Shopaholic Ties The Knot

Shopaholic Ties the Knot (2002) is the third in the popular 'Shopaholic' series. It is a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella, a psyeudonym of Madeline Wickham. It follows the story of Becky Bloomwood and her boyfriend (later fiancé) Luke Brandon as they become engaged and plan their wedding.

The Books

*"The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic" (2000) also published as "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2001)
*"Shopaholic Takes Manhattan" (2002) also published as "Shopaholic Abroad" (2001)
*"Shopaholic Ties The Knot" (2002)
*"Shopaholic & Sister" (2004)
*"Shopaholic & Baby" (2007)

Plot Synopsis

The book opens with Becky living a great life in New York - she is working as a personal shopper at Barney's and living in a lovely flat with her boyfriend Luke Brandon. They are preparing to leave for Becky's best friend Suze's wedding when Becky's neighbor asks Luke when he and Becky will marry. Trying to play it cool, Becky claims she doesn't plan on marrying for years.Once at the wedding, Luke asks Becky if she really does not want to marry and Becky admits she is unsure. When Suze throws her bouquet, Becky catches it only to find a note reading "Will you marry me?" from Luke and a ring. She gladly accepts his proposal.

Becky's mom immediately begins planning a backyard wedding and asks Becky to wear her own wedding dress. The Bloomwood family meets up with Luke's mother Elinor, who is cold and aloof and seems uninterested in the wedding preparations. Once Luke and Becky have returned to New York, however, Elinor arranges a meeting between Becky and a wedding planner named Robyn, the best wedding planner in New York. Initial preparations have begun for a wedding at the Plaza. Becky agrees to look at the Plaza to be polite, but falls in love with the venue.

As time goes on, more and more preparations begin to be made and Becky waffles between choosing the homey wedding in England or the fabulous, all-expenses-paid wedding at the Plaza. When she attempts to pull out of the Plaza wedding, she discovers there will be a heavy fine if she and Luke marry within a year of the cancellation. It appears there is no way out.

Just when Becky is beginning to give up, Luke has a falling out with his mother and says he will gladly pay the fine to avoid the wedding in New York. However, Becky realizes that Luke will not be happy with his mother cut out of his life, and arranges a reconciliation between them. They go through with the Plaza wedding but do not exchange complete vows or make the marriage legally binding. The "real" wedding occurs the next day in England - Becky's mother gladly moves the wedding forward one day to accommodate what she thinks is a business meeting in Luke's schedule.

The book ends with Becky and Luke departing on a year-long, round-the-world honeymoon trip.

External Links

Sophie Kinsella's official website- http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/

Sophie Kinsella's official U.K. website- http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk/