Shopaholic

One of my favorite series is the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella.  I like the humor, the books are easy to read, and they keep me entertained.  I enjoy British chick-lit.  Plus, once I start a series, I have to finish it!

Today, I'm going to combine my review and talk about the last 2 books in the series, Shopaholic and Baby and Mini Shopaholic.

Here are the synopsis of both via Goodreads 
For Shopaholic and Baby:
Shopaholic Becky Bloomwood is pregnant, but the prospect of motherhood hasn't reined in her passion for fashion. In fact, this insatiable London shopper has a new excuse for raiding boutiques, catalogues, and baby shops for goodies. Amid all this happy expectation, though, lurks a major problem. Becky has become convinced that her hubby Luke has been fiddling with vampish obstetrician Venetia Carter. To allay her fears, our self-indulgent personal shopper hires a private detective to track down the truth. It won't surprise Shopaholic fans that this sets off a madcap romp that is more fun than an afternoon at Prada.

For Mini Shopaholic:
Nothing comes between Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) and her bargains. Neither act of God nor budget crunch can shatter her dreams of wall-to-wall Prada. Every milestone in her well-shopped life (travel, long-lost sister, marriage, pregnancy) inspires new vistas to explore in the name of retail therapy. But now she faces her greatest little challenge yet: Becky’s two-year-old daughter, Minnie.

While motherhood has been everything Becky dreamed it would be—Baby Dior, Little Marc Jacobs, and Dolce & Gabbana for toddlers—adorable Minnie is wreaking havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is “MINE!” and her penchant for Balenciaga bags, Chanel sunglasses, and online purchases has no rival under age five.

Becky is at her wits end. On top of this, she and her husband Luke are still living with her parents. Thankfully it appears house buying attempt number four is a go! Until a huge financial crisis causes panic everywhere, and nobody wants to shop—not Becky’s personal shopping clientele, not her friends, nobody. And with Luke in the doldrums, it’s time for Becky to step in—with a party: A surprise birthday party for Luke (on a budget) is the perfect antidote to everyone’s woes. At first.

Will Becky manage to keep the party of the year a surprise? Can she hire jugglers, fire-eaters, and acrobats at a discount? Will enlisting the help of Luke’s unflappable assistant to convince him to have another baby realize her dream of matching pom-poms? Will Minnie find a new outlet for her energetic and spirited nature (perhaps one with sixty percent markdowns)? She is, after all, a chip off the old shopping block. And everyone knows a committed shopper always finds a way.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed Shopaholic and Baby more than I enjoyed Mini Shopaholic.  Both were classic Becky, with shenanigans, mix-ups, SHOPPING, and laughs.  Somehow Becky always manages to come out on top.  Maybe it was just easier for me to imagine flighty Becky being pregnant than as a mom.  

I have a feeling this might not be the end of the series, as there was still some unresolved issues with Luke's birth mother, Elinor, and because Becky and Luke are now trying for baby number 2.  

Both were easy reads.  I think I finished them both in 2 days.  They were a nice change of pace from reading research articles.

If you are a fan of the series, the books won't disappoint.