If only jobs like this existed!!! (The Secret Shopper's Revenge - Kate Harrison)

Member Name: Lbird99

Product:	The Secret Shopper's Revenge - Kate Harrison
Date:	21/04/09 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy Read well written story

Disadvantages: Bit fluffy and unrealistic

This book jumped out at me whilst at the supermarket, its definitely designed to appeal to chick lit lovers as it is embellished with glitter! As someone who is partial to a bit of glitter and chick lit I decided to give this one a go.

It is about 3 women who all work for Charlie's Shopping Angels. They all come from completely different backgrounds and this book examines the friendships they forge while completing their various shopping missions. They tell their stories in the first person, which can be slightly frustrating at times as you as the reader begins to understand things about their various stories, and then have to wait as the other characters catch up.

Grazia is the supervisor - She is a widow who has been left in debt following the death of her artist husband, Leon. Grazia is probably the most complex of the characters as she looks back on her relationship with Leon, and starts to lose the rose tinted view she had of their marriage, and starts to find her own identity. I found her character quite hard going to begin with, but warmed to her towards the end.

Sandie is a department store manager, who is fired after her over ambitious deputy frames her for stealing. As someone who has recently been made redundant from retail I thought I would relate to Sandie but I didn't. She comes across as a wishy washy character with no real backbone, which doesn't seem to ring true for someone who was the manager of a huge department store. She seemed to need a little more depth of character....

Emily is the star of the book. She fulfilled her dream of moving to London, and then her husband dumps her with a young baby and a practically derelict house, and swans off to Switzerland with his bit on the side!! She is a Slummy Mummy who finds she has a flair for mystery shopping. She has found since she has had the baby she is practically ignored by the world, and treated shoddily by shop staff, that motherhood has made her a bit of a second class citizen. The mystery shopping job allows her to gain confidence, and we follow her as she comes to terms with her new identity as a mum.

Emily is a character I could really relate to - being a mum to a young baby myself I found myself smiling in recognition as Emily gets ignored in shops, and struggles with her baby weight, although luckily my hubbie is not planning to leave me for a sexy co-worker (that I know of!!!) Yes she comes across as a bit of a scatty airhead at times, but she has a heart of gold and you really find yourself rooting for everything to come good in the end , which being chick lit you know it will in the end.

Okay, so the story is a bit fluffy, and nowhere near true to life. I have done a few mystery shopping jobs in my time, as well as being on the receiving end of a few but they were nothing like this. However, it is a good easy to read plot, which leaves you satisfied at the end!!

Summary: Good bit fo Chick Lit