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Shopaholic #6
Mini Shopaholic
Sophie Kinsella has dazzled readers with her irresistible Shopaholic novels--sensational international bestsellers that have garnered millions of devoted fans and catapulted her into the first rank of contemporary storytellers. Now her beloved heroine Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) returns in a hilarious tale of married life, toddlerhood, and the perils of trying to give a fabulous surprise party--on a budget!
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
With people having to "cut back," Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source--and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.
Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky's secret wishes ever come true?
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
With people having to "cut back," Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source--and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.
Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky's secret wishes ever come true?
418 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2010
About the author
Sophie Kinsella
135 books40.4k followersSophie Kinsella has sold over 40 million copies of her books in more than 60 countries, and she has been translated into over 40 languages.
Sophie Kinsella first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series – The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). The book’s heroine, Becky Bloomwood – a fun and feisty financial journalist who loves shopping but is hopeless with money – captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Becky has since featured in seven further bestselling books, Shopaholic Abroad (also published as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan), Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, Shopaholic & Baby, Mini Shopaholic, Shopaholic to the Stars and Shopaholic to the Rescue. Becky Bloomwood came to the big screen in 2009 with the hit Disney movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.
Sophie has also written seven standalone novels which have all been bestsellers in the UK, USA and other countries around the world: Can You Keep A Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, and My Not So Perfect Life, which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Best Fiction in 2017.
In 2014 she published a Young Adult novel Finding Audrey about a teenage girl with social anxiety and her madcap family, and in January 2018, Sophie published her first illustrated book for young readers about the charming adventures of a mother-daughter fairy duo, Mummy Fairy and Me (also published as Fairy Mom and Me).
Sophie’s latest novel, Surprise Me, published in February 2018, presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered.
Sophie wrote her first novel under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, at the tender age of 24, whilst she was working as a financial journalist. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.
Sophie was born in London. She studied music at New College, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She now lives in London, UK, with her husband and family.
Visit Sophie's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SophieKinsell...
Series:
* Shopaholic
Sophie Kinsella first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series – The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). The book’s heroine, Becky Bloomwood – a fun and feisty financial journalist who loves shopping but is hopeless with money – captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Becky has since featured in seven further bestselling books, Shopaholic Abroad (also published as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan), Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, Shopaholic & Baby, Mini Shopaholic, Shopaholic to the Stars and Shopaholic to the Rescue. Becky Bloomwood came to the big screen in 2009 with the hit Disney movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.
Sophie has also written seven standalone novels which have all been bestsellers in the UK, USA and other countries around the world: Can You Keep A Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, and My Not So Perfect Life, which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Best Fiction in 2017.
In 2014 she published a Young Adult novel Finding Audrey about a teenage girl with social anxiety and her madcap family, and in January 2018, Sophie published her first illustrated book for young readers about the charming adventures of a mother-daughter fairy duo, Mummy Fairy and Me (also published as Fairy Mom and Me).
Sophie’s latest novel, Surprise Me, published in February 2018, presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered.
Sophie wrote her first novel under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, at the tender age of 24, whilst she was working as a financial journalist. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.
Sophie was born in London. She studied music at New College, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She now lives in London, UK, with her husband and family.
Visit Sophie's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SophieKinsell...
Series:
* Shopaholic
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,224 reviews
December 6, 2010
Becky Brandon(nee Bloomwood)got on my very last nerve in this book. She seems so selfish, so self-involved that I had trouble liking her and since the book is from her viewpoint I need to like her, at least a little bit. She lies to everyone,from her husband to her parents to her child's nanny to the administrator of her friend's child's school(although that lie was actually done to be kind).
I started to wonder if she was even capable of telling the truth or whether she even knew what the truth was. Her insane notion that her husband would send her child far away to a boot camp when he's already told her he wouldn't do that just really irritated me.
And speaking of her husband, he is almost non-existent in this book until the final chapters. I missed him as he is a great counter-balance to the flippety Becky. He needs to be there more than he was in this book.
I keep hoping that Becky will begin to grow up and realize she simply can't have everything she wants, even if she can find some scheme to make it happen. I want her to see that at some point and let go of her nonsense and her rooms full of clothing and accessories. I want her to embrace her family and friends with the same passion that she does her stuff.
Oh well, maybe next time.
I started to wonder if she was even capable of telling the truth or whether she even knew what the truth was. Her insane notion that her husband would send her child far away to a boot camp when he's already told her he wouldn't do that just really irritated me.
And speaking of her husband, he is almost non-existent in this book until the final chapters. I missed him as he is a great counter-balance to the flippety Becky. He needs to be there more than he was in this book.
I keep hoping that Becky will begin to grow up and realize she simply can't have everything she wants, even if she can find some scheme to make it happen. I want her to see that at some point and let go of her nonsense and her rooms full of clothing and accessories. I want her to embrace her family and friends with the same passion that she does her stuff.
Oh well, maybe next time.
November 27, 2023
Same old Becky. Same old lies. Throw in an obnoxious 2 year old to the mix and we have cracked the plot of Mini Shopaholic.
Agreed, I've had fun reading about Becky Brandon née Bloomwood, her penchant for getting into unfathomable troubles and the way she weasles out of it like a pro. It has been a guilty pleasure of mine for quite some time. But this book was testing my limits.
People like Becky should be banned from raising kids. Minnie was bratty, awful and extremely annoying for someone with a very limited vocabulary. Mother and daughter alternatively got on my nerves and I couldn't take it anymore. I JUST COULDN'T.
Agreed, I've had fun reading about Becky Brandon née Bloomwood, her penchant for getting into unfathomable troubles and the way she weasles out of it like a pro. It has been a guilty pleasure of mine for quite some time. But this book was testing my limits.
People like Becky should be banned from raising kids. Minnie was bratty, awful and extremely annoying for someone with a very limited vocabulary. Mother and daughter alternatively got on my nerves and I couldn't take it anymore. I JUST COULDN'T.
September 26, 2011
I've always enjoyed the Shopaholic series, as it's a great beach read. Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is a zany character who gets in scrapes, but is ultimately lovable.
Perhaps that was true for the first 5 books in the series. By this point, the schtick has worn down to a nub. Becky is a materialistic liar and she becomes less sympathetic with each book. A more stable woman would have been deserted at this point in real life, or even in any good book. Not only is she the Poster Child for financial and personal irresponsibility, she's raising a daughter who's going in the same path.
From reading the book jacket and the first ten pages, I was able to predict the end. Hopefully, this will be the final book in the Shopaholic series (they made a dreadful film out of the first one); it's the same story over and over again...Bex gets into a scrape, lies her way into an even deeper hole, and her long-suffering parents and husband rescue her just in time! Fun the first five times...let's just say the 6th time is not the charm.
Perhaps that was true for the first 5 books in the series. By this point, the schtick has worn down to a nub. Becky is a materialistic liar and she becomes less sympathetic with each book. A more stable woman would have been deserted at this point in real life, or even in any good book. Not only is she the Poster Child for financial and personal irresponsibility, she's raising a daughter who's going in the same path.
From reading the book jacket and the first ten pages, I was able to predict the end. Hopefully, this will be the final book in the Shopaholic series (they made a dreadful film out of the first one); it's the same story over and over again...Bex gets into a scrape, lies her way into an even deeper hole, and her long-suffering parents and husband rescue her just in time! Fun the first five times...let's just say the 6th time is not the charm.
October 22, 2022
2,5 stars
Mais uma desilusão.
Depois que o anterior que animou e julguei que a série fosse melhorar, Kinsella repete-se.
Não há nada de novo na história.
Algumas partes da Minnie são engraçadas.
A mãe de Luke surpreende.
Luke não se impõe, o que começa a ser aborrecido.
Rebecca mantém-se no mesmo registo fútil...
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2.5 stars.
Another disappointment.
After the previous one been better, I thought the series would improve, Kinsella repeats itself.
There is nothing new in the story.
Some parts of Minnie are funny.
Luke's mother surprises.
Luke doesn't impose himself, which starts to be annoying.
Rebecca keeps herself in the same futile register...
════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════
July 25, 2018
A cute introduction to two-year-old Minnie Bloomwood who appears to be developing similar traits of her sweet but "I want all the things" mother. Becky (and Luke) must confront how their issues may impact Minnie moving forward, and of course Becky gets herself into a jam although her intentions are the absolute best. The misunderstandings that come up as a result of secretive event planning are pretty funny, and I enjoyed that Kinsella revisited an extended family member who manages to surprise everyone in the literal and emotional sense. Overall, an enjoyable addition to the Shopaholic series.
My favorite quote:
"...an unconditional act does not require reward."
My favorite quote:
"...an unconditional act does not require reward."
June 2, 2022
Becky may have finally met her match in her 2-year-old daughter Minnie, who has constant tantrums, grabs everything she wants and screeches and throws fits if you try to take anything away from her. The descriptions of everyone tiptoeing around Becky were hilarious, while gently describing Minnie’s terrible two behavior. Becky wants to have another child while Luke thinks they have their hands full with Minnie’s behavior at the moment. I always enjoy Becky’s struggles and comedy. The dual disasters of them trying to find a house and her trying to plan a low-budget surprise party for Luke were hilarious. This is such a fun series. Suze and Tarquin are favorites as well. My favorite in this was the storyline with Luke’s biological mother.
July 21, 2011
Confessions of a Shopaholic was the first chick lit book I read. It is the ONLY chick lit series I still read (I started feeling that chick lit was all the same). I love Becky!! Her life is always a total mess, she digs herself into massive holes..and yet, she has the biggest heart. I love that about her. Becky does get on my nerves every now & then. But for the most part, I do love her.
As for this book, it was A LOT better than the Sister & Baby. I thought Sister was truly awful!! (I can't stand Jess!!!) Baby was okay, nothing great. I don't think Mini Shopaholic was great..but it was a lot more enjoyable!! I laughed during some parts for a good 10 mins!! I had tears running down my face. The last Sophie book that did that to me was The Undomestic Goddess!! So it's been awhile, lol!!
Minnie wasn't as awful as I thought she was going to be. Luke was totally horrible!! Seriously, he needs to chill out. Becky's mom-wow!! I don't even know what to say about her. Elinor shocked me. She does have a heart!! I did feel bad for her. Danny-omfg, he needs a reality check. I was sad that Suze wasn't in the it as much. I love her!!
I am looking forward to the next one!!
As for this book, it was A LOT better than the Sister & Baby. I thought Sister was truly awful!! (I can't stand Jess!!!) Baby was okay, nothing great. I don't think Mini Shopaholic was great..but it was a lot more enjoyable!! I laughed during some parts for a good 10 mins!! I had tears running down my face. The last Sophie book that did that to me was The Undomestic Goddess!! So it's been awhile, lol!!
Minnie wasn't as awful as I thought she was going to be. Luke was totally horrible!! Seriously, he needs to chill out. Becky's mom-wow!! I don't even know what to say about her. Elinor shocked me. She does have a heart!! I did feel bad for her. Danny-omfg, he needs a reality check. I was sad that Suze wasn't in the it as much. I love her!!
I am looking forward to the next one!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2012
I enjoyed the Shopaholic novels, although I wondered how much lying one character could do in a book. Well, Sophie Kinsella has taken that challenge and upped the ante in this new tome.
I don't know, maybe it's the recession, maybe it's the fact that I've been out of a job for almost two years, maybe it's the fact that I can't stand bratty children, but this was not my favorite Kinsella offering.
First of all, it's probably a bit too close to reality. Becky, her long-suffering hubby Luke, and their two year old monster toddler are living with Becky's hapless parents until the lawsuit from the debacle in the last book is settled. Becky has managed to take over every spot of space with her belongings, and somehow misses out on the fact that her parents have put their lives on hold while she and her family are there.
Second of all, Becky hasn't learned a thing and is now passing on bad habits to a child. In other words, she is spoiling her child. Even her husband, Luke, is disturbed by this and wants to seek outside help, a la SuperNanny. But Becky refuses to see that her child is a problem, most likely because it will reflect badly on her.
Finally, she nearly costs Luke's assistant her job, as she pushes her to divulge confidential information. Again, Becky doesn't think about consequences.
Yes, maybe I am over-analyzing chick lit. Maybe I am expecting too much. Like I said, it could just be because it's a bit too realistic right now. I couldn't escape into this world like I usually can.
Overall, a disappointment.
I don't know, maybe it's the recession, maybe it's the fact that I've been out of a job for almost two years, maybe it's the fact that I can't stand bratty children, but this was not my favorite Kinsella offering.
First of all, it's probably a bit too close to reality. Becky, her long-suffering hubby Luke, and their two year old monster toddler are living with Becky's hapless parents until the lawsuit from the debacle in the last book is settled. Becky has managed to take over every spot of space with her belongings, and somehow misses out on the fact that her parents have put their lives on hold while she and her family are there.
Second of all, Becky hasn't learned a thing and is now passing on bad habits to a child. In other words, she is spoiling her child. Even her husband, Luke, is disturbed by this and wants to seek outside help, a la SuperNanny. But Becky refuses to see that her child is a problem, most likely because it will reflect badly on her.
Finally, she nearly costs Luke's assistant her job, as she pushes her to divulge confidential information. Again, Becky doesn't think about consequences.
Yes, maybe I am over-analyzing chick lit. Maybe I am expecting too much. Like I said, it could just be because it's a bit too realistic right now. I couldn't escape into this world like I usually can.
Overall, a disappointment.
November 23, 2010
Becky Brandon (neé Bloomwood) is back, and with her two year old Minnie in tow. Unfortunately, Minnie seems to be a bigger shopoholic than Becky is, proclaiming everything in the stores “MINE!” As a result, Luke is stressed out, and a financial crisis doesn’t help the situation. Becky wants to throw a surprise party for Luke, but with the financial crisis, a strict budget, and a “spirited” daughter, how can she?
Something about this book really bugged me. Maybe it was the fact that Becky takes no responsibility or takes discipline with Minnie, other than saying “naughty Minnie!” Yes, she’s two. But I hate it when mothers think their daughters are special snowflakes, calling them “spirited” in lieu of actually being a parent. Also, Becky’s shopping addition is finally growing thin on me. Girl needs some help. And why are Becky and Luke together? The lone one good thing Becky does over the course of a year makes up for being a vapid, lying clotheshorse in debt? Luke must reeeeeeally like her.
I’ll still read the next book, though.
Something about this book really bugged me. Maybe it was the fact that Becky takes no responsibility or takes discipline with Minnie, other than saying “naughty Minnie!” Yes, she’s two. But I hate it when mothers think their daughters are special snowflakes, calling them “spirited” in lieu of actually being a parent. Also, Becky’s shopping addition is finally growing thin on me. Girl needs some help. And why are Becky and Luke together? The lone one good thing Becky does over the course of a year makes up for being a vapid, lying clotheshorse in debt? Luke must reeeeeeally like her.
I’ll still read the next book, though.
May 13, 2023
What a great addition to the Shopaholic series, really enjoyed this one.
Looking forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes now.
Five stars.
Looking forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes now.
Five stars.
September 1, 2015
3.5 Stars
I don't usually read books in this genre any more, but I will always make an exception for Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. I adore Becky Bloomwood. She's a character I find hard not to like with her scatty personality and her inability to walk by a designer store without making a purchase. It was this aspect to Becky's character that made me pick up the first book in this series, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, as I could identify well (a bit too well!) with Becky and her retail therapy issues. It also cemented Becky as one of my favourite characters.
Mini Shopaholic is basically in the same format as the other books in the series: Becky using every excuse in the book to keep shopping and up to her elbows in secrets, and fighting to keep those secrets from coming out, but of course everything goes horribly wrong.
In this instalment we see Becky as a mother, raising her two year old daughter, Minnie, who is slightly wayward and becoming too fond of materialistic items like her mummy, with her husband, Luke. Becky is still the same fun, vivid character but motherhood has not helped her become more economical. In fact, she now has excuses to shop more by buying items for Minnie. Some of the scenarios are just so funny they had me giggling out loud. Minnie is cute as a button and Luke is as patient as always.
Becky is also trying to plan a surprise birthday party for Luke, without spending any money...which of course leads to complete fiasco and a book which reads like a screwball comedy. There are many more humourous situations and a strew of events that had me shaking my head with affectionate disbelief at what Becky was saying and doing. There's also the usual great dialogue and prose, which is incredibly smooth making Mini Shopaholic a very easy, fast read.
VERDICT:
Mini Shopaholic is a wonderful escape from real life and a total roller coaster ride - this book is never dull, and although it occasionally borders on the ridiculous, I just can't help but love it!
There is nothing new here - we have seen it all before in previous books - but I didn't mind, it was like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers and it felt great. I love Becky Bloomwood with all her manic, self-destructive quirks. Sophie Kinsella is still at the top of her game and for me still the best in the genre.
I don't usually read books in this genre any more, but I will always make an exception for Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. I adore Becky Bloomwood. She's a character I find hard not to like with her scatty personality and her inability to walk by a designer store without making a purchase. It was this aspect to Becky's character that made me pick up the first book in this series, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, as I could identify well (a bit too well!) with Becky and her retail therapy issues. It also cemented Becky as one of my favourite characters.
Mini Shopaholic is basically in the same format as the other books in the series: Becky using every excuse in the book to keep shopping and up to her elbows in secrets, and fighting to keep those secrets from coming out, but of course everything goes horribly wrong.
In this instalment we see Becky as a mother, raising her two year old daughter, Minnie, who is slightly wayward and becoming too fond of materialistic items like her mummy, with her husband, Luke. Becky is still the same fun, vivid character but motherhood has not helped her become more economical. In fact, she now has excuses to shop more by buying items for Minnie. Some of the scenarios are just so funny they had me giggling out loud. Minnie is cute as a button and Luke is as patient as always.
Becky is also trying to plan a surprise birthday party for Luke, without spending any money...which of course leads to complete fiasco and a book which reads like a screwball comedy. There are many more humourous situations and a strew of events that had me shaking my head with affectionate disbelief at what Becky was saying and doing. There's also the usual great dialogue and prose, which is incredibly smooth making Mini Shopaholic a very easy, fast read.
VERDICT:
Mini Shopaholic is a wonderful escape from real life and a total roller coaster ride - this book is never dull, and although it occasionally borders on the ridiculous, I just can't help but love it!
There is nothing new here - we have seen it all before in previous books - but I didn't mind, it was like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers and it felt great. I love Becky Bloomwood with all her manic, self-destructive quirks. Sophie Kinsella is still at the top of her game and for me still the best in the genre.
September 10, 2010
Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze. She thought herself and Minnie would just shop all day every day. What Becky didn't count on though was Minnie's tenaciousness and determination when it comes to the things she wants (her favourite word is "mine"). Not to mention Luke, Becky's husband, has had a stressful year. In a bit to cheer him up, Becky hits on the idea to throw him a surprise birthday party but as always with Becky, things don't quite go according to plan and soon her surprise birthday party isn't looking like a party at all. Until salvation comes... Will Becky swallow her pride and admit she needs help, and more importantly, will Becky be able to keep the party a secret?
Since reading Shopaholic and Baby when it came out in 2007, I've been eagerly awaiting a new Becky Bloomwood adventure. She is, by far, my favourite female character ever so when it was announced last year that we were finally getting a new Shopaholic novel I was thrilled and it immediately shot up on my list of "books I can't wait for". I was thrilled to receive an early copy a month before its release and I set about reading the other Shopaholic books so I could dive right into Mini Shopaholic. And believe me, I wasn't disappointed.
I cannot get over the fact that it's been three years since the last Shopaholic book. I rather sincerely hope Sophie Kinsella doesn't wait that long next time! I love her stand-alone books, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to Becky Bloomwood I would happily read a book a month about her. Obviously with such high expectations, I was a little bit worried about whether I would love it as much as the other books but thankfully I quickly got into the book. In fact I was laughing from the first page, which is always a good sign. The laughs definitely continued throughout the book so it was as if Becky had never left!
I did think that with the title of Mini Shopaholic that the book was going to be dedicated entirely to Becky and Minnie - and their shopping exploits of course - but that wasn't the main plot at all. Minnie and her like of the word "mine" is prominent to the book but the book seems, to me, to be more focused on Becky wanting Luke to have a surprise party for his birthday after the year he's had. There's been no book between Shopaholic and Baby and Mini Shopaholic and there's a gap of two years, so a lot has gone on in the intermittent time, but Becky explains it all to us and Luke - and Becky and Minnie - have had a heck of a time so Becky decides that Luke should, for once, celebrate his birthday and decides to organise a secret party. Because it's Becky organising the party, things never go to plan and we're with her all the way as she tries to arrange it all, so there's the usual chaos which I just lapped it all up.
All of the characters from the previous books return, as you would expect. Becky is as loveable as ever, and it really does feel as if she's a close friend. Because Kinsella has inserted the financial crisis into the latest book, Becky ends up cutting back and I liked how Becky tried, very hard, to stick to the promise she made Luke. Although it does seem to be that the motto 'Once a Shopaholic, always a Shopholic' definitely applies to Becky, particularly when it comes to Luke's party. Throughout the previous books, it seems that Luke is only ever known to be working; constantly missing things and always having his phone to his ear and despite the fact it continues in Mini Shopaholic, I do think we saw a bit more of him than usual. He's had a tough time and I felt so sad for him for all that had happened while we've been away from the Brandon family. Becky's parents and friends return and I must mention Becky's parents. God, I love them. All they seem to do is bicker but it seems to be good-natured more than anything and they're hilarious. Suze, Tarkie and the kids are back, as well as Danny, Becky's fashion designer friend.
Mini Shopaholic is as well-written as the other books, told entirely from Becky's point of view, in a really easy chatty manner with letters interspersed throughout. Kinsella is such a fantastic writer, and manages to suck me in any time. She could write a book about paint and I'd love it. Mini Shopaholic has been well worth the wait and I managed to finish it pretty much in one sitting. The ending gives me hope for another Shopaholic, whenever Kinsella decides to write it, so here's hoping Becky Bloomwood will live to feature in another book! My life would be completely empty without her and I'm rather gutted I've actually finished Mini Shopaholic. I can't wait to read it again soon! An absolute must-read for all Shopaholic fans!
Since reading Shopaholic and Baby when it came out in 2007, I've been eagerly awaiting a new Becky Bloomwood adventure. She is, by far, my favourite female character ever so when it was announced last year that we were finally getting a new Shopaholic novel I was thrilled and it immediately shot up on my list of "books I can't wait for". I was thrilled to receive an early copy a month before its release and I set about reading the other Shopaholic books so I could dive right into Mini Shopaholic. And believe me, I wasn't disappointed.
I cannot get over the fact that it's been three years since the last Shopaholic book. I rather sincerely hope Sophie Kinsella doesn't wait that long next time! I love her stand-alone books, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to Becky Bloomwood I would happily read a book a month about her. Obviously with such high expectations, I was a little bit worried about whether I would love it as much as the other books but thankfully I quickly got into the book. In fact I was laughing from the first page, which is always a good sign. The laughs definitely continued throughout the book so it was as if Becky had never left!
I did think that with the title of Mini Shopaholic that the book was going to be dedicated entirely to Becky and Minnie - and their shopping exploits of course - but that wasn't the main plot at all. Minnie and her like of the word "mine" is prominent to the book but the book seems, to me, to be more focused on Becky wanting Luke to have a surprise party for his birthday after the year he's had. There's been no book between Shopaholic and Baby and Mini Shopaholic and there's a gap of two years, so a lot has gone on in the intermittent time, but Becky explains it all to us and Luke - and Becky and Minnie - have had a heck of a time so Becky decides that Luke should, for once, celebrate his birthday and decides to organise a secret party. Because it's Becky organising the party, things never go to plan and we're with her all the way as she tries to arrange it all, so there's the usual chaos which I just lapped it all up.
All of the characters from the previous books return, as you would expect. Becky is as loveable as ever, and it really does feel as if she's a close friend. Because Kinsella has inserted the financial crisis into the latest book, Becky ends up cutting back and I liked how Becky tried, very hard, to stick to the promise she made Luke. Although it does seem to be that the motto 'Once a Shopaholic, always a Shopholic' definitely applies to Becky, particularly when it comes to Luke's party. Throughout the previous books, it seems that Luke is only ever known to be working; constantly missing things and always having his phone to his ear and despite the fact it continues in Mini Shopaholic, I do think we saw a bit more of him than usual. He's had a tough time and I felt so sad for him for all that had happened while we've been away from the Brandon family. Becky's parents and friends return and I must mention Becky's parents. God, I love them. All they seem to do is bicker but it seems to be good-natured more than anything and they're hilarious. Suze, Tarkie and the kids are back, as well as Danny, Becky's fashion designer friend.
Mini Shopaholic is as well-written as the other books, told entirely from Becky's point of view, in a really easy chatty manner with letters interspersed throughout. Kinsella is such a fantastic writer, and manages to suck me in any time. She could write a book about paint and I'd love it. Mini Shopaholic has been well worth the wait and I managed to finish it pretty much in one sitting. The ending gives me hope for another Shopaholic, whenever Kinsella decides to write it, so here's hoping Becky Bloomwood will live to feature in another book! My life would be completely empty without her and I'm rather gutted I've actually finished Mini Shopaholic. I can't wait to read it again soon! An absolute must-read for all Shopaholic fans!
April 24, 2020
Aww.. little Minnie Brandon is experiencing the terrible twos but both Luke and Becky are just a little concerned that it might be more than that. They just have very different views on tackling that issue. In addition, the whole country is heading into a recession and the Brandons are still struggling to move out of the Bloomwood home and find their paradise.
Lots of strife and complications with family and friends in this one, but my fave part of the story was the return of Luke's biological mother, Elinor. I feel like she was given a very good storyline. This ends my Shopaholic book pile for now. But it's been a good run.
Goodreads review published 24/04/20
Lots of strife and complications with family and friends in this one, but my fave part of the story was the return of Luke's biological mother, Elinor. I feel like she was given a very good storyline. This ends my Shopaholic book pile for now. But it's been a good run.
Goodreads review published 24/04/20
February 4, 2014
There's nothing special about this book or the other 5 books of the series,actually there's a selfish character that i would never like.That's Becky Brandon(nee Bloomwood).She got on my nerves most of the time,but i never stopped reading.I wanted to read until the end and hoping all the time that she changed her ways.And f*ck,she did't.
Then why 4 stars ??
Because i always like a funny character who makes me laugh.A book that's not depressing,that can make you forget about your problems.And besides there's Luke.I would give these books 3 stars if he didn't exist(in the books),but he does so yeahh 4 stars
Then why 4 stars ??
Because i always like a funny character who makes me laugh.A book that's not depressing,that can make you forget about your problems.And besides there's Luke.I would give these books 3 stars if he didn't exist(in the books),but he does so yeahh 4 stars
September 22, 2021
Another funny book from Sophie. These books always make me smile and laugh out loud at the antics that Becky gets up too. Now she’s a mother she still hasn’t changed and it looks like her daughter is just the same which makes these books so great to read.
August 7, 2020
Lots of lolz!
Sophie Kinsella does not let down fans with this instalment to the ‘Shopaholic’ series. This is a great read in more ways than one, not just because it was great to read about Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood!) and her mishaps, but the comedy value throughout left me chuckling out loud whilst reading and telling my poor husband about what I had just read.
To be honest, before I started reading this book I was sceptical about how Kinsella could make this an original story, after all the ground she has covered in the previous Shopaholic books. But the charm and humour in this book wins you over as you read about Becky and her young, mischevious daughter, Minnie. And whilst it has been several years since I read the last Shopaholic, it does not feel that time has passed at all, with all the familiar faces back in the story: it was easy to pick up again where I left off.
The letters that Becky receives and the notes she writes still feature in this book and I think this is one of the things that I love about Kinsella as a writer. They give the book a bit of punchy humour and at the same time you are left wondering what Becky said in the original letter. This, I think, is a very clever technique that Kinsella uses and a subtle way to keep you hooked in the story. They add to the plot but at the same time provide a bit of quick humour, which is never a bad thing, in my opinion.
I don’t think I could ever get tired of reading about Becky Bloomwood and her Shopaholic adventures. Kinsella has once again pulled it off and the ending still managed to surprise me in places, even though I had guessed some of what was going to happen. I really fear that this is the end of the series but Kinsella does leave it open for another instalment. The question will be, how could she make it as entertaining to read? With ‘Mini Shopaholic’ Kinsella has ticked all of the boxes so if you have read the other books in the series, then you should definitely read this one as well – it would be criminal not to!
Sophie Kinsella does not let down fans with this instalment to the ‘Shopaholic’ series. This is a great read in more ways than one, not just because it was great to read about Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood!) and her mishaps, but the comedy value throughout left me chuckling out loud whilst reading and telling my poor husband about what I had just read.
To be honest, before I started reading this book I was sceptical about how Kinsella could make this an original story, after all the ground she has covered in the previous Shopaholic books. But the charm and humour in this book wins you over as you read about Becky and her young, mischevious daughter, Minnie. And whilst it has been several years since I read the last Shopaholic, it does not feel that time has passed at all, with all the familiar faces back in the story: it was easy to pick up again where I left off.
The letters that Becky receives and the notes she writes still feature in this book and I think this is one of the things that I love about Kinsella as a writer. They give the book a bit of punchy humour and at the same time you are left wondering what Becky said in the original letter. This, I think, is a very clever technique that Kinsella uses and a subtle way to keep you hooked in the story. They add to the plot but at the same time provide a bit of quick humour, which is never a bad thing, in my opinion.
I don’t think I could ever get tired of reading about Becky Bloomwood and her Shopaholic adventures. Kinsella has once again pulled it off and the ending still managed to surprise me in places, even though I had guessed some of what was going to happen. I really fear that this is the end of the series but Kinsella does leave it open for another instalment. The question will be, how could she make it as entertaining to read? With ‘Mini Shopaholic’ Kinsella has ticked all of the boxes so if you have read the other books in the series, then you should definitely read this one as well – it would be criminal not to!
January 14, 2013
In the latest installment to the Shopaholic series, Rebecca Brandon returns with willful two-year-old Minnie, who has taken after her mother in her fierce determination and her addiction to luxury brands. When the financial crisis finally hits the Brandon family, Rebecca vows to stop shopping until she's worn everything in her closet at least three times; Luke scrambles for new business directions; and Minnie remains exceptionally difficult (Miiiiiine!!!).
Becky used to be young, silly and funny. But now she's an adult, she's a mother and what was cute when she was in her early twenties is now really immature and sad. It made me almost sick to read about how she put her daughter in debt (not serious debt to the bank, but still) and effectively passed her shopping addiction on to Minnie, lied to her family and friends and put on a huge expensive party when she was supposed to cut back on her spending.
Obviously the books are about shopping and about Becky getting in trouble and how she gets out of it, but I would like to see some growth in her character. She should realize she has an addiction and deal with it. I can't believe Luke is still letting her run around spending so much money, isn't he supposed to be the reasonable one?
Not to mention that at this point the reader has to wonder: Is she ever going to learn?
Book Details:
Title Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #6)
Author Sophie Kinsella
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Becky used to be young, silly and funny. But now she's an adult, she's a mother and what was cute when she was in her early twenties is now really immature and sad. It made me almost sick to read about how she put her daughter in debt (not serious debt to the bank, but still) and effectively passed her shopping addiction on to Minnie, lied to her family and friends and put on a huge expensive party when she was supposed to cut back on her spending.
Obviously the books are about shopping and about Becky getting in trouble and how she gets out of it, but I would like to see some growth in her character. She should realize she has an addiction and deal with it. I can't believe Luke is still letting her run around spending so much money, isn't he supposed to be the reasonable one?
Not to mention that at this point the reader has to wonder: Is she ever going to learn?
Book Details:
Title Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #6)
Author Sophie Kinsella
Reviewed By Purplycookie
April 17, 2012
I am very addicted to the shopaholic series- I read all five in less than two weeks!! I can't wait for this one to be released...
September 27, 2010
**3.5 stars really but what the hell, I'm feeling generous. Rounding this up to 4 stars for making me laugh after the doom and gloom of my previous novels.**
The Shopaholic books aren't going to change your world, but they're fun and airy. I read the previous 5 Shopaholic books back-to-back one weekend* last year and by the 3rd book, Becky Bloomwood went from endearing to irritating. However, even at her most maddening (like, seriously, she still doesn't realize she has a shopping problem?), Sophie Kinsella writes Becky with such energy and pluck that no matter how much eye-rolling I do in the middle, I always come back around by the end of the book. Mini Shopaholic was no different, although the year off from Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood allowed me to regard her and her mini-me, Minnie, with more patience and affection.
I hate the term "chick-lit" -- I'd much rather compare books to drinks, so this is cocktail- or apple martini-lit. It's fun, it's sweet, and you can't take it (or yourself) too seriously. And you will end up giggling in spite of yourself. And who doesn't need a cocktail every once in awhile? (I totally had one before I started this review -- ha! ...In case the 10th "and" didn't tip you off.) In conclusion, I have nothing more to add to this review. Eat, drink, read!
*A long weekend, obviously. I'm not a robot!
The Shopaholic books aren't going to change your world, but they're fun and airy. I read the previous 5 Shopaholic books back-to-back one weekend* last year and by the 3rd book, Becky Bloomwood went from endearing to irritating. However, even at her most maddening (like, seriously, she still doesn't realize she has a shopping problem?), Sophie Kinsella writes Becky with such energy and pluck that no matter how much eye-rolling I do in the middle, I always come back around by the end of the book. Mini Shopaholic was no different, although the year off from Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood allowed me to regard her and her mini-me, Minnie, with more patience and affection.
I hate the term "chick-lit" -- I'd much rather compare books to drinks, so this is cocktail- or apple martini-lit. It's fun, it's sweet, and you can't take it (or yourself) too seriously. And you will end up giggling in spite of yourself. And who doesn't need a cocktail every once in awhile? (I totally had one before I started this review -- ha! ...In case the 10th "and" didn't tip you off.) In conclusion, I have nothing more to add to this review. Eat, drink, read!
*A long weekend, obviously. I'm not a robot!
September 21, 2010
The ending of this book keeps you from regretting pushing through to finish. However, all in all the book was annoying. Unless this is your first shopaholic book you will definitely find all of Becky's 'quirks' hugely annoying rather than charming.
Basically Becky is an annoying whiny b**ch, Minnie is a spoiled brat and Luke is a neglectful a**hole. And her parents... made me want to go home and hug my own parents.
For fiction, especially chick lit, it's really hard to say a character should know better because it is just that... a character. However, Becky should know better.
Also, now that she's financially stable her buying habits really aren't that dramatic. And, without being spoily any of her past solutions, especially the one in her first book, would have worked here.
I know it's part of the *shopaholic* series but I really think this book would have been more enjoyable if the focus was on the party challenges instead of trying to force the shopaholic aspect.
Basically Becky is an annoying whiny b**ch, Minnie is a spoiled brat and Luke is a neglectful a**hole. And her parents... made me want to go home and hug my own parents.
For fiction, especially chick lit, it's really hard to say a character should know better because it is just that... a character. However, Becky should know better.
Also, now that she's financially stable her buying habits really aren't that dramatic. And, without being spoily any of her past solutions, especially the one in her first book, would have worked here.
I know it's part of the *shopaholic* series but I really think this book would have been more enjoyable if the focus was on the party challenges instead of trying to force the shopaholic aspect.
September 24, 2014
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
I'm sad to admit this but, I have a feeling my future daughter will become Minnie. I love to shop and shopping for baby/girl clothes is so much fun and they are so cute and tiny you just want everything and my poor daughter will inherit this curse/blessing.
Maybe this series tugs at my heart strings because I can relate to Becky so much. I am Becky. My boyfriend is Luke. Scary, right? I really believe Sophie Kinsella has been stalking me while writing this series.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
I'm sad to admit this but, I have a feeling my future daughter will become Minnie. I love to shop and shopping for baby/girl clothes is so much fun and they are so cute and tiny you just want everything and my poor daughter will inherit this curse/blessing.
Maybe this series tugs at my heart strings because I can relate to Becky so much. I am Becky. My boyfriend is Luke. Scary, right? I really believe Sophie Kinsella has been stalking me while writing this series.
January 2, 2021
One of the first book series I enjoyed reading. So I liked this one as well. I read it a long time ago already but wanted to re-read it before I started reading Shopaholic to the Stars. This story was a usually Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) story which I really enjoyed reading. Really looking forward to reading the next book!
July 23, 2011
Normally I love Becky!! She is one of my favorite characters. Her life is always a complete and utter mess with these massive holes she digs herself into...and yet she has the biggest heart and only does it because she means well. I really used to love that about her. This time around, however, Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) got on my ever lovin' nerves like no one else could! She came off being completely selfish and self-involved. I was sorely disappointed and really I had trouble liking her as I used to. Seeing as how all the books are told from her viewpoint it is essential for the reader to to like her, at least a little bit. All she seems to be able to do is lie to everyone...even herself! I always knew she was a little like this but this time it was WAY out of control. I actually began to wonder if she was even capable of telling the truth or whether she truly believed all of these lies as actual fact in her own little world. I was disappointed that Luke was pretty much MIA in this book until the final chapters. He is usually such a great counter-balance to Becky that perhaps that was the real issue with this book. Without Suze or Luke to even things out Becky just goes mad! I kept wishing in between the last book and this one that Becky would begin to grow and mature now that she is a mother and realize she simply can't have everything she wants like her spoiled toddler does...wonder where she learned THAT from! This book while quite enjoyable since I always get a kick out of the Shopaholic series, was my least favorite. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Elinore really does have a heart after all! Hopefully the next book will be better and that this isn't a sign of one of my favorite series taking a nose-dive.
February 6, 2019
About two years have passed since #5 and Minnie (Becky and Luke's daughter) has a habit of wanting things in the shops just like her mother. The pocket money idea is never going to last at 50p. She likes saying mine but in looks is more like Luke and Elinor.
For much of the book i'm wishing Luke would be more of a dad because he's still such as Workaholic.The only time he can sort of get away with it to me is when the bank of London goes bust but i still wouldn't like to have Luke's job. When the family go shopping in a pound shop for the first time it's brilliant and they end up spending more money there than John Lewis. I love how a surprise party is being planned for his birthday so he actually celebrates it for a change but he's coming around to the way of thinking wanting his birthday this year. Bonnie his PA is another one in on the surprise and i start to feel sorry for her when Becky starts demanding things of her.
When planning the surprise party on many occasions Becky is acting strange and my favourite is the boob job occasion. I love how sweet Luke is about how Becky shouldn't change anything.
Jess and Tom are back from Chile and they are not engaged like many of them thought but married and i love how Jess reacts to Janice, i don't blame them for getting married over there.
I warm to Elinor a little in this book and you can start to see how it's all getting to her even though she brought most of it on herself.
Luke has a new client (yet again) Saye Seymour and it's going to be Becky in Hollywood. (Least it solves the housing issue for three months and the job who don't deserve Becky at The Look) That should be fun. Wonder if Minnie will get a sibling or not?
For much of the book i'm wishing Luke would be more of a dad because he's still such as Workaholic.The only time he can sort of get away with it to me is when the bank of London goes bust but i still wouldn't like to have Luke's job. When the family go shopping in a pound shop for the first time it's brilliant and they end up spending more money there than John Lewis. I love how a surprise party is being planned for his birthday so he actually celebrates it for a change but he's coming around to the way of thinking wanting his birthday this year. Bonnie his PA is another one in on the surprise and i start to feel sorry for her when Becky starts demanding things of her.
When planning the surprise party on many occasions Becky is acting strange and my favourite is the boob job occasion. I love how sweet Luke is about how Becky shouldn't change anything.
Jess and Tom are back from Chile and they are not engaged like many of them thought but married and i love how Jess reacts to Janice, i don't blame them for getting married over there.
I warm to Elinor a little in this book and you can start to see how it's all getting to her even though she brought most of it on herself.
Luke has a new client (yet again) Saye Seymour and it's going to be Becky in Hollywood. (Least it solves the housing issue for three months and the job who don't deserve Becky at The Look) That should be fun. Wonder if Minnie will get a sibling or not?
January 1, 2020
Cute, lighthearted and my first completed book of 2020 - Happy New Years, My Friends! 🎉
August 21, 2022
Characters has grown into me and I especially enjoyed discussions where Becky's parents were involved - they were funny. I also loved how things went with Elinor and I am really intrigued to see what happens next.
This was light & entertaining and I loved how this wasn't just concentrating on shopping.
This was light & entertaining and I loved how this wasn't just concentrating on shopping.
June 16, 2022
This can’t be happening. My top-secret, surprise party which no one was supposed to know about … is being printed in the newspapers?
************************************************
Since I had Minnie, I’ve learned that the Mummy Once-over is even more savage than the Manhattan Once-over. In the Mummy Once-over, they don’t just assess and price your clothes to the nearest penny in one sweeping glance. Oh no. They also take in your child’s clothes, pram brand, nappy bag, snack choice and whether your child is smiling, snotty or screaming.
Which I know is a lot to take in, in a one-second glance, but believe me, mothers are multi-taskers.
************************************************
God, why on earth have I never thought of pocket money before? It’s perfect! It’s going to add a whole new dimension to our shopping trips.
************************************************
God, I hate other mothers. They always have to butt in. The minute you have a child it’s as if you’ve turned into a box on an internet site, saying ‘Please add all your rude and offensive comments here.’
************************************************
Darling,’I crouch down to get Minnie’s attention, ‘if you pay for the other pony out of your pocket money at 50p a week, it’ll take about …sixty weeks. You’ll have to have an advance. Like an “overdraft”.’I enunciate clearly. ‘So you’ll basically have spent all your pocket money till you’re three and a half. All right?’
Minnie looks a bit bewildered. But then, I expect I looked a bit bewildered when I took out my first overdraft. It goes with the territory.
************************************************
I reach for a hat with two red sparkly pom-poms. It’s the cutest thing, and they had them in baby sizes, too.
If we had another baby, it could wear a pom-pom hat to match Minnie’s. People would call them The Children in the Pom-Pom Hats.
I have a sudden alluring image of myself walking down the street with Minnie. She’d be pushing her toy pram with a dolly in it and I’d be pushing a pram with a real baby in it. She’d have a friend for life. It would all be so perfect.
************************************************
No wonder Minnie has tantrums. It’s because no one’s doing martial arts or making sushi with her. All this time, I’ve totally deprived her. Suddenly making jam tarts in the kitchen with Mum seems totally lame.
************************************************
‘Miiiiiiiiine!’ A high-pitched, gleeful shriek fills the air and my whole body stiffens in alarm. My head whips round towards the front of the church and my stomach seems to drop.
************************************************
‘I need good coffee!’ I say in horror. ‘It’s my only luxury!’
I can’t live with my parents and drink bad coffee. It’s not humanly possible.
************************************************
Luke kisses me on the forehead. ‘The easiest way we could save money, if you ask me, would be if you wore some of your clothes more than once.’
************************************************
Trust Luke to have an answer.
************************************************
‘Becky, I love you. However you look. Whatever shape you are. And the thought that you felt you had to go off secretly …it kills me. Please, please, please, don’t ever do that again.’
************************************************
‘You’re perfect,’ he says almost fiercely. ‘You don’t need to change one hair. One freckle. One little toe. And if it’s me that’s made you feel you should do this … then there’s something wrong with me.’
I think this is the most romantic thing Luke has ever said to me, ever. I can feel tears rising.
************************************************
Then, when she read Kyla’s CV, with all the stuff about the guitar and singing, well, that was it. She instantly christened Kyla Julie Andrews and has been making little oh-so-funny jokes ever since. Even Janice is in on it and has started calling Luke Captain von Trapp, which is really annoying, because that makes me either the dead wife or the Baroness.
************************************************
last night I finally looked properly at my bargain party supplies from the pound shop. I opened the place cards first of all –and they were personalized with ‘Happy Birthday Mike’. Two hundred of them.
For a while I considered introducing ‘Mike’as a nickname for Luke. I mean, why shouldn’t he have a little nickname? And why shouldn’t it be Mike? I reckoned if I started sending him little emails calling him ‘Mikey’and got Mum and Dad to call him ‘Mike’, and maybe even gasped ‘Oh Mike, Mike!’a couple of times during sex, I could probably get him used to it before the party.
************************************************
Maybe I’ll educate Minnie at home. Or at least, not at home. That would be boring. We could do our lessons in … Harvey Nicks! God, yes. Perfect. I can just see myself now, sitting at a little table, sipping a latte and reading Minnie interesting bits of culture from the paper. We could do sums with the sugar cubes and geography in the International Designer Room. People would call me The Girl Who Teaches Her Child in Harvey Nicks and I could start a whole international trend of in-shop schooling—
************************************************
Oh my God. It never occurred to me that by giving up shopping I could be jeopardizing my health. Should I see a doctor?
************************************************
The Ritz is as grand and beautiful as ever, and I have a sudden flashback to coming here with Luke for a date, before we were even going out together. Imagine if I’d known then that we’d end up getting married and having a daughter.
************************************************
For a moment, Minnie is motionless, the pieces still clutched in her tiny hand, as though working out just how serious Elinor is. Their eyes are fixed on each other and they both look deadly determined. In fact …
Oh my God, they look like each other.
I think I’m going to hyperventilate or pass out or something. I’ve never seen it before – but Minnie has the same eyes and tilt of her chin and the same imperious stare.
************************************************
My worst fear has come true. I’ve given birth to a mini-Elinor. I grab a tiny meringue and munch it. I need the sugar, for the shock.
************************************************
Oh my God. Now, that makes total sense. It explains everything. I’m a secret sleep-shopper. I can see myself rising silently from my bed, coming downstairs with a glassy stare, logging on to the computer, tapping in my credit-card details …
But then, why didn’t I buy that fab bag from Net-A-Porter that I’ve been lusting after? Does my sleep-shopping self have no taste?
Could I write a note to my sleep-shopping self?
************************************************
Luke gives an incredulous laugh. ‘I don’t know how you do it. Every other sector is dead, but you’re still managing to sell expensive designer clothes …’ His face suddenly blanches. ‘Becky, please tell me you’re not just selling them all to yourself.’
************************************************
I mean, I know schools get full up and everything. But come on, even the waiting list for that new Prada bag was only a year. No school can be more exclusive than a limited-edition Prada bag, surely?
************************************************
Now I feel all anxious, like I’ve missed the boat and I didn’t even know there was a boat. They should have Vogue for schools. They should have this month’s Must-Have and Latest Trends and timings for all the waiting lists. Then you’d know.
************************************************
Honestly, I think I might become a child expert. I have far more ideas than Nanny Sue, and I could give fashion advice too.
************************************************
Luke, it was terrible. It was a disaster. Minnie got banned from a shop and she stole a mannequin and Nanny Sue didn’t say anything, just gave us that look, and I know what she’s going to recommend, but I can’t send Minnie away to some boot camp in Utah, I just can’t do it. And if you make me then I’ll have to take out an injunction and we’ll go to court and it’ll be like Kramer vs. Kramer and she’ll be scarred for life and it’ll be all your fault!’
‘What?’ Luke stares at me incredulously. ‘Utah?’
‘Or Arizona. Or wherever it is. I can’t do it, Luke.’ I scrub at my eyes, feeling exactly like Meryl Streep. ‘Don’t ask it of me.’
************************************************
How can he take a situation that seems like a great big tangled spider’s web and reduce it to a single thread? How does he do that?
************************************************
‘I find this disturbing.’She eyes me stonily. ‘I have never known you give up on any project before. You have been misguided, yes. Unpolished, yes. Impulsive, yes. Foolish, yes.’
Is she trying to make me feel better?
‘OK, thanks,’I interrupt. ‘I get the picture.’
‘But you have always been tenacious,’continues Elinor as though I haven’t spoken. ‘You have always refused to give in, whatever factors are mounting against you. It is one of the things I’ve always admired about you.’
************************************************
‘Becky, I’d like you to look at your hands.’ Nanny Sue points with a pencil. ‘They’re shaking. Look at your fingers twitching. They began when we first saw the sign for the shopping mall, and I don’t believe they stopped until you’d bought something.’
‘I’ve just got twitchy fingers.’ I give a casual little laugh.
But Nanny Sue is shaking her head. ‘I don’t want to alarm you, Becky … but has it ever occurred to you that you might have an addiction to shopping?’
************************************************
But you know what? A party like this isn’t about the surprise factor. It’s about someone going to so much trouble that it just … overwhelms you. And you think, “What did I do to deserve this?”’ He pauses, his voice trembling a bit. ‘I am the luckiest man alive, and I’d like to propose a toast. To Becky.’
************************************************
Honestly, shopping beats therapy, any time. It costs the same and you get a dress out of it.
************************************************
Since I had Minnie, I’ve learned that the Mummy Once-over is even more savage than the Manhattan Once-over. In the Mummy Once-over, they don’t just assess and price your clothes to the nearest penny in one sweeping glance. Oh no. They also take in your child’s clothes, pram brand, nappy bag, snack choice and whether your child is smiling, snotty or screaming.
Which I know is a lot to take in, in a one-second glance, but believe me, mothers are multi-taskers.
************************************************
God, why on earth have I never thought of pocket money before? It’s perfect! It’s going to add a whole new dimension to our shopping trips.
************************************************
God, I hate other mothers. They always have to butt in. The minute you have a child it’s as if you’ve turned into a box on an internet site, saying ‘Please add all your rude and offensive comments here.’
************************************************
Darling,’I crouch down to get Minnie’s attention, ‘if you pay for the other pony out of your pocket money at 50p a week, it’ll take about …sixty weeks. You’ll have to have an advance. Like an “overdraft”.’I enunciate clearly. ‘So you’ll basically have spent all your pocket money till you’re three and a half. All right?’
Minnie looks a bit bewildered. But then, I expect I looked a bit bewildered when I took out my first overdraft. It goes with the territory.
************************************************
I reach for a hat with two red sparkly pom-poms. It’s the cutest thing, and they had them in baby sizes, too.
If we had another baby, it could wear a pom-pom hat to match Minnie’s. People would call them The Children in the Pom-Pom Hats.
I have a sudden alluring image of myself walking down the street with Minnie. She’d be pushing her toy pram with a dolly in it and I’d be pushing a pram with a real baby in it. She’d have a friend for life. It would all be so perfect.
************************************************
No wonder Minnie has tantrums. It’s because no one’s doing martial arts or making sushi with her. All this time, I’ve totally deprived her. Suddenly making jam tarts in the kitchen with Mum seems totally lame.
************************************************
‘Miiiiiiiiine!’ A high-pitched, gleeful shriek fills the air and my whole body stiffens in alarm. My head whips round towards the front of the church and my stomach seems to drop.
************************************************
‘I need good coffee!’ I say in horror. ‘It’s my only luxury!’
I can’t live with my parents and drink bad coffee. It’s not humanly possible.
************************************************
Luke kisses me on the forehead. ‘The easiest way we could save money, if you ask me, would be if you wore some of your clothes more than once.’
************************************************
Trust Luke to have an answer.
************************************************
‘Becky, I love you. However you look. Whatever shape you are. And the thought that you felt you had to go off secretly …it kills me. Please, please, please, don’t ever do that again.’
************************************************
‘You’re perfect,’ he says almost fiercely. ‘You don’t need to change one hair. One freckle. One little toe. And if it’s me that’s made you feel you should do this … then there’s something wrong with me.’
I think this is the most romantic thing Luke has ever said to me, ever. I can feel tears rising.
************************************************
Then, when she read Kyla’s CV, with all the stuff about the guitar and singing, well, that was it. She instantly christened Kyla Julie Andrews and has been making little oh-so-funny jokes ever since. Even Janice is in on it and has started calling Luke Captain von Trapp, which is really annoying, because that makes me either the dead wife or the Baroness.
************************************************
last night I finally looked properly at my bargain party supplies from the pound shop. I opened the place cards first of all –and they were personalized with ‘Happy Birthday Mike’. Two hundred of them.
For a while I considered introducing ‘Mike’as a nickname for Luke. I mean, why shouldn’t he have a little nickname? And why shouldn’t it be Mike? I reckoned if I started sending him little emails calling him ‘Mikey’and got Mum and Dad to call him ‘Mike’, and maybe even gasped ‘Oh Mike, Mike!’a couple of times during sex, I could probably get him used to it before the party.
************************************************
Maybe I’ll educate Minnie at home. Or at least, not at home. That would be boring. We could do our lessons in … Harvey Nicks! God, yes. Perfect. I can just see myself now, sitting at a little table, sipping a latte and reading Minnie interesting bits of culture from the paper. We could do sums with the sugar cubes and geography in the International Designer Room. People would call me The Girl Who Teaches Her Child in Harvey Nicks and I could start a whole international trend of in-shop schooling—
************************************************
Oh my God. It never occurred to me that by giving up shopping I could be jeopardizing my health. Should I see a doctor?
************************************************
The Ritz is as grand and beautiful as ever, and I have a sudden flashback to coming here with Luke for a date, before we were even going out together. Imagine if I’d known then that we’d end up getting married and having a daughter.
************************************************
For a moment, Minnie is motionless, the pieces still clutched in her tiny hand, as though working out just how serious Elinor is. Their eyes are fixed on each other and they both look deadly determined. In fact …
Oh my God, they look like each other.
I think I’m going to hyperventilate or pass out or something. I’ve never seen it before – but Minnie has the same eyes and tilt of her chin and the same imperious stare.
************************************************
My worst fear has come true. I’ve given birth to a mini-Elinor. I grab a tiny meringue and munch it. I need the sugar, for the shock.
************************************************
Oh my God. Now, that makes total sense. It explains everything. I’m a secret sleep-shopper. I can see myself rising silently from my bed, coming downstairs with a glassy stare, logging on to the computer, tapping in my credit-card details …
But then, why didn’t I buy that fab bag from Net-A-Porter that I’ve been lusting after? Does my sleep-shopping self have no taste?
Could I write a note to my sleep-shopping self?
************************************************
Luke gives an incredulous laugh. ‘I don’t know how you do it. Every other sector is dead, but you’re still managing to sell expensive designer clothes …’ His face suddenly blanches. ‘Becky, please tell me you’re not just selling them all to yourself.’
************************************************
I mean, I know schools get full up and everything. But come on, even the waiting list for that new Prada bag was only a year. No school can be more exclusive than a limited-edition Prada bag, surely?
************************************************
Now I feel all anxious, like I’ve missed the boat and I didn’t even know there was a boat. They should have Vogue for schools. They should have this month’s Must-Have and Latest Trends and timings for all the waiting lists. Then you’d know.
************************************************
Honestly, I think I might become a child expert. I have far more ideas than Nanny Sue, and I could give fashion advice too.
************************************************
Luke, it was terrible. It was a disaster. Minnie got banned from a shop and she stole a mannequin and Nanny Sue didn’t say anything, just gave us that look, and I know what she’s going to recommend, but I can’t send Minnie away to some boot camp in Utah, I just can’t do it. And if you make me then I’ll have to take out an injunction and we’ll go to court and it’ll be like Kramer vs. Kramer and she’ll be scarred for life and it’ll be all your fault!’
‘What?’ Luke stares at me incredulously. ‘Utah?’
‘Or Arizona. Or wherever it is. I can’t do it, Luke.’ I scrub at my eyes, feeling exactly like Meryl Streep. ‘Don’t ask it of me.’
************************************************
How can he take a situation that seems like a great big tangled spider’s web and reduce it to a single thread? How does he do that?
************************************************
‘I find this disturbing.’She eyes me stonily. ‘I have never known you give up on any project before. You have been misguided, yes. Unpolished, yes. Impulsive, yes. Foolish, yes.’
Is she trying to make me feel better?
‘OK, thanks,’I interrupt. ‘I get the picture.’
‘But you have always been tenacious,’continues Elinor as though I haven’t spoken. ‘You have always refused to give in, whatever factors are mounting against you. It is one of the things I’ve always admired about you.’
************************************************
‘Becky, I’d like you to look at your hands.’ Nanny Sue points with a pencil. ‘They’re shaking. Look at your fingers twitching. They began when we first saw the sign for the shopping mall, and I don’t believe they stopped until you’d bought something.’
‘I’ve just got twitchy fingers.’ I give a casual little laugh.
But Nanny Sue is shaking her head. ‘I don’t want to alarm you, Becky … but has it ever occurred to you that you might have an addiction to shopping?’
************************************************
But you know what? A party like this isn’t about the surprise factor. It’s about someone going to so much trouble that it just … overwhelms you. And you think, “What did I do to deserve this?”’ He pauses, his voice trembling a bit. ‘I am the luckiest man alive, and I’d like to propose a toast. To Becky.’
************************************************
Honestly, shopping beats therapy, any time. It costs the same and you get a dress out of it.
