Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring my current read, The Temp by Michelle Frances.  The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.

 

Beginning:  Part One - Carrie

Sunday, May 14

"Eight's your lucky number," murmured Carrie in Adrian's ear, making sure her lips were hidden from the TV camera that was pointing at them.  She kept her expression humble and nonchalant while she gazed up at the screens showing clips from the shows nominated for Best Screenplay.  

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Page 56:  "My job won't be temporary forever," she said brightly to her small audience, privately thinking: why can't they just be pleased for me?

 

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My thoughts:  This story drew me in immediately.  Carrie and Adrian, a married couple who work in television, appear to have it all: successful careers, an expensive sports car, and homes in London and on the British coast.  But their seemingly perfect world is suddenly threatened by the arrival of Emma, an office temp.

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From Goodreads:  Wanted: Assistant to provide maternity cover for high-powered TV producer. Must be bright, creative, with killer instincts.

Emma would do anything to work for the woman who has the job she wants. Carrie is at the top of her game, with a dream career, a baby on the way, and a handsome screenwriter husband. For Emma, with parents who don't understand her ambition and a serious misstep behind her, this temp position might be her last chance.

Carrie has given up more than anyone knows to get to the top of a ruthless business. She won't give up this baby too. But with Emma filling in for her at the office, her perfect life starts to unravel. Her bank account is inexplicably overdrawn, her husband seems strangely distant and colleagues are all too happy to take Emma's creative direction. Carrie finds herself dying to get back to work . . . until a letter left at her door changes everything.

Trust and fear trade places in a love triangle that defies readers' expectations at every turn.  

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.