Shopaholic and Sister By Sophie Kinsella Book Review
“God, why does she have to say it like that? Debt. Like it’s some kind of plague. Like I’m about to go to the workhouse. This is the twenty-first century. Everyone’s in debt.”
About
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Chick Lit
Series: Shopaholic Book 4
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Synopsis
What’s a round-the-world honeymoon if you can’t buy the odd souvenir to ship back home? Like the twenty silk dressing gowns Becky found in Hong Kong…the hand-carved dining table (and ten chairs) from Sri Lanka…the, um, huge wooden giraffes from Malawi (that her husband Luke expressly forbade her to buy)… Only now Becky and Luke have returned home to London and Luke is furious. Two truckloads of those souvenirs have cluttered up their loft, and the bills for them are outrageous. Luke insists Becky go on a budget. And worse: her beloved best friend Suze has found a new best friend while Becky was away. Becky’s feeling rather blue—when her parents deliver some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! Becky is thrilled! She’s convinced her sister will be a true soulmate. They’ll go shopping together, have manicures together.…Until she meets Jessica for the first time and gets the shock of her life. Surely Becky Bloomwood’s sister can’t…hate shopping?
Review
Spoilers Contained Below
Dear fellow Shopaholics,
Honestly, there’s only few characters that have just clicked with me and whom I loved so much. Becky Bloomwood, or should I say Becky Brandon is one of those people. She just has such a comical, optimistic, hyper-active, and determined soul. She is such a joy to read about and the journeys she takes throughout the series. Any book I pick up in the Shopaholic series easily gets picked up like Becky would pick up a new pair of fancy shoes. It’s really comfort books for me that I can fly through and find myself grinning from ear to ear by the end. This series and this book will make you laugh and question your spending habits. But let’s all be honest, we all have a shopaholic in ourselves no matter if it’s actually purchasing materialistic things or collecting rocks—–it’s all about that deep love and passion for something, as Marie Kondo, would say, sparks joy 😉
If only I was as rich as Becky Bloomwood and Luke Brandon and could go on a ten month honeymoon! Ten months! That’s kind of crazy to be traveling for so long, but it also sounds so exciting, relaxing, and fulfilling. Imagine traveling for more than a year to places like Dubai, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, China, Japan, Paris, and even Milan. That really is the dream; Becky’s living the dream. But classic Becky did not go these ten months without spending a penny! She bought 20 Chinese silk dresses, 40 mugs, 17 something rugs, 4 coffee tables, lots of dinning tables, and SO MUCH MORE THINGS. And here I am sitting, wondering where in the world does one get so much money to buy all these things from all these amazing countries and places! I can’t even afford a trip to California!
Becky’s hilarious though, when we see her in Sri Lanka and she’s trying to do yoga and her yoga instructor is telling everyone to draw their attention to their body and breath and to not think. Becky’s doing anything but. She’s thinking about purchases she can make and other things. And she just keeps thinking and thinking from things like how she could be a yoga teacher and how her nails look good. Becky cracks me up 😂 And then a jeweler comes with these aquamarine bracelets and necklaces and the instructor waves him off, saying no one’s going to buy his half price jewelry. The instructor, sure doesn’t know Becky! She runs across hot coals because she couldn’t let the deal of half-price five-carat aquamarines go to waste. And you would think people would have been shocked she all of a sudden got up to run to the jeweler. No, they were praising and applauding her for walking on hot coals—-for achieving the highest form of karmic bliss. More like shopping bliss. Becky claimed she was able to walk on the coals because she was thinking of something spiritually enlightened. Then Luke teases her about the bracelet, knowing that’s what was really on her mind.
You know I love a good sale for anything, but would I ever walk across hot coals to get it? Ummmm, maybe not. If I reallllllly wanted something, than maybe. But I don’t think so. Would you?
Feeling homesick after getting a Christening post card from Suze, Luke and Becky decide to cut their one year honeymoon short and surprise everyone by going home. They’re kind of hesitant to go at first because they aren’t sure if they were ready for their honeymoon to be over and to get back to real life. But first they had to make a pit stop in Milan where Luke had a business meeting. Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Of course, Becky wouldn’t be tempted to buy anything from Milan!
I’m joking 🤪
Luke, knowing her, knew she would spend money and told her not to go crazy. So in defiance, Becky gives her his credit card and tells him that she’s not going to go shopping. When Luke has her credit card, he was like “You can always use the credit card you keep hidden in your bag.” He knew she had another one! So she gave that one to him too to prove that she wouldn’t go shopping. But little did he know that she had ANOTHER emergency credit card stored in her compact case. Luke, you should have expected no less from her.
If you put a shopaholic in Milan, she’s bound to buy something. And Becky has her eyes set on that Angel bag. I can appreciate a fine bag that’s high quality, but personally, for me, I’d rather buy a retail bag that’s cheaper but still cute. Do you like fancy purses like Becky or cute affordable purses like me? Anyway, the tenacity that Becky has when it comes to shopping is unmatched. The lady was thoroughly getting irritated with her because to get the Angel bag, she needed to be put on a list. In the store was Motel owner, Nathan Temple, who saw that ferocity in Becky who wanted the bag so badly and got her to the top of the list to get the bag. At first, I thought he bought her the bag! I was like that’s so unrealistic that a random stranger in Milan would buy someone a 2,000 Euro bag! If that kind of thing does happen, maybe I need to go to Milan!
Becky’s beyond thankful to the man and they exchange contact in case he needs any favors from her and her successful husband, Luke Brandon of Brandon Communications. And boy, does he ask for a favor later. Becky walks out of the store feeling like a new woman with that bag—-a celebrity. Sometimes Becky over romanticizes or has expectations for a situation. I bet people were gawing at her designer purchase, but I don’t think a bag could have been all that. But it made her happy so that’s perfectly fine.
I love how when she got back to the hotel and Luke’s there, she only shows him the belt she bought him earlier and not the purse. He has no idea what she really did in Milan.
At last, they go home. Becky’s over the moon and nervous with giddiness to see her parents and her family. She always has these over the top ideas about what will happen in a situation and she thinks her parents will run into her arms and that it’ll be this whole dramatic thing.
But really it’s kind of anticlimactic.
The parents aren’t even home.
But she spots them up the road walking with a woman and when they see her they back away like they’re frightened. Obviously by the title of this book, we know who that other woman is and why the parents are shocked still. But Becky’s kind of disappointed and her joy deflates. I feel bad for her. If I just came home after being gone for almost a year, I would expect my family to be ecstatic to see me, not retreating.
Then Becky flies to the Christening in Hampshire to surprise her. Again, Becky’s excited to see her best friend. But again, she ends up being disappointed. I just wanted to hug Becky because she’s such a joyful soul and she just keeps getting let down about things.
Suze was eager to see Becky, but she was also highly stressed. She is a mother and this was her child’s Christening, so she had to focus on that. Becky kind of feels like a pariah during the whole thing because she doesn’t really know the baby anymore because she has been gone for so long.
And to make matters worse, people say that Suze has a new best friend, Lulu. That had to sting! I get why Suze would have another friend because she had to have someone in her life to help her through being a mother. Lulu was the person who cared for her and was there when Becky was gone, but it kind of made me just as upset as Becky that Suze was kind of pushing away Becky or wasn’t fully listening to her because she wasn’t a mother. I understand why Suze wouldn’t pay much attention to Becky in regards to motherly things, but Suze was still her friend and Becky flew all this way to be there for her and her kids. That had to mean something. But to Becky, being ignored and being outcast as not the best friend anymore, just made her feel lonely and that coming back was a wrong thing.
And Lulu didn’t help either. She kept trying to push Becky away from the picture. She kept trying to one-up her and prove how much better she was. Maybe Lulu was a bit territorial and jealous. She was the “hero” who drove to get the entantier who was stranded on the road. So to try prove that she could be of help to Suze too, Becky said in the meantime she would entertain the kids. And I swear, this was the most hilarious part! The kids wanted her to do a magic trick, so what does Becky do? I’m already in hysterics 😂 She unhooks her braw and pulls it out of her shirt, making it seem like it appeared out of no where! And the kids are all entertained and are cheering, saying things like “she did magic” and “do it again!” I’m rolling on the floor! Then Lulu comes into the room and Becky’s pink bra is dangling in her hand and Lulu’s like “I hardly think those are the sort of ‘tricks’ that children are going to appreciate!” Then one kid’s like “she took off her bra!” The kids are not dumb Becky! Guess your trick wasn’t so clever.
