Beautiful People

Sam Sherman, head of the Wild Modelling Agency, strode through Covent Garden. She was on her way to a lunch appointment with Jack Oeuf, an arrogant but indisputably rising French photographer. She walked quickly. Oeuf was famously no fan of waiting. No photographer was. Unless people were waiting for them, which was, of course, a different matter.

Sam did not particularly look like a fashion person. As she saw it, that crazy, spiky, shiny, short stuff was best left to those younger and more in fashion’s shop window than she was. The models. The designers. The stylists. The muses.

Sam’s style was muted: middle of, rather than ahead of, the curve. She was curvy too, as well as small, which was why her own modeling career had literally been cut short. In addition, her face, with its round eyes, full cheeks, and rather prominent teeth, had a suggestion of the hamster about it, although there was nothing of the small, amenable pet about her business acumen. This was formidable and frequently ruthless. Combined with this was Sam’s sure eye for a new face and her confidence and accuracy in predicting trends. As a result, Wild was one of the biggest and most successful model agencies in London.

Sam, who had been a teenager in the seventies, generally stuck to a classic rock ’n’ roll look of white shirt teamed with black waistcoat and jeans. Today her jeans were tucked into high wedge-heeled boots of sand-coloured suede, rendered vaguely Native American with the addition of coloured beads. Her beige woollen wrap with its fringed edge billowed about her as she walked, and the bracelets that filled the bottom half of each of her forearms rattled.

Sam walked everywhere. This was not because she was fond of exercise—she wasn’t. And there was certainly nothing pleasureable about picking one’s way along the uptilted pavements of Endell Street and wincing at the deafening noise of the various drilling gangs engaged in the refurbishments this part of London constantly underwent. Sam walked because it made good business sense. It was more difficult to spot talent from the back of a taxi and more difficult to get out and run after it if one did.

And spot it she must. Modeling was a competitive business. The Wild agency might be one of London’s biggest and most successful, but new agencies were always snapping at her heels, competing for the best girls and boys. Wild needed a constant stream of new talent. As Sam walked, her round, hamsterish, hazel eyes, ringed firmly with kohl, swivelled from side to side between centre-parted curtains of heavily highlighted shoulder-length beige hair. As ever, she was on the lookout.

Sam crossed Long Acre and walked purposefully down Bow Street, past where the vast bulk of the Royal Opera House blazed white against the blue sky. In the narrow shadows of Floral Street, a skinny girl with a graceful carriage caught her attention, one of the ballerinas, Sam assumed. Well, she had a good figure, but oh, dear God, that nose…no, no, no.

She entered the road where the Tube station was. But there was nothing promising among the crowds either outside it or drifting aimlessly across the cobbled marketplace among the face-painters, cartoonists, bracelet-weavers, jugglers, buskers, human statues, and all the other theatrically inclined losers who daily congregated here. No, the beautiful people really weren’t out this morning. Sam found herself positively wincing at the unsightliness and dinginess of those she walked among. Everyone looked the same: acne, terrible hair, short, thick legs in stonewashed jeans, white trainers, and nasty black windbreakers. Tourists, without a doubt, many gathered in an awestruck, giggling, and mobile-phone-snapping ring round a street entertainer. Sam paused to watch the Afro-Caribbean man limboing under a stick placed on top of two wine bottles. His physique was good, but his features were all over the place.

Which, of course, in some cases could work or could be fixed. Some things could be fixed: teeth, hair colour, skin problems. Weight, especially, could be fixed; not that one was allowed to say that these days, with all the fuss over Size Zero. But behind the scenes, a model’s life went on as before. The drugs, the self-denial, the workouts, the worry. Nothing had changed. That could not be fixed.

The early summer sunshine continued to beat cheerfully down, but Sam, behind her sunglasses, hardly noticed the way it polished the cobbles, warmed the butterscotch stone of the eighteenth-century market buildings, and made the great white pillars of the Royal Opera House gleam. That was not the sort of beauty she either noticed or cared about. One could hardly give it a business card, ask it to come in for test shots, and subsequently launch it as the face of the moment. One could not make money from it.

A few lanky, blank-looking British girls were swishing their hair and dawdling self-consciously along in tight, low-waisted jeans and skimpy tops. But none of them looked like the next Lily Cole. God. The lunch. Jack Oeuf. Sam glanced at her special-edition Cartier Tank watch and saw that she needed to get a move on if she was going to reach the restaurant on time.

“Ow!” Sam’s progress was now halted in the rudest and most uncomfortable of manners. A great physical blow to the front of her lower pelvis stopped her agonisingly in her tracks. Reeling with the suddenness, eyes watering with the pain, she realised she had walked straight into a bollard. She gripped the metal post tightly with her silver-tipped fingers and breathed in hard.

“Are you, um, alright?”

Sam, red-faced and agonised, glanced crossly at the person who had materialised beside her. He was very tall, his face hidden beneath tangled, dark blond hair.

“I’m fine, thanks,” she managed tersely. She had no desire to discuss the damage to her intimate regions with some unknown, callow youth.

The untidy blond head nodded. He now pushed his hair back to expose his face and, instead of the zitty and misshapen bunch of teenage features she had been expecting, Sam found herself looking at one of the handsomest boys she had ever seen.

He was about eighteen, Sam reckoned, and with all that delicious boyhood-ripening-to-manhood quality: smoulderingly sexy with those narrow eyes, those huge lips, that big Adam’s apple. And yet still innocent with that smooth skin, that touch of fresh pink on his cheekbones, that endearingly puzzled expression…

“Look, are you sure you’re okay?” the boy asked, unnerved by the way she was staring at him.

Sam nodded. She was more than okay. She was revelling in this boy, feasting on his looks. There was a golden glow about him, of classical gods, of mediaeval angels, of youthful Monaco male royals with big pink lips and blond hair blowing in the Mediterranean breeze. And more than that, of Armani campaigns, Ralph Lauren, Chanel—oh they’d love him. Who wouldn’t? And that voice; it had that just-broken quality of being deep and squeaky at the same time. Better still, it was posh, which the French and Italian designers especially loved. They’d got into that whole English public schoolboy thing in the eighties, and they’d never got out of it since.

Her eyes scoured his body: amazingly tall, broad-shouldered but slender. Long legs and arms; nice hands. Pale; a quick blast in the spray-tan would do him no harm at all. But otherwise he could well be the discovery of the century. Compared to what he could mean to the agency, earn for the agency, banging into a bollard was a small price to pay.

“I’m a scout,” she smiled at him.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:

I wouldn’t even begin to a do a detailed summary of "Beautiful People", because I want this review to be spoiler-free. But this story is about a handful of strangers all mixed together in some juicy Hollywood scandals. Some are already divas fully immersed in the Hollywood culture, others are reluctant newcomers to this dazzling world. There’s never a dull moment in this one and I flew through all 400 pages!

There are so many characters and all of their lives become intertwi...more I wouldn’t even begin to a do a detailed summary of "Beautiful People", because I want this review to be spoiler-free. But this story is about a handful of strangers all mixed together in some juicy Hollywood scandals. Some are already divas fully immersed in the Hollywood culture, others are reluctant newcomers to this dazzling world. There’s never a dull moment in this one and I flew through all 400 pages!

There are so many characters and all of their lives become intertwined in the most unexplainable ways. It’s like a soap opera and you never know who will be thrown together next.

I loved Emma, the nanny, and Orlando, the dreamy guy who wants to avoid the Hollywood spectacle even with agents hounding him. These characters were so down to earth and almost naive and innocent, they really helped to keep the book in perspective. I loved to hate Belle (and her equally evil chihuahua, Sugar) and Christian! They were so typical of the dark underside of Hollywood’s most "beautiful people." Still, their escapades were fun to live vicariously through. I liked being able to indulge that scandalous side with Belle and Christian but still see characters more like myself in Emma and Orlando, and also Darcy and Marco.

Whenever there are so many varied characters there are bound to be some that are uninteresting. I wasn’t a fan of the Hollywood agent or the model scout even in a ’love to hate them’ way. They just didn’t interest me at all.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: This book is the perfect scandalous guilty pleasure. The lines are clearly drawn between the good characters and bad characters, so the outrageousness is nicely balanced out.

Emma is a nanny who cannot seem to catch a break. The employers she works for makes her long for a bit of control in her life to do what she dreams in her heart.

Belle is the all-American movie star who is now on the downward spiral of her career after her last movie bombed. Can she prove she has what it takes to restart her flat lined career?

Darcy is an English actress who does not believe in the deceit of Hollywood. That is, until they knock on her door and she thinks, "What can it hurt to see what the Hollywood fuss is all about?" Add to the mix a vibrant Italian chef, a young man disinterested in becoming a male model, and a paparazzi who now dislikes his job. Emma, Darcy, and Belle are just three of many whose lives intertwine throughout. Each will have their lives under a microscope from the lights of Hollywood to London, to the quaint streets of Italy. Will each find a happy ending?

With a vast variety of characters, Beautiful People is an entertaining look at how life can chew us up and spit us out and yet, at the same time, we learn so much more of ourselves in the process. You will want to set some “me-time” aside to read this breath of fresh air from Ms. Holden.


Premise: A ’serious’ British actress getting her first big commercial break, a papparazzi-loving American actress looking to find her way back into the limelight, and a down-to-earth British nanny wrestle with the question of what makes someone attractive.

Cover: Eye-catching, saturated color, classic chicklit stiletto icon, title that can be interpreted on more than one level = great cover.

What Works: Apprentice Writer doesn’t recall how she first came across this author’s work several years ago, but she has been an admirer of the over-the-top Britlit style ever since. The daily life dilemmas of the protagonists are so easily relatable the reader can’t help but sympathize, the self-centred misbehavior of the antagonists so overblown that the reader often develops perverse affection for their delusions of grandeur. Ms. Holden’s novels are great fun, and this one is no exception. She takes such glee in skewering stereotypes that one can’t help but go along with it and speculate about what composite of celebrities may have inspired various novel characters. It is not a simple ’let’s laugh at the out-of-touch-with-reality celebrities’ story, though; by taking certain behaviors or character traits of more ordinary folks to the extreme to make a point, this is also a cautionary tale about the risks that can go along with blind deference to fame or social status.

AW’s favorite scene was right at the end, when an Italian character confesses his deepest sin. In a story dotted with shortcomings of various intensities and unpleasantness, the secret revealed as most shameful was so true to character and believable it provided the perfect comedic endnote.

What Doesn’t: Apprentice Writer has observed that often, a person’s greatest strength can also be their weakness. She has long admired this author’s skill at with multiple point-of-view characters, the a heroine/villainess juxtaposition often being the most enjoyable aspect of the story. In this case, the reader entered the thoughts of a rather staggering number of characters - male and female, mature and teenaged, financially advantaged and financially exploited, talented and wannabe, shifting across three countries - such that this reader suffered occasional moments of head-hopper exhaustion which led at times to lack of connection with the character de page. Reflecting on this narrative choice, it occured to Apprentice Writer that it may have been intended as a statement on the fleeting nature of fame and how one barely comes to recognize a new star before his/her face is swept away on the tide of new up-and-comers. So, she will give benefit of the doubt and call this a clever nod to the reality of all the ’beautiful people’ out there struggling to make their living from their appearance.

The second thing that made AW say ’Huh?’ was the opening point-of-view. None of the three primary characters, nor even one of the ’main’ (if that’s the correct word) secondary characters, but a minor (AW is going to call it tertiary) character who then disappears for a long stretch. This confused her, used as she is to the current fictional convention of opening with either the protagonist or antagonist, and therefore feeling in a holding pattern of anticipation that that tertiary character would enter the scene again at any moment. It took quite some time to clue in that that wasn’t going to happen. Again, once she thought about it, AW could appreciate that the scene was actually a bullseye choice for a story about, duh, beautiful people: a top executive for a modelling agency who is eternally on the lookout for the next ’It’ face spots one in the wild (i.e. on a London street). AW will further admit that she really enjoyed the funny twist, wherein the executive is stunned when the boy to whom the traffic-stopping face belongs is indifferent to being discovered, and runs away. It was like the fish story of talent scouts. AW slotted it in under ’Who says the rule of opening with a main character can’t be broken?’

But does it make you laugh? YES
This is a classic Holden tale, with eccentric ensemble cast and lots of changes of scenery. Another novel perfectly suited to the beach bag or airplane carry-on from the queen of contemporary social satire.


Beautiful People is the story of two actresses, each vastly opposite from the other, two equally opposite men, and two drastically different nannies — all colliding in this light, fun story of movies sets, relationships, fad diets, and day care.

Darcy Prince is a London-born serious actress whose integrity and art form are properly secure. She comes from a family of serious actors, lives in a flat and gets by on her minimal theater wages. Niall, also known as Grahm MacDonald, is her insecure British actor-boyfriend, who criticizes her trip to Los Angeles to meet with a famous Hollywood director. Serious actors don’t go to Hollywood, they suffer on the stages of London and New York!

Belle Murphy, on the other hand, is a plastic Hollywood actress, whose fortune was made by good DPs and plastic surgery. Her career is spiraling down the tubes, and her tabloid presence has her falling toward the gutter reminiscent of Lindsay Lohan or Brittany Spears. In other words, she is the kind of celebrity you love to hate, and you hate to look away from.

Surrounding these two characters is a cast of many, but few we actually like. Don’t worry, it’s clear upon first meeting which are the "good guys" and which are the "bad guys". Holden gives us Hollywood, London, and finally, Tuscany, where all the actors, and company, come together to film a big budget film called Galaxia (it’s ok to giggle).

There’s sex, drugs, scandals, and even an exercise thinstructor to the stars. We certainly do love to hate the cliché beautiful people, who are ugly on the inside, and love to love the so-called ugly people, who are beautiful on the inside. I guess the only exception to that rule is Orlando, who is a beautiful boy whom everyone wants a piece of - for a magazine, a photo shoot, a film, a romp - but all he wants is a humble life with a nice girl (cue the "Awww"). It is satisfying to finally read a book where the good people are rewarded and the ugly people are given their just deserts.

I only had one problem with the book. First chapter, first page, we meet Sam Sherman, head of the Wild Modeling Agency. Strangely, she is forgotten until Chapter 27, Page 191. I found it strange to spend so much time introducing a character in the beginning of a book who doesn’t mean much to the development of the story as a whole and is a loose end at the end of the novel. I’ll get over it, but Sam left me scratching my head.

This is the kind of book that one should be reading on a beach somewhere (not during the middle of a snow storm in New Jersey, as I had read it). It’s a light read, full of ridiculous characters and impossible plots, and chuckle-worthy at times. Beautiful People is not your serious winter novel, I can assure you, but one you should throw in your beach bag.


Now, I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to read a book about beautiful people when I was making my reading decision for the night. I mean, after feeling ‘not so beautiful’ all day, it seemed like I might get a little irritated reading about the trials and tribulations of the rich and beautiful. Instead, I had a very pleasant surprise as I got into Wendy Holden’s new book, Beautiful People. Yes, the book is definitely about the ‘beautiful people’ but it is written from the viewpoint of some of the non-beautiful people who have to deal with them on a daily basis. I loved it! I felt like I had the inside scoop on what all different types of people have to go through in their everyday lives.

The story does not center on any one character more than another. There is Darcy, the struggling English actress who has the chance of a lifetime to become a mega-Hollywood star. The reader sees her struggle with emotions concerning her desire to not lower herself to be the next cheap Hollywood thrill while desperately wanting to become a superstar. We also meet a Hollywood agent, Mitch, who is trying his best to convince Darcy to come save his flailing career. Mitch is an overweight manager in a town that worships beauty and his top star, Belle, is a 26 year old has been. He needs a new star to keep him on top and he will do anything he can to get Darcy to star in the latest big budget movie.

Belle is an important Hollywood star who won an Oscar just one year before but, at 26 years old, she is considered old news and she is doing everything she can to get back on top – including adopting a child from Africa to get her name back in the news. Her boy toy, Christian, has dumped her to better his career even though he only has one because of her. He plans on getting to the big time and Belle, the plastic surgeon queen, is not going to get him there.

We also meet Emma, the nanny from the north of England, who genuinely loves the children she takes care of, which seems to be a hard thing to find in the ‘society conscious’ nannies of the rich. She is so good that the mothers realize how little they actually care for their own children and that makes for some tense moments with her employers. Emma lives for her children until the she day she meets Orlando – and she begins to understand that there is so much more out there for her.

The author gave the characters in this novel a lot of detail and depth which made them both real and interesting. Once I started the book, I could not put it down. It was fascinating to read a story from so many different people’s point of view, I truly enjoyed Wendy Holden’s unique approach. From the rich and famous celebrity to the average mousy girl, this novel has a story to tell for every reader. It was quite easy to find someone to empathize with as well as someone to hate. Someone to love and someone you wish you could meet. Pick up Beautiful People and travel from England to Hollywood to Italy as you read about the trials and tribulation of the beautiful people. You’ll enjoy the ride!


Summary: This is a story about three different people: Darcy, a proper English actress, who gets a call from Hollywood for a huge part in a new blockbuster, Belle, who was a big star a year ago, but since her last film bombed, is yesterday’s news and Emma, a down-to-earth nanny, trying to survive in London’s childcare scene of crazy celebrity moms. Set in London, Hollywood and Italy, see how their worlds collide.

My Thoughts: I had read mixed reviews about Beautiful People, with some people saying it was too confusing and hard to follow and I didn’t find that to be the case at all. The main characters are all so different that it was easy to keep them and their storylines straight. It was fun to root for the good guys and wish terrible things on the bad and to see how the author tied all their stories together. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what happened and I was totally satisfied. I think I may have read some of her other books, but I’ll have to check into that because I definitely want to read more. A great, fun read!!

My Rating: 4/5


From Barnes & Noble synopsis: A fabulous romantic romp revolving around the adventures of a struggling actress, a fame-crazed former film star, and a down-to-earth nanny, Beautiful People jets to London, Hollywood, and Italy at a frenzied pace. Holden creates a tale wicked in its observations yet buoyant at its heart. A confection that’s made for summer reading.

Well I couldn’t really agree more with Barnes and Noble’s assessment. Light, frothy, and frenetic, this book was a fun read easy to jump right back into, devouring a bit at a time, leaving a treat for another time. With all of the incredibly vivid characters and their interweaving storylines, I was shocked that I could pick up the book and re-imerse myself in the story and not get confused. There are so many people and stories in this novel that it was a bit confusing for me initially, but they were masterfully interwoven with each other for a neat, anything but tidy ending. Well worth the read!

Beautiful People is a funny, entertaining novel that will keep you turning the pages. It is a story of a group of people, whose lives all intertwine without their knowledge, proving that some things are best left to fate.

Darcy is a struggling actress in London, trying to make it big. She is working in the theater and is surprised when a call comes in from LA for a role in the upcoming movie, Galaxia, starring Hollywood hottie Christian Harlow. Darcy debates whether she should take the role as she would have to leave her boyfriend Nialls behind. After talking to her agent and Nialls, she decides to leave for LA and pursue her dreams.

Belle is an actress on her way out. She was once a star, but now her ratings have dropped. With her plastic looks, size zero body, and bad temper, no one wants to sign her up. Belle knows there is competition on the horizon and she will do anything to land a role. In fact she wants to star with her boyfriend Christian in the new movie Galaxia. Belle is so desperate to improve her ratings that she plans on adopting a baby from Africa, even though she doesn’t like children.

Emma is a young, down to earth nanny who left her small hometown to move to London. She was employed by a family to care for their two small children, Hero and Cosmo. Emma adored the children and they thrived under her care and guidance. When Emma was suddenly let go after her employer found drugs in her room, she knew she had been set up, but why and by whom??? Emma finds a position working for Belle, the fading star, taking care of her infant. As much as Emma dislikes Belle’s lifestyle she knows the baby needs her.

As the movie is set for production in Italy, the cast and crew head to Florence. Darcy finds herself questioning why she even took the role. She meets an interesting man, a local chef, but her heart is back in England with Nialls. But Nialls is not in England. He has flown to Italy to surprise Darcy, but has fallen under Belle’s spell. Cosmo and Hero are vacationing in Florence with their new nanny, but she has abandoned them for seedy recreation. Emma is shocked when she finds the children playing in the streets of the city on their own.

Beautiful People has one movie and a cast of flawed characters - from London to LA to Italy, indiscretions abound, and you are in for a great escape.

LOVED IT

I have been a fan of Wendy Holden since I first read Fame Fatale. She writes British Chick Lit that is just wonderful. Beautiful People is another hit with me, in fact, I think it is her best work to date. You are immediately sucked in by the characters and the plot which covers a lot of ground quickly. This will be one of the summer’s best beach reads. It is pure frothy fun! If you enjoy Sophie Kinsella or Helen Fielding, you will love this author.

I for one thought that the beginning was a little bit slow going and had too many characters. If you’re one of those people that put down a book after 100 pages because you aren’t liking it then I encourage you to keep reading on this one.

Now remember, I’m being totally honest here! I was confused at the start; trying to figure out the whirlwind of characters were going to relate to each other was not happening for me. Oh...but Wendy Holden surprises you!

After you meet the characters the story starts falling together and she magically ties each one’s story to the next. (This took some talent...it is quite a group of characters!) It was done well and I was happy with the book once I started to understand it.

Now...I was sitting there through half of the book thinking ’Man! I hope these bitches get what they deserve!." Seriously, that was my thought! So yes, I ended up rushing through to the end of the book and I’m happy to say that yes, they got what they deserved.

Overall, if you can get past meeting all players in the story, them it’s worth the read. Once you get into It you’ll be sitting there rooting for the underdogs and racing to the end.

This was a fun sparkling jet set read! (sounds cheesy but it’s fitting) As different and sometimes silly as the women (and the world they lived in) were at times, I enjoyed reading their adventures. You get lots of Hollywood and international glamour. Though this was centered around the entertainment industry, Holden reminded me of Lisa Jewell and Helen Fielding, two other popular British authors.

Because we are getting into warmer weather, I would suggest this for a beach/vacation read. Thank you so much to Danielle at Sourcebooks for my copy to read and review. I am going to pass it on to my good friend Cheryl next who is a huge fan of chick lit!

Author Info:
Wendy Holden has published nine novels, all being top 10 bestsellers in the UK, and is married with two young children. Her novels include Farm Fatale, Bad Heir Day, Simply Divine, Gossip Hound, The Wives of Bath, The School for Husbands, Azur Like it, and Filthy Rich.
You have to check out her website here to check out the fabulous covers of these novels!


Rating: 4 stars/ 6 stars
I would rate this one a 4, definitely worth a recommendation. It is not one that I would need to own but an author of interest to keep an eye on in the future. Come on, who doesn’t want to read about the dirty side of Hollywood?




My goodness, does that Wendy Holden make me laugh or what! I gobbled up Beautiful People, a fun story of the acting industry on both sides of the pond, Hollywood and the London stage. Darcy, a young British actress is the daughter of an acting family where the stage is the ultimate form of their craft and film is a lower form of the art. Belle is a young Hollywood actress desperate for a come-back after her recent meteoric rise and then sudden crash-and-burn. The lives of these two extremely different young actresses intersect in Southern Italy, along with former boyfriends and lovers, and potential new lovers and friends in a hysterical series of almost improbably coincidences and run-ins. The novel is peppered with secondary characters that are no less interesting than our heroine and antagonist. Emma, the conscientious Nanny who falls in love with her charges; Orlando, the extraordinarily beautiful, shy young man bullied by a social climbing mother, who is unsure of his future path, and Marco the amazing chef/owner of a wonderful local bistro are all people I would want to sit and have coffee with, or a glass of wine at Marco’s restaurant. Not so much though for Christian, the opportunistic Hollywood heart-throb or Niall the pretentious wanna-be London stage actor, both of whom use women shamelessly, Christian at least admitting to everyone about his intentions.

Not only did Beautiful Peoplehave me laughing, I was entranced enough to not put the book down, hoping that certain characters would succeed and prosper and others would get a good comeuppance or smack in the face. Light-hearted women’s fiction can sometimes be predictable, which is definitely not the case with Beautiful People. I am thrilled that Sourcebooks has brought this best-selling British author to the United States!


My Thoughts: "Unputdownable" is definitely the right word. Once I started this delightful romantic comedy, I couldn’t put it down. It’s like one giant game of musical chairs with players leaving their own element to succeed in another player’s element; Darcy, the dedicated Shakespearian actress who jets to Hollywood to audition for a part in a Star Wars type movie while Belle, the Hollywood bimbo, flies to London to try to repair her slipping image with some real stage experience. Belle just happens to try out for a role in a production of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens and succeeds! How , you ask, well you will just have to read the twist in this plot thread to see! Let’s just say it’s not your typical Shakespeare production.

The action ramps up in Italy when the movie production begins and other characters holiday in the same town. A lot of situations come to a head while characters search for fame, fortune and love in a tumultuous manner. There are some well deserved come-uppances, some soul-searching questions and answers along with plenty of romance.

Occasionally predictable but this reader didn’t mind one bit; I was having too much fun with these characters. Of course, there were some characters who sometimes I just wanted to reach into the pages and slap! When I can easily get a running mental image in my head of all the characters, their surroundings and actions, then I know the author has done a good job.

Holden’s wit is rapier sharp and her keen sense of observation of the comedic is spot on. I had never read Wendy’s books before but now I am a dedicated fan. This story tugged at my heartstrings, tickled my funny bone and just plain delighted me at every turn of the page.

Thoughts: Simply Divine! If you miss Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell, then ladies I have the cure. Beautiful People is the next Lipstick Jungle! I enjoyed this light read so much. Just as much as I miss Sex and the City and the ladies of Lipstick Jungle. Wendy brings all the working girls back into scene from London and tells all the dirty secrets of each job. Darcy is the daughter of an acting family and Belle is a young Hollywood actress. They both meet in Southern Italy where former lovers and exes meet. New lovers come in and the run ins are just dramatic. Emma was my favorite character because she falls for a Orlando who is bullied by his social climbing crazy mother. The drama is DELICIOUS! Secondary characters prosper and this book will keep you’re interest. I almost rolled off the couch when I was reading this, so it means you have to read it too!




British author Holden (Filthy Rich) deftly weaves several plotlines to an ending in rustic Italy, where Galaxia, a blockbuster Star Wars knockoff, is shooting. Darcy Prince, a serious London theater actor, is tapped as the next Hollywood It Girl but questions the system as she is forced on a crash diet. From L.A., with a stop in London to polish her tarnished image, comes almost-washed-up star Belle Murphy. Belle’s slimy but gorgeous ex, Christian Harlow, is cast in the film and also casts a spell on Darcy. Emma, Belle’s nanny for her adopted African baby, has her own story, bringing several more British families onto the scene. Business and love affairs quickly rise and fall. A touch of scandal is complemented by a drop of sweetness as the good triumph and the evil, or simply shallow, lose. VERDICT The mass of characters would be annoying in less competent hands, but Holden’s satirical humor and adept writing shine through. Glitzy fun with appeal for readers of Emma McLaughlin, Plum Sykes, or Lauren Weisberger.—Lisa Davis-Craig, Canton P.L., MI


Holden’s novel is the literary equivalent of a big-budget romantic comedy with an all-star Hollywood cast in which everyone’s stories overlap. And it is equally as carefree and enjoyable. Holden’s characters, ranging from a young and troubled starlet to a well-respected English actress, male supermodel, struggling nanny, and celebrity chef, to name but a few, have two things in common: they are all beautiful, and Holden portrays each one with humor and honesty.Their separate stories are eventually entwined in the second half of the novel, once everyone ends up in a small town in Italy, a coincidence that is surprisingly fun and funny. With clever dialogue and a great spectrum of personalities, Holden’s big book of celebrity obsession and the price of beauty is fast-paced, realistic, and hugely entertaining.

Format: Paperback

Dimensions
Length: 8 in
Width: 5.25 in
Weight: 16.00 oz
Page Count: 432 pages