Aloha to Sophie Kinsella and MINI SHOPAHOLIC - Book Review

 

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?

Shopping at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet ...

Whoever said that money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. ~ Bo Derek, Actress

Last Saturday, we flew from Baltimore to Tampa to enroll my son in the University of South Florida (USF).  Unfortunately, the regional Air Traffic Control (ATC) was down, so we sat at the BWI airport for five hours.  Many flights were cancelled but we were lucky we had an aircraft to board once ATC was operational again.  Still, we were exhausted when we arrived at my mother's condo in Clearwater.  I just wanted to read something that would make me laugh ... and I pulled out MINI SHOPAHOLIC, Book 6 in the series, from her bookshelf.  Published in 2010, MINI SHOPAHOLIC kept me laughing through to the last page.  

Becky Brandon, nee Bloomwood, is a modern day English version of Lucy Ricardo. Becky, like Lucy, sees the world from a different angle ... and finds herself in hot water, no matter the good intentions.  Becky's side kick, Suze, is akin to Ethel - she follows Lucy into trouble.  Where Lucy always sought the limelight in Ricky's productions, Becky seeks designer labels.  

MINI SHOPAHOLIC is a laugh out loud adventure into bargain shopping, motherhood, and friendship.   While the plot follows the same pattern as previous books, MINI SHOPAHOLIC is still an entertaining read laced with heartfelt moments (the last page made my heart melt).  Becky truly shines when she relies solely upon herself to rise above the circumstances.  Likewise, Becky has a good heart in helping others when she is not otherwise justifying her next purchase.

I have not read a Shopaholic book in several years - MINI SHOPAHOLIC hit the spot after our long travels.  I am excited to catch up with the series,  SHOPAHOLIC TO THE STARS (Book 7, published in 2014), and SHOPAHOLIC TO THE RESCUE (Book 8, coming in October, 2015).

Let me add the books are much more charming that the 2009 movie starring Isla Fisher as an American version of Becky Bloomwood. 

I am giving away a book choice from convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about shopping - do you battle the crowds at a sale or shop online?  Do you prefer outlet malls, flea markets, or swap meets?  I loved the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 29, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City