What A Girl Wants

From domestic goddess to desperate housewife, What a Girl Wants? explores the importance and centrality of postfeminism in contemporary popular culture. Focusing on a diverse range of media forms, including film, TV, advertising and journalism, Diane Negra holds up a mirror to the contemporary female subject who finds herself centralized in commodity culture to a largely unprecedented degree at a time when Hollywood romantic comedies, chick-lit, and female-centred primetime TV dramas all compete for her attention and spending power. The models and anti-role models analyzed in the book include the chick flick heroines of princess films, makeover movies and time travel dramas, celebrity brides and bravura mothers, ‘Runaway Bride’ sensation Jennifer Wilbanks, the sex workers, flight attendants and nannies who maintain such a high profile in postfeminist popular culture, the authors of postfeminist panic literature on dating, marriage and motherhood and the domestic gurus who propound luxury lifestyling as a showcase for the ‘achieved’ female self.

Praise for Lindsey Kelk ‘So uplifting and wildly romantic’ MARIAN KEYES ‘I fell head over heels in love’ BEATH O’LEARY ‘The kind of book you can’t put down, but also want to last forever’ EMILY HENRY ‘The literary equivalent to opening a glass of wine with your best friend’ MHAIRI MCFARLANE

Ever felt like the last item left on the clearance rack? As a successful patent attorney, Ashley Stockingdale has all the makings of a perfect catch: the looks, the brains, even a convertible. But at 31, she's beginning to wonder if she's been passed over for good. Deciding to adopt a new attitude, Ashley suddenly becomes the romantic interest of three men within a matter of days. While her heart enjoys turning the tables on the dating game, the rest of her previously predictable world is being turned upside down. Is it more than Ashley can handle? Or is it exactly what she wants? Award-wining author Kristin Billerbeck combines comedy with spunk to create a memorable story in What a Girl Wants—an all-too-realistic picture of a single girl's search for being content with who she is . . . with or without a man.

Sarah has spent her whole life fighting against her father’s wishes. She doesn’t care about his old beliefs and traditions; she just wants to go to college. Sarah’s determined to do something with her life that doesn’t involve baking pies and being a good wife, and she’s convinced that with enough hard work, she’ll manage it all. That is, until she gets put on a class assignment with Robert Hasting who seems intent on causing trouble in her life in more ways than one. Robert is sick of his father telling him what to do and who to date. When he leaves for college, he promises himself that he’s finally going to have some fun. That is, until he meets Sarah. She’s everything that Robert has ever wanted, but can he make her notice him when all she seems to care about is coursework?

Hayley Jane Smith finds herself falling for the handsome detective investigating a murder in which she has become a suspect, as her three best friends come to her aid with advice about life, love, and pursuing one's goals.

Friendship is overrated, if you ask her She's always just been one of the guys…until she falls in love with one of the guys. Except Bailey Sheppard has carried a torch for firefighter Ethan Bishop since high school. And now that his long-term girlfriend has left him brokenhearted, she's free to go after what she's always wanted. Not that Ethan sees Bailey as anything but a friend. A best friend maybe, but still not a woman he'd be interested in. Pining for his ex has made him blind to the possibility of happiness with anyone else…. But can Ethan resist a woman who knows what she wants?

Bible teacher Harper leads women through the Song of Solomon in this modern take on the classic Bible Study. Using current day examples, humor, and personal anecdotes, she shows the portrait of perfect love and intimacy.