Review: Waxed by Robert Rave

 Waxed: A Novel by Robert Rave
From Amazon.com:
Waxed is the story of three relationship-challenged sisters working together at New York’s hottest waxing salon, catering to socialites, actresses, and regular folk alike.
Yank. On the surface, glamorous Carolina Impresario---big sister and owner of Impresarios---unapologetically wants it all, but secretly she is caught between her successful boyfriend and the only man she has ever truly loved.
Pluck. After a painful divorce, middle sister Anna reluctantly reenters the workforce and puts on a brave face while attempting to raise her children, one of whom is decidedly different.
Tear. Newlywed Sofia is a hybrid of her two older sisters: She loves the idea of a domestic life like Anna’s, but is entranced by New York nightlife and a new best friend, resulting in some major complications at home.
Amid the sticky confines of a perfectly manicured world, these three sisters search for love, friendship, and better versions of themselves.

My Review:
Combine 3 trendy women running an upscale waxing salon in NYC where the clientele dish the latest gossip while baring their nether regions and you have the makings of a perfect summer beach read.  And Waxed: A Novel delivers on that front - I enjoyed reading about the buzz of the salon as the perfectly dressed actresses, socialites and city elite flitted in and out for their waxing maintenance.  The snarky banter between the Impresario staff adds to the light entertainment offered by the book.

Beyond the waxing humor, the trendy club scenes and the great dinners at the last "hot" Manhattan restaurants, however, is the story of the three sisters and each of their different (although also similar) relationship struggles.  While I did not relate to all three sisters equally, I think most readers will find one sister in which they see themselves.  Watching these three sisters navigate their love lives and maintain their relationships with each other despite their very different personalities added another dimension to this book and kept it from being superficial.  Don't get me wrong - these characters are not particularly deep or insightful - but their struggles are a nice balance to the lighthearted salon scenes.

This book fits squarely in the "chick lit" category and is told from a woman's point of view  - I had to keep reminding myself that the author, Robert Rave, is a male!  He actually answers the question of how he wrote from the woman's POV in an interview on Trashionista - check it out to learn more about the author.  You can also learn more at Robert Rave's website here.

All in all this is a fun summer read - pop it into the beach bag and settle in for a birds eye view into what goes on beyond the closed doors of "those" elite salons!

Thank you to Matt from Period Media for my copy of this book for review.