Shopaholic and Sister

Sophie Kinsella

Book 4 of Shopaholic

Language: English

Publisher: Bantam

Published: Jun 2, 2004

Description:

Rebecca Bloomwood is now happily married to Luke Brandon, and all her problems seem to be at an end. But suddenly into her life steps...a sister, of whose existence Becky had hitherto been completely unaware. Becky is only too anxious to welcome her into the bosom of the family. But there is only one snag - she HATES shopping. She is the antithesis of the shopaholic. It all makes for some very difficult family relationships...

From Publishers Weekly

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) returns with a vengeance in bestseller Kinsella's fourth Shopaholic novel. Her 10-month globe-trot with hubby Luke was a shopping spree disguised as a honeymoon—heck, Becky will walk across hot coals for an aquamarine necklace (and thereby trick her Sri Lankan yogi into thinking she's achieved enlightenment)—but the problems of the real world (sort of) surface once the happy couple lands back in London. ("Luke's penthouse has its own lift right to the front door, which is just so cool!"). Even lovely Luke's patience is supremely tried when those two truckloads of purchases show up. What's worse: Becky's best friend, Suze, has found a new best friend, and her parents have discovered another daughter. Seems Dad had a fling with a train stewardess back in the 1970s—and Jessica was the result. Becky is over the moon, picturing heart-to-heart talks, shopping excursions, sisters' nights out and so forth—so she's totally unprepared for the actual Jessica, a frugal environmentalist who (gasp!) actually hates shopping. Prattling Becky tries to charm her sis, but it doesn't seem to be working; meanwhile, Luke is preoccupied with his job, and then there's that stranger from Milan whom Becky owes for getting her that impossibly perfect Angel bag... what does he want with Luke? Of course everything will work out in the end—and there will be a nice message about the importance of friends and family—but this installment isn't as winning as its predecessors.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Becky Bloomwood, shopaholic extraordinaire, is back. She and her new husband, Luke Brandon, have been on a whirlwind ten-month honeymoon that's taken them all around the world, but both are itching to get back to London. When they do return, Becky is disturbed to discover that her best friend has a new good buddy, and Becky's parents are acting strangely. It turns out that they've just learned that her dad fathered a child a few years before he met her mother. Becky is thrilled to learn she has a half-sister, until she meets Jess. Jess is nothing like Becky: her clothes aren't fashionable, she prefers dank caves to shoe stores, and she is incredibly frugal. After an awkward weekend together, the sisters part company on bad terms. To make matters worse, Becky's gotten herself into a pickle with a purchase that could put a strain on her marriage. Like the previous installments, Shopaholic & Sister is hilarious fun for Prada and Gucci aficionados. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

*From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life* . . .

“Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter.”—Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover**

What’s a round-the-world honeymoon if you can’t buy the odd souvenir to ship back home? Like the twenty silk dressing gowns Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) finds in Hong Kong, or the hand-carved dining table from Sri Lanka, or the, um, huge wooden giraffes from Malawi (that her husband expressly forbade her to buy).

Only now Becky and Luke have returned home to London, where two truckloads of those souvenirs have cluttered up their loft. The bills are outrageous, Luke is furious, and Becky’s feeling rather blue—until her parents deliver some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! Becky is convinced her sister will be a true soulmate. They’ll go shopping together, drink cappuccinos together, get manicures together. Then Becky meets Jessica and receives the shock of her life. Surely the shopaholic’s own sister can’t hate shopping?

Praise for Sophie Kinsella

“Kinsella’s heroine is blessed with the resilience of ten women, and her damage-limitation brain waves are always good for a giggle.” Glamour (U.K.)

“Kinsella has a genuine gift for comic writing.” The Boston Globe

“Kinsella’s Bloomwood is plucky and funny. . . . You won’t have to shop around to find a more winning protagonist.” People

“Faster than a swiping Visa, more powerful than a two-for-one coupon, able to buy complete wardrobes in a single sprint through the mall—it’s Shopaholic!” ** —The Washington Post**