What was also funny was when Becky tried to go horseback riding with Suze and Lulu as an act to fit in. Becky couldn’t ride a horse to save her life. Tarquin, Suz’es husband, was so kind to her, and helped her get on her house and then closed the gate to the stable when she couldn’t do it even though she was the last one out. And I was just laughing. Then she takes the horse shopping, using the hooks in the saddle to carry her bags.
I felt bad when Suze and Lulu spotted her and laughed at her and her horse. I also felt bad that Suze just excluded and shut down Becky about her birthday idea because Lulu planned something at the spa. Suze may have had a new friend, but you could have had invited her to the spa or said let’s do something afterwards. And Becky tries to keep a tough face, but she feels that she’s not wanted by Suze who has a new friend in her life. And I clutched my heart for Becky! So she decides to go home.
Deep down I know that they might be having a rocky reunion in their friendship, but I know that Suze really does care for Becky and that they will make things work. What was enduring about their friendship was how they could call each other sometimes whenever they thought of one another. During those phone calls, I could really tell Becky just wanted to tell Suze everything and that things were back to normal. And I could tell that Suze felt bad about how she initially responded to Becky and she was trying to reach out to her, but she didn’t want to sound desperate or intruding on Becky who was “living well” in her life without Suze. Especially during the part when Becky was watching movies by herself and Suze calls and they talk like old times. It was such a good friendship moment and I knew Becky felt that she wished Suze were there with her and that Suze felt that she was with Becky.
Friends who honestly still want to be in your life and who care about you, will always make that effort to try. And Becky and Suze both tried despite everything and I think that’s why their friendship is so special and will last.
When Becky gets home she has to clean house because her house is looking more like a global souvenir shop. I thought Luke would have blown more of a top when he realized all the things that Becky has bought. But he was like a silent earthquake, quaking with anger on the inside. Becky, did you really need 40 mugs? Luke, try as you might, I don’t think Becky and the word budget go together whatsoever.
As Becky tires to clean house, her parents come over one day and tell her that she has a step sister! Apparently, the dad was super handsome back before he met Becky’s mom and had a fling with a stewardess on a train. Recently, the daughter, Jess, reached out to the real dad, Becky’s dad, because it was said that their bloodline might have a rare blood disease and that she wanted to tell them so they could get tested.
Ever since finding out that she had a sister, Becky’s has been hyping it up in her mind how she always knew she had a sister somewhere in the world—–that she always felt it. I doubt that. But you gotta love Becky’s hutzpah!
And let me tell you, Jess is nothing like Becky. At all.
Jess is the polar opposite.
Jess likes rocks, and I don’t mean diamond, I mean geological rocks. She enjoys the minimalist simple life of wearing jeans, a neutral color shirt, and hefty books. She loves doing her accounts, exercising with weighted water bottles, watching movies with deep meanings, doing computer work, caving, organizing and participating in environmental protests, but most importantly she looooooovesss saving money! She lives life on the edge by always buying in bulk and don’t get me started on her weird fetish with potatoes! Potatoes have all the protein and vitamin C you need, making for a hefty meal. Apparently, potatoes have more vitamin C than an orange. Becky’s quite fed up in potato talk.
At first, Becky tires so hard, so hard, to get her sister to like her. She tries talking about things that her sister likes and she even takes her sister shopping, to which Jess is not engaged in. Jess follows along like a puppy as Becky goes form store to store, all the while wondering how Jess wasn’t buying anything. Becky was so adamant about their day not being over until Jess bought something, so she took her to jean stores, shoe stores, appliance stores, any store to get her to buy something as a sign of Jess enjoying herself. Should have took her to a potato store 😂
At last, Jess goes into a stationary store, and Becky’s relieved and ecstatic until Jess comes out empty handed. Becky’s drowning in bags and Jess has nothing in her hands, but she does hav pockets filled free with envelopes from the stationary store. What a smart shopper.
Becky’s feeling defeated, but wants to have one last go to get to know her sister so she takes her to the coffee shop. Jess pulls out her flask of coffee and tells her that they can take turns drinking that instead of paying for the overpriced coffee at the store. At this point, Becky’s so fed up and was like “I just want to have a good chat with my sister in a coffee shop!” And Jess was kind of shocked, like “gee what got into her.” I felt so bad for Becky. And then Jess, strikes her through the heart, by saying she hates shopping and that she’s not looking for another family. That was so hurtful and blunt. I thought Becky would fall off her chair!
