Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton: A Review

Looking For Leon by Shirley Benton

When Was It Released?:  26th January 2011
Where Did I Get It From?: From the author in exchange for a review. Thankyou Shirley 
Who Published It?: Poolbeg
Number Of Pages: 374 pages

Looking For Leon is Shirley Benton's debut novel, which I have been excited about reading ever since I first heard about the novel. After reading a large amount of paranormal and horror novels over Halloween, I was more than ready to delve into a chick lit book and Looking For Leon was the one calling to me the most. The premise of going across the world to find someone you have feelings for really had me intrigued and the first line "There I was on the front page, flashing my knickers" had me instantly hooked.

Andie hadn’t gambled on meeting the love of her life on a holiday in Las Vegas but when she meets Leon, love suddenly seems like a bet she can win. That is, until the wheel of fortune steps in and separates them during a fire drill. With next to no info on Leon, Andie finds it impossible to track him down despite staging a series of publicity stunts to get the media in on the act. Back in Ireland, journalist Andie begins to write a regular newspaper column about her search. Readers . But does Leon want to be found?

When I first read the synopsis of Looking For Leon I was instantly drawn in and once I started reading the idea of the novel was just as good as I thought it would be. I really love when a chick lit book is able to have some element that is unique and Shirely Benton pulled this off perfectly. After all who of us hasnt daydreamed about running off halfway around the world to find someone we love, even if only hypothetically? I find this to be such a romantic and at the same time fun notion. The pace in the beginning and end are fast and I was completly swept away in the plot. While the middle does slow down a little I still enjoyed it. I liked how as the pace slowed we were able to see Andie's character grow as well as her relationship with another character develop.  My absolute favourite element of Looking For Leon was the humour that Shirley Benton injected into the novel as well as into the character of Andie. I found myself laughing on more than one occasion, which I think left a few of my fellow travellers on the bus wondering if I was perhaps slightly crazy but I was so involved in the novel that I didn't even care.

I fell in love with the character of Andie, even though she is flawed. I found her to be likeable, funny, confident and able to make fun of herself. Her flaws really bring her to life, after all who doesn't have flaws, no matter how well we may keep them hidden? I like my characters to have some roughness to them rather than being seemingly perfect. I also really liked Colm, the camera man, especially his quirky penchant for biscuits and his love of the 70's, which really made him unique. There are lots of minor characters within Looking For Leon whom I also really enjoyed reading about, including Philppe and Isolde. Every character no matter how small a role they played still made an impact on me as a reader.

What I loved most about Looking For Leon though, was the twist and the events that played out towards the end of the novel. While I don't want to give too much away, I will say that I definatly did not see the twist coming. It completly engulfed me with emotions and I could not read the last few pages fast enough in order to find out what happens. Overall, I loved Looking For Leon and would definatly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun, exciting chick lit book. I cannot wait to read more from Shirley in the future

Goddess Of Vengence by Jackie Collins: A Review

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.