Review: (Not So) Good in a Room by Dakota Madison

by Donna Huber

A bead of sweat drips from my temple and runs down my cheek. I want to swipe at it, but I am frozen with fear. I can't move.
A young movie producer whose name I can't remember stares at me from across the small table. He glances at his cellphone for what could be the tenth time then looks back up at me.

(Not So) Good in a Room is sort of a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. Nellie is an awkward 20-something that has horrible social anxiety, which you wouldn't guess by her quirky style of dress. She is a writer of action movies. Well, they would be movies if she could actually pitch her screenplays to producers. It's not for lack of trying.

It is while she is attending Pitchapoolza that she meets super charasmatic Roscoe. He too is a screenwriter. Well, he would be if he could get past the first 10 pages.

Then there is Chris, the playboy roommate and cousin of Roscoe. He is an actor/model. Well, if anyone would give him a part. Instead he is using his incredibly good looks and life-time supply of sparkling vitman water to sleep his way through the female population of L.A.

This ensemble of characters is supported by a handful of secondary characters that make for a fun cast of slightly exaggerated personalities.

I had great hopes for this romantic comedy even with its predictable plot. The personalities of the characters alone made for fun reading. However, I was disappointed with Madison's execution of the story. There was so much more that she could have done with both character and plot development. Instead it felt like she just hit the high points, which rushed the story.

I wanted more time to get to know Nellie, Roscoe and Chris. I wanted the everyday life stuff that makes fictional characters pop off the page and feel like they could be your best friend.

(Not So) Good in a Room is the first book in a series of interconnected novellas and I'm tempted to give Dakota Madison another chance as I really did like the characters she created. I just want a bit more story.

Buy (Not So) Good in a Room at Amazon

Donna Huber, founder & publisher. Donna is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. She reads most genres, but her favorite books are psychological thrillers and stories that highlight the survival of the human spirit against unbelievable circumstances. Donna is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. 

Book info:
available formats: ebook (105 pages)
published: April 2016 by Short on Time Books
genres: romantic comedy
source: author




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