Book Review - Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is back in Sophie Kinsella's fourth book 'Shopaholic & Sister' in her highly successful series. Personally, I think that the whole Shopaholic series is all played out, but Ms Kinsella is still pushing for as long as this ride lasts.

Becky is high flying and has had an amazing year! Somehow, Luke has agreed to go on a round-the-world honeymoon (slash shopping) trip with her, where Becky has managed to also indulge her spendthrift ways. But Becky goes crashing back on the ground when the couple go back to London.

Luke is none too happy when Becky's honeymoon purchases show up, and is buried back at work pretty soon. An increasingly insecure Becky finds that life has moved on while she went on her year-long jaunt around the world - her best friend Suze has found a new best friend AND Becky finds out that she has a hitherto undiscovered older half-sister Jessica (a product of Becky's dad's indiscretions before marrying Becky's mom).

Becky figures out that she gets to have the best of both worlds - why not befriend her new half-sister and end up with a new best friend of her very own? Unfortunately, Jessica turns out to be anti- Becky with her thrifty anti-shopping approach to life. Horrors!

Becky ends up wallowing in angst she has never had to deal with before (including a purchase that could possibly put a wedge between her and Luke), but will she be able to turn things around in the nick of time for her happiness as before?

The answer is of course yes for the irrepressible Becky, but I have to say that this is the least winning-est book yet in this series. It's hard not to be annoyed by how Becky never seems to learn her lessons and yet, how everyone around her always end up giving her a free pass in the end.

Check out Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella on Amazon!

Book Review - Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

Scatter-brained heroine Becky Bloomwood returns in book #3 'Shopaholic Ties the Knot' of Sophie Kinsella's highly successful series!

Life is amazingly good for Becky Bloomwood these days. Instead of slaving away in finance circles (which she has always hated), she has a dream job as a personal shopper at Barney's! Plus points in her life with employee discounts which Becky avails of liberally (yes, she is still the hair-brained spendthrift she has always been, sigh). But the best news ever is that she and her hunk of a millionaire boyfriend Luke have reunited and are now living blissfully in trendy West Village in New York (as long as Luke doesn't find out about her shopping habit... dun dun dun).

Life will just get more amazing for Becky, right? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, Luke has finally popped the question, and hello, of course Becky has said yes, I will marry you, silly! And just like that, Becky gets herself in a bit a quandary.

Luke's high society mother has booked the Plaza, and a wedding coordinator who is planning a glamorous high society frothy concoction of a Manhattan wedding for Luke and Becky. Lovely, right? I'd be happy with that too!

Unfortunately, Becky's own mum is also planning a wedding to take place in the backyard of her childhood home in England. And hapless Becky has said yes to both weddings! What is she to do now with two weddings scheduled to happen on the same day??? Well, leave it to Becky to blunder her way back and forth to a happy ending!

Chock full of hilarity as always, but I must say that events get to be even more nonsensical than the previous. I'm wondering how long Sophie Kinsella can work this schtick in a new novel!

Check out Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella on Amazon!