Customer Reviews

Fashionably Late

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Becca is tired of playing it safe with her overbearing fiance Kevin (who outlined their "10-year plan" when they were dating). Now halfway into it, she feels suffocated and aspires to be a fashion designer. But Becca has always stood on the sidelines and let Kevin and her sisters Claire and Gayle run over her. When Kevin chooses the parcel of land as well as the design of their future home, Becca has had enough and decides to take a break to go to LA and pursue dreams.

Residing in newly married Claire's guesthouse, she immediately finds a job at a popular Hollywood eatery, giving her plenty of time to shop her portfolio around LA by day. She is immediately intrigued by the restaurant's owner Connor, a thrill-seeking adventurer who does not mix business with pleasure. The restaurant is a hotbed of Hollywood activity, and soon she has an appointment with a design house as well as stylist for Hollywood's "It" girl. Getting a new job leaves the door open for a relationship with Connor. But Becca learns the hard way that things are not always as they seem, and finds that the fashion industry can be as heartbreaking as a lover with a death wish.

Meanwhile, petulant, self-centered and snobby sister Claire is having marriage problems when her Hollywood power-broker husband does something ethical, then gets fired. With twins on the way, will they be forced to eat government cheese and shop at Big Lots? As her parents work with Kevin to attempt a reconciliation, what's a girl to do?

Written in first person, Kendrick's latest is filled with charismatic characters, witty banter, and some of the cheesiest pick up lines to grace the written page. Though a little scatter brained at times, Becca is an endearing character you can't help but root for. Kendrick has the uncanny ability to create lifelike characters using realistic dialogue that draws you in and holds your attention.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading. I liked that Becca took a stand and decided she needed to live her own life, not the life her fiance and her family wanted. This book is about stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a risk in order to live the life of your dreams. I will definitely read more by this author.

There's nothing like a marriage proposal to jolt you into reality and make you wonder what exactly you want out of life. When Becca Davis of "Fashionably Late" is proposed to by her longtime boyfriend Kevin, she accepts, but almost immediately realizes that it isn't what she wants.

Instead, she decides to break the engagement and flee to Los Angeles to try and pursue her true passion of fashion design. She moves in with her sister and jumps into the industry bravely, not realizing how cut-throat and catty the industry is. She is forced to take a job at a restaurant to make ends meet while pursuing her dream.

Meanwhile, back home in Arizona, Kevin thinks that she will be back when she comes to her senses. What he doesn't realize is that Becca has met someone else, sort of: the handsome Connor, who trades corny (but hilarious) pick-up lines with Becca, but who isn't the type to settle down. Although he seems awfully interested.

With so many roadblocks and heartaches going on with both her personal life and career, Becca must figure it all out: what does she really want? What was she meant to do with her life?

As with Beth Kendrick's other books, I thoroughly enjoyed "Fashionably Late". It is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, crackling romantic tension, the ups and downs of following your dreams, and Kendrick's signature witty, addictive writing style. She somehow manages to create characters that are so real, down-to-earth, flawed, yet at the same time endearing. Becca is a little clueless at times and doesn't always make the right choices, she is easy to identify with and like.

Overall I highly recommend this to all Beth Kendrick fans, and to anyone who wants to read a great chick lit novel filled with style, humor, wit and a touch of romance.

As a mom of 3 boys, my life is diapers, practices and games and daily trips to store to restock what would take me a week to eat. Sometimes I just want to escape. I have found several writers who help transport me to another world. Beth Kendrick is wonderful. It is easy reading, you are laughing through the whole book. You really feel the main character. I also enjoyed her other book Ex's and Ohs.

I laughed harder in this book than I did with the Bridget Jones' Diaries. If that doesn't speak volumes, I don't know what does. First, I read My Favorite Mistake which I couldn't put down and ended up reading in a DAY. Then I read Fashionable Late and didn't set it down until it was finished. I am SHOCKED that this book didn't receive 5 stars from everybody. I am an avid reader and am quite picky about my reading material. I will await and read anything that Beth Kendrick writes from here on out.

3 1/2 Stars

Rebecca Davis is a college grad that has dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but works in a boutique - she has a boyfriend of 5 years and the story opens when Kevin decides to propose. Most girls would be thrilled, but Becca can hardly breathe! She loves Kevin (at least she thinks she does) but she's not sure that he's "the one", but after dating for 5 years, she doesn't know if she can just walk away.

She meets Connor - a successful businessman and thrill-junkie. He offers her a job as a hostess at his restaurant and so she decides to move to LA. She moves in with her sister Claire, who's about to get married. Since Becca's a fashion designer, you would think that maybe her sister would let Becca design her wedding dress, right? Well, you would think so, but...does anyone believe in Becca's talent? Conner does - he even gets her an audience with an LA hot shot that might just help Becca make her "big break" into the industry.

She gets a new BFF - Aimee - another hostess at Conner's restaurant and a wanna-be actress. When Clare's high-society lifestyle disintegrates after her brand new hubby gets fired, Becca moves in with Aimee and starts thinking a lot more about Conner. Becca gets in touch with a stylist for a bona-fide startlet and is so impressed that she signs a contract giving them exclusive rights to all her fashion designs - Becca might just live to regret that decision!

Kevin reenters the picture and tries to get Becca back, but the days of him making all the decisions are over and Becca decides to take control of her life and makes some winning personal and career decisions.

The cover art is adorable - I kept passing this book while searching out Amazon's "chick lit" section and it kept catching my eye and then the story convinced me. At the back is a "conversation with the author" piece where Beth Kendrick gives a little more detail into the character development and even gives some info on their backgrounds and she answers some questions about her ideas when writing this book and that was an interesting inclusion. Nice book - Well told tale - fast read.

I thought this was a pretty funny book and I enjoyed the story. I thought it was well written and it kept me interested until the end, plus it gave me an insight into the fashion industry. I would definitely recommend it.

I read the reviews on this before heading out to the store and was disappointed after finishing the book. The first few chapters took about 5 minutes to read, not much in them. The middle of the book was entertaining but nothing exciting happened. The last few chapters had all the activity but for having read 200 pages of blah storyline the last 100 pages really needed to be more than they were. I do not regret reading it and I may pick up another by the author, but I was disappointed in this book, I expected more!

I could not put the book down, I actually read it in a day and a half.

This an easy read. It's a funny romance. I found Becca very easy to like. This book is worth purchasing. Don't get me wrong... it's not the great American novel... just something fun to escape with. Enjoy.