Book Review: Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Wedding Night

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Bantam Press (Random House India)

Pages: 400

Price: Rs 599

Genre: Fiction / Chicklit / Romance / Modern Fiction

Rating: 7/10

Format: Paperback

Frankly, I had read a few average reviews for the book, so I read it with very low expectations. And, I liked it. Sure, the story is over-the-top, preposterous and crazy. But nothing that a Sophie Kinsella fan cannot fathom or a chicklit reader cannot imagine. I can totally see a Hollywood rom-com on this story. 

Lottie and Fliss are 30-something sisters. Fliss is the older sister and has always been protective about Lottie. This book gives a new meaning to how far she would go.

Lottie is in a steady relationship and is pretty sure her boyfriend is about to propose, but nothing of that sort happens. Out of the blue, her boyfriend from fifteen years ago turns up claiming that she had been ‘the one’ for him and he never really found anyone like her. He proposes and she accepts. In her rose-tinted world, perhaps this was meant to be. Fliss on the other hand, is in the middle of a bitter divorce and does not want Lottie to do anything mindless such as jumping into a marriage without any thought. But Lottie would not listen and Fliss would not give up. Even when Lottie goes ahead and gets married, Fliss will pull all strings to stop their Wedding Night so that the marriage can still be annulled. What ensues is a crazy, roller-coaster till the end. The narration alternates between Lottie and Fliss.  

The fact is all Sophie-Kinsella heroines are crazy and over-the-top. They imagine things when there is none. Their imagination would start from one end and land up somewhere completely different. There is a whole world in their imagination. Add to that, all of them have a penchant for landing themselves in trouble, but luckily, things fall into place for them at the end. And true to the genre, they find the most deserving and charming men (and rich / successful).

Honestly speaking, this story is completely different from the Shopaholic series and yet the graph of the narrative is similar. The story takes off, the heroine lands herself in trouble, keeps falling in self-created mess, but miraculously things turn around for her benefit at the end.

There are several laugh-out-loud moments in the fast-paced narrative but very few mushy ones. It is more about the sisters than about the romantic angle, so to say. It is not in the league of the Shopaholic series or the author's last outing 'I've Got Your Number', but I had a fairly good time. 

If chicklit is your fare, you will like it; just keep your expectations at bay. 

Review Book courtesy: Random House India
Image source: Random House India

Book Giveaway: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

I am not so much into chicklit. But when I read ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’, I fell in love with the book instantly. I immediately bought the entire series because I empathized with the protagonist, Rebecca Bloomwood. (OK! She is much crazier but she embodies the craziness that overwhelms most of us when it comes to shopping!)

I have a copy of “Mini Shopaholic” from Random House India, and I will be happy to pass it on to one of you.

If you are as crazy about the ‘Shopaholic’ series, as I am, this Giveaway is for you.

And if you are one of those who has never read or came across any book from this series (it happens to all of us), check this link to know more about the series.

Catch the author, Sophie Kinsella, talk about ‘Mini Shopaholic' here.

Check out my review of the book here. Trust me, reading from 'shopaholic series' is such a stress buster!

Answer this simple question, and you might get this copy!

• You have Rs 5,000 and 2 hours, what would you buy and for whom?
• Mail your answer with the subject line ‘Shopaholic Giveaway’ to reemasahay(at)gmail(dot)com

Terms and conditions:

• The book will be sent to a location in India only
• The contest closes on Saturday, 14 July 2012
• Only one answer per person will be considered

Book Courtesy: Random House India

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Mini Shopaholic

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Bantam Press

Pages: 392

Genre: Chicklit / Comedy / Contemporary women literature

Though Sophie Kinsella’s 6^th book in the Shopaholic series, has nothing new to offer; yet it is enjoyable and quite a page-turner. To those who are new to this series, ‘Shopaholic’ series follows the antics of Becky Bloomwood (now Brandon), who is a highest degree of Shopaholic. She cannot resist the pull of the word ‘Sale’, branded clothes and ‘Discounts’, no matter how deep she is in credit, whether she has money or not, whether she ‘needs’ the stuff or not….she just has to shop. It is her therapy.

‘Mini Shopaholic’ is based on the premise that Becky’s two-year old daughter is also turning out to be a Shopaholic. However, when you read the book, the main storyline is still about how Becky has really not learnt anything from the several disastrous situations she has faced earlier because of her addiction to shopping. Now, with her daughter Minnie in picture, she has only increased her scope of shopping. In fact, at many instances, she goes completely berserk in shopping stuff for Minnie that are not even going to fit her for a long, long time. Despite at a mature age of 29 years and being a mother, Becky continues to behave like a teenager.

The reader also gets to know that Minnie, Becky and Luke’s daughter, has turned into a spoilt brat, while Becky lives in denial. The story is also about Becky’s surprise birthday party for Luke (her husband), and how things go completely haywire and yet slowly everything fall into place and at the end it is again ‘happily ever after’.

Luke has hardly anything to do in the story; neither does Suze, Becky’s best friend. Becky continues to shop like there is no tomorrow. The story really does not have anything off-beat, it follows the same graph. The success of Shopaholic series, despite its repetitiveness is that somewhere we all connect with Becky. She is our wildest dreams come alive on paper. We cheer for her, when she puts across weirdest logic to shop.

If you are a woman in your 20s & 30s, this book is totally for you. And if you are into chicklit, you cannot give it a miss. Even if you are not big on chicklit, you can try it as a stop-gap between books.

I will give it 8 out of 10, because I had a great time reading it, it was a super-quick read and I really felt relaxed and enjoyed it a lot. 

Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

After reading a lot about Mahabharata, Mughals and some serious fiction as well, I picked up "Remember Me?" because I wanted to read a quick one this time and something light. Knowing Sophie Kinsella, I was pretty sure I would be able to finish it off quickly. And yes, I did complete it in 3 days straight (and those were weekdays!).

Why I picked up this book?

• Because I have read all of Sophie Kinsella's books and find them absolutely hilarious
• Because this was the only book, apart from the latest "Twenties Girl" that I had not read
• Sophie is the queen of chicklit

What’s the book about?

The book has an interesting plot wherein Lexi Smart wakes upto a perfect life – a perfect body, perfect teeth and a perfect husband. Lexi meets with an accident in her Mercedes, and when she wakes up in the hospital, three years of her life are erased from her memory and she goes back to the day when she had a fall, 3 years back, on the street. So she does not remember anything that happens to her after that. From here starts Lexi’s journey of discovering her last 3 years and her life, because she does not identify with the new Lexi at all.

How is the book?

Though a fat book, it is really a fast-paced one. You don’t get bored. You would want to keep moving. Though it does drag at some places, but you still want to move on to know how Lexi puts together bits and pieces.

There are some places where you do feel certain things difficult to digest, but you let it pass.

My verdict

I will give it 8 out of 10. It is a good pick for all chicklit lovers. May be it is not quite in the league of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" but the plot is quite engaging. Sophie Kinsella's first book was truly outstanding and none of her other books really ever matched upto the novelty of that. I think it happens with all the writers because the first books are generally the most passionate ones. After that you just keep on trying to match the brilliance of your first book.

Image source: Amazon