In the realistic fiction book, Cheating at Solitaire by Ally Carter, Julia James is a self-help guru for single women. She is famous for being single. So when the press gets a shot of her and hottie Lance Collins, an out-of-work actor, walking out of FAO Schwartz together, she thinks her world is over. They go into hiding in Julia’s hometown, in Oklahoma. Nina (Julia’s friend) and Caroline (Julia’s sister) decide to redo Julia’s guestroom. They accidentally throw away a box filled with Julia’s old books, even her Victoria White books that she wrote before her non-fiction career got off the ground. These happen to be mushy gushy romance books, which is what Julia is telling single women around the country they don’t need, so if these get out she is doomed. Unfortunately, Caroline’s neighbor gets ahold of the box. Will they get the script back in time, or will Julia’s world as she knows it, end?
This story is written in first person point-of-view, and that really helps you understand the story. You get to see how throughout the story Julia’s feelings for Lance develop. Julia is having a war inside of her. Half of her wants to forget about the rest of the world and go out with Lance. But then the other half of her wants to keep with her career and forget about him. I loved this book. This was the second time I read it and there were still a lot of surprises. It was filled with suspense, romance, and comedy. I think Ally Carter did an amazing job, and I recommend this book to teens and adults looking for an entertaining book.