Lisa Souza

In her debut novel, Beauty and the Bridesmaid, author Lisa Souza weaves an entertaining tale that follows Dot Lindell's transformational journey from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.

Dot's story is written in a dramatic style with a touch of dark humor. The reader follows Dot as she takes extreme measures to transform her external features, and become a new woman through surgery, diet, exercise, and a wardrobe makeover. But alas ... Dot's journey has its trials and tribulations, and along the way she discovers that external appearances are only superficial and can be changed, but it doesn't change the person inside, or the important relationships that she has with others, and it won't help achieve the acceptance and love that she so desperately seeks.

Beauty and the Bridesmaid is a story that delves into self image and societal perceptions. I loved that the author weaves a tale that intertwines humor with a serious women's issue that every woman can relate to. While I found myself laughing and cringing as I followed Dot's journey, I couldn't help but also ponder the underlying message of the issue of self image and societal perceptions. What woman hasn't been in Dot's shoes at sometime in her life? But would you go the lengths that Dot did to transform herself, when all that really counts is the quality of your inner person?

Beauty and the Bridesmaid is a thought provoking and humorous story about one woman who faces her insecurities, and along the way finds and accepts her true self.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/03/beauty-and-bridesmaid-by-lisa-...… (altro)

I thoroughly enjoyed "Beauty and the Bridesmaid." It was a journey about a woman who transformed her life through surgery, diet, and exercise. I thought the story could have developed a little more, or it could have even been broken it into two books. because I would have enjoyed reading a second book about the continuing evolution of the life of Dot. It made the reader think about how appearances are only superficial, yet we try to achieve looks to get jobs, relationships, and sometimes use it as a form of security. Dot was very sarcastic, and I found myself giggling along with the book a few times. Dot was witty and it made me intrigued to keep reading to see how Dot was going to overcome her circumstances. It is a story that I can see truly happening in the real world, so it was a nice change of pace from romance novels that are normally far fetched. Overall, the book was a good read, but had a few grammatical errors.… (altro)