Colette Kebell

Let's go shopping!
I enjoyed the Prequel to this novel, The Retail Therapist, meeting Gigi and her friend Ritchie for the first time. Now we get to spend more time with them as Gigi tries, often against the odds, to build her fashion consultancy business.
The only thing that I guess didn't really sit well with me, was how judgmental Gigi is of others' dress sense; I'm sure she'd have shot me down in flames.

Justine Ellis makes an excellent job of narrating this novel, based on Gigi's efforts to build her business and expand into male shopping consultancy. There are plenty of ups and downs along the way, as there would be in any growing business. There are competitors who would sabotage her efforts and friends who stand behind her. There are less successful projects and others who become recurring happy customers. And then there's the love interest, which also has its ups and downs.
I think what I liked most about this book is that Gigi doesn't rush to buy the latest items as they come out, she shops selectively, in clearance warehouses and end-of-line stores, which really spoke to the anti-waste person in me.

This was an enjoyable frivolous read, just what we all need during this strange year.… (altro)

Too short!

I enjoyed this fun novella about shopping. Not the sort of shopping that you or I do, but the upmarket, need-a-stylist sort of shopping. And it kind of reminded me of many years ago when I used to do a lot of sewing - I was spending way too much on fabrics etc, to make clothes I didn't need, so I decided to put an add in the local Post Office, offering my services as a seamstress. That is pretty much what GG does, she decides to earn money from her need to buy clothes. The important thing is that she's good at it; she can make people happy, make them feel secure and confident in themselves.
Her business has its ups and downs and a fair share of quirky customers but she manages to get by, with a little help from her friends.

I enjoyed this audiobook, narrated by R Bond, although I would have liked the male characters to have sounded a little more male - they weren't all gay, after all.
My other observations were that I'm sure it isn't politically correct to take a teenager shopping without first checking with her parents. And GG splitting her takings with her friend 50/50 surely didn't allow any money for the purchase of the clothes for the minor TV actress.

Yes, this was too short, but I believe it is a prequel to the full length Blue and Green Should Never be Seen! , so I shall look out for this one when it becomes available in audio.… (altro)

I’m not a fashionista in any stretch of the word. I buy my tennis shoes at Target and my jeans at Maurices (the same style for the past decade, at least), and my tshirts and hoodies are primarily from my favorite shows/movies (Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Friends, etc.). I love comfortable. In fact, now that I work at home, I wear sweats or pj pants on a daily basis and only have one pair of jeans that fits, nor do I care if my clothing matches if I won’t be leaving the house. So why did I read a chick lit book where the main character is a fashion consultant in London? Because I can, duh! And because BLUE AND GREEN SHOULD NEVER BE SEEN has been on my TBR for quite a while. When Colette schedule a blog tour through KCAS (shameless self plug), I knew it was time to check this one off the list. And I’m glad I did! While I didn’t understand much of the fashion side of things, I quite enjoyed and could very well relate to the business aspect to the story. GiGi is bound and determined to make her business a success and is prepared to step around those who want to stop her. I admired her want to grow her business and applaud her decisions along the way. Colette’s next book, The Retail Therapist, is now on my list, and I can’t wait to see what else Colette has in store for her readers!… (altro)