Adored [Mass Market Paperback]

Tilly Bagshawe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

- British rights for Adored were acquired for a hefty advance in a three-day, six-publisher auction, followed by major sales throughout the world. - Adored will appeal to the same audience that made bestsellers of Plum Sykes's Bergdorf Blondes (Miramax, 4/04), Jackie Collins's Hollywood Divorces (Simon & Schuster, 2003), and Sidney Sheldon's Are You Afraid of the Dark? (William Morrow, 2004). - The fact that a beautiful, accomplished 31-year-old Cambridge University graduate has taken it upon herself to reinvent and revel in such big-canvas story-telling is sure to attract considerable media attention. - Tilly Bagshawe is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, and other major British publications. She lives in Los Angeles and London with her husband and daughter.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Glamour, fashion, gossip, scheming—they're all here in a page-turning debut starring Siena McMahon, feisty granddaughter of Hollywood movie legend Duke McMahon. In the tradition of Jackie Collins and Danielle Steel, Bagshawe strews Sienna's path to stardom with bumps aplenty. Family trouble began before Siena was born, when Duke decided his mistress should move in with his wife and kids, but Siena, born in 1981, had a pretty cushy childhood as a granddaughter of the wife—at least until she finds her beloved grandfather dead in the family's Hollywood manse. Siena's father, jealous of the attention Duke lavished on Siena, cows his wife into packing their outspoken 10-year-old to an English boarding school, and when Siena later defies her father's plans for her (Oxford med school) to become a supermodel (and thus kick-start an acting career) he disinherits her. Bagshawe nimbly captures Siena's fierce ambition, and like her glam novel predecessors, she keeps the pages flying with steamy sex and keen behind-the-scenes takes on the fashion, movie and television businesses. Secondary characters, such as British director wannabe Max De Seville, Sienna's on again/off again love interest, shine almost as brightly as Siena, and Bagshawe nips in an entertaining side plot about Max's half-brother's struggle to keep his 16th-century Cotswold farm from the hands of a dodgy Cockney developer. This is one of those big, juicy summer beach reads—not too deep, just wildly entertaining.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Bagshawe set out to write a book that broke free from the chick-lit mold. She succeeded in producing an epic romance with ultraglamorous characters--no Bridget Jones here. The book opens with the story of philandering movie star Duke; his coolly detached wife, Minnie; and their decidedly untraditional home--Duke's mistress shares quarters with his true family. After Duke's death, Bagshawe follows the lives of his granddaughter, Siena, and his illegitimate son, Hunter. The two have reunited just as they're both becoming Hollywood stars. But when Hunter's best friend, Max, betrays Siena, their refashioned family is split once again. Siena then becomes involved with a hotshot producer until a violent incident leaves her forever changed. Although the lengthy novel could have done with some judicious editing, the Hollywood setting and the volatile relationships will keep readers enthralled. Recommend it to fans of Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446617539
• ISBN-13: 978-0446617536
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #943,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > British > Contemporary

More About the Author

Tilly Bagshawe upset the nuns at her catholic girls' boarding school by getting pregnant unexpectedly at seventeen. Expelled but undaunted, she gave birth to a beautiful daughter alone and went on to Cambridge University as a single mom, taking her baby with her. Tilly had a successful career in finance before fulfilling her dream of becoming a writer. Now married with two more children, she lives in Los Angeles and London. In addition to her bestselling novels, Tilly has contributed to numerous British newspapers and magazines including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Elle, The Sunday Times, The Times and The Daily Mail.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not deep - but good, easy beach read, July 20, 2005

By 

SAMM "SAMM" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adored (Hardcover)

If you are looking for an deep character novel - look elsewhere. If you are looking for a good beach book, this could be the one.
The main character is easy to hate/love/hate/love (you get the picture). Predictable? Maybe - with a few twists along the way.
After I finished the book, I did not wish for the time back. Actually, I finished it wanting more.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jackie Collins for a whole new generation!, December 2, 2005

By 

Paula Emeigh "love to read!" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adored (Hardcover)

For those of us who read Jackie Collins but hate waiting years for a new JC book to come out, this book is the one for you! From the first page through the last, you will find lots of sex, dirty language, hollywood gossip, back stabbing, trials and tribulations and a very comfortable ending. For those of us that like to get away from our daily routine and just read a book for the fun of it, give this new writer a try! I don't think you will be dissapointed.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average and kind of boring, May 12, 2006

By 

Romance Reviewer (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Adored (Hardcover)

I picked up this book looking for an escapist read. Based on the book's description, I expected that if anything, it would lean towards the sleazy side. Instead, I was surprised to find that I was actually pretty bored.

The story line should have been fairly intersting, but I was never in a hurry to get back to it and find out what happens next. I kept reading for lack of other book options, but I definetly wouldn't call it a page turner - not even a decent "shallow" beach read.

Overall, I felt Adored just lacked spark and energy. The best way I can think to describe it is like a soap opera narrated in a journalist style - the characters and plot line were scandalous, but it lacked juiciness. It would be like a New York Times writer submitting an article to a grocery store tabloid - mismatched.

Overall, it's a decently interesting read, but ultimately pretty forgettable.