Bad Sisters [Kindle Edition]

As bonkbusters go `Bad Sisters' has all the recipe for success - a set of stunning women, a cast of muscular men and some wonderfully bitchy, funny scenes. The three sisters are all impossibly glamorous. There is Devon, a succulent brunette star with milky skin, and a penchant for licking spoons in a seductive manner, who cooks up treats on the small screen (with NO RESEMBLANCE whatsoever to a certain succulent brunette celebrity chef). Then there is Maxie, a controlling, calculating MP's wife who has spent her childhood looking after her two sisters after their inauspicious start in life. And then there is the baby of the pack, the drop-dead gorgeous Deeley who has returned from 5 years in LA as the gorgeous other half of a popular TV star who just happened to be very gay. She is back in London causing trouble and threatening the other two sister's cosy lives.

This is a sexy book with some hilariously sordid scenes (the Chief Whip of the House of Commons with a penchant for being chastised, naughty pool boys and other secret liaisons...) Rebecca Chance's sense of fun bounces off the pages. The public school nightmare that is Maxie's husband Olly provides ample opportunity for laughs and I challenge every reader not to fall in love with Matt - Devon's rugby-playing husband - who drapes the houses with roses and wants to understand why his wife is being so cold. At times I wanted to bash Devon over the head with one of her heavier cake tins as the whole `poor-old-me-I'm-so-fat-routine' got a little old. But saying that I couldn't resist reading on as she placed herself in yet more hopeless situations, cringing behind my hand at her various humiliations.

The incredibly ruthless Maxie is a fascinating character; the cold older sister determined to ensure her younger siblings toe the line, and the secret that they are hiding makes you keep turning the page. Deeley, the younger sibling, was sympathetically drawn and I found myself warming to her as the book progressed.

This is a light read that flows effortlessly. The dialogue is quick and the cameo appearances (Deeley's publicist in particular) add extra spark to the novel. Anyone who has a sister, good or bad, will enjoy this novel. And anyone who doesn't have a sister can probably breathe a long sigh of relief...

There's been much excitement as bloggers have been tweeting about reading Bad Sisters. Much enjoyment shared too.

At the start of our journey through the three sisters lives, the scene is set in the prologue when we're in 1993. Deely is 9, Devon is 13 and Maxie the eldest at 17. Straight away we are introduced to their childhood and the secret that determines how the sisters react to the world around them.

We read about each sister in separate chapters, which flow seamlessly from one sister to the next. For example, at the end of one of Dev's chapters, she takes a phone call from Maxie which leads into Maxie's chapter.

Part One introduces us to each sister and their lives now. Deeley in LA, whose contract is up and has to go back to the UK. She hasn't ever had any responsibilities in life and has always been protected. She's always given the responsibility of her life to others. Dev and Matt who want incompatible lifestyles. Dev's strategy to her loneliness is to comfort eat ......... and Maxie who has made a niche for herself in the Sloane circle and has to have control over everything (and actually does have control over her politician husband Olly and their life). One thing is very clear - both Dev and Maxie resent Deeley and her `easy ride' through life so far.

Some readers may be shocked by Maxie and the things she does. A PR coup she arranges is heartless with such blatant disregard for morality. Her sexual preferences might also shock. My response is that actually, these things do happen in reality and we all have a shadow side that not everyone is able acknowledge - so the shadow never comes to light. Rebecca Chance is one writer that obviously doesn't have any qualms in using our cultures shadows - respect to her! The world isn't full of fluff and candy floss.

Talking of sex, there are some hot and steamy times for all the sisters. Not for the feint-hearted! Taken as a whole, the sex is part of the story that makes it a fabulous read.

The emotional scars the sisters have mean they don't fully participate in life. I loved the psychological and emotional journey that they take. We see them blossom from shells of themselves into the woman they were meant to be, understanding who they are and what they're capable of.

I was so caught up in their lives and the people in them that I wasn't even looking for or guessing what the twist might be. Surprise! There is a twist! The way the two sisters stuck together and saw it through showed how far they had come.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bad Sisters and would recommend it to anyone who likes `seduction, intrigue, rivalry - and murder.' I have Divas (also by Rebecca Chance) on my bookshelf and can't wait to read that now!

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy to review.

The cast of three main characters is easy to follow, and allows the reader to be really involved in the story. The book begins with a prologue back when the girls were very young, and their secret is immediately revealed. I liked this because as a reader, we know what each of the women has to loose if this secret gets out, and its held over their heads throughout the book. It does flashback to their childhoods a few more times during the book which I felt was plenty to keep you reminded of things, but not enough to deviate from the main story itself. It's set mainly in London, although part of the book is set in Tuscany, and Chance writes both locations very well, and I found it easy to visual the places the women found themselves in.

The characters are really well written and fun to read about. Despite the fact they are sisters, they are extremely different and it makes for very good reading! First is the elder sister Maxie, now married to an MP and she's determined to get him into a higher office, no matter what it takes for him to get there. I really disliked her, found her to be completely selfish and one thing she did for publicity actually sickened me, but of course this is exactly what is required from her as a character! Secondly is Devon, a TV chef who is married to a gorgeous rugby player but her career is flagging. I quite liked her, found her easy to warm to and a lot of women will be able to relate to her desperation to lose weight and be the gorgeous wife she thinks her hubby wants. Finally is the youngest sister Deeley, a spoilt brat who doesn't know how to behave. Again, she isn't very likeable but the troubles she finds herself in keep the book going and work well with the other two characters as well.

I enjoyed the scandals throughout the book, and think they unfolded really well. Some of the things the women do, especially Maxie, are quite shocking but it does make you wonder how much of this really goes on behind political doors! Chance isn't afraid to shock her readers in the book, a certain scene involving Maxie and the head of the political party is certainly something I have never come across in the chick lit genre before but it sat well in the book and didn't feel out of place. Chance's writing style is easy to read, with the third person narrative working perfectly for the multiple stories. I found it really easy to pick up and put down, it didn't take me long at all to get back into the story once I got reading again! I'd definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a sexy beach read this summer, or you just want to escape into another world for a while - Chance certainly delivers on all counts!