Things seem to be going so well for Rebecca Bloomwood: her slot handing out financial advice to housewives on Morning Coffee is doing great; she's going out with one of Britain's most handsome and eligible bachelors, Luke Brandon; and she has a new excuse to buy lots of clothes and shoes: "investing in her career".But those pesky bills keep coming in the mail and her bank manager, Derek Smeath, has decided to retire - with a warning that his replacement won't be so flexible about her overdraft. Not only that, but no one in her parent's neighbourhood believes she's going out with Luke - even her parents have their doubts - because no one's seen them together: he's always busy, there are always last-minute meetings and problems he has to see to, and he's always unintentionally standing her up.He's also being very secretive, though Becky's arch-nemesis Alicia lets drop that Luke's planning to move to New York, leaving Becky behind. Bottling all her hurt and worry inside, Becky's surprised and delighted when, far from leaving her behind, he invites her along on a two-week trip to establish his company in Manhattan, and Becky her TV career - with the intention of moving there, together, permanently if things work out.The trip starts well but soon old and new problems crop up: Becky can't stop shopping, especially with all these sample sales they have there, and there are problems with Luke's PR company that are sabotaging his New York ambitions. To top it off, Becky must meet his scary socialite mother, who has no time for the son who wants nothing more than to make her proud: it's a mess, and it's about to blow up in both of their faces.The sequel to Confessions of a Shopaholic, this book picks up a few months later. It's easy to get comfy with Becky's life and story, and pick up where you left off - there's a few replay paragraphs neatly placed here and there to help jog your memory, and they're nicely integrated.I read very little chick-lit, because I find most of it be pretty dumb to be honest. I enjoyed the first book in this series far more than I was expecting to, and I quickly went out and bought the next two. That was a while ago, but it's good to pace yourself with this kind of thing. Becky's shopping addiction can get a bit much. I just don't share her need to buy things and consume - especially shoes - and her flimsy self-justification arguments really caused me pain at times. It's not something you would often hear about chick-lit, but this book actually made me stressed.Despite that, or perhaps because Becky always pulls her socks up and comes through, showing that she's not quite the ditz she seems when she's shopping (and all her "Erm... Fine! Absolutely!" responses to people when she doesn't know or doesn't like what they're saying). Luke, too, can hold my attention - he doesn't actually come across as a bastard at all, and in fact the writing's quite skilful in showing what's really going on. They have some decent chemistry but it's not always clear how Becky feels about him.This is a good, fun, quick read - stressful, yes, when you see Becky digging herself in deeper; she's not a comic character so I'm not able to just laugh it off. I care about her too much, is the thing. That's what also makes this series so successful, because Becky is a character who shouldn't be so sympathetic. It's interesting. It's also an intelligent book, which also keeps me reading (on a side note, I tried reading Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess a couple of years ago and have to say it was dreadful - and goes to show she's better at sticking to what she knows: financial journalism and shopping).If you've seen the movie, you'll recognise bits from the second-half as coming from this book - I watched it between books so I thought they'd made a lot of it up. Makes a lot more sense now! Things ended so satisfyingly that I'm keen to read the next one, but I have hold off because too much Becky in one go will be too much for me.
4.5/5Once again, Sophie Kinsella does it: she creates a funny, romantic and original novel.I loved the first book in this series. Its idea is so original, so well-thought and so addicting that I know that, no matter how long it takes me, I'm going to read this series to its end, because it's really amazing. The continuation of the story in this book is just great. Becky is more aware of her tendencies, even though that doesn't mean she doesn't make mistakes again ('cause she makes A LOT of them in this book). I loved how she tried, in vain sometimes, to refrain herself from buying something. Her pride in doing so made me laugh so much sometimes, because I know how it feels to be proud of doing something that people don't even need to think about and we've got to support each other. Becky's character is incredible. While she isn't perfect at all and she gets on my nerves (and on most readers') when she's so wrapped up in shopping that she spends way too much on clothes, accessories, makeup or simply random stuff, she's a character I absolutely love. We've all got our own faults and Becky's are pretty inoffensive, to anyone but her, if you think about it. She just gets herself in bad situations, but little by little, she learns.I loved how Becky and Luke's situation progressed in this book, because I have to admit I was scared when I learned that they got in a relationship in the first book of a series and I'm always scared of reading more about some characters' relationship when I'm already satisfied by it. However, I feel like everything that happens in this book was necessary and I'm definitely happy with the way it ends. There's just something about Sophie Kinsella's writing that's SO DAMN FUNNY! I swear, she's probably the author who cracks me up the most, and that's saying a lot. Whether it's what Becky's saying or doing or simply the way it's described, it's hilarious and I love this series for making me decompress. In this book, I felt a lot more sadness than in the first one, because there's some injustice that made me really angry and sad at the same time. I wasn't expecting to tear up while reading this, but a person's life can't always be great, even when it's a fictional character's. I absolutely loved the ending, though, and I'm so happy and proud of Becky. I feel like she grew up a lot in this book, maybe even more than in the first, no matter how subtle it is. If you haven't started this series yet, please do.
What do You think about Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (2004)?
Oh Becky Bloomwood, when will you learn? (Apparently not anytime soon since there are at least 7 books so far in this series, and I'm A-okay with that...for now.) Normally I enjoy books set in the U.S. since I live in the U.S. and can better relate. With this book, however, Becky spends most of her time in Manhattan, and I was surprised to find myself missing Becky's London haunts, along with her friends and family. I loved every scene with Becky's parents, her parent's neighbors, or her best friend Suze, and I really started to miss them during the parts of the book where Becky was in New York. This book was a fast read that I thought was fun and enjoyable, although Becky puts herself in basically the same financial situation she was in during the course of the first book, so I wonder if we'll ever see any character growth. However, I still had fun and enjoyed the book. I'm just hoping that future books won't be a rehash of the same old issues over and over again. Overall, a cute read. 3 1/2 stars.
—Jaclyn
Off the bat, I'm yet to warm up to Rebecca Bloomwood. I didn't connect with her in Shopaholic, or in Shopaholic & Sister (I read it before Manhattan). You would think that with the second book, Rebecca has at least grown some or gained depth. Instead, she's the same Becky we met in Shopaholic: a pathological liar, a trait that makes her look insecure rather than someone to be pitied She's still dumb, daft, dense, shallow, whiny and a hypocrite who dishes out what she can't take. Rebecca is also SO aggravating, infuriating and unlikeable that at page 120, I needed time off from her just so she doesn't rub off on me and then I'm tempted to kick her around. Which, unfortunately, is impossible. It just makes me so furious that after everything in book one, she's still digging herself into a financial hole out of her inability to use common sense - wasn't she bankrupt in book one? Why the hell do you buy your friend cushions when you're receiving letters from banks about overdue payments?!!There's a sick and deep need in this GIRL to be accepted by someone or something, and it's leading her to act completely immature that it's not at all endearing. If Sophie Kinsella was addressing the dangers of living beyond your means, congratulations to her! I got the message.Rebecca doesn't deserve to have a job or live in a posh (or close to) flat. Or even be allowed to have credit card extensions or whatever. What is that teaching people? That you can dick around with money but still be able to be GIVEN money by a financial institution to afford a £50 hat?Sophie should've bankrupt this silly child completely such that she'd be trying to dig herself out of the financial mess for years on end, just to teach her a friggin' lesson that she would never forget. That would have been real enough.I have an urge to burn this book.
—PhobicPrerogative
Love her or hate her, Rebecca Bloomwood is possibly one of the most memorable characters in current fiction. She's so over the top and fabulous even though the poor thing really does have an addiction as bad as any other addiction-she's a shopaholic. I read the first Shopaholic book and absolutely loved how fun and fanciful the whole idea was, and Becky's romance with Luke was unexpected and sweet. However, reading the sequel, I often felt like I was reading the exact same book over again, but with only half of the charm and a less endearing romance story. I wanted Becky to have grown up a bit and have learned from her previous mistakes instead of making all of them over again in the second book. Of course, the author had to find a way to give the reader more of what they loved about the first book, but I just felt like Becky learned nothing the first time around. In this installment, Becky has a great job as a financial advisor on a London morning talk show, which she is very good at. Her romance with successful and gorgeous entepreneur Luke Brandon is going places. Unfortunately, she still has a teeny tiny problem with overspending which could potentially ruin everything she has worked so hard to gain.There are truly some laugh out loud moments in this book, and not just the cliched chick lit awkward moments. Becky's faux pas are unique, hilarious, and could only happen to her. Sometimes I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, though, because she shows many signs of a person with a true shopping addiction. She hides her purchases from family and friends, she doesn't remember anything she buys, and she definitely doesn't have the funds to support her habit. I was starting to think it might be time for her to seek professional help. Then other times, I was just so frustrated with her! She has an amazing, fun job that she excels at, and a great boyfriend, supportive friends, awesome parents, and she places more importance on designer clothing than any of that and even risks losing it all for the perfect pair of "clementine" heels.I thought the romance fell flat in this one, even though I loved Becky and Luke in the first book. I know it's not as dynamic since the two were already a couple, and that can't be helped, but I just found myself forgetting why they ever fell for each other in the first place.Overall, this book was a fun, satisfying escape. By the end I was ready to find my copy of "Shopaholic Ties the Knot" so I could see what happens to Becky and Luke. But I really hope Becky tries to change for the better at least a little!!Reviewed for: http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/
—Angelc
