🎥 ARC BOOk REVIEW 🎥

PUB DATE: June 9th 2025

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 💫 3.5 “Fresh “ Stars

Be prepared to be transported back in time , where Hollywood would was full of life and be taken behind the scenes of how and where the movies are birthed !

Charity Trickett is Not So Glamorous was the perfect little palate cleanser I was needing .

It was humorous and heart felt at times and loved the movie references spread throughout the pages .

Being a movie buff I really appreciated the insight the author shared with us, all the way to the beginning of how and where the movie comes from .

Inspired by true events the author takes on a nostalgic ride though L.A.

All the glitz and glam and ..well the not so glamorous at times , even Hollywood has its snakes 🐍 and sabotage lives and breathes around every corner .

So crank the CD player , and grab your popcorn as we follow Charity on her screen writing journey and the friends and foes that play a big part in her life and things get very heated and a FBI investigation that could lead her in jail 👀

If you like fun banter and an eager , visionary and focused stories with a little of heart on the side , then give this one a go! 🍿

Thank you NetGalley , Sparkpress & Christine Stringer for this fun ARC🙌🏼

You can't always judge a book by the first few chapters. When I started reading this book, I felt bombarded by a bunch of characters with crazy names including Charity, Pup, Casper. Saffron and Blake Anthony. I read Bridget Jones and chick-lit 25+ years ago, and thought I may have outgrown this genre.

I'm so glad I stuck with it because all of the characters grew on me, despite their crazy names. At first impression. I was afraid the main character was a "charity case" but nothing could be further from the truth. She is a strong. Loveable, hardworking and loyal aspiring writer with a good head on her shoulders.

So many of the characters are so likeable especially Vivvy, Kai, Saul, Steve, Jack, Blake....

Having worked in film publicity and PR, as well as loving Hollywood, red carpets and glamour (who doesn't?!?). This book is a fun and entertaining summer read.

The book takes place in the 1990s so there's cell phones, but no social media or GPS. The titles are references to 90s pop culture and at the end of the book the author explains the references!!!!

This book had me laughing out loud at times. Very Bridgette Joans vibes. If you like that you will like this. It was sweet and playful.

Funny, insightful and realistic all rolled into one entertaining read. Behind the scenes Hollywood from a different perspective with chapter titles that reflect the industry. Christine Stinger shares her knowledge of this hidden world with talent and characters that show depth.

This book was funny, quirky, and light-hearted. The book is a fast-paced read, and the transitions are quick, which kept my interest piqued throughout. I had no knowledge of Hollywood and the film industry culture, but this book demonstrated how the challenges of Hollywood are addressed with quick, witty humor.

I enjoyed the book's 90s setting. I liked seeing the main character grow throughout the story. I would totally read another book if there were a sequel. The author does a great job of continually evolving the plot and conveying humor.

This book was chaotic and wonderful from start to finish! I was hooked from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down. The story takes place in the 1990s and the author did a wonderful job bringing you back to that time. The plot also really tapped into the struggle that so many face in their quest to make a big name for themselves. If all women’s fiction was written as compellingly as this book then I would read more of this genre! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who finds the film industry and Hollywood in general intriguing. Or to anyone who just wants a fun read!

*Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous* was a fun, fast-paced read that surprised me in all the right ways. On the surface, it’s light and witty, but there’s also a quiet depth to the way Charity’s story unfolds. She’s not your typical leading character—awkward, overlooked, and a bit cynical—but that’s exactly what makes her so relatable and endearing. Watching her navigate life’s little messes, and some bigger ones too, kept me turning the pages.

The humor is smart and subtle, never over-the-top, and the writing has a breezy quality that made this easy to get through in just a couple of sittings. I also appreciated that the book didn’t try too hard to be "quirky"—it let Charity’s personality shine through naturally. The supporting characters added some nice color without overshadowing her journey.

While it doesn’t dive too deeply into any one theme, it offers enough emotional insight to feel meaningful. If you're in the mood for something light but not shallow, (and 90’s themed!) with a main character who feels like she could be your best friend (or maybe even you on an off day), this one is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story takes place in late 90s LA, where Charity Trickett becomes an assistant to one of Hollywood's movie producers.

This was such a fun read. The first 10% was slow, and I considered DNFing it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Once the story got going, I found myself needing to read "just one more chapter" because I just had to know what happened next.


4 stars

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of Charity Trickett is Not So Glamorous.

While I appreciated the chance to follow Charity’s journey and admired her tenacity, I found that the pacing of the story made it difficult to stay fully engaged. The main conflict or turning point didn’t arrive until well past the halfway mark—around 70% in—which made the narrative feel drawn out. Some storylines lingered longer than necessary, impacting the momentum of the book.

Charity herself is a character with strength and potential, and her resilience in the face of adversity, especially regarding the Canopy situation, is commendable. However, the resolution felt uneven and left her character arc feeling a bit flat by the end.

Overall, while there were meaningful elements and themes worth noting, the story lacked the balance and pacing needed to deliver a truly compelling experience.

I read this through netgalley so good love the 90s references in here, the chapter headings are amazing, and it just felt like a cheesy 90s comedy. I definitely would recommend this book. Charity is funny but also sweet and serious. Kai is a magnificent love interest. And I love the whole atmosphere of canopy studios and break room sounds like it would be a great 90s movie in real life

90s/Y2k vibes i absolutely ate this up. It made me laugh and smile. The whole plot and setting in Hollywood was immaculate. For my girls who loved legally blonde this is it 🥹 such a good read

Set in the late 1990’s, this is an epic workplace women’s fiction book, based on true events. Charity aspires to be a movie writer and gets a gig working for a director at a Hollywood studio. This book was so unhinged in the best way. Charity puts up with sooooo much BS at her Hollywood job, and is pushed to the brink of insanity. I think anyone who is under appreciated at work will relate to this. The drama felt so real and I kept relating it to things that have happened to me at work (both prior and current job). I felt so bad for her! There are several characters you will hate (looking at you, Saffron!!). Thankfully she has close friends who help her along the way. And while the romance is secondary in this book, I loved that too. Definitely recommend this one!

💗 “No logical person has a handful of encounters with another person and thinks they’re in love.”

💗 “Where do I go to break down in private?”

(will add to my instagram a bit closer to pub date!)

Sharp, heartfelt, and full of Hollywood grit, this story captures the highs and lows of chasing big dreams in a city built on illusion. Charity Trickett is a lovable underdog you’ll root for through every twist, misstep, and moment of triumph. A smart, satisfying read about ambition, friendship, and finding your place in the chaos.

Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous, follows the story of Charity as she moves from Vancouver to Los Angeles (Hollywood) to follow her dreams of working in the film industry.

This story is thought provoking and I found it really interesting.

The start did feel like it was dragging on for a little bit, but then it got interesting and I struggled to put the book down.

The way the Author tells the story of Charity is inspiring, as she also had a personal experience similar to the book that she wrote.

It also included themes about misogyny in the film industry, and how it was a very male influenced industry and how Charity wanted that to change.

If you love reading books about Hollywood and all the things that are involved in creating a movie and bringing it to the screen you will love this story.

Overall I’m happy that I was given the opportunity to read this eARC.

fun and vibey debut novel with awesome characterization and plotting and some really strong themes. would definitely recommend. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Loved it! Fun and glamorous. And the 90's vibe was real. Based on a true story, Author Christine Stringer’s Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous is a hilarious insider’s look at not only the fun and fabulous of fame and wealth, but also the jealousy and elitism that accompanies all that prestige.

It’s 1997, and Charity accepts an offer to work in glamorous Hollywood as the assistant to an L.A. director while his upcoming blockbuster is set to hit movie theaters soon. She’s sure the connections and experience she’ll gain will catapult her producing and screenwriting ambitions, but she learns it’s not all glitz and glamour. From backstabbing employees to a million dollar mistake the FBI is now investigating, Charity must figure out who she can trust, how to avoid jail, and whether she’ll ever work in Hollywood again.

Thank you for the ARC @netgalley and @gosparkpress. Opinions are my own.

I saw the blurb for Bridget Jones fans and was like I am in!

I loved the writing style, it was so easy to follow and you feel like you are sitting in the office building with Charity, Casper and Saffron in LA, watching the office politics of the ‘90s film industry.

I got The Devil Wears Prada vibes with the relationship with Saffron and FMC Charity. Saffron as a character mad me so angry (in a good way), she was so manipulative and back stabbing. She was written so well that you just wanted to get back at her for being so jealous and petty! Casper fed into that with his wishy washy favoriting them. I think when an author can make you hate a character without making them do truly bad/evil things, bravo!

And then her hunky coworker is just the most stellar guy! Very closed door romance, but just the sweet solid guy to counter balance the jerks in the side characters that you can imagine in Hollywood life.

And then at about the 95% mark, I started crying, I felt so connected and rooting for Charity that when she is finally broke and broken and is going to give up it was like noooo!

5 stars for evoking such emotions! This is not the great American novel, but something you could see as a movie with a young Reese Witherspoon in.

i just loved this book!! charity is such a loveable character, i was rooting for her the whole time and she just felt so down to earth and real. i also loved (almost) all the side characters! all the ones you were supposed to love anyway lol
loooove the fact that all the chapters were 90s pop culture references, so fun!
honestly i just enjoyed this book so much, such a great story and i love that it’s based on the true story of what actually happened to the author as well!

thank you to netgalley and spark point for this ARC!!!

Charity Trickett Is Not So Glamorous by Christine Stringer is a funny, honest take on chasing big dreams in Hollywood. It follows Charity, a screenwriter hopeful who moves to LA in the '90s, thinking she can write her way to success.

Instead, she’s met with rejection, sleazy industry types, and one setback after another. The book is packed with awkward moments, painfully real truths, and just enough hope to keep her going.

While it’s relatable and heartfelt, the ending feels a bit underwhelming, Charity endures it all gracefully but doesn’t really get the justice she deserves. She ends up happy, sure, but it’s more of a quiet survival than a triumphant win. I wanted her to prove them wrong, not just cope.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this novel.

This was a very fun light read. Set in the 1990’s it was giving a fun comedy with over the top drama and loving friendships. Charity was a relatable character with an exciting personality that made you want to root for her. I love how it kind of threw you in to her story with no prior knowledge of her previous experiences. Going in to a busy movie set with our main character playing cards with Blake and Daniel or meeting Kai for the first time as a reader.

I do wish it was longer. I wanted to see how her story continues but it felt like a proper movie ending to me.