In an attempt to bond with her long lost sister, Becky tries again by having a sleepover kind of day with Jess. And it’s the funniest thing ever. Becky really goes the extra mile to buy a caving magazine to put in her room. Becky tells Jess that they’ll do whatever she wants to do. So they exercise in Jess’s room together, or more like Jess was exercising while Becky was staring at her in wonder. Then instead of watching movies and eating fun all the fun snacks that Becky bought and put out, they do their accounts. I was like what’s accounts? Then I realized it’s something to do with money managing. Because nothing says fun than doing accounts. They actually start to bond a bit, but then Luke walks in on Becky and Jess and laughs when she tells him their doing their accounts. Luke said Becky was in debt, which repulses Jess.
That night Jess works with Gary and Luke on business things, while Becky watches movies by herself. And I just felt bad for Becky. made it worse was how the she overheard Luke saying it was difficult to live with her. My heart really hurted for her there.
Becky just really feels alone and under appreciated. And she’s tired of trying for Jess “the sister whom everyone loves and wants her to be more like.” When going to the grocery store, Jess tags along and acts as the little nagging thing on your shoulder that tells you to not do this or that. I get that Jess was trying to help Becky with her shopping addiction and to be a smarter shopper, but Becky was not having it. She just kept putting more things in her cart. I loved the part when Jess puts the bag of potatoes in her cart and Becky wonders where it came from. Then Becky sees a heart shaped waffle maker that’s half off and Jess tells her she doesn’t need it. Then Becky’s like
“In fact, Luke said only the other day, ‘What this house really needs is a waffle-maker.;” Which, OK, is a bit fo a stretch. What he really said was “Is there anything for breakfast except Coco Pops?”
Because I definitely hear we need a waffle-maker somewhere in Luke’s context.
And like kids they fight over getting it and not getting it. In the end, of course Becky get’s it just to spite Jess.
So of course, Becky keeps making heart shaped waffles because she knew she would never hear the end of it from her if she didn’t. What was even funnier was the fact that Becky would buy remade waffles and cut them into heart shapes and throw them in the waffle maker because she couldn’t make the batter right. Kind of ingenious thinking. Then Luke walks out one day and was like I’m tired of waffles.
Becky and Jess were too different to ever see eye to eye on things. They both grew up with different beliefs and principles and that’s why they just fell a part in the worst way. They just couldn’t stand each other’s differences Becky even called Jess a misery, a “skinflint miserable cow who doesn’t know how to have a good time!” I understand why Becky would be so upset because her sister is being honest with her in acknowledging that Becky does have a shopping problem. But Becky just didn’t want to hear the truth. She was also tired of putting so much thoughtful effort in trying to form this sisterly relationship with Jess, that she felt exhausted from it—-that she was giving her all in trying and Jess didn’t even care. Jess on the other hand, it a bit hard-headed as well and reserved. She wasn’t raised gettin anything she wanted at the drop of a pin. Her step-dad was a rich man, but he taught all his kids, including Jess, that they had to work for their money. That’s why I knew where Jess was coming from. I actually highly respected Jess and her money saving ways. Sure, I wouldn’t work out with weighted water bottles or buy the brown bananas at a grocery store, but I do know what Jess means about buying bulk and buying only the things that you really need. Sometimes it’s good to splurge and buy what you do want, but it has to be within reason. I just think the way she was raised—-on hard work and momentary value—-Jess just lived a emotionally and physically tighter life. And that’s why she was so reserved and strong-willed—-because she had to grow up as so to survive. And I respect that.
Then came Nathan Temple’s deal with Becky. And this whole time Becky keeps emphasizing how she’s going to pull a Hilary Clinton and keep the deal from Luke. Luke thinks Nathan Temples a low life Motel owner and ex-convict that he never wants to work with. But Becky told Nathan that Luke was eager to work with him, but then she told Nathan that Luke was sick so he couldn’t do the motel launch with him. So Nathan sends Luke an elevator full of flowers and fruit and Becky tries to pass it off to Luke that she got him flowers and fruit for no reason. Then Luke spots the Get well soon card. And Becky, bless her heart, makes it into some innuendo that means I love you. Yea, you better love your husband for all the things you’ve done!
