- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Orion; New edition edition (4 July 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0752848011
- ISBN-13: 978-0752848013
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 352,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
When She Was Bad
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Lita Morales, the sassy heroine of Louise Bagshawe's When She Was Bad, falls for Rupert Lancaster the moment she meets him, despite warnings that he's "strictly a four-F guy" ("find 'em, feel 'em, fuck 'em and forget 'em"). But he is also utterly, achingly gorgeous and not only is he "tall, dark and handsome", he's smart, charming and a Lord to boot. At first it seems that the exotic Lita has won his heart but when Rupert's court case to regain his country seat goes against him, he dumps her and leaves the country with $100,000 of Lita's money in his tailored pocket.
His next victim is the feisty Becky Lancaster, the heiress to Rupert's English estate. Like Lita, Becky falls headlong for him, opening up her house (and her purse) to him as soon as he walks into her life. It's only when she tests his love that she sees the truly black nature of his heart.
Set against a Britain bound in industrial strife and a glossy, glamorous Manhattan, When She Was Bad follows the fortunes of these two women, who are unwittingly pitted against each other after they're betrayed by Rupert. Both stunningly beautiful, they're also "ball-busting wildcats" who will stop at nothing to destroy their rival. Extremely compelling, this novel explores the complex relationship between new and old money; the obstacles these powerful, beautiful women have to negotiate to survive in testosterone-fuelled careers and the difficulties they face being "brash New Yorkers" in a stuffy, class-divided 1970s Britain.
Louise Bagshawe's was the youngest ever contributor to The Tablet and "Young Poet of the Year" at 18 and took the commercial fiction scene by storm with her first novel Career Girls in 1995. Since then she has published several best-sellers including Tall Poppies, Venus Envy and A Kept Woman. --Jane Honey --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
27-copy dumpbin and header; poster; sales presenter; mixed backlist dumpbin; consumer advertising campaign
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read "Career Girls" a few years ago and loved it. Shortly afterwards I read "Tall Poppies" and enjoyed that too, although I was amused at the recycled plot. I recently read "When She Was Bad" and couldn't believe I was reading the same old story yet again, with identical characters right down to that sweeping pink ball dress. What is Bagshawe's obsession with squabbling females trying to destroy each other? I felt like with this book the author decided to set it in the 60's for a change of flavour (or perhaps to differentiate it from the others?) but it fell short of being convincing - phrases like "booty call" and "heroin chic" are really much more recent. Not to mention Lita quoted lyrics from "New York New York", which wasn't written until the mid 1970's :) The whole book just seemed badly edited, did anyone else notice how Becky's green eyes changed to blue? The ages of Lita and Becky were wrong too, at the start of the book Lita was 18 and Becky was 21. Toward the end, when Lita meets Mark, she's 26 but somehow at the same time Becky is only 22 despite running a hotel, taking over the business, losing the business and starting up a new hotel business (taking time to fall in love twice and get pregnant) Seems that poor Lita is ageing so fast she's overtaken the formerly older Becky :)
I put this book down with the resolution not to bother with any more identikit Bagshawe novels, instead I'm reading the always entertaining Fiona Walker and Marian Keyes.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I usually enjoy Louise Bagshawe's books immensely. Career Girls and A Kept Woman were excellent, enjoyable bonkbusters perfect for holiday reading. I didn't expect When She Was Bad to be so differnt from the previous offerings from this author. The characters were completely unlikeable because they were so two-dimensional. I really felt like Bagshawe couldn't be bothered to write proper characters, just came up with the tired old idea of a posh, blonde aristocrat versus a dark, curvy feisty Latino which I'm sure she has featured before in her own books. The story was interesting in parts but focused too much on the business side of things. How many people would really be interested in the future of tin mines or the stocks and shares of a shipping company? Overall it was quite a dull book and I only finished it because the cliches were so laughable, that the book was becoming unintentionally hilarious.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was really looking forward to this book as it seemed like my kind of light and fluffy chick-lit-type book. The reality was somewhat disappointing.
Set in the 70's the story centers around 3 main characters; Lita Morales the poor Hispanic girl from the Bronx, Becky Lancaster the American heir to an English mansion, and Lord Rupert Lancaster the sexy socialite for whom both girls fall.
Lita comes from a poor Hispanic family in the Bronx and her mission is to make it big and never have to scrimp and save like her parents have had to. This all comes to pass when she is spotted and signed by a model scout for Models 6 modeling agency. Before you know it she's propelled to the big-time and can name her price and terms to get pretty much any job she wants. When she falls for Lord Rupert Lancaster everything seems perfect. Then out of the blue Rupert shatters her dreams and heads off back to England....with a stash of Litas money. Lita tracks Rupert down but is shocked to see he's already replaced her with Becky. Lita walks away but vows to seek revenge on both of them.
Although the story was in theory an interesting one the reality was somewhat lacking. It's one of those stories that's been done to death and I think setting the scene in the 70's was a ploy to give this book the edge.....it didn't work. I don't know what the point of the detailed descriptions of the sex scenes was about but feel they were only included as `filler' because without them the book would have been half the size. Maybe Ms Bagshawe is trying to appeal to the Jackie Collins fans in the audience?
All in all I found the book boring and finished it in 3 days purely because I got bored of reading sex scene after sex scene and just skimmed past them. The plot was good in theory but the execution just didn't live up to the hype. Deeply disappointing.
Set in the 70's the story centers around 3 main characters; Lita Morales the poor Hispanic girl from the Bronx, Becky Lancaster the American heir to an English mansion, and Lord Rupert Lancaster the sexy socialite for whom both girls fall.
Lita comes from a poor Hispanic family in the Bronx and her mission is to make it big and never have to scrimp and save like her parents have had to. This all comes to pass when she is spotted and signed by a model scout for Models 6 modeling agency. Before you know it she's propelled to the big-time and can name her price and terms to get pretty much any job she wants. When she falls for Lord Rupert Lancaster everything seems perfect. Then out of the blue Rupert shatters her dreams and heads off back to England....with a stash of Litas money. Lita tracks Rupert down but is shocked to see he's already replaced her with Becky. Lita walks away but vows to seek revenge on both of them.
Although the story was in theory an interesting one the reality was somewhat lacking. It's one of those stories that's been done to death and I think setting the scene in the 70's was a ploy to give this book the edge.....it didn't work. I don't know what the point of the detailed descriptions of the sex scenes was about but feel they were only included as `filler' because without them the book would have been half the size. Maybe Ms Bagshawe is trying to appeal to the Jackie Collins fans in the audience?
All in all I found the book boring and finished it in 3 days purely because I got bored of reading sex scene after sex scene and just skimmed past them. The plot was good in theory but the execution just didn't live up to the hype. Deeply disappointing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Louise Bagshaw does it again!
A novel that is hard to put down. It character lines are well developed and the story line proceeds at a good pace. Competitively priced entertainment.
Published 6 months ago by NY
Wow
This is a fantastic book, that you cant put down. As a person that reads occasionaly, that is saying something.
but this was great to read
but this was great to read
Published on 19 Jun 2008 by Mrs. Carrie-anne Clark
Not brilliant
Lita and Rebecca are worlds apart. From the tough streets of the Bronx, Lita is determined to succeed - whatever the cost. Privileged Rebecca has never wanted for anything. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2008 by Kate S-B
A Radiant Rags to Riches Read!
Quickly becoming one of my favorite authors I devoured this "Bad Girl" novel in a day! Louise Bagshawe delivers another fantastic read in this story of two women that get decieved... Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2007 by Carrianne M. Hall
Louise Bagshawe - When She was Bad
This is the first book I have read by Louise Bagshawe. I read it on holiday, in two days, as I could not put the book down. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2005
What a Shame
This book was a reasonable enough, if undemanding, read in itself, comparing fairly well to other bonkbusters like Jackie Collins etc. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2003
Identikit writer
Bagshawe's books pretty much always have the same plot. Two girls, one English and posh, the other American and poor, become successful, hate each other (usually because of some... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2002
Another hit!
This is my 2nd Bagshawe book. The first was so good I found myself searching the net for another. As in "For All The Wrong Reasons"... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2002 by S. Killian
Makes Bridget Jones look like Pride and Prejudice
This is possibly the worst written book I have ever read. Although the author has a decent imaginative and the story moves along, the writing is sorely lacking. Read more
Published on 5 July 2002 by E. A. Cafferty
disappointing
I eagerly purchased this latest book and was not impressed. It was boring, same old plot, same old characters, plus there was no suspense or anticipation. Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2002
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