Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, Book 1)

If youve ever paid off one credit card with another, thrown out a bill before opening it, or convinced yourself that buying at a two-for-one sale is like making money, then this silly, appealing novel is for you. In the opening pages of Confessions of a Shopaholic, recent college graduate Rebecca Bloomwood is offered a hefty line of credit by a London bank. Within a few months, Sophie Kinsellas heroine has exceeded the limits of this generous offer, and begins furtively to scan her credit-card bills at work, certain that she couldnt have spent the reported sums.

In theory anyway, the world of finance shouldnt be a mystery to Rebecca, since she writes for a magazine called Successful Saving. Struggling with her spendthrift impulses, she tries to heed the advice of an expert and appreciate lifes cheaper pleasures: parks, museums, and so forth. Yet her first Saturday at the Victoria and Albert Museum strikes her as a waste. Why? Theres not a price tag in sight.
It kind of takes the fun out of it, doesnt it? You wander round, just looking at things, and it all gets a bit boring after a while. Whereas if they put price tags on, youd be far more interested. In fact, I think all museums should put prices on their exhibits. Youd look at a silver chalice or a marble statue or the Mona Lisa or whatever, and admire it for its beauty and historical importance and everything–and then youd reach for the price tag and gasp, “Hey, look how much this one is!” It would really liven things up.

Eventually, Rebeccas uncontrollable shopping and her “imaginative” solutions to her debt attract the attention not only of her bank manager but of handsome Luke Brandon–a multimillionaire PR representative for a finance group frequently covered in Successful Saving. Unlike her opposite number in Bridget Joness Diary, however, Rebecca actually seems too scattered and spacey to reel in such a successful man. Maybe its her Denny and George scarf. In any case, Kinsellas debut makes excellent fantasy reading for the long stretches between white sales and appliance specials. –Regina Marler