Review: Nancy's Theory of Style by Grace Coopersmith

Nancy's Theory of Style by Grace Coopersmith
Chick Lit
Gallery (May 18, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-1416598862
368 pages
Review copy provided by the publisher

Lively young socialite Nancy Carrington-Chambers has always believed an excellent sense of style and strict attention to detail are what it takes to succeed, but her own husband Todd is showing symptoms of incurable tackiness, so Nancy flees their McMansion for her posh San Francisco apartment. She knows her event planning company, Froth, is a real winner, but she must prove herself by reinventing the turgid Barbary Coast Historical Museum fundraiser. Luckily, Nancy now has the perfect assistant. Derek Cathcart is British, impeccably dressed, gorgeous, and clearly gay—so why does Nancy find him so attractive?

Before Nancy can unravel her feelings, her irresponsible cousin Birdie abandons her little daughter with Nancy and takes off. Nancy, Derek, and Eugenia make an unlikely “family,” but strangely it seems incredibly right. Now Nancy’s parents are pressuring her to return to Todd, and she still has to pull off a spectacular party. For someone who’s always known exactly where she’s going, Nancy is in dangerously uncharted waters.

Irresistibly funny and romantic, Nancy’s Theory of Style shows that happiness and

love—just like fashion—aren’t about playing it safe.

Never having read anything by author Marta Acosta, and this being her first foray under the pseudonym Grace Coopersmith, I had no idea what to expect from Nancy's Theory of Style. Since humor is a common hallmark of chick lit novels it wasn't the abundance of it here that caught me by surprise. What did, however, was the brand of funny put forth by the novel.

Nancy is an utterly unique and delightfully refreshing character. Her behavior and speech is often ridiculous and, the majority of the time, she's fully aware of that fact. Her way of viewing the world may be flawed as her story begins, but it's so much fun to watch her take on life. The development of her new relationships with her niece/cousin Eugenia and her new assistant/love interest Derek add touching notes to this captivating story of a women in transition.

Chick lit novels have a tendency to be repetitive and Coopersmith manages to avoid that pitfall rather well here. Nancy's Theory of Style is one of the best that I've ever read in the genre and, trust me, I've read a lot.

Grade: A

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