Unsticky by Sarra Manning

As far as she knows, twenty-three year old Grace Reeves has hit rock bottom. Dumped by another aspiring rock artist in her favorite department store on her birthday – well – things couldn’t get much worse. Then as she trudges on at her thankless personal assistant job for the fashion magazine Skirt, the collection agencies keep calling, the hidden box with her overdue bills begins to bulge, and all she can do to handle it all is go designer binge shopping. Deep down she knows she has a serious problem, but she thinks if she hides both the notices and the bags, it will magically all go away one day. It’s no wonder, then, that sexy, older, established art-dealer Vaughn is so appealing. Strangely enough he was the one there to drag her out of the department store that day before all her dignity was lost. Ironically now he’s made an offer so degrading she’s appalled. But the money, which could get her out of debt and allow her to be part of an elite crowd of artists, fashionistas, and socialites is too tempting as a way out of her downward spiral. Soon, however, being at Vaughn’s beck and call, planning parties, and even the monthly allowance is too much. When did the line become so blurred, and can she believe in love again?

Unsticky made quick work of me. With only a few chapters where I thought this book may just be another The Devil Wears Prada, I was happily proven wrong and hooked by these two damaged characters and those glimpses of hope for them. Doorstopper or not, Unsticky had this hold over me, and the compulsively read 568 pages felt like nothing. I should’ve hated Vaughn for all his cold, heartless calculation and found Grace in her immature, thoughtlessness a nuisance at times. Instead I was attracted to them and their serious, long-term flaws as well as their strengths. We could even call it love. As it is there’s quite a bit of sex in this book but nothing that ever fazed me. It was a big part of their relationship and needed to be there. Anglophile that I am, I relished being totally immersed in British culture, designer clothing, and the fictional contemporary art scene. Besides the premise being right up my alley, I loved the gorgeous cover, which looks like it came straight out of a beauty magazine. Really, I loved almost everything about this genre-bending book. Though the conclusion wasn’t as prolonged as I might have liked, it wrapped up perfectly for how these two emotionally-challenged people roll. I can’t wait to dive into Sarra Manning’s second adult novel, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me and her YA titles.

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