Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood)'s life has been anything but ordinary.  The shopaholic wooed the debonair Luke Brandon, Finance PR Extraordinaire, while devising a way to throw a certain bank manager named Derek Smeath off her track.  Then she moved to Manhattan, became host of a financial segment on a popular TV show (even though she can't handle her own finances), and shopped some more.  Then there was the fiasco of the two-weddings-on-the-same-day, one in NYC and one in England.  And of course, more shopping.  After a fairy-tale honeymoon, Becky arrived home to discover that she has a half-sister she never knew about, a sister who hates to shop!  Let's see... what else?  Becky got pregnant, scored a celebrity OB, and then hired a P.I. to follow said celebrity OB and her own husband, Luke, because she swore they were having an affair.  (All links are to my reviews of the other Shopaholic books.)

Now Becky and Luke are parents!  Mini Shopaholic takes place two years after Shopaholic and Baby left off.  'Mini Shopaholic' herself, Minnie Brandon, is now a rambunctious two-year-old, and Luke and Becky are at wits' end; they don't know what to do with little Minnie, who wreaks havoc wherever she goes.  Becky's mum is willing to help with Minnie--she's been doing it for the two years Becky and Luke have been living in her house anyway--but Becky and Luke decide to hire an "Ultimate Nanny" instead.  (After all, it'd be great if Minnie could learn Mandarin!)  Becky is less than forthcoming about Minnie's behavior, though, and said Ultimate Nanny begs off after a few hours in Minnie's presence.  Can anything go right?  Not only has their fifth try at buying a home fallen through, but there's a huge financial crisis in England because one of the major banks failed.  Luke is putting in so much extra time at work that Becky decides to throw him a surprise party for his birthday.  Of course, she has trouble staying on budget, so she accepts help from an unlikely source...Luke's birth mother, Elinor, whom Luke isn't speaking to at the moment.  As with any book featuring Becky Brandon, chaos ensues, lies are told, and shopping is done.

I was super excited to get my hands on this book.  I really enjoyed the first five Shopaholic books.  Becky makes me laugh.  She gets into so much trouble, and of course her scrapes are all a bit unbelievable and outrageous, but she's just such an amusing character to spend time with (even when I want to pull my hair out and shout at her that she better not buy that dress/purse/scarf/pair of shoes, no matter the sale price.)  Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this latest book as much as I'd hoped to.  Sure, I still liked it and Becky still made me laugh (though not as much as in the other books), but I'm left feeling slightly disappointed.

3.5/5

Mini Shopaholic is #6 in the Shopaholic series.

Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz

It's difficult to review this series without giving anything away!  This is what the synopsis from the front cover of the book says:

Schuyler Van Alen's blood legacy has just been called into question - is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force.

When one of the Gates of Hell is breached by Silver Bloods in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods will need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high; the battle is bloody; and through it all, Schuyler is torn between duty and passion, love and freedom. In the end, one vampire's secret identity will be exposed in a revelation that shocks everyone.

The title of this book really fits.  (In fact, I think Ms. de la Cruz has done an excellent job in choosing titles for the other books in the series, as well.)  The 'revelations' in this third book were totally unexpected.  I thought I had some things figured out, but I was completely wrong.  After a slow start with this book, things really picked up.  The twists and turns make reading this series a lot of fun.  They're not the greatest books ever written, but I enjoy reading them.  Revelations has definitely left me wanting more, and I can't wait to see what happens with Bliss, Schuyler, Jack, Mimi, and Oliver in the next book!

My rating: 4/5

Revelations is #3 in the Blue Bloods series.

Coming soon

A review for Revelations.  Don't have time for it now, as I need to make dinner.  (Hopefully I can remember what the book was even about by the time I get to the review.)  Then I'm off to a FREE screening of Life As We Know It, starring Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl.

I'm currently reading Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella.  I'm excited to actually have some time to read so that I can get into it!  (Five hours spent Skyping with your mother and sisters all over the country--and Scotland--doesn't leave much time for other things!)

UPDATE:
The movie last night was really cute.  I laughed a lot and enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  Even better, it won't be officially 'released' until Friday, so I was able to see it early and for free!  Can't beat that.