Customer Reviews

Little Lady, Big Apple

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Browne's editor wasn't asleep at the switch in this sequel to The Little Lady Agency. No, this time the editor must have been in a coma.
How else to explain the glaring plot holes bigger than a subway opening?
For a start, not one single New Yorker depicted in the book sounds like a living, breathing actual New Yorker.
Jonathan "The Boring Man" Riley says he tried to call Melissa, but her phone was engaged. Americans just don't say that. They say the number was busy.
For another, Jonathan picks her up from the airport in a series of limousines and town cars, until one mysterious trip, he's driving a vehicle we never hear of before - or after.
The worst infraction however, is Jonathan and his dog Braveheart flying to London and arriving dewy-eyed on Melissa's doorstep.
How is this possible?
There are strict quarantine laws in England. You CANNOT bring an animal into London. France, oui, London, No.
I know this is fiction but Geez Louise, at least make it semi-believable.
As for leaving her hard-earned business in the hands of two moronic women - her complusively stupid best friend Gabi and her sinister sister Allegra, both of whom possess the common sense of lettuce leaves - please...this Little Lady needs her head examined.
I won't be reading the next book, this one was a painful experience.

This book is a nice sequel to the Little Lady Agency, though the plot was not quite as interesting. I missed seeing Melissa transform herself into Honey, and the interactions between Honey and her clients were largely missing in this book. That said, it's still a fun read, and I'm interested in seeing what these characters are up to next, now that Melissa's love life seems to be back on track.

Melissa had made a great life and created an enterprising and unique business of her own in London. However, when her American boyfriend asks her to come to New York City with him for a month she faces the classic dilemma of career or relationship. What makes this book particularly entertaining is Melissa's determination to have it all. She morphs her business to fit her new schedule and her new home. At the same time, she maintains her commitment to her own career even if it means giving up her boyfriend. Delightfully written and very entertaining. A great read!

I was very disappointed in this sequel to Little Lady Agency. I loved the first book, but this one took me two weeks to get through because it was just that uninteresting. There was nothing about it that was spectacular and the whole Melissa is a pushover is starting to get old. It was also infuriating to read about Melissa getting into jams because she apparently did not have the good sense to just tell the truth. It was not a horrible book, but it did not meet my expectations. I wish I would have waited for it to come out in paperback.

I loved The Little Lady Agency, but was slightly disappointed with the Big Apple. Not enough sauce.

I'm probably the only person who feels this way, but I cannot STAND Jonathan! The next book had best get rid of him once and for all or I won't be able to keep reading, I don't believe.

Hester Browne's "Little Lady, Big Apple" continued where the sequel, "Little Lady Agency" left off. Melissa ran her agency successful except that she promised her boyfriend, Jonathan, that she will no longer assumed the role of "Honey" who pretended to be someone's girlfriend on either social occasions or family meetings. As Jonathan work took him back to New York City, Melissa decided to take a vacation in NYC for the entire month, and left her agency to her best friend to manage. Unfortunately, Melissa's time in NYC was anything but fun because Jonathan was constantly at work and in contact with his ex-wife, as well as forbading Melissa to work. Melissa also bumped into her old friend, Godric, who became a Hollywood star who needed Melissa's help.

This was a fast-paced novel - highly entertaining and fun. I was engaged from the beginning till the end. The only drawback that I could think of was that this sequel reminded me a lot of Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series. The main characters in both series fell in love with a New Yorker, then left for the city and had to deal with adjusting to life in the Big Apple. That was what that came to my mind as I was going through the book. However, don't let this deter you as this book is still extremely fun to read. Highly recommended.

The second of three books, it suffers from "middle book syndrome": lacks either a strong beginning or a satisfactory resolution, and the protagonist is mired in unpleasant circumstances. Okay, so it HAS a sort-of resolution, plagued with some unlikely scenarios... but I'm convinced there's a lot more jungle for Melissa/Honey to negotiate. Haven't read the third yet, but waiting for it to come out in paperback. We'll see. I'm seeing groundwork laid for Jonathan the workaholic boyfriend to get ditched for best-friend Nelson (you go, Nelson... I'm rooting for you!) and for Melissa to throw off the chains of money-obsessed, nasty Daddy domination. British author Browne hasn't quite got the hang of Yank-speak, although she makes a creditable effort. It's particularly noticeable with poor Jonathan, although conceivably he may have picked up some British polish during his time in England. (Americans don't ring, they call. And they say,"The line was busy," instead of "The number was constantly engaged.") Worth reading, but only if you liked the first and are waiting for the third.

Quick and easy! A good follow up to the original. I read it in only a few days. It's a great summer read and I started the third book right away because I had to know what happened!

This series is just so wonderful and full of such funny moments. Also if you have friends from the UK and if you have been to the UK it just makes it all the more fun to read about Melissa, Jonathon and their circle of friends in the US and the UK. I highly recommend this series for the humor, the great wit and the great plots.

This book is just like the 2nd "Shopaholic" book - London girl takes a dream trip to New York with her boyfriend, he gets too involved in work and hijinks ensue when she's left to fend for herself. That said I thought it was entertaining. There are some points where it's really obvious the author has no idea Americans don't speak like she writes them, but overall she's good at make the formulaic plots seem fresh, and she's fleshed out characters you're invested in. I'm looking forward to reading the 3rd book.