Sparkles

I picked this book up for 1 dollar at a Garage Sale and thought I would see if it was any good. I could not put it down. I was kept guessing until almost the end and that rarely happens with any book. It was so good I made my husband read it and he liked it too! Well worth it. I wish her books were easier to get in the states!

This is almost wasted as a book..it should be a TV series of many parts. There are beautiful women, handsome and treacherous men, magnificent jewels, all described in detail and haute couture clothes, described down to the fine stitching. It's a glorious pink froth of a read with every element of a wonderful soap opera which I'm sure would be enjoyed by every female reader who is adult enough to admit that a bit of pink froth is enjoyable now and then. Pure, virginal Sophie marries Pierre, an older wealthy man, who keeps her as a trophy wife and an impeccable mother to his son. Pierre also keeps a permanent mistress as well as indulging in hundreds of one night stands, and installs her in her own apartment, without Sophie's knowledge. One night, Pierre vanishes, not to be seen again until, 7 years later, Sophie has him declared legally dead and takes over the running of his jewellery empire, keeping it secure for her son. The cast is filled with scoundrels, ruthless murderers, a fabulous sounding hero and a vengeance seeking mother and is a marvellous, big, opulent read.

I found this book in the common bookshelf of my hotel while on my honeymoon and all but ignored by new husband for the duration of our trip so i could read! It is that engrossing! The story is exciting and the characters are all well defined and so much fun. I gave it to a friend to read and she ended up loving it just as much as me.

I actually looked forward to getting supper cleaned up, putting my pj's on and curling up on the sofa with this great read!!! I would have given it 5 stars had it not been for the repeated 'F' word used waaaaaayy too much! I know it was used for character development to make Peter Stockton look like the total pig of a slime ball that he was, but geez...come on. It was total overkill!! It was actually starting to hurt my eyes!!! Other than that it was very well written and enjoyable.

Having read all of Ms. Bagshawe's books, I see her as becoming the next Jackie Collins for her intricate and original tales. Her latest, Sparkles, was just as enjoyable as her first. I could not put it down and read it in about 3 hours. A true must read for saga literature with lots of twists and turns.