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Gloss
It’s a new day, U.S.A.! And possibly a whole new world.
It was a harmless human-interest story for breakfast who would’ve thought it would land her in jail? New York producer Annabelle Kapner’s report on a beauty-industry job-creation plan for refugee women in the Middle East earns her kudos from the viewers, her bosses, even the network suits. But several threatening phone calls and tightlipped, edgy executives suggest the cosmetics program is covering up more than just uneven skin.
All this intrigue is seriously hampering Annabelle’s romance with handsome, sexy and funny speechwriter Mark Thurber (Washington’s Most Eligible Bachelor). Being with him is just getting Annabelle used to A-list treatment at Manhattan’s hottest nightspots when journalistic idealism earns her a spot on cell block six.
It’ll take more than a few thousand “Free Annabelle” T-shirts to clear her name and win back her beau. Especially when she discovers just how high up the scandal reaches—and how far the players will go to keep their secret…
It was a harmless human-interest story for breakfast who would’ve thought it would land her in jail? New York producer Annabelle Kapner’s report on a beauty-industry job-creation plan for refugee women in the Middle East earns her kudos from the viewers, her bosses, even the network suits. But several threatening phone calls and tightlipped, edgy executives suggest the cosmetics program is covering up more than just uneven skin.
All this intrigue is seriously hampering Annabelle’s romance with handsome, sexy and funny speechwriter Mark Thurber (Washington’s Most Eligible Bachelor). Being with him is just getting Annabelle used to A-list treatment at Manhattan’s hottest nightspots when journalistic idealism earns her a spot on cell block six.
It’ll take more than a few thousand “Free Annabelle” T-shirts to clear her name and win back her beau. Especially when she discovers just how high up the scandal reaches—and how far the players will go to keep their secret…
330 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
About the author
Jennifer Oko
5 books19 followersJennifer Oko is a writer, journalist, and filmmaker. Her memoir Lying Together: My Russian Affair was twice named an Editor’s Choice in the New York Times Book Review, which called it “simply riveting.” Her novel Gloss, a satire of morning television news, also received ample praise, with Marie Claire magazine comparing it to Carl Hiaasen’s Lucky You and The Chicago Tribune saying it was “a rare treat.” Gloss was optioned by eOne Entertainment to be developed as a television series. Her novel Head Case is a comic mystery about psycho-pharmaceutical trafficking, which she swears is not autobiographical in any way.
Her latest novel, Just Emilia, is a dark, time-traveling comedy about three women who are trapped in an elevator and forced to grapple with a shared unresolved trauma. Just Emilia will be published by Regal House in the summer of 2025.
In addition to her creative writing, Jennifer has spent more than two decades producing television news features, documentaries, and other video content. After many years working for the big TV networks, she co-founded a boutique video production company, Because.Media, which specializes in creating documentary-style content for outlets ranging from PBS and The New York Times to The MacArthur Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and American University.
Jennifer received a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Her undergraduate degrees include a BFA in Studio Arts and a BA in Russian Language and Literature. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, two teenagers, a young dog, and a very old cat.
Her latest novel, Just Emilia, is a dark, time-traveling comedy about three women who are trapped in an elevator and forced to grapple with a shared unresolved trauma. Just Emilia will be published by Regal House in the summer of 2025.
In addition to her creative writing, Jennifer has spent more than two decades producing television news features, documentaries, and other video content. After many years working for the big TV networks, she co-founded a boutique video production company, Because.Media, which specializes in creating documentary-style content for outlets ranging from PBS and The New York Times to The MacArthur Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and American University.
Jennifer received a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Her undergraduate degrees include a BFA in Studio Arts and a BA in Russian Language and Literature. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, two teenagers, a young dog, and a very old cat.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 26, 2021
Get ready for a wacky ride! Jennifer Oko's story exposes the madness behind morning television and Annabelle Kapner's wild attempt to clear her name, save refugees from being exploited and get her guy.
Annabelle Kapner, a producer for NewDayUSA, a morning news program is in jail. Her story starts out telling us how she happened to get in jail because of some lip gloss. Annabelle went to school to be a journalist but has found herself working for television, where stories are boiled down to their best four minutes and has little to do with the people who are on the news desk, asking the questions. No, it has more to do with ratings, which is sensational and will grab people's attention-and very little to do with an actual story.
Mark Thurber is one of People Magazine's most eligible bachelors; his daytime job is writing speeches for the Vice President of the United States. He pops into Annabelle's life doing an interview on her morning show. And the most eligible bachelor of Washington DC asks her out! But before Annabelle is able to savor her newfound heartthrob, she is embroiled in the thick of a massive conspiracy all starting from a simple feel-good story she produced about lip gloss.
Annabelle finds herself trying to find the real story behind a cosmetics company producing products out of a third-world country. What follows is an arrest that is blown out of proportion similar to the Monica Lewinsky scandal-but without the thong. Annabelle soon has to use her production skills to coordinate the charges against her being dropped. This process finds halfway across the world with the man of her dreams, both of them fighting to find the meaningfulness behind their careers. Both Annabelle and Mark are disillusioned with their careers, finding themselves to no more than pawns of the system-doing what the boss tells them to do in order to keep their jobs. Oko's story is one of finding the heart behind what is supposed to be an ethical and truth-seeking career.
Annabelle Kapner, a producer for NewDayUSA, a morning news program is in jail. Her story starts out telling us how she happened to get in jail because of some lip gloss. Annabelle went to school to be a journalist but has found herself working for television, where stories are boiled down to their best four minutes and has little to do with the people who are on the news desk, asking the questions. No, it has more to do with ratings, which is sensational and will grab people's attention-and very little to do with an actual story.
Mark Thurber is one of People Magazine's most eligible bachelors; his daytime job is writing speeches for the Vice President of the United States. He pops into Annabelle's life doing an interview on her morning show. And the most eligible bachelor of Washington DC asks her out! But before Annabelle is able to savor her newfound heartthrob, she is embroiled in the thick of a massive conspiracy all starting from a simple feel-good story she produced about lip gloss.
Annabelle finds herself trying to find the real story behind a cosmetics company producing products out of a third-world country. What follows is an arrest that is blown out of proportion similar to the Monica Lewinsky scandal-but without the thong. Annabelle soon has to use her production skills to coordinate the charges against her being dropped. This process finds halfway across the world with the man of her dreams, both of them fighting to find the meaningfulness behind their careers. Both Annabelle and Mark are disillusioned with their careers, finding themselves to no more than pawns of the system-doing what the boss tells them to do in order to keep their jobs. Oko's story is one of finding the heart behind what is supposed to be an ethical and truth-seeking career.
July 11, 2021
The writing style used is a good illustration of the shallow morning infotainment “journalism” critiqued in the story. There is an interesting plot line, but it’s glossed over and although that’s perhaps the writer’s intent, it left me underwhelmed
January 10, 2021
Not a very good book, but the underlying story is worth understanding.
June 20, 2007
Oh, What the Heck
This book, Gloss by Jennifer Oko, defines a page-turning summer read. An insider's look at a splashy industry like morning television, at least for viewers of the morning shows, is fun reading. This story is well written and one can feel the author's tongue firmly planted in her cheek as she spins the tale of a television producer who gets caught up in the fangs of a snake venom lip gloss product and Homeland Security in a case that comes to be known as "Glossgate."
The main character, a 30-year-old woman named Annabelle Kapner, "Annie" to her friends, manages to be likeable in spite of her unwitting foray into what turns out to be the story of her lifetime. She's funny, but seems to be just on the edge of intelligence. She's a victim of her circumstances, who over-thinks everything--from her career choices to her love life. Often, the progress of the story is stalled, bogged down with too much detail and again, over-thinking by the narrator.
Most of the characters are exaggerated stereotypes, including the prima donna anchor, Faith Heide, and the eligible bachelor White House staffer and love interest, Mark Thurber, who works for the corrupt Vice President, as well as Annabelle's jailhouse buddy, a Slavic know-it-all named Galina, who literally tries to slap sense into Annabelle. The plot provides an interesting twist or two, but there's nothing really original or memorable. The author also uses viewer letters to introduce the early chapters, then waivers on the format, quoting journalism notables as chapter heads and from time to time, newspaper clippings from a television critic to propel the story forward. In spite of these criticisms, I had fun with this one and recommend it for a juicy, mindless read. It's kind of like reading a People magazine or the headlines of the tabloids while waiting in line at the grocery store.
This book, Gloss by Jennifer Oko, defines a page-turning summer read. An insider's look at a splashy industry like morning television, at least for viewers of the morning shows, is fun reading. This story is well written and one can feel the author's tongue firmly planted in her cheek as she spins the tale of a television producer who gets caught up in the fangs of a snake venom lip gloss product and Homeland Security in a case that comes to be known as "Glossgate."
The main character, a 30-year-old woman named Annabelle Kapner, "Annie" to her friends, manages to be likeable in spite of her unwitting foray into what turns out to be the story of her lifetime. She's funny, but seems to be just on the edge of intelligence. She's a victim of her circumstances, who over-thinks everything--from her career choices to her love life. Often, the progress of the story is stalled, bogged down with too much detail and again, over-thinking by the narrator.
Most of the characters are exaggerated stereotypes, including the prima donna anchor, Faith Heide, and the eligible bachelor White House staffer and love interest, Mark Thurber, who works for the corrupt Vice President, as well as Annabelle's jailhouse buddy, a Slavic know-it-all named Galina, who literally tries to slap sense into Annabelle. The plot provides an interesting twist or two, but there's nothing really original or memorable. The author also uses viewer letters to introduce the early chapters, then waivers on the format, quoting journalism notables as chapter heads and from time to time, newspaper clippings from a television critic to propel the story forward. In spite of these criticisms, I had fun with this one and recommend it for a juicy, mindless read. It's kind of like reading a People magazine or the headlines of the tabloids while waiting in line at the grocery store.
April 8, 2013
It was a harmless human-interest story for morning television, or so Annabelle Kapner thought. What was supposed to be an uplifting “fluff” piece on a beauty-industry job-creation plan for refugee women turns New York producer Annabelle’s life upside-down when she suddenly finds herself behind bars and labeled as an enemy of the state. How could a harmless segment about creating lip gloss go so wrong?
From behind bars, and with the help of the few friends she has left, Annabelle launches a plan to find out what blemishes a certain cosmetics company is really trying to cover up, and why she’s been made the scapegoat by Homeland Security.
I’m a huge fan of Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom on HBO, and “Gloss’s” Annabelle reminds me of Emily Mortimer’s character, MacKenzie McHale—she’s got the best of intentions, but it somehow backfires on her. Oko has found a strong heroine in Annabelle Kapner, though, and she doggedly sets out to report the story she was meant to cover, and she’s determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost. “Gloss” features a well-rounded cast of supporting characters, from the intelligent political speech-writer, Mark Thurber, to Annabelle’s endearing Russian cellmate, Galina and her valley girl brainiac friend, Karen. Oko’s satire of behind-the-scenes morning television is hilarious, and her portrayal of the inflated egos of certain on-air personalities is likely spot-on.
Jennifer Oko has become a recent favorite of mine, and I can’t wait for her next release!
From behind bars, and with the help of the few friends she has left, Annabelle launches a plan to find out what blemishes a certain cosmetics company is really trying to cover up, and why she’s been made the scapegoat by Homeland Security.
I’m a huge fan of Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom on HBO, and “Gloss’s” Annabelle reminds me of Emily Mortimer’s character, MacKenzie McHale—she’s got the best of intentions, but it somehow backfires on her. Oko has found a strong heroine in Annabelle Kapner, though, and she doggedly sets out to report the story she was meant to cover, and she’s determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost. “Gloss” features a well-rounded cast of supporting characters, from the intelligent political speech-writer, Mark Thurber, to Annabelle’s endearing Russian cellmate, Galina and her valley girl brainiac friend, Karen. Oko’s satire of behind-the-scenes morning television is hilarious, and her portrayal of the inflated egos of certain on-air personalities is likely spot-on.
Jennifer Oko has become a recent favorite of mine, and I can’t wait for her next release!
August 13, 2007
Deliciously dishy!
Annabelle Kapner becomes the very news she reports when a harmless little human interest story about a beauty industry job creation plan for refugee women in the Middle East goes terribly out of control.
An insider's peek at the world of morning news television, DC politics and, of course, lip gloss, you won't be able to put GLOSS by Jennifer Oko down. Filled with tons of fun details gathered, no doubt, by the author's own experiences in morning television, you'll have a blast reading GLOSS, and not just for the guessing game of "who's really who" in the large cast of characters that inhabit Annabelle's world. A deliciously dishy and irresistible tale!
Annabelle Kapner becomes the very news she reports when a harmless little human interest story about a beauty industry job creation plan for refugee women in the Middle East goes terribly out of control.
An insider's peek at the world of morning news television, DC politics and, of course, lip gloss, you won't be able to put GLOSS by Jennifer Oko down. Filled with tons of fun details gathered, no doubt, by the author's own experiences in morning television, you'll have a blast reading GLOSS, and not just for the guessing game of "who's really who" in the large cast of characters that inhabit Annabelle's world. A deliciously dishy and irresistible tale!
October 9, 2007
Written by Jennifer Oko, it's a fun read and very insightful into the ways of both politics and TV morning shows. I learned that TV news shows are just not that much fun to work on although it seems like it'd be a dream job. I also confirmed that dating the VP's right hand man does have it's bonuses.
A fast quick read!
A fast quick read!
September 13, 2008
I bought this in the airport after my disastrous encounter with Green's Second Chance with high hopes. Gloss is a MIRA/Harlequin publication, so I expected less pontificating on the ethics of morning television journalism and more sex and scandal or even better, scandalous sex. Needless to say, it didn't deliver in either steam or suspense.
October 22, 2008
Typical chick-lit, but the main character was a bit different than your average chick-lit protagonist. Her pessimism, sense of humor, and penchant for pointing out bodily fluids made her more unique.
Easy read.
Easy read.
November 5, 2010
Almost like chick lit, but without some of the normal twists with the guys involved in the story, ie, less guy drama. This one was more political, some suspense, some humor, and an overall easy read.
May 1, 2011
I was interested in reading this book because the plot centers around my industry - television. The main character is a producer, like me. This was a quick read and I could relate to a lot of it. It had intrigue and drama. An enjoyable read.
May 17, 2007
Will put in a great raving review at a later date. I still have about 75 pages to read.
June 14, 2007
A great read! But a warning, it is hard to put down once you start it. It is humorous with a bit of mystery. Enjoy!
September 17, 2010
I really enjoyed this book! Very fast read and the mystery had me wanting to keep turning pages faster and faster. Perfect amount of mystery, intrigue, and romance to hold my attention.
August 14, 2011
what I thought would be just an okay book, turned out to be a lot of fun to read! Written by someone who worked the morning news programs on tv...
interesting!! chick lit, basically!
interesting!! chick lit, basically!
September 12, 2011
It wasn't really what I expected, but it was OK
October 3, 2011
Quick read... I think my mom picked it up for a buck at the dollar store and left it at my house. I thriller, of sorts. Entertaining, but that's all.
January 2, 2012
Bought this book at the $1 store. It was very entertaining. The writer is a TV producer, so it's also educational from that aspect. She's got a great since of humor and sarcasm. Worth the read.:)
March 13, 2012
This wasn't a great read but it was a good read.
March 23, 2012
Good quick fun read
July 5, 2012
Was a great story, funny where it should be but not losing any of the story line. Would read again
July 13, 2012
Well written. She needs to write more
November 24, 2012
Face moving, riviting and action packed. Apparently wise beyond her years!
Want to Read
January 31, 2013Got 6 more books today at the 2nd hand store by mom. B2G1 free. :) So, 6 books for $4. This is one of my buys for today 1/30/13.
This was another on my to-be-read list;)
This was another on my to-be-read list;)
March 4, 2015
Loved it! It was a page-Turner for sure.
February 8, 2012
Bor-RING! I quit 20 pages in.
December 17, 2012
Great story! A refreshing book with a unique plot.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews