Chick Lit Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Title: Someday, Someday, Maybe
Author: Lauren Graham
Publisher: Random House Canada
Publication date: April 30, 2013

Genre(s): Chick Lit (Contemporary)

Source: Publisher

Format: Finished Copy

Pages: 344

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Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works.

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. 

I love Gilmore Girls. Yes I know, this isn't related to Gilmore Girls except for the tiny fact that the author of Someday, Someday, Maybe played Lorelei in Gilmore Girls. I know I probably shouldn't relate her work with Gilmore Girls but I can't lie and say I didn't pick this book up for the sole reason that the author is Lauren Graham, because that is the reason. Still, I really enjoy reading chick lits and when I read the synopsis I knew this was something I might enjoy. 

and I did enjoy it. It was definitely a different book from the usual YA or romantic chick lits I've read in the past. Someday, Someday, Maybe follows the struggle of Franny to becoming an actress in 1995. Franny reminded me SO MUCH of the main protagonists in Sophie Kinsella's books. They are funny, quirky, don't have a brain to mouth filter, and get themselves in the most ridiculous and embarrassing situations but miraculously always come out of it bolder and with their chin held high. This is why I loved Franny so much. I loved her dedication to her work and especially her Filofax entries (even if her handwriting was a bit hard to read!).

There are two problems that I had with this book, the first being the somewhat draggy plot in the middle of the novel and the next is the romance. I didn't care much about it because I didn't like the love interest and just who Franny was around him. Still, this isn't about the romance and it is about Franny and her struggle and ups and downs of trying to make it as an actor in New York in the 1990s. I do have to say that I really liked Franny's roommates and friends. They were very supportive and always had her back. Someday, Someday, Maybe is a great debut by Graham and I wonder how much of Franny's experiences actually apply to her life. I can't wait to read more by Graham because she clearly is a fantastic story teller.