Lost for Words
“To speak personally, the very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life.”
Synopsis from the back cover: Sweet-natured Daisy, assistant at a publishing house, has two wishes. One, to discover the ‘next big thing’—a hidden literary gem in the slush pile—and two, for her philandering boyfriend Miles finally to commit. Life starts looking up when Elliot Thornton comes into her work and Daisy quickly forms a close friendship with him. But she’d never want to leave Miles, would she? Then, one day at work, she starts reading the intriguing first pages of a novel and is spellbound. But somehow, there’s something very familiar about the heroine and her story...
Lost for Words by Lorelei Mathias is a romance comedy. This post will be in a Q&A style.
What led you to pick up this book?
It is one of the five books I’ve chosen for the “Romance Reading Challenge” hosted by Naida.
What did you like most about the book?
I liked the email exchanges between Daisy and William, an enigmatic author who has submitted his work to the publisher where Daisy is working. The thing is, she does not remember seeing that work before in her slush pile, and it is unlike all the other submissions. She “discovered” it while recovering her stack of strewn manuscripts in the train and proceeds to read until she is completely blown away by the story. That’s the background to William and Daisy’s online interaction. William’s story is strangely familiar to Daisy, though. Readers will discover who this mysterious William really is as they read along.
What did you like least?
Actually, it is more like “who” I like least: Miles, Daisy’s hesitant boyfriend. He does not want to go public for fear of jeopardizing his career as a literary agent. Daisy’s good friends, Heidi and Amelie, have many times “analyze” her relationship with Miles but she does not want to believe that Miles is simply not into her. He gets in touch in with her whenever he feels like it.
What did you think of the main character?
I relate well to Daisy because she is also an assistant like me. The difference is that she is an editorial assistant and I am a personal assistant. She is very organized in her work and ensures that she is personal in her dealings with people. For example, she will send out personalized rejection letters that will show the publisher has actually read their work instead of just throwing them out. She is totally unlike any of the snobbish assistants in The Devil Wears Prada. Sure, her boss gives her hell but this is still a lot better.
Daisy is head over heels over her boyfriend Miles, but that guy does not want to make their relationship public. She continues to harbor that hope. And then Elliot shows up as a workie (an unpaid worker) in her office and she takes him under her wings. They get along really well.
And, oh yes, you can also feel Daisy’s love for reading. She reads at hyper-speed, and—as many book lovers would know—gets totally absorbed into a story until time and place no longer matter.
What about the ending?
I enjoyed it very much. It is a fast and fun read.
Would you recommend this book?
Yes.
Should anyone NOT be encouraged to read it? Why?
Read it by all means.
Would you read more books by this author?
Yes.
Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books?
I have read the author’s first novel Step On It, Cupid; do check out the book review here. I have enjoyed that one and will not hesitate to read more of Lorelei Mathias’ works in the future.
Would you re-read the book?
Maybe.
