Shopaholic Abroad
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| Author | Sophie Kinsella |
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Publication date
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2001 |
| Pages | 387 pp. |
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| Preceded by | The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic |
| Followed by | Shopaholic Ties The Knot |
Shopaholic Abroad (also known as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan) (2001) is the second in the Shopaholic series. It is an adventure novel by Sophie Kinsella, a pseudonym of Madeleine Wickham. It follows the story of Becky Bloomwood and her adventures when she's offered the chance to work in New York City. Along with the first novel in the series, it provided the basis for the film Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Life looks good for Becky Bloomwood. She has a great relationship with boyfriend Luke as well as a steady job giving financial advice on television. Furthermore, she is on good terms with her bank manager, Derek Smeath. Life becomes problematic for Becky when Mr. Smeath retires from Endwich Bank and Luke announces he wants to make it big in New York, big changes are in store for Becky. She takes to New York like an angel to heaven. Becky has never been happier and the reader is treated to Becky seeing the Guggenheim in a unique way, winning the attention of employees at Barney's and discovering sample sales. Becky spends a substantial amount of money, but is sure she's financially secure, with the job offers on T.V. piling up. She also justifies her expenses by convincing herself that the items are an investment in the future.
An article in the Daily World reveals her high debts, calls her a fraud for telling people how to manage their money when she is herself feckless. This causes a fight between her and Luke, as there are current rumours about that his PR company, Brandon Communications, will lose Bank of London as their client, and her being revealed as in debt (and Luke not even knowing about it) doesn't help situations. More and more opportunities are ruled out, when more and more people read the article. She even loses her current job on Morning Coffee, and is replaced by her former co-worker Clare Edwards, who Becky never liked, being boring and smug. She returns home to her roommate and best friend Suze, while Luke remains in New York, and their relationship comes to an apparent end.
Becky and Suze go to Becky's new bank manager to ask for a bigger overdraft, but are met with nothing but hostility and disgust. A woman who worked for her former employers Morning Coffee contacts her and asks her to lunch, Becky becomes hopeful, but it turns out she only wants her to come on and be told off by Clare for TV. She becomes depressed and Suze tries to comfort her. On a trip to Luke's office to collect a package for her delivered there, Becky decides that she will see Mel, Luke's secretary, for a bit because she missed her. She collects her package, but also notices how quiet it is with no moral. She hides in Mel's desk just in time so no one catches her in the office. During that time, she overhears Alicia's conversation with her fiancé, Ben Bridges, and another Brandon C. worker, which confuses her. Becky discovers she, along with her colleagues and Bridges, are planning to steal Luke's clients, along with Bank of London, and run the company out of business to embarrass Luke. She waits for them to leave, which they do after a few tense minutes and she safely leaves Brandon C. Instead of going home to Suze and tell her about it, Becky decides to do a little detective work and find out more about Alicia's plans. She heads down to King Street and ask a tenant about any new businesses coming into the street. He tells Becky the empty 2nd floor of the building he owns, will be the future home of a financial public relations business called "Bridges and Billington" and the Bank of London will be one of their future clients. Furious at Alicia's actions for what she did to Luke as well as herself, Becky immediately contacts his colleague, Michael Ellis, and tells him the truth about what she had seen. He thanks her for informing him, but Becky requests that Michael does not tell Luke that it was her, fearing that he will think she's gossiping behind his back to prove a point. Michael agrees to cover for Becky by telling Luke that he found out from an anonymous tip and will look into it.
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