Jo Piazza

Pure escapist fun -- dressed in Versace.

Imogen Tate, well-respected 42-year old Editor in Chief of Glossy magazine, returns from a 6 month medical leave to find that her former assistant (and newly minted Harvard MBA) Eve has convinced the magazine publishers to cease the printed magazine and turn the entire operation into an e-commerce app. Imogen struggles to understand the rapidly changing technology and her relevance in the new corporate structure, while Eve is determined to turn the staff against Imogen and do whatever it takes to push her out of the company.

The two characters are foils. Imogen is Oscar de la Renta -- classic, polished, and timeless, no matter what the latest tech craze of the day might be. Eve is Forever 21 -- bold, eye-catching, but at the end of the day just too cheap and tawdry.

We all know how this is going to end, right? But that's okay. We don't read books like "The Knockoff" because they're the next "To Kill a Mockingbird". We read them because they're just plain enjoyable.

Do I have quibbles? Sure. Imogen is portrayed as an absolute tech neophyte upon her return to work after a 6 month absence. As the Editor in Chief of a major magazine, she would undoubtedly have to have known the basics such as Instagram, Gmail, etc. Eve is a one-note character that rhymes with "witch". However, she was formerly Imogen's trustworthy assistant, and in that role they each had each other's backs. Eve becomes such a sociopath after getting her MBA,and it's totally incongruous with who she was before. This abrupt change in character really doesn't make much sense.

Quibbles aside, "The Knockoff" is an entertaining read, particularly for those whose guilty pleasure is fashion. Grab your Kate Spade sunglasses, your favorite drink, and read on!

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.



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Sara Marsala’s life is falling apart — her marriage is over, her business closed, and now her beloved aunt who raised her has died. But Aunt Rosie left Sara with a deed to some land in Sicily and made her promise to go and research the family mystery surrounding her namesake, her grandmother, Sarafina. Told in alternating POVs from Sara and Sarafina, The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza follows Sara’s journey while revealing Sarafina’s secrets. Ridiculous plot points and unnecessary characters aside, Piazza’s tale will keep readers looking for an easy and fun “beach” style read very happy.… (more)

Sara has lost her restaurant and then she lost her husband. She is truly at a crossroads. So, when her beloved aunt passes away and leaves her a letter telling her to head to Sicily. Sara jumps at it! Sicily and her family heritage end up being a bit more than she bargained for.

Sara is a character that is a bit lost and I loved her! Then there is her grandmother, Serafina. Serafina’s tale begins in the early 1900s. She is a healer…but it is complicated. Sara needs to find out what happened to her to gain her inheritance.

I enjoy a novel with dual timelines and this one is right in my wheelhouse. The only reason for the 4 star rating, it slows down a bit in the middle. I wanted this to unfold quicker. But, the atmospheric setting and the family secrets are not to be ignored!

Need a good family mystery tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.… (more)

When Sara's adored great aunt died, she left her a ticket to to Sicily and paved the way for her to explore the family history and mysteries there. The timing was auspicious, since Sara's marriage was falling apart and she had been forced to close her restaurant. this novel moves back and forth between Sara's story in the present and the life of her great grandmother Serafina in Sicily in the early 1900's. Both women are strong and perceived as a threat to the status quo, which puts them in extreme danger. As Sara tries to learn about Serafina's murder so that she can claim her inherited land, she learns more than is safe about the culture of her ancestral village. The setting both past and present becomes quite vivid; because there are parallel characters in both times, i found that they became blended in my mind, leading to some confusion. I really liked the unexpected ending.… (more)