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Brooklyn Girls #2
Love and Chaos
Wild child and secret romantic Angie wakes up in a hotel room with $3,000 and no memories of the night before. Her best friends aren't talking to her, she can't get a job in fashion, her parents are divorcing, and she's about to turn twenty-three. And life is about to get much worse.
Brooklyn Girls: Love and Chaos continues the story of our five favorite grads sharing a brownstone and starting out in New York City through Angie's eyes. On a journey from private jets and yacht parties to dirty subways and hipster bars via crazy storms, flash floods, and retail jobs from hell, Angie discovers who she is, what she wants, how she's going to get it —and a crazy little thing called true love.
Meanwhile, her roommates lives are imploding, too. Coco's self-medicating and self-loathing, Pia's breaking up and cracking up, Madeleine's finding her voice and Julia might—just might—have met someone she can actually date.
Brooklyn Girls is the hilarious, inspiring Gemma Burgess series every twenty-something has been waiting for that tells you that whatever you do, whatever mistakes you make, everything is going to be okay. All you need is a little luck, a little work, and your best friends.
Brooklyn Girls: Love and Chaos continues the story of our five favorite grads sharing a brownstone and starting out in New York City through Angie's eyes. On a journey from private jets and yacht parties to dirty subways and hipster bars via crazy storms, flash floods, and retail jobs from hell, Angie discovers who she is, what she wants, how she's going to get it —and a crazy little thing called true love.
Meanwhile, her roommates lives are imploding, too. Coco's self-medicating and self-loathing, Pia's breaking up and cracking up, Madeleine's finding her voice and Julia might—just might—have met someone she can actually date.
Brooklyn Girls is the hilarious, inspiring Gemma Burgess series every twenty-something has been waiting for that tells you that whatever you do, whatever mistakes you make, everything is going to be okay. All you need is a little luck, a little work, and your best friends.
303 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2014
15 people are currently reading
1081 people want to read
About the author
Gemma Burgess
15 books626 followersGemma started writing anti-romantic comedies for girls who like chicklit that comforts and charms without the silly fluffy bits. She lives in Notting Hill in London, but grew up all over the place – mostly Hong Kong. She loves talking and writing, not necessarily in that order.
She also loves burgers, vodka, white-tipped Marlboro Lights, OK GO, Sixteen Candles, Lucky Jim, anything from Nora Ephron and Jilly Cooper, new wave music and clothes.
Email Gemma at gemma@gemmaburgess.com or get in touch with Sammie Rafique at Avon / Harper Collins, Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents (London) or Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (New York).
She also loves burgers, vodka, white-tipped Marlboro Lights, OK GO, Sixteen Candles, Lucky Jim, anything from Nora Ephron and Jilly Cooper, new wave music and clothes.
Email Gemma at gemma@gemmaburgess.com or get in touch with Sammie Rafique at Avon / Harper Collins, Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents (London) or Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (New York).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
September 15, 2016
Bože, toto bola perfektná kniha, fakt som si ju zamilovala.
Za prvé, Angie bola skvelá hlavná postava. Ľahko som sa s ňou vedela stotožniť.
Za druhé, zbožňujem v knihách a filmoch prostredie z módneho priemyslu.
Za tretie, bolo to presne to, čo som momentálne potrebovala. Príjemný, nenáročný, milý príbeh. Výborne napísaný.
Za štvrtý, milujem New York. Som sa rozhodla.
Piin príbeh bol naozaj fajn. Ale ani zďaleka sa mi nepáčil, ako toto. Moc som si to užila.
... Takže idem hľadať trojku :D
Za prvé, Angie bola skvelá hlavná postava. Ľahko som sa s ňou vedela stotožniť.
Za druhé, zbožňujem v knihách a filmoch prostredie z módneho priemyslu.
Za tretie, bolo to presne to, čo som momentálne potrebovala. Príjemný, nenáročný, milý príbeh. Výborne napísaný.
Za štvrtý, milujem New York. Som sa rozhodla.
Piin príbeh bol naozaj fajn. Ale ani zďaleka sa mi nepáčil, ako toto. Moc som si to užila.
... Takže idem hľadať trojku :D
June 17, 2014
Wild child and secret romantic Angie wakes up in a hotel room with $3,000 and no memories of the night before. Her best friends aren’t talking to her, she can’t get a job in fashion, her parents are divorcing, and she’s about to turn twenty-three. And life is about to get much worse.
I LOVE the idea of making a book about each girl. Now, I will admit that in the beginning Angie annoyed me with her stupid decisions but she grew on me and then I ended up liking her and the book. I also decided that if I was 22 and was put into solutions like her (rich solutions) I might have done the same thing. Thankfully, I was raised by a single mom who strugged so take care of me so I didn't have to deal with Richie Riches problems. I highly recommend this series if you want a fun and easy read.
I LOVE the idea of making a book about each girl. Now, I will admit that in the beginning Angie annoyed me with her stupid decisions but she grew on me and then I ended up liking her and the book. I also decided that if I was 22 and was put into solutions like her (rich solutions) I might have done the same thing. Thankfully, I was raised by a single mom who strugged so take care of me so I didn't have to deal with Richie Riches problems. I highly recommend this series if you want a fun and easy read.
February 28, 2022
2,5 ⭐
Leí la primera entrega de Brooklyn Girls el año pasado, y bueno, muy flojita. Creo que he conectado un poco más con esta segunda historia, aunque se me ha vuelto a atragantar la protagonista, Angie, como ya me pasó con la anterior, Pia. No creo que siga con la serie porque el resto de compañeras de piso me motivan aún menos.
Leí la primera entrega de Brooklyn Girls el año pasado, y bueno, muy flojita. Creo que he conectado un poco más con esta segunda historia, aunque se me ha vuelto a atragantar la protagonista, Angie, como ya me pasó con la anterior, Pia. No creo que siga con la serie porque el resto de compañeras de piso me motivan aún menos.
December 22, 2015
I’ve actually enjoyed reading this more than the first book in the series. I feel like I could relate more with Angie’s story than Pia’s. It’s probably because it’s less incredulous than Pia’s histrionics and more focused on the romance this time. Aside from the still very much centered theme of BFF’s amongst the girls, we get to see more of the main character’s love interest. I loved Angie’s characterization because it’s very real and more likable. I’m not saying I don’t like Pia – obviously I do but Miss Burgess obviously made the other girls “less visible” here and I liked it.
If you’ve not read the first book, the series centers on five young female adults living in Brooklyn and their quest to find their own place in the world of adulthood. This second installment focuses on Angie, an aspiring fashion designer who’s BFF with Pia (from the first book) and at the age of 22 is still struggling to find a career that obviously involves fashion. Add all the drama about her parents’ divorce, her nasty “rich friends” and a bit of misunderstanding with the girls, love and chaos ensues that will ultimately leave a lesson or two for Angie and the girls.
“Never cry over anything that won’t cry over you”
I seriously loved Angie’s story. It was like a season taken from the “Gossip Girl” but somehow, more relatable. It’s like I could see Angie in me when I was young. The feeling of time suffocating you and the past trying to get the best of you at the same time. I was in that situation at one point in my life and I think being / acting crazy like Angie was the one approach I did to combat that feeling. I know it was immature but I think it’s safe to say the majority will agree with me – we learn from these crazy experiences and end up regretting a lot of things.
“Regret… it’ll kill you. Out of all the negative emotions, regret is the one that will get its claws into your soul.”
Back to the book, a few things ticked me off in it. The first one was Pia and Aidan’s relationship. I really don’t get it. Both are career-driven and madly in love with each other. No one wanted to sacrifice and I salute the author for that decision where Pia didn’t try to follow Aidan to California but I want a bit more progress from them at least. Jeez, I am so disappointed with Pia acting all crazy in this book and Aidan being a "cockmonkey" about leaving. I’m not even going to mention their reunion because I know something’s not pleasant about to happen in the next book. See, I’m not a big fan of long distance relationship.
Secondly, the whole thing about Stef was just easily dealt with. What’s up with that? Slap him and destroy his beloved Ferrari? Really? That’s it? Cmon’ gimme some good butt kicking here. I was totally rolling my eyes at this scene. And can I just say I do not like this “Bad Blood” theme going on with the girls where they end up becoming some sort of “Avengers” – it’s a bit immature in a book where they’re trying to show that they’re growing up. Uhm, no. Just no.
I am also disappointed with Jonah not getting much spotlight here because he’s such a lovely character during the first book. I guess, it’s a total goodbye for his character. *sigh*
And that ending. Ugh. Really? After that last kiss – the guy has to leave and that’s it??? I want more Sam in the third book!!!!
Aside from these little complaints / criticisms, I really did enjoy this book and I’m looking forward to reading the third installment. I’m hoping that it’ll be Coco’s story next time. Julia and Maddy doesn’t interest me much at this point so I’m hoping that next book will convinced me to like them as much as the rest of the girls. To my girl friends’, do try this lovely series and maybe you can learn a thing or two from it. *wink*
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
If you’ve not read the first book, the series centers on five young female adults living in Brooklyn and their quest to find their own place in the world of adulthood. This second installment focuses on Angie, an aspiring fashion designer who’s BFF with Pia (from the first book) and at the age of 22 is still struggling to find a career that obviously involves fashion. Add all the drama about her parents’ divorce, her nasty “rich friends” and a bit of misunderstanding with the girls, love and chaos ensues that will ultimately leave a lesson or two for Angie and the girls.
“Never cry over anything that won’t cry over you”
I seriously loved Angie’s story. It was like a season taken from the “Gossip Girl” but somehow, more relatable. It’s like I could see Angie in me when I was young. The feeling of time suffocating you and the past trying to get the best of you at the same time. I was in that situation at one point in my life and I think being / acting crazy like Angie was the one approach I did to combat that feeling. I know it was immature but I think it’s safe to say the majority will agree with me – we learn from these crazy experiences and end up regretting a lot of things.
“Regret… it’ll kill you. Out of all the negative emotions, regret is the one that will get its claws into your soul.”
Back to the book, a few things ticked me off in it. The first one was Pia and Aidan’s relationship. I really don’t get it. Both are career-driven and madly in love with each other. No one wanted to sacrifice and I salute the author for that decision where Pia didn’t try to follow Aidan to California but I want a bit more progress from them at least. Jeez, I am so disappointed with Pia acting all crazy in this book and Aidan being a "cockmonkey" about leaving. I’m not even going to mention their reunion because I know something’s not pleasant about to happen in the next book. See, I’m not a big fan of long distance relationship.
Secondly, the whole thing about Stef was just easily dealt with. What’s up with that? Slap him and destroy his beloved Ferrari? Really? That’s it? Cmon’ gimme some good butt kicking here. I was totally rolling my eyes at this scene. And can I just say I do not like this “Bad Blood” theme going on with the girls where they end up becoming some sort of “Avengers” – it’s a bit immature in a book where they’re trying to show that they’re growing up. Uhm, no. Just no.
I am also disappointed with Jonah not getting much spotlight here because he’s such a lovely character during the first book. I guess, it’s a total goodbye for his character. *sigh*
And that ending. Ugh. Really? After that last kiss – the guy has to leave and that’s it??? I want more Sam in the third book!!!!
Aside from these little complaints / criticisms, I really did enjoy this book and I’m looking forward to reading the third installment. I’m hoping that it’ll be Coco’s story next time. Julia and Maddy doesn’t interest me much at this point so I’m hoping that next book will convinced me to like them as much as the rest of the girls. To my girl friends’, do try this lovely series and maybe you can learn a thing or two from it. *wink*
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
March 10, 2014
Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait for the next book!
I'm seriously addcited.
I'm trembling, screaming, not sleeping and thinking just about Brooklyn Girls and what's gonna happen to Miss Coco.
And Jules, really, I need Julia's book.
Now.
I'm seriously addcited.
I'm trembling, screaming, not sleeping and thinking just about Brooklyn Girls and what's gonna happen to Miss Coco.
And Jules, really, I need Julia's book.
Now.
October 10, 2014
You may or may not have noticed that I haven't finished a book in about a month - this was due to time management and priorities in new phases of my life that I had to settle and sort out.
However, this chic-lit was the perfect nighttime escapism read and I'm "finally" through, so yay, reading's gonna pick up even more now, I hope.
I love all books fashion-related, but there is one "downside" to them: they trigger something in me, inspire me, so when that happens, I read the triggering sentence and then just sit and stare, thinking about various ideas coming into my mind and often run off to jot down my newest brainstorm.
Happened quite often with dear little Angie-of-the-impeccable-style!
Also, how cute is Sam :)
However, this chic-lit was the perfect nighttime escapism read and I'm "finally" through, so yay, reading's gonna pick up even more now, I hope.
I love all books fashion-related, but there is one "downside" to them: they trigger something in me, inspire me, so when that happens, I read the triggering sentence and then just sit and stare, thinking about various ideas coming into my mind and often run off to jot down my newest brainstorm.
Happened quite often with dear little Angie-of-the-impeccable-style!
Also, how cute is Sam :)
August 13, 2015
Prišlo mi to o niečo slabšie ako Pia. Angie bola fajn, ale tuším, že tej sebaľútosti mala viac ako Pia. Bolo to viac romantickejšie a trošku menej vtipnejšie, ale aj napriek všetkému sa mi to páčilo. Gemma Burgess má skvelý štýl písania!
August 27, 2017
Segunda parte. Siempre tengo esperanza en las 2das partes cuando la 1ra no ha sido mi favorita y bueeeeeh. Esta a superado un poquito a la 1ra. En esta entrega quien narra es Angie, la chica fiestera loca y medio drogadicta (digo medio drogadicta porque la autora no cuenta ese detalle como un problema, pero una chica que toma y consume drogas a diario porque quiere evadir su realidad es una drogadicta) en fin, un dia se levanta en una habitación de hotel y no sabe que ha pasado. Lo mejor? Que ella se levanta, ve un condon y piensa "wow al menos hemos usado condon" -_-
En el hotel consigue, junto a sus cosas, un sobre con 3000 dolares. Angie no recuerda absolutamente nada de lo que paso, pero se va con sus 3000 dolares a su casa, con sus amigas. A seguir emborrachandose y portandose mal.
Se va de viaje con un "amigo" rico como ella (porque ella es una medio rica venida a menos) y allí no solo descubre qué paso en el hotel (o lo supone, porque iba tan drogada que ni se acuerda) sino que también conoce al que se convierte en su amigo/amor platónico.
Tengo que admitir que Angie me cae un poco mejor que Pia, al menos no se comporta como una adolescente estúpida, pero aun así, el personaje tiene muchos problemas que internos que la autora aborda como si fuese algo normal y totalmente valido y que además no necesitas ayuda sino que se van solos. Es decir, todo pasa.
Creo que estoy entendiendo el mensaje de la autora: cagala como sea que igual todo se va a arreglar y no se si eso sea siempre así.
Por supuesto que hay presencia de las otras amigas: vemos a Pia hacer dinero con su super idea innovadora (aja), conocemos otros lados de Julia, Coco (sobretodo a Coco) y Madeleine.
Como dije, esta novela me gusto ligeramente mas que la anterior, pero algo asi como un 1.5% mas que la anterior.
En el hotel consigue, junto a sus cosas, un sobre con 3000 dolares. Angie no recuerda absolutamente nada de lo que paso, pero se va con sus 3000 dolares a su casa, con sus amigas. A seguir emborrachandose y portandose mal.
Se va de viaje con un "amigo" rico como ella (porque ella es una medio rica venida a menos) y allí no solo descubre qué paso en el hotel (o lo supone, porque iba tan drogada que ni se acuerda) sino que también conoce al que se convierte en su amigo/amor platónico.
Tengo que admitir que Angie me cae un poco mejor que Pia, al menos no se comporta como una adolescente estúpida, pero aun así, el personaje tiene muchos problemas que internos que la autora aborda como si fuese algo normal y totalmente valido y que además no necesitas ayuda sino que se van solos. Es decir, todo pasa.
Creo que estoy entendiendo el mensaje de la autora: cagala como sea que igual todo se va a arreglar y no se si eso sea siempre así.
Por supuesto que hay presencia de las otras amigas: vemos a Pia hacer dinero con su super idea innovadora (aja), conocemos otros lados de Julia, Coco (sobretodo a Coco) y Madeleine.
Como dije, esta novela me gusto ligeramente mas que la anterior, pero algo asi como un 1.5% mas que la anterior.
May 27, 2014
Also available on: http://chicklitpad.blogspot.com
MY SYNOPSIS
Imagine this: You are twenty-three. Crap. YOU ARE TWENTY-THREE! Fresh from the university thinking life is going to get better―the jobs are going to get better now that you have a degree to brag with, IN YOUR FACE EMPLOYERS! Or maybe let’s make your life a lot less shittier by taking away the certificate and making you a dropout with hopes of making it into the fashion world.
Uh-oh. Total screw-up.
Total screw-up, Angie’s life is. In a city that uses its youth like Kleenex and throws them out onto(!) garbage cans, only to give them a little hope to be blown a little by the wind… then swept off fiercely from an old lady’s garden apartment, that’s how much Angie feels about her shitty not-really-that-big apple life. I mean, why wouldn’t you also if your parents are divorcing and do not find you worthy enough to break the news to you, your early life till when you decide to get serious was just you being teen and living out your days carefree only to be taken advantage of by the rich-kid-type boys who for a chance you thought loved you, a ‘boat’ boy who you just want to keep being friends with but he or you―a teeny, tiny part, albeit―cannot seem to get your head isn’t in the right place for love, fashionistas spitting you out like a strand of hair, giving out coffee to people who wouldn’t bother glazing over the resumes you sent them out with, and making a living off folding clothes!
Really? Wouldn’t the world give you a break? Wouldn’t New York give you a break?
Crying out loud who knew landing a job in fashion (without a degree―but you sure have the good ol’ guy called Talent) could be this hard?
And just when you think your problems aren’t domestic at all, you have a bunch of friend roommates to come home to, who are either going through their own drama or putting you through some!
Angie’s life summed up for your deeeeelight!
MY REVIEW
I loved, loved this book! So you know throughout my review, I would be screaming! ──★
Examination week, people! I loved the whole idea behind this, you know. Friends, New York, Sex and The City, Carrie Diaries, The Desperate Housewives… (no scrap the latter, I’m going off course again). It’s amazing, really. We all dream of taking a bite of the Big Apple and most of us would love it if we have our friends by our side going through the sometimes exciting most times shitty moments, but no, we do not get it that way most of the time… because we haven’t even reeked up enough funds in our glass purses, how much more think of taking on Big City with our friends. Gemma Burgess, with the crises of these twenty-somethings in Brooklyn, nails it on the head for selecting the right material we can yay to and sashay to the next Barnes and Nobles store, or actually get it here. ──★★
Examination week, people! I loved Angie, her voice! Wild, fun, fearless, romantic at heart… really how many twenty-somethings cannot relate to her and keep this list going. For a series description like this, the challenge is to keep each girl unique yet fun-to-read about. Now I haven’t read the first installment on Pia, but I did read the snippet excerpt chapter attached to it and new she was way different from Angie. A thumbs up to Gemma! ──★★★
Examination week, people! Not only Angie, but the other characters made me find it hard to put this down. From Anabel, the overbearing mother who embodies every other thing one of those Real Housewives are. PIa, her own drama with her boyfriend and her take-charge attitude was a thrill to read about. Julia, who was always had our lead girl’s back even when it was far out of reach (perhaps in the Carribean). Coco, the youngish sis of Julia who had the tear ducts of Joan Rivers’ boobs (that’s a big thing! But mind you, not fake). Madeline the on-and-off bitch roommate who just wants to be a friend but doesn’t know how to (control her sarcasm). Gabriel, the super-rich gentleman who for some reason I wanted to be the ‘hero’ in the book. And Sam, oh, Sam. My eyes would have been rolling to the back of my head now if I was smitten by his charms, you ladies would, trust me! It’s a characterization party in here! I loved each and every one of them. ──★★★★
Examination week! And I couldn’t put this book down. Full of so many OMG moments enough to keep me on the edge of my sun lounger (God, I miss summer!). Full of so many uplifting lines and scenes that made me assured that, I might worry so much about my future for if I’d be doing my dream job (writing), that all I need is just one (fucking fantastic) break, and that break would come surely, but I should never give up just like Angie never did. (And surely, after I closed this book it didn’t take an hour for me to receive a call from a CEO to one of the biggest advertising companies in my country I’d emailed my manuscript to, and who knew I’d land a gig as a copywriter! So you should know why this book, Angie and Gemma Burgess would forever be ingrained in my memory!) ──★★★★★
I loved, loved this book (and I hug the paperback every now and then when no one is looking.)
Love and Chaos by Gemma Burgess can be purchased right below in both paperback and kindle. You could also pick up the first book in the Brooklyn Girls series about Pia (though you do not need to read it to understand this, but I say, STILL GET IT!)
I recommend this book to anyone who is in fashion and wants to remind themselves of the insane struggles they went through to get there. Or anyone who’s not in fashion―yet(!) but wants to be uplifted by sensational so relatable literature. Anyone who’s just searching for that dream should also get this book and hold on to it. Guys, this is a new direction to New Adult chick lit that blew me away, and if writers follow this trend, New Adult books would be read more often. So by that, I mean, any woman (or man) who loves their chick lit non-New Adult-like should grab this.
I could go on gushing about this book till day break. But you’ve all got jobs, you know? And if you still are searching for that job, my advice to you, KEEP CALM AND READ LOVE AND CHAOS.
MY SYNOPSIS
Imagine this: You are twenty-three. Crap. YOU ARE TWENTY-THREE! Fresh from the university thinking life is going to get better―the jobs are going to get better now that you have a degree to brag with, IN YOUR FACE EMPLOYERS! Or maybe let’s make your life a lot less shittier by taking away the certificate and making you a dropout with hopes of making it into the fashion world.
Uh-oh. Total screw-up.
Total screw-up, Angie’s life is. In a city that uses its youth like Kleenex and throws them out onto(!) garbage cans, only to give them a little hope to be blown a little by the wind… then swept off fiercely from an old lady’s garden apartment, that’s how much Angie feels about her shitty not-really-that-big apple life. I mean, why wouldn’t you also if your parents are divorcing and do not find you worthy enough to break the news to you, your early life till when you decide to get serious was just you being teen and living out your days carefree only to be taken advantage of by the rich-kid-type boys who for a chance you thought loved you, a ‘boat’ boy who you just want to keep being friends with but he or you―a teeny, tiny part, albeit―cannot seem to get your head isn’t in the right place for love, fashionistas spitting you out like a strand of hair, giving out coffee to people who wouldn’t bother glazing over the resumes you sent them out with, and making a living off folding clothes!
Really? Wouldn’t the world give you a break? Wouldn’t New York give you a break?
Crying out loud who knew landing a job in fashion (without a degree―but you sure have the good ol’ guy called Talent) could be this hard?
And just when you think your problems aren’t domestic at all, you have a bunch of friend roommates to come home to, who are either going through their own drama or putting you through some!
Angie’s life summed up for your deeeeelight!
MY REVIEW
I loved, loved this book! So you know throughout my review, I would be screaming! ──★
Examination week, people! I loved the whole idea behind this, you know. Friends, New York, Sex and The City, Carrie Diaries, The Desperate Housewives… (no scrap the latter, I’m going off course again). It’s amazing, really. We all dream of taking a bite of the Big Apple and most of us would love it if we have our friends by our side going through the sometimes exciting most times shitty moments, but no, we do not get it that way most of the time… because we haven’t even reeked up enough funds in our glass purses, how much more think of taking on Big City with our friends. Gemma Burgess, with the crises of these twenty-somethings in Brooklyn, nails it on the head for selecting the right material we can yay to and sashay to the next Barnes and Nobles store, or actually get it here. ──★★
Examination week, people! I loved Angie, her voice! Wild, fun, fearless, romantic at heart… really how many twenty-somethings cannot relate to her and keep this list going. For a series description like this, the challenge is to keep each girl unique yet fun-to-read about. Now I haven’t read the first installment on Pia, but I did read the snippet excerpt chapter attached to it and new she was way different from Angie. A thumbs up to Gemma! ──★★★
Examination week, people! Not only Angie, but the other characters made me find it hard to put this down. From Anabel, the overbearing mother who embodies every other thing one of those Real Housewives are. PIa, her own drama with her boyfriend and her take-charge attitude was a thrill to read about. Julia, who was always had our lead girl’s back even when it was far out of reach (perhaps in the Carribean). Coco, the youngish sis of Julia who had the tear ducts of Joan Rivers’ boobs (that’s a big thing! But mind you, not fake). Madeline the on-and-off bitch roommate who just wants to be a friend but doesn’t know how to (control her sarcasm). Gabriel, the super-rich gentleman who for some reason I wanted to be the ‘hero’ in the book. And Sam, oh, Sam. My eyes would have been rolling to the back of my head now if I was smitten by his charms, you ladies would, trust me! It’s a characterization party in here! I loved each and every one of them. ──★★★★
Examination week! And I couldn’t put this book down. Full of so many OMG moments enough to keep me on the edge of my sun lounger (God, I miss summer!). Full of so many uplifting lines and scenes that made me assured that, I might worry so much about my future for if I’d be doing my dream job (writing), that all I need is just one (fucking fantastic) break, and that break would come surely, but I should never give up just like Angie never did. (And surely, after I closed this book it didn’t take an hour for me to receive a call from a CEO to one of the biggest advertising companies in my country I’d emailed my manuscript to, and who knew I’d land a gig as a copywriter! So you should know why this book, Angie and Gemma Burgess would forever be ingrained in my memory!) ──★★★★★
I loved, loved this book (and I hug the paperback every now and then when no one is looking.)
Love and Chaos by Gemma Burgess can be purchased right below in both paperback and kindle. You could also pick up the first book in the Brooklyn Girls series about Pia (though you do not need to read it to understand this, but I say, STILL GET IT!)
I recommend this book to anyone who is in fashion and wants to remind themselves of the insane struggles they went through to get there. Or anyone who’s not in fashion―yet(!) but wants to be uplifted by sensational so relatable literature. Anyone who’s just searching for that dream should also get this book and hold on to it. Guys, this is a new direction to New Adult chick lit that blew me away, and if writers follow this trend, New Adult books would be read more often. So by that, I mean, any woman (or man) who loves their chick lit non-New Adult-like should grab this.
I could go on gushing about this book till day break. But you’ve all got jobs, you know? And if you still are searching for that job, my advice to you, KEEP CALM AND READ LOVE AND CHAOS.
February 4, 2020
Lepsie ako prva cast. Ked to bude mat takuto stupajucu tendenciu, posledna cast bude skvela 😂😂😂. Uplne naj tu bol Sam...skvely, skromny, mily ....och. Angie sa tu zjavila v uplne inej poze, ako sa javila v prvej casti...ano rebelka, ano alkoholicka, ano prilezitostna fetacka a ano utajena "stetka". Tu sa pomaly odkryva jej charakter...romanticka, priatelka 😁. Celkom fajn citanie...len tak. Bez nejakej nutnosti velmi o tom premyslat.
March 23, 2014
I really love Gemma Burgess. She’s one of those authors who writes like a dream, who tells you how it really is to be a twenty-something. There’s no faffing, no sugar-coating. IT IS WHAT IT IS. And I really admire that about her and she’s become an instant favourite of mine. I will read anything she ever writes, because I know she’ll be honest. A Girl Like You is one of my favourite books, ever, and I was hoping to add her new Brooklyn Girls series to that list, too. But it hasn’t actually worked out like that. I enjoyed the first novel, Pia, and I’ll say that I did actually enjoy this one, too. This one is about Angie. But it wasn’t perfect, and I did have some issues with it.
The whole hook about the Brooklyn Girls series is that it’s real, it’s about 5 friends, all down on their luck, all going through life the way many twenty-somethings are currently going through life, but I actually found Angie to not actually be as relateable as she should have been. I really wanted to like her, and there were times when I did – when she was being honest with Sam, when she was with Sam, period, let’s be honest. But on the other hand, I just wanted to shout at her to stop being such a prissy snob. Because, she is. Angie consistenly whinges about not having a job, but it’s not about having any old job, noooooooo, Angie only wants a job in fashion, and anything other than that isn’t worth her time or effort. I work in a supermarket. Is it my dream job? HELL NO. But this is the real world, you have to do whatever you can to make money to buy whatever you want to buy (in Angie’s case, booze, booze, booze), so you don’t just turn your nose up at a retail job. That irritates me. I also really hated how she was whinging about her Dad not calling her instead of, y’know, picking up the damn phone and ringing him herself. Phones call both ways, Angie.
Angie wasn’t all bad, though! I loved the way she stood up for herself on the yacht in Turks and Caicos when it all went horribly, disastrously wrong. (I also really loved Sam following her in the little boat when she swam away from the yacht.) I liked how she (eventually) saw the mess she was in, and pulled herself out of it, because she was a mess, and she was falling down a big, dark hole, and she got out, which takes immense strength. I will always love reading about the apartment the 5 girls share, because they’re friends forever, even if they’re not friends right now. They’re all there for each other, and Angie learnt her lesson when she decided she no longer wanted to be the black sheep of the group. Her friendship with Julia in particular is amazing, and I can’t wait until we FINALLY get to Julia’s book, because she sounds flipping amazing. She seems the most levelled headed of all the girls, if truth be told. But do you want to know who really made the book for me? Sam. Of course, it was Sam. I’m a sucker for a lovely boy, and Sam was a lovely boy. His and Angie’s “just friendship” was delightful, because we all know girls and boys can never just be friends… Every scene with Sam lit up, because Angie was a better person when he was around, she was the real Angie, not the Angie she projects to everyone else. She let her guard down, and I liked that glimpse into the real Angie.
I don’t quite know what it is about the Brooklyn Girls series that isn’t making me love it as much as I want to. The writing is quite a bit snarky, and normally I love my writing snarky, but for some reason I do struggle with it whilst reading Brooklyn Girls. I think it may just be that both Pia and Angie are so outspoken, so fond of swearing, so in your face, because normally I adore Gemma’s writing, there just seems to be something ‘off’ with book Brookly Girls books that I’ve read so far that I can’t put my finger on (it’s frustrating actually). I am quite excited about the next Brooklyn Girls book, mind you, as we’re getting Coco’s story. She’s an enigma wrapped up in a mystery (or whatever that saying is, eh, Angie?) and I think she has some hidden depths waiting to be unravelled. (I also worry she may be a bit jekyll and hyde, because she seems SUPER sweet, but she’s done a few things that are a bit bizarre.) Angie was a see-saw for me, it has it’s awesome moments, but there was just something I couldn’t put my finger on, and that was a crying shame, because I wanted to adore this book.
The whole hook about the Brooklyn Girls series is that it’s real, it’s about 5 friends, all down on their luck, all going through life the way many twenty-somethings are currently going through life, but I actually found Angie to not actually be as relateable as she should have been. I really wanted to like her, and there were times when I did – when she was being honest with Sam, when she was with Sam, period, let’s be honest. But on the other hand, I just wanted to shout at her to stop being such a prissy snob. Because, she is. Angie consistenly whinges about not having a job, but it’s not about having any old job, noooooooo, Angie only wants a job in fashion, and anything other than that isn’t worth her time or effort. I work in a supermarket. Is it my dream job? HELL NO. But this is the real world, you have to do whatever you can to make money to buy whatever you want to buy (in Angie’s case, booze, booze, booze), so you don’t just turn your nose up at a retail job. That irritates me. I also really hated how she was whinging about her Dad not calling her instead of, y’know, picking up the damn phone and ringing him herself. Phones call both ways, Angie.
Angie wasn’t all bad, though! I loved the way she stood up for herself on the yacht in Turks and Caicos when it all went horribly, disastrously wrong. (I also really loved Sam following her in the little boat when she swam away from the yacht.) I liked how she (eventually) saw the mess she was in, and pulled herself out of it, because she was a mess, and she was falling down a big, dark hole, and she got out, which takes immense strength. I will always love reading about the apartment the 5 girls share, because they’re friends forever, even if they’re not friends right now. They’re all there for each other, and Angie learnt her lesson when she decided she no longer wanted to be the black sheep of the group. Her friendship with Julia in particular is amazing, and I can’t wait until we FINALLY get to Julia’s book, because she sounds flipping amazing. She seems the most levelled headed of all the girls, if truth be told. But do you want to know who really made the book for me? Sam. Of course, it was Sam. I’m a sucker for a lovely boy, and Sam was a lovely boy. His and Angie’s “just friendship” was delightful, because we all know girls and boys can never just be friends… Every scene with Sam lit up, because Angie was a better person when he was around, she was the real Angie, not the Angie she projects to everyone else. She let her guard down, and I liked that glimpse into the real Angie.
I don’t quite know what it is about the Brooklyn Girls series that isn’t making me love it as much as I want to. The writing is quite a bit snarky, and normally I love my writing snarky, but for some reason I do struggle with it whilst reading Brooklyn Girls. I think it may just be that both Pia and Angie are so outspoken, so fond of swearing, so in your face, because normally I adore Gemma’s writing, there just seems to be something ‘off’ with book Brookly Girls books that I’ve read so far that I can’t put my finger on (it’s frustrating actually). I am quite excited about the next Brooklyn Girls book, mind you, as we’re getting Coco’s story. She’s an enigma wrapped up in a mystery (or whatever that saying is, eh, Angie?) and I think she has some hidden depths waiting to be unravelled. (I also worry she may be a bit jekyll and hyde, because she seems SUPER sweet, but she’s done a few things that are a bit bizarre.) Angie was a see-saw for me, it has it’s awesome moments, but there was just something I couldn’t put my finger on, and that was a crying shame, because I wanted to adore this book.
April 14, 2014
When I read the first book in this series, Brooklyn Girls, I wasn’t so sure about the rest of the series. The language in the first book was a little off and it bugged me from time to time. But, when I saw this book come up on NetGalley I figured I would give the series a second chance… and I’m glad I did.
The first book focused on Pia whereas this book focuses on Angie, one of Pia’s friends. Angie is a bit of a wild child and really likes partying hard. Her life is a complete mess and nothing at all like she imagined it to be. She doesn’t have a job, her parents are getting a divorce and she has no idea what she’s doing. Angie knows that she’s unhappy but can’t seem to break out of her usual habits… until one party goes really wrong and everyone has the wrong idea about her.
Angie was a bit of a hard character to figure out. At times I wanted to slap her for being such an idiot and not getting herself out of the mess she got herself into but at other times, I did feel sorry for her. I think she was acting out a lot of the time because she didn’t know what else to do. Angie really puts on a front around other people, acting extremely confident and like she knows exactly what she is doing but it was nice for readers to be able to see a much softer side to her. We are able to see that she really does want to make something of herself and sort herself out.
Even though Angie’s life is spiralling out of control, there is one positive aspect and one that is unexpected. In the middle of a crazy time, Angie meets mysterious boat boy, Sam. They instantly hit it off and become really good friends. Angie feels like she can tell Sam anything and he really does help her get her life sorted a little bit. I think a lot of this was having something solid and constant in her life compared with the craziness that came before. Friendship is a really big theme in this series and it was nice to see that it wasn’t all about the girls’ friendships but Angie’s friendship with Sam as well. There is also a slow burning romance but that isn’t the main point of the story.
As I said earlier, the language used really bugged me throughout the first book as there were Britishisms thrown in all over the place. Luckily, the writing was so much better in this book and I couldn’t pick out anything that was out of place at all. The whole story flowed really well and there were now awkward moments of pages wasted. There is quite a lot going on in this book as Angie has quite a wild lifestyle so it is exciting the whole way through as well.
I am so happy to say that I really enjoyed this book. We get to know more about the girls that Angie lives with as well and it makes me want to read the next book about Coco so much more!
The first book focused on Pia whereas this book focuses on Angie, one of Pia’s friends. Angie is a bit of a wild child and really likes partying hard. Her life is a complete mess and nothing at all like she imagined it to be. She doesn’t have a job, her parents are getting a divorce and she has no idea what she’s doing. Angie knows that she’s unhappy but can’t seem to break out of her usual habits… until one party goes really wrong and everyone has the wrong idea about her.
Angie was a bit of a hard character to figure out. At times I wanted to slap her for being such an idiot and not getting herself out of the mess she got herself into but at other times, I did feel sorry for her. I think she was acting out a lot of the time because she didn’t know what else to do. Angie really puts on a front around other people, acting extremely confident and like she knows exactly what she is doing but it was nice for readers to be able to see a much softer side to her. We are able to see that she really does want to make something of herself and sort herself out.
Even though Angie’s life is spiralling out of control, there is one positive aspect and one that is unexpected. In the middle of a crazy time, Angie meets mysterious boat boy, Sam. They instantly hit it off and become really good friends. Angie feels like she can tell Sam anything and he really does help her get her life sorted a little bit. I think a lot of this was having something solid and constant in her life compared with the craziness that came before. Friendship is a really big theme in this series and it was nice to see that it wasn’t all about the girls’ friendships but Angie’s friendship with Sam as well. There is also a slow burning romance but that isn’t the main point of the story.
As I said earlier, the language used really bugged me throughout the first book as there were Britishisms thrown in all over the place. Luckily, the writing was so much better in this book and I couldn’t pick out anything that was out of place at all. The whole story flowed really well and there were now awkward moments of pages wasted. There is quite a lot going on in this book as Angie has quite a wild lifestyle so it is exciting the whole way through as well.
I am so happy to say that I really enjoyed this book. We get to know more about the girls that Angie lives with as well and it makes me want to read the next book about Coco so much more!
January 14, 2014
Let me start off by saying that this book is way better than the first book. I'm glad I decided to stick with the series and hopefully it continues to get better. Now since this book isn't out yet I'm gonna try my best to make it spoiler free. Hopefully I can.
MEET ANGIE
In this book we get to know Angie. I really thought I wouldn't like her because of the first book but after getting to know her she's become one of my favorites. She's the girl who doesn't give a damn and doesn't need anyone. Well she tries to be that girl and she succeeds because she has everyone who knows her fooled. She's also the fashionista. The girl who can throw anything together and always look good. The friend you always call when you need the perfect outfit. The only thing she's missing is a job in fashion. But she's working her butt off to get there. Not only does she have to deal with finding a job she has to deal with her family drama and boy drama. I really felt for Angie because she went through alot. And if I was her I would've gone a little bit crazy too. But I love how she matured through the story and worked out everything while still finding time to have fun. I think this is one of the first stories I could really relate too. Because I'm 22 and I'm still trying to figure out what it is I want to do and how to get it. It does get really tough and some days I feel like I have the worst luck. Gemma Burgess shows what it's really like to be a young female in her early twenties nowadays and I think that's what really made me love the story. I can't wait for the next book in the series (hopefully it's Coco!) and I hope the series gets better.
MEET ANGIE
In this book we get to know Angie. I really thought I wouldn't like her because of the first book but after getting to know her she's become one of my favorites. She's the girl who doesn't give a damn and doesn't need anyone. Well she tries to be that girl and she succeeds because she has everyone who knows her fooled. She's also the fashionista. The girl who can throw anything together and always look good. The friend you always call when you need the perfect outfit. The only thing she's missing is a job in fashion. But she's working her butt off to get there. Not only does she have to deal with finding a job she has to deal with her family drama and boy drama. I really felt for Angie because she went through alot. And if I was her I would've gone a little bit crazy too. But I love how she matured through the story and worked out everything while still finding time to have fun. I think this is one of the first stories I could really relate too. Because I'm 22 and I'm still trying to figure out what it is I want to do and how to get it. It does get really tough and some days I feel like I have the worst luck. Gemma Burgess shows what it's really like to be a young female in her early twenties nowadays and I think that's what really made me love the story. I can't wait for the next book in the series (hopefully it's Coco!) and I hope the series gets better.
September 4, 2014
To the casual onlooker, it might look like Angie James has her life all sorted out. An ‘It’ girl who knows all the right people, and goes to all the right places, Angie has a wardrobe to die for, and, you might think, a bank account fitting of her social status. Not so. With her twenty-third birthday looming, Angie is broke; she’s also unemployed and is fast becoming dependant on her good friend Vodka to get her through the day. Angie knows that things have to change; random hook ups with guys she doesn’t know and whose names she can’t even remember the morning after have left her feeling empty, used. She knows she’s better than that. She knows the life she wants is out there, somewhere. She’s just not quite sure where –or how- to find it.
Read the rest of this review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
Read the rest of this review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
September 24, 2014
I really, really liked this. In the first book, Angie didn't sound so much like my cup of tea, but this time she was more vulnerable, not so much the selfish "wild child", so I was on board with her from the start. And of course: Sam!!! Aidan in Pia's story was/is great, too, but slightly elusive. I feel like I know Sam much better, and there was a lot more interaction between him and Angie. Plus: This lady prefers blonds. :)
Three more girls to go now, can't wait for the next one (Coco), and I trust the two couples we have so far will be in that one, too. Gemma, you'd better give us a big fat HEA at the end of book 5!!!!!
BTW: The Brooklyn/Manhattan setting is nice enough, but all the time I had this London feeling. Weird.
Three more girls to go now, can't wait for the next one (Coco), and I trust the two couples we have so far will be in that one, too. Gemma, you'd better give us a big fat HEA at the end of book 5!!!!!
BTW: The Brooklyn/Manhattan setting is nice enough, but all the time I had this London feeling. Weird.
October 21, 2014
I only have one negative comment for this book really and that was the author repeating herself at few places. But other than that absolutely loved reading the book and it was definitely a lot better than the one about Pia. I was really disappointed with the first book as I am a huge fan of Burgess, especially because of "A Girl Like You" - by far my favourite ever romantic comedy book that I read 3 times so far and will probably read it many times more.
All in all I couldn't really drop this book and even squealed and cried a tiny little bit at places. Looking forward to Gemma Burgess' next book!
All in all I couldn't really drop this book and even squealed and cried a tiny little bit at places. Looking forward to Gemma Burgess' next book!
August 25, 2015
Predictable, for sure, but still immensely enjoyable. Gemma Burgess is a talented writer, no doubt about it...although she needs to stop pretending women actually refer to each other as "ladybitch." Because that is fucking bogus.
December 30, 2015
Dit is gewoon écht een hele leuke chicklit :)
July 6, 2015
To bolo ešte lepšie než Pi-in príbeh :D Angie bola skvelá! A teším sa na ďalšiu knihu :)
September 12, 2025
Brooklyn Girls is a series of books written by Gemma Burgess. She lives in London, specifically in Notting Hill, with her family.
This summary is about the second book of the series, Brooklyn Girls.
The story follows Angie James, an unemployed 23-year-old who is passionate about fashion and dreams of building a career in it. She often deals with wealthy, spoiled boys who don’t care about others.
One day, Angie wakes up in a luxurious hotel room with $3,000 and no memory of what happened except that she was with her rich friend, Steve. She returns home and ends up arguing with her roommate. Soon after, Steve invites her on a trip, but she later discovers that he was actually paid to bring her to one of his wealthy friends.
Furious, she leaves the island of Turks and Caicos. She swims away without any clothes, passport, shoes, or money. One of the yacht’s crew members follows her to the shore to help her. Eventually, Angie goes back to her home and confesses everything to her roommates—Pia, Coco, Julia, and Madeline. They support her, and she decides to cut ties with Steve and start looking for a job.
One day, the yacht crew member shows up at her door with her passport and clothes. His name is Sam. At first, Sam hides the truth about his family and his financial situation. When Angie discovers this, she feels betrayed but later realizes that he has problems with his parents and didn’t want to talk about them.
Sam ends up supporting her on her journey into the fashion world. Later, Angie follows him before he flies to Europe through his job and asks for his forgiveness.
This summary is about the second book of the series, Brooklyn Girls.
The story follows Angie James, an unemployed 23-year-old who is passionate about fashion and dreams of building a career in it. She often deals with wealthy, spoiled boys who don’t care about others.
One day, Angie wakes up in a luxurious hotel room with $3,000 and no memory of what happened except that she was with her rich friend, Steve. She returns home and ends up arguing with her roommate. Soon after, Steve invites her on a trip, but she later discovers that he was actually paid to bring her to one of his wealthy friends.
Furious, she leaves the island of Turks and Caicos. She swims away without any clothes, passport, shoes, or money. One of the yacht’s crew members follows her to the shore to help her. Eventually, Angie goes back to her home and confesses everything to her roommates—Pia, Coco, Julia, and Madeline. They support her, and she decides to cut ties with Steve and start looking for a job.
One day, the yacht crew member shows up at her door with her passport and clothes. His name is Sam. At first, Sam hides the truth about his family and his financial situation. When Angie discovers this, she feels betrayed but later realizes that he has problems with his parents and didn’t want to talk about them.
Sam ends up supporting her on her journey into the fashion world. Later, Angie follows him before he flies to Europe through his job and asks for his forgiveness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2019
I Loved this book, my new favorite books! I am 21 and I found them so relatable, and comforting. It was funny and romantic and gripping, everything I love in a book and there are three books! so you don't have to feel sad when it ends!
I love Gemma Burgess writing as it makes you feel as if you are friends with the girls and you can relate to them so much, it cheered me up on days I felt sad as all their worries and struggles were similar to mine and I felt less alone and made you giggle. The book makes you feel hopeful about turning your life around and bettering yourself and you feel good about your self, and feel that it's ok if you having sorted and planned your life out yet everything will be ok!
I love Gemma Burgess writing as it makes you feel as if you are friends with the girls and you can relate to them so much, it cheered me up on days I felt sad as all their worries and struggles were similar to mine and I felt less alone and made you giggle. The book makes you feel hopeful about turning your life around and bettering yourself and you feel good about your self, and feel that it's ok if you having sorted and planned your life out yet everything will be ok!
May 14, 2019
Me gusta la historia, ya me gustó la primera de ellas, que contaba la historia de una de las cinco chicas que comparten casa en Brooklyn. Pero no me termina de convencer el tipo de narración. Está contado en primera persona, pero en presente. Este tipo de voz narrativa nunca me ha gustado. Y al ser el segundo de la saga ya se puede ver que no tiene voz propia. La narración de Angie se parece bastante a la de Pia. Excepto, quizás, por las palabrotas.
Una historia para pasar el rato.
Una historia para pasar el rato.
November 5, 2016
SINÓPSIS: Angie está a punto de cumplir veintitrés años. Sus padres se han arruinado y van a divorciarse, y ella no tiene ni trabajo, ni pareja. Solo posee una pasión por la ropa que no deja de convertirla en una más de entre las cientos de miles de chicas de Nueva York que sueñan con hacerse un nombre en el mundo de la moda.
Para distraerse, sale de noche y bebe demasiado. Una situación ideal para meterse en líos. La fórmula perfecta para crear tensiones en la casa que comparte con Pia, su amiga de toda la vida, Madeleine, Julia y la hermana de esta, Coco.
Una mañana, Angie despierta desnuda en una habitación de hotel. No recuerda nada. Junto a su móvil descubre un sobre con tres mil dólares. Y las cosas están a punto de complicarse todavía más.
En “Secretos y Mentiras”, siguen las aventuras de estas cinco veinteañeras que comparten casa en Brooklyn mientras intentan hacerse un sitio en la vida adulta. Esta vez, los altibajos de la vida de este grupo de jóvenes en Nueva York están narrados a través de la mirada de Angie, una chica juerguista e independiente que comete muchos errores, pero que acaba encontrando su camino y hallando el gran amor de su vida. Todo gracias al apoyo de sus mejores amigas, su propio esfuerzo, un golpe de suerte y la aparición de un misterioso chico llamado Sam.
RESEÑA: “Secretos y Mentiras” me ha gustado aún más que la primera parte “Chicas de Brooklyn”, quizás porque la protagonista, Angie, me ha inspirