Badass Bloggettes: ***REVIEW *** THE CORSET MAKER by by K.T. Frederick

Most girls love wearing elaborate costumes and sultry corsets, but twenty-one-year-old Amelia Jacobs prefers cinching waists and creating perfect hourglass figures for her models and actresses. Jobs for costume designers in New York City are few and far between, so Amelia waits tables to pay her bills.

Everyone wants the elusive Julien Wolfe to direct their film, but he refuses to speak to anyone about his troubled past in Hollywood royalty. Wolfe’s next blockbuster is Amelia’s dream commission: a bodice-ripping time-travel film. But a lot of designers are vying for the job, and they’d be only too happy to see Amelia come apart at the seams.

Three days before her pitch, a perilous mistake forces Amelia to take desperate (and indecent) measures to land the deal and avoid eviction. And that’s just one of her problems.

Just when things can’t possibly get worse, Amelia does the worst thing of all and falls for the emotionally unreachable director.

I like it. This little novella of seventy-eight pages is a great introduction to what could very well be a great story. The Corset Maker is told from Amelia’s point of view. This technique puts the reader right inside Amelia's head to feel what she feels and see what she sees. Ms. Frederick did an excellent job roping me into the story by developing completely believable and fun characters. There is just enough mystery and back stabbing mixed with loving, fun and sexy characters that I feel pain, joy, anxiety while I cheer for Amelia to strike back and succeed.

Julien Wolfe is the very hot hero. He is a successful director who writes poetry and Amelia has worshiped him from afar for a long time. Now Julien has an eye for Amelia after a very unexpected meeting on the red carpet. He has a back story that is introduced in this novella with a tease of more to come. At this point it is hard to tell what he feels for Amelia. Is he using her or is he really interested in more? Julien not only has the ability to capture Amelia’s heart but there is the potential for him to make or break her career.

The support characters are attention-grabbing and add depth and intrigue to the story. Chloe, Amelia’s best friend and business partner, is the perfect character to and an outside viewpoint to Amelia’s struggles with her career and family. Their interactions are often funny while supportive.

Derek Wiggleby is a former employer who is set on making Amelia’s life miserable. His character is a good depiction of a backstabbing jerk and misogynist. I can’t wait to see how his storyline is going to play out but where it stands now I’m ready to punch his lights out. Building the reader’s anger is the sign of a good storyteller.

Claudia Worthington, Amelia’s mother, is an exciting character that I’m still trying to figure out. At this point I’m not sure if she is on Amelia’s side, jealous of her daughter, or a bad mother. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

This is the first book in a series. I don’t like series. This is a major pet peeve of mine and usually is an immediate star downgrade. I don’t understand why an author finds it necessary to string together a series of 70 to 80 page novellas instead of giving us the complete story in one book. Right now all I can tell you is there is another book due out in December 2015 and, what might be the final segment in January 2016. If The Corset Maker book 1 is an indication of what is coming I can't wait.

Ms Frederick has excellent writing skills. I'm impressed with this debut novella and I want to see what her next books will bring. .

I really recommend The Corset Maker to everyone who likes a good quick book.that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

4.30 STAMPS