Shopaholic to the Stars

Shopaholic, Book 7

By: Sophie Kinsella

Narrated by: Clare Corbett

Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Number one New York Times best-selling author Sophie Kinsella returns to her beloved Shopaholic series with Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) newly arrived in Hollywood and starry-eyed. She and her two-year-old daughter, Minnie, have relocated to L.A. to join Becky's husband, Luke, who is there to handle PR for famous actress Sage Seymour. Becky can't wait to start living the A-list lifestyle, complete with celebrity sightings, yoga retreats, and shopping trips to Rodeo Drive. But she really hopes to become a personal stylist - Sage's personal stylist - if only Luke would set up an introduction. Then, unexpectedly, Becky is offered the chance to dress Sage’s archrival, and though things become a bit more complicated, it’s a dream come true!

Red carpet premieres, velvet ropes, paparazzi clamoring for attention - suddenly Becky has everything she's ever wanted.

Or does she?

©2014 Sophie Kinsella (P)2014 Random House Audio

At least WARN US there is NO ENDING

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No - if not for the lack of an ending, it would have been 5 stars; but after going through the whole story, which I liked btw, I couldn't wait to have all the mysteries solved. I had no idea it was going to just stop. It's as if Kinsella just said "Ah, I have no idea yet how to end this, so I'm just going to stop typing..." At least if the title had been "Shopaholic To the Stars Book 1" I would have been prepared. As it was, I literally thought I hadn't downloaded the whole book! I went back to my Audible library to check. Seriously, wtf.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I like Emily Gray better. The American accents this narrator did were grating. The men all sounded the same and the women sounded...awful.

Any additional comments?

Kinsella needs to do a little more research if she's going to have American characters. Americans wouldn't say "Someone trod on my foot."It would be "Someone stepped on my foot." "Switch off" should be "Turn off," - there were a lot more; can't remember them all. But when these mistakes are made, it is really jarring. She needs to find out how Americans actually speak.

Not like the others.....

I have loved all the Kinsella books but the cliffhanger at the end left me cold. I wish I had read that fact before listening as I am not big on a cliffhanger is the next book is not readily available. I was also disappointed at how Becky came off in this book versus the others. She was highly selfish in this one as opposed to naive as the others. Not my favorite Kinsella.

Disappointed

What did you like best about Shopaholic to the Stars? What did you like least?

I have loved the Shopaholic series since the beginning, so it was nice to read another story about Rebecca Bloomwood. However, I was getting a tad annoyed with her and don't really like the way she keeps excluding her husband. I would hope after a series she would have grown a little.

Would you be willing to try another book from Sophie Kinsella? Why or why not?

Yes! I love Sophie Kinsella! Always been a fan.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No. Didn't care for the movie they did make out of it.

Enjoyable but a continuation of an old story

Would recommend this book as a casual read but it is one of many in the series and the story is wearing a bit thin. But in saying that, i would still read the next installment (if there is one)

Cliffhanger ending isn't the experience I want

What did you like best about Shopaholic to the Stars? What did you like least?

I love that this book made me LOL several times, I also as always, think Sophie kinsella does a great job with creating realistic tension in Becky and Luke's relationship. I don't like how the moral of this story seems to be that Becky's a bad person for wanting to be a stylist because it smells like the old " women can't have it all" plot line, and the whole Hollywood is shallow thing is kind of old. I like the shopaholic and I don't want her to be shamed! I also hate that there is a cliffhanger ending. These are books I like to listen too over and over while waiting for the next one to come out, and without a satisfying ending I just don't think I can do that. My only hope is that the next book will prove that Becky wasn't totally " selfish" in this one and everyone will apologize to her and she will find a way to use her shopping powers for good-- or at least good clients. Also the mysterious threads DO sound like they are leading to a classic Kinsella surprise, so my hopes are high:)

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Pissed Off.

Have you listened to any of Clare Corbett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I like her.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Absolutely, I wish this was made into a long running TV show on amazon or netflix with the tone of The mindy project with each book being a season or so.

Great!

Love the narrative by Clare Corbett. My adult kids & I can't wait for the next one! The only thing is the story didn't feel like it completely ended and I'm curious to know if it has a sequel!

Okay listen - not as good as the others

I'm not sure whether to recommend this listen or not. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous Shopaholic books but this was very different. It was okay. I listen to my audiobooks in my car while I'm driving, so the sound is very important. I had to turn down the volume in some parts only to crank it up in others. The narrator sound was too high in some places (Minnie yelling which was annoying), and much too low for a couple of characters in particular.

I enjoyed Eleanor and was surprised by her effort to make amends with Luke. It's hard for readers/listeners to understand how easy it would be get caught up in the whole Hollywood life unless you can try to imagine yourself in Becky's shoes - without thinking you would handle it different. Some feel Becky was selfish, some have other opinions. It's fun listening to Becky go through the trials of Hollywood drama and experience the media attention.

It seems the verdict about the ending is unanimous in that not many listeners liked the cliff hanger (myself included). If this was an attempt to set up for the next book I think the author is talented enough that she could have come up with a better ending. Hopefully the next book will be the sequel and the readers will be happy.

would have like it if I could hear the reader!

this may be more of a production team issue not the reader.... but the reader keeps dropping her voice as she is doing character voices. She does an amazing job of voices but she literally drops down to a wiser when reading the main protagonist and various other charaters. My phone is tunnd to max and my car speakers up to 45 just to hear consistently. it's very frustrating.

Loved!

Great story. Made me laugh out loud! Always been a "shopaholic". The latest installment was fun and a great listen.

Entertaining

Not my typical read but was given this book by a friend so out of kindness I read it. it's entertaining to say the least if you like these kinds of books. narration was well done. ending was a bit dry.