Coffee and Kung Fu by Karen Brichoux, Lisa Lelas

From the Publisher

Twenty-six-year-old Nicci Bradford doesn't exactly love her job fixing the grammar in company brochures, or living in Boston, or going on awkward fix-ups with men she barely knows. What she does love is Kung Fu movies...especially the ones starring Jackie Chan. Their timeless and inspired wisdom offers her a philosophy of life. The problem is she doesn't have much of a life to philosophize about. But Jackie Chan is also a pretty good action hero. And when opportunity-and risk-present themselves in unexpected ways, it's up to Nicci to follow her hero's example, focus on her goal, and strike...

Library Journal

Nicole Bradford is a typical chick-lit heroine. She's a 26-year-old living in a big city (Boston), has a job that she dislikes (as a copy editor), and has some issues with her friends and some friends with some issues. (One is having an affair with the boss, and another's husband accuses Nicole of coming on to him). And then there's the guy who works at the local coffee shop, but Nicole can't be with him because of her relationship with Mr. Wrong. This guy is sexy and fun, but Nicole can't talk to him, and he just doesn't get it. Nicole has some family trauma, too: her grandfather dies, but he leaves her with some sage advice and much-needed financial support. Throughout, Nicole relates the plots of Kung Fu movies to her real-life situation and finds solace and meaning through them. Who knew these flicks were so deep? A fun and quick read from a first-time author, this is perfect for a day at the beach. Recommended for all public libraries.-Karen Core, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A young woman’s guide to life--as seen through classic Jackie Chan films. Newcomer Brichoux scores a coup by venturing into the cliché-strewn, warmed-over waters of Gen-X chick-lit and coming up with a bright, fresh, exciting new spin on the genre. This time, the mid-20s woman awash in neuroses and self-doubt is Nicci Bradford, who (get this) doesn’t live in New York or London and doesn’t work in publishing. Disgruntled with her graphic work at a Boston ad firm, Nicci consoles herself with brewing the perfect pot of jasmine tea and watching classic, rare, kung fu flicks, the highly moral, extremely low-budgeted operatic action comedies from which she gains most of her insights into life. The wry, endearing and rootless daughter of overseas missionaries (she was raised mostly in the Philippines), Nicci’s not quite a tomboy, but she’s not far from it and has no white-knight delusions about her future. For most of the story, there’s not even a shoulder for her to cry on because her best friend Carol thinks Nicci was hitting on Carol’s husband (in truth, the guy was coming on to her and Nicci had to knee him in the groin--the only shaolin-style karate, sadly, she’s called upon to do in the book). Nicci’s got a new boyfriend, the rich, confident Rob, who pleases her to no end in bed (and on his yacht) but has next to nothing to talk with her about, and she finds herself fantasizing more and more about that quiet guy who works at the coffeeshop. While Brichoux knows the chick-lit conventions (just as Nicci knows and worships the conventions of the chopsocky genre), the last fourth of the tale breaks free of them and allows Nicci to restart her life on her own terms. Warm, smart, and original: aswift Snake in Eagle’s Shadow kick to all the Bridget Jones clones. Agent: BJ Robbins/BJ Robbins Agency

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