WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT?
By Alexandra Potter
Fourth Estate, UK publisher
2000
ISBN # 1-84115-378-8
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Delilah Holdsworth's long time boyfriend
Lenny has finally proposed but sudden flashes of the
future turn Delilah's stomach.
She loves Lenny but not enough to marry
him. Angry, he storms out of their apartment leaving Delilah
to wonder if she's made the right choice. It was trying on the
ring that she realizes that she's made a grave mistake. It's
too tight, and worse, it's cutting off her circulation and she's
going faint with the pain. She finds herself in Accident &
Emergency having the ring removed. It's here that she meets
Charlie Mendes, producer for Living London Productions, a god
among men who suggests that she look him up if she's ever in
London.
On returning home, Delilah decides that she can't keep living
with Lenny after the argument about the proposal so she goes
to him to tell him she's leaving. Finding him under his secretary
with his trousers off is not what she expected but is thankful
because it makes leaving him guilt free now. So, she puts
her skinny whippet named Fatso and her Tom Jones record collection
into her beat up VW Bug and heads for London.
It's in a café that she meets Sam who helps her find
a place to stay until she can get on her feet. Vivienne is
an in your face kind of gal looking for Mr Goodbar, but the
two get on famously and become great friends. It's not long
before she hooks up with Charlie and it seems that all of
Delilah's dreams are about to come true. They're dating, he's
moved her, the dog and the record collection into his new
apartment, and she's gotten the makeover from heaven. New
hair, make-up and clothes transform her into a high society
gal about town that she often slagged off in her jealousy.
Sam has also become a good friend but Delilah and he have
a falling out when Sam realizes that Delilah is dating his
landlord. Charlie and Sam don't like each other. This is blatantly
obvious, and when Sam tries to warn Delilah about Charlie
she takes it wrong and storms off. It's weeks since she's
talked to Sam but over that time Delilah's coming to realize
that life with Charlie is not all it's cracked up to be. His
friends are obnoxious, he parties every night and they have
no privacy. She's tired of pretending to be someone she's
not and isn't allowed to work, not that Charlie's party schedule
gives her time to.
When she realizes what she really wants in her life she wonders
if it will be too late as Sam has suddenly disappeared.
I was introduced to Alexandra Potter's work when I picked
up a copy of "Calling Romeo" last year. It was so
good that I decided to read the rest of this authors work.
With "What's New, Pussycat?" it's easy to see why
this author now has three novels under her belt. Delilah is
a hoot! She's vivacious, lively and rushes headlong into adventure
with little thought for what will happen tomorrow. That's
not to say she's ditzy. She's not. She's just not afraid to
try for the brass ring. She loves a good time but it smart
enough to know when the party's over.
This story really is Delilah's and no one elses. This is
typical of the "chicklit" that's coming out of Europe
right now which are solely women's stories, strong women who
aren't afraid to go after what they really want in life…
once they realize what it is. While this reviewer normally
prefers traditional historical romance, it's always nice to
come back to a contemporary story once in a while. And "What's
New, Pussycat?" was a great find. I loved the connection
with Tom Jones and the passages where the author pulled him
into the story through his songs.
I'm really looking forward to reading the second book by Ms
Potter, "Going La La". If "What's New, Pussycat?"
and "Calling Romeo" are any indication I'm sure "Going
La La" will be terrific as well.
