Review: Not as charming as the first, but okay enough
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 1, 2011
The book is just okay. Something about this sequel was much less satisfying than the first one. The first one got off to a rocky start - *everyone* in Josie's life was hounding her about entering the lottery? - but picked up steam after Josie was already in it. This one, however, is mired in silliness the entire time, from the annoying seat mate to the completely expected ending. The problem is Josie, I think. Josie shone in the first book only in her interactions with Matt and Jake, and they aren't here enough to make it enjoyable to spend time with her. The celebrity client is hardly present enough to take their place (and the client is no Jake, or Matt). In the first one, I was rooting for Josie, who seemed like a nice enough girl. In this one, she strikes me as much less mature and incredibly lazy. (Did she really think this was a free trip to Europe and that she wasn't going to have to actually do the job she was being paid to do?)And then there's this out-of-place story that crops up on Josie's ill-fated trip to Spain and doesn't go anywhere. I imagine it'll come back in the third book. At least, I hope it does, otherwise, it didn't need to be there at all.At some point in the story, I realized Josie felt like a slightly more likable version of Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series. Even with Josie being a more palatable heroine than Becky, the shenanigans in Gamble on Engagement wore me out a lot faster. I made it to the third Shopaholic book before giving up, but I'll be stopping here with Josie.