All About Evie

Chameleon Chronicles #1

by Beth Ciotta

CASTING CALL NOTICE:

Seeking actress for role of ditzy former Vegas showgirl Sugar Dupont. Must possess strong vocals, outgoing personality and great gazongas.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

A showbiz veteran, Evie Parish knows she has the chops to sing and dance with the best. A Wonderbra should take care of the rest.

YOUR SCENE PARTNER:

Arch, aka Charles Dupont, a doting older husband.

THE GIG:

Eight days of smooching, fawning and otherwise making a PDA spectacle of yourselves on a Caribbean cruise.

AND…THE CATCH:

Arch is one of a team of former con men staging a sting to catch a grifter—and, under his stage makeup, he's the sexiest hunk ever to don a fake mustache....

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

Storytelling comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Limiting herself to one sub-genre does not. Dubbed “fun and sexy” by Publisher’s Weekly, Beth specializes in writing Romantic Comedy with a Twist of Suspense and is published in contemporary, historical, and paranormal romantic fiction. “I can’t think of anything more fulfilling than writing stories where everyone (except the villain, of course) gets a happy ending!”

Beth lives in New Jersey with her husband, two zany dogs, and one crazy cat. Although writing takes up most of her time, she still performs occasionally as a singer, character actress, emcee, and storyteller. To support literacy, Beth also works at her local library.

To learn more about her chaotic life you can visit her Web site at www.bethciotta.com

Reviews

[gremlinkitten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not totally romance, not exactly chick-lit, not altogether a mystery, so what is it? A bit of all of the above really. ALL ABOUT EVIE is a fluffy read that's fairly quick and utterly harmless. Evie, at 41, is a nice change from the 23-year-olds that run rampant in lighter fiction. Yes, her age does come into play since she's an old geezer in the world of show business, but it never became overbearing or unnecessary and added another dimension to her character. Evie narrates in first person, while when it cuts to another character it is written in third person, a bit jarring at first, but I didn't have any problems with it. The plot was fine, as was the pace, there's not much to rave or quibble about, the book was just nice. I think the most irritating thing about the book was the excessive mentioning of Evie's TMJ (temporomandibular joint, which should actually really be called TMD - temporomandibular joint disorder/dysfunction), I really got sick of her bringing it up and then confusing it with lockjaw. We got it, you have a problem with your jaw, move on. But on the whole, I wouldn't say there was anything earth-shattering about the book but it's a perfectly good beach read. One thing, this is the first of three books (not sure if they'll be more), so it's not a standalone, which was unfortunate for me. At this time I'm not sure if I'll be on the look-out for the other two.

[Marie A · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok

[★¸. • * ° * ༺*Blanka*༺*°°*•.¸. ♥★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

CASTING CALL NOTICE:

Seeking actress for role of ditzy former Vegas showgirl Sugar Dupont. Must possess strong vocals, outgoing personality and great gazongas.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

A showbiz veteran, Evie Parish knows she has the chops to sing and dance with the best. A Wonderbra should take care of the rest.

YOUR SCENE PARTNER:

Arch, aka Charles Dupont, a doting older husband.

THE GIG:

Eight days of smooching, fawning and otherwise making a PDA spectacle of yourselves on a Caribbean cruise.

AND…THE CATCH:

Arch is one of a team of former con men staging a sting to catch a grifter—and, under his stage makeup, he's the sexiest hunk ever to don a fake mustache....



Forty-something character actress Evie Parish is tired of feeling like an aging has-been. Her ex-husband left her for a young model, and she's losing gigs to less experienced women half her age. In a fit of last-chance desperation, she accepts a job aboard a cruise ship, helping a man she's just met with a game of smoke and mirrors.

Arch Reese is a man pretending to be an eccentric novelist, and needs a phony wife for reasons unknown. Enter Evie. Her assignment is to play a ditzy, attention-seeking Vegas-showgirl-turned-wealthy-newlywed. Neither Evie nor Arch expects real emotion to trump pretense, but love, it seems, comes in many disguises.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the cover. This is Evie in her showgirly costume. Not a typical romance / love story. Evelyn has been hired to play a ditzy ex-showgirl on a cruse shop out of Ft. Lauderdale because she needs the money. Her "partner", the guy who hired her, Arch Duvall, isn't at all what he seems either. With false identities, feats of derring-do, and asides to old movie references, they build a friendship, at first seemingly based on sex, but later on trust and honesty. There is mystery, and danger, and "true love" in the end.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw the cover and I had to pick it up as it plays on the movie title "All About Eve" the only thing similar was the occupation of Eve and Evie. This was ALL fun and I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!! I stayed up till 1:30am to finish the book. Beth your writing is fantastic!! Some passages I re-read for the fun of it! Spectacular!!! And I find out here there's MORE?? Hmm this girl has another book to spend a day with!!! Woo hoo!!!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and funny with unconventional characters but not excellent

[Barbara Cryer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad...a quick read but I know I've read this exact plot before. The chemistry between the 4 spies sets up for some nice sequels though.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I truly did not see the ending coming. Evie is a forty-one year old actress realizing that although she has talent, the world wants younger, fake looking women in the roles. Her husband even traded her in for a younger model. Now a year has passed since her divorce and she still has a working relationship with her ex-husband/agent. She has a breakdown at an audition and realizes she's in trouble.

Arch/Charles Dupont is looking for help to in his own way exact revenge and prevent the elderly from being scammed out of their life savings and even possibly their lives. He needs an actress to play a loving newlywed on a cruise. The original actress has an accident and Evie must step up to the plate to fill in.

Along the way Evie battles attraction for Arch, being part of an operation she has no idea she's part of, play acting a ditzy retired lounge singer, and her insecurities.

This book truly was full of surprises especially within the last chapter. I should have known it was coming, but I really didn't. Pick up this book I promise you will not be disappointed.

[Patacaisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evie est une femme de 35 ans qui vient de divorcer (son mari a trouvé une nana de 25 ans). Elle a du mal à trouver du travail dans le milieu du spectacle où elle a toujours travaillé jusqu’ici. Après un pétage de plomb lors d’une audition, elle décide de sauter sur une opportunité d’une croisière rémunérée où elle doit jouer un rôle.
La situation commence à paraître louche quand elle découvre que l’homme qu’elle doit accompagner se grime en homme de 60 ans et qu’elle doit jouer le rôle d’une femme frivole sans savoir pourquoi.
De là, va commencer toute une série d’événements très drôles, de part le tempérament d’Evie et ses maladresses et du fait de l’attraction qu’elle ressent pour Arch. Leur complicité, leur passion pour le cinéma et leur attirance rend leur histoire très plaisante à lire. Les seconds rôles sont très présents et ça donne très envie de mieux les connaître. C’est drôle, dépaysant, intrigant et l’héroïne est rafraîchissante à souhait. L’histoire est très bien trouvée et je n’ai qu’une seule hâte : lire la suite ! Un très très bon moment lecture.

[Malia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minor spoiler alert! I had a little trouble at first with the changing POV- why is she first person and the men are third? But then I got into it and laughed, got caught up in the action. It's not as predictable as your usual romance, especially from Harlequin, and I was glad when the ending obviously set us up for a sequel--even more so when I checked search and saw that there are more than one. I'll get them soon, sequels can be tricky, so I'll live in hope. The sex was hot, by the way, and her intimacy issues made it surprisingly hotter. If I'd read about this I might have avoided it, I'm glad that I didn't.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, suspend some disbelief, and you'll love this book. It's got a secret sanctioned government agent (and agency), a showgirl/magician's assistant/actress/singer entertainment lead, and standard HEA sort. But the surprises are in the way Evie handles a mid-life crisis. Seemed a bit quick, though. Probably because it's set in about 10 days. I don't know a couple days longer would been nice. Which is why it only got 4 stars instead of 5. The quick moving pace was a bit jarring, as was the instant spark. And sometimes Evie seemed like a Mary Sue when so many men wanted her, tarted up or not.

[Xaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off boring. Get through the first few pages and you will get to enjoy one of the cutest, well-written fluff stories out there. The main characters are loveable and their story is put-a-smile-on-your-face-and-pep-in-your-step enjoyable.

I would even re-read this book. That is rare for me. There are passages that I *did* re-read on my first go-through simply because reading them was so enjoyable.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just love the characters in this one! Evie is so nothing like me so I was worried about relating, but she's just so darn likeable. Perhaps a tad too much time is spent on her insecurities, but it all evens out. And I just love bad boy hero, Arch. Gorgeous, funny, Scottish accent... *sigh* It kills me that their story stretches out over 3 books (a new concept for my romance reading), but I'm enjoying the ride. Curious/anxious to see where the side angle with Beckett goes.

[Just - The romance reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this book. I somehow managed to start the series out of order and read Everybody Loves Evie first. From what I remember I enjoyed it considerably more. I found the plot on All About Evie to be a good and interesting concept, but still found myself often bored with the story and could only get about half way through. I did skim to how the story ended.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was never much of a reader. took me 6 months to read a book. then I got ahold of some romance books and I could read them in a week. But this book, I finished in one day! It was amazing! my boyfriend came home from work today looked around my messy house and asked if I cleaned anything I said no BUT I FINISHED MY BOOK! it is 100% worth a read!

[Miss · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mother loved it. You'll read it in a day. There's really no mystery and it isn't exactly heavy on the prose but it's hilarious and her details as far as being a has been before even having an acting career are pretty spot on. Blister would hate it.

[Brandi Epling · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few Harlequin books I like. I hope they continue the series! It was a great story about a washed-up showgirl/performer who finds a new calling as part of a covert anti-scam government agency.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Beth Ciotta's books. For sheer entertainment and a fun read she is hard to beat. Plus the fact that the character Evie is not a brainless twit. Sorry, I'm too old to get much enjoyment from reading about brainless twits...been there done that.

[Marian Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took me months before I was able to finish this book. It was definitely a struggle for me to do so, but since I started it, there was no turning back. I wasn't sure what didn't suit me, the story or the characters, either way, I'm done with this book, and for sure I won't be reading the sequel.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

La romance au départ, si elle n'est pas accompagnée d'une grande intrigue, ce n'est pas trop mon truc, mais grâce à Chani, j'ai decouvert ce livre. ;)
J'ai été happée par l'aventure mais surtout la légèreté d'Evie !
Un grand bol de fraicheur et d'humour !

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely darling. I thought it was funny and delighful. I loved the Heroine The was my first read by this author. I definitely will read another from her with hopes the next book by her is as good.

[Floridagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

totally hillarious

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Beth Ciotta's voice. Plus, her main character, Evie, is a hoot and her romantic interest/employer/partner in busting crime is a hunk of Scottish-Irish-English burning love. Very fun romp!

[CLM]

Beth is a romance editor herself so this should be interesting.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great screwball romance!

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get through it.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern

[Amber Moore]

This was a cute light upbeat read. Got a little romance, alittle mystry. All good fun.

[Jodotha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing that made me gag or anything, but... Nothing special. Kind of cookie cuttery. I figured I have better books to read with my time.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book! It is great and really funny! Love all the movie references through out the series.