Louise Bagshawe is a great young Chick Lit novelist who was around long before the twentysomething female writer was fashionable. The good result of this is that she doesn't write first-person, wingeing, I'm-on-a-diet drivel. Her first 3 books were sexy bonkbusters in an 80s tradition, though the heroines were young and 90s in their tastes and sympathies. Then she did 'Venus Envy' - her go at a Bridget Jones-style girl-about-town book, but thankfully here she has gone back to her traditional roots and produced another blockbuster.
The book reminded me very much of her brilliant first novel, 'Career Girls.' The plot is fast-paced, the heroine is gorgeous and she falls for the classic Bagshawe hero - he is dark, handsome, magnetic, powerful and dominating. The chemistry between them simply sizzles, though Bagshawe, perhaps responding to a few criticisms of her earlier work, has reduced her sex scenes to 3 per book (rather than the 30 or so you get in her early work). Also woven into the plot is a gripping read about publishing politics and business board-room cliff-hangers.
The book somehow isn't quite as sparky or energetic as 'Career Girls'. Her style has matured but it has also become more subdued and her pace slower. Even so, it's still a great read. What shines out is the author's ability to draw you in and keep you turning pages - she is utterly addictive.