The story moves in several different directions at once: Jeb is suddenly fired from his job at the agency and he learns that Blume may have stolen his script idea; Kecia picks up after Trask's latest drunken house party/orgy; Michaela teaches Rachel the ropes of working for Victoria; and Griffin strives to convince Johnny to sign a promising young comic who might just be the next Jerry Seinfeld or Tim Allen, complete with TV show pilot. The two principal plot points, however, are how the young and idealistic Rachel reacts when confronted with the hypocrisy and self-absorption of Hollywood, and how Travis Trask reacts when his ex-con of a brother shows up on his doorstep.

The way Williams weaves these different stories and disparate characters together is incredible. It isn't always pretty, and Michaela's desperation in particular occasionally borders on the pathetic. But this is a no-holds barred type of tale, relayed in graphic detail; it is frequently rude, sometimes raunchy, and very often funny. Yes, much of it is gallows humor, as the five characters somehow manage to keep some shred of dignity and self-respect despite everything Hollywood throws at them, but it is quite funny.

As their weekly gatherings at a local watering hole suddenly turn into something more than that (thanks to Rachel's turn as Norma Rae), they each begin to realize that life might mean more than fifteen minutes of Hollywood glory. While the ending may have something of a "Hollywood" feel to it, there is also something that seems right about how each of the protagonists manages to make lemonade from the lemons they've been given, even if in unexpected ways. It perhaps a most unusual novel of the entertainment industry: a biting, satirical critique of Hollywood with a heart of gold.