Build A Man (Serenity Holland, Book 1)

Apr 05, 2013 Katie(babs) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Build a Man (Serenity Holland #1) by Talli Roland was released from Notting Hill Press in 2011 was recently free on Kindle when I decided to download it. It’s a pretty wacky and daft story that has a chick-lit tone to it. The heroine Serenity has moved to London, England from American to live her dream as a tabloid reporter. Why she couldn’t do that in the states is a mystery, but it’s a quirky premise that kept me reading. Poor Serenity doesn’t really have a plan in trying to get a job with a t...more Build a Man (Serenity Holland #1) by Talli Roland was released from Notting Hill Press in 2011 was recently free on Kindle when I decided to download it. It’s a pretty wacky and daft story that has a chick-lit tone to it. The heroine Serenity has moved to London, England from American to live her dream as a tabloid reporter. Why she couldn’t do that in the states is a mystery, but it’s a quirky premise that kept me reading. Poor Serenity doesn’t really have a plan in trying to get a job with a tabloid and was going to crash with her good friend Kristy and her boyfriend Tom, but she ends up meeting Peter, a plastic surgeon. Within weeks of her arrival, she’s living with Peter as his girlfriend and working a as his receptionist at his plastic surgery clinic, putting up with snooty, rich women addicted to Botox and whatever other plastic surgeries to make them more beautiful. Serenity hates her job, but it gives her time to find a “real” job as a tabloid reporter.

One day Jeremy walks in and makes an appointment. Jeremy is a pretty average looking guy but wants to be fixed up because he feels he’s unattractive, even though he’s worth millions. His ex-girl friend cheated on him with his former handsome partner. Serenity gets an idea to report on Jeremy’s plastic surgery process. She sends her idea to a few tabloids and one gets in contact wanting all the dirt. Serenity is now living a lie. She’s lying to Peter who thinks she’s only good as his receptionist and a bed companion and she’s lying to Jeremy for the sake of her weekly articles that have become a big hit online. As Serenity gets to know Jeremy better, she feels he doesn’t need any work, but if she tells him not to, her career as a tabloid reporter will be over before it begins. And then Jeremy goes under the knife and not only is his health now in danger, but Serenity’s entire life is unraveling before her very eyes and she’s drowning from the deceit and the guilt for forcing Jeremy to do something that almost kills him.

Build a Man has some funny moments and eye rolling scenes, mainly because of Serenity who at times comes across as a ditz. She’s a loveable ditz, but one who doesn’t think before she speaks or takes a moment to reflect on her actions that could cause a great deal of problems. You have to feel sorry for Serenity because it’s obvious Peter is using her, and at times Serenity is vocally abused not only by him, but his patients and the editor and her intern of the tabloid, the Daily Planet who disrespects Serenity (and continues to do so throughout the story) the moment they meet. The only ones who seem real and authentic are Jeremy and Kristy. Also Serenity tended to get on my nerves because she’s doesn’t seem “all there” in the head. Also she comes across as very British, although she’s American. Her dialect and speech is off as an American and I found this annoying and not true to life.

Build a Man may not be true to life at all and you really have to suspend your disbelief. But overall it’s a very sweet story that gave me a few hours of enjoyment.(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Anna Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was going to give this one star and rip it to shreds. Have you ever seen that movie, "Leap Year", with Amy Adams? The one where she's a complete moron, trips and buffoons her self-centered way thru a painful movie, and still lands the guy at the end? That's what this book is. It's painful. The heroine flat-lined mentally at birth, and never recovered. The story is as superficial and awful as the girl is. It's painful to read. But then... something happens.

Serenity wants to be a tabloid writer,...more I was going to give this one star and rip it to shreds. Have you ever seen that movie, "Leap Year", with Amy Adams? The one where she's a complete moron, trips and buffoons her self-centered way thru a painful movie, and still lands the guy at the end? That's what this book is. It's painful. The heroine flat-lined mentally at birth, and never recovered. The story is as superficial and awful as the girl is. It's painful to read. But then... something happens.

