to mix business with pleasure, but that’s before he realizes there’s more to this trust-fund princess than meets the eye. Taking a chance on her means taking a chance on love—and Jake knows all too well that the best things in life are worth the effort. https://www.apub.com/book-detail?asin=B00B1ENSIA
I picked this up in a two for one credit on Audible. It was an okay story with a well performed narration. I especially liked Jake — of course — who wouldn’t. And I imagine the difference in economic status, education and opportunity would create a culture clash of sorts. Jake finds her shopping excessive — she was rather wasteful, especially when he and his family have so little.
I do see why her parents, her father especially, would be concerned for her not knowing the business. But, what happens when he does give her a task from which to learn is the wrong lesson for today’s business environment.
The sexy times are slow to start up — for a while I thought I might have downloaded a religious book, but once they get going they really move and are well-done.
I didn’t believe how shallow and back stabbing her friends are, they were two-dimensional and I didn’t believe them.
Having been protected her whole life Robin is wise in some ways and naive in others. She is a little self-important to begin with but then London handily brings about several comeuppances.
Jake is really a great guy, but his family seems a little too hangdog, downtrodden, downhearted. I can see where the differences in economic status are highlighted. This gulf is so wide it is hard to imagine they could actually be overcome.
It was an okay, if somewhat pedestrian, story. I will probably read the rest of the series; especially if I can get them from the library or in another sale.
AUTHOR: http://julialondon.com/books/material-girl/
AUDIO PUBLISHER: https://www.brillianceaudio.com/product?i=9535
PRINT PUBLISHER: https://www.apub.com/book-detail?asin=B00B1ENSIA
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Material-Girl-Fancy-Lives-Sisters/dp/147780577X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
July 17, 2015 @ 2:51 AM
sounds good. I haven’t read any of her contemporary books yet. But I might try this one in narration. The hero sounds great here.
July 17, 2015 @ 6:13 AM
The hero is awesome except that he always feels like he has to pay for everything in “Me man, you woman.” way. Thanks for visiting.
July 17, 2015 @ 8:35 AM
I felt the same way—well more like it went back on my shelf with one mark against it. I started it, loved the narration, but couldn’t get into the story so I shelved it.
July 17, 2015 @ 10:31 AM
Oh that’s too bad. It’s a little risky to tr to capture King Lear in contemporary romance. Thanks for stopping by!
July 17, 2015 @ 2:21 PM
Hmm, it seems like she wanted to make it super clear that they came from opposite backgrounds. The class clash can be a fun read. Sorry this one took a while to get going for you. I still haven’t read any of her books yet.
July 17, 2015 @ 9:46 PM
It was a big part of it and was a stressor all around – even though her father came from very humble beginnings. Thanks for dropping in.