Gospel According to Sydney Welles: A Novel of Life, Love and L. A. by Susi Rajah

From the Publisher

Elizabeth Gilbert meets Jennifer Weiner in this hilarious comedy of errors starring resident Los Angeleno Sydney Welles. Sydney seems to have it all—a lucrative career, a comfortable life, and a man who looks good on paper—until the Catholic Church, looking to repair some serious image problems, approaches the ad agency she works for to create a positive campaign. Sydney, told by her boss it’s her account to lose, stumbles through the novel trying to figure out how to sell religion to a soulless society. She begins a one-sided argument with the Lord himself via riotous, pleading e-mails, all the time asking why He/She had to enter her neat, secular life and make such a mess of it.

Complicating things are her best friend Anna’s on-again, off-again wedding; the disturbingly handsome priest serving as the church’s liaison; and Jake, the new guy, who looks good in real life but comes equipped with all the real-life complications. Susi Rajah’s wickedly funny debut novel introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction and gives us a ribald, self-deprecating young woman who eventually discovers that love requires even more faith than religion.

Publishers Weekly

Quick wit, clever banter and engaging characters grace the fiction debut of Rajah (How to Spot a Bastard by His Star Sign). Sydney Welles, who covers for her alcoholic boss at an L.A. ad agency, gets dumped by her actor boyfriend for someone bustier and blonder, and buries herself in work. That entails landing the big new account to improve the Catholic church's image while trying not to get too distracted by sexy priest Father Bernadi. Friend Anna is determined to hook Sydney up; Sydney's bickering correspondence with columnist Charles Turner escalates; and, as she works the Catholic church campaign, Sydney e-mails God. There's a predictable twist and some padding, but there are charm and cleverness to spare, particularly in Sydney's funny and moving ideas for promoting the church. (July)

Kirkus Reviews

A fast-talking female ad exec faces two challenges: how to come to terms with dating the perfect man, and how to sell God. Despite boasting cynicism and a provocative email correspondence with the Almighty, Rajah's witty debut is still chick-lit, sheltered under a shellacked, smart-ass coating. Her heroine, Sydney, may hold down a big job in Los Angeles, at Fisher Bennet McMahon and May, and have a riposte for every situation, but at heart she's still looking for Mr. Right-the problem being that, having found him (his name is Jake), she can't deal with his flawlessness. Her job is in jeopardy unless she lands the account of the Catholic Church, which means figuring out how to market "a bad-tempered old man who sends people to hell," and who has the wrong brand name for a god. ("A good brand name for a god is Nike.") In between these dilemmas, there's a lot of repartee, some boozing in bars with best friend Anna and involvement not only with attractive Jake, but also a handsome priest, a crinkly-eyed cop, Sydney's soap star/ex-boyfriend Matt and a flirtatious (and mysterious) online journalist calling himself Charles Turner. Those not offended by jokes about pedophile priests, divinity and other sensitive subjects might warm to this ultra-sarcastic and supposedly maximally hip narrator who doesn't believe in happily ever after. Sydney wins the account but quits her job in order to pursue her true goals in life. As for Jake, she discovers she has faith after all. For those who like their heroines hardboiled (with soft centers) and their comedy aggressively cute. Agent: Kim Witherspoon/InkWell Management

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