Tag «Author: Kinsella»

Series Review: Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

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Series: Shopaholic Series
Author: Sophie Kinsella (aka Madeleine Wickham)
# of Books: 7 (See Full List Here)

There is a novella after book 3: Shopaholic on Honeymoon

Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes…I think
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Humour, Romance, British Lit
Heat Rating: warm
Point of View: First Person, Single

Thoughts:

PLEASE NOTE: That I have only read the first 4 books in the series (up to and including Shopaholic and Sister). Find out why I stopped reading the rest of the series below…

I was in my mid-teens when I started reading this series and I loved Confessions of a Shopaholic. These were my Meg Cabot days (I think we all have those) and I really loved the fun scenarios of “chick lit” and the dash of romance in them. They were fun, light-hearted reads that had me chuckling and captured my attention. I revisited the series again when I started university but it was hard for me to get back into them and I couldn’t bring myself to read the last 2 books (Shopaholic to the Stars hadn’t been published yet).

Part of the issue is that I grew out of “chick lit”. I tended to gravitate away from the light-hearted, often predictable plot-lines of chick lit and more towards the “darker”, twisty plot lines of young adult fiction and adult romances. I just got tired of reading about the same situations all the time and that included the heroine.

It also doesn’t help that I read some of Madeleine Wickham’s standalone novels that were published afterwards and I felt like she just writes the same type of heroine all the time. I guess you write what you know best but I had a hard time liking them and I think that might have influenced how I felt about Becky in her later novels.

I’m not a huge fan of “air-headed” heroines so it’s kind of a surprise that I would enjoy Becky’s character. But when I didn’t take her too seriously, I just found her to be so funny and a lot of fun…until she wasn’t. I just felt like Becky’s character never grew in the way I expected. I wanted her to learn from her mistakes and mature and it just got tiring waiting for that to happen. At times, it made her hard to read about and I could see how her character would rub people the wrong way.

After a while, each book just seemed like a regurgitation of the past and formulaic and that isn’t fun for me to read. I just wanted something to surprise me and I didn’t want to be annoyed by Becky so I made the decision to stop reading the series (and other Madeleine Wickham novels).

Conclusion:

If you chick lit, this is a great series for you: it’s light and funny and British. But it can get a little tiring if you like unpredictable reads and heroines that have more substance to them.

Rating: 3.5/5
Would I Recommend this Series to a Friend: If they loved chick lit, yes!

Similar Reads: Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot (Queen of Babble Series #1)

Synopsis for Confessions of a Shopaholic (from Goodreads):
MEET BECKY BLOOMWOOD, AN IRRESISTIBLE HEROINE WITH A BIG HEART, BIG DREAMS — AND JUST ONE LITTLE WEAKNESS …

Becky Bloomwood has what most twenty-five-year-olds only dream of: a flat in London’s trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season’s must-haves. The only trouble is, she can’t actually afford it — not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Saving magazine not only bores her to tears, it doesn’t pay much at all. Still, how can she resist that perfect pair of shoes? Or the divine silk blouse in the window of that ultra-trendy boutique? But lately Becky’s been chased by dismal letters from Visa and the Endwich Bank — letters with large red sums she can’t bear to read — and they’re getting ever harder to ignore. She tries cutting back; she even tries making more money. But none of her efforts succeeds. Her only consolation is to buy herself something … just a little something …

Finally, a story arises that Becky actually cares about, and her front-page article catalyzes a chain of events that will transform her life — and the lives of those around her — forever.

Single Sundays: I’ve Got Your Number by Sophia Kinsella

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):

I’ve lost it. 🙁 The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive 🙂 !!

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Review:

I really enjoy chick-lit from Britain so I wanted to read a stand-alone novel from this genre. After reading Kinsella’s Shopaholic Series, I decided to see what her other novels were like, so mission created.

The whole concept of the story is a little far-fetched for the logical thinker in me but I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. It was a fun, quick paced and humourous read. It was like a mash-up of the Shopaholic series and Bridget Jones’ Diary–book series I have really enjoyed–into one.

At times, I felt like it was a little too much Becky from Shopaholic, so I left with the impression that Poppy wasn’t a totally original character. It makes sense to me as Kinsella’s success has been based on a specific character type with her Shopaholic series and she can obviously write that character type very well (and she is well liked by fans). From my experience with her other novels I have read by her since, this is the character personality she has stuck with–in nearly every.single.book. But I think I would have liked a little more “originality” in Poppy.

The plot was fun, if a little predictable but I did laugh quite a bit throughout it and that is always a good sign in my books (no pun intended!)!

Conclusion:

There isn’t too much else to say about this without giving away spoilers but if I had to choose between I’ve Got Your Number and Wedding Night, I’d pick this one. I enjoyed it much more and the characters are a lot more likeable. A solid British Chick Lit Novel.

Rating: 3.5/5

Shorthand Stats:
Genre: Chick Lit, British Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Humour
Recommended for: 22+
Similar Reads: Wedding Night by Sophia Kinsella and The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot (Boy Series #1)

Book Review: Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Synopsis (from Chapters.ca):
Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London’s fanciest restaurants. But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she’s completely crushed. So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. No formal dates-just a quick march to the altar and a honeymoon on Ikonos, the sun-drenched Greek island where they first met years ago.

Their family and friends are horrified. Fliss, Lottie’s older sister, knows that Lottie can be impulsive-but surely this is her worst decision yet. And Ben’s colleague Lorcan fears that this hasty marriage will ruin his friend’s career. To keep Lottie and Ben from making a terrible mistake, Fliss concocts an elaborate scheme to sabotage their wedding night. As she and Lorcan jet off to Ikonos in pursuit, Lottie and Ben are in for a honeymoon to remember, for better . . . or worse.

Review:

I have read most of Sophie Kinsella’s novels and have enjoyed them immensely so needless to say, I was excited for this one. I only became hesitant when I started to read some people’s reviews here and saw the low star rating.

As a fan, I can understand why people might not like this one because of the characters. They are flawed in some way that makes you not like them. I did not care for Lottie at all. She is everything I dislike in a “heroine” but without her, the story wouldn’t be what it is. I actually really liked Fliss–I thought she was hilarious and I wish that more of the story was from her perspective. Without spoilers the love interests were also flawed but I feel like main issue was that all the characters in this are stubborn and set in their ways and that is what frustrates the reader.

Why I gave this book the rating I did was because I did enjoy it despite my initial impressions of the characters. It made me laugh and I enjoyed the plot and all the shenanigans that happened along the way. Like I said before, Fliss really made this book for me, but I can understand why some people might not like her or get her style and humour.

The only thing I disliked about the book was the lack of an epilogue. I’m sure it is implied about how things end, but I really could have used that last bit of closure (hence the rushed ending tag because I felt like I was lacking that closure).

Conclusion:

So if you enjoyed I’ve Got Your Number, don’t mind stubborn characters and can find humour amidst bitter and frustrating situations, you will enjoy this latest offering from Sophie Kinsella.

Rating: 4/5

Shorthand Stats:
Genre: British Literature; Chick Lit; Comedy; Romance
Heat Rating: lukewarm
Recommended for: anyone who enjoys Sophie Kinsella’s novels or British Humour
Similar Books: I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella