Customer Reviews

Goodbye, Jimmy Choo

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book was one of the worst I've read in awhile, but because I am obsessed with finishing what I start, I unfortunately finished it. I am an avid reader and lover of all "chick lit" especially the books that come from the UK (Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella) so I thought I'd like this book, as well.

There are several reasons why this book is awful: a) it's formulaic (I know, most chick lit books are, but combined with the other factors, the plot was unbearable) b) poor character development. The two main characters are supposed to be opposites but they are so weakly drawn the tend to bend and waiver into eachother at times. c) the writing style is old and not witty, as promised. There are two many times when aspects, including character's emotions are told, rather than shown... a KOD for good writing. Don't tell the writers what to feel, let them decide based upon the actions of the characters and d) the plot was unbelievable because it was so underdeveloped. One example: the character of Maddy loses her husband to a car accident and recovers in days, with minimal crying jags tossed in throughout the year the book chronicles. For a realistic and entertaining version of a female reaction and recovery to the death of a lover/spouse, check out: Marian Keye's newest novel. For a good, coming of age chick lit book that supports writing from the States: check out What to Do When You're Twenty-Two, written by Mandy Schomas.

The worst thing about the book was the discovery at the "About the Author Page" where the reader learns the authors is actually two women... so it's not one woman who's written a bad book... it's TWO. Lord, that's depressing.

Please, don't waste your money on this book.

I received this book as a gift and thought it looked like a fun summer read. I couldn't have been more wrong. The premise for the story (two "fish-out-of-water" mothers in their late thirties start their own line of beauty products) is wasted in the hands of the two writers who collaborated under the name Annie Sanders. The "plot" just drones on and on: They need more supplies to make their face cream! Whew, they managed to get the supplies. But now they need MORE supplies! Oh, what a relief, they got the supplies . . . but now they need still MORE! Ugh. As far as the two main characters, Izzie and Maddy, are concerned, I agree with the reviewer who said they were more or less interchangeable, not to mention shallow and vacant. Furthermore, though the two authors pat themselves on the back in the book's Afterword for writing about mothers of small children rather than single women, the children barely appear in the story at all except as personality-free creatures who are constantly interrupting things by needing to be picked up from school each day. In addition, Izzie's troubled marriage is dealt with so ham-handedly that it almost seems like a parody of a bad marriage, except that, unlike a successful parody, it's not at all funny.

And that's the main problem: The book isn't funny, and it's not entertaining. I can already imagine future reviewers telling me to "lighten up," but I respect fiction as an art form and in return I demand that it respect me! A book billed as funny, entertaining, and smart should actually BE funny, entertaining, and smart. It should not be rambling, pointless dreck about forgettable characters, conveyed in the world's most lackluster prose. The two authors should stick to writing how-to manuals and not inflict another "masterpiece" like this one on the world.

I agree with the reviewer who recommended Marian Keyes' new novel over this one. It has some of the same elements (tragedy in a marriage, creation and promotion of a miracle beauty cream), but it's about a million times better. Do not waste your money on this book by "Annie Sanders." You'll regret it if you do.

At last - a chick-lit title that doesn't insult the reader's intelligence! This is a funny, witty and touching tale of the pressures and pleasures grown up women have to deal with - the two main characters, Izzie and Maddy, are juggling children, work, family and financial pressures and get caught up in a crazy money-making scheme that ends up making them question all their values and priorities. The fact that it's mostly set in England doesn't get in the way. Although I didn't understand some of the expressions used, you could pretty much deduce what they meant. The problems the characters were facing will be relatable to women everywhere. One to savor!

I loved this book! This is what fiction is all about - entertaining, un-put-downable and real characters. I loved the fact that the two characters in Goodbye Jimmy Choo were real women, not the insipid types that are so often found in women's fiction. This is a book about grief turning into optimism, of friendship and all that that entails. Their next book is due out this summer and I for one will be looking out for it. (Did you know this book was written by 2 women?...imagine how much fun they must have had writing this?!)This is a rare treat. Read it!

If you are looking for a light-hearted chick book that involves lots of shopping for great shoes, don't get this book. While that was what I was looking for, some light-hearted fare, I found myself more and more intrigued with the writer's style of taking you in one direction and completely reversing course. You want the married Izzy to have an affair with the gorgeous Jean Luc, but her husband continues to try to make the marriage work, and you have to sigh and give him a chance, just like in real life.

The book is about two women who lose everything that was important to them, (husbands, money, etc) only to find themselves getting serious about life and building their own natural cosmetics company. I enjoyed reading about their trials and tribulations of starting and operating a company.

While the British language is sometimes cumbersome to read (and occasionally impossible to decipher) it did not stop me from reaching the point where I could not put this book down. The plot is very intricate and realistic. I am ordering their other book (it is two authors writing as one, which may explain why the characters have good unique voices, but the plot is cumbersome.)

But truly, this book has very little to do with shoes! In fact, underwear is the clothing more often mentioned!

i just loved this book - funny, smart, moving, truthful, and funny again. it just summed up what it's like to be a working mom with a million things to think about and everyone wanting a piece of you. the two women were so real, i felt as if i really knew them - and the descriptions of london and the english (and french) countryside are sooo vivid. at the same time, it raises some important issues about women's identity and how we get caught up by marketing and image manipulation. makes you think!

I was expecting a light, shallow story about fashion and life in the city judging from the title and the cover, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was more than met the eye to this story about two women who are forced to move from the city to the country and inadvertently start up a successful natural cosmetics business. Okay, maybe the author(s)-- it's actually written by two women under a joint name -- spends a little too much time describing how they get the ingredients for their cosmetics; the British slang is a little hard to decipher; and the ending is less than satisfactory. And they have an annoying habit of jumping ahead in time without letting you know until later on in the sentence. But all in all it was a good attempt at describing what life is like for working women with young children and portraying the bonds that can develop between women. An above average "chick lit" book.

I really enjoyed this book. I found Maddie and Izzy to be so down to earth and enjoyed their success right along with them! Goodbye Jimmy Choo is hysterical, smart and you must pick it up and read it then pass it along to your girlfriends!

Review from TheDailyStroll.com:

A relatable, comedic venture, Goodbye Jimmy Choo is an honest book about a city mouse and a country mouse and the tale of true friendship.

Maddy Hoare loves all things fashionable, and that doesn't include the English countryside where she now lives. She could be considered a "high maintenance woman." Izzy Stock finds fashion boring, preferring comfort in what she wears. And then there is the cost factor. Izzy doesn't have the "money factor" that Maddy has been privileged to have.

Maddy and Izzy are as different from each other as night and day. But they meet at a luncheon and bond. It seems neither is drawn to the superficial that is the society of their small community.

When tragedy strikes Maddy's life, Izzy is there to help and support her. And together, with recipes from Maddy's deceased grandmother, they turn their life of financial ruin into a life of strong friendship and financial success.

Goodbye, Jimmy Choo is a sad and funny look at life and what it takes to turn lemons into lemonade. But most importantly it is the celebration of friendship and the strength of women who are "on the edge" but who are not willing to give up without a fight.

Armchair Interviews says: Goodbye, Jimmy Choo is a novel for all times and for all women. You'll root for Maddy and Izzy and celebrate their determination.

I absolutely loved this book. I bought it to accompany me on a long plane ride and I've re-read it twice since then. The characters are so vivid and the whole story is just heartwarming. I await further books by Annie Sanders with anticipation! 5 stars!