Customer Reviews

Gossip Hound

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Does anyone else notice this awful trend of brainless, drunken and sexually indiscriminate "heroines"? "Bridget Jones" was funny and likable. The characters of "Gossip Hound", as well as those of a host of other so-called "women's fiction" are utterly insulting. The whole point of this book and others like it seems to be to show supposedly educated urban 20- and 30-something women who make the stupidest amd most self-destructive choices at every possible opportunity.
The main character of this book (I swear I read it yesterday and I can't remember her name) is a publicist. She cheats on her neglectful boyfriend during a drunken one-night stand with her client. She seems to be interested in the client, but somehow keeps making the worst and most ill-informed choices for his career and stays with the boyfriend because he's "better looking" (I'm not kidding).
Later, she breaks up with the boyfriend, but only after learning he's been cheating (nevermind that she hasn't heard from him in a month).
She then has a bizarre, wholly inexplicable 3-day fling with a movie star, somehow actually believes he's in love with her, and is shocked to discover that he isn't.
Then, she tumbles back to the one-night stand guy because he happens to be there when she wants to hide from movie star guy.
And that's just the main character. You don't even want to know about the ridiculous gossip columnist.
And what the heck was that running gag about stepping on Louis De Bernieres' foot?
What a bad book!

Gossip Hound by Wendy Holden

For fans of reading material that has come to be known as "chick lit", here's Wendy Holden's latest novel, GOSSIP HOUND. It's a book that takes the reader into the world of London publishing and celebrity "A Lists" and the latest low-down gossip that is being spread across tabloids, bars, and celebrity bedrooms all over London and beyond.

Grace Armiger is a publicist who works for a small London publishing house called Hatto and Hatto. It sounds like a glamorous job, but it's far from it. Hatto and Hatto has gotten a reputation of never having books that make it to the bestseller lists, so their authors are never the ones that are treated like royalty at any bookseller festival. In other words, it's a company that is going nowhere, and Grace is struggling to keep afloat. To sum it up, the morale at work is only going in one direction: down.

Her latest protege, Henry Moon, has just written the book SUCKING STONES, all about his adventures with an aboriginal tribe, and she is quite anxious to get this book into the realms of the bestseller lists. Unfortunately, no one seems very interested in the book, and she can't seem to sell it at any of the book festivals. Even getting a book signing for Henry is like pulling teeth.

In the meantime, in another part of the London publishing world, Belinda Black, the queen of newspaper smut, is on a tirade and is bent on landing the number one celebrity, Red Campion, as her latest interview conquest. The lengths this woman will go to get her man is hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing at all her antics. Her adventures, believe it or not, and Grace's publishing career, collide during the course of this book, as they both become involved in the world of high-in-demand celebrities and fast paced living.

I don't want to give away too much, but I highly enjoyed GOSSIP HOUND. Although I found it difficult initially to get into the book, once I got used to Wendy Holden's writing style the rest of the book went fast. This book is not for the faint of heart, but for the lover of chick lit and name-dropping and fun trashy antics among the rich and famous. It's fast paced and often times highly unrealistic. It also has a little romance tucked away, for those of you who like that sort of thing. Read GOSSIP HOUND. You won't regret it!

Wendy Holden has a rather unique voice in women's fiction. Her novels have the sort of distinctive wit and cleverness that set them apart from most of today's single-woman-in-the-city books. Having read Bad Heir Day, I had looked forward to reading another one of Holden's fantastic novels. Gossip Hound is one of the most entertaining novels I've read all year.

Grace Armiger handles the PR services at Hatto & Hatto, a publishing house that's notoriously known for its WORSTselling authors. She questions her professional ethics after she spends the night with one of her clients. Her life couldn't be less glamorous and more complicated if she'd tried. However, her luck changes when an A-list entertainer enters her life. What she doesn't know is that Belinda Black, a ruthlessly ambitious tabloid journalist, is out to get the scoop that will catapult her career to epic proportions -- even if it means hurting others in the process. There are some fun twists throughout the novel.

Gossip Hound is filled with Holden's signature wit and prose. Also, since all of her books have a backdrop of socialites and fashionistas, Gossip Hound is no exception. Grace and Henry are my favorite characters. And I hated Belinda Black's ruthless ambition and deluded arrogance -- the perfect antagonist. I love women's fiction of this sort, and Gossip Hound is one of satirical and distinctive humor. I couldn't recommend it enough. Enjoy!

I couldn't believe how bad this is, and also - how many good reviews it got. First, it's the kind of average writing that makes one wonder why it got published in the first place. Second, in this book Wendy Holden continually bashes writers of chick novels (?), and repeatedly dogs Louis de Bernieres at one point, even disses Corelli's Mandolin - a far better work for many reasons (though i don't particularly enjoy his writing either). Third, she relies on silly one-liners that by now are so old, being used in every chick-lit book coming out of Britain. Finally, and most annoying, she puns constantly but not wittily. I say that because she sets the situation up with names and places and then delivers the pun - as if you couldn't think of it yourself - and comes off as a "nudge-nudge, wink-wink" to the reader that is tiresome. No doubt, the book would've been much smarter if she resisted this urge. Unfortunately a lot of women's light romance writers seem to be punsters of this ilk. They just don't get the difference between this kind of punning and Kathy Lette -- who actually can pun off of real life, not having to set up her own jokes beforehand. When Kathy Lette started this in the 90's and helen fielding basically stole her plot lines, it created a monster! Now everyone thinks they can do this ... and apparently they're making good money trying.

Gossip Hound is a delightful novel centering around Grace Armiger, a publicist for a London Publishing House. With characters like Red Campion, star of Legionnaire and the tabloid journalist Belinda Black, this novel is a humorous read. Whitty, sometimes campy but always entertaining, this book is a must have for fans of the Chick-Lit genre.

I really enjoyed this book, after getting into the rhythm of the writing style that is, and could not put it down! It was dragged to the kitchen while I cooked, to the couch while I sat and to bed before I went to sleep. It was a very enjoyable read, not too heavy, with someone fun to hate and someone to root for. I was sorry when it ended............

I loved this book. I started reading it at work and was literally laughing out loud at certain times and my co-workers thought I was crazy.
I was familiar with Wendy Holden's work as I had already read Bad heir Day, that book was good, but not nearly as much fun as this book. It is just a simple guilty pleasure!
You will love the character of Grace, she is so good and tries so hard, you just have to relate to her on some level. She finally sheds her good girl image for a chance at love(?) and, of course, it all blows up in her face.
There is more to the story, though and it is thoroughly enjoyable.
If you are a fan of the Bridget Jones or Shopaholic books, you will love Gossip Hound.

I'm on Spring Break right now, and I needed something to read. I must admit, it was the cover of this book that first caught my interest, and I decided to give it a chance. I couldn't put it down! For the next two days, I took it everywhere with me.

Holden's writing is witty, and clips along at a great pace. Gossip Hound is a book sort of in the tradition of Bridget Jones's Diary, but with a unique style all it's own. I was really drawn into the book, and I felt so deeply for the characters. I was really rooting for them to succeed.

I would recommend Gossip Hound for anyone who enjoys both dry and laugh out loud humor. The plot is compelling, and the characters are well-developed.

The only complaint I had was that some of the plot seemed a little too coincidental, with people knowing each other and whatnot, but that is easily explained by the world the book takes place in. It makes sense for celebrities to know each other.

Wendy Holden has been my favorite since I read Bad Heir Day, and I've now read all of her books. Gossip Hound is just as funny and lighthearted as the rest of them, I'm happy to report. The characters are interesting and I loved the mean and nasty Belinda Black most of all. You can't go wrong with Wendy Holden, so if you're wondering whether this book is worth buying, I say YES!!

It was a very uninteresting book. One of those books that is very hard to keep reading.. You know? This was so hard to continue as an assignment, and that is unusual for me to say as I read almost everything. I was very disappointed because it was nothing like what some are "raving" about. And unless you think choking and kicking a little dog is hysterical I wouldn't bother even picking it up.