This is a holiday story that is a bit different. Becky Brandon has returned from the states to Letherby, where she works with her best friend Suze in a gift shop in Suze’s home. Things are going smoothly as the holiday approaches. Becky loves it all: the gatherings, the carols played non-stop, friends and neighbors stopping by in their tacky sweaters. Then, her parents announce they are moving and ask Becky to host the holidays, which she agrees to do. I mean, what could possibly happen? Her sister wants a vegan turkey, her brother-in-law after shave again, and Minnie wants a special basket. To add fuel to the fire, her ex-boyfriend, now a rock star, arrives with his newest squeeze. Things quickly take a turn for the worst, as Becky wonders if she will ever survive and manage to pull off Christmas.

As I said, this is a bit of a different Christmas story. The story is what I expected, having read many of the other books in the series. The characters are well developed. The story moves along well. There is humor interspersed throughout. I love seeing what Becky is now up to. I guess the lesson is that things change all the time, which, I think, is a bit different a message for a holiday book. However, the same old Becky and her life continues as it has in the past. I think the continuity and sameness is great, though it was interesting to see reactions to and coping with change. This is a well-done, interesting, somewhat light Christmas book which will probably delight readers of the series or readers looking for something Christmassy. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Sophie Kinsella delivers the perfect Christmas book. This was such a fun read. Becky is back and is hosting Christmas for her family for the first time. As expected, things go hilariously awry. Most women will laugh in recognition of the challenges in trying to pull off the perfect Christmas while dealing with the demands and special requests of family and friends. Vegan turkey anyone?

Mishaps and chaos ensues with hilarity as well as a lot of heart. Charming and hilarious, this is the perfect book to brighten the season and make you smile.

Kinsella does it again! I love all Shopaholic novels and this one doesn’t disappoint. Becky continues to be a fun loving character with many many adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an Advanced Digital Copy.

I’ve read several of the Shopaholic books and enjoyed the heck out of them. I thought they were really enjoyable and the shenanigans that she gets into is entertaining.

With this book, however, that just wasn’t there. Her character was frustrating and annoying. I’m not sure if I have outgrown the series and just don’t enjoy it anymore or if this book was different.

It took me several times to get into the book and even then, I found myself not wanting to read it. I was already in a reading slump and this book didn’t help. None of the characters were relatable and everything that occurred in the book just had me rolling my eyes.

It’s always a joy to read Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood)’s adventures. These books are always delightful and this one was a Christmas treat.

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) now lives in a little village in England with her husband Luke and her young daughter Minnie. She works for her best friend, Suze, and continues happily to enjoy her true passion...shopping. What better time of year to shop, but at Christmas. I love the Shopaholic series. I know I will laugh at Becky's antics and sympathize with her situations. Becky loves to shop for herself, but she also loves to shop for others. It is her shopping for others, particularly Luke, that has her in some of the most hilarious situations. Throw in some family drama, online shopping, trying to get a gift on Christmas Eve and her idea to boost sales in the shop at Suze's estate and this book is a fun, Christmas read. If you are not familiar with this series, you might think that Becky is just a spoiled, high maintenance, airhead, but you would be wrong. She has her flaws, but in this book, you see her generous side and it is recognized by her family and friends. I really enjoyed this light-hearted, comedic Christmas story.

If you read a Shopaholic novel and aren't shaking your head and whispering to yourself, "Oh, Becky. Becky, Becky, Becky, noooo," you aren't reading it right.

Sophie Kinsella hits it out of the park again with her latest book! The ninth in the Shopaholic universe and her bajillionth (not actually, I know) heart-warming book, Christmas Shopaholic was a pleasant surprise for me. Why it should be a surprise at all is beyond me. I've read every Kinsella book and never touched a bad one. This was a thoroughly entertaining book and unbelievably endearing and cozy. A near perfect Christmas read, to be honest.

Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood is certainly a character all her own league. The hijinks this woman gets up to are unparalleled. Some notable highlights include searching for a silver llama ornament (a must-have this season), trying to join a gentleman-only billiards club (AKA peak Becky) and the hunt for a hamster on Christmas Eve. Like the books before, it makes for some very funny plot lines.

In the beginning of the book, I was starting to get the feeling that I was starting to outgrow Becky. She's a married adult woman nearing forty with a child of her own and yet she's still trying to change her appearance to fit in or feel more liked by people who in the long run are inconsequential to her. It didn't sit well with me, but once those growing pains were exhausted in the first half, I came back around to loving Becky. And frankly, it's hard not to. I think the best part about her is that despite the crazy and ridiculous things she does and buys, it more often than not comes from such kindness. She has a big heart and it makes her a character that will forever remain close to my own.

As ever, Becky's family friends nearly stole the show as well. Best friend Suze has always been a favourite of mine throughout the series, but I think her parents really took the cake in this book. A hoot and a half reading what they get up to! Her half-sister Jess is also a gem. I admire her eco-vision, but I think I'd punch her if I knew her in real-life. The way she bounces off of Becky's material lifestyle is truly one of the most entertaining and funny parts. Finally, three cheers for Luke Brandon! He is the most patient man in the world and he and Becky are far too sweet together.

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) returns in this 8th installment of the Shopaholic series. Christmas Shopaholic quickly reveals that, after all this time, Becky has not changed one iota. Not. One. Bit.

As I happily settled in for a catchup with a familiar heroine, I confess - older, more settled me found her more annoying and frustrating than I once did. Has she learned NOTHING after all these years? I nearly sprained an eyeball rolling them at her antics, and she does have a few cringe-worthy ones where the storyline involves an old ex-boyfriend.

However, I was soon caught up in the rhythm of the story, where Becky, every the people pleaser and the perfectionist, strives to create the PERFECT Christmas for her family and dearest friends. Of course, her family and friends have vastly different ideas of what makes the perfect Christmas, so chaos ensues as she tries to make everyone happy.

Underlying the sheer chaos you can spy the love behind her intentions and moments of pure selflessness (often taken to the extreme, as only Becky can). Likewise, in her maddening attempts to bring back her hipper, cooler self, I could relate to those moments where we look in the mirror and say "where is that young, carefree, FUN person I used to be before I got bogged down in so much ADULTING?"

Of course, Becky always takes it a half-step too far, and that is where things spin out of control for her. I went from rolling my eyes to really relating to the lengths we can go to make a perfect holiday. Overall, a fun return to the Shopaholic franchise.

I really liked the first Shopaholic book, and then got steadily annoyed by the next two, as Becky repeatedly behaved the same way and never seemed to learn anything. So I gave up on the series, even as I've continued to enjoy everything else that Sophie Kinsella writes. But I saw this on NetGalley and figured it was worth a try, especially because I love a good Christmas-themed book.

In any case, I wasn't disappointed, and this was so fun, and had me laughing out loud multiple times. If you are looking for a zany Christmas romp, this is perfect! I'm not convinced Becky has really learned a lot--she still spends too much, she just seems to have plenty of (her husband's) money for it now, so it's not ruining her life. But I'm older than when I read the series last, and I can relate to repeating mistakes, even when you're old enough to know better. Becky is still a bit of an airhead, but she's also a loving wife/mother/sister/daughter/friend, and despite all the scrapes she gets into, she manages to put together a heartwarming Christmas for everyone she loves. This was incredibly fun and sweet and I might even read the next book in the series despite my previous feelings about it (and the ending does seem to indicate there will be a next book!)

Will Becky every learn? Thankfully, no, not really. She takes on Christmas, an old men's club, online shopping and silver llamas--a perfect addition to a fun rom-com series that hasn't yet showed its' age. I really liked catching up with all of these characters and even laughed aloud a few times. Her parents were especially dynamic and just goes to show that in the end, it's all about family.

It is always so much fun to revisit old characters and this was a great holiday story with familiar storylines and character traits in the best way. Lots of fun to read, always an entertaining time with Becky Brandon (neé Bloomwood), especially as we see how she manages to wrangle the Christmas chaos in her particular fashion.

Spoiler alert... I am a huge fan of the Shopaholic series and Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is my literary best friend. So this review MAY be a little biased!
I was so excited to find out Sophie Kinsella was coming out with Christmas Shopaholic, and am incredibly grateful to Netgalley and Random House for the copy!
Becky is suddenly put on the spot - she will be the one to host Christmas this year instead of her parents! In typical Shopaholic fashion, Becky immediately starts preparing for the big day, buying all of the necessities. She runs into some trouble along the way, as usual!
This story is quirky, and hilarious. Becky is a woman with a heart of gold who will do anything for the ones she loves - even if that means embarrassing herself along the way! As we see Becky through some troubles and crazy situations, you can't help but adore how hard she tries. If you're looking for a profound novel about the meaning of Christmas, this is not it. If you need a humorous reminder of how to treat your loved ones during the holiday season, this is a book for you. What's Christmas without family drama, last minute gift ideas, ex boyfriends, and 30 lbs of fish on your front lawn anyway????

I can always count on the Shopaholic books to be a downright hilarious, obnoxious, feel-good, breath of fresh air. The antics of Becky Bloomwood never fail to make me laugh out loud as I’m reading along, and I love these books especially for that. They’re the perfect escape!

So, besides that I found Christmas Shopaholic to be all of those things once again, I’m extra sad to say that this newest addition fell a bit flat for me. Did I enjoy coming alongside some of my favorite long-standing characters? Absolutely. Did I love that it was Christmas-themed? Duh! But as for the story itself, eh. There were certain parts that felt they didn’t quite fit the story right, which made me lose interest about halfway through and didn’t pick up again until towards the end (which I did love the ending), unfortunately taking away some of the overall charm for me.

Maybe I’m just *gasp* a bit burned out on this series, I’m not sure. These books really have become favorites and they hold a special sentimentality value as being the first chick-lit I ever picked up. So yeah, I’d definitely go ahead and read any future books that may possibly be added to the series yet, because really how could I not at this point? But you just won’t find me singing this ones praises within it.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the complimentary copy!

Review is posted on Megan’s Always Reading, as of December 5, 2019.

I have been waiting for the latest book in this series and it did not disappoint. The books are still as funny as ever. My only complaint is that it ended!! I am hoping there is another one soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Kinsella for allowing me to read and review Christmas Shopaholic. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to hyping it up on my Twitter!

I love Sophie Kinsella's writing. I found her books about two years ago and have listened to and read many since then. One that I have not read by her is any of the Shopaholic series., There are about five billion books in that series and it is daunting. After reading this one, I don't think I will be reading the Shopaholic series.

Listen, this is not a bad book at all. I actually ended up enjoying it quite a bit, but I don't really enjoy Becky. She is like Kinsella's other quirky characters, but on steroids and was just too over the top for me.

In this book we follow Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) as she is asked to host Christmas at her house. This is a change for her as her parents usually host, but this year is completely different. Her parents have basically turned hipster and move to a new city filled with avocado toast and craft beer. The change becomes even greater when her extended family and friends all invite themselves to Christmas and start letting Becky know all of their wants and needs on the day. Becky is determined to please everyone, make Christmas the best one ever and find all of the best Christmas deals. What could possibly go wrong?

What I liked about this story:
-It is set during Christmas time
-It had an overall good message
-You really got to see Becky at the end, not this materialistic person

What I didn't like:
-Most of the plot (yes, I know, that sounds harsh). Let's be real though, the book surrounds Becky shopping and lying or embellishing things instead of just telling the truth.
-The over dramatization of the characters. Everyone was "extra." Jess was the epitome of the sterotypes that vegans get labeled as. Her parents jumped into a hippie lifestyle over night, etc.

I know it sounds like I am ragging on this hard, but the last 75-100ish pages bumped my rating from a 3/5 to a 3.5/5. I loved when Becky was brought back down to be a more relatable character. For the majority of the book I found myself so annoyed that she throws money around on objects constantly without a second thought and is obsessed with being the best no matter if she lies to make it happen. Then she was redeemed a little in scenes like the costume and the word that really touched me.

Overall, if you liked the Shopaholic series then I think you would like this one. I also think that if you are a Kinsella fan then you should give this a go. If you do not like really surface materialistic characters then this is probably one to skip.

**Disclaimer**
Something entitled "shopaholic" will obviously have materialistic roots to it. I knew a bit of what I was getting myself into. I had more of an issue with Becky's continued lies and need to change herself to be the best. That got annoying really fast.

Christmas Shopaholic is a fun holiday read that perfectly describes how crazy and hectic the holidays can be. Becky was over the top as always, which made it even more of a laugh!

Very cute, perfect holiday read. I was happy yo see the return of a beloved character. Sophie Kinsella shines again!

I absolutely loved this book. I really enjoyed the first few books in the Shopaholic series, but the last few were misses for me. However, I've always loved Becky's character and am a sucker for anything that's Christmas themed. I loved how Becky has matured and how she handled all the holiday stress thrown at her in this book. Also, that ending?! I really hope that there's at least one more book in the series!

What a lovely return to Becky Bloomwood! I felt like a I was having a chat with an old friend, and I appreciated that she is still up to her old tricks. This book is like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form, and I couldn't get enough. Here's hoping for another Shopaholic novel - a heroine who will do anyone for the ones they love, while making you laugh, will always be a good read in my book.