Uptown Girl by Holly Kinsella

Title: Uptown Girl
Author: Holly Kinsella
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Release Date: 23rd May 2013
Genre: Romance

Summary:
Emma Hastings is successful, in every aspect of her life. She is a top model, has a flashy car and flat and is friends with all the right people. Soon, she hopes, she will also have the perfect boyfriend; the wealthy and dashing, Jason Rothschild.

She is living the dream.

However, when everything is going seemingly perfect; her life is turned upside down up by a chance encounter with the grubby, and unsuspecting car mechanic, William Flynn.

Is it fate or is some one playing matchmaker?

Review:
The main issue I had with this book was the protagonist, Emma. I found her so unlikeable; it was painful. In particular I though she was stuck up, snobby and rude. Sounds charming, doesn't she? I therefore found it really hard to empathise and feel sorry for her at certain points in the story. Maybe this was Kinsella's intention, but I really did not like her as a protagonist one little bit!

When, just as you have had about enough of her attitude problem; she has an epiphany and suddenly realises her stuck up ways and rectifies herself. To be hones, I found this even more superficial and fake. No one can completely change their main character's personality in a matter of pages. I, for one, believe major characteristic changes like these need to be developed and progressed throughout (something which could have been done, by not being only 85 pages long!). Similarly, Emma's personality change occurs so suddenly, I genuinely thought she was being fake and putting it on for show! A good way to keep readers guessing, I suppose...

However, what I really like about Kinsella's writing style is that it is accessible, easy and cheesy. The perfect, example of the chick-lit (eww, hate that word!) genre and guilty pleasure read.

There also seems to be many parallels with her other book Tell Him About It, which is her second novel released in early 2014, as her writing style is consistent (my review of Tell Him About It can be found here). Similarly, the themes of military, female empowerment and cheating boyfriends are carried across in both novels. For her next novel, however, I would like to see something a bit different as I feel she is playing it a bit safe, as the same generic plot formula has been used in both!

Rating: 5/10. Nice and easy read but so unbelievably predictable.

You can buy Uptown Girl for Amazon Kindle here

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