TEST
When I Fall in Love is a funny, emotionally intense, and meaningful mainstream romance offered by the author of Beaches, Iris Rainer Dart. It’s a striking combination of real-life tragedy set in bigger-than-life Hollywood, topped off with an ending worthy of a fairy tale.
Lily Benjamin is a fighter. As a child, she turned to television to escape her own lonely, empty life, absorbing it hour after hour, day after day. When her husband deserted her and their infant son, Lily determined to make a good life for Bryan, even if she had to be both mother and father to him. She took her amazing, encyclopedic knowledge of TV sitcom history plus her natural talent, and made it as a top television comedy writer. Now Lily seems to have it all: a challenging career she loves, a wonderful son poised on the brink of manhood, and an engagement to a sweet and successful heart specialist who cherishes mother and son. Then, in a few short days everything goes dreadfully wrong.
Lily’s housekeeper, Elvira, is a second mother to Bryan. Suddenly, after thirteen years with Lily, Elvira quits without warning, fleeing a violently abusive husband. She refuses to say anything about her plans, thinking they will be safer if they don’t know. Lily, and especially fifteen-year-old Bryan, will miss Elvira, the woman who rocked him, read to him, and nursed him through all his childhood illnesses while Lily worked to provide for them all.
At the same time, Harry Green, Lily’s mentor and dearest friend, succumbs to the cancer he has been valiantly fighting. Harry was the King of Jokes, a top Hollywood talent who gave Lily her first break. Harry, Lily, and the rest of the team have been struggling to turn around dismal ratings and keep their show, Angel’s Devils, afloat. Without Harry the prognosis is dim.
TV deadlines do not allow for mourning, and still reeling from the shock of losing Elvira and Harry, Lily is next hit with Charlie Roth, Lily’s new boss. Harry was the King of Jokes, but Charlie is the God of Jokes, and the rest of the team knows that if anyone can save the show, Charlie can. Charlie, however, is totally merciless, crazy, and a few other things as well, until one more tragedy strikes Lily, and Charlie reveals another, unexpected, side.
Here is an inside peek into the less than glamorous interior of television production. It’s filled with smoke-filled rooms, abundant obscenities, and people who only know how to deal with life by harpooning everything and everyone with cruel and relentless mockery. The hard-boiled exteriors of the many characters do occasionally crack, permitting glimpses of the people inside, who still feel and care but have such a hard time showing it. There is another world depicted here as well, a complete contrast to the make-believe of Hollywood, and one that’s no less difficult to handle. Charlie Roth has learned how to survive in that world, and now strives to teach Lily and Bryan.
The main characters are compelling in their similarities and differences. Despite the blows life has dealt Lily, she has remained funny, whimsical, and tenderhearted. This makes it all the more shocking when circumstances force her to look inside herself and she finds bigotry she never knew existed. Charlie reaches new heights as a flawed hero, and his brand of tough love is as outrageous as it is effective. Mark, Lily’s fiance, is everything Lily dreams of: kind, stable, loyal, handsome, and successful. Of course he is corny, unimaginative, and talks (seriously) in song lyrics. Bryan has more insight into people than many twice his age. This story comes to life through these and the zany and colorful secondary characters that abound.
There is a mysterious prologue that presumably creates dramatic tension through foreshadowing, but I found it to be more a distraction, and so easy to see through that its effect is diminished. The last twist of plot that once again disappoints Lily seems a bit thin, but the final Cinderella scene makes up for it.
Here is a thoughtful, eye-opening story that combines the magic of love with truths our mothers taught us, even if we still have trouble believing them from time to time. A keeper!
Buy it at A
Grade: A-
Book Type: Women's Fiction
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 09/03/00
Publication Date: 1999
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.