All That Glitters

by Ilana Fox

Ella Aldridge seems to have it all. Married to Danny Riding, one of the Premiership's leading goal-scorers, she lives the dream - the mansion, the car, the freebie designer clothes. But Ella and Danny have a secret. Their marriage is not what is seems. Between them, it takes a lot of hard work to fool the press and the nation that they really are Love's Young Dream, when deep down Danny's desires lie elsewhere.

With Ella's star in the ascendant, the world is at her feet - a TV show, a fashion column. But then she meets Johnny Cooper, the bad boy of British television. He's ruthlessly charming and sexy, and he can see through Ella's sham of a marriage in a heartbeat. Drawn into a risky, high-octane affair, Ella suddenly realises how much she has to lose and how quickly it can be taken from her?

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

Ilana Fox has worked for a variety of national newspapers and websites, including the Daily Mail, The Sun, The Telegraph & The Mirror. She's also worked for a range of start-ups and etailers, including ASOS.com, Arcadia Group and River Island. Ilana is currently CMO at audioBoom and can be found causing trouble in Soho.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm all for a bit of chick lit but all the characters and even the plot was a bit too shallow for me and way to repetitive.

One star.

[Hannah Polley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't mind this book as I could speed through it but I found it empty of any meaningful content.

Ella goes on holiday to Thailand after a break up and meets secretly gay Premiership footballer Danny Riding. Even though Ella is not a golddigger (*cough*) she offers to marry him so that he can keep his secret as she totally never wants to be with a man again.

After being married for two minutes, Ella has an affair which is outed to the papers. Although, considering the affair was conducted completely out in the open, I am not sure how Ella failed to see this would happen?!

Anyway, Ella ends up with a happy ever after and falls in love with someone else and Danny publicly comes out as gay.

Really did not like Ella. No one her sister was angry with her! And she couldn't keep her knickers on for two minutes!

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, disclosure first. I know the author, she's fabulous. Second admission is that I am not a chick lit fan generally...so there's your need to know.

This book does indeed glitter, from the sparkling front cover to the descriptions of the world that Ella and her handsome hubby inhabit.

Ella experiences moments of euphoria and moments of utter despair and depression in this book, and each episode summons a tingle of resonance because Ilana has captured those feelings in a very real way.

We all lose our minds a little when we fall in love and we've all encountered those boys who make us feel like our minds are lost, broken, damaged beyond repair when they mess with us! These carefully crafted observations and how Ella survives and prevails invest you in the story and make you root for her the whole way through.

[Ciprian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could only manage to read the first 3 chapters, and even these with great will power.
The characters seem very shallow and cliched, the dialogue sounds completely unrealistic and the entire setting seems just way too good to be true (Ella has a perfectly hot, sexy, rich husband who loves her completely, she lives in a the perfect huge house and all of this considering she's basically an ordinary girl - not the hot one growing up). I could tell I will not like this book after the first couple of pages, but I persisted and forced myself to read the first 3 chapters, although my opinion did not change.

[Isis El-Sherbini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!!!! How romantic and amazing ❤️

[Bookevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally on I Heart.. Chick Lit.
www.chicklitkevinxx.blogspot.com

Ella Aldridge seems to have it all. Married to Danny Riding, one of the Premiership's leading goal-scorers, she lives the dream - the mansion, the car, the freebie designer clothes. But Ella and Danny have a secret. Their marriage is not what is seems. Between them, it takes a lot of hard work to fool the press and the nation that they really are Love's Young Dream, when deep down Danny's desires lie elsewhere.

With Ella's star in the ascendant, the world is at her feet - a TV show, a fashion column. But then she meets Johnny Cooper, the bad boy of British television. He's ruthlessly charming and sexy, and he can see through Ella's sham of a marriage in a heartbeat. Drawn into a risky, high-octane affair, Ella suddenly realises how much she has to lose and how quickly it can be taken from her...

I have never read any of Ilana's books but I have to say, although All That Glitters wasn't her first book, it blew me away! I blame my country's book stores for not carrying Ilana's previous books, her debut novel The Making of Mia and her second one, Spotlight but thank heavens All That Glitters is available now. About bloody time. However, I took matters at hand and contacted Ilana's PR officer at Orion and within 2 weeks I got what I wanted. The arrival of All That Glitters in my mailbox! Ta-da!

I can't say this without sounding very cliche, but it was soooooo addictive! Such a fun read; scandalous and highly entertaining. To prove my point, I finished it in 2 days! I was so caught up with the plot, I neglected doing my homework and had to rush on Sunday night but it was so worth it. And another thing about All That Glitters is that it's based on WAGs and football, basically something new to me as the only sport I'm interested in involves a glamazon on court with high fashion outfits and swishy golden locks.

Ever since I read The Perfect Location by Kate Forster, I am hooked on scandalous chick lit books, the same sub-genre as Tasmina Perry, Rebecca Chance, Jackie Collins. And adding one more talented author to that particular list - Ilana Fox. As you know I prefer books written from the heroine's perspective, which gives me more insight and understanding towards what the heroine is feeling and gives the character more depth, however Ilana's books are written from a third-person's point-of-view, and I find her writing style easy to understand and relate too.

All That Glitters really was a fantastic, tantalising read for me and I loved it. It had all the ingredients for the perfect beach read or the pick-me-up you need from a horrible day at work. The story is about Ella Albridge, (love the name!) who meets Danny Riding at a beach in Thailand, recovering from a broken heart. Few months later, they get married and Ella's life turns 180 degree for the better. Living with a famous footballer in a lavish mansion with the must-have designer outfits, practically living the dream. It was a real treat to read about the gorgeous couture as Ilana is a fashion connoisseur, hence her eye for fashion.

The heroine in the book, Ella is really warm, down-to-earth, one who keeps her promise and a really likeable character. I loved the drive and determination she had throughout the book to prove that she is not your average WAG, sorry Posh Spice, but Ella is definitely the better WAG. Without giving much away but I have to say, the characters in the book were a thrill to read about. Especially about Johnny Cooper, really made me jump into the happy ending with him!

Ilana's such a fabulous person and her talent in creative writing is spectacular. The plot had me following Ella's normal middle class life sky-rocket to being a WAG, living the dream and glamorous lifestyle. But beware, the pace of the book is rather upbeat so expect to surprised at some parts - some good, some bad - which is contribute to what a great page turner All That Glitters is. The book also brings you into the highly coveted lives of WAGs behind-the-scenes, which was really refreshing. Who knew their husbands would be threatened if their beautiful wives (WAGs) were to be more successful than them?

All That Glitters promises a really fantastic plot, a dazzling cast of characters, an unexpected scandal and the happy ever after every girl deserves. Highly entertaining and utterly addictive. My God, the glitz and glamour of the football world. I loved it and I really hope I will get another chance to read Ilana's future books.

I would like to thank Orion for sending me a copy of this sparkling fun book. And a massive thank you to Ilana in advance for sending me a signed copy!

Rating : 5/5

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ilana Fox’s third novel has been a LONG time coming. I’m not joking. It was originally due out in 2011 but was delayed, and delayed, and delayed, until eventually All That Glitters was released in its Kindle format in June 2012. You know when a book keeps being delayed and you’re just waiting for its cancellation? Yeah, I was worried about that. So I was immensely pleased to see it on Amazon and I downloaded my copy immediately.

All That Glitters is a novel that’s very on point at the moment. Considering just how famous footballers are at the moment – for their on the field AND off the field antics, and WAGs are always in the news (seriously – pick up a copy of Closer/Heat/Now/any kind of gossip rag) and you’ll see a WAG. So a novel about a footballer and his wife is always going to be interesting, even more so since I actually like football. Despite all the football interest at the moment and the fact you’d think WAGs would be a hot topic in the Chick Lit world, there aren’t THAT many books about football or WAGs. Strange, I know. So All That Glitters was a refreshing and very enjoyable read, if a lot predictable.

I’m a big stickler for predictability in Chick Lit. I know every single Chick Lit novel has some predictability in it in one way or another, but despite how much I enjoyed All That Glitters, it is without a doubt a very formulaic Chick Lit novel.
Happy football couple who are a “brand”? Check.
Affair of some kind? Check.
The consoling/kind manager? Check.
The epic idea that launches WAG into stratosphere? Check.
Blackmail of one kind or another? Check.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just left the book with no surprises. There was nothing in the reading of the novel that gave me pause, that surprised me, that made me think “Oh this is a different kind of novel”. More than anything, Ella and Danny’s story ticked all of the boxes and I did enjoy it, sure. It had potential, it could have been so much more than a footballer and his WAG and their numerous secrets that aren’t really secrets because they’re ridiculously obvious.

I liked the book. It was an easy read, it had likeable characters, but I wanted more. I wanted more of a plot than what I’ve outlined above. I wanted more from Ella, more from Danny. The brightest spot of the novel was most definitely Ella’s WAG pal Chastity Taylor. All That Glitters was a fine novel, but it did not hold a candle to The Making of Mia, Fox’s debut novel and I just wish she’d write another edgy sort-a book like that one. One that surprises me as Mia did. Fox’s fourth book is out in 2013 and I WILL be buying it, and I do recommend All That Glitters because, well, not everyone is as fussy as I am…

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a book to finish my reading for 2012, this was my 125th read of this year and easily one of my favourites. Footballers Wives was one of my favourite shows so the synopsis for this book immediately made me want to read it and I was full of hope that the book would be good, it wasn't, it was amazing. Ilana Fox is a fantastic author and I can't wait to check out her other work. However I think it'll be hard to beat this book.

Ella Aldridge marries Danny Riding and they appear to have the perfect marriage, and they do in every way apart from one, the sex. As Danny Riding is gay. I sort of worked that out from the synopsis but I spoilered it just in case people don't want to know but you do find it out pretty much near the beginning of he book. I thought both characters were great but Ella especially. Unlike a lot of chick lit characters she actually seemed to have something about her and wasn't the usual ditzy character getting herself into all sorts of accidents and trouble throughout the book. This book certainly isn't as 'chick-litty' as most chick lit books.

The rest of the characters are also a great mix and just the sort of people you could imagine seeing on Footballers Wives. I loved the character of Johnny and hated the character of Sanchez(?) something like that anyway aka the English Perez Hilton. I also loved Chastity who was another great character. Although parts of the story were obvious there were still plenty of shocks that I didn't see coming.

Ilana has a fantastic writing style and I found it so hard to put this book down that it only took me a few hours to read, always the sign of a good book. I cannot reccommend this book highly enough and if you were ever a fan of Footballers Wives then you will love this book.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tell the story of Ella who has unexpectedly entered into the glitz and famous lifestyle as a WAG by virtue of her marriage to Danny, a famous footballer. Being married obviously given Ella the access to the rich and famous lifestyle which she only heard about before. However, the marriage between her and Danny is a sham from the beginning as it is only a marriage by convenience as Danny is gay. It did not pose any question to Ella as she thought that it is not a problem as she cannot imagine being fall in love again ever after being betrayed by Fin. But soon, it becomes a problem as she met Johnny Cooper. Ella fall for him instantly but her marriage with Danny make their relationship nearly impossible.

I like the storyline very much and from the synopsis, i know it is a complicated matter that the author has undertake. But after reading thru it, i soon realised that the main focus by the author is not so much on the complicated relationship between Ella, Danny and Johnny. In fact, the relationship between Ella and Johnny is part of a scam engineered to make the downfall of Danny. The author actually focus more toward the aftermath of the separation between Ella and Danny.. on how Ella have pick up and move on from her short lived famous lifestyle. Ella in this story is a naive and trustworthy.. so much so that she refused to accept the reason on Johnny not in contact and answered all her calls and that their relationship does not matter as much to him. I really proud of her way of tackling the issue once she overcome her shock by going to the press and expose to the public of the actual person Johnny is. I really like that part very much. OVerall, this book is an easy to read with many twist and turns that make this book very interesting. ;)

[Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ella has married Danny Ridings, an up and coming name in the world of football and together they're putting on the front of being England's new power couple.

However Johnny Cooper completely undoes Ella, seeing through her marriage, penetrating Ella's exterior and holding the potential to cause a world of trouble.

The good thing about this book was that it was a quick and easy read; on the surface a bit feel good and not quite as predictable as you'd expect.

On the downside sections of it just don't make sense? I had thought the story would focus more on the nature of the marriage and the problems it would cause, but it seemed that section was actually over pretty quick.

All the characters are painfully 2D as all of them are described as some varying degree of 'hot' and despite being told Ella is 'somehow special' you're not really sure why because she ends up seeming pretty careless and selfish at times. As for the secondary cast, they only seem to be brought in when the plot needs them with no real explanation as why or any real character.

[Preet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella Alridge isn't what you'd picture as the typical footballer's wife, let alone a WAG. But she's getting married to Danny Riding, one of the best footballers (soccer players to us Americans) and it looks like she's got it all. But does she?

To be honest, I was expecting a great book, full of glitz and glamour and I got one. I was also expecting the lows Ella faced, but there was something about them that just hit me. I know the world of celebrity and glamour is cut throat, but some of the twists in this book were like,"Whoa!" I had to take a step back and calm down.

I liked Ella except for one quality of hers. The one where she needed a guy or was helpless. It seemed like she was that way for most of the second half of the book. Anyhow, the story is entertaining and very educational as well. It's an Ilana Fox book, it's what you're gonna get.

[Deb Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this book started. great storyline then it all of a sudden just seemed to change. .. don't get me wrong I still loved reading it. just wanted more Danny and Ella or Ella and Johnny. .. oh well great book to read. looking forward to checking out her other.

[Zara Pemberton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, recommend to all. The only downside is the first couple of chapters are not written as good, which makes it hard to follow the background. Once you grasp it you won't want to put it down. The ending is drawn out, still enjoyed the book.

[Candy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't impressed with this book if I'm honest.

[Aimie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit wet I thought. Very easy going, not much depth to the characters or the book. Half decent holiday read.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good easy read

[Laure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book but not that bad either. Quite predictable but well developed. And with a happy ending which I was needing.

[Jaynee Millar · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was very interesting, once you start reading it, its just too hard to put down.

[Aya · Rating 4 out of 5]

light, nice novel...i liked being drawn to it

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into this, but I really enjoyed it towards to the middle. Lovely ending too.