September 19, 2011
i wish that this series would just run its course, but tragically, the last few pages set the stage for yet another sequel in which becky & her family have obnoxious adventures in hollywood. i feel like sophie kinsella made an attempt to ground her protagonist, becky, in modern times by setting her adventures against a background of economic panic & recession, but somehow, that made becky's hijinks even more annoying.
becky's daughter, minnie, is two in this book, & well on her way to being a spoiled, materialistic brat. in some ways, she is a typical toddler who is just testing boundaries & obviously can't be expected to comprehend the value of a dollar, but becky's terrible, indulgent parenting was painful to read. & a running subplot was becky's desire for another child. her husband, luke, is reluctant to accede to this wish. he says that minnie is such a little terror, he is worried about having the energy for a second child, but eventually it comes out (through the aid of an expensive celebrity nanny consultant) that he has abandonment issues thanks to his mother & is worried that he won't have enough love to offer a second child. how about being concerned that becky is a terrible mother who should have never been allowed to have one child, let alone two?
the real plot of the book centered on becky's desire to organize a surprise party for luke's birthday. what starts as an off-the-cuff idea becomes a hysterical obsession after becky's long-suffering friends & family make it clear that they don't believe becky is capable of organizing a surprise party. her attempts to prove them wrong drive her on to new heights (read: lows) of lying & manipulation. it's not cute. it's not funny. it's not charming. in the earlier "shopaholic" books, becky was irresponsible, yes, but she was engaging & even likeable. it appears that kinsella felt the need to amp up becky's character traits with each successive book to the point that her materialism & pathological lying have become a shrill whine not unlike a dentist's drill. i don't understand why luke stays married to her or how she has any friends or supporters. becky is incapable of handling any problem in her life by employing the truth. & while she is always caught out in her lies eventually, everyone humors her by chuckling along & allowing her to believe that her hateful foibles are adorable.
sophie kinsella used to be one of my favorite chick lit authors, for when i needed a fun, fluffy novel full of escapism. but this was just painful.
becky's daughter, minnie, is two in this book, & well on her way to being a spoiled, materialistic brat. in some ways, she is a typical toddler who is just testing boundaries & obviously can't be expected to comprehend the value of a dollar, but becky's terrible, indulgent parenting was painful to read. & a running subplot was becky's desire for another child. her husband, luke, is reluctant to accede to this wish. he says that minnie is such a little terror, he is worried about having the energy for a second child, but eventually it comes out (through the aid of an expensive celebrity nanny consultant) that he has abandonment issues thanks to his mother & is worried that he won't have enough love to offer a second child. how about being concerned that becky is a terrible mother who should have never been allowed to have one child, let alone two?
the real plot of the book centered on becky's desire to organize a surprise party for luke's birthday. what starts as an off-the-cuff idea becomes a hysterical obsession after becky's long-suffering friends & family make it clear that they don't believe becky is capable of organizing a surprise party. her attempts to prove them wrong drive her on to new heights (read: lows) of lying & manipulation. it's not cute. it's not funny. it's not charming. in the earlier "shopaholic" books, becky was irresponsible, yes, but she was engaging & even likeable. it appears that kinsella felt the need to amp up becky's character traits with each successive book to the point that her materialism & pathological lying have become a shrill whine not unlike a dentist's drill. i don't understand why luke stays married to her or how she has any friends or supporters. becky is incapable of handling any problem in her life by employing the truth. & while she is always caught out in her lies eventually, everyone humors her by chuckling along & allowing her to believe that her hateful foibles are adorable.
sophie kinsella used to be one of my favorite chick lit authors, for when i needed a fun, fluffy novel full of escapism. but this was just painful.
November 6, 2010
It's a bit disappointing. After five books in the series, you'd think there will be a character development. Becky is 29 yo now, with a child. But having a child doesn't stop her from being childish. She's still the same old Becky who acts without thinking and creating disaster after disaster, unnecessarily. And the lying! Come on, after five books...don't you think it gets boring?
And this book shouldn't be titled Mini Shopaholic. In the end, it's all about throwing a big surprise party for Luke. Not that I have a grudge against Luke! He's adorable as ever. In fact, I still don't understand how a smart, sharp, rational lad -not to mention rich- like Luke could fall for Becky. Yeah, jealousy jealousy :D
I think the sole purpose of this book is to prolong the series. Everyone knows Shopaholic is a massive hit. There! I've said it. And.... what?
Ummm, yes, of course I had a laugh reading it. Well, okay, a good laugh. Happy now?
Yeah, yeah, sometimes I waited impatiently for my husband to come home so I could snatch the iPad and resume my reading. It's a good read after a long day, okay? You can't blame me for that.
Eh? Yes, of course I like Luke. He's fab. I've mentioned it earlier, haven't I?
What? Yeah, I know it's Becky Blomwood. The misguided, unpolished, impulsive, foolish Becky. What did I expect, you say? Well I...
Alright now, I get your point, love. You don't have to be so hysterical. I was going to give this a 3 star rating before you interrupted me. Okay? Drama over? Good.
Well, I guess I'll see you around in Becky's next adventure. Back to US, perhaps? What? Who's babbling? Is it suppose to be a secret? But you would have surmised....okay, okay, zip it, this conversation is over.
And this book shouldn't be titled Mini Shopaholic. In the end, it's all about throwing a big surprise party for Luke. Not that I have a grudge against Luke! He's adorable as ever. In fact, I still don't understand how a smart, sharp, rational lad -not to mention rich- like Luke could fall for Becky. Yeah, jealousy jealousy :D
I think the sole purpose of this book is to prolong the series. Everyone knows Shopaholic is a massive hit. There! I've said it. And.... what?
Ummm, yes, of course I had a laugh reading it. Well, okay, a good laugh. Happy now?
Yeah, yeah, sometimes I waited impatiently for my husband to come home so I could snatch the iPad and resume my reading. It's a good read after a long day, okay? You can't blame me for that.
Eh? Yes, of course I like Luke. He's fab. I've mentioned it earlier, haven't I?
What? Yeah, I know it's Becky Blomwood. The misguided, unpolished, impulsive, foolish Becky. What did I expect, you say? Well I...
Alright now, I get your point, love. You don't have to be so hysterical. I was going to give this a 3 star rating before you interrupted me. Okay? Drama over? Good.
Well, I guess I'll see you around in Becky's next adventure. Back to US, perhaps? What? Who's babbling? Is it suppose to be a secret? But you would have surmised....okay, okay, zip it, this conversation is over.
September 2, 2011
I'm a big fan of the ever so hilarious Shopaholic series.
I don't know whether I'm the one who's changed, or the series are not that great anymore. It used to be so funny and thrilling. This one's still funny, and the last half of the book quite a madcap adventure, as some reviewers call it, but the rest is flat, boring, and I don't find myself loving the adventure I'm in, at all.
Becky, as a mid 20s, single woman with an independent career, albeit with a huge credit card debt, I'm fine with it. Becky, nearly 30, married woman with a suspension at work, a 2 year old spoiled daughter, still with the debt and more to come, I'm not so sure. She's not setting a good example at all, and she's still delusional, insane, and even more so in this book. We're talking about Luke's party at length in this book, and although the party turns out to be quite sensational in the end, her behavior just doesn't cut it. I find myself disliking the rest of the characters too - Mum, the source of Becky's irate behavior, Jess, who's getting some spotlights but they're so boring, Suze, who's supposed to be more sensible but turns almost dim in this book, Danny, the selfish designer, Minnie, the crazy spoiled child, and I can go on... my favorite character remains, Luke, but even he's getting the insecurity bug, follows the crazy antics of his in law family, and also doing things that don't make sense.
Despite what a madcap adventure I get from the last half of the book, I'm still not sure the charm of the series holds. Becky has got to grow up. She has got to stop getting herself in trouble and not always get out of it the easy way. Though if you ask me, once she's grown up, I'm not sure the shopaholic series will be fun any longer :)
I don't know whether I'm the one who's changed, or the series are not that great anymore. It used to be so funny and thrilling. This one's still funny, and the last half of the book quite a madcap adventure, as some reviewers call it, but the rest is flat, boring, and I don't find myself loving the adventure I'm in, at all.
Becky, as a mid 20s, single woman with an independent career, albeit with a huge credit card debt, I'm fine with it. Becky, nearly 30, married woman with a suspension at work, a 2 year old spoiled daughter, still with the debt and more to come, I'm not so sure. She's not setting a good example at all, and she's still delusional, insane, and even more so in this book. We're talking about Luke's party at length in this book, and although the party turns out to be quite sensational in the end, her behavior just doesn't cut it. I find myself disliking the rest of the characters too - Mum, the source of Becky's irate behavior, Jess, who's getting some spotlights but they're so boring, Suze, who's supposed to be more sensible but turns almost dim in this book, Danny, the selfish designer, Minnie, the crazy spoiled child, and I can go on... my favorite character remains, Luke, but even he's getting the insecurity bug, follows the crazy antics of his in law family, and also doing things that don't make sense.
Despite what a madcap adventure I get from the last half of the book, I'm still not sure the charm of the series holds. Becky has got to grow up. She has got to stop getting herself in trouble and not always get out of it the easy way. Though if you ask me, once she's grown up, I'm not sure the shopaholic series will be fun any longer :)
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