A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

The book tells the story of Annie Valentine, who is not only a personal shopper, but also a budding entrepreneur. She is also the mother to two children. Having succeeded on so many fronts, she is struggling to get her love life straight. The book includes heavy mention of fashion, and is a great read for fashion lovers. Each chapter begins by describing the clothes a character wears, including the total estimated cost of the clothes. I found this approach, unique and interesting. The book also explores Annie’s relationship with her children and the struggles she faces while raising them alone. A light and breezy read.

I was disappointed with this read because it felt like a hard slog, with little bits of enjoyment in between. I continued reading because I hoped it would pick up, with more enjoyable moments, but in the end I thought this story fell flat and was not the best book I have read from this author.

It didn’t help that I found the protagonist annoying. With her use of ‘babes’ all the time, it felt out of place with this character. Annie, a widow and single-mother, is a strong, independent woman who successfully works as a personal shopper, whilst simultaneously running a profitable eBay page. But, I found her less than humble with her attitudes towards private schooling, appearances and, more significantly, wealth. Annie does not hide the intention of finding a man who has money in order to support her and her two children – especially paying for the school fees and her fashion bills.

Therefore, when Annie starts seeing Gray, she thinks this is the solution she has been looking for. There were some quite entertaining scenes between the two, the hot tub one being my favourite, but I was not surprised when Annie realises this is not what she is romantically looking for. The relationship that does develop in the book did not convince me and I thought it was a bit icky between the two characters; I did not believe in the emotions being displayed and felt it happened all too quickly.

One of my more favourite parts of the book was the different clients that Annie shops for. It reminded me a bit of a Sophie Kinsella book because the characters were so varied with their budgets and circumstances. I thought this should have featured more in the story than what it did, especially as it shows Annie in the better light. I liked how Annie helped the clients and how she then helps to sell on their unwanted clothes, but I don’t think I was surprised when this clashes with her employment.

As reads go, I felt this book was really slow in places, mixed in with some more entertaining scenes. I wanted there to be more pace and a building romantic interest. Instead, there were lengthy parts that did not seem to add much to the overall plot development and it didn’t really provide the escapism I was hoping for.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a brilliant book that was impossible to put down. Right from the start, I just knew I would love it. It was fun a quirky. I just loved the sense of humour. It was fun how each chapter described her outfit and how much her look cost. It was a really interesting story. The characters were fantastic, and I loved how varied and interesting they were. It made the book extremely easy to connect with. 

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating this fun story. I will definitely be looking out for more books from this fantastic author.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-personal-shopper-by-carmen-reid-boldwood-books-5-stars and my new blog https://ladyreading365.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-personal-shopper-by-carmen-reid.html under my name ladyreading365

I really enjoyed this book, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were just great, it went through all emotions sad made me laugh, can’t wait to read more.. Thank you for allowing me to read- I really enjoy books by this author.

This book jumped out at me and I was excited to read it. However, I really wish we could stop describing books as ‘laugh out loud’ - they rarely are!

I think the bones of this story were good but I just couldn’t gel with Annie as a character. The story was well written and I would happily read other work by the author.


Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

3/5

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't my favorite. I loved some parts of it but it was a bit long and seemed unrealistic.

Annie was a fun character and I loved her growth throughout the book. Her story is inspiring and it was fun to see her relationship with her kids.

This book reminded me a lot of Confessions of a Shopaholic with all the clothing and shopping references.

I did like the setting (London) and the descriptions of the clothing but it got to be too much.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. Honestly, its a campy book that reminds me of confessions of a shopahaulic.

This was a great little book about learning to love yourself while still trying to find a man and balance a career.

I enjoyed this, an easy book to pick up at any time.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This was a re-read for me as I read the initial paperback copy back in 2008, I was curious to see if it still held up to my initial thoughts on it. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. A feelgood laugh out loud chicklit read that was enjoyable from start to finish. An entertaining plot with likeable characters. Reading the Kindle version made me remember just why I read so many books from this series ⭐⭐⭐⭐#carmenreid #thepersonalshopper #netgalley #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookqueen #bookstagram #chicklit

I would firstly just like to give a big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources who very kindly forwarded me a copy of this book, for my Kindle, in return for my honest review.

The Personal Shopper is the first book in the Annie Valentine series but can very easily be read as a stand alone a there is no cliff hangar ending.
This book centres around Annie Valentine, a single mum of a typical 14 year old teen, Lana and the very quiet and shy, nine year old Owen. She is a brilliant Personal Shopper and prides herself on being able to solve peoples shopping problems.
There were a few side characters in this story who I really enjoyed getting to know but the one who really stands out is Annie’s best friend, he is just hilarious!
This was an easy read with plenty of giggles and a lovely little twist in there too…..

This book was alright but at times I had a hard time liking Annie. I found the story to be cute. I liked that Annie was a go-getter who only relied on herself. At times though I found her annoying. There was not enough romance and to much outfit descriptions.

The PERFECT read for your holidays this summer!

Now who doesn't just love a perfect love story with some drama, comedy and real life scenarios thrown in?

Annie Valentine is a widowed single mum to her two children, working her butt off during the day as a Personal Shopper and in the evening running her own consultancy sideline and selling fabulous fashion bargains on Ebay to support her family.

One day these two lives crash together *no spoilers* leaving Annie jobless. Where does she go from here?

At the same time, after 3 years being alone after her husband Roddy died, Annie is ready to get back into the dating scene, preferably to meet a man with a decent bank balance.

Each chapter begins with a foreword of someones outfit, where its from and how much each item cost. I'll admit that after a few chapters I did end up skimming over those parts. Whilst they fit in with the characters job etc I don't personally think they are necessary to the story. This is my only negative though!

A fast paced read with fantastically scripted characters that was full of tender moments as well as the comical onea.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Fun and cheaper than a flight to London. Slightly predictable in the romance department but the protagonist's wheelings and dealings were entertaining.

I really wanted to love this but the main character did grate on me a little more than i would have liked. It was not as funny as I expected but I did love her kids as well as the setting. I think it was fun to hear about the clothing but the lifestyle didnt make sense to me and it wasnt my favorite

This is my first time reading this author. I enjoyed the book. The story follows a family with issues. I'm interested to see what this series will be as this is supposed to be the first one. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #PersonalShopper

Thanks to netgalley for this read.
Unfortunately I didn't realise this was a re release as I have previously read & enjoyed this book and the rest if the series.

Shopping, romance and humour – who could possibly resist best-selling author Carmen Reid’s delightful new novel, The Personal Shopper?

As a personal shopper in one of London’s most exclusive and most expensive stores, Annie Valentine is an expert when it comes to solving other people’s problems – it’s a shame though that she is less adept at solving her own dilemmas! Whether it’s finding the right outfit for the perfect occasion or sourcing the most gorgeous pair of shoes, when it comes to fashion, Annie is an absolute genius, but it’s a completely different story when it comes to affairs of the heart.

Juggling her busy job with bringing up two kids single-handedly doesn’t leave Annie with a lot of free time for romance. But lately she has noticed that there is a gap in her life which no amount of shopping can fill. Having already lost the love of her life, is Annie ready to dip her toe in the dating pool and put her heart on the line again? Or will finding love this time around prove to be a challenge too big for Annie?

Will Annie find the genuine article in a sea of cheap knock-offs and shoddily made goods? Or has her Mr Right been right under her nose all along?

Fun, feel-good and simply fabulous, Carmen Reid’s The Personal Shopper is a delightful tale with a heroine you cannot help but root for, rib-tickling humour, emotional veracity and heart-warming romance. Annie Valentine is a wonderful protagonist whom readers will relate to and warm to and her quest to find happiness will have them laughing out loud and shedding a tear or two.

Warm-hearted, stylish and uplifting, The Personal Shopper is another winner for Carmen Reid.