Ik Hou Nog Steeds Van New York (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Since I had never read anything by Lindsey Kelk before, I had no idea what to expect about this seasonal read with Angela Clark, the Brit who went away to New York City, and her friends. Maybe I was expecting something a little more Christmassy, and not so much binge-drinking, and vomiting, and whining.It was an ok reading. Maybe it would have been a little better if I had read the previous books in this 'I Heart...' series. But reading this book felt a lot like 'Sex and the City', with Angela as some sort of British version of Carrie Bradshaw and her friend Jenny Lopez (!!!) as Samantha Jones. In not a very good way.To be honest, I found the story mildly entertaining, with some funny moments, but I just didn't like the characters. Especially the female ones.I guess I'll be giving Kelk's books another chance in the future, but this isn't a book I would recommend. Unless you're totally crazy about Christmas and NYC. This book follows Angela, a Brit turned American who is the editor of a magazine. The plans she makes for Christmas change when things around her start to go wrong. She gets into fights, arguments and has a list of problems to deal with, all while alienating those people around her. She realises her mistakes and tries to make it right to bring all the family together for Christmas.This book was great, but the thing I didn't like was the main character, Angela. Angela was so focused on her 'perfect' Christmas that she ended up just coming across as being selfish. What happened to festive cheer? If friends can't turn up on your doorstep when they need support, who can?The writing style was lovely and the book had a gorgeous story which was romantic and festive, its just the main character that I did not enjoy. I like stories that have headstrong girls, but with Angela coming across as quite selfish, it did alter the way I perceived the book.At the end, Lindsey included recipes and Christmas tips which was really lovely. It was lovely to go through them and really added to the festive atmosphere of the book.Overall, I really did enjoy this book, it was a really enjoyable read. However, I would be wary reading any more books from this author as I don't want to read more books which have an almost selfish main character, it leaves me wishing the author and the character had made different decisions.
What do You think about Ik Hou Nog Steeds Van New York (2013)?
Such a great chick lit book to put you in the Christmas spirit. Laugh out loud funny!
—rockbillo
