Lucy's Launderette

Rating:
Summary: An average chick lit!
Review: "Lucy's Launderette" deals with Lucy, whose life was not going anywhere as her job at an Art Gallery was anything but inspiring, her love life was at a standstill and her beloved grandfather, Jeremy, recently died. Not to mention, she has a psychotic brother who is constantly terrorizing her. After Jeremy died, he left a note for Lucy to take care of his pregnant girlfriend, Connie. Both Lucy and Connie do not get along well but each needed the other to get through the tough times together. Soon, Lucy quits her job at the gallery and decided to run Jeremy's run down launderette and she has an idea to transform it.

"Lucy's Launderette" was extremely slow at the beginning. There wasn't a concrete storyline that keeps the readers mesmerized or wanting for more. In fact, the first half of the book was slow, dragging a little, and quite uninteresting. Not to mention, half way through the book, I was wondering when does the "launderette" part come, because afterall, it is supposed to be about Lucy's Launderette. In addition, this book lacks humor and it can be a bit dull. It does pick up a little at the end. In conclusion, this book is average and I think there are definitely better ones out there.

Rating:
Summary: A fun, quirky seriocomic novel!
Review: Again, Red Dress Ink scores big with its latest installment. Lucy's Launderette is a unique, albeit quirky, seriocomic novel about a young woman who should've come of age long ago.

Lucy's life goes to pieces after her grandfather dies. All of her troubles -- an unstable brother who stalks her; a stoic, bonkbusting roommate; a non-existent love life -- increase tenfold. To make matters worse, she has to keep the promise she'd made to her grandfather about looking after his eccentric girlfriend and his launderette business. However, the aforementioned plights might just turn her life around...

Betsy Burke's language is rather unique and refreshing. The voice and dialogue are sharp and crisp, even dark at times. I must admit, however, that the novel's setting (Vancouver) and jazzy cover had sealed the deal before I even started the first chapter. I'm glad it turned out to be such fun, enhancing read. I await RDI installments with utmost anticipation. Highly recommended...

Rating:
Summary: Really Smart and Different
Review: Another winner from the long list of Red Dress Ink books. With so many wonderful and talented American authors out there --- it's so nice to them getting recognized and discussed.

Betsy Burke's "Lucy's Launderette" is a hilarious and really weird romp into the world of stalker brothers, pot head roommates and deceased grandparents. It's a refreshing tale of redemption and getting on with your life. I found it fun, quirky and really unique. Loved the backdrop and thought that Burke's talent was really highlighted in the way she does dialog.

Love it and would recommend to others!

Cheers!

Rating:
Summary: Really Smart and Different
Review: Another winner from the long list of Red Dress Ink books. With so many wonderful and talented American authors out there --- it's so nice to them getting recognized and discussed.

Betsy Burke's "Lucy's Launderette" is a hilarious and really weird romp into the world of stalker brothers, pot head roommates and deceased grandparents. It's a refreshing tale of redemption and getting on with your life. I found it fun, quirky and really unique. Loved the backdrop and thought that Burke's talent was really highlighted in the way she does dialog.

Love it and would recommend to others!

Cheers!

Rating:
Summary: One of RDI winners
Review: I enjoyed the change of scenery for one of RDI books. Having been to Vancouver B.C. many times, I recognized many of the locations. Lucy's story wasn't as shallow as some of the other RDI books are. I really liked the way Lucy's character grew up and the quirkiness of the other characters was charming (June, Winky, Reebee). I'm glad I picked this up. After Thin Pink Line and Carrie Pilby, I didn't want to read any more RDI.

Rating:
Summary: deep look at a person at the crossroads of a major decision
Review: In Vancouver, at not quite thirty, Lucy Madison wonders why her life feels it's in perpetual spin cycle. Her roommate, a voluptuous towering Viking, has a man a night while Lucy has a man a century. Her job at the Rogues Art Gallery is to hold up the sculptures so that they stand perfectly erect though male phallic symbols (all the exhibited work) seems as hard as her boss nasty Nadine. Her biker grandfather committed suicide with one last drive into the sunset instead of cancer therapy. He willed her his launderette and to take care of his squeeze of six years, Connie the Vegas stripper who is pregnant with Lucy's future aunt or uncle. Lucy's lover is a bore, her brother has escaped from the nut house in his Superman costume and stalks Lucy, and her father has lost it.

Surrounded by crazies, losers, and bloodsuckers, Lucy needs a dramatic change or she will become her sibling's tights wearing sidekick in the loony farm. She sees the launderette that her grandfather left her as the ticket to rinse her life anew, but will she take the chance of starting a fresh cycle?

