Bedding Mr Birdsong

Twenty-eight-year-old Zandra “Zaney” Miller is a successful clothes dresser for a flamboyant A-list fashion designer in New York City. Her professional life is fulfilling while her romantic prospects continue to disappoint her. Watching the parade of women who come and go from wealthy public relations and marketing executive Matthew Birdsong’s residence across the hall from her doesn’t improve her attitude. A series of unexpected encounters introduces them to each other and leads to an unconventional friendship. Fashion week, models, celebrities, and Broadway provide a glittery backdrop for this cotton-candy tale sprinkled with a cayenne spiciness of sexual chemistry between Laney and Matthew. 

The sweet spot of “Bedding Mr Birdsong” lies in the deep sense of community and emotional connections between the featured and secondary characters. Usage of outdated terms highlight inconsistencies between Zaney’s and Matt’s respective ages of late twenties and thirties. Matt uses the word Oriental when thinking about Zaney’s scent, then later asks her if one of her male friends is “hetero or homo” during a conversation. There’s also a Bella Lugosi reference. These observations aren’t about political correctness. As a successful public relations and marketing executive Matt’s character would use more modern words like Mandarin, queer or even a generic Dracula reference, which is timeless in a way Bella Lugosi isn’t. Slut-shaming and many blanket statements that pigeonhole men and women in addition to an irrational conversation about condom usage can jar readers out of complete enjoyment of this escapist romp. There's a fun vibe similar to the charm of a "Sex and the City" attitude.

Cardyn Brooks