If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend by Alison Pace

Instead, she is sent on a unique sort of venture with Dick Reese's primo client-the current darling of the art world-Ian Rhys-Fitzsimmons. Coming off the heels of a particularly devastating break-up, she flubs up a particularly delicate situation at work and is sure she'll be fired without a by your leave. But almost every ounce of joy in what she does has been systematically sucked out of her by her rapacious and reptilian boss. She remembers a time when she loved and understood art and why it pushed her into pursuing a degree and a career in the field. Jane Laine works for the most notorious art gallery owner in Manhattan. I went in expecting chick lit with a splash of art history thrown in for good measure and I read it in one sitting that night. They had it in! So I grabbed it on my way to work that day and settled into bed with it that night. Finally I broke down and searched my library's catalog. Then Lit Snit featured it on their BBAW Unexpected Treasure post and those suspicions turned into beliefs.

She has such similar taste to my own that I rather suspected at that point I would someday be seeking this one out. I'd never run across it until Ari from Emily and Her Little Pink Notes started talking it up as a diamond in the rough. I've been hearing about this book for what seems like awhile now. Just trust me on this one, reader: it's really, really good. Its authentic relationships-from friendships to family to work to love-are incredibly three-dimensional and oh-so-real. Everything I can possibly say about this novel is as typical and bland and familiar and cheesey as its cover and title and synopsis are, but, somehow, the words inside this book are not.

While it's meant to be all business for Jane as she helps Ian, known as the art genius of their time, set up exhibits in major cities around the globe, it becomes an adventure in self-discovery and growth unlike any other. Jane is the all-too-familiar protagonist who finds her boyfriend cheating and, in a state of broken-heart-ed-ness, finds herself traveling the world. Yet, If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend is a light, fun, immensely touching read about life, love, and the ups and downs we all cope with. Even when I finally picked it up, I did so with an immense amount of skepticism. Somehow, the combination of its odd title, simplistic cover, and typical synopsis simply didn't appeal to me. It became a ritual for me to scroll away from If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend.

If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend by Alison Pace