Not That Kind of Call Girl by Nova García
Set between November 2016 and September 2017 in Cascade City, Washington, Not That Kind of Call Girl is a humorous mystery and family drama novel written by Women’s Advocate & Crusader for the Social Good, Nova García.
The storyline revolves around Julia Navarro-Nilsson, a young new mom who is navigating her family, her managerial career and her supervisor’s overly inappropriate comments, and being a self-appointed savior for her employees. The book touches on themes of parenting, friendship, empowerment, abuse, workplace sexual harassment, and the moral imperative of helping others in need.
Postpartum “Call Girl” on a Mission
The Cascade City Chronicle’s call center manager, Julia Navarro-Nilsson, anxiously awaits her much-deserved downtime that is coming up in two weeks with the start of her maternity leave. But before that, she must first confirm that Carmen Cooper, an 18-year-old college student she has just interviewed for a position, is who she says she is.
She calls Carmen’s only work reference on her resume, Percy Booth, but the man rudely hangs up on her. Later, Julia finds out that Carmen has the same residential address as Percy Booth, although Carmen implied during the interview that she is not close to the man. Julia plans to get to the bottom of this, but the baby comes earlier than expected, so she goes on her maternity leave.
Julia’s maternity leave is not as she expected it to be. Instead of feeling an overwhelming maternal love and devotion for her newborn son, she feels overwhelming fatigue and … well, some not-so-loving feelings toward him. Ultimately, her downtime makes her feel anything but restful or peaceful. When her “creepy” and “skirt-chasing” boss Carlton Cressey pleads for her to return to work, she also sees this as her chance to get a few hours away from her “squirmy annoying fussy baby”.
Balancing Heavy Themes with Humor and Wit
When she returns to work, Carmen is already hired and is due to start the same day as Julia’s return, but she does not show up for work. Carmen’s absence worries Julia, so she visits her to make sure she is okay. At Carmen’s residence, Julia confirms that Carmen is indeed living with Percy Booth. She notices that Carmen seems terrified of him. Julia also confirms what she discovered earlier: Percy Booth is her dad’s favorite movie hero from the 1960s, only he appears to be a violent and controlling man.
Anyone with good senses would back out of this Carmen-Percy drama, but not Julia, the self-appointed “Wonderella.” Instead, witnessing the former action star’s fury toward her and his interaction with Carmen, Julia is fuelled to get to the bottom of the mystery, even against her husband’s wishes. Together with her closest friend from work, Jerry, Julia sets out to uncover the mystery and hopefully save Carmen from the fury of the man she refers to as “Papa Percy”.
Through Not That Kind of Call Girl, Nova García showcases her talent for handling heavy and sensitive themes with the delicacy they deserve. Although the content contains sensitive subjects like postpartum, child abuse and sex exploitation, the overall tone is not dark or depressing. This is because García has creatively inserted humor and wit into her writing, giving readers relief from the intensity of the heavy subjects.
For Fans of Humorous Drama and Witty Mysteries
The author has also authentically portrayed diverse voices and cultural experiences. Here, García incorporates distinct dialects (like Spanish-accented dialogues) and cultural references that add authenticity to the characters’ personalities, voices and backgrounds, allowing readers to empathize and connect with the characters.
Nova García has also masterfully executed the character development in this book. Nearly every major character underwent a journey of growth. From Julia’s journey towards embracing motherhood and confronting sexual harassment at work, to Paloma’s confrontation of her insecurities and Carmen’s quest for independence, García gifts readers with multidimensional characters whose growths and self-discoveries we can all learn from.
Overall, Nova García’s witty, gritty and suspenseful writing style, relatable characters and attention-grabbing plot make Not That Kind of Call Girl a page-turner that deserves a five-star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this carefully crafted and character-driven narrative. Fans of humorous family drama novels and witty mysteries will enjoy it too.
About the Author:
Nova García hails from Laredo, Texas. Her Mexican-American family is a source of great pride. Her favorite memory from childhood is listening to her father play traditional Mexican songs on his guitar as she sang along. Family parties were epic with music, card games loud enough to wake the dead, home-cooked food such as fajitas, guacamole, tortillas and charro beans and an army of rowdy kids running around wreaking havoc.
Nova’s career took a few turns, from call center management to non-profit leadership to Human Resources learning and development. Not That Kind of Call Girl is her first book in the women’s fiction genre.
Nova writes with a higher purpose. In Not That Kind of Call Girl, she features a strong, accomplished and spunky Latina female protagonist. Her work aims to dispel Latino stereotypes, recognize women for the everyday miracles they make possible with grit, resourcefulness and an inner superhero kick butt attitude.
Besides writing, Nova cooks, bakes, watches her beloved Seattle Seahawks and sings in a local band. She is available for book club talks and public speaking engagements. Nova loves to hear from her readers.
