Smart vs. Pretty - by Valerie Frankel (Paperback)

About the Book

Out-of-work urban professional Francesca Greenfield was the "smart" sister. Amanda was the pretty one who had all the attention and the dates. Now they're thrown together in a effort to save the family coffeehouse. The sisters are going to have to put aside their rivalry, but when love enters and complicates matters, it's time to prove which sister, smart or pretty, knows the best route to "happily ever after".

Book Synopsis

In Valerie Frankel's clever, charming novel, a single woman in her early thirties discovers the insecurities of sibling rivalry are as strong as ever when she gets stuck living and working with her sister again.

Let the sibling rivalry begin...!

Meet Francesca Greenfield, a smart, urban professional tossed out of her so-so career and into the business of selling coffee alongside her pretty, perky sister Amanda.

Francesca has always known that she was the smart sister." Amanda was soft and lovely from the beginning and had always garnered most of the attention--and all of the dates. Now they've been thrown together in a last-ditch effort to save the family business before it goes permanently down the drain. As for the coffeehouse itself, well, there's rarely a dull moment. And who can forget about love? Or at least sex. Thanks to a promotional contest, it's not long before Amanda is looking to explore the aura of a buff mountain climber while Francesca considers shedding more than her inhibitions with a J. Crew model.

The stakes are rising. It's time to find out if smart or pretty knows best, whether the distinction really suits either one of them, and if the Greenfield sisters can actually live happily ever after.

From the Back Cover

Out-of-work urban professional Francesca Greenfield has always known that she was the "smart" sister.Amanda was the soft and lovely one who, from the beginning, had always garnered most of the attention -- and all the dates. Now they've been thrown together in a last-ditch effort to save the family coffeehouse business before it goes permanently down the drain.

In the chaotic misdt of mad promotional schemes and piranhalike next-door competitors, the sisters Greenfield are going to have to put aside their hard-faught sibling rivalry -- and quick! -- for the family good.

What happens when a single woman in her early thirties gets stuck living and working with her sister again along with all the insecurities of sibling rivalry?

"From where I stood now, fifteen years out of high school, I knew that smart was more valuable than pretty. For one thing, pretty is available to anyone who has the time, energy, money, and will. And even without exercise or makeup, I considered myself to be serviceably attractive. I elicit a grunt from workmen. Baggers at the supermarket, however, called me ma'am."

Meet Francesca Greenfield, a smart, urban professional suddenly tossed out of her so-so career and into the business of selling coffee alongside her pretty, perky sister Amanda.

But selling coffee is only the start of their worries.

Francesca has always known that she was the smart sister, "though our mother never set us down and said, 'Francesca, we'll call you the smart one.'" Amanda was soft and lovely from the beginning and had always garnered most of the attention-and all of the dates. Now they've been thrown together in a last-ditch effort to save the family business before it goes permanently down the drain.

As for the coffeehouse itself, well, there's rarely a dull moment. Consider the piranha-minded next-door franchise and the brainstorms of one nearly psychotic marketing manager for starters. And who can forget about love? Or at least sex. Thanks to a promotional contest, it's not long before Amanda is looking to explore the aura of a buff mountain climber while Francesca considers shedding more than her inhibitions with a J. Crew model.

The stakes are rising. It's time to find out if smart or pretty knows best, whether the distinction really suits either one of them, and if the Greenfield sisters can actually live happily ever after.

Review Quotes

"Sexy, yes. Smart, yes. Funny, yes." - Laura Lippman
Praise for The Girlfriend Curse: "Another humorous, crowd-pleasing romp." - Booklist
"Reading a novel by Valerie Frankel is like hanging out with your favorite and funniest friend." - Melissa Senate
Praise for The Not-So-Perfect Man: "A charming cast of characters and a delightful plot...a winner." - Booklist
Praise for Hex and the Single Girl: "Had me laughing to the last magical page." - Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries
"Glib and funny, Frankel's always wickedly entertaining." - People
"Frankel's wit and playfulness make the tale scroll right along." - Publishers Weekly
"Amusing farce, with pearls of urban wisdom and some great zingers." - Kirkus Reviews
"Valerie Frankel knows how to create a wicked, sexy story." - Ottawa Citizen
Praise for The Accidental Virgin: "Stacey Temple's adventures are often laugh-out-loud funny, making it impossible not to root for Frankel's plucky, determined heroine." - Booklist