Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankel with Eve Adamson tells the story of a young woman, Faith, who is straight out of college and goes to California to pursue her dream of show business and to reconnect with her distant father. Faith begins hanging out with her father’s younger girlfriend, Brooke, and is introduced to the L.A. party scene. She meets actors, actresses, producers, and sees a sleazy side to the world of celebrities.  Throughout her less than successful acting auditions, we see Faith doing what she does best: baking.

Faith gets her heart broken in California and then we see her, five years into the future after another big break up, down on her luck, and trying to get a baked good business going. She gets an opportunity to audition for a reality television show called Domestic Goddess. This part of the book is where Frankel’s confident and outspoken attitude really come into play. We see her personality come to light as we read about Faith’s audition where she mocks a contestant’s fake Chanel purse and catches the producers’ attention. Faith joins the reality show competition and is pitted against others in an attempt to win a chance at getting her own cooking show. The contest, much like the Donald Trump show, The Apprentice, is run by a Martha Stewart type, Sybil Hunter, who has her own empire and, as it happens, a hot son who is interested in Faith.

The book really takes off when Faith becomes involved in the reality show. The dialogue between Faith and the other contestants is funny and quick and the book manages to showcase all of the contestants’ personalities so you feel as if you’re getting a behind the scenes peek at an actual show.  Although the fact she knows three people involved with the show seems a bit contrived, the tension of having her fall for the “domestic goddess’s” son is intriguing and the snappy dialogue really keep the story moving.

Fans of Frankel will enjoy the novel and the outspoken, take-no-b.s. style of Faith. This is a fun, read that takes you into Faith’s gritty life of trying to muscle her way into the L.A. celebrity lifestyle as well as making it in a tough market be in acting, marketing and baking her way to the top or reality T.V. Skinnydipping is a fun and intriguing read from the outspoken and always entertaining Frankel.

KrystenHager

Krysten Lindsay Hager is a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She currently resides in Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She has published fiction as well as essays and news articles. You can see what she’s up to at: www.krystenlindsay.blogspot.com.