The party is over for bikini model Izzy Alvarez. For six years she’s made a good living by flaunting her God-given assets on runways and in front of cameras, but now as she approaches the big 3-0, the bodacious Latina is shocked to learn she’s aged out of the profession that’s kept her in mojitos, mani/pedis, and designer thongs. What’s a girl with a taste for the finer things in life and no … marketable skills to do?
Getting a regular job is too boring to even consider, so Izzy decides to follow in the footsteps of her newly-engaged frenemy and become a trophy wife. Although she’s desperate and too broke to get a chipped nail fixed, Izzy still has standards for her future husband, which means no uggos, no vertically-challenged guys, and no geezers who need to pop a blue pill to perform in the bedroom. Enlisting the aid of her computer whiz nephew and her closest pals, Izzy goes on the prowl for a rich, marriage-minded man, encountering likely candidates in a lot of unlikely places.
The high life she’s dreamed of may be within reach when Izzy meets a charming, successful man who’s not only hotter than a steamy summer night in Miami, but ready to settle down. Now all Izzy has to do is make sure her loud, crazy Cuban family doesn’t scare off el hombre perfecto—oh, yeah, and squelch those pesky, romantic feelings she keeps having for the sweet, cash-strapped guy she’s known forever.
Will Izzy’s hunger for money win out, or will her fiery heart demand to be heard?
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I’ve been waiting for this book (it’s not a sequel but a revisitation of the Alvarez family, introduced in IN NEED OF THERAPY, through the eyes of a different heroine), and I was thrilled with the result. IZZY AS IS has it all—comedy, romance, and just the right amount of spicy sex! And the language—English and Spanish—is so fun, fresh, and clever. I’d particularly like to give a shout out to the title. Not only is it catchy, but it perfectly captures the heroine. Izzy isn’t the typical female protagonist. She’s a vain, promiscuous gold digger, and I ADORE her for it because I’m tired of reading about the same woman over and over again in every book. But don’t be too quick to write Izzy off because she’s also spunky, sassy, and full of surprises. And the beauty you see on her hot smokin’ Latina exterior is also what you find on the inside.
Super cute. Loved it!
Pure fun!
I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical at first – as other reviewers have noted, Izzy is not your typical chick-lit heroine (to put it mildly). But as the story progressed, she grew on me, and I thoroughly enjoyed her shenanigans and all the family drama the Alvarez clan brought to the table.
I loved how Izzy’s adventure played out in the end – and now that I have seen glimpses of Pilar’s HEA, I need to read her story, too!
With Izzy As Is, Tracie Banister has crafted an engaging story that will have you swooning on one page and laughing out loud on the next. Izzy Alvarez is my spirit animal! Headstrong, determined, and hilarious, she’s not afraid to go after what she wants–even when she’s not too sure what that is.
4.5 Star review Izzy As Is by Tracie Bannister
Tracie Bannister is a new author to me. If you are a fan of the romantic comedy genre then this book will be right up your alley. There were so many laugh out load moments in this book that I am sure people thought I was crazy.
Not only was there humour but there was drama, angst, romance and steam.
Although a stand alone, I would encourage you to read In Need of Therapy so as to get the full impact of Izzy and her crazy family.
When Izzy’s modelling career comes to a screaming halt just shire of her 30th birthday she has no idea what she can do to pay for the lifestyle she has become comfortable in. This is where her crazy starts as she decides she needs to marry a man of means, but she has standards that must be met. After all, how hard could it be?
Throughout her journey, I laughed so much I nearly cried. This was a roller coaster of a read and one that had me engaged from the start and the secondary characters were as entertaining as the main characters.
Delightful book through and through. A great escape!
An absolutely fantastic, hilarious work of chick-lit! Love the Latin flavour, love the quality of the characters and the vibrancy of the plot lines. Particularly enjoyed the fact that this well-written book wasn’t stereotypical: no weak, fumbling females in need of rescuing by a good man; and in fact no moments where I wanted to yell at the female protagonist at all! A really quality book.