Room for Improvement

Room for Improvement
By Stacey Ballis
Berkley Books, 2006. 294 pgs. Fiction

Lily Allen is an interior designer who gets an awesome job as a designer on Swap/Meet, a makeover TV show with a twist--not only do the participants get a new look for their apartments, they also get a makeover for themselves and the chance to meet some other singles. Lily is thrilled with the opportunity but finds herself hit with a hard dose of reality--the home makeovers don't go as smoothly as intended, her lifelong best friends accuse of her letting work consume her life, and her life is sadly lacking in romance. Although she has a series of flings, she can't get herself to face the one guy who was interested in a relationship.

This book had a fun premise; the makeover TV show is what made me decide to read it. This is good example of true chick-lit, with Lily living the single life, bouncing between relationships, and having some great friends to support her on her journey to self-realization and growth. However, the sex, alcohol, swearing, and even pot-smoking made the book a little tough to stomach. Toned down a little, I would like this book a lot; however, as it is, I think it has room for improvement.

AE