Wedding Night – Sophie Kinsella

Meet Socks. He’s my company in the morning and loves nothing more than trying to poke his head into my cereal bowl.

Sophie Kinsella is like many authors. She has set the bar high with the Shopaholic series and unfortunately since then I don’t think her books have lived up to expectations.

The novel focuses on Lottie who has her world turned upside down when a proposal goes wrong and her sister Fliss who must stop Lottie’s wedding at all costs.

Lottie is expecting partner Richard to propose, but when he doesn’t she runs back to Greece with an old lover to live as husband and wife. Her husband Ben is a disgustingly wealthy flake who realises in the end he’s married the wrong girl.

Older sister Fliss is currently going through a divorce which makes her incredibly bitter but when she meets Ben’s best friend Lorcan she realises life isn’t so bad after all.

This book is full of warm and funny moments that are almost feasible between family members, letd face it we’re a capable of silly things when family are concerned. What let’s it down? It’s all predictable.

A good easy read but yet again it’s not quite hit the mark I expect from Kinsella.

The Tennis Party – Madeleine Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella)

Sophie Kinsella is probably one of the most well known female writers in recent ‘chic lit’ history for her ‘Tales of a Shopaholic’ series.

However, Kinsella is a pseudonym for writer Madeleine Wickham. Wickham has produced a few books since becoming ‘known’ in the literary world prior to her choice of pseudonym.

I was quite a fan of Kinsella in the past yet her books written under the name ‘Wickham’ leave much to be desired. I bought a pack of three books on my first pay day and have only just finished the third as I have been distracted by better things!

The Tennis Party was possibly the most exciting of the three read which is why I have chosen to focus on this one – that and I have just finished it.

It focuses on a variable group of friends that are both wealthy and poor but the point stands that they all come from the same place which is near to rock bottom.

Patrick, Caroline and Georgina are the hosts of this delightful party and whilst they are not quite satisfied with their lot in life by the end of the novel it is clear that the love and adoration of the couple remains whilst striving for a good life for their only daughter. Patrick is a salesman in all his glory, although he now sells life policies he cannot knock off the sense of the salesman during his party and threatens to annihilate all friendships. Caroline is a fantastic character in a somewhat slow book, her sarcasm and bitterness did make me smile I have to admit.

Annie, Stephen, Nicola and Toby (Toby isn’t much of a character) were the loveable yet poor couple. The ones who stood to lose everything from Patrick’s underhanded salesmen tactics. The also have the added sympathy element as their daughter has had a stroke.

Charles and Cressida are the couple are on the way to nothing. Charles who appears to have married Cressida for her money is a vile creature that proceeds to cheat on her with the women he divorced. Cressida whilst being financially stupid becomes quite a warm character close to the end.

All in all it wasn’t awful but nor was it the best book i’ve ever read – i’m afraid this one is destined for the charity shop.