Serenity wants to be a tabloid writer, and thinks she can do it without lying, which is ridiculous considering this is a girl with no integrity, no sense of self or maturity, to begin with. She's a slob, can't even remember to pick up the dry cleaning, and is snotty to everyone around her. She's shacked up with a control freak plastic surgeon with no conscience who treats her like a puppy... which, he's got a point - that's about her intellectual equivalent. She works as his receptionist, dealing with 'botox bitches' until she can get her big break - which turns out to be a tabloid story about one of the patients at her boyfriend's clinic.

A man named Jeremy is rich, kind, talented, heartbroken, and feels like he needs cosmetic surgery to be a more attractive person. And our hideous heroine not only pushes him towards it, she poses as his 'consultant' in order to get closer and do an expose on him and his procedure, and puts it on the biggest tabloid in England. She uses his kindness and gentleness as a vehicle to elevate herself. She compromises her boyfriend, her job, her customer's privacy... she's a total slime, more concerned about her wardrobe and fame than with anything that really matters. And of course the tabloid isn't paying her, just using her for the idea, and then takes over, going public with his real identity, screwing Serenity just as she deserves.

Unfortunately for Jeremy, he has a severe reaction to the meds and dies on the table long enough to sustain brain damage. He's a national phenomenon, and doesn't even know it, as he's in a coma. You want to HIT someone, by the time this happens. Namely, Serenity.

Then we come to Chapter 22, where Serenity suddenly does this amazing about-face and realizes she's a moron. Or is it that she loses her job, her boyfriend, her residence, her livelihood and has no choice but to change directions? Her life is horrible and SHE is horrible... and then suddenly she turns herself around. I would recommend reading Chapter 22 to the end, because from this point on, the book is worth reading. I really enjoyed the last 60% of the novel, which is why it has two extra stars. But I wouldn't recommend the first twenty-one chapters.

I also have to add that this book is about an American living in England. There's a mix of American and Brit phrasing that makes it hard to differentiate the accents/backgrounds the author wishes to convey. Her writing indicates that she's about as intellectual as her heroine, though, so I'm not thinking this is something she can improve. The tone is shallow and immature, as most freebies on Amazon are. Not much detail about the setting are given, not much beauty is to be found in the novel. It's like french fries next to the richer cuisine of other books. Or maybe brussel sprouts, considering the behavior of the main character.

Still... I have to admit that I liked the story from chapter 22 to the end. And I'm keeping it, with the note to myself to SKIP everything before that. But then, I'm kind of a sap when it comes to my subject matter.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 GW rated it 3 of 5 stars

Got this book free on my kindle, and I'm glad it was free. Honestly, this book was too predictable. I found it too cliche, I mean - undercover reporter? Haha, that was interesting. It's definitely funny at times, but it's hard to tell when it's supposed to be funny and what not. At first, I thought Peter was the perfect boyfriend. So why would you go lying to him? But he's honestly not. We see the true side of him who doesn't really want to take responsibility in a way and cares more about his p...more

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Feb 15, 2012 June Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, light-reading, mum-treats

Yet another fine novel from Talli - this one was just as addictive as "Watching Willow Watts". Being a nurse who has worked in a private hospital where some cosmetic surgery is carried out, I especially enjoyed this book.

The novel is set in a private cosmetic surgery clinic, where the heroine, Serenity, is receptionist and her boyfriend, Peter, is the surgeon. A wannabe tabloid journalist, Serenity eventually gets the "break" she has been seeking, and has the assignment of following one of the p...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Lucy Felthouse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Article first published as eBook Review: Build a Man by Talli Roland on Blogcritics.

Build a Man is a chick lit novel from Talli Roland - it's not her first release, but I'll definitely be checking out her backlist having read this one!

It tells the story ofcosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland. Being a receptionist is about as far from her dream job as it gets - she wants to be a tabloid reporter, which is why she left Maine, America, and moved to London. She didn't get the job she wante...more Article first published as eBook Review: Build a Man by Talli Roland on Blogcritics.

Build a Man is a chick lit novel from Talli Roland - it's not her first release, but I'll definitely be checking out her backlist having read this one!

It tells the story of cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland. Being a receptionist is about as far from her dream job as it gets - she wants to be a tabloid reporter, which is why she left Maine, America, and moved to London. She didn't get the job she wanted, but she did get a pretty comfortable life living rent-free after bagging her cosmetic surgeon boss, Peter. Serenity thinks that successful, good-looking Peter will help her become the cool, professional version of herself that she wants to be. Her best friend Kirsty thinks she's nuts for hooking up with such a bore.

So, a few months down the line and Serenity feels she's stuck in a rut. She's in a job she doesn't really want, and her tabloid dreams are no closer to coming to fruition. Until Jeremy Ritchie walks into the surgery. He's decided that to get the woman of his dreams, he needs a complete makeover, with the help of various cosmetic surgery procedures. Despite thinking that Jeremy looks just fine as he is, Serenity knows she's now on to a story that no tabloid editor will be able to resist - and the Build a Man column is born! She's working undercover and nobody but the paper and Kirsty know what's really going on.

Serenity is excited about her new-found success, and is determined to take it all the way and land a job on the newspaper she's writing for. Things seem to be on track, until Jeremy's surgery goes very wrong, and suddenly Serenity's conscience pricks, big style. The paper want her to continue with the column, warts and all, but is Serenity really that desperate to achieve her dreams?

Build a Man is a fab book. I was interested in the brilliant plot from the beginning, and I quickly found myself rooting for Serenity, despite her poor choices. This is a really fun, engaging read, and without giving too much away, let's just say the ending left me feeling very glad that there's a sequel in the works - I want more!(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Rhoda Baxter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Build a Man by Talli Roland

Serenity works as a receptionist at a cosmetic surgery clinic, whilst dreaming of becoming a tabloid journalist. When Jeremy stumbles through the door, wanting 'everything done', she finds the perfect pitch and the 'Build a Man' column is born. Unfortunately, being an undercover journalist means parking her integrity and lying to several people around her - her boyfriend, her parents and her 'subject' Jeremy. Inevitably, things go wrong and her secret comes out.

Serenit...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Kim Nash rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is another thoroughly enjoyable, funny, easy to read book by the lovely Talli Roland.

Serenity Holland has moved to England to pursue her career as a tabloid journalist. She has however, got a little stuck along the way, by taking a job as a receptionist at a cosmetic enhancement clinic and moves in with Peter who is the owner and surgeon. Their life is very regimented, and a little dull and Serenity certainly doesn't feel like she's fulfilling her life dreams by having to be nice to the ex...more This is another thoroughly enjoyable, funny, easy to read book by the lovely Talli Roland.

Serenity Holland has moved to England to pursue her career as a tabloid journalist. She has however, got a little stuck along the way, by taking a job as a receptionist at a cosmetic enhancement clinic and moves in with Peter who is the owner and surgeon. Their life is very regimented, and a little dull and Serenity certainly doesn't feel like she's fulfilling her life dreams by having to be nice to the extremely rich and very rude clients that attend the clinic. That is until the day that Jeremy walks through the door. He's a lovely man, quite good looking too in fact, although wants to change his appearance drastically by having a number of surgeries.

When she pitches to The Daily Planet, about a makeover for a man, and gets a response to call the editor, she's overjoyed, but they require her to befriend Jeremy and dish the dirt on his life to make this a great feature.

Will Serenity sell her soul to The Daily Planet, or will she cough up to her undercover status to genuinely be friends with Jeremy? Will Peter find out that she's undermining the confidentiality of one of the clinic's clients or is she able to hide it from him? Will Jeremy's surgery be a success? Can this story possibly have a happy ever after ending?

All of Talli's books are funny, romantic and easy to read, and you find yourself constantly turning the pages, becoming involved in the story and wanting to find out more. Build A Man is just the same. The characters are genuine, but she makes them funny at the same time, with humerous little quirks of their own. You find yourself loving Serenity even though what she's doing isn't the wisest choice one of your friends would make, but you can't help feeling sorry for her. Jeremy is a wonderful character, a man who wants to change his appearance because he thinks that he'll be able to find love if he looks different and Peter is just very stuck in his ways, and doesn't really light any fires, apart from for the rich and famous who desperately need his cosmetic services.

