Shopaholic & Baby (Hardcover)

by Sophie Kinsella (Author)
Key Phrases: red haired bitch, Dave Sharpness, Venetia Carter, The Look (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Hail the return of Kinsella's airhead heroine, Becky Bloomwood, now married, pregnant and working as the head personal shopper for a brand-new London boutique. In this latest installment of the Shopaholic franchise (Shopaholic Ties the Knot; Shopaholic Takes Manhattan; etc.), the commercially insatiable Bex shops for two in every upscale baby shop and catalogue in London, snags a celebrity ob/gyn and leverages a pair of the moment's "most coveted" boots to negotiate a home purchase. Complicating an otherwise uneventful pregnancy, Becky suspects her husband, PR biz-wiz Luke Brandon, is having an affair with her hot doc (who also happens to be Luke's ex-girlfriend), so she hires a gumshoe with predictable madcap results. For chick lit lovers with babies of their own, or for those who covet one, Kinsella mines a rich vein by tweaking 21st-century glossy mag obsessions: from sonograms to the hottest baby strollers to tricked-out birthing rooms. Kinsella's ode to baby blues is both sly and slapstick—and for now, at least, Becky is more lovably Lucille Ball than annoyingly Paris Hilton. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Kinsella's follow-up to Shopaholic & Sister(2004) finds the irrepressible Becky expecting her first child with her dashing husband, Luke. Naturally, there's shopping to be done: Becky is determined that her child will be as stylish as a baby can be. That includes having the best obstetrician, so when Becky learns about Venetia Carter, who caters to models and movie stars, she's determined to get herself into Venetia's practice. She succeeds, only to discover to her dismay that the stunning Venetia dated Luke in college and may still be carrying a torch for him. Becky will go to any length to keep her husband, whether it be intercepting text messages from Venetia in Latin or hiring a private detective to trail Luke and learn whether or not he has actually been unfaithful to her, rendering marriage over before it has really begun. Through it all, Becky never loses her spark, making this fifth entry in the Shopaholic series every bit as delightful and hilarious as its predecessors. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: The Dial Press (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385338708
• ISBN-13: 978-0385338707
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (199 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,519 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 5 in The Shopaholic Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophie Strikes Again!!, March 2, 2007

By	M. Glanzer "nuts about books" (Midwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superior to most Chick lit and a very fun, fun book to read, stylish writing! , March 4, 2007

By	K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Becky's Back, Endearing and Charming as Ever! , March 22, 2007

By	Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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!