Shopaholic & Baby

"Shopaholic and Baby" (2004) is the fifth novel 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 Brandon (née Bloomwood) and her husband Luke as they navigate Becky's first pregnancy.

The series

*"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

Life is treating Becky Brandon well: Luke's business is expanding thanks to a new customer, Iain Wheeler; they rapidly sold their flat and are house-hunting; and though Becky is working as a personal shopper at a failing department store, her empty schedule allows plenty of time for obstetrician appointments (and shopping for the baby). Her obstetrician is the doctor who delivered Luke, and is very highly ranked, but Becky is desperate to get in with the Obstetrician to the Celebrities: Venetia Carter. At first, Luke is hesitant, but agrees to go to one preliminary appointment with Becky. Once there, he discovers that Venetia is none other than his college girlfriend (who has since changed her last name to the more professional Carter). Luke agrees to let Becky switch obstetricians.

What begins as a few meetings between old college friends soon becomes constant text messages in Latin (which Becky cannot read but Luke and Venetia studied in college) and attempts by Venetia to embarrass Becky and make her feel unattractive one-on-one while giving her gift bags and putting her name forward for a "Yummiest Mummies" article in "Vogue" when Luke attends their appointments. While discussing Venetia with her fashion designer friend Danny, Becky blurts out "She's a red-haired bitch and I hate her!" Danny uses the phrase on his newest t-shirt design for Becky's department store, and Venetia sees Becky wearing the shirt. Venetia tells Becky that she and Luke are like Penelope and Odyssus, and that though Luke will be active in the baby's life, he will be leaving Becky.

Becky is exhausted by the ordeal and stays in bed while Luke attends a college reunion. She later decides to attend and arrives to find Luke and Venetia waltzing, and faints away from the shock. She awakens in the hospital and tells Luke that Venetia told her his news. Luke is shocked and disappointed, but leaves for a business trip per Becky's request. The upside of this is that Becky can be as rude as she likes to her visiting mother-in-law, but later realizes that she wants to give her marriage another chance and overnights a letter to Luke asking him to meet her at the top of a tower if he wants to give things another shot.

A few days later, Becky is prepping for her Yummy Mummy photoshoot when Luke arrives and insists that he is not leaving her, that Becky must have misunderstood. Becky goes to the hospital and pretends to be in labor in order to see Venetia and confront her. The hospital alerts Becky's entire emergency list and all her friends witness the confrontation and see Luke tell Venetia why he loves her. The stress of the confrontation causes Becky's water to break and her real labor begins.

Becky gives birth to a girl who is named Minnie. Luke's business expansion has failed due to his having to pull out of the deal with Iain Wheeler following a sexual harassment incident (one of Iain's employees harassing one of Luke's), and Luke and Becky are unable to purchase their dream house. They move temporarily to Oxshott to stay with Becky's parents. The book closes with Minnie receiving her first offer of a store credit card.

External links

* [http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/ Sophie Kinsella's official website]
* [http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk/ Sophie Kinsella's official U.K. website]