Though Lucy's troubles seem minor in the scheme of life, she is a fresh individual poorly coping with those infringing in her sphere, which is why she is considering changing her lifestyle. The story line is amusing with serious undertones that sometimes get lost in Lucy's laments. Still Betsy Burke provides a solid look at a person at the crossroads of major decision making as Lucy wonders is that all there is?

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: deep look at a person at the crossroads of a major decision
Review: In Vancouver, at not quite thirty, Lucy Madison wonders why her life feels it's in perpetual spin cycle. Her roommate, a voluptuous towering Viking, has a man a night while Lucy has a man a century. Her job at the Rogues Art Gallery is to hold up the sculptures so that they stand perfectly erect though male phallic symbols (all the exhibited work) seems as hard as her boss nasty Nadine. Her biker grandfather committed suicide with one last drive into the sunset instead of cancer therapy. He willed her his launderette and to take care of his squeeze of six years, Connie the Vegas stripper who is pregnant with Lucy's future aunt or uncle. Lucy's lover is a bore, her brother has escaped from the nut house in his Superman costume and stalks Lucy, and her father has lost it.

Surrounded by crazies, losers, and bloodsuckers, Lucy needs a dramatic change or she will become her sibling's tights wearing sidekick in the loony farm. She sees the launderette that her grandfather left her as the ticket to rinse her life anew, but will she take the chance of starting a fresh cycle?

Though Lucy's troubles seem minor in the scheme of life, she is a fresh individual poorly coping with those infringing in her sphere, which is why she is considering changing her lifestyle. The story line is amusing with serious undertones that sometimes get lost in Lucy's laments. Still Betsy Burke provides a solid look at a person at the crossroads of major decision making as Lucy wonders is that all there is?

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Great plot ideas...but story falls short
Review: Plot originality flows through this Red Dress Ink selection. We have insane family members, a traveling gnome, a temperamental artist, and a Harley riding grandfather, just to name a few. Lucy is in the center of them all. Typical of the genre, Lucy is young and free and trying to find her place in the world. The title indicates where her place will be, but the plot takes too long in getting us there.

Lucy's brother Dirk is constantly threatening her, but this is never fully developed or resolved. Lucy falls in love with her brother's caseworker, and this character (Sam) suffers the same fate. Burke just has too many sub-plots going for the depth and length of this novel.

Great ideas, but the story rushes to a happy ending without showing readers how the characters really grow or get there.

Rating:
Summary: Great plot ideas...but story falls short
Review: Plot originality flows through this Red Dress Ink selection. We have insane family members, a traveling gnome, a temperamental artist, and a Harley riding grandfather, just to name a few. Lucy is in the center of them all. Typical of the genre, Lucy is young and free and trying to find her place in the world. The title indicates where her place will be, but the plot takes too long in getting us there.

Lucy's brother Dirk is constantly threatening her, but this is never fully developed or resolved. Lucy falls in love with her brother's caseworker, and this character (Sam) suffers the same fate. Burke just has too many sub-plots going for the depth and length of this novel.

Great ideas, but the story rushes to a happy ending without showing readers how the characters really grow or get there.

Rating:
Summary: pretty good --- needed to develop peripheral characters
Review: The basis of this book is good -- Lucy and her best friend Sky are vividly painted. It starts with Lucy's beloved grandfather Jeremy driving his motorcycle into a ravine. Turns out he did it on purpose -- and has left a letter to Lucy to look after Connie, his live-in girlfriend whom he picked up in Las Vehas. Lucy and her family barely know her, but Lucy does not really like her.

Her father, Jeremy's son, is taking his dad's death badly -- his mom ran off when he was a child. Whereas before he had rebelled by being a Bible-thumping straitlaced person, he assumes Jeremy's lifestyle by buying a Harley Davidson and hanging around biker bars. I say, good for him!!!

Lucy's mother has no grip on reality when it comes to the fact that Lucy's brother Dirk has no grip on reality. He follows Lucy leaving death threats. This is scary!!! Sam Trelawny is Dirk's caseworker who has to recapture him.

All of this, plus Lucy's lovelife and job for a dragon-lady at an art gallery -- where Lucy dreams of returning to her own artwork --- is enough for a book. But peripheral characters are dropped in and not really attend to, like Lucy's college friend Jacques who is hung up on some girl named Madeline for years. He goes to Easter dinner with Lucy then disappears till almost the end of the book. When he reappears, it's like "were we supposed to care about him????"

That and the fact that Lucy doesn't even go anywhere near the launderette for the first 200 pages. It was a rather disjointed read.