Book review Retail Therapy by Roz Bailey

Summary by Bailey, the author

When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

Three reasons to take the afternoon off and hit your favorite retail establishment:

1. Alana Marshall Hughs, shopping diva.
Alana Marshall-Hughs has her priorities. They're Prada, Tiffiany's, and Gucci. The African-American princess has never met a pricey retailer that didn't practically cry with joy the minute she pranced in. But now that her credit-card bills have exceeded the national debt of some small nations, her parents are cutting her off. They even want her to get a (gasp) job! Alana's not going down without a fight. After all, she gets credit-card applications in the mail every day, and where there's a will to shop, there's a way down Fifth Avenue, over to Madison, then down to Soho….

2. Hailey Starrett, proof that it is better to look good on camera than to look good to your accountant.
Tall, blond Hailey Starrett grew up on a farm, making jams with her hippie parents. Now, she's making up for lost time by shopping till she drops. Hailey's determined to make it as an actress in New York City, and she just might succeed…if she can keep herself from spending all her money on shoes, clothes and accessories. And now she's landed the part of a lifetime - starring on a soap opposite daytime's hottest hunk . . . and nastiest diva. But being in the spotlight means even more pressure to look good, and looking good doesn't come cheap. Thank you, VISA. Amex, you're the best!

3. Marcella, honey! Your personal shopping trainer.
Enter Marcella Rodriguez. This Brooklyn girl likes looking fine, but she can sniff out a bargain anywhere. Twelve-hundred dollar shoes? Hoodies for eight hundred? Girl, please! Does the work "outlets" ring a bell? With her penchant for telling people exactly what she thinks, Marcella's not winning any friends behind the make-up counter. She's got her sights set on becoming a buyer, barking at clerks and bartering with wholesalers. But first she has to work a miracle - keeping her two new best friends from going under and taking her down with them. It's a tough job, but wheedling out of tough situations is Marcella's specialty - one that's going to be put to the test, big-time.

Witty, wicked and laugh-out-loud funny, Retail Therapy is a non-stop romp through Manhattan's dressing rooms, green rooms, VIP rooms, and rooms-for-improvement - proof positive that with a little ingenuity, a lot of moxie and true friends, any girl can live the highlife without breaking the bank.

Review from me, a reader
"born to shop, shop till you drop", begitulah kira-kira isi buku ini. Ceritanya lucu dan ringan, saya membacanya dikala ingin santai sejenak. Ide diambil dari kehidupan sehari-hari, wanita mana yang tak suka shopping, tapi karakter disini menunjukkan shopping adalah jalan keluar dikala stress. Sampai akhirnya Alana dan Hailey bangkrut tak punya uang. Karakter ke tiga, Marcella, memberi ide dan juga jalan keluar untuk keluar masalah berat ini dan juga mengajarkan cara shopping yang wajar.
Review *** (3 from 5 stars)