Be Careful What You Wish For by Alexandra Potter

ISBN: 9780340899618
Year Published: 2006

Excerpt of story from the back of the book:
I wish:
I could get a seat on the tube...
I hadn't eaten that entire bag of Maltesers...
I could meet a man whose hobbies include washing up and monogamy...

Heather Hamilton is always wishing for things. Not just big stuff - like world peace, or that Brad Pitt wants her as his next leading lady - but little, everyday wishes made without thinking. With her luck, she knows they'll never come true...
Until one day she buys some heather from a gypsy.
Suddenly the bad hair day stops. A handsome American answers her ad for a housemate. She starts seeing James - The Perfect Man who sends her flowers, excels in the bedroom, and isn't afraid to say 'I Love You'.

But are these wishes-come-true a blessing or a curse?
Does getting what you want make you happy?
And is there such a thing as too much foreplay?

In this magical romantic comedy, Alexandra Potter reveals what might happen if all your wishes really did come true...

My opinion/review:
I am a big fan of Alexandra Potter's books, honestly, like Huge as they are always hilarious and had me laughing from chapter to chapter. She just has this wicked sense of humor and I find it ingenious on how she could turn a simple everyday story into something so common yet ridiculous and it is happening to all of us, whether we realized it or not.
This novel is no different, as we gaze into the life of Heather Hamilton, who like some of us, is just an ordinary everyday girl who wished that things would be different or glamourous once in our lives.
That someone would take notice of us, that we could be just as popular as some of those pop idols out there, or that our wishes could sometimes come true, no matter how crazy it may be.
You get the idea.

Heather is tired of living her day everyday like there is no excitement; she works as an assistant to a wedding photographer who is a cheerful gay guy who is also her close friend.
She dreamt of hitting a job with a published magazine, and that she would find a charming guy to live happily ever after with; or in particular that cute neighbor whom she always peeped at from her window.
Things did not seem to turn better and her life seemed to be doomed for failure as her job is slowly losing the grip and she has to rent out a room to help to survive.

Just when things are turning to the darker side, she was approached by a gypsy on a particularly bad day and was persuaded into buying a lucky heather. Skeptical, she bought it anyway as it was not too expensive and to appease the gypsy so that she will stop bothering her and turns out, this was indeed a lucky heather although Heather did not know it at the time.
Things start to change for the better:
1. A handsome and eligible American man answered her ad for the room and became her housemate.
2. Her handsome neighbor starts to show interest in her and asked her out.
3. She was in for a job at a well-known magazine
4. She was starting to lose weight
5. Even the weather was getting better; there were no longer rain...

Everything seemed to look more and more promising to Heather, and suddenly life seemed to look so much better. However, Heather soon came to realize that her wishes came with a price and that not everything were as sunny as they seem.
She could get the pink stilettos that she had her eyes on but they hurt her ankle and she fell down when she wore them or that instance when she wished that there would be no traffic on the road, she got a parking ticket for the very first time.
Even her seemingly perfect neighbor boyfriend suddenly don't seem so perfect anymore.
It was then that Heather realize that when wishes come true, there will be a subsequent consequence....
(not revealing much to spoil your read :)

I loved this book; just like all of Alexandra Potter's books (did I mention I was a fan?). I enjoyed the thoughts of Heather and how she would be wishing for things to look a little on the brighter side once in a while. I think that kinda linked with what we girls have in mind sometimes, don't we?
It is true, that things don't come cheap nor free and that there is always a chain effect from one single incident.
It is an absolutely enjoyable and hilarious journey with Heather Hamilton, and I am sure the girls would love reading this as much as I do.
For the guys, you would enjoy reading and finding out what do girls always want :)

Read on, and don't wish for it to be a perfect story....Be Careful What You Wish For ;)

Sex and The City by Candace Bushnell

Synopsis
In this chronicle of the mating habits of New York's cultural elite, Bushnell infiltrates celebrity affairs, sex clubs, and posh suburbs to introduce us to "bicycle boys," "modelizers," and "toxic bachelors" - powerful and successful men who bed single and married women as if it were a contest. Often funny and occasionally bleak, this is an inside account of the quintessential '90s romance and the never-ending search for the perfect marriage partner in high society.

What is it all about
It is about journalists entailing the sex and love lives of the city folks; mainly in New York and Manhattan and the focus is mostly on those 30-year olds who were single and in multiple relationships in their main mission to search for The One; whom they would settle for marriage and happy-ever-after.

I love this book for the different insights in the relationships of the rich and famous; and the distinction in the perspectives from both men and women about sex and relationships.

I would have preferred if there were more stories; or perhaps a sequel! =)

If I were the author, I would include more stories from the other side of those ‘conquests’; namely the models and actresses or young men whom the rich 30-40 year olds target upon.

My Conclusion/Verdict
Not too bad if you are into the movie/drama of the same title; I usually like to read the book first and I think I liked how the stories are compiled into short files with different insights from the person and the journalist herself.

This is a 7 out of 10

Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Synopsis
After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she's had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen's classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that's exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman's fantasy becomes one woman's reality. . .

What is it all about
Another light-hearted story about a girl in search for a perfect love story; and was trying to fend off the friendly offers from her best friend cum bookstore colleague who was truly concerned about her. In a bid to get away from the invitation to go for a wild vacation with her friend in Mexico, she signed up for a literature tour in a haste to visit her favorite author; Jane Austen’s home in a tour in the England countryside.
She found herself in the company of a bunch of senior folks; mostly women who were fans and secretly dream of the charming and much-loved character of Mr Darcy in Jane Austen’s book and she started wondering whether she made the right decision to ditch her young peers for a tour full of older people.
There was only another young person her age (or at least younger than the rest) but he made quite an impression and the duo got off on the wrong foot from the beginning.
Just when Emily was beginning to lose hope and enthusiasm in the tour, she found herself bumping into who else, but the legendary Mr Darcy himself. Thrilled and realizing that she was seeing him for real, she started hanging out with him secretly and it was like living a fantasy in the reality. Only thing is, she started to see more of Mr Darcy than just what appears in the book and also understands about love and hatred in life. This trip definitely turned out to be more educational and inspiring than what she had signed up for.

I love this book for the funny moments and enjoyable literary tour of Jane Austen (she’s also one of my favorite authors!). The part where Mr Darcy just appeared during the tour was truly enchanting and unforgettable and it was really hard to realize that you have come face-to-face with the fictional character himself. I think the author really made that part really good where Emily slowly realized that this Mr Darcy was for real. Also, I really loved the main protagonist; Emily Albright, who sounded a little like me in real life (I mean not that I had trouble with dates or social life, etc) where she really loved books! I laughed at the part where she started packing her books and trying to stuff her books into her bag and only left the clothes last. I remembered I used to do that when I was a kid; and Dad would always have to make me leave at least half of my books behind. That was such a great kick to my own memories =)

I would have preferred if nothing was changed from the book; I think I liked it the way it was and the flow was just right for the story.

If I were the author, I would change nothing, as mentioned, I liked everything in the book already =)

My Conclusion/Verdict
Great read; and inspiring, and it is true that what you see or believed in may not be necessarily as good as you get it. An inspiring read to teach us to cherish what we have and not fantasize about things we cannot have.

I give it a 8 out of 10

Who’s That Girl by Alexandra Potter

Synopsis

If only you knew then what you know now...

Imagine if you could go back ten years and meet your younger self -- would you recognise her?
And what advice would you give?

Wear sunscreen!

Back away from those PVC trousers?

DON'T give that idiot your phone number?

Lemon juice won't bleach your hair -- it just attracts wasps...

He's the one - don't let him go!

For Charlotte Merryweather, there's no need to imagine. She's about to find out for real. With surprising consequences... Alexandra Potter's deliciously funny and enchanting romantic comedy looks at life, love and what might happen if you could turn back time.
What is it all about?
The synopsis seems to have spelt it all out; and that was all in a nutshell to this book as we follow the bone-tickling antics of our protagonist as she meets her younger 20-year old self; an incident she initially thought was an object of her hallucination/stress or a result of a possible brain tumor.
When she realized that she was given a second chance to meet her younger self (who doesn’t seem to recognize her older self) for real, she tried to hand out advices to the younger one and found herself dealing with dilemmas and issues of her own at her age and realized that everything in the past moulded her into someone she is at the moment.

My Opinion
This book got me by the interesting and catchy prelude written at the back of the book and I knew I just had to get my hands on it and read it.

I love this book for the quirky and witty lines running through the mouths of the characters; mainly of the main protagonist; Charlotte Merryweather who was just a living example of a woman in the 21st century with a great sense of humor. I loved the wonderful and the wicked sense of humor in all her thoughts and words.
I think I found it ticklish to the bone and I remembered laughing so hard that it hurts when I was reading this on my bed and I just could not stop laughing. I don’t think it helped for my insomnia and God forbid that my housemate thought that I was out of my mind. Truly, those lines were just so entertaining that you no longer need the tv series or tv to impress you =)

I would have preferred if there were more scenes of the 20-year old Charlotte Merryweather and her antics; with the current 32-year old intercepting into her life without much avail.

If I were the author, I would just insert more parts about Charlotte Merryweather’s 20-year old self and the funny mistakes that could make the 32-year old gag and try to change.

My Conclusion/Verdict:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and this book made me start on a mission to track every single book by the same author and she has officially became my favorite author as well!

I give this book a 8 out of 10! =)
(Officially a book which has landed on my ‘Favorite books’ shelf)

Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

This is one book which, after the wickedly funny Devil Wears Prada by the same author, tells you about fashion and the mad mad world of PR (event planners)

From the start, the protagonist clicks with us normal people, who, just leads that boring life of a routine and clockwork job as a banker stuck at her desk from nine to five each day.
She had no boyfriend, no social life and pretty much, NO life, as her Uncle Will says.

It all changed when she finally mustered up her courage to say the big NO and quit her job at the bank and she took up the offer to join a PR company under the recommendation of her famous Uncle Will, whereby the owner of the PR company was his student.
Thus began Bette Robinson's life (our protagonist) as she struggles to fit into this ever-tumultous and challenging world full of glamour, fame and materialism, not to mention a wicked humor once in a while.

She had a rather unpleasant encounter with the bouncer at one of the most happening clubs in town; Bungalow 8, and that same night landed her in one of the hottest and juiciest columns as the latest girlfriend to British playboy, Philip Weston who had a rather noble royalty background and an equally notorious relationship fact sheet to make up for.

Her actions were constantly supervised by the anonymous writer, Ellie Insider and her faux relationship with Philip Weston has garnered her unwanted fame and transforming her from Plain Jane to an immediate superstar almost overnight.
This piece of news thrilled her publicity hungry boss, Kelly but shocked her loved ones who suddenly felt that they do not know her anymore.

To make things worse, there was not even such a relationship to begin with, as Bette had NO relationship nor sex with the playboy, who seemed to be only snuggling up to her for publicity sake.

She felt suffocated trying to explain herself and even hurt her best friend, Penelope which left their long term friendship to a test.

Everything seems to look perfect and yet bleak and so wrong at the same time, as Bette struggles to get herself out of this mess.
At the same time, she found herself truly falling for the bouncer, whom she then found out from him that he was her old schoolmate who had a long-time crush on her.

They struggled to keep their relationship alive while Bette tries to maintain her sanity.
In her efforts to maintain the best of both worlds, she had to take a risk which meant putting her own job and future on the rocks as she threatens to expose the truth to the whole world about her co-workers, and the person responsible for jeopardizing her life and career, in her bid to restore her former life.

It was a killer of a decision, that's for sure, and I am not going to spoil everything for those who have yet to read this book.

My verdict is very clear from the start, I absolutely love this book from the first chaper itself and this is one book which is just a stone's throw from Devil Wears Prada and I don't need to figure out why since they came from the same womb; I mean, the same pair of hands who penned them down.

I LOVED the story to every bits and found myself chuckling incessantly to myself at night, and I must say, this is not a book for bedtime as it will just keep you awake and wanting more rather than going to sleep. It is such a page-turner!

I hope to see more of such books from Lauren; and yeah, I agree, Birkins Bag is not just any bag, albeit the tag of twenty grand....it's a LIFESTYLE!

Apocalipstick by Sue Margolis

This is an extremely fast-paced, wittingly funny and enjoyable book.
The story is about Rebecca Fine; a young and unnoticed beauty columnist for the Daily Vanguard fashion and beauty magazine.
She secretly yearns to be a investigative reporter and finally had her chance when an ex-employee of Mer de Revres (a famous cosmetic producer), Wendy sought her help to expose a secret ingredient in their latest product in the market; a pot of antiwrinkle cream which may pose a threat to the health of the women out there.

Initially skeptical, Rebecca soon saw this as an opportunity when she is again and again disappointed in her sort-of boyfriend Max Stoddart whom she accused him of two-timing her with another gorgeous reporter, Lorna Findlay.
Rebecca soon found herself flying to Paris with her soon-to-be stepmother; who ironically was her high-school classmate who bullied her during those days.
Since her father had taken so long to find the one he loved since her mother's death, she left it at that and unregrettably after she spent time with Bernadette; nicknamed Lipstick.

Their mission to uncover the biggest scandal in the beauty world turned out to involve also political struggle and Rebecca soon finds herself trying desperately to talk to the Prime Minister of England; Tony Blair to warn him of these potential threats which could cause war between England and Nigeria.

I will not spoil the rest of the story for others but suffice to say, it was hilarious as you read the crazy thoughts and antics of Rebecca as she struggles to gain position in the magazine, and trying to prove her capability; then accepting her father's will to marry a girl her age (her classmate even who was not even her best friend in high school), her crazy best friend who had problems with her own husband's sexual incompetence, her on-and-off struggle in a relationship with a suave and handsome Max, and at the same time stay SANE.

I liked the story and of course, the cover of the book which is so PINK!

Definitely recommended chic book; to read and to laugh and cry with the girls!