Cassandra French's Finishing School for Boys: A Novel

What if women really could change men? Sex and the City meets Misery in this brilliantly twisted take on chick lit.

On the surface, Cassandra French is living the typical LA lifestyle. A lawyer at a film studio, she spends her days bored by the tedium of the Business Affairs department, and her evenings either dating a string of useless men or meeting up with her girlfriends to bemoan the uselessness of said men. But luckily none of this matters, because Cassandra French has a vocation. Cassandra is a woman on a mission. And her mission is to reform men. Because how is it that she’s got such great girlfriends but never meets a man worthy of them? How is it that a man can have no conversation, no manners and no fashion sense...and yet he gets his pick of beautiful women? Something has to be done.

And so, in her basement, she’s set up her own Finishing School for Boys. There, men learn to dress well, to date well, to compliment a woman, to make great dinner conversation, and to leave behind all the arrogance, brutishness and idiocy that society has bred into them. It’s all going brilliantly—her students are happy, Cassandra’s succeeding at something she believes in passionately—until she enrolls Jason Kelly, the studio’s biggest star. And suddenly Cassie’s in over her head...

On the surface, Cassandra French is living the typical LA lifestyle. A lawyer at a film studio, she spends her days bored by the tedium of the Business Affairs department, and her evenings either dating a string of useless men or meeting up with her girlfriends to bemoan the uselessness of said men. But luckily none of this matters, because Cassandra French has a vocation. Cassandra is a woman on a mission. And her mission is to reform men. Because how is it that she’s got such great girlfriends but she never meets a man worthy of them? How is it that a man can have no conversation skills, no manners, and no fashion sense . . . and still get his pick of beautiful women? Something has to be done.

And so, in her basement, she’s set up her own finishing school for boys. There, men learn to dress well, to date well, to compliment a woman, to make great dinner conversation, and to leave behind all the arrogance, brutishness, and idiocy that society has bred into them. It’s all going brilliantly—her students are happy, Cassandra’s succeeding at something she believes in passionately—until she enrolls Jason Kelly, the studio’s biggest star. And suddenly Cassie’s in over her head. . . .

“Finishing School graduates with honors.” - USA Today

“Bridget Jones with a chainsaw.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Garcia has crafted a quirky, pedal-to-the-metal satiric romp that remains fresh, likable and funny from start to finish...This chick-lit-goes-gonzo follow-up could be his breakout book.” - Publishers Weekly

“Hilariously outrageous.” - Entertainment Weekly

“Dark humor and zany twists abound.” 3 1/2 stars” - People Magazine