Browne, Hester

PERSONAL:

Hobbies and other interests: Baking and collecting etiquette books.

ADDRESSES:

Home—London and Herefordshire, England. Agent—Lizzy Kremer, David Higham Associates, 5-8 Lower John St., Golden Sq., London W1F 9HA, England.

CAREER:

Writer, novelist, and journalist.

WRITINGS:

"LITTLE LADY" SERIES; NOVELS

The Little Lady Agency, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2005, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Little Lady, Big Apple, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2007.

The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2008.

SIDELIGHTS:

Hester Browne's first novel is a modern-day Cinderella tale featuring Melissa Romney-Jones, a just-fired, just-dumped doormat of a woman. Melissa decides to capitalize on her organizational skills by launching the London-based Little Lady Agency, in which she becomes a Jill-of-all-trades to busy bachelors who do not have the time to tend to their domestic and social chores. Because she loathes her high-profile family, including her scandal-prone father who is a Member of Parliament, Melissa embarks on her new career by donning a blonde wig and inventing the alter ego Honey Blennerhesket, a 1950s-inspired persona who seeks the traditional twin prizes of love and money. However, Melissa's true identity is threatened when an American client, Jonathan Riley, invites her to her own sister's wedding, and she must learn to fight for her own liberation instead of relying on others for her happiness.

Although a writer for Kirkus Reviews considered the book "escapism for anglophiles," Lisa O'Hara, writing in Library Journal, called The Little Lady Agency a "constantly entertaining story," and a writer for Publishers Weekly appreciated a narrative that is "crackling with Brit chick wit." When Jonathan falls in love with Honey, the book becomes "a postmodern discourse on the whole nature of identity," wrote Debra Pickett in the Chicago Sun-Times, who concluded that "fortunately, this discourse is well-disguised as farce."

In Little Lady, Big Apple, Melissa is disrupted from her home when her roommate Nelson tells her she has to leave so that the apartment can be renovated. Still dating Jonathan Riley, Melissa is unsure what to do until he invites her to accompany him to New York on an extended business trip. She agrees, believing that she can run her agency from afar with the help of her friend Gaby and her sister, Allegra. Melissa eagerly sets out to experience life in the glamorous big city. Her trip is tainted somewhat by the knowledge that Jonathan's ex-wife, Cindy, also lives in New York, but she is determined not to let that spoil her trip. Her life becomes more complicated, however, when she runs into Godric Ponsonby, a British actor she once had a fling with while in high school. Ponsonby's agent hopes that Melissa's professional talents can help install some class and responsibility into the actor, but when she takes on the task, friction erupts between her and Jonathan. Tabloid gossip suggests a more than professional link between Melissa and Ponsonby, and Jonathan seems to be spending more time than necessary to settle some business matters with his ex-wife. Soon, Melissa's relationship with Jonathan begins to sour, even as business troubles arise at home through the apparent neglect of Gaby and Allegra. Fearing the worst for her relationship and business, Melissa heads back to England but discovers that all hope for romance has not yet been extinguished.

"Lighthearted and full of funny moments, Browne's second novel is sure to charm fans of her first," stated Kristine Huntley in a Booklist review. "A scrumptious treat. Browne has managed to spruce up her writing for this second installment," remarked a Kirkus Reviews contributor. O'Hara, in another Library Journal review, noted that "Chick-lit fans will enjoy this fast-paced and entertaining book." A Publishers Weekly critic called Browne's "Little Lady" series "a bright spot in a bloated genre."

Browne's "Little Lady" series continues with the third installment, The Little Lady Agency and the Prince. In this volume, Melissa is engaged to her American boyfriend Jonathan and the two are planning their wedding. At the same time, Melissa must plan their move to Paris, where Jonathan's business is expanding, a decision that means she will have to reduce her own agency work. However, when she takes on a new client, a prince who is heir to a small country and whose playboy ways are in major need of taming, Melissa cannot resist the challenge and throws herself into the new job. Suddenly her relationship with Jonathan appears to be in difficulty, and Melissa also finds herself seeing her roommate Nelson in a new light. So which man is the right one for her? A reviewer for Publishers Weekly showered warm praise on this latest installment, remarking that "Browne is in great form in this page-turning love story, and Melissa is as endearing and empowering as ever." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews commented: "Tossing three men into the mix dilutes Browne's normally potent wit. Yet it remains impossible to become disenchanted with Melissa." Library Journal writer Stacey Hayman wrote: "From start to finish, this tale is a joy to read."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 15, 2007, Kristine Huntley, review of Little Lady, Big Apple, p. 34.

Chicago Sun-Times, January 29, 2006, Debra Pickett, review of The Little Lady Agency, p. 1155.

Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2005, review of The Little Lady Agency, p. 1155; November 15, 2006, review of Little Lady, Big Apple, p. 1141; November 15, 2007, review of The Little Lady Agency and the Prince.

Library Journal, December 1, 2005, Lisa O'Hara, review of The Little Lady Agency, p. 110; February 1, 2007, Lisa O'Hara, review of Little Lady, Big Apple, p. 61; November 15, 2007, Stacey Hayman, review of The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, p. 48.

Publishers Weekly, November 21, 2005, review of The Little Lady Agency, p. 25; November 13, 2006, review of Little Lady, Big Apple, p. 33; November 5, 2007, review of The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, p. 41.