From Publishers Weekly
An old hand at the hell-hath-no-fury revenge novel, Goldsmith sets her latest humorous caper in an unlikely location behind bars. When "Wall Street showboater" Jennifer Spencer agreed to "take the heat" for her boss's insider trading, she thought at worst she'd be sent to some country club prison for white collar ladies. At the very least, Tom Branson, "the sharpest (and most handsome) young counsel on the Street" (as well as her "beloved fiance") would arrange for special treatment and an expedited appeal that would have her back in her posh office within days. But once the gate is locked at Jennings Correctional Facility, Jennifer realizes that her boss, and somehow even Tom, have abandoned her to serve the full three to five years in a "battleship pink" hellhole. In earlier novels, Goldsmith (The First Wives Club, etc.) embraced her heroines' consumerism with wicked glee; here, she strains to teach Jennifer "values, co-operation, and probably some humility" at the hands of an implausibly benevolent warden and some noble, wholesome inmates. Assigned to the "crew" of Movita Watson, the sassy "queen bee" of Jennings, Jennifer is persuaded to use her Wall Street smarts to help fight the privatization of Jennings and get back at the "yellow rat bastards" who put her there. The revenge scheme is amusingly intricate, but it doesn't jibe with the desperate, tragic air of the prison setting or the frequent didactic speeches about rehabilitation. Even Goldsmith's famous ear for dishy girl talk is lacking here, as the inmates (particularly Movita) speak a highfalutin jailhouse jive that wavers dangerously in tone. After Diana Brooks aided the prosecution at the Sotheby's trial, it's no longer funny when a woman is urged to take the rap for her boss. And does anybody still think Wall Street can come to the rescue? (Feb.)Forecast: Goldsmith's fans may be briefly amused by the idea of one of her pampered protagonists in prison but will they ante up to read about ladies in jumpsuits?Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Mistress of revenge novels, Goldsmith (The First Wives Club) sets her sights on Wall Street and a sacrificial victim to an insider trading scandal named Jennifer Spencer, who ends up at Jennings Correctional Facility. The story plays with traditional stock characters from many women's prison novels: the tough crew leader Movita, streetwise thief Cher, innocent and na‹ve Suki, wisely optimistic chatterbox Theresa, and harried warden Gwen Harding. The plot moves slowly and isn't as polished as Goldsmith's earlier works, but the outcomes are properly satisfying. Narrated by Joyce Bean, this is an entertaining but predictable option for larger collections.Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
After taking the rap for her fiancé lawyer and her multimillionaire boss, an incredibly gullible Jennifer is sent to prison. There, she proceeds to correct the correctional facility. Not even a fine reading by Joyce Bean can give depth to the cast of mostly charming stereotypes. The men are almost all "yellow rat bastards," and the women are good-hearted soul mates (and cell mates) who bond for life. Olivia Goldsmith manages to make her shallow heroine appear spunky, if foolish, and the other inmates, likable. While PEN PALS is a mindless entertainment, combined with Joyce Bean's performance, it becomes as enjoyable as incarceration can be. Take this one to the beach. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
*Starred Review* When it comes to women rising like phoenixes from scorn to triumph, no one beats Goldsmith. It all started with The First Wives Club (1992), in which three sassy ex-wives conspired to wreak revenge on their two-timing ex-husbands. And although Pen Pals begins in a similarly upscale world, Goldsmith eventually takes us to a completely different place. It all starts with Jennifer Spencer, a rising star on Wall Street who is working at a prestigious firm and engaged to a brilliant lawyer. To help protect her trusted mentor-boss from exposure, Jennifer agrees to be the point person in an SEC investigation. After everything goes awry, Jennifer finds herself shackled in Jennings, a women's prison not at all like the country-club, white-collar crime camp she envisioned. Warden Gwen Harding (irreverently called Warden G. Harding by the inmates) both dreads and revels in the prospect of dealing with Princess Jennifer. Gwen decides to throw her in with Movita, the leader of a group of tough women done wrong--all at the hands of men, of course. Gwen and Movita are surprised to find that beneath Jennifer's fair skin is a woman of substance. The path from the despair of prison life to female conquest is glorious and satisfying without being man-hating; the cast of characters perfectly blends women from all walks of life, joined by their common goal. They are women, here them roar. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Goldsmith's novels have been hailed by critics and authors alike-the New York Times said she "tells a credible and deeply satisfying tale. It should give pause to jerks everywhere." Newsweek compared her to Jane Austen dealing black jack, "you keep licking your fingers and reaching for the next page as if it were another potato chip." Scott Turow hailed her as "one of our reigning national wits" while Nelson DeMille describes her books as "funny, sexy, hip, and very clever."

Meet Jennifer-a smart, sexy woman who has made good in a man's world. A major player on The Street, Jennifer agrees to take the fall when her boss is caught playing fast and loose with the SEC. After all, her fiancé is a lawyer with the connections to get her off.

Instead, Jennifer ends up in Jennings Correctional Facility for Women, a world a whole lot tougher than her Wall Street days, inside she meets a lively group of smart, tough women: crew leader Movita; crazy Cher; blindly optimistic Theresa; and the adorable Suki. While Jennifer waits in vain for the rescue that her fiancé has promised, Movita makes her an offer she can't refuse.

With Pen Pals, Olivia Goldsmith gives us another modern-day battle of the sexes-dished up with scathing wit, hilarity, and plenty of attitude. It is the acclaimed author at her incomparable best.

Author Biography: Olivia Goldsmith is the bestselling author of The First Wives Club, Flavor of the Month, Fashionably Late, Simple Isn't Easy, The Bestseller, Marrying Mom, Switcheroo, Young Wives, and Bad Boy.

FROM THE CRITICS

USA Today

Pals is the perfect Valentine's Day present for a woman suffering the done-wrong blues.

Publishers Weekly

An old hand at the hell-hath-no-fury revenge novel, Goldsmith sets her latest humorous caper in an unlikely location behind bars. When "Wall Street showboater" Jennifer Spencer agreed to "take the heat" for her boss's insider trading, she thought at worst she'd be sent to some country club prison for white collar ladies. At the very least, Tom Branson, "the sharpest (and most handsome) young counsel on the Street" (as well as her "beloved fiance") would arrange for special treatment and an expedited appeal that would have her back in her posh office within days. But once the gate is locked at Jennings Correctional Facility, Jennifer realizes that her boss, and somehow even Tom, have abandoned her to serve the full three to five years in a "battleship pink" hellhole. In earlier novels, Goldsmith (The First Wives Club, etc.) embraced her heroines' consumerism with wicked glee; here, she strains to teach Jennifer "values, co-operation, and probably some humility" at the hands of an implausibly benevolent warden and some noble, wholesome inmates. Assigned to the "crew" of Movita Watson, the sassy "queen bee" of Jennings, Jennifer is persuaded to use her Wall Street smarts to help fight the privatization of Jennings and get back at the "yellow rat bastards" who put her there. The revenge scheme is amusingly intricate, but it doesn't jibe with the desperate, tragic air of the prison setting or the frequent didactic speeches about rehabilitation. Even Goldsmith's famous ear for dishy girl talk is lacking here, as the inmates (particularly Movita) speak a highfalutin jailhouse jive that wavers dangerously in tone. After Diana Brooks aided the prosecution at the Sotheby's trial, it's no longer funny when a woman is urged to take the rap for her boss. And does anybody still think Wall Street can come to the rescue? (Feb.) Forecast: Goldsmith's fans may be briefly amused by the idea of one of her pampered protagonists in prison but will they ante up to read about ladies in jumpsuits? Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Mistress of revenge novels, Goldsmith (The First Wives Club) sets her sights on Wall Street and a sacrificial victim to an insider trading scandal named Jennifer Spencer, who ends up at Jennings Correctional Facility. The story plays with traditional stock characters from many women's prison novels: the tough crew leader Movita, streetwise thief Cher, innocent and na ve Suki, wisely optimistic chatterbox Theresa, and harried warden Gwen Harding. The plot moves slowly and isn't as polished as Goldsmith's earlier works, but the outcomes are properly satisfying. Narrated by Joyce Bean, this is an entertaining but predictable option for larger collections.-Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

After taking the rap for her fianc￯﾿ﾽ lawyer and her multimillionaire boss, an incredibly gullible Jennifer is sent to prison. There, she proceeds to correct the correctional facility. Not even a fine reading by Joyce Bean can give depth to the cast of mostly charming stereotypes. The men are almost all "yellow rat bastards," and the women are good-hearted soul mates (and cell mates) who bond for life. Olivia Goldsmith manages to make her shallow heroine appear spunky, if foolish, and the other inmates, likable. While PEN PALS is a mindless entertainment, combined with Joyce Bean's performance, it becomes as enjoyable as incarceration can be. Take this one to the beach. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews