Customer Reviews

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like the most sinful of decadent desserts, Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is simply addictive, delectable and savory. One taste and you will be aching for more.

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City, is the delightful follow-up to Holly's Inbox, published in June of 2009. In this installment, readers are treated to the same hilarious and sigh-worthy antics of Holly and her friends as before, however in Scandal, there is a bit more pressure and a tinge of seriousness and depth to Holly. Working hard to accomplish a permanent promotion, Holly shows her intelligence and ambition. In addition to worrying why her live-in boyfriend has been acting strangely and whether or not he is seeing someone else at work, Holly has a life-changing secret that is eating her up inside. With emotions flying high, Holly's group of friends, including Jason, Trisha, Aisha, Marie, and Claire help her through life's troubles with their twisted humor and kindness.

I loved the way in which the author characterizes each of the players within the story. They are incredibly vivid and remarkably brought to life. This is no small feat, considering there really is no narrative within the story. I would have to say that my favorite characters, other than Holly, are Jason, Trisha and Toby. They make me laugh, smile and rage. The caring and love they have for Holly is admirable and makes the story magnanimous In addition to the day-to-day type of telling, Scandal also includes a bit of a mystery, as to exactly what Toby is up to. The twists and turns took me by surprise and the entirety of the story left me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I loved it. A story that is both fun and emotional is delightful and one to indulge in.

Written entirely of emails, Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is an enormously fun romp with a unique style that will leave the reader zipping through, page after page until the end. As I read, I felt almost as though I was peeking into a secret diary of thoughts, for several of the characters, particularly Holly. In today's age of technology, it isn't an exaggerated concept that someone would be able to tap into one's inbox to read what is transpiring in one's life. Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is the perfect read to fit in with today's lifestyle.

A hugely fun and incredibly hard-to-put down book, Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is the perfect way to relax and indulge.

*overall rating 4.5/5

This book was almost as good as the first--it was definitely as quick of a read as the first one was. And just as entertaining! There were just some areas that I was a little lost in. I'm not sure whether its because it was in the first book and I didn't remember or because the author didn't go into detail but there were some times where I was just like "huh?" I think I enjoy reading these books so much because I'm so nosy! It's like getting a glimpse at someone's real emails. What fun! There was definitely a nice little twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Overall, a fun read--it was the perfect vacation-y, sitting by the pool read!

I liked the 2nd installment of Holly's Inbox, Scandal in the City, it was a quick read and entertaining but there was something about it that I just didn't like quite as much as the first one. I couldn't really put my finger on it so maybe it is just that it is not the original! But still overall an amusing sotry and I hope not the last!

Holly's Inbox was a smash, and the sequel is just as great!

Holly Denham is now living with her love, Toby, and working as a receptionist at DKHuerst. She spends her days emailing her best friends, Jason and Aisha, as well as co-worker Trisha. William from another department is always flirting via email with Holly, but she always stops him cold, she's in love with Toby.

Holly's family emails her all the time as well, and they are an eccentric bunch! Jason is wanting to break it off with his live-in boyfriend Marco and goes to great depths to let him down gently, while Holly finds herself hungover most mornings. Toby keeps going abroad for work and Holly finds herself more and more alone.

She keeps her bills in the freezer (they can't look at her that way) and she is secretly interviewing for a manager position. She doesn't want to tell Trisha (who trained Holly) and has been working there forever. To top it all off, Tanya, the Catering Manager, seems to have it in for Holly. She is consistently putting her down and trying to get Toby's attention.

Holly thinks Toby is having an affair and sets out to catch him doing the dirty. But unfortunately, something else happens and Holly is suddenly overwhelmed from all sides. She'll have to look deep in her heart so see what she really desires.

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is told in email format. The characters are compelling and outrageous as well as the witty repartee. I was in stitches with some of the antics they get up to. If you like chick-lit, or want to be entertained, pick this one up today. Simple outrageous and totally divine!

A great book... definetly must read .. I have bought both books (part 1 and part 2) and read them both... cant wait to read more for Holly Denham of the same style ... emails ...maybe some more notes and stufff.. amazing ...Please holly we want more ...keep them coming ...
Thanks
A chick novel reader from USA

After reading the first book, 'Holly's Inbox', I jumped immediately into the second book in the series and was so excited to do so! I loved the first one and I think that the format and the characters really lent itself to a second book. Without taking a pause, obviously I knew exactly what was going on. If I had taken a break I think it would have been easy to pick back up everything that was going on. Could you read this one without reading the first book? Sure, but why would you want to when the first one was so darn enjoyable and it really is the background for everything that is going on in this book.

Now Holly, of whom the book and the author (a pseudonym) is named after, finally has things going her way and if you'd read the first book you'd know that things often did not which was why she was so loveable. She has a boyfriend, Toby, whom she knew from her school days and they are now happily together again. They make a cute couple but things actually aren't as happy as it seems.

At work things are also going pretty well too. There is a promotion opportunity for Holly and she needs this because she is in a massive amount of debt. Now Holly can get a chance to be the manager of all of the secretaries of the firm where she works. It would be great for Holly to get to advance so quickly but she only has one month to prove herself.

Written in the same style as the previous book, all emails, it is a quick read. I mean seriously you can get through a 540 page book in a couple of hours and you will be laughing at every minute of it. All of her friends, family and coworkers will have you laughing and nodding your head in recognition if you're anything like me because it all really is so true to life with the way family is and the way working for a major corporation is like. The thing that really is the crux of the story is an evil female coworker that has it out for Holly. I hate it when women are so competitive and have it out for each other in the workplace. This really bothers me. It happens in real life and it happens in fiction. Why can't we have each others' backs? Regardless, there is some great interplay here and if you liked the first one there is no way you won't like the second one, and it definitely leaves room for a third...

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City held just as many laugh out loud moments as the first book in the series. With Holly's unique voice and told completely in email format from numerous characters, makes this an entertaining read from the first page to the last.

In this second installment we learn more about Holly and her relationships with her boyfriend, her friends, family and work colleagues. She wants to move up in the job, pay off debts and be happy in her relationships. She wants her Happily Ever After moment just like anyone else. She goes out of her way to make things work for everyone around her - within her job and away from it.

With a promotion filled with drama and troubles at home, Holly's once short lived happiness is put to the ultimate test and she's forced to make some hard choices. It's through her family and friends that we get a chance to see another side of Holly as she's faced with huge choices. The drama in the work place is written where anyone who's worked in or out of an office will understand and appreciate what each character goes through daily.

With a refreshingly unique writing style and realistic characters within the bubble of a London workplace - Holly, her troubles and her ever present sharp witty comebacks - will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope there will be a third in this series as there's nothing more then to say I'm thoroughly hooked!

For more info and reviews please visit my Book Review Blog here - [...]

We're back in time to find out what's new in Holly Denham's life -- after she and Toby finally came together.

They're sharing a flat while working at the same bank. Holly's at reception with her old friend Trish. Meanwhile, Toby is doing well as an investment banker. But the long hours and his lack of energy are taking a toll on their love life.

Holly's as ditzy and lovable as ever. And her friends aren't holding her back.

As things spiral out of control and it seems like Holly is just one cocktail away from disaster, she takes us on a crazy, fun, and hilarious ride. In the sequel, Holly takes out much of her frustration on drink - which leads to some strange moments and blackouts. But overall, Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is a entertaining British chicklit and a good sequel to last year's Holly's Inbox.

ISBN-10: 1402241143 - Trade Paperback
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (August 17, 2010), 544 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham is a fantastic romp through the ever funny and amusing world of Holly's emails. Last year I read and reviewed Holly's Inbox and absolutely loved it! This installment is no different. Once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down. It's amazing how fast 544 pages flies by and leaves you still wanting more. If you loved Bridget Jones, you may just find yourself liking Holly Denham more!

We jump right in where we left off in Holly's life. She's got it all now; she's in love with her boyfriend Toby (they used to be childhood sweeties) and has a great job where she is in line for a promotion. Holly is still working as a receptionist at a major London bank and still pals with Jason, Aisha and Trish. What I liked about this second book was that we got to know another side to Holly - the softer, more intelligent side I'll say. I adored Holly in the first book and this second book made her an even more likable and real character with strong emotions, hopes and dreams.

So, as usual, the office is just as crazy as ever and to top it off Holly is being harassed by a real cow of a woman named Tanya. Tanya unfortunately seems to be after Holly's boyfriend and really seems to have a hate on for Holly. As well, not uncommon to the office, gossip is running rampant and it's just this kind of gossip that will manage to throw Holly's life into turmoil not only with her job but her love life as well!

This book is written entirely in email format and I love it! It's like being able to peek into someone's secret diary and be a big snoop! Holly and Trisha still email back and forth and Holly still emails her family and friends on a constant basis. My favorites are still Holly's emails with her Granny who has had to go live with Holly's mom now. Granny is absolutely hilarious and this book finds her trying to hook up with men on the internet and wanting to run away back to England. I was getting some strange looks as this book has so many laugh out loud moments that you just can't help yourself.

I know it seems odd to say and you'd probably find it hard to believe but the author (who actually happens to be a man-Bill Surie) can make you care about and know his characters fully through only emails. He manages to weave a story throughout these emails and in this installment surprises us with a few things I didn't expect to happen. I am grateful and thankful to Sourcebooks for bringing this second installment to all of us as it was only available in the UK before. I'm also hoping for a third book as the way this one ended leaves the story wide open for more!

Do you need to read Holly's Inbox before reading this one? No, you don't but I'd have to say I'd recommend you do. You get the background on Holly, her family and the people she works with. You get to know her so when you start Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City you feel like you're visiting with an old friend again. However this second installment stands fine on it's own. You certainly won't have a problem figuring out what's going on but I warn you that you'll love it so much that you'll be rushing out to get the first one anyway. lol!

In much the same style as Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary, Holly is a bit of a character who always seems to be getting herself into some trouble. Her letters to her best friend Jason, felt fun and whimsical, and topped my list for emails I most wanted to read. Jason was sweet and caring, but a real crack up most of the time, mocking Holly for her insecurities and egging her on to push her relationship with Toby a bit farther. This relationship aside, I couldn't help but wonder if people really do send as many short, even one-liner emails, as these characters do? I can't imagine spending my day shooting short emails back and forth to people, but maybe that saves their sanity at a desk job?

The story was funny to read, and although it was predictable with its conflict and resolution, I still found myself eager to see how it came together. As I mentioned in my previous review of Holly's Inbox, there is a risk in sticking strictly to the written communications without any commentary by the author. It was easy to sense where things were going, but the author did still manage to throw in a few surprising twists. I think I enjoyed this second installment a bit more than the first, possibly because the tension in the story came up a little earlier and had me flipping pages for the resolution. Holly could be a bit of an acquired taste for some readers; she is quirky, anxious, and a bit insecure, which strangely annoyed me and made her more likable. Although not perfect, it is a fun read that breaks out of the norm and helped me escape for an evening!