The secret dreamworld of a shopaholic (by Sophie Kinsella)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nearly twenty years since I put aside my prejudice against so-called ‘chicklit’, and started reading books by the late Sophie Kinsella. Yes, they’re quick, easy reads. Yes, the characters can be irritatingly naive or irresponsible. But they get under my skin… and the writing is excellent, with quite a lot of ironic humour. So I decided it was time to reread them. 

I started with the author’s best-known book, ‘The secret dreamworld of a shopaholic’, which I first read in 2009. I had remembered the outline: Rebecca Bloomwood is a compulsive shopper who gets more and more into debt and ignores letters from her bank and credit card companies. But I hadn’t remembered any of the details, or how the book ends.

The narrative, told in the present tense by Becky herself, is interspersed with letters from her bank manager. She blames her problem on having been given a generous overdraft when she started work, which she’s never managed to pay off. And she is addicted, in a way I find hard to understand, to shopping. 

Becky loves new clothes, and cannot resist a sale or bargain. She fools herself that buying in bulk will save money long-term, even if she isn’t sure if she likes the product. She mostly buys clothes, make-up or toiletries, and shoes, and she knows that buying quality brands is better than opting for cheap alternatives. She also knows that she sometimes spends embarrassingly high amounts, and won’t even admit to her loved ones just what she has bought..

She’s not just irresponsible with money and addicted to shopping. She regularly stretches the truth, justifying it each time, and convinces herself that if she throws away the bank letters unread, then they can’t chase her. I found her very frustrating at times, though I know it’s a mark of good characterisation to feel any kind of emotion about a character in a book.

But despite her many faults, I found myself liking Becky. She’s kind, warm-hearted and generous. She’s not entirely sure how she landed her current job, as a journalist for a financial magazine; it’s a bit ironic, given how hopeless she is with money. But she is evidently a good researcher and writer, and knows how to use what information she has to produce suitable articles. She also likes press conferences and other meetings, particularly when there’s free alcohol and snacks.

Becky does start worrying about her finances and decides to start practising some economy. Which means she has to buy a book on the topic, and then stationery to enable her to keep track of her spending. She plans to stop buying coffee every day, and to make it herself at home to save money… which entails buying a new coffee machine, a grinder and a thermos. This kind of thing is typical of the way her mind works - and she is convinced that, one day, things will work out for her. Her optimism is oddly appealing.

Becky lives with her best friend Suze who is very well-off and apparently oblivious to Becky’s financial woes.  She has parents who care about her very much, but she has convinced them that she’s far more of an expert than she really is. Which is a problem when her parents’ neighbours ask for financial advice…

It’s a good story, written in a very readable style. Perhaps the shopping addiction is exaggerated - I have never come across anyone who spends as impulsively and compulsively as Becky. Perhaps the eventual resolution is a bit unlikely, too, but she’s such a likeable person overall that I was rooting for her to have some kind of solution. The one I had vaguely recalled is something that doesn’t happen until one of the later books in the series.

This kind of book is not for everyone. If you become irritated with irresponsible characters, or want a plot with more depth, then it’s probably best to leave this series alone. But if you’re willing to suspend reality somewhat, and enjoy the light-hearted look at someone like Becky, cleverly written, then I would recommend this. 

Note that this was published in the US as 'Confessions of a shopaholic'. Apparently a film of the same name has also been produced, but it's set in the US, rather than the UK, and doesn't stick to the same storyline. 

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews