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Ginger Reader Reviews Ella

I Am Ella, Buy Me Blog Tour

Stars:4  from Ginger Reader

Ella is a woman stuck in a mans world.

It’s the 80′s and Ella is currently working as a copywriter under the watchful (read: leering) eye of Peter Richards. It’s a cut throat world she’s in and when she faces the reality that she might lose her job Peter proposes (threatens) an ‘arrangement’. All Ella wants is to keep her job and stay out of Peters (STD filled) bed.

With the help of her dear friend Adam, who knows the industry and Wally the caretaker who always knows what to say, Ella does everything she can to climb her way to the top while keep her self respect.

In a time before human resources and sexual harassment lawsuits Ella learns how to handle herself and the men in the workplace, taking their snide comments and inappropriate remarks with a grain of sand.

I really enjoyed Ella’s story, I’m sure it’s not a shock that Wally was my favourite character, I loved how he was a complete 180 from the rest of the men in her office and how he was always there when she needed someone.

It was a quick read but one that rang true in every aspect and for that reason I’m sure it will stick with you long after the last page.

Becca’s Books is giving I am Ella. Buy Me. four cupcakes!

I am Ella. Buy me. by Joan Ellis ~ BLOG TOUR!

Be careful who you cross on the way up; you might meet them on the way down.

Huge thank you to the ever-lovely Leah from Girls Love To Read for getting me involved with Joan’s blog tour for I am Ella. Buy me. And of course, another huge thank you to the author herself Joan, for providing me with a very entertaining story that I absolutely loved.

In I am Ella. Buy me. we meet Ella David. Ella works in Adland, where she battles against the advances of her sleazy, slimy boss daily, and writes letters on behalf of a cat called Marmalade. Ella wants to climb higher up the career ladder, but with over-confident men surrounding her, she’s not getting very far. I am Ella. Buy me. is a brilliant story about a woman living in the sexist 80s, who gets knocked back again and again. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

I absolutely LOVED Ella David. She made me laugh endlessly. There was a smart wit about her, and she spoke fluent sarcasm. I, being able to speak fluent sarcasm too, understood Ella as if we were speaking our own secret language. The fact that Ella worked in Adland just made reading this book all the more enjoyable. She was so easy to relate to, and the fact that she had to write a letter in the place of a cat made me laugh. She was sassy, and not about to take any crap from anybody. Ella was the type of woman that I’d love to sit across from in an office. I’d be endlessly entertained! There were a whole cast of characters that brought I am Ella. Buy me. to life for me, and it made it so so so believable. I was able to imagine everything, and everyone. I took an instant dislike to Ella’s boss Peter. He was up himself in every sense of the saying, and the fact that he thought Ella wanted to sleep with him made me giggle. He honestly thought that he was the bee’s knees, when he really, truly wasn’t. In fact, he really ground my gears and wound me up to no end. Urgh, I could have happily slapped him around the chops! He was also a complete FAKE. What should have been Ella in the limelight turned into Peter taking Ella’s ideas for his own. Ha, fortunately, his little plans didn’t quite go the way he was expecting them to, and I practically high-fived my Kindle! Smarmy git!

The plot in I am Ella. Buy me. was fantastic. I loved watching her go through her daily routine; getting into the office, settling down at her desk. It was something that everybody could relate to. Joan’s descriptions of some of her characters REALLY made me chuckle, and despite some of them not appearing to be very nice or likeable, I still enjoyed them popping up every now and again. Ella’s story moved at a nice, easy pace. I didn’t feel like I needed to rush straight through it, and I wouldn’t say that it held me gripped, but it definitely entertained me whenever I picked my Kindle up and began to read.

Becca’s Books is giving I am Ella. Buy Me. by Joan Ellis four cupcakes! It was written in a fresh, down-to-earth way that I absolutely adored. The characters were superbly developed, and Ella sounds like the type of woman that I could easily become best friends with.

 

Book Addict Review: I am Ella. Buy me.

I am Ella. Buy Me by Joan Ellis

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by bookaddictuk in Book Reviews, General Fiction

Fast-paced, dialogue-driven and immediate, for me, I am Ella. Buy Me is reading firmly outside my comfort zone, a million miles from my usual fair of half-forgotten, almost-classics and literary mysteries.

Slightly anxious about participating in my first blog tour, I was even more dubious when the book arrived. Its design, shiny cover, unusual format, and open-type face all screamed “this is not for you”, very loudly. So I didn’t embark on reading I am Ella. Buy Me with any expectation of pleasure or reward but rather somewhat fearful that I would hate it. And for the first few pages, I did. There is hardly a pleasant character in the novel, and the lovely Adam and the wise, warm and gentlemanly Wally don’t shine through until later on: I found it hard to warm to characters who measure their self-worth by the length of their car or who thought it acceptable to wash their smalls in the office.

For all these initial misgivings, I am Ella. Buy Me won out as an enjoyable read. It is at times incredibly funny. Crackling dialogue dances off the pages, bringing otherwise half-realised characters sharply into focus with depth and realism. No book has made me laugh so much since reading Isabel Lodasa’s The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment, albeit in a very different way. And there are some cameo scenes to die for- such as Wally dressing up in Ella clothes and then teaching her to dance, or Ella and Adam in the kitchen scoffing the dessert that Adam’s stuck up girlfriend is planning to serve to the her dinner party guests!

Ella is some ways a Bridget Jones of the 1980s: ambitious, confused, struggling to juggle priorities and overly concerned with cake and the size of her thighs. Having pulled herself up by her bootlaces from a disadvantageous childhood, she’s on a trajectory to nowhere, single with a stalled career, and surrounded by a cast of decidedly obnoxious men out to use and abuse her. Her affection and loyalty to her mother (who the reader never meets) is as touching as her inability to repel manipulation is frustrating. Ella’s story plunges us back into an uncomfortably accurate, albeit stereotypical, aspect of 1980s London. Here’s fashionably shabby Soho throbbing with a young, cut-throat competitive, wannabe generation: a workforce fuelled by sexism, selfishness and alcohol and surrounded in smoke. One of the things I liked most about I am Ella. Buy Me was the reminder it gave that, however much we may still be struggling to achieve equality in the workplace, and in life generally, there really has been a lot of progress since the yuppie days of Thatcher’s London. But I am Ella. Buy Me is click-lit and, true to its genre, it doesn’t dwell on the politics of Ella’s situation but rather remains firmly concerned with personality and relationships. An easy-going, untesting read which, by relating the emotional highs and lows of a love-lorn and love-torn heroine, provides pure entertainment.

On stage at Isle of Wight Literary Festival

Like a 100 yards swimming badge but better.

Oh what a night. Last Thursday saw me at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival performing excerpts from all four of my books. The setting, glorious Northwood House, couldn’t have been better. There was even a chandelier in the room.

The audience were very appreciative, laughing and gasping , in all the right places.The mood went from fast-paced, funny, flip Ella-speak to Sandra’s altogether darker voice in The Killing of Mummy’s Boy. The chilling theme continued with a preview of my new novel, ‘Guilt’ before we were back in a happy place. The Things You Missed While You Were Away is a fun romp through  my daughter’s childhood in the 90s, a million miles away from my upbringing in the 60s.

Everyone enjoyed getting a sneaky peek back to Adland in the 80s and hearing about the celebrities I was lucky enough to work with.

Someone asked if authors are really just their characters in disguise. I hope not! Ella crossed with Sandra would make me a disturbing mix of genes. The unlikely theory would make Bram Stoker a vampire and Agatha Christie a serial killer!

All this and I even got to sit in the Green Room. For one night only, I was there.

Thanks to the wonderful team at The Isle of Wight Literary Festival for making magic happen three years in a row.

 

Girls Love To Read book review: I am Ella. Buy me.

Thrilled with this!

Book Review – I Am Ella Buy Me by Joan Ellis

October 13, 2014 Belinda

Rating 4.5/5

‘I am a ginger tom. I am a boy racer. I am a housewife. I am a pain in the arse.’

Working in Soho’s mad, bad Adland in the sexist 80s, Ella David is a rare beast – a woman in a man’s world.

When her lothario boss, Peter Richards, bored with his ball-clicker, demands something or someone new to play with, Ella finds herself battling more than just fat thighs. Faced with losing her job or sleeping with him, Ella turns to her friend, Adam Hart the one constant bright spot in her life.

Can love help her go from a girl in the firing line to a woman calling the shots?

This strong ballsy novel based on Joan Ellis’ own experiences as a copywriter in the 1980s is described as a romantic comedy and I suppose it is but in a completely different way from most I read! Ella is such a strong character it was hard to find her likeable even as she goes through the tough times; even though most of what she does and what she puts up with isn’t even just to keep herself happy and fed but to keep the mum she feels a constant obligation to in a good home with plenty of Nat King Cole records to listen to. Ella goes to extremes to keep her job while staying out of her snake of a boss’ bed. I never doubted that she would be able to pull it off. I was behind her all the way but I didn’t warm to her.

However that didn’t effect my enjoyment of the novel, which is certainly very funny. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the lines (not surprisingly – I’m sure Joan Ellis was an excellent copywriter!). One of my favourites was the description of her boss’ voice as:

Buzzing around the room like a bluebottle trapped in a jar

The novel is interspersed with real life anecdotes from Joan’s own career in advertising during the Thatcher era. It’s fast paced and very believable (especially if you are old enough to have lived in the 80s when sexism and a lack of morals in the work place where at least tolerated if not actually acceptable). The diary like feel makes Ella into a sort of 1980s Bridget Jones. Her character is strong but all the people in her life also jump off the page, they’re distinctive and full of personality.

An excellent opening line:

I am a ginger tom. I am a boy racer. I am a housewife. I am a pain in the arse

Who could resist reading on? Joan Ellis doesn’t disappoint she is a talented enough author to keep the reader engaged all the way through. If you’re looking for a well written, fun read this is certainly one you’ll enjoy.

 

Joan Ellis’s review Sep 14, 14 · edit5 of 5 starsRead i...

Joan Ellis’s review Sep 14, 14 · edit

5 of 5 stars

Read in September, 2014

Capricorn Cravings by Trish Jackson

Review by Joan Ellis

Wow! 5 stars

This book had me at the first page. A racy read and a pacey plot kept me hooked. Trish’s writing pulls no punches. Characters are refreshingly human.

Gritty heroine, Riley Shaughnessy has a hidden backstory but when a serial killer strikes in Shady Valley, she can’t keep her past a secret for long. The victim, a young, single mum worked for Riley at her veterinary practice and her brutal murder is the beginning of a chain of events that will change Riley’s life forever. Feisty, flawed and likeable, I was rooting for her the whole way.

As for, our hero, Powell Stewart – I defy any woman not to fantasize about him stepping from the pages and taking them for the ride of their life on his trusty steed.

The writing is spare and strong. This is storytelling at its best. Reading ‘Capricorn Cravings’ is like watching a film. You’re there as you follow every twist and turn, never quite knowing what’s around the next corner.

If you like your romance spiked with danger, you’ll love ‘Capricorn Cravings’.

This is my first Trish Jackson novel. Can’t wait to read more.

I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

View all my reviews

5 stars for Trish Jackson's 'Capricorn Cravings'

Capricorn Cravings by Trish Jackson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Capricorn Cravings by Trish Jackson
Review by Joan Ellis

Wow! 5 stars
This book had me at the first page. A racy read and a pacey plot kept me hooked. Trish’s writing pulls no punches. Characters are refreshingly human.

Gritty heroine, Riley Shaughnessy has a hidden backstory but when a serial killer strikes in Shady Valley, she can’t keep her past a secret for long. The victim, a young, single mum worked for Riley at her veterinary practice and her brutal murder is the beginning of a chain of events that will change Riley’s life forever. Feisty, flawed and likeable, I was rooting for her the whole way.

As for, our hero, Powell Stewart - I defy any woman not to fantasize about him stepping from the pages and taking them for the ride of their life on his trusty steed.

The writing is spare and strong. This is storytelling at its best. Reading ‘Capricorn Cravings’ is like watching a film. You’re there as you follow every twist and turn, never quite knowing what’s around the next corner.

If you like your romance spiked with danger, you’ll love ‘Capricorn Cravings’.
This is my first Trish Jackson novel. Can’t wait to read more.

I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review.




View all my reviews

New book, new genre

Why didn’t I move when I found myself next to a murderer on a train? I spoke to him for 60 minutes and during that time I was repulsed, shocked and terrified but never bored. Any normal person would’ve moved. Not me. This encounter had all the makings of a psychological thriller written all over it. I started to plot ‘The Killing of Mummy’s Boy’.

I listened to his sordid tales, what he did, how he did it and what happened to him in prison. He gave me a glimpse into a life lived in an entirely different way. I didn’t like it but it was real.

As we neared his stop, he asked me to get off and spend the afternoon with him. He even wanted us to run away together when he ‘got his passport back’. Needless to say I declined but it got me thinking. What if I had taken him up on his offer? I went home and spent the next nine months penning The Killing of Mummy’s Boy.

A chance meeting with a killer took me from chick lit to psychological thriller in a heartbeat. My first novel: I am Ella. Buy me, is fast, flip and funny. The Killing of Mummy’s Boy is much darker.

I’ll be writing more chick lit. I love the genre. It’s my voice. That said, my next novel is a thriller too. ‘Guilt’ is almost finished. Shame, it’s my guilty pleasure.

I

 

 

VFRINGE: Podcast: I am Ella. Buy me.

Have a little listen-in to highlights from my VFringe show. There’s a couple of readings from my new novel: I am Ella. Buy me, set in Adland in the 80s. There’s also tales of working with great talent like Paula Yates and Felicity Kendall plus my take on the real mad men of Adland. It’ll make your hair curl. Enjoy. x

Joan Ellis ‘I Am Ella, Buy Me’ by The Ventnor Fringe on Mixcloud

VFringe – review ‘I am Ella. Buy me’

Fringe Review – friday 15 August 2014 Issue 4

She’s a Lady by Natasha Preskey

Fans of Mad Men would have been enthralled by former advertising copywriter Joan Ellis’ reading of her new novel:I am Ella.Buy me at the Ventnor Fringe.

Joan’s new novel is a romantic comedy based on her experiences working in the male dominated advertising industry in the eighties. She brings extracts of the novel to life, especially the voice of Ella’s sleazy boss Peter Richards, in a way which makes it clear that her characters have a strong basis in truth.

Extracts were interspersed with anecdotes from Joan’s days in Adland during which she met and worked with the likes of Felicity Kendall and Jennifer Saunders, wrote letters on behalf of a dog and just missed out on a cab ride with Neil Morrissey.

Joan’s observations and witty but relatable narrative will no doubt have her audience rushing to update their Kidles or else applying for jobs in advertising.