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Elisabeth Page has spent her life in the shadows. The daughter of literary icon Ben Page and the sister of literary up-and-comer Rascal Page, Elisabeth is used to quietly standing in the background at her brother’s readings or her mother’s high-society fundraisers. At 30, Elisabeth is stuck in a five-year plan that’s become more of a 12-year plan, and she’s found herself in yet another shadow—working as a pastry chef under a domineering head chef. As for relationships, there’s Will, her childhood friend, confidante, and fellow wandering soul, whose constant jet-setting as a journalist means that their relationship is undefined—and their times together are few and far between.
Elisabeth knows that there’s got to be something more to life—but she’s spent so much time in the shadows that she’s not sure how to step out on her own. So when she meets down-to-earth basketball coach Daniel Sullivan—a guy who’s the exact opposite of every other guy she’s ever known—she isn’t sure how to deal with her feelings for him. And when she’s handed the career opportunity of a lifetime, she proceeds with extreme caution and disbelief.
Like Palmer’s debut, Coversations with the Fat Girl, Seeing Me Naked is light and enjoyable—as well as refreshingly honest. It may be chick lit—and it may be a bit predictable at times—but it’s smart and witty, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Palmer’s easy-going style may make Seeing Me Naked entertaining—but her talent for creating realistic, likeable characters makes it memorable. Elisabeth is a character that you’ll love from the beginning. She’s talented and ambitious, but she’s incredibly insecure—thanks to her overpowering, crazy-making family. And you don’t have to be a gourmet pastry chef with a famous dad to be able to relate to her hopes and her fears.
As with her family relationships, Elisabeth’s relationship with Daniel isn’t always black-and-white. It’s not that love-at-first-sight, happily-ever-after kind of fairy tale relationship. And while it sometimes feels a bit cliché, it’s still a complex relationship between two very different people—and it doesn’t always go smoothly. And as the two of them struggle to get to know each other—and to understand each other—you’ll smile because you’ve gone through the same things.
Seeing Me Naked is a sweet and clever novel that will definitely make you laugh—but it might just make you cry, too. It’s funny yet touching, and it’s surprisingly real. Seeing Me Naked definitely a great read—and Liza Palmer is definitely an author to watch.
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