Customer Reviews

The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder: A Novel

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

 

 

What an enjoyable book! Isabel Bookbinder is a great charachter! She did make me ache for a Bridget Jones book, but Isabel is neurotic enough in her own right! What a fun read!

This book was trying so hard to be a Sophia Kinsella novel, but it didn't work. It was boring, and predictable.

This is an awful book. There are no positives to balance out the many negatives. The plot is contrived, the writing is terrible and none of the characters are likable. The protagonist was incredibly vapid and had no redeeming qualities. I wish I could make this review more specific, but I really don't want to think about this book anymore than I have to.

I'm guessing that the publishers of this book were shown two or three promising chapters and on the strength of those chapters offered to publish the book, not realizing that the author would keep writing those same chapters over and over again until she finally threw in a predictable ending.

The main character could only be described as stupid and self absorbed and the supporting characters were one dimensional.

The attempt at romance was pathetic. Basically it was a half hearted rip off of the Shopaholic books and it failed miserably. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

First, let me say that I think this author has great promise. She clearly has a fine sense of humor and an entertaining writing style. Unfortunately, it just bugs me to read a novel with a heroine this utterly stupid and selfish. I kept hoping that at least she would be successful, and in the end, she averted disaster but was not really validated as talented. There were times where I couldn't read more because she had so stupidly gotten herself into a pickle. And her love interest wasn't developed enough for me to be satified that they end up together. I was just ambivalent about the whole thing.

The book was a breezy and entertaining read, but I kept waiting for the main character to have that shining epiphany where she does something clever or productive, and that never happens. The author seems to have gotten inspiration from the Shopaholic books but Isabel pales in comparison to Becky Bloomwood, who despite her chronic shopping problem is a smart, creative and resourceful person. Isabel is entertaining but is in most respects a dunce who has to be bailed out by other people. Isabel's father at first seems like a harsh and unsympathetic character, but two-thirds through the book we can see why he's exasperated by Isabel. The reader is left with the impression that Isabel is the sort of person who will always have to be rescued. Hopefully the author will write a sequel that will give poor Isabel some survival skills. And, maybe she'll actually accomplish something in the next book.

Isabel Bookbinder does not have the life she wants to have. She is an assistant at a newspaper in London, does not make too much money and her father disapproves of her so much she has to lie to make her life seem more glamorous.

Then things begin to change. She decides to write a book, so that her father would not disapprove of her so much. Then the secretary to her boss has to go to a funeral and Isabel covers for her.

While looking for an article in her bosses computer she finds emails indicating that he was having an affair with an author (and he is the husband of a member of Parliament.) Isabel then sends an email to her friend and thinks nothing more of it.

Isabel then meets with some big wig editors and meets a famous author named Kat. Isabel talks to Kat about the book idea she has and Kat takes her name and number and Isabel hopes for the best.

Several days later Isabel comes home for her brothers wedding and the next day sees an article in the newspaper exposing the affair of her boss.

This leads to Isabel being homeless after breaking up with her boyfriend/landlord Russel and jobless-that is until Kat calls offering her a job.

Isabel gets the job as Kat's assistant and while she works for her tries to get a book deal for her novel. What she finds instead is a mystery and a potential love interest.

All in all a very good book.

Fun and funny! Isabel is a delightful character. I laughed out loud. Very entertaining, light summer read.

After reading the mixed reviews on this book I was expecting The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder to be a dud. It wasn't! I LOVED it!!!

Isabel was a cute, fun, loveable character who just seems to get into trouble in a comedic way. I laughed out loud during some parts and was drawn into the book from page 1. Isabel reminded me a bit of our other favorite chick lit character, Becky Bloomwood, in the Sophie Kinsella's shopaholic series.

I definitely hope to see more books from Holly McQueen in the future.

I love books by Sophie Kinsella and Jane Green and so decided to try this book. I'm not sure what they other reviewers are complaining about, this book was hilarious.

Everybody who reads chick lit knows it's not some great literary art, there are other authors out there if you want to get a deeper story and message but for this genre this book is hilarious!!!!!

Isabel Bookbinder is def an idiot and a goof but that is why the book is soo funny.