The F Word
A Novel
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
“Fresh, frank, and fearless. Liza Palmer is a road warrior of contemporary fiction.” —Georgia Clark, author of The Regulars
Olivia Morten is perfect. Maybe she’s constantly hungry, but her body is to die for. Maybe her high-flying publicist job has taken over her life, but her clients are L.A.’s hottest celebrities. Maybe her husband is never around, but he is a drop-dead-gorgeous doctor. And maybe her past harbors an incredibly embarrassing secret, but no one remembers high school…right?
When Ben Dunn, Olivia’s high school arch nemesis and onetime crush, suddenly resurfaces, all of her hard-won perfection begins to unravel. As she finds herself dredging up long-suppressed memories, she is forced to confront the most painful truth of all: sometimes who we become isn’t who we really are.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A funny and fantastic lesson on how perfection doesn't translate to happiness is served up in Palmer's latest. Olivia Morton has the perfect life she's a top publicist for Hollywood's A-listers; she has a gorgeous home and a knock-out doctor husband; and she's undeniably thin and pretty. Yet Olivia struggles daily with her biggest secret: she used to be fat. A chance meeting with her high school tormentor and secret crush, Ben Dunn, sends Olivia reeling; the former fat girl self will no longer be silenced. As her perfect life is taken over by imperfect reality, Olivia realizes that her past and present can coexist and create a happy future. With only a few passages about Olivia's big self, it is hard to truly empathize with how far she's come. Her wry commentary on how a woman's worth is tied to her weight in L.A. is both amusing and disheartening, but Palmer's authentic humor carries the message with a hint of parody. This is a smart and sardonic novel with a genuine voice.
