Book Review: "Waxed" by Robert Rave and Book Giveaway

Waxed is the story of three relationship-challenged sisters working together at New York’s hottest waxing salon, catering to socialites, actresses, and regular folk alike.

Yank. On the surface, glamorous Carolina Impresario---big sister and owner of Impresarios---unapologetically wants it all, but secretly she is caught between her successful boyfriend and the only man she has ever truly loved.

Pluck. After a painful divorce, middle sister Anna reluctantly reenters the workforce and puts on a brave face while attempting to raise her children, one of whom is decidedly different.

Tear. Newlywed Sofia is a hybrid of her two older sisters: She loves the idea of a domestic life like Anna’s, but is entranced by New York nightlife and a new best friend, resulting in some major complications at home.

Amid the sticky confines of a perfectly manicured world, these three sisters search for love, friendship, and better versions of themselves.

Waxed is a funny and heartfelt novel that illustrates the lengths to which some women will go to present a seemingly flawless exterior, even when it involves pain.

This may honestly be the first book I've ever read that focuses on bikini waxes. I know it's painful just to think about it, isn't it? Going to get a wax in that area puts you in a vulnerable situation. You're exposing your most delicate parts to someone else to strip away the unwanted stuff revealing your true self. That's pretty much what this book does with it's story.

Overall this is a sister story. The Impresario sisters, while maybe not the closest sisters out there, are a family and they care about each other very much. They have a family run business and even though they bicker and annoy each other at times, you can tell they still love each other. Each sister has their own story where their personality is allowed to be fully put on display. Personally, I found Anna and Sophia's stories much more interesting than Carolina's. In fact, Carolina got on my nerves quite a bit at how she treated people and with her OCD attitude. I found Anna's relationship with JJ to be both traditional with the older mentor but unique due to JJ's attitude. Also her situation involving her children was VERY interesting. Sophia's story started out rather tame but then quickly escalated with a climax I was very surprised to read about. I did not see that coming at all and in fact, I gasped quite loudly when I read it. Seriously, I may have been clueless, but I was totally shocked to read the revelation.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned A LOT about what goes on during waxing in this book. Honestly, if you've been thinking about whether or not you should get a wax, this book will tell you everything there is to know about it. It doesn't matter if you are male or female, young or old, it's all here. There's a lot of humor in the book. I laughed a lot while reading. There's also serious subjects tackled and they are handled with humor but done with respect. It has all the elements as well of a great chick lit novel without being too fluffy. It's funny: the book is written in present tense but for some reason I didn't realize this until halfway through the book. I had been reading the book and somehow had read everything as being past tense. This did not deter my reading in anyway by reading it in the wrong tense but then I figured that the story must have been really good for me not to have noticed it at all. Also if I hadn't known that a guy wrote this book, I would have never known as well.

There is quite a few bit of cursing and if you are uncomfortable about reading what goes on during a bikini or Brazilian wax then I suggest you read this book with caution. Otherwise be prepared for a "revealing" story that "bares" all and leaves nothing to the imagination. It's a fun read and if you are a Chick Lit fan you will really enjoy this book.

Waxed by Robert Rave is published by St. Martin's Griffin (2010)

This ARC was provided for a blog tour with TLC Book Tours

I'm able to give away a copy of this book provided by the publisher. To enter, you must fill out the form and have a US or Canada mailing address (no PO Boxes). Winner will be picked Tuesday, August 10.

PLEASE use the form only to enter the contest. For any comments about the book, review, etc. please use the comments link at the bottom of the post. All information must be filled out correctly or else your entry will not count. (ie. you must use FULL name and list your mailing address). Your info will only be used for this contest and will be deleted after the contest is over.