“Flipping” by Mary A. Ellenton follows young mortgage broker Faye Famaghetti as she becomes a red hot real-estate agent by capitalizing on the pre-2008 financial crisis housing boom, tears apart her family life as she cheats on her husband Genaro while involved with a seedy real-estate ex-broker who’s her mentor/lover Richie Califiano, and learns to satisfy her appetite for a successful career and partner despite deceiving customers and going out with a man who already has a live-in girlfriend. You can kind of see where this is going. The book follows the lead character’s career trajectory and love life in equal measure, while providing a poor girl-willing-to-become-rich-and-happy-by-any-means context. The big thing I noticed about this book is its degree of realism. Even though this novel can be classified as chick lit, the main character is much more than that. Faye isn’t some lovey-dovey naïve character that is a popular choice for other novels of similar nature, but a strong female character who actively tries to change her life and then pays the price. The writing is very detail-driven, if a little lengthy, and follows several years in the lead character’s life. If you like complex characters and three-dimensional plots, not to mention if you like chick lit books in general, then this book may surprise you. The lead character is one of these personalities who stirs an interesting combination of love/hate/fascination. Published by M.A.E. January 2012.
