Customer Reviews

Shoe Addicts Anonymous

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

After reading the preface of this book I thought "this sounds a little corny - but whatever". I am so glad that I picked it up. While there is lots of talk of shoes (never quite understood the fascination myself) - this book turned out to be a little treasure.

The writing is honest and crisp. The main characters - while all flawed are all likeable and entertaining and there is even a little bit of a "spy" angle (very small, but funny).

The biggest surprise for me was that although it is a chick lit book, this bok was written with warmth and humor and comes across as a sensitive understanding of women and what we go through.

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are several simultaneous and interesting plots threading through the book and they are all tied up nicely at the end. It's fun!

"Shoe Addicts Anonymous" by Beth Harbison centered on the lives of four women - Lorna, Helene, Sandra, and Jocelyn and these four women were part of the "Shoe Addicts Anonymous" support group which was started by Lorna. All four women came from very different backgrounds and professions - Lorna, a waitress in a bar, Helene, the trophy wife of a Senator, Sandra, an agrophobic who was also a phone sex operator, and Jocelyn, a nanny for a difficult rich family. Somehow, the women (with the exception of Jocelyn) had a thing for shoes and this support group was an opportunity for them to swap shoes and also life stories.

The premise of this book was quite corny - especially with very typical characters with very cliche backgrounds that you can find in other chick-lits. There weren't any real solid story line and the characters were not very likeable either. Their sudden bonding with each other was rather quickly and not very belieable. If you are looking for a quick and light read, this may be for you. However, there are definitely better books out there in this genre.

It's not just about the shoes, it's about the relationships and so much more in this vividly written book. You'll find yourself hooked reading about the realisitc issues of the characters told with empathy and humor.

Shopaholic Lorna Rafferty is nearly drowning in her debt, but for some reason she can't seem to stop buying new shoes. With a job as a waitress that gives her enough for the need but not the greed, and barely enough money to buy food, let alone other necessities, Lorna finds herself in a quandary about what to do regarding her financial situation. When she realizes that her spendthrift ways might soon leave her both homeless and carless, Lorna decides to get a grip on her spending and buckle down on her finances... only what is she supposed to do about her shoe addiction? So begins the creation of Shoe Addicts Anonymous, Lorna's brainchild wherein women in the D.C. area who are a size 7 1/2 can meet once a week and swap their designer shoes with one another... Lorna has no idea the sort of people her Gregslist ad will attract, but luckily meets some great women because of it.

Her compadres in shoe addiction are:

Helene Zaharis, the wife of a prominent politician who also takes her shoe addiction to extremes; though her marriage is no cake walk and her husband uses money to keep her in line, when Helene goes too far for a pair of Bruno Maglis, she turns to Shoe Addicts Anonymous for help.

Sandra Vanderslice, an agoraphobic phone sex operator who uses online shopping to feed her addiction. Sandra's psychologist suggests that she get out of the house more and meeting women who share her interests seems to be the perfect solution.

And Jocelyn Bowen, a nanny for two young boys whose impossible mother makes unreasonable demands on Joss's time. Though she could care less about shoes, Shoe Addicts Anonymous will get Joss out of her employers' home one night a week--and that's as good a reason as any, as far as Joss is concerned.

Through a love of shoes, these women form a bond of friendship that allows them to look past their social and economic differences and to just see each other as individuals. Shoe Addicts Anonymous becomes a place where they can vent their frustrations, confront their fears, and just be themselves without worrying about what people will think about them. This book was delightfully written, and full of anecdotes and one-liners. It's definitely going to be one of the runaway chick lit books of the summer and I'd recommend it as a great beach read.

Lorna Rafferty is addicted to shoes. So addicted, in fact, that she is knee-deep in credit card debts. The bank's assistant manager has made it his personal mission to try to help her out with her debts. But with her waitress job and limited budget, not to mention her newfound obsession with eBay, she doubts she'll be able to kick her habit any time soon. Helene Zaharis is also addicted to designer shoes. In fact, they are her lifeline. Retail is the only form of therapy that works with her insufferable life with a senator husband who has an eye for the presidency. His cheating ways are no secret to her. How will her life change when her husband suddenly takes away her credit cards? And who's following her all over town and why? She has secrets she doesn't want revealed -- for the sake of her husband's political career as well as her own need to keep the past at bay. Sandra Vanderslice hates the outdoors -- hence her lucrative job as a phone sex operator. It helps buy her beautiful designer shoes. But is she happy with the status quo, especially when she is reacquainted with an attractive former high school friend? The rubenesque shoe lover will want to change her life. And Jocelyn Bowen doesn't care either way about shoes, but when she discovers Shoe Addicts Anonymous, it is the perfect escape from her nanny job from hell. As it happens, it is Lorna who begins Shoe Addicts Anonymous by placing an online ad, a meeting where women who share the same shoe size (7 ½) can get together and exchange shoes. Little does she know that starting that little group is the best thing that could happen to her and to the three women who show up to the meetings.

This is a great, addictive read. I couldn't put it down and enjoyed it to the max. At first, I thought this would be a book with very little substance, about women who love shoes and nothing more, but the four heroines are well fleshed out and real, with actual problems and concerns. You will relate will all four of them in one way or another. I for one have an addiction to spending (especially books), so I enjoyed Lorna's plight. If only things worked out in real life the way it works out in these books though! One thing I do complain about is that the story seems unfinished. Who was the man Sandra spoke to on the phone, the one who may or may not have been a transsexual? And was he the one who showed up at one of the meetings? That was never answered or resolved. Anyway, other than that, Shoe Addicts Anonymous is the perfect antidote to a boring day. You will be sucked into the story. Beth Harbison is a great author. I've already picked up Secrets of a Shoe Addict (which may or may not be a sequel to this one) and look forward to giving it a whirl.

This was an absolute page turner. I loved the characters and the storyline. Definitely one for the beach or long afternoons in the wintertime.

I bought this book to read while waiting for my sister to come out of surgery. I needed something to take my mind off of my worries and, I gotta tell you, this book 'fit the bill.' Although it is not a serious tome, it was, however, a 'Calgon-Moment' for me. Light-hearted, clever and the participants don't take themselves or their problems too seriously. It is worth the laugh, plus reminds me of the various excuses that I, myself, have used to shop; along with the resultant "Shopper's Remorse!!" Thank you Beth Harbison and I will watch for your next installment: "Secrets of a Shoe Addict" thanks for the entertainment.

As a lover and collector of handbags, I can totally identify with all four of the main characters in SHOE ADDICTS. This was the most enjoyable book I've read in a long time. Fun, light and fast - this is the perfect book to take to the beach, poolside, the park, vacation or anytime you want to escape from everyday life. Funny, uplifting and sometimes touching, this is not just the story about four shoe addicts (well it is, but there's more to the story than just shoes!), but rather a story of friendship. Told from the point of view of all four main characters, the book moves along at a nice pace with each of the stories weaving in and out from one another. Readers get to know each character individually and learn what is missing from each of their lives that causes them to take up a love of shoes. Although it is their mutual love of shoes that brings them together, they soon discover that they're not alone in their feelings of loneliness, sadness and dissatisfaction. Together they fill that void that's missing in each of their lives, and ultimately find peace and happiness, and more importantly, satisfaction with their lives.

I really liked this book a lot and highly recommend it to women of all ages. I'm also looking forward to future novels by this fresh, young author.

I was immediately drawn to this book from the first few pages. A group of 4 women from different backgrounds that have a same common interest, their love of shoes.

Likes -
1) The end of each chapter wanted to keep you reading more.
2) The main characters were very likeable
3) Enjoyed the beginning and middle of story
4) Detailed characters very well
5) Very easy and fun read

Dislikes -
1) Didn't see too much development in characters, they miraculously jumped from being one way to another
2) Detailed certain characters (Transvestite & Sandra's regular Caller) but they never eclipsed like you would expect. No real explanation why they did what they did.
3) Detailed the beginning and middle very well but then wrapped it up too quickly in the end. The end was VERY rushed.
4) Characters developed this tight bond overnight, which was somewhat unrealistic
5) Sandra miraculously recovered from her agoraphobia almost overnight
6) The car chase - that's all I have to say...
7) Ending was completely C-O-R-N-Y. It was pretty much just "summarized" as if the author got tired of writing and just quickly summed it up.

I really liked this book in the beginning but as soon as the car chase (involving all the main characters) it went down hill from there. Too cheezy. The author so quickly unraveled the story after taking so much time developing each character that she jumped from one plot to the next with no realistic flow. The ending was really disappointing. Pretty lazy if you ask me.

About 80% of the book is enjoyable, so I would recommend it and take the ending with a grain of salt.