Jackie Collins - Goddess Of Vengence When Was It Released?:13th September 2011 Where Did I Get It From?:Ann- Marie Neives was kind enough to send a copy for review Who Published It?: St Martins Press Number Of Pages: 528 pages
Goddess of Vengeance is the seventh book in the Lucky Santangelo series. Now before I carry on I want to say two things; the first that even though this novel is part of a series you do not need to have read the other novels in order to enjoy this one. And second, the list of novels in the series is listed at the bottom of this review in the order of newest to oldest. Now I have those two pieces of information out of the way, I was really excited when I heard that Jackie Collins would be writing another novel in the Lucky Santangelo series. Drop Dead Beautiful, is one of my favourite Jackie Collins novels and so I was waiting on bated breath to discover exactly what happens next and to delve even further into the life of Lucky and her family. Jackie Collins is the reigning queen of chick lit and has been for many years with her signature look into the glamorous, rich and famous lives of the Hollywood elite. Jackie Collins has written twenty seven novels and sold over 400 million copies of her novels!
Lucky is a succesfull business woman running her high profile hotel and casino, The Keys in Las Vegas. The rest of her family are also in high points in their lives, with husband Lennie directing movies, her daughter Max about to turn eighteen and her son Bobby owning a number of hot nightclubs. It seems as though everything in her life couldn’t be better. That is until Armand Jordan arrives on the scene, determined to take it all away from her. A prince in his native Middle Eastern country, Armand is now one of the most successful real estate titans in America. He has no respect for women, treating them as play things, and everyone else with a lack of respect. Armand sets his sighs on buying The Keys and when Lucky point black refuses to sell Armand is stunned. That any women would say no to him is incomprehensible. Armand decides that The Keys will be his, no matter how he has to make this happen. The word is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and what happens in Goddess of Vengeance will blow your mind!
When I heard that Jackie Collins latest novel would be part of the Lucky Santangelo series, I have to admit I was excited. As many readers will agree, Lucky is one of my favourite Jackie Collins characters. With her strength, independence and the power she exudes she is an iconic heroine for all women. I have always loved the character of Lucky, and her character in Goddess of Vengeance is no exception. Lucky is empowering to all women around the world with her strong character. There is a quote in Goddess of Vengeance which I believe sums up my love for her character and exactly why she is so relatable, “I’m a woman who took chances every inch of the way. I had to fight for my independence. Believe me, it wasn’t easy.” I hated the character of Armand, he is absolutely vile and does some really horrible acts within the novels, which may shock some readers. Of course the reader is supposed to hate Armand, and Jackie Collins always creates such believable characters for the reader to hate. I also really enjoy the way, that even though this novel is part of a series Jackie Collins manages to mention any important details from previous novels which you need to know about. Do not worry, therefore, if you have not read any or all of the Lucky series as you will understand the storyline without feeling lost. Of course I would recommend you read them all, as the entire series is enjoyable. The storyline is exciting, with twists and turns on every page, which make the novel easy to read while leaving you not wanting to put the book down. Jackie Collins raunchy and glamorous look into the LA and Las Vegas highlife is so exciting and I just adore the way Jackie gives her readers this glimpse into a life we would never normally see. I also adore the US cover of Goddess of Vengence, I think that with it being glossy it exudes the lifestyle of the characters within.
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Lucky seemed to be in the background, rather than the forefront of Goddess of Vengeance. Lucky’s daughter Max was featured much more in this novel than in any of the previous novels in the series. I found that I did not like the character of Max anywhere near as much as I love Lucky. Max is immature and seems to make decisions that make her appear fickle. I understand that she is young, however I do not think that Jackie Collin’s readers will warm to her as much as they do to Lucky. I have also heard that Jackie is planning to put Lucky in a backseat for the next novel in the series and focus more on Max. I hope that if this is the case she manages to make Max a little more likeable and more of a powerful character. I also found a few elements of the storyline a little too similar to Jackie Collin’s previous novel Drop Dead Beautiful and would perhaps have liked to see something a little more original.
Overall, I have to say that Jackie Collins has created another novel that will leave you wondering exactly how much of her novel is based on reality. Jackie has succeeded yet again in what she does best, which is creating truly escapist novels. Goddess Of Vengeance is a novel I could not put down and is filled with family drama, passion, revenge and strong women. I cannot wait to read what else Jackie Collins has in store in the future, whether it is another Lucky novel or not. In fact just so I don’t have to wait quite so long, I may have to go back and read some of her previous novels just to fill the void.
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