Review: Blonde Ops by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

Title: Blonde Ops 

Author: Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publishing Date:  May 6th, 2014

Pages: 288
Genre: YA Contemporary Mystery

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Kindle 

 

Expelled from yet another boarding school for hacking, sixteen-year-old Rebecca "Bec" Jackson is shipped off to Rome to intern for Parker Phillips, the editor-in-chief of one of the world’s top fashion magazines. But when a mysterious accident lands Parker in a coma, former supermodel and notorious drama queen Candace Worthington takes the reins of the magazine. The First Lady is in Rome for a cover shoot, and all hands are on deck to make sure her visit goes smoothly.

Bec quickly realizes that Parker's "accident" may not have been quite so accidental, and when the First Lady's life is threatened, Bec is determined to uncover the truth. On top of that, Bec must contend with bitchy models, her new boss, Candace, who is just as difficult as the tabloids say, and two guys, a hunky Italian bike messenger with a thousand-watt smile and a fashion blogger with a razor-sharp wit, who are both vying for her heart.

Can Bec catch the person who's after the First Lady, solve the mystery of Parker's accident, and juggle two cute boys at the same time? Blonde Ops is a fun, action-packed romp through the hallways of a fashion magazine and the cobblestone streets of Rome.

So this book has been on my TBR forever. I mean it feels like forever. I fell in love with the cover and the book sounded quite interesting and fun. I started this book a while back and it took me a while to get into to. I have been reading a lot of books lately, and maybe compared to so others it just wasn't exciting enough. I think I needed more from this book. 

Bec is an amateur hacker, well she is more than amateur. She is pretty darn good. She has been kicked out of her school, again, and so her mother sends her off to Italy for the summer. She is too summer intern with a fashion industry run by a family friend. Bec is excited because it's Italy but bummed becuase her mother will not be there and she has to spend her summer with a stranger. While there she ends up in a mess of security, CIA agents, and a conspiracy so it seems. 

This book had potential. There were parts I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the setting, the fashion industry, and the main character Bec. I really liked her. I thought the pacing lacked and I thought much of the story was eye rolling.  So it just seemed to have lacked for me. 

Bec is a great character. She was smart and sassy and really just fun. She had a nose for finding things out she had a knack for hacking and she always seemed to find trouble. She loved to put herself in the middle of things and wasn't scared of a little danger. She was the one character I really liked. 

There were to love interest in this book and though love was never mentioned, just crushes and attraction, I felt there was a triangle that I just didn't like. I really didn't connect to either boy and so the romance felt off to me, rushed. I didn't get into it in at all. 

The writing was okay, it was the pacing that was off. I was bored in the middle. It felt that the plot took forever to take off and make any sense. I didn't find much of the mystery a mystery. I just couldn't find myself really caring where the story went. Much of the events and action sequences just didn't jive with me. I mean I know it's fiction but it was just a little too unbelievable. 

I really think the premise had potential and I really did like the main character. The ending wasn't bad either. The in between and the meat of the story just really lacked for me. I needed more. 

Just wasn't up to par for me. 

Until Hollywood calls, Charlotte lives in NJ with her husband, three children, two needy cats and sometimes a deranged squirrel. Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines is her first solo novel. She is also the co-author of Blonde Ops (St. Martin’s/Dunne) and the Sirenz series (Sirenz, Sirenz Back In Fashion, Flux), and one of 13 authors in the anthology, Beware the Little White Rabbit (Leap). She’s written for magazines and newspapers, and has given presentations and workshops at NJ SCBWI conferences. Currently she’s working on sci fi, historical, fantasy, and time travel novels and loves to hear from fans.

Natalie Zaman is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency. When not on the road she can be found in central New Jersey where she lives with her family, a dog-bear and several fine looking chickens.