Book Title: The Accidental Socialite
Author: Stephanie Wahlstrom
Genre: Contemporary, Chick-lit, Romance
Publication Date: April 15th 2014
by Swoon Romance
[REVIEW COPY]
Blurb:
Quirky and clumsy twenty-two-year-old Paige Crawford arrives in London on a cold Saturday in January. Just when Paige starts to think that moving thousands of miles away from home with no real plan was a bad idea, Jason Frost appears. Confident and classy, Jason is the complete opposite of Paige and just what she needs in her life, or so she thinks.
But before their romance has time to blossom, Paige trips and falls into the arms of a mysterious man on a drunken night out. She’s snapped by paparazzi, and newspaper headlines the next day suggest that she’s having an affair with a married footballer.
Paige finds herself instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status which isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job at Fashionista magazine, a catalog of dating disasters and a nagging doubt that she maybe she can’t conquer London after all.
When a trip back to Canada for Christmas reminds Paige why she left her old life behind, she returns to London with renewed vigor realizing that while jobs, flats and men may come and go, friends in London are forever.
PURCHASE/PRE-ORDER:
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
My Review:
The book revolves mainly around Paige, a 22-year-old girl who has just moved to
Before Paige can understand the gravity of the situation and
take necessary steps, things go totally out of hand. And her life’s never the
same. It feels like a roller-coaster ride, thanks to all the news articles or
magazines. Sometimes she’s having the most awesome moments of her life, and
sometimes she’s apparently dying of heartbreak. And all these times, Paige is
either too dumbstruck or frustrated to react. I loved Paige’s character in a
way that it’s easy to connect with somehow. Even if you are not in the similar
context, you can empathize. If you have ever heard or read or faced a rumor
about you that was so shocking and pissing and life-alteringly disgusting, your
heart would clearly go out for her (I’m saying that because mine did!)
Paige’s life in London
carries out in a trial-and-error way. She makes mistakes, of course. She hopes
to have a normal life, she hopes to date a normal guy; even when things are messed
up, she tries to enjoy its perks. She is smart, brave and doesn't mind having those silly girlish plans or dreams. But at one point she finally understands some
things isn't worth the risk. She can’t change what has happened, but her
decision lets her set her priorities. Paige’s journey is beautifully and very
realistically built. Her character is so well drawn that the more you read, the
more you’d feel familiar with the character. There were times where I felt I
was reading The Devil Wears Prada, one of the reasons I like this book.
For the minus sides, now, let me tell you it is a book
loaded with potentials. Otherwise I wouldn't have liked it in the first place.
But when a book starts off beautifully and is carried out so nicely, you cannot
blame me for having high expectations from it. If I divide the book in three equal parts, I
would say what disappointed me a little was the third part, along with the
ending. It was good. But not the kind of ending I had expected. I am not asking
for some mushy-gushy romance, but at least a little more than this (you’ll
understand once you've read). Something about the ending seemed amiss, but I can’t
quiet put my finger on it. Then, throughout the book, I often felt like I was reading
a memoir. I’m NOT a memoir hater. Even though my blog doesn't feature any I do
read them. But memoir-reading happens very rarely; it’s usually not something I
like to discuss because I feel they’re someone’s personal experience and I kind of
have no right to comment on it in any way. So there were moments I felt like
Paige was an actual person and I was reading her travel memoir called “Days I
spent in London
and What I Learned”. I don’t mean to sound sarcastic, and I’m not being one.
But I really believe the author has more potentials as a writer than it is
shown here, I just wish I could have seen more.
The Accidental Socialite is a nice book with a pinch of
everything- friendship, romance, comedy, troubles, frustration- you name it.
Specially, if you enjoy themes like cross-country, cross-culture travel and the
issues there with a mix of lighthearted fun and seriousness
(even if that sounds confusing in my words), you may give this one a try.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Connect with her:
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---Publisher Author Page on Swoon Romance---
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, a significant amount of Stephanie’s time was spent making up and acting out stories. She was studying to be an actress when she realized there weren’t any parts for women being written. So, Stephanie wrote herself a short screenplay just to be in it, and quickly realized that writing was her true passion. She graduated from the University of Alberta with an English and Sociology degree and she also has a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College. After a fateful trip to Mexico in 2006, Stephanie decided to move to New York City to work in film development. A year later she went back home to write My Green House, a factual TV series. Stephanie moved to London in 2008 and aside from being obsessed with eggs benedict, fruit roll- ups and travelling, she also works in children’s television. The Accidental Socialite is her first novel.
BLOG---GOODREADS---TWITTER---FACEBOOK
---Publisher Author Page on Swoon Romance---
STAY TUNED!!! Check out the other stops on tour from the Tour Schedule.
1 ebook of The Accidental Socialite & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)
