Confession: I happen to be obsessed with celebrities. In fact, I designated this past month as Celebrity Month at CLC, just so I could talk about everything celebrity related with authors and readers. I think I can definitely relate to Becky Brandon in that regard, as she tries to become best friends with her favorite celebrities in Sophie Kinsella's latest novel, Shopaholic to the Stars.
Sophie Kinsella returns to her beloved "Shopaholic" series with Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) newly arrived in Hollywood and starry-eyed. She and her two-year-old daughter, Minnie, have relocated to L.A. to join Becky’s husband, Luke, who is there to handle PR for famous actress Sage Seymour. Becky can’t wait to start living the A-list lifestyle, complete with celebrity sightings, yoga retreats, and shopping trips to Rodeo Drive. But she really hopes to become a personal stylist—Sage’s personal stylist—if only Luke would set up an introduction. Then, unexpectedly, Becky is offered the chance to dress Sage’s archrival, and though things become a bit more complicated, it’s a dream come true!
Red carpet premieres, velvet ropes, paparazzi clamoring for attention—suddenly Becky has everything she’s ever wanted.
Or does she? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
Just like the previous books in the "Shopaholic" series, Shopaholic to the Stars is light and entertaining throughout. I laughed out loud so many times. Sophie has a knack for humor and she gives Becky some hilarious situations and dialogue. This time around, Becky reminded me a lot of Mindy Kaling in terms of her personality. I never noticed the comparison until I became obsessed with The Mindy Project, but now I could easily see Mindy taking over the role from Isla Fisher if another movie was made from this series. There was nothing predictable about this story and it went in directions I never expected. It also didn't wrap up neatly and I'm excited about where the next book may possibly take place if the last few pages are any hint.
Unlike the other books in this series, Shopaholic to the Stars tended to get a bit farcical at times and made it hard to take some of the characters seriously, including Becky. I also wish there had been more interaction between Becky and her daughter. She barely spent any time with Minnie and was either putting her in school or leaving her with friends. There were some funny parts that involved Minnie, but I hope she gets more focus in the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed this latest installment in the series and can't wait for more in the future! Becky is already a celebrity in her own right, according to our readers! (See the comments section on the linked post.)
After seeing the movie of Confessions of a Shopaholic, it's hard to cast the main characters (Becky, Luke, Suze) without getting the actors who played them out of my head. However, there are some new characters I had fun casting from this book.
Sage: Megan Fox
Lois: Scarlett Johansson or Miranda Kerr
Aran: Vince Vaughn
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the book in exchange for an honest review. Enter to win a copy from Book Mama Blog! (Worldwide. Ends November 27th.)
More by Sophie Kinsella:
I have only seen the movie, never read any of the books. They are on my list to read one of these days. I've heard so much about this book lately, I just want to read it now. Thanks for the great review.
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