I have loved previous Liza Palmer books, seriously go out and read Conversations with the Fat Girl and Seeing Me Naked. Some of her books I could not get into fully, see A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents and others I just didn't care for at all, see More Like Her.

I thought that Girl Before a Mirror was at times brilliant and other times frustrating. I really did love reading how Anna came to see romance novels as not something to be ashamed of, but something to celebrate and that the whole concept of "be your own heroine" is something that many women need to be in their day to day lives.

I did find the first few chapters a bit stilted at first, but after Anna meets Sasha and they begin their campaign idea together the book started flowing much better. Sadly, the times that Anna is with Lincoln the book seemed to turn itself into another book entirely so I often found those passages to also be super slow and they did not flow very well in my eyes.

There was another side plot going on with Anna having a very popular romance writer becoming her mentor but it seemed to fizzle out. I still can't understand how this woman was Anna's mentor. She seemed to just be a person that Ms. Palmer inserted to be Anna's fairy godmother.

I think the book would have worked much better without that being indulged in since the whole concept of this character coming along and doing what she does in the end took me completely out of the book. Everything else in the book I found to be very realistic except this part.

The idea that many women do sit and wait for that guy to come along and be our white knight instead of sitting up and being their own knight and then finding the guy was very thought provoking.

I at times read a passage in this book and would just find myself nodding along. Anna in a way is a perfect stand in for many women who have been through a marriage and divorce in their early 40s still trying to figure out what do they want. I thought her getting her eyes opened during a romance writer's conference was great and I loved that many people talked about how they were treated differently be people when they found out that they read romance novels. Also the parts dealing with women who are afraid to admit that they like the things that they do since they want to be thought of as smart as intelligent and not less than other people was a very good discussion.

However, to go from that aspect of this book to one in which Anna is trying to decide to just take a chance on Lincoln was in my eyes aggravating.

There was no real obstacle between Anna and Lincoln being together besides Anna's own self imposed obstacles she threw up so I was pretty much over the 'what are we going to do dance' she kept indulging in. One thing that always bugs me in romance novels is when the heroine and hero have no real reason to be kept apart, but the author keeps them apart to just lengthen the book. If the Anna/Lincoln relationship had been the only thing going on with this book I would have marked it down to 2 stars. However, besides Anna taking a hard look at her life and how to be her own heroine, I loved her friendship with Sasha and her finally acknowledging that her brother needs help. I did tear up at one key scene with Anna and her brother and I know exactly how she feels when you want to fix everything for your sibling, but know that you cannot.

In summary, I liked the writing, the character of Anna, and thought her romance with Lincoln actually took away from the overall book.

I also really love the idea of "be the heroine, find your hero".

Please note that I received this book via the Amazon Vine Program and this book will be released on January 27, 2015. ( )

Girl Before a Mirror, by Liza Palmer, is funny, witty and sensitive- all at the same time. Anna Wyatt, an advertising executive, finds herself immersed in the world of romance novels and the men who grace their covers. At the same time she struggles with family issues and with trying to find the life she wants for herself. The author has crafted a memorable story with a great cast of characters. This novel is an absolute pleasure to read!!! Highly recommended.

I received this book for free through LibraryThing and the opinions expressed are my own. ( )

Girl Before a Mirror by Liza Palmer left me wanting more from the author. The author puts the focus on Ann Wyatt, an account executive who wants more from life. She wants to be a success, she is glad to be divorced from a man that she never loved and she is almost forty years old.

Ann develops a friendship with a coworker, Sasha and tried to understand Sasha’s love for romance books and outlook on life. She is won over by one of Sasha’s self-help books, Be the Heroine, Find Your Hero. The insight that she got from the book becomes the focal point of the ad campaign for Luminex Shower Gel. Bumping up against male bias and crassness in the company that makes the product, Ann and Sasha partner strive to sell their ad campaign.

But reading the book about Ann’s new start in life and the ad campaign starts to seem chewed over too much and I lost interest. I think the book could have been shortened and it would have been improved.

On the more positive side, the character of Lincoln Mallory was very enticing and intriguing and I wanted more of him in the book. Also the part about her brother, Ferdie was excellent. So, if I had a magic wand, I would have expanded the emphasis on them.

So it was a bumpy ride for me when reading this book, I started to doze when Ann thought and talked to her friend about how she wanted to change her life and on the other hand, I wanted so much more of Ferdie and Lincoln. That leaves me sitting on a fence. I gave this book three stars. ( )

won this book awhile back on another site, but cant seem to post a review there! so I will do it here. I really loved this book! it made me laugh and cry. it was something different from what I normally read. its about stepping out of your comfort zone. don't want to give away the plot, but I think it is a must read! ( )

I really liked this book. The title intrigued me and the plot was well structured and played out. Ann Wyatt, a young woman, comes to a place in her life where she must make a decision for fit into her Mad Men advertising world, or venture out on her own in a new direction to learn who she really wants to be. ( )