The Corset Diaries

... by Katie MacAlister

This was an easy read, definite chic lit. It's a book about a woman in the states who is roped into a reality TV show in England. It's right before the show starts, and the lead woman backed out. They needed a duchess, and Tessa's friend convinced her to take the role. The setting is an old Victorian home, with her as the duchess, and a very handsome man as the duke. The participants in the reality series had to act as if they were in the Victorian times during this month. No cell phones, no electricity, no modern medicine, etc.

Tessa, on her first meeting with her duke, has had too many drinks. She throws up on his shoes. The first day of filming, Tessa is introduced to a corset. Her second meeting with her duke was no less embarrassing with an episode of gas.

The character of Tessa is quite funny. She's a larger lady, and feels she just doesn't fit in. She tries to win over her servants, her new TV step daughter, her duke. But, as the only American in this British setting, she finds she's offending people just with her presence.

The book tends to drag a bit, but it was a really cute story. If you like chit lit, you may like this book. It has a lovely, happy ending. The characters were interesting. It was a good, mindless book.