Shopaholic and Sister is the fourth installment in Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series and is my favorite to date. Becky Bloomwood just tries so, so hard and it all just bites her in the end. This installment focuses on more than just her spending addiction so I think it was the perfect reprieve in that regard. I enjoyed it so much!

Book 23/100 for 2015

4.5/5

Like I've said before, I absolutely love Sophie Kinsella's writing style. She creates such strong characters with very different personalities and has them get into the weirdest and funniest situations. I honestly thought I would get bored with this series as I kept reading on, but the opposite is actually true! I can't wait to read the fifth book, Shopaholic & Baby and laugh even more!

Becky was so immature and that was the reason why I hated the beginning. But Jess was awesome and she got even Becky to understand some things.

This dragged a bit at some point but I liked how this ended. Light & entertaining to read but nothing really special.

At A Glance

Genre: Chick lit.
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: Nope.
Cliff Hanger: kinda!
Rating: 4 Stars.

Score Sheet
All out of ten

Cover: 8
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
World Building: 8
Flow: 9
Series Congruity: 9
Writing: 8
Ending: 8

Total: 8

In Dept

Best Part: Good character development.
Worst Part: I hated Jess, at first.
Thoughts Had: Ugh Jess; Oh nooo; really?!?

Conclusion

Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: yes

Short Review: I love this series. I am a bit irked at the ending, not gonna spoil, but lets say i don't see how they can just assume and go with it. Anyhow, bad Becky keeping secret credit cards in compacts, genius idea thou. Jess, Becky's Sister, annoyed the crap out of me greatly, untill the last 10% or so, then i fell in love with her :) I am excited to see how this goes next.

Becky is back to her crazy shopping on her honeymoon, yes! So funny and heartwarming too, with the addition of Jess.

Expensive handbags and potatoes...

That should be a proper title, for one of Mrs. Kinsella's worst products, as poor characters, a slim plot and a too expeditious final can't never make a good book. Speaking about heroines, you don't know what do do first: to be merciful or to disdain Becky, not necessarily a bad girl, but egocentric, snob, liar, impulsive, spoiled, jealous( of course, without reason...) childish in the most horrible way, as you have to wait almost four hundred pages for her first intelligent words, about the price of the bread. Her sister, Jess may be a more decent creature, but her avarice is terrible paltry: water, second hand-coffee, potatoes, spoiled bananas, recycled paper. The result is that you can't enjoy the book and that's a pity.
So two stars are more than enough. Even perhaps one too many...

I really love the way Becky approaches sisterhood. Hilarious!

‘Luke, you must be very proud.’ Chandra beams at Luke. ‘Is this not the most extraordinary thing you have ever seen your wife do?’
‘Chandra,’ he says. ‘Take it from me. This is nothing.’

***********************************************

‘I think I’ve had enough of the world.’ I look at Luke. ‘I’m ready for real life.’

***********************************************

The thing is, shipping just makes everything so easy. You don’t have to lug anything about – you just point and ship. ‘I’d like that shipped, please. And that. And that.’ And you give them your card and off it goes, and Luke never even sees it …

************************************************
I was made for Milan.
No. Not Milan, Milano.
And as soon as I looked round the hotel foyer at all those chic women in Prada and D&G, kissing each other whilst simultaneously downing espressos, lighting cigarettes and flinging their shiny hair about, I just kind of knew, with a kind of natural instinct: this is my kind of city.

***********************************************

Luke puts down his briefcase and gives me a long look.
‘What?’ I say.
‘Becky … I know this is Milan. But please, don’t go crazy today.’
‘Go crazy?’ I say, a little offended. ‘What do you mean?’‘I know you’re going to go shopping …’

************************************************
‘You think I came here just to go shopping? Well, take this!’ I reach for my bag, take out my purse and thrust it at him.
‘Becky, don’t be silly—’
‘Take it! I’ll just have a simple walk around the city!’
‘OK then.’ Luke shrugs, and pockets my purse.
Damn. I didn’t think he’d actually take it.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter, because I have another credit card hidden in my bag, which Luke doesn’t know about.
‘Fine,’ I say, folding my arms. ‘Keep my money. I don’t care!’
‘I’m sure you’ll survive,’ says Luke.
‘You can always use the credit card you keep hidden in your bag.’
What?
How does he know about that? Has he been spying on me? This has to be grounds for divorce, surely.

************************************************
I throw my credit card at him. ‘You may think you know me, Luke. But you don’t. All I want is to soak up a little culture, and maybe invest in the odd souvenir or local artefact.’
‘Local artefact?’echoes Luke. ‘By “local artefact”, do you mean “Versace shoes”?’
‘No!’I say after a short pause.
Which is true.
True-ish.
I was thinking more of Miu Miu. Apparently it’s really cheap over here!

***********************************************

‘Look, Becky, just don’t go overboard, OK?’says Luke. ‘We’re up to our luggage limits as it is.’He glances at our open cases. ‘What with the South American ritual mask and the voodoo stick …oh, and let’s not forget the ceremonial dancing swords …’
How many times is Luke going to give me grief about the ceremonial dancing swords? Just because they ripped his stupid shirt.
‘For the millionth time, they’re presents!’I say. ‘We couldn’t have shipped them. We have to have them with us as we arrive, otherwise we won’t look like proper travellers!’
‘That’s fine. All I’m saying is, we don’t have room for South American masks and six extra pairs of boots.
’Oh, he thinks he’s so funny.
‘Luke, I’m not like that any more, OK?’I say, a little crushingly. ‘I’ve grown up a little. I would have thought you might have noticed.’

***********************************************

Anyway. So I was planning to buy him a replacement today. A little ‘end of honeymoon’ gift. But maybe he doesn’t deserve it if he’s going to spy on me and read my private credit-card statements. I mean, what a cheek. Do I read his private letters?
Well, actually I do. Some of them are really interesting! But the point is …
Oh my God. I freeze, struck by a dreadful thought. Does that mean he saw how much I spent in Hong Kong, that day he went off to see the stock exchange?
Fuck.
And he hasn’t said anything about it. OK, maybe he does deserve a present, after all.

************************************************
I stare at it in utter disbelief. Armani jam? Armani do jam?
Maybe in Milan everything has a fashion label! Maybe Dolce & Gabbana do toothpaste. Maybe Prada does tomato ketchup!
I knew I liked this city.

************************************************

I start walking on again, more and more quickly, prickling with excitement. I can sense the shops in the air. The designer bags are becoming thick on the ground. The air is becoming heavy with expensive scent. I can practically hear the sound of hangers on rails and zips being done up …
Andl then, suddenly, there it is.
A long, elegant boulevard stretches before me, milling with the chic-est, most designer-clad people on earth.
And …the shops. Shop after shop after shop.
Ferragamo. Valentino. Dior. Versace. Prada.

***********************************************

Just look at that amazing coat. Look at those shoes.
Where do I start? Where do I even—
I can’t move. I’m paralysed in the middle of the street, like the donkey who couldn’t choose between the bales of hay. They’ll find me in years to come, still frozen to the spot, clutching my credit card.

************************************************
As I hand over my Visa card I feel a glow of goodness in my heart. Buying presents for other people is so much more satisfying than buying for yourself!

***********************************************

Then suddenly I catch a glimpse of what she’s carrying. My heart stops. My skin starts to prickle. It can’t be.
But it is.
She’s carrying an Angel bag.

************************************************
I can’t breathe. I’m transfixed.
It’s stunning. It’s totally stunning. The calfskin looks as soft as butter. The handpainted angel is all in delicate shades of aquamarine. And underneath is the name ‘Dante’written in diamante.
I swallow, trying to get control of myself, but my legs are all wobbly and my hands feel sweaty. This is better than when we saw the white tigers in Bengal. I mean, let’s face it, Angel bags are probably rarer than white tigers.
And there’s one, in front of my nose.
I could just buy it, flashes through my brain. I could buy it!

************************************************
I pick up the carrier bag containing Luke’s belt and slowly walk away, pausing by the Angel bag. God, it’s heart-stopping. The coolest, most beautiful bag in the world. As I gaze at it, I feel a tinge of resentment. I mean, it’s not my fault I haven’t put my name down before now. I’ve been travelling round the world! What was I supposed to do, cancel my honeymoon?

***********************************************

Triumphantly I pull out a Mastercard which was glued to the backing. My Def Con One, Code Red Emergency card. Luke really doesn’t know about this one. Not unless he’s got X-ray vision.
I got the idea of hiding a credit card in a powder compact from this brilliant article I read on money management. Not that I have a problem with money, or anything like that. But in the past, I have had the odd little …crisis.
So this idea really appealed to me. What you do is, you keep your credit card somewhere really inaccessible like frozen in ice or sewn into the lining of your bag, so you’ll have time to reconsider before making each purchase. Apparently this simple tactic can cut your unnecessary purchases by 90 per cent.
And I have to say, it really does work! The only flaw is, I keep having to buy new powder compacts, which is getting a bit expensive.

************************************************
And, best of all, all I kept hearing was people saying, ‘La ragazza con la borsa di Angel’! Which I worked out means The Girl with the Angel Bag! That’s what they were calling me!

************************************************
Marriages are based on honesty and trust. If I don’t tell him about the Angel bag then I’m betraying that trust.
But if I do tell him … I’ll have to explain about my Def Con One, Code Red Emergency credit card. Which I’m not sure is such a wild idea.
I don’t want to spoil the last precious moments of our honeymoon with some stupid argument.

***********************************************

‘This box apparently contains forty mugs.’ He looks up. ‘Forty mugs?’
‘I know it sounds a lot,’ I say quickly. ‘But they were only about 50p each! It was a bargain! We’ll never need to buy mugs ever again!’
Luke regards me for a moment.
‘Becky, I never want to buy anything ever again.’

***********************************************

‘Luke, are we very poor?’ I say, as calmly as I can.
Luke turns his head and looks at me.
‘No Becky,’ he says patiently. ‘We’re not very poor. But we will be if you keep buying mountains of crap.’

***********************************************

It’s like, there’s a whole world of sisters out there. And finally, I’m part of it.

***********************************************

eBay has totally saved my life. Totally. In fact, what did I ever do before eBay? It is the most brilliant, genius invention since … well, since whoever invented shops.

***********************************************

OK, it’s obvious what I have to do. I have to tell Luke. Yes. Just confess the whole thing. Milan …the Angel bag …the phone call today …everything.
This is what I have to do. It’s the grown-up option.
I glance at Luke’s taut face as he reads through his paperwork and feel a spasm of fear clutch at my insides.
I can’t. I just can’t.

***********************************************

‘The point is,’ Luke interrupts, ‘Brandon Communications does not want to be associated with someone who has a criminal record. Let alone the rest of it.’
‘But that’s so … narrow-minded! Most people have probably got a criminal record these days!’ I gesture widely with my arms. ‘I mean, who sitting round this table does not have some kind of criminal record?’
There’s a short silence.
‘Well,’ says Luke. ‘I don’t. Gary doesn’t. You don’t.’
I look at him, taken aback. I suppose he’s right. I don’t.
That’s quite a surprise, actually. I’d always thought of myself as living on the edge.

************************************************
‘Jess … let me explain,’ I say kindly. ‘Our marriage is a complicated, living organism which only the two of us can really understand. I naturally know what to tell Luke and what not to bother him with. Call it instinct … call it discretion … call it emotional intelligence, if you will.’

***********************************************

OK, just … stay calm. Let’s go through all the options I have.
Option 1: Tell Luke everything.
No. No way. Just the thought of it makes my stomach churn.

************************************************
My spirits rise even further as we walk into the supermarket. God, supermarkets are great places. They’re all light and bright and music is playing, and they’re always giving away free samples of cheese or something. Plus you can buy loads of CDs and make-up, and it all goes on the credit-card bill as Tesco.

************************************************
Suze hasn’t called. It’s been more than two secs.
She isn’t going to call. She lives in a different world now. A world of dungarees and picnics and butterfly farms. There’s no room for me and my stupid problems.

***********************************************

‘Even when she was a kid. She’s her own worst enemy, that Jess. Hard on herself and hard on the rest of the world, too.’

***********************************************

‘You don’t need her! Just forget she’s your sister. Pretend she doesn’t exist!’
‘Not as simple as that though, is it?’

***********************************************

She’s my sister. Jess is my sister. I know it more certainly than I’ve ever known anything. I have to find her. I have to tell her. Now.

***********************************************

I knew we were sisters. I knew it. I knew it.
And we’re not just sisters – we’re kindred spirits! After all those false starts. After all those misunderstandings. After I thought I would never have one single thing in common with her, ever.
She’s the same as me. I understand her.
I understand Jess!

***********************************************

‘I’ve been spoilt. My parents have always given me everything. I’ve never had to stand on my own two feet. Ever. I’ve always had people there for me. Mum and Dad … then Suze … then Luke.’

***********************************************

Then she looks up.
‘You’ve got me.’
‘You don’t even like me,’ I say dolefully.
‘Well, I’m your sister,’ says Jess. ‘I’ve got to put up with you, haven’t I?’

***********************************************

‘What about the spa?’ I say cautiously. ‘Wasn’t that your treat?’
For a moment Suze is silent.
‘The spa was OK,’ she says at last. ‘But it wasn’t the same as with you. No one’s like you, Bex.’

************************************************
‘So do you hate Lulu now?’ I can’t help saying hopefully.
‘Bex!’ Suze gives a shocked giggle. ‘No, I don’t hate her. But …’ She meets my eyes. ‘I prefer you.’

***********************************************

‘So … you really have got a sister,’ says Suze at last, and I can hear the thread of wistfulness in her voice. For a few moments I look through the dimness at her familiar, high-browed, anxious, lovely face.
‘Suze … you’ll always be my sister,’ I say at last. And I hug her tight.

***********************************************

‘And going on this march today … with all of you … and my sister …’ Jess puts an arm through mine. ‘It’s one of the proudest moments of my life.’

***********************************************

I keep glancing around – but there’s no sign of anyone from the Arcodas Group. Or Luke. Which I’m a tad relieved about.
I mean, not that I’m ashamed of being here. Quite the opposite. I am someone who will stand up for her beliefs and fight for the oppressed, no matter what others think.
But having said that, if Luke does turn up, I’m thinking I might put on a balaclava and quickly hide behind someone. He’ll never spot me in the crowd. It’ll be fine.

***********************************************

I frantically grasp my crutch and am trying to manoeuvre myself off the top when Luke looks up and sees me.
I have never seen him so shellshocked. He stops dead and just stares at me. I can feel my face burning, and my legs suddenly feel rather shaky.

***********************************************

‘You do realize you’re protesting against a shopping centre, Becky?’
‘With crap shops,’ I retort, without missing a beat.

***********************************************

‘Go back to London with my fancy ways?’ echoes Luke in disbelief. ‘What about your fancy ways?’
‘I don’t have any fancy ways,’ I say haughtily. ‘I’ve changed, if you want to know. I’m really frugal. And I care about the countryside. And evil developers coming and ruining beauty spots like this.’

***********************************************

You should be proud of yourself. Hurricane Becky, they’re calling you.’
‘What, I leave a trail of devastation everywhere.’
Luke looks at me, suddenly serious, his eyes warm and dark. ‘You blow people away. Everyone you meet.’ He picks up my hand and looks at it for a moment. ‘Don’t be like Jess. Be like you.’

***********************************************

‘I heard you say …it was difficult to live with me.’
‘It is difficult to live with you,’says Luke matter-of-factly.
I stare at him, my throat a little tight.
‘It’s also enriching. It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s the only thing I want to do. If it was easy, it would be boring.’He touches my cheek. ‘Life with you is an adventure, Becky.’

***********************************************

I am doing a piece of hypothetical research. I was wondering whether it is true that if you give birth in Harvey Nichols (accidentally, of course!) – you are entitled to free clothes for life. I would be grateful if you could let me know.
Rebecca Brandon (nèe Bloomwood)

Becky and Luke Brandon have gotten married and just spend an entire year on a world tour honeymoon where Luke has been relaxing and seeing the sights and Becky has been secretly shopping (because, of course!) As always, this book is absolutely hilarious, taking us on Becky’s shopping addiction snafus, this time with an international kick, as Becky stalks an Angel purse in Milan, and chases aquamarine jewelry while doing yoga (I loved that scene.) At home, Becky is struggling somewhat. Her best friend Suze has three babies to look after, and has made a new close friend while she was away. And then Becky gets some startling news in the form of a half-sister she never knew she had… and things don’t go according to plan on that front either. As always, this had Becky’s comedic scenes and hilarious shopping disasters for a lighthearted fun read.

This one was farcical and there were so many far-fetched situations, and yet I found myself enjoying it more than I did the third novel in the series because it seemed as though Becky achieved some actual character growth. It was also amusing seeing her sister, who was so thoroughly not what Becky expected.

I almost passed this along unread.

I started the book, and set it aside shortly afterwards as I remembered my unhappiness with Becky's charecter from Shopaholic takes Manhatten, and Shopaholic Ties the Knot. Then I picked it up and got past my first inital stopping point and wow was I surprised.

Yeah the format was the sam as the other books, Becky gets in over her head with a situatuation, lies to cover it up, then it blows out up to come crashing down around her and a happy reconciliation. But, this is the first book in the series that I have read in a loooong time that left me feeling like I did when I read the first book so many years past.

Becky seems less shallow throughout this book, her charecter seems to grow more than in the last book especially. I'm interested in finding out more (i.e. reading Shopaholic and Baby), but I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not at the moment.

The book was a nice light read which I needed at the moment.

see where this book travels next at: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2...

I was very disappointed in this book. I had read Can You Keep a Secret and liked it and The Undomesic Goddess and loved that one too. I guess I just can't relate to the main character, I hate to shop and don't like that she represents the negative stereotype that all women have uncontrollable credit card bills, lie to their husbands and live for clothes, bags and shoes.