Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

What can I say? I can’t add to Suze’s stress.

‘Of course,’ I say at last. ‘Of course we have. We’ll be great
friends, won’t we, Alicia?’

‘Becky.’ Alicia comes forward, her footsteps silent in her
trendy soft-leather yoga flip-flop things; her face in that
composed, serene expression she puts on. ‘Welcome.’

Instantly my hackles rise. She doesn’t get to say welcome. I
say welcome.

‘And welcome back.’ I smile sweetly at her. ‘Welcome to
you.’

‘This is a challenge we have.’ She looks at me seriously.
‘But I’m sure if we all work together, we can find Tarquin,
your father and Bryce before—’ She breaks off. ‘Well. We’re
worried that Bryce is … predatory. That’s our concern.’

‘I get it.’ I nod. ‘Well, let’s get back to the Batcave and
make a plan. Don’t worry, Suze.’ I give her another squeeze.
‘We’re on the case.’

‘You get in.’ Suze is tapping at her phone. ‘I’ll just be a
second.’

I climb into the car, followed by Alicia, and we sit in silence
for a moment. Then, just as Alicia is drawing breath to speak, I
turn to her.

‘I know you haven’t changed,’ I say in swift, low, furious
tones. ‘I know underneath all that sweetness and honey you
have some agenda of your own. But just know, if you hurt
Suze one tiny bit, I will burn you.’ I’m glaring at her so hard, I
think my eyes might pop out. ‘I will burn. You.’

The car door opens and Suze climbs into the front passenger
seat. ‘Everything OK?’ she asks breathlessly.

‘Fine!’ I say brightly, and after a moment, Alicia echoes,
‘Fine.’ She looks a bit shell-shocked. Well, good. I don’t care
about me, she’s already hurt me enough. But I’m not having
her hurt Suze.

Luke gets into the driver’s seat, slams the door and turns to
make a comical face at me. ‘Ready, Betty?’

‘Ha ha.’ I make a face back at him. ‘Funny. Let’s head
home.’

He starts the engine, and as we move off I look back
through the rear window, craning my neck, slightly blinded by
the streetlamps. We’re driving away from the TV cameras, the
bright lights, the celebrities. We’re driving away from
everything I was so excited about. I may never get to walk on
a red carpet again, it hits me. That could have been my last
chance. Maybe this is farewell to Hollywood.

But I don’t care. I’m heading the right way. And I’ve never
felt better in my life.

FROM THE OFFICE OF DIX DONAHUE

To Graham Bloomwood
With greatest appreciation for you and your wonderful
daughter Rebecca.
You’re welcome to come to a show and visit me back stage any
time.
With very best wishes
Your pal
Dix Donahue
PS: Thank Jeff for this!
PPS: I heard you went missing. Hope you’re back safe and
sound by now??



CREDITS

Associate Producers (UK)

Araminta Whitley, Peta Nightingale, Jennifer Hunt, Sophie
Hughes

London Unit

Linda Evans, Bill Scott-Kerr, Larry Finlay, Polly Osborn,
Claire Evans, Suzanne Riley, Sarah Roscoe and her team,

Claire Ward, Kate Samano and Elisabeth Merriman, Jo
Williamson, Bradley Rose

Associate Producers (US)

Kim Witherspoon, David Forrer

New York Unit

Susan Kamil, Deborah Aroff, Kelsey Tiffey, Avideh Bashirrad,
Karen Fink, Theresa Zoro, Sally Marvin, Loren Novek,

Benjamin Dreyer, Paolo Pepe, Scott Shannon, Matt Schwartz

Associate Producers (rest of the world)

Nicki Kennedy
Sam Edenborough & all the team at ILA

Best Boys: Freddy, Hugo, Oscar and Rex

Best Girl: Sybella

Key Grip: Hestia the Labrador

Catering: Carol and Edith

Childcare: Greena and Grub-Grub

Miss Kinsella’s nutritional supplements supplied by: Rolo &

Mint Aero

Production Manager: #HenrytheManager

Lifetime Achievement Award: Barb Burg RIP, 29 April 2014

THE SHOPAHOLIC SERIES

Starring the unforgettable Becky Bloomwood, shopper
extraordinaire …

The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic

(also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic)

Meet Becky – a journalist who spends all her time telling
people how to manage money, and all her leisure time

spending it. But the letters from her bank manager are getting
harder to ignore. Can she ever escape this dream world, find

true love … and regain the use of her credit card?

Shopaholic Abroad

Becky’s life is peachy. Her balance is in the black – well,
nearly – and now her boyfriend has asked her to move to New
York with him. Can Becky keep the man and the clothes when

there’s so much temptation around every corner?

Shopaholic Ties the Knot

Becky finally has the perfect job, the perfect man and, at last,
the perfect wedding. Or rather, weddings … How has Becky

ended up with not one, but two big days?

Shopaholic & Sister

Becky has received some incredible news. She has a long-lost
sister! But how will she cope when she realizes her sister is
not a shopper … but a skinflint?

Skopaholic & Baby

Becky is pregnant! But being Becky, she decides to shop
around – for a new, more expensive obstetrician – and

unwittingly ends up employing Luke’s ex-girlfriend! How will
Becky make it through the longest nine months of her life?

Mini Shopaholic

Times are hard, so Becky’s Cutting Back. She has the perfect
idea: throw a budget-busting birthday party. But her daughter

Minnie can turn the simplest event into chaos. Whose turn will
it be to sit on the naughty step?

OTHER BOOKS

Sophie Kinsella’s hilarious, heart-warming standalone novels

Can You Keep a Secret?

Certain she’s going to die in a plane crash, Emma blurts out
her deepest, darkest secrets to the sexy stranger next to her.
But it’s OK, because she’ll never have to see him again … will

she?

The Undomestic Goddess

Samantha works all hours, has no home life and thrives on
adrenalin. Then one day it all falls apart. She finds herself a
new life as housekeeper in a country house. Will her old life
ever catch up with her? And if it does, will she want it back?

Remember Me?

What if you woke up and your life was perfect? Somehow
Lexi’s life has fast-forwarded three years, and she has

everything she’s ever wanted – the job, the house, the man. Or
does she? What went on in those missing years, and can she

cope when she finds out the truth?

Twenties Girl

Lara has always had an overactive imagination. But even she
finds it hard to believe when the ghost of her great aunt Sadie

shows up, asking for her help. Is Lara losing her mind? Or
could two girls from different times end up helping each

other?

I’ve Got Your Number

First Poppy loses her engagement ring – a priceless heirloom –
and then she misplaces her phone. The only alternative seems
to be to take a mobile she finds in a bin. Little knowing that

she’s picked up another man in the process …

Wedding Night

Lottie is determined to get married. And Ben seems perfect –
they have history, he’s gorgeous and he’s willing to do it now.
They’ll iron out their little differences later. All that’s left to do

is seal the deal. But their families have different plans …

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophie Kinsella is an international number-one bestselling
author whose earliest encounter with Hollywood, apart from
an obsession with The Wizard of Oz, was when her first novel,
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, was made into a hit
movie. She lives in London with her husband and children.

Visit her website at www.sophiekinsella.co.uk

TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS
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A Random House Group Company
www.transworldbooks.co.uk

First published in Great Britain
in 2014 by Bantam Press

an imprint of Transworld Publishers

Copyright © Sophie Kinsella 2014

Sophie Kinsella has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781448126361
ISBN 9780593070161 (cased)
97805930701780 (tpb)

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