Ms. Taken Identity by Dan Begley

Product Details

Synopsis

PhD candidate Mitch Samuel's life isn't going exactly according to plan: his girlfriend just dumped him (to be fair, he did forget to pick her up at the airport), his estranged father has landed in the hospital, and his literary masterpiece-one part Shakespeare, one part Steinbeck, and all parts lyrical epic-has been rejected for the umpteenth time.

However, after a chance encounter at Starbucks with the queen of women's fiction- Katharine Longwell-who seems to take a liking to him, he senses an opportunity for literary riches, if not reputation. After telling her that his (imaginary) female cousin is an aspiring chick-lit author, he secures a promise from her that she'll help his "cousin" get published. The only problem is, Mitch needs a manuscript, and fast.

Unfortunately, try as he might to get inside a woman's head by reading Vogue and Cosmo, watching Oxygen and Oprah, nothing seems to work. That's when his roommate Bradley suggests that he try a dance class at the studio where Bradley's sister Marie takes lessons. Self-conscious about his own skills, and unwilling to reveal his true intentions, Mitch attends the first class under an alias: Jason Gallagher, pharmaceutical rep. What could go wrong?

Nothing, except that Mitch/Jason quickly finds himself hooked on dancing, and on the charming Marie. Who has no idea who he really is. Or that he knows her brother. Or why he's there. Suddenly, his novel-writing project is becoming a lot more than he bargained for...

Kirkus Reviews

First-timer Begley's chick-lit novel about a man who writes a chick-lit novel is not as cunningly postmodern as it sounds. When academic Mitch Samuel's epic about farm life is rejected yet again, he explodes in his vestibule, tearing up the returned manuscript along with his neighbor's copy of People. At the bookstore to replace the magazine, he sees a display for Katharine Longwell's latest, The Cappuccino Club. Enraged again, Mitch steals a copy so he can (figuratively) rip it up, proving to himself that yes, life is unfair. Who should spot Mitch reading The Cappuccino Club in a cafe, but Katharine herself? He has a cousin who wants to break into the chick-lit market, Mitch lies, Katharine offers her help (and her private number, wink, wink) and the plot is pushed into action. If that bimbo can write a bestselling novel, so can he, Mitch figures. One small problem: He doesn't know how to think like a woman, or at least not the kind of woman who would read chick lit. Mitch begins watching Oprah and looking at shoes, but his rough draft is flat. Roommate Bradley suggests Mitch go eavesdrop on vapid gal-talk at a dance class Bradley's sister Marie takes. Masquerading as a pharmaceutical sales rep named Jason, Mitch is soon twirling and talking and actually enjoying himself with Marie. This comes as a surprise to Mitch, because after all, she's a hairdresser, and what could they have to talk about? That's right, Mitch is a jerk. By novel's end he learns his lesson, but along the way he disses not only chick lit, but also its assumed-to-be-vacuous readers-in other words, Begley's intended audience. The author has nice comic timing and shows capacity for real depth, but his seeming contemptfor the genre he's working in is unfortunate.

Biography

Dan Begley is a full-time writer who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife Robin. He received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Dan has also been a member of the English faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and CorJesuAcademy, where he taught short story writing and British Literature. His interests include bike riding, soccer, and Mediterranean food. Ms. Taken Identity is his first novel. His website is www.danbegley.com