Where in the world did Becky Bloomwood Brandon, our favorite Shopaholic, go? Sophie Kinsella’s brand of Shopaholic novels have been built upon a feisty Brit who finds every excuse to shop until she drops and her credit cards are maxed out. Her taste is haute couture and shiny shopping bags from designer row. She has attracted legions of Shopaholic fans built upon the reader’s ability to identify with a fellow shopaholic.

I will never forget my first trip to Harrods. Luxury room number one, luxury room number two and more drew me into a world of the rustle of shopping bags, the softness of fine cashmere, the scents of cologne and leather, international food and wine gifts --- the ultimate shopping experience that endears readers to Becky’s adventures in shopping. Imagine my dismay to discover that since I read and reviewed SHOPAHOLIC AND BABY that Becky has attended Golden Peace, a program that treats shopaholic addicts with the mantra “buy calmly and with meaning.” Apparently, the program worked because Becky is so guilty making souvenir purchases in a Las Vegas hotel that she convinces all the other shoppers to put their items back on the shelf as well.

"This is a quick, fun read with the bright lights and decadence of Las Vegas to add the golden touch of luxury that shopaholic readers have come to love and expect."

The reader can be sure of one thing: Whatever Becky attempts, it is always a madcap adventure. SHOPAHOLIC TO THE RESCUE finds Becky and her best friend, Suze, dropping everything to search for Becky’s dad. No one is quite sure why he left town abruptly along with Suze’s titled husband, Tarquin. Instead of taking his word that he’s okay and trying to help a friend, Becky’s mother is in a tizzy, and a whole group of Becky’s family and friends head out in a motor home to find him. A cross country trip in a motor home, stopping at diners in the middle of the desert, is way out of Becky’s comfort zone and not her style, but she is determined to solve several mysteries, including why Suze is suddenly keeping her distance.

They finally reach Las Vegas, where the novel makes a shopaholic reader smile as they take rooms at The Venetian. Complimentary chips for the casino freak Becky out. She is under the crazed assumption that being a shopping addict will lead her to “descend into gambling-addiction hell.” Her expertise tossing a Visa card and gathering her winning purchases with glee has prepared her for the seduction of the Roulette table: “I’ve won so many times, I feel like the gambling goddess.” Now here’s the Becky we all know and love! When she makes $800, she suddenly stops gambling. Oh no, not again. That darn Golden Peace program has made her feel guilty and undeserving. She wins enough to purchase a gray cashmere Armani jacket for hubby Luke, which was her strategy all along.

The core story of SHOPAHOLIC TO THE RESCUE is actually secondary to the personality of our heroine. It is her elaborate plan that rights the wrongs her father was committed to making right. This is a quick, fun read with the bright lights and decadence of Las Vegas to add the golden touch of luxury that shopaholic readers have come to love and expect. Becky will always be Becky, but she has grown up. Her greatest assets are her long-standing friendship with Suze; the love and adoration of her handsome husband; and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Minnie, who is a pure delight and a mini shopaholic in the making.

Becky is one of those women who succeeds amidst drama, adventure, haute couture, family, friendship and love. She has a lust for life, “a determination, a positive spirit” --- and, most importantly, her beloved credit cards!