Review - Stilettos & Stubble by Amanda Egan

My favourite Amanda Egan book so far!

Persephone (Percy) was a tall, well built young lady who has been bullied and put down all her life by her Mother for not being a petite, tiny, perfect baby. Her Mother also bullies her wonderful and loving father and throughout their marriage has had many dalliances behind his back and Percy wonders if he will ever get to the stage where enough is enough.  Her Mother is responsible for many of her insecurities but she still feels that she cannot stand up to her.

Percy thinks she is destined to be jobless, penniless and manless for the rest of her life, and her mother has great joy rubbing this is, when she is approached by Annie - a drag queen who offers her a job! Devastated at first, that Annie thought she was a man dressed as a woman, she finds that Annie thinks she is a very capable, sparky, confident and attractive lady and offers her a job being front of house at their club. Percy makes some changes in her life, her self confidence grows and she even finds a big beefy man that she quite likes and he seems to like her too - sometimes!  Throw all these characters in with her pint-sized friend Tom and her dopey neighbour Diana and it adds for a very colourful cast.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. It was so full of life and energy that it made me want to go and work there myself. The story was fresh, colourful and imaginative. It was exciting, enticing and engaging leaving you constantly wanting to read more! This book was glamorous, vivacious and glorious!

The names that Amanda gave the drag queens were absolutely hilarious and I had a bit of a moment one afternoon when I went to the dentist and took this book with me. Believe me m snorting and laughing at the same time while trying to cover it up with a coughing fit, led to me getting some very strange looks from the other patients indeed!  

There was a very important message in the book. It doesn't matter what you look like, or how you try to change, the person you are on the inside is what you really are. You might try to change for someone, but then if you do change, they might not like the person who you become.

Out of all of Amanda's books of which I've loved every single one, I really do think that this one is my most favourite.  I love Percy to bits.  Amanda manages to make her books completely hilarious yet very meaningful.

Amanda Egan was born and bred in London, and trained professionally as an actress. After many years of procrastination, she has turned her hand to writing Chick/Mummy-lit. She focused more on her writing after her son developed school phobia when he was 11 and she had to hang around his school in the background while he regained his confidence. In her spare time, she loves to read anything from Maeve Binchy, Jill Mansell, and Penny Vincenzi to Noel Coward, Dostoevsky and Zola. She also love crafts and entertaining, particularly hosting themed dinner parties.

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