Luke was heated with Becky when he left on business because he finally found out about the Nathan Temple deal. But I liked that Luke actually found the good in Nathan and that they became good associates. Luke wrongfully misjudged Nathan who punched someone to defend them. And his motels were cheesy but in a good way. Becky really doesn’t mean harm to anyone.
But when Luke left, Becky felt like her whole world was in pieces—-she had no best friend, no parents to turn to, and no husband. And she feels like it’s all her fault. So to make her feel better, what does Becky do? She shops.
In the store she has an epiphany that she wants to be just like Jess and learn from her like Yoda. The fact that Becky actually said that was hilarious! Becky travels all the way to see Jess who is less than eager to see her, even slamming her door on her face. And Becky cires in hysterics out on the street until the nice store man of Scully’s Market comes to invite her in for tea.
I quite liked being in Jess’s home town. The people were all really sweet and nice. I like Jim and Kelly. I liked how Becky found a sisterly relationship with Kelly, Jim’s daughter, in doing her makeup and giving her her Angel bag in the end. I also liked the three ladies who would stand outside the shop until 4 o’clock when the bread was half price. It was funny that they only went into the shop after 4 o’clock. I enjoyed the fatherly aspect of Jim in how he was rooting for Becky and Jess to make up. Jim liked Jess because he knew he for a long time, but also agreed with Becky that she could be closed off.
To help her reconcile with Jess, he invited her to the environmental land protest thing that Jess was going to be at. And Becky makes up this whole thing about how she’s an environmentalist for hedgehogs! Then when asked her opinion about the plans for the shop to be built, Becky was like the shops are rubbish and they don’t stay open late enough. Everyone’s looking at her with confused expressions and Jess is over there shaking her head. Then Robin, the protest coordinator, was like we’re protesting against the shop being put up and Becy’s like “oh it’ll pose hedgehog hazard points or HHPs. I can’t with Becky! 🤪
But then she actually contributes these good ideas to generate conversation about their protest from things like having a party or getting the news to cover it and Jess blows her top at Becky and drops a disowning bomb on her. And honestly, in that moment I saw Jess as a red raging monster and Becky a scared, innocent girl. Like she was only trying to help and she wanted your help, Jess, she’s doing this for you. But Jess, cold Jess, couldn’t see it in her Elsa heart that Becky meant well. I wanted to stomp all over Jess because Becky didn’t deserve to be lambasted or ridiculed in front of all those people. I felt truly bad for Becky, but also quite proud how she handled the situation and walked out of that room with dignity.
Go Becky!
I also liked how during this part Jim was like “i might be interested in a party,” when Jess aid “Shopkeepers like Jim aren’t even interesting a party.”
Before Becky leaves, Jim takes her in and makes her see how things were like from Jess’s perspective. He tells her more about Jess’s upbringing and shows her Jess’s rock collection. And it literally stuns Becky in how it’s artfully displayed like her shoe and purse closet. And somehow, for some reason, this validates to Becky that Jess and her are sisters because they have a strong, resilient passion for things they love and that they would do anything to get it.
It’s beyond me how Becky was able to climb a mutant in the rain in buckled designer shoes (turquoise diameté heels), an Angel back swung over her shoulder, and a skirt. She really does love to travel in style. I guess it’s that inherited passionate driven act really got her up that mountain to Jess.
Becky finds Jess in a cave when the rain starts down pouring and when they find each other, it’s such a good sister kind of bonding moment. I think in that moment, Jess realized just how much Becky has been trying and how much she hasn’t. I guess she also feel bad fro being so rude to Becky when she didn’t deserve it. I liked how they created this open conversation about how they didn’t need to be exactly like each other to be sisters and that they joked about potatoes and shopping. I also liked that Jess allowed Becky to paint her nails. It really highlighted how Jess was finally going to try to get to know Becky and accept that part of her family into her life. Becky really could have given up on Jess at any one of these points, but I think it shows a real honest to good characteristic about Becky in how she really is loving and will fight for people even if they might not always like her at first. That’s why I like Becky.
Becky has been off the grid for a while now and Suze went looking for her in London, but didn’t find her. Luke’s also worried not. And her parents are in a panic. But Suze finds her in the mountains with jess after tracking her phone.
And everything starts to look up for Becky. She makes up with Suze who admits that she as jealous of Becky because she felt like she was a bore when Becky went on all of these adventures and all she has done was stayed back in England and raised her kids. I liked that they found a way back to each other and that Suze was the one that found her. I’m also happy that they agreed to spend a girl’s belated birthday trip in Milan. I think they both deserve a good time!
Even though, Becky nearly died on that hike and now has a plaster on her foot, that doesn’t stop her from going through with the protest—-the protest against Luke’s new company. Becky’s reaction mirrored my own reaction when she found out that the shopping mall was owned by Luke’s new company. Luke was telling her how he was going to quell some protest near where Jess lived and how it was for a shopping mall. Oh, Becky!
What was truly hilarious was when Robin made Becky go up on stage during the protest to say some words and the Luke comes out of the crowd and looks at her with equal parts amusement and anger. And she’s so nervous because she doesn’t want to continue protesting against her husband but she has to because she was the person who organized the whole thing. And she was like “We’re going to fight!. . . I say . . . .er .. . . go home!”
Then Luke comes up on the stage and Becky’s all impish and is like hi. I was laughing so much! To others, they look like they’re negotiating, when in reality her tells her that the shopping mall plans have been revoked a long time ago and that the shop was going up somewhere else. So instead of announcing that the whole protest was for nothing, Luke tells the protesters that they won instead! In that moment Luke voiced how proud of he was of Becky and how sorry he was for not taking her business plans seriously. He also felt terrible about how they left things when he left on all his business errands.
What rally got my heart was when Becky confronted him in saying he overheard him saying to Jess that it was difficult to live with her. Then Luke was like:
” It its difficult to live with you . . .It’s also enriching. It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s the only thing I want to do. If it were easy . . . it would be boring . . . Life with you is an adventure, Becky.”
AWWWWWW! How cute! He better have said that to Jess at that moment in time! I don’t know if he pulled that out of his butt just then in there but that’s definitely some smooth thinking and words. It got me!
Then Becky get’s dizzy and Suze makes this life changing comment that she used to get that dizzy when she was pregnant. And I was like HOLD UP!!!!
Becky nearly fell off a mountain and has been through so much emotional turmoil and you’re telling me all this time she was PREGNANT! Was it her hormones that made her buy the bag or run all the way to Jess to learn her Yoda ways! No way is she pregnant.
She’s pregnant. Literally the next book is called shopaholic and baby. And gosh knows if her child isn’t like the mother in their love of shopping, I don’t think Becky has the right child.
I look forward to seeing what Becky is like as a pregnant mother and how this affects her spending!
I’m also excited to see more moments with Luke, Suze, Daniel the friend, maybe more moments with Nathan Temple, and we can’t forget the sister, Jess. Oh, maybe we’ll see Jim and Kelly again, I loved them both!
I also forgot to mention how funny it was when Becky kept saying she was a changed frugal woman because she was learning from Yoda Jess on how to be environmentally friendly and money savvy. Then someone knocks on the door to return the Angel back she dropped on the mountain and I love how Becky said that she didn’t need it anymore because it caused a lot of pain in her relationships in her life. And I just thought that that was a huge step for Becky in letting go of some of her addiction in frivolous shopping in knowing she doesn’t always need the most desirable thing on the market, what she really needed was family and love in her life.
No matter how much materialistic things can make a person happy, what truly fulfills a person and comes for free is filling yourself with love from those who care about you.
What was your favorite or least favorite part of this book? Your favorite hysterical moment? Are you a little more like Becky or more like Jess? Let me know below in the comments! 💕
And as always, with love,
Rating
5 Full Bloom Flowers
Plot: I love the story line of this book and the journey Becky takes in trying to get to know her sister and to manage her spendings. We all know how hard it can be for Becky to do that!
Characters: I love Becky and the juxtaposition of her and Jess. They complement each other nice. I also liked the progression sooty of Nathan Temple and how Luke learned that he should never judge a person based on their past or their current standings in life, but their morals and heart.
Writing: Sophie Kinsella never fails to write a book that makes me smile
Romance: Not the most romantic book, but it did include some hardships couples go through with marriage with things like establishing a budget and working through arguments—–communication and honesty is always key!
Humor: I have never laughed harder while reading a book and feeling ridiculous if anyone saw me while doing so, but I have not regrets