Customer Reviews

Shopaholic & Baby (Shopaholic Series)

5 star:		(133)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have been anxiously awaiting this newest installment of the Shopaholic series and grabbed one of the last books off the shelf on Tuesday...as luck would have it, the next day we were in the middle of a huge blizzard, so I was able to stay home and read the whole book in one sitting. It was great! I was laughing out loud over and over and tried to share the humor with my husband (who didn't get it!). Of course, Becky goes crazy with her shopping and buys way more than a baby could ever use, but the storyline with Luke's old girlfriend was great, and I love the other characters from past books like Jess and Suze, and Becky's mom and Janice are always a hoot! I just hope she doesn't stop here with the series. No, it isn't deep, insightful reading, but for a fun time, you can't beat Becky Bloomwood and her Visa card!

I'm getting a bit tired of the Chick Lit category for some books because this book deserves to stand out and be accessable to MORE readers, ones who don't consider themselves "typical" Chick Lit readers. I confess that I'm one of those and because of that, I nearly missed reading this delightful book. It isn't deep literature but it is a pleasure to read, even if you're long past the days of parenthood (my kids are nearly grown).
Quite simply, it is funny, believable and has a mother who readers should be able to relate to - or actually a mother-to-be. From the first days of pregnancy to other decisions, large and small, she is eccentric and lovable, in her own quirky way, fuming at her husband as he juggles business and HER needs, getting in debates with him about whether to learn the gender of the baby during an ultrasound, etc..
I laughed out loud at some parts.
Take a chance on this one. I wish I could include excerpts from every section of the book but you deserve to discover her style without having the surprise spoiled.

If you're a fan of the Shopaholic series, this one will definitely be a favorite. Sophie Kinsella has not lost her magic touch of making Becky the charmingly air-headed shopping maniac we have come to love. I found myself laughing out loud throughout Becky's adventures in pregnancy. From her obsession with shopping in all the chic baby boutiques, to ordering online and from the glossy upscale catalogues, to investing in "antiques of the future" for her baby's portfolio, Becky was in fine form. Now working (more or less) as a personal shopper at a laughingstock of a store, Becky finds ways to make it soar while enlisting the help of an old friend. Familiar characters like Suz, Mr. and Mrs. Bloomwood, Janice, Tom, Jess, and of course Luke, are all featured prominently as Becky goes in search of the A-list obstetrician, the choice of all the glam people, only to discover she is Luke's ex-girlfriend and still carries a torch for him. Will Becky trust Luke when he is seen out and about with the doctor? Will she be able to find the right pram for her baby? Will she be the toast of the town when Vogue magazine features her as one of London's "yummiest Mummies-to-be"? From her first sonogram to the most hysterical delivery ever, everything's coming up pink and blue for our favorite shopper. Don't miss this one!

I read all 4 of the Shopaholic books and they seem to just be very repetitive. You can basically predict after the first book what the main character will do. But I still got through them all and though they were cute.

SHOPAHOLIC & BABY by Sophie Kinsella
December 2, 2007

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I've loved all the SHOPAHOLIC books by Sophie Kinsella, and this was no exception. In SHOPAHOLIC & BABY, Becky Brandon (Nee Bloomwood) is now pregnant, and as all fans will suspect, she's shopping like a madwoman for baby items. But not just any old baby items. She has to have the best of all designer products, such as fancy prams (no, she can't just have one!). Forget the breast pumps, the diapers, and all the stuff that is essential. Becky is only interested in one thing, and that is to have anything that looks great, has a designer label on it, and all the celebrities have as well.

When Becky learns about the gynecologist to the stars, she HAS to switch doctors and finds a way to get on the waiting list for this very exclusive doctor. When she throws her name around (being married to the very famous Luke Brandon), she gets in immediately. Unfortunately, she finds out too late that Luke actually knows her new gynecologist. In fact, Luke and Venetia used to date in college, and from Becky's viewpoint, it looks like the two of them may have some unfinished business.

SHOPAHOLIC & BABY is one misunderstanding after another, although it begins to look like maybe Becky isn't really misunderstanding anything at all. Is Luke really having an affair With Venetia? Will Becky allow this woman to deliver her baby? And what about all those baby strollers she bought? Will she be able to keep them all?

In the mean time, Luke's business is heading for some rough times, and Becky is still spending money like it grows on trees. Becky's best friend is having a crisis of her own, and Becky's newly found sister (from the previous book) thinks that Becky has seen the light and is no longer the big consumer she used to be. Ha! I have a feeling this may be the last book in the series, although there is always a way to add yet another novel. I have enjoyed all the SHOPAHOLIC books, and I somehow relate to Becky (scary, I know) and am glad that there is someone out there, albeit fictional, that spends more money frivolously than I do.

You'd think this stuff would wear thin. Becky really is, as one of the characters in the book accuses her of being, a frivolous, silly airhead. And a compulsive liar to boot. And she never seems to learn a thing -- here it is, the fifth Shopaholic book, and she's still getting into the same foolish fixes as she got into in the first one. Yet, somehow she remains tremendously likeable.

High points: The bit with Becky's mum and Janice at the childbirth class is an absolute hoot. I also particularly enjoyed Becky's confrontations with Luke's horrible mother, and with the potential homewrecker... And the scene right after the baby was born was very tender and very, very true. That moment right after your child is born when you look it it and think, "It's you." Kinsella put her finger right on it.

A charming book all in all. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I have loved all the Shopaholic books to date. When you love each book, it is a little nerve wracking to see if the author can keep the series going. Kinsella does a great job of staying true to Becky's character and continuing to wind the additional characters in the book--even bringing back some old favorites. I get so sad when I am nearing the end as I want the stories to go on!

Another poster was talking about the shallowness of the book. In my opinion, I look to Kinsella's books as entertainment. Each one, including "can you keep a secret" and "Undomesticated Goddess" were great entertaining reads. In fact, they were laugh out loud reads!

If you loved Becky in her other escapades, you are sure to love this book. It really does not disappoint. I look forward to more of Kinsella's books, hopefully she can create another Shopaholic installment.

I have been impatiently waiting for this book to finally come out ever since buying the previous book in the series the same day it was released, which I had been waiting for since getting the previous book in the series the same day it was released (or was that the new series she started) either way, Sophie Kinsella is such a talented, wonderful writer, she is truly the one and only author to which I compare everyone else to. I am pleased to say that this most recent release certainly did not disappoint.

I love the Shopaholic series. However, the story lines seem to all be the same - Becky shops - a lot, Luke has issues at work that he does not share with her, she thinks he is cheating, Becky does something stupid and manages to turn it into something positive, etc.

The book is funny and good for a quick read during spring break. I just wish we could see Becky get a real life and do something besides shop. Seriously, what person needs 5 prams?

Becky Brandon is have baby! Time to go shopping for everything that a baby is going to need. Prams, cribs and everythin else a baby needs. Becky is have a great time shopping, then she hears that Venetia Carter is back in London. Becky just knows that having A-list doctor delivering her baby is just what she needs. But it turns out that the famous Dr. Carter has some history with her husband Luke. Now Becky is trying to save her job, her marriage, while trying to get ready for the next generation of shoppers.
"Shopaholic and Baby" is the fifth book in this series by Sophie Kinsella and while the beginning of the series was pretty good, I have admitt that I am getting a bit tired of it. Becky seem to be a character that just can't learn. Becky's attitude was fun in the beginning but its getting old.