Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow
April 6, 2010
Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 336 Pages
Berkley Trade
Reviewed by Tori

What if you were a celeb look a like?  In Just Like Me Only Better, Ms Shaw takes us on a humorous tongue in cheek journey through the life of a celeb look alike who soon finds that life in the fast line isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Poor Veronica has had a hard year. She’s a twenty-nine year old single mom who’s husband has divorced her for an older woman,
her job sucks, and her overbearing landlord thinks she’s acquired a slave opposed to a tenet. Veronica has been told she looks like pop star Haley Rush for years but thought nothing of it until she is approached by Haley’s manager with a proposition. He would pay her $100 an hour to pretend to be Haley at certain functions.

Uhhhh…. YEA!!

Veronica agrees and is soon swept into the Hollywood world of hair extensions, lip syncing, and spray tanning gone wrong.

Just Like Me, Only Better is a pleasant read to be laying out in the sun and sipping Margarita’s.  Fast paced story line told in the tone of a gossip tabloid. Its told from Veronica’s point of view and had me as engrossed as the National Enquirer in the check out lane. (Yes, I read tabloids. So sue me.)

Everyone from Haley’s manager Jay to her pseudo boyfriend Brady has their own agenda where Haley is concerned. She’s their meal ticket so Veronica’s performance has to be top notch. When Veronica meets Haley, she sees is a twenty-something confused, unresponsive kid that has no control over anything in her life. From food to driving-Haley seems ruled by her entourage.

I saw a similarity between Haley and some of the young stars who are all in the news now. With the Gatorade vodkatinis (I gotta try that one) and Montana country girl references; it made me think hard about what some of those young girls go through to be stars. Maybe their crazy behavior is more due to the demands of their life style then being prima donnas.

But Haley isn’t as docile as she seems and is hell bent on reclaiming her life on her terms. As Veronica tries being “Haley” she also has to deal with still being “Veronica”. Which becomes harder to do as she becomes more immersed into Haley’s life. When she is mistaken for Haley in a compromising position; real life interrupts and she suddenly realizes that being Veronica Czaplicki isn’t that bad after all. Ms Shaw doesn’t sugar coat Veronica’s behavior. We see her accepting the perks of Haley’s star power along with everyone else and not making good choices. But Veronica handles it well with plenty of tart humor and self depreciation. I will definitely read more of Ms. Shaw’s work.


Rating: 4/5

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Thanks Tori!