Dawn West is stuck. She has been out of college for a year and can't find a full time job. She writes a lawn care advice column and surfs craigslist for any way to make money - dressing like a penguin and handing out frozen yogurt samples, taste testing orange soda, a sleep study. One day she is invited to a party by her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend. She goes (what was she thinking?) and happens to meet the editor of Charm magazine, Regina, who gives her a job - track down and interview the past winners of Charm's Ten Girls To Watch contest for the 50th anniversary gala event. Dawn interviews women of all ages and learns that the definition of success is as varied as the women she talks to. ( )

There are quite a few things I really liked about Ten Girls to Watch. I like Dawn as a character. She’s believable and honestly, quite similar to me. She has a dream that she’s working towards, but she’s not an instant success story, which is something that I loved. So often you’ll read a story where the main character is a struggling, aspiring actress or writer or singer or what-have-you, but by the end of the novel they have a record deal or have written a book or have become really well-off. Dawn definitely leaves the story in a better place than when she started, but it’s not like she want from online writer to magazine editor-in-chief in a year.

I liked seeing all the different women that Dawn interviews for the Ten Girls to Watch feature. It really highlights how many different ways there are to be inspiring and be successful. One of the women was a first grade teacher for forty years; another wrote a novel, and both of those are celebrated as achievements, as well as many others. It many ways, this book is all about celebrating success–but not the type of narrowly defined success we normally see. You’re a politician? Success. You’ve been happily married for thirty years? Success.

However,there were a few things I didn’t enjoy. There’s a few love interests, none of which take up that much page time, but none of them caught my interest. None of them were terrible human beings by any means, but they weren’t particularly interesting either, and I found myself bored during the time when Dawn was really concentrating on a guy, which might have been while the middle of this book dragged for me a little. The book’s pacing seemed a little off; I could have done with some more complications in the middle and less towards the end. However, neither of these complaints severely hindered my lack of enjoyment in the novel.

Final Impression: An enjoyable read with a character whose story line is both compelling and realistic. Though there were a few minor issues with this book, especially in the middle, this is still a book I would highly recommend, especially since it focuses on the year post-college graduation, which I wish to see more of in books. I particularly like how this book celebrates achievements. A (strong) 3/5 stars.

Originally reviewed on my blog Book.Blog.Bake. ( )

I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book because it seemed to be pretty standard girl in New York struggles to get by and is unlucky in love and work. Yes it was that but Dawn is a likable relatable character and she does end up working in an archive so it can't be all bad! Dawn's struggles are realistic and it is nice that Dawn meets with strong, successful women. ( )

This novel was a delightful surprise - so much depth of character and such a wonderful homage to the friendships of women. If you enjoy chick-lit at all, definitely pick up a copy! ( )