This is a hugely entertaining book, light-hearted yet with hidden messages of self belief, hope and about following dreams.

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Nov 07, 2011 Glynis Smy rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading The Hating Game and Watching Willow Watts I was thrilled to find Talli Roland was releasing novel three; Build A Man. Another romantic comedy in the Chick-lit genre.

A young aspiring journalist, Serenity Holland, leaves America to live in the city of London. Her dream is to write for one of the big newspapers. However, lack of funds and opportunities in her chosen career, finds her working for her boyfriend.

Peter lives a straight-laced life as a Cosmetic Surgeon and Serenity is his...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Silvana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

Serenity has an almost perfect life; she has a job like receptionist in her boyfriend plastic surgeon clinic. Yes, her boyfriend is a doctor, surgeon. They live together. But she is not satisfied of her life like receptionist. Serenity wants to be a journalist in a magazine not to work and meet everyday arrogant and selfish Botox- women, who referring as she does not exist or worse.
I laugh so much at Serenity’s thoughts about all that plastic clinic stuff, about her thinking about the behaviour...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Tracey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-kindle-downloads

FREE KINDLE DOWNLOAD FROM AMAZON.COM

Slave to the rich and the rude, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. When she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- Serenity knows she's got a story no editor could resist.

With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to du...more

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Mar 09, 2012 April Plummer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

I truly haven't read a more fun book in a long time. I've ready many excellent, amazing books lately. But they were all much heavier and excellent on a whole different plane than Build a Man.

The synopsis:

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-d...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Samantha Robey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Talli Roland is rapidly running up my ladder of favorite authors. I couldn’t wait to read the latest from her, Build a Man, and am grateful she keeps sending copies my way! This story follows Serenity Holland, an American living across the Pond and working as receptionist at her boyfriend’s cosmetic surgery clinic. She really has dreams of being a tabloid reporter, and she is trying desperately to get noticed from a magazine. It is at the clinic that she meets Jeremy Ritchie, a man determined to...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Picking up a Talli Roland story is akin to your best mate knocking on your door with chocolate and wine, saying 'I have had a crap day mate, let's get sloshed.' (In my mind, Talli is a broad speaking Yorkshire lass like myself, in reality she is in fact American turned Brit).

These books are so well written, the words just fly off the page and you instantly become absorbed in the characters. As all good chick lit does, it tells the story without the character even realising it. This means that we...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Jennifer Daiker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: talli-roland

I'm a super fan and I know other's won't deny Talli's gift for sass and strength in her characters! She'll leave you begging for more.

This novel is even more delicious than the last two. Talli has made her mark in the chick lit genre with these hilarious romantic comedies! I hope for all our sakes she's not going anywhere for awhile!

This fun and flirty tale is about Serenity. She's dying to work as a top named reporter but when her funds don't meet with her dream she's forced to work with her bo...more

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May 21, 2012 Vicky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, read-in-2012

Original review: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

When I won a copy of Talli Roland’s book a while ago, I just couldn’t hide my excitement. After reading her Christmas novella Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts , she soon became one of my soon-to-be favourites. I had really high expectations about this book and I have to say, Build a Man didn’t disappoint.

What I love about Talli’s stories -in this book in particular – is that they are incredibly optimistic. Not in a “let’s all be happ...more Original review: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

When I won a copy of Talli Roland’s book a while ago, I just couldn’t hide my excitement. After reading her Christmas novella Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts , she soon became one of my soon-to-be favourites. I had really high expectations about this book and I have to say, Build a Man didn’t disappoint.

What I love about Talli’s stories -in this book in particular – is that they are incredibly optimistic. Not in a “let’s all be happy” and everything is pink and wonderful way because they are also quite emotional and touching but in terms of the ending and moving on. You just don’t feel bad when the story ends – you feel reassured that life goes on and everything will be all right.

The characterisation was great! Serenity is definitely someone who you just can’t associate yourself or sympathise with. She’s working as a receptionist at her boyfriend’s clinic but it’s obvious that she’s a, she’s over-skilled for this job and b, she’s bored out of her skull all day long. On top of that we have Peter, her boyfriend AND her boss (which always a bad combination, mind you), who’s a workaholic and cares more about his cat Smitty than his own girlfriend. And he couldn’t be any more different from Serenity’s laid-back personality. I wouldn’t like to give too much away but I can tell you, it’s going to cause a few problems.

The story itself is really fast paced which is great – believe me, there’s never a dull moment. The only thing I didn’t enjoy that much -and in fact the reason why I’m “only” giving this book 4 stars- was repetition. You see, both Serenity and Peter work at this clinic – they work together, and they live together. So there came a time in the book where all I remembered reading was “we went to the clinic…we closed up and went home.” And the same thing happens every day. They get up, they go to the clinic, they close up, go home. I know Serenity’s life was dull and due to the fact that Peter was a workaholic, they didn’t even see each other during working hours and when they got home, he was too tired to do anything but watch telly and sleep. The going to-and-fro work bit was just a bit repetitive for me, that’s all. The good news is, even if you find this work routine a bit monotonous, you’ll completely forget about it by the time you reach the second half of the novel and you get utterly absorbed in what’s going on and what’s going to happen.

All in all, I really enjoyed Build a Man – it has the right combination of humour, emotion and optimism – it will make you laugh, make you emotional and most importantly, fill you with hope. Serenity’s character really grew on me throughout the story and I’m very curious to see where her life is heading so I will definitely be adding book #2 (Construct a Couple) to my wishlist! If you like chick lit or contemporary romance, do pick it up – it’s worth it!! :) (less)

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Dec 26, 2011 Meredith Schorr rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd like to give this book 4.5 stars.

In the beginning of Build a Man, the main character Serenity's dream is to write for a tabloid paper. The opportunity presents itself and she thinks her life is finally turning around until she finds herself trapped in a web of lies and has to decide if her dream is worth sacrificing her soul.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I loved being part of Serenity's journey as she tried to reconcile the life she thought she always wanted with her conscience, her own s...more

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Jul 12, 2012 M.L. Chesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been a follower of Talli's blog for awhile now. I love her wit and sunny personality and just knew her writing would have these same qualities. I was absolutely correct in assuming this! It took me awhile to get one of her books, but once I did, I read it quickly.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of romance or Chick Lit, for that matter, but this book held onto qualities I DO like of those genres. It focuses more on the characters and the relationships than the gushy, mushy feelings and gratuitous se...more

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Sep 30, 2011 India Drummond rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-and-chick-lit

I've read all of Talli Roland's books, and I have to say this was my favourite. I'm not sure why I connected so well with Serenity, the main character, but I identified with her, in all her flawed, but charming glory. I've also had jobs I detested, so the workplace scenes cracked me up.

I also feel a little bit in love with Jeremey, possibly because he too was flawed. No self-centered alpha male here... just a sweet guy who'd been through a rough patch that left him a bit battered.

When the confl...more

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Dec 04, 2011 J.C. Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

First off, quick disclaimer: I do not normally read chick lit, and rarely ever read romance, so I may not know what I’m talking about. Don’t judge me: I have some preconceived notions about chick lit (girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy back… All finished off with a saccharine sweet sprinkling of happily ever after.) All well and good for some, but not my idea of an entertaining, gripping read.

Then again, a good story is a good story, and it is the potential of a good read that led me...more First off, quick disclaimer: I do not normally read chick lit, and rarely ever read romance, so I may not know what I’m talking about. Don’t judge me: I have some preconceived notions about chick lit (girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy back… All finished off with a saccharine sweet sprinkling of happily ever after.) All well and good for some, but not my idea of an entertaining, gripping read.

Then again, a good story is a good story, and it is the potential of a good read that led me to purchase a copy of Build a Man. The idea of a tale about the perils of cosmetic surgery, and the ugly side of tabloid reporting — both highly current topics, piqued my interest. Plus, Talli Roland is a formidable name in e-book circles, with great reviews for her previous books, The Hating Game and Watching Willow Watts. Also, Talli herself is a lovely person and a prominent blogger, so I figured: if I enjoy her blog, surely I’ll enjoy her book?

And you know what? I am so glad I cast aside my prejudices! Build a Man surpassed all my expectations and then some! Serenity Holland is a very relate-able heroine. Like all of us, she has dreams and aspirations, and like many of us, she gets lost along the way, becoming blind to what is truly important. Serenity is a girl-next-door who aspires to be something more, and I loved her self-deprecating and snarky voice. Her attraction to Jeremy was clear from the get-go, and at many times through the book, I’d felt like reaching into the pages and smacking her over the head for still not realising that Jeremy was something more than her ticket to tabloid success. But this frustration is a good thing; when Serenity finally comes round, it made reading it all the more satisfying, in an I-told-you-so way!

I loved how Talli infused the story with so much of her personality: from being a non-native Brit to the familiar sights and sounds of London, including the ever-popular shopping scene, it made the story that much more plausible. Her accurate (and sometimes scary) portrayal of the cosmetic surgery industry, the cattiness and backstabbing in the tabloids business, and the otherworldly realm of the insanely rich (Gucci hospital robes? Really?) made for plenty of compulsive reading. As Serenity’s worlds collided, I felt drawn into the story in a kinda morbid way, as someone would be drawn to a car crash, but through it all I was rooting for her and Jeremy.

And it wasn’t just Serenity: Build a Man’s cast of supporting characters are rich and likeable in their own quirky way: the cuddly Jeremy; the stick-in-the-mud Peter; Kirsty, Serenity’s driven and successful yet sometimes vulnerable BFF; Leza, her evil editor; manipulative Mia, who I wanted to inject full of something other than Botox…

OK, maybe not all the characters were likeable, but they certainly served their purposes!

I’ll avoid any spoilers, but I have to say, I was appalled by the way Talli treated her characters! Poor, poor Jeremy! How could she do that to him!? But what an amazing turn of events, one that made the ending all the more sweeter! Yes, I used the word ‘sweet.’ So what? Nothing wrong in a happy ending, especially if it was crafted as well as this one!

Oh, and Talli is planning a sequel to Serenity and Jeremy’s story in Construct a Couple! I can’t wait!(less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Anne Gallagher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

I don't really read a lot of Chick Lit, but I found this book to be delightful. Talli Roland's characterization of Serenity was full and robust. Even the secondary characters were well formed. Serenity's feelings about her distasteful job as a cosmetic surgeon's receptionist were absolutely hysterical, and her emotional upheaval on becoming a "secret" reporter for a tabloid magazine was a masterful account of how a character arc should work.

When Serenity meets Jeremy, the "subject" for her maga...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Nikki Bywater rated it 5 of 5 stars

Serenity Holland is working at her boyfriend Peter’s cosmetic surgery clinic on reception. It is not a job she is enjoying doing, it was only supposed to be temporary. Serenity had moved from America to London with all the ambition and determination to become a successful journalist and to land a job working in the tabloid world as a reporter. But six months later after trying really hard sending out many resumes and article pitches she is still working at the clinic. She’s got a successful man...more Serenity Holland is working at her boyfriend Peter’s cosmetic surgery clinic on reception. It is not a job she is enjoying doing, it was only supposed to be temporary. Serenity had moved from America to London with all the ambition and determination to become a successful journalist and to land a job working in the tabloid world as a reporter. But six months later after trying really hard sending out many resumes and article pitches she is still working at the clinic. She’s got a successful man who cares about her, a great new life in London. Now all she needs is the job of her dreams and everything will be perfect.

While she is working at the clinic she meets Jeremy Ritchie who after a bad experience with love he decides he wants to have cosmetic surgery to make him more attractive to women. Serenity thinks that this would make a really good pitch by writing about Jeremy and the way he his prepared to go to extreme ways to change is appearance to attract women. So she pitches the idea to ruthless editor Leza Larke of The Daily Planet Britain’s biggest tabloid. Leza likes her pitch and wants Serenity to write a column all about Jeremy following his progress for a new health and beauty website. Serenity decides not to tell Jeremy that she is writing about him and to do this undercover, so all real names are changed and she writes the column under another name. If the column gets a lot of hits and she can keep up the pace Leza tells Serenity that they will then consider her for junior position on the staff. Serenity could be on the way to landing her dream job at last.

However when there are complications when Jeremy has the surgery and it goes badly wrong Serenity must choose between following her heart or her dream job.

This is the third and brand new Chick lit novel by Talli Roland. I have read one of her other books Watching Willow Watts which was excellent and this book is just as good. It is a fabulous, fun romantic comedy that’s got really great characters, a great story line and Jaffa cakes! (less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, for-review, books-read-2011, favorites

Talli Roland has rather rapidly made a name for herself in the Chick Lit world with not one, not two, but three novels released in 2011. I absolutely adored her debut novel The Hating Game, but I admit to being disappointed with her second novel Watching Willow Watts. However, with the promise of her third novel being more like The Hating Game than Watching Willow Watts, I nearly died of excitement when my review e-copy came into my inbox because I expect a lot from Talli. She’s an author I enjo...more Talli Roland has rather rapidly made a name for herself in the Chick Lit world with not one, not two, but three novels released in 2011. I absolutely adored her debut novel The Hating Game, but I admit to being disappointed with her second novel Watching Willow Watts. However, with the promise of her third novel being more like The Hating Game than Watching Willow Watts, I nearly died of excitement when my review e-copy came into my inbox because I expect a lot from Talli. She’s an author I enjoy reading, but she’s also a person I like from what I know of her – she’s always so kind, her blog is a brilliant place to visit, and as such, I was really looking forward to Build A Man and it did not disappoint.

I can always tell how I’m going to feel about a book when I’m relatively early into the novel. If I’m not feeling a novel after the beginning (first 10% / 50 pages) then I’m not going to be able to claw it back and as such novels become tortorous for me. However, I knew pretty much from the first % that Build A Man was a novel I was going to love. It grabbed me and it didn’t let me go as Serenity Holland does her best to become something more than a boring old receptionist, as she tries to get her foot in the door of becoming a tabloid journalist. I liked the moral dilemma as Serenity uses her receptionist position at a cosmetic clinic to get her way into journalism, as she goes “undercover” as a client named Jeremy decides he wants his entire body cosmetically altered. I liked the way Serenity didn’t just use Jeremy though, I liked how they became friendlier with each other, as well.

Build A Man is somewhat different to Talli’s first two novels, not only has Talli changed from third-person narrative to first-person narrative, but the book just seems to flow. I’m not saying her first two novels didn’t flow; they did, but with Build A Man, I just flew through the novel, without paying attention to how much was left or how it was going to go, I just wanted to get to the end. Despite the questionable nature of what Serenity does, I actually loved her. I mean, wow, she was just such a ball of fun. So enthusiastic about things, so seemingly happy and cheery. But it was Jeremy who really blew me away. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him – after all, only someone with so little confidence would want to have total cosmetic surgery, right? But, no. That wasn’t true at all. Jeremy was just amazing. I loved him. It’s like despite what he wanted to do to himself, it wasn’t necessarily because there was anything massively wrong with him, just that he wanted to become something more than himself after being hurt previously. I just wanted to cuddle him and drown in his beautiful green eyes. I didn’t give much truck to Serenity’s boyfriend, Peter, he never really inspired anything in me, if I’m honest.

There was nothing I didn’t like about Build A Man. It had characters I really, really cared for, it had an inspired plot (Talli is a plot genius!), it had warmth and humour and it wasn’t all sweetness and light, either. I loved the book so much that I stayed up until 12.45am finishing it. I never stay up past midnight, but I just couldn’t put it down, I just couldn’t let go without knowing how it all ended and oh God, was it worth it. Was it ever worth it. The ending made me ridiculously happy, and I was flipping the next page button on my Kindle like a demon just to get there quicker as it all came to its conclusion. I can’t wait for the sequel to Build A Man, Construct A Couple, comes out. It has the characters that just DEMAND a sequel. I want to read it now, actually. (Do you hear that, Talli? I WANT TO READ IT NOW!!!). I can’t recommend it enough, it was just awesome and I was sad to finish it, because I’d gotten so into Serenity’s life, so into Jeremy’s story, that I just didn’t want it to end and for me there’s nothing better than a book you don’t want to end.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Eline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicklit

First book on my kindle application (on computer, I'm not so modern I actually own a kindle). First book by Talli Roland (for me that is). First book in a while I liked again...

I must admit I wasn't so sure about what to expect from this book. I got it free on my Kindle application and just wanted something good and funny to read during the exams. I found it! I was so happy to see Serenity, the main character, was a "person" I could really connect with, somebody I could understand, somebody who...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Katrin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved reading this book right from the beginning.
Having won this book at a competition on Trashionista.com (thank you :) ), I had it on my tbr-pile for a couple of weeks and decided to read it as my first book on my very new Christmas-Kindle.
I love both - "Build a Man" any my Kindle.

Serenity Holland is an interesting caracter. I can picture her well sitting behind her computer, reading all the magazines online, checking in new Botox-clients.
She has a good idea of what she wants to do in her...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Grace Elliot rated it 5 of 5 stars

A delightful book that I couldnt put down and left me eager to read what happened next.
I suspect this book falls into the category 'Chick lit' - and if so, Build a Man is the first book in this genre that I've read and I'm impressed.
This was an easy read but with living breathing characters who I empathised with. I was right there with Serenity as she bore the arrogance of the botox babes: one of the strengths of this book is that even the walk-on characters are believable, but without taking...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Jo Schaffer rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book totally met my expectations. I'm already a Talli Roland fan, so I knew this read would be witty, fun, unbearably stressful at parts and very satisfying in the end. Roland has perfected the comedic undercurrent that comes from the achingly frustrating as well as a nice balance between funny and tragic.
Main character, Serenity, is a likable girl that most of us can relate to. After making some horrid mistakes, she learns that what she thought she wanted--turns out to be wrong for her. He...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Rea Sinfield rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well the whole question as to if I enjoyed the book or not I feel has already been answered in the timescale that I read the book. I would easily say that Build a Man is my favourite book by Talli Roland and I feel it is a mixture between the unique storyline ( well have you read a book based around plastic surgery and botox!) and a great mix of characters which makes this book a great read.

I found Serenity very likeable from the first chapter, as she came across as a very down to earth characte...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This bordered between totally predictable, funny and yet frustrating. I tried and tried to envisage a successful multi million pound business man reduced to such drastic measures over a bad previous relationship and well I just couldn't see it.

I so wanted to enjoy this chick-lit escapism but it kept nagging me that it had no real body to the story. I suppose I wanted it to be similiar to the funny quirky characters from the pen of Catherine Alliott or Sophie Kinsella - it's nearly there just not...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Kirsty Mcmanus rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read a lot of chick-lit over the years, so I'm becoming more discerning as time goes on. This one was a lot of fun - especially from an author that appears to be independent! I liked the premise (it was quite weird because at the time, one of my web design clients was a cosmetic surgeon!) - and while I bordered on getting annoyed with Serenity, she redeemed herself in the end. The only thing that really frustrated me was the sheer number of times that Jaffa Cakes were mentioned! I'm from Au...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Amy Sperry rated it 2 of 5 stars

For a romance novel there wasn't a lot of romance. The main character Serenity comes across as immature and has very little common sense. Her main goal in life is to write for a tabloid. She lands an online story about men getting plastic surgery by tricking a patient into thinking she is a relationship consultant. She lies to everyone to advance her career but when a surgery goes wrong and the patient ends up with brain damage she finds that she can't go on with the story. She then decides that...more

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Build A Man (Serenity Holland #1)

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