By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

The Personal Shopper by Carmen Reid #BlogTour #BookReview #RomCom

The Personal Shopper

Meet Annie Valentine: stylish, savvy, multi-tasker extraordinaire. As a personal shopper in a swanky London store, Annie can be relied on to solve everyone’s problems . . . except her own.

Because as a busy single mum to two kids, Annie’s realised there’s a gap in her life as well as her wardrobe. But with her heart still hurting from losing the love of her life, Annie’s discovered that finding the perfect partner is turning out to be so much trickier than finding the perfect pair of shoes!

Can she source a genuine classic? A lifelong investment? Or will Annie realise that her perfect man is already sitting on the front row of her life…

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3Haf1rA

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

The Personal Shopper by Carmen Reid is the story of Annie Valentine when she is trying to make sense of her life and take it to a new, more secure place for her and her children.

What I Enjoyed:

I initially would have given this story a lower rating, but at around the 80% mark, I experienced a twist that blew me away, moved me to tears, and reframed the whole story. I, of course, had no choice but to give it the extra star it deserved. I love the twist and how it made the story much more meaningful and less of simply frothy good fun.

There is plenty of fun in this novel, and I laughed out loud frequently as situation after situation added wit and wisdom to Annie and the reader alike. I found the story and the characters relatable, which is good since this story is largely character-driven. Narration is third-person but focused through Annie’s point of view, and both dialogue and exposition flow quickly, keeping the pace relatively fast.

I also enjoyed the personal shopper angle and how each chapter began with evaluating the clothing worn by a character prominent in that chapter. I found it an exciting thread explaining how Annie saw the world in the story. A little more insight into the main character is always a good attribute.

What I Wish:

I wish that Annie had not talked about Chloé totes and handbags in such a brilliant way. I lost so much time looking up this designer’s different, way-too-expensive totes and purses, and now I have an impossible wishlist.

Reminds Me Of:

Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series – I believe that people who love this series will also enjoy Annie Valentine.

Characters:

Annie Valentine is a single mother of two – a teenage daughter and a younger son. She struggles to make ends meet and keep her children in a pricey private school but is good at playing to her strengths in the work world. She is determined, clever, and unapologetic. Annie is the main character, and the story is told from her perspective. I found her character to be well-developed, relatable, and sympathetic. 

To Read or Not to Read:

If you are looking for a story to leave you with plenty of laughs and a surprising twist that takes the story to a whole new level, The Personal Shopper should be your next read.

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Carmen Reid is the bestselling author of numerous woman’s fiction titles including the Personal Shopper series starring Annie Valentine. After taking a break from writing she is back, introducing her hallmark feisty women characters to a new generation of readers. She lives in Glasgow with herhusband and children.

Social Media Links
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carmenreidwrites/
Twitter https://twitter.com/thiscarmenreid
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carmenreidwrites/
Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carmen-reid

17 Replies to “The Personal Shopper by Carmen Reid #BlogTour #BookReview #RomCom”

  5. WendyW says:

    I loved that you looked up the handbags! So funny. Sounds like a delightful book, I’ll add this to my tbr.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Carla says:

    This one didn’t appeal to me when I first saw it, but after reading your review, I am going to put it on my wishlist, Tessa. I am not going to look up Chloé totes after reading your comment. I remember you saying your husband gives great gifts ……

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      And he reads my posts as they come out, so I bet he looked them up. 👀. It’s probably already been put on his potential gift list for me. Lol.

      Liked by 1 person

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