Angieville: THE BIKINI CAR WASH: (2010-09-01) 
A couple of months ago, a friend recommended I give Pamela Morsi's THE BIKINI CAR WASH a shot. The title (surprise, surprise) stuck in my head and I would find myself thinking of it and grinning at random times here and there. So when I noticed it was available on NetGalley, I went ahead and downloaded it to DH's Kindle to have on hand on our trip to D.C. earlier this month. I needed something different from what I'd been reading to sort of help me out of the world of the previous book, so to speak, and this contemporary women's fiction seemed like it might do the trick. I have never read anything by Morsi before and the only thing I knew going into this one was that it featured a former high powered businesswoman who, when she winds up back home in the small town where everyone knows her name, somehow opens up a rather unique car wash.

Andrea Wolkowicz is uncomfortable, confused, and in need of a job. Chafing at the ties that bind her to the small town of Plainview, she's walked out one too many job interviews knowing she wouldn't get the job because she was hideously overqualified. With an aging father and a developmentally challenged twin sister to look after, Andrea doesn't give herself much time to grieve over her mother's death. Determined to throw herself wholeheartedly at the task at hand until it conforms to a shape more to her liking, she goes down to clean out her father's old car wash business and has an idea. Along with a couple of other down-on-their-luck women in town, Andrea puts her considerable inhibitions aside and decides to open up Plainview's first Bikini Car Wash. That is what they'll call it and the name, well, it pretty well sums up exactly what the paying customers will get. Three women washing and detailing their cars while clad only in bikinis. It's a runaway hit and Andy begins to think about breathing normally again. Then popular boy turned family grocery store owner and operator Pete Guthrie stops in to say hi and things spiral downward from there. The city council is soon inundated by complaints from horrified citizens and Pete's dad's a prominent member of the council. Meanwhile, her dad's acting suspicious. Her sister's becoming more unmanageable. And Andy herself is engaging in what can only be termed a tryst with the town golden boy. What seemed like such a good idea has turned into a particularly messy can of worms and Andy's not sure she'll ever get the lid back on.

This is a very quick and easy read and I admit I thought the premise was hilarious. It promised light, pleasant fare when I needed it most. And I liked it all right. It just never crossed over into holding my attention and keeping it. Andy and Pete were cute, both fairly innocent and likable types who certainly deserved to find each other. But they never won me over. The townspeople and family members were plainly predictable and I just never cared about any of them enough to really invest enough of myself in the story to meet it in the middle, if you know what I mean. Most of the subplots felt cheesy and distracting more than anything else. The strongest aspect of the story--for me--was the burgeoning relationship between the three women who run the car wash itself. A waitress on the outs with her husband, a former grocery store employee/train wreck waiting to happen, and practical, reserved Andy. The three of them had literally one and only one thing in common, but found friendship working together in an environment they would normally find unthinkable. That was the real strength of the story and so naturally I wanted more from them and less of everything else. I believe a more in-depth exploration of that facet of the novel would have ensured my undivided attention. That said, I didn't bail but read it through to the end. Then I put it down knowing I wouldn't think about it again. Which proved to be the case. If you're in the mood for something along these lines but appreciate sophisticated writing and genuine charm and depth in your characters, give Sarah Addison Allen or Julie James a shot.

Sweet, Fun and Funny: (2010-08-31) 
The Bikini Car Wash by Pamela Morsi (Paperback - Jul 1, 2010)


This is the second of Ms Morsi's novels that I have read, and I have enjoyed this one as much as I have her last one - "Red's Hot Honky -Tonk Bar". Ms Morsi delights readers with her smart women characters that are stuck in situations that may break less their less strong sisters. And throwing in the hot, sexy, and hot (did I say that already? Well it bears repeating!) understanding man doesn't hurt matters either!

In "The Bikini Car Wash" we meet Andi Wolkowiucz who has returned to the small town of her youth to take care of her father Walt and specially challenged sister Jelly... She tries to find a job and in this economy we know they are few and far between. Luckily her dad just happens to still be in possession of his old car wash. And all it will need is some sprucing up and some clever marketing ideas to make a go at it.
And boy do her ideas throw the town into a tizzy! Women washing cars in their bathing suits! That's enough to have this Puritanical town thinking of riding Andi out of town on rails! Now throw in the sexy Pete who is the owner of the grocery store that sits next to the car wash and watch the sparks fly. (Watch for a scene with Pete and what he does to catch glimpses of the lovely bikini clad ladies from the window of the grocery store)

With a wonderful and at times hilarious story, engaging and very real main characters, complicated yet entertaining secondary characters. A moving subject that can bring you to tears at times and then spin you around with laughter...Ms Morsi has another winner on her hands.

predictable and blah: (2010-08-24) 
The story begins with Andrea Wolkowicz leaving her job to return to the small town she where she grew up. She is home to help her dad care for her disabled sister and maybe to ease her guilt at having been away when her mother died.

Andi struggles with fitting back in to her old life, finding a job, and finding her place again in her family. On the job front, Andi finds that even her impressive résumé will not help her get a job in a small town, in a bad economy. She spends a chapter or so moping about how overqualified she is and how fabulous she was in the big city and then realizes she needs to get creative if she is going to sell herself in this town. As a last resort, Andi comes up with a scheme to start up her father's old car wash business... but this time, with a twist - a bikini car wash. Oh the scandal....

The rest of the story is pretty predictable. Girl angers town, struggles with family, business, love life... And of course in the end she overcomes all her struggles and life is rosy. Overall, lukewarm romance, predictable story line. Not a bad read, just nothing exciting.

Great Book: (2010-08-21) 
This was a great book and very funny.The heroine of the book is basically stranded by family commitments in the home town that she left many many years ago.She is way too over qualified for most of the jobs in the town and is therefore unemployable.She decides to reopen her father's old car wash with one very interesting twist which sets the town on its ear.The book is very funny and very poignant at times.It is a very good read if you need something fast and light

An eye full...: (2010-08-19) 
and the perfect end of the summer beach read!!! The Bikini Car Wash isn't what it really seems. I know some people will think, a bikini car wash? I don't want to read that! However, it goes beyond that. It is about fighting for something you want and believe in; finding out who you really are and love. I always love a good love story. Who doesn't? Pamela Morsi outdid herself with this one though!

I was stumped at first wondering what Pop was up to, sneaking around like that. I had my suspicions, but it was a surprise! Jelly is such a lovable character, with her Law & Order dialog. The romance between Pete and Andi was easy to see coming, but still very cute and romantic. I read this book in such a short time, Ms. Morsi writes with such ease you don't even realize how fast the pages fly by!

When Andi comes home to help take care of Jelly after their mom has passed, she applies for a job at Gutherie's Foods, to be only told she has too much experience. So her dad's old car wash has just been sitting there, wasting space. She goes in front of the town counsel to ask if she could get it rezoned for a coffee shop, only to be denied.

So she has a bit of help coming up with the bikini car wash; but they get it going. Despite a lot of people in town not wanting them to be clothed in so little -- In spite of all the negativity they end up pretty successful --

I will leave the rest for you to find out, you make sure you put this in your beach bag and take it with you, or on a long flight too! Enjoy!!!