THE NEXT BEST THING by Jennifer Weiner

Inside cover blurb:

Actors aren’t the only ones trying to make it in Hollywood…

At twenty-three, Ruth Saunders left her childhood home in Massachusetts and headed west with her seventy-year-old grandma in tow, hoping to make it as a screenwriter. Six years later, she hits the jackpot when she gets The Call: the sitcom she wrote, The Next Best Thing, has gotten the green light, and Ruthie’s going to be the showrunner. But her dreams of Hollywood happiness are threatened by demanding actors, number-crunching executives, an unrequited crush on her boss, and her grandmother’s impending nuptials.

Set against the fascinating backdrop of Los Angeles show business culture, with an insider’s ear for writer’s room showdowns and an eye for bad backstage behavior and set politics, Jennifer Weiner’s new novel is a rollicking ride on the Hollywood roller coaster, a heartfelt story about what it’s like for a young woman to love, and lose, in the land where dreams come true.

I really enjoyed this book and the glimpse it offered me the world of television production. Orphaned and disfigured from an accident when she was too young to remember, Ruth has faced more challenges in her life than the average girl. Raised by an amazing grandmother, another character we grow to respect and admire, Ruth has dealt with her share of struggles we all can relate to: being dumped by a best friend, being taken advantage of by a guy she is crazy about, worrying that she isn’t good enough in a thousand different ways. Most of all, though, this story is about our creative dreams and how far we are willing to compromise to see them realized. Although I got off to a slow start due to a couple of editorial issues, once I got past them I couldn’t put this book down until I reached its highly satisfying conclusion.

Recommended!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book for FREE from the publisher, Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., in exchange for a written review. There was no expectation that this review be either positive or negative, and I was not given any financial compensation to read the book or write the review. This information is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.