Review: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

From the publisher:

Wendy Holden's ninth novel blissfully returns to the witty, unputdownable style of her best-loved early bestsellers, featuring the trademark Holden wit that prompted the Daily Mail to say: "Thank God for Wendy Holden." A fabulous romantic romp revolving around the adventures of a struggling actress, a fame-crazed former film star, and a down-to-earth nanny, Beautiful People jets to London, Hollywood, and Italy at a frenzied pace. Holden crafts a tale wicked in its observations yet bouyant at its heart: a masterful return to the swashbuckling verve her adoring fans devour. A confection that's made for summer reading.

My Thoughts: "Unputdownable" is definitely the right word. Once I started this delightful romantic comedy, I couldn't put it down. It's like one giant game of musical chairs with players leaving their own element to succeed in another player's element; Darcy, the dedicated Shakespearian actress who jets to Hollywood to audition for a part in a Star Wars type movie while Belle, the Hollywood bimbo, flies to London to try to repair her slipping image with some real stage experience. Belle just happens to try out for a role in a production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens and succeeds! How , you ask, well you will just have to read the twist in this plot thread to see! Let's just say it's not your typical Shakespeare production.

The action ramps up in Italy when the movie production begins and other characters holiday in the same town. A lot of situations come to a head while characters search for fame, fortune and love in a tumultuous manner. There are some well deserved come-uppances, some soul-searching questions and answers along with plenty of romance.

Occasionally predictable but this reader didn't mind one bit; I was having too much fun with these characters. Of course, there were some characters who sometimes I just wanted to reach into the pages and slap! When I can easily get a running mental image in my head of all the characters, their surroundings and actions, then I know the author has done a good job.

Holden's wit is rapier sharp and her keen observational sense of the comedic is spot on. I had never read Wendy's books before but now I am a dedicated fan. This story tugged at my heartstrings, tickled my funny bone and just plain delighted me at every turn of the page. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.