Temp: Life in the Stagnant Lane by Scott Nagele will appeal to fans of drama, humor, and urban and literary fiction. Twenty-nine-year-old Gary Gray seeks an easier path while navigating his stalled career. Gary does not like to recall his previous work experience in book retail and concludes that a stressful, demanding job is not for him. He agrees to become a temporary employee in the accounting department at Appalachian Downslope College. Gary hopes for a less complicated work environment and enough earnings to pay his rent. But, as his girlfriend, Gwen, often reminds Gary, he is way smarter than this temporary position and his managers require. Gary gets into awkward situations and risks losing his job. Gwen urges him to find a better one, aiming to pose with Gary for her parents' annual Christmas card. Will Gary outwit the college management and his colleagues, or is his position as a temp a dead end?

Scott Nagele's Temp is a hilarious and thought-provoking tale of personality development. Gary is a relatable main character as many of us may find ourselves in his shoes. Gary struggles with inner conflict negatively impacting his personal life and career. Nagele's witty writing style turns trivial situations in Gary's workplace into entertaining scenes as we savor every page of this wonderful read. "People aren’t always comfortable with things that are out of the ordinary" is Gary's newly found wisdom, thus adding philosophical undertones to the narration. The author crafts many eccentric and interesting secondary characters, like Rae from the college president’s office. Nagele shows us every aspect of Gary's life and skillfully balances humorous elements with dramatic ones. Gary's story pushes us toward making the right choices and getting our priorities straight. Those facing personal challenges will enjoy this book.

Scott Nagele's Temp: Life in the Stagnant Lane is a hilarious novel centered around Gary Gray, a man with simple career ambitions. Gary is a temp in the accounting department of the Appalachian Downslope College. His main goal is to avoid work-related stress, career advancements, and overachieving. However, Gary soon realizes his temp job isn't as undemanding as he initially anticipated it would be. He discovers that Marge Meko, the payables clerk, is double-paying the college's invoices. His boss, Steve, doesn't hold Marge responsible for her deliberate oversight. Instead, Steve orders Gary to rectify the issue himself. Just when Gary thinks his situation couldn't possibly worsen, he is forced to interact with Rae, the college president's uncompromising and overbearing secretary. Will these temp experiences give Gary the push he needs to restructure his life? Or will he cave in and ultimately embrace an unfulfilling life as a temp?

Temp: Life in the Stagnant Lane is witty, thought-provoking, and entertaining. It shrewdly covers themes like office politics, power grabs, obnoxious colleagues, work-related incompetence, lack of accountability, poor leadership, and self-discovery. Scott Nagele skillfully shapes the storyline and character presentation using comedy and irony. It was hilarious watching Gary maneuver himself out of situations he unwittingly placed himself into. Even though Gary initially hoped to fly under the radar in his temp job, his impulsive desire to fix every work-related problem he encountered caused him to butt heads with the permanent staff in the college. Even so, these comical moments pale in comparison to Gary's interactions with his girlfriend, Gwen, and her parents, Doug and Lydia Goldblatts. The novel overflows with more accidental misgivings, especially between Gary and Gwen's mother. The ending is poignant and certainly makes this novel a legitimate must-read. If you're in the mood for a good laugh, this book will live up to your expectations. It will keep you laughing from the first chapter to the very last.