Reality Check

'Such a fun, heart-warming page-turner' - Marian Keyes 
 
'A fantastic Irish writer' - Joanne McNally 
 
***Portia Daniels’ life is sorted. She has a perfect man (Jason, a hot Irish TV producer) a perfect apartment (in lower Manhattan), a perfect job (writing for TV). Best of all, unlike the rest of her family, she lives in perfect peace and obscurity.Because it’s all about the drama for her mother – Kerry-born reality TV queen, Dessie – and sisters – Insta-guru, Vinnie, and TikTok teen sensation, Ariel.But then Jason blows up their idyllic life, and Portia flees to LA to take refuge with her family. As she recovers amidst the chaos, Portia must face an awkward truth – unlike her, the other Daniels women aren’t fooling themselves about who they are and what they want.Getting the biggest reality check of her life is the last thing Portia expected, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction – even in La La Land. 
*** 
 
'The next Jackie Collins' - Aoife Barry 
 
‘I don’t know if Ireland has ever seen a book like this’ – Georgie Crawford, The Good Glow 
 
'It’s camp and sexy but also a serious exploration of romantic relationships, friendship and family. Escapism at its finest!' - Sarah Breen 
 
'Glamorous, witty and full of heart and humour' - Edel Coffey 
 
‘Absolutely hilarious. Can’t recommend it highly enough’ - Paul Howard 
 
'So thrilling, so juicy ... I am on the edge of my seat' - Rozanna Purcell 
 
‘Perfect for devouring by the beach this summer’ - Deirdre Reynolds, Sunday World 
 
‘The one book every gal needs to bring on holiday this summer’ - Kat O'Connor, Her.ie 
 
‘Hugely entertaining … serves classic Jackie Collins glamour and drama with an Irish twist’ – Anna Carey, Irish Times

Absolutely hilarious. Can&rsquo;t recommend it highly enough.

Pure escapism &hellip; glamorous, witty and full of heart and humour ... a smart, fun debut

Camp and sexy but also a serious exploration of romantic relationships, friendship and family . . . escapism at its finest!

So thrilling, so juicy ... I am on the edge of my seat

The one book every gal needs to bring on holiday this summer

Hugely entertaining … serves classic Jackie Collins glamour and drama with an Irish twist

Vicki Notaro is a journalist, columnist, former glossy magazine editor and podcaster. In addition, she was managing director of the VIP Publishing Group for four years, up to late 2022. She has been published in Glamour, Lonely Planet, Buzzfeed, Irish Tatler, Image Magazine and the Irish Times, among myriad other print and digital platforms. Reality Check, her first novel, is inspired by her love of reality television, celebrity culture and the United States. Vicki lives in her native Dublin with her husband Joe and their terrier, Jacko.

Portia Daniels’ life is sorted. She has a perfect man (Jason, a hot Irish TV producer) a perfect apartment (in lower Manhattan), a perfect job (writing for TV). Best of all, unlike the rest of her family, she lives in perfect peace and obscurity.Because it’s all about the drama for her mother – Kerry-born reality TV queen, Dessie – and sisters – Insta-guru, Vinnie, and TikTok teen sensation, Ariel.But then Jason blows up their idyllic life, and Portia flees to LA to take refuge with her family. As she recovers amidst the chaos, Portia must face an awkward truth – unlike her, the other Daniels women aren’t fooling themselves about who they are and what they want.Getting the biggest reality check of her life is the last thing Portia expected, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction – even in La La Land.

Vicki Notaro

So much emotional intelligence and warmth. I HARED through it. A hugely enjoyable novel.

A glorious story about female friendship … compulsive reading

A modern-day City Women … great characters and gripping storylines! I can’t put it down

A deliciously emotional story celebrating the complexity of friendship between women.

It's an enjoyable examination of Irish friendship between a Hollywood A Lister and her best friend since drama school and the one man who may ruin their friendship forever. Great fun.’

I came for the funny jokes and the glamorous setting but I stayed for the relatable tale of a gorgeous friendship.

Once you pick up this book you won’t be able to put it down! I devoured it, and just wish I’d been on a beach somewhere reading it.

Glitz, glam, friendship and betrayal, Vicki Notaro’s new page-turner is hugely entertaining. Loved it.

I LOVED this book. It's EVEN better than her debut. Assured, so well-paced and so good on modern love and female friendship in the era of social media. Did I forget to say wildly entertaining? I couldn't put it down.

A roller-coaster book about life in the sometimes glam/sometimes hilariously normal world of Dubliners Tara and Alex, now world famous, and the badboy rockstar who shakes their world. A deliciously page-turning novel with a heart of gold and the sharpest turn of phrase around.

More glitz, glam, warmth and humour from the fab Vicki Notaro

An entertaining, engaging and very real story of two lifelong friends whose simmering resentments and jealousies boil over when an old flame rears his head, blowing their friendship apart.

Pure joy … Vicki writes modern women and their stories so well! Once I started, I couldn’t stop!

A sparkling treat for anyone craving fun, romance, and the perfect dose of escapism. Full of quirky characters, feel-good vibes, and a perfect blend of humor and sentiment, it’s a novel that’ll make you laugh out loud but also reflect on the messy, beautiful truths of love and friendship. I loved it!

Honest, insightful and entertaining. Long Story put female friendship under the spotlight

Another banger ... escapist and fun and relatable and real

Fun and glam and gossipy while also being hilarious and full of heart

Vicki Notaro is about to explode on to the Irish literary scene

Tara is a famous movie star, known for her leading roles in beloved rom-coms. When her husband shows up on set one day to tell her he’s leaving her for his much younger action co-star, her life is turned upside down. 
 
Alex is a powerhouse podcast host and writer, covering all things celebrity and pop culture. But she’s less of a girlboss when it comes to her love life, which has never quite recovered after an old flame left her heartbroken. 
 
As youngsters as the same stage school, Tara and Alex swore off a boy for life, promising to always put their friendship first. But now the two BFF’s friendship is tested when rockstar Sean Sweeney’s memoir is published, revealing his past relationships with them both, unveiling secrets from the past and plunging their friendship into crisis. 
 
Set between Ireland and the US, in the glamorous and high-energy world of celebrities, online influencers and social media, this is a pacy and fun novel about female friendships with a lot of heart.

Vicki Notaro

Praise for Long Story

So much emotional intelligence and warmth. I HARED through it. A hugely enjoyable novel.

A glorious story about female friendship … compulsive reading

A modern-day City Women … great characters and gripping storylines! I can’t put it down

So much emotional intelligence and warmth. I HARED through it. A hugely enjoyable novel.

A glorious story about female friendship … compulsive reading

A modern-day City Women … great characters and gripping storylines! I can’t put it down

So much emotional intelligence and warmth. I HARED through it. A hugely enjoyable novel.

A glorious story about female friendship … compulsive reading

A modern-day City Women … great characters and gripping storylines! I can’t put it down

Books by Vicki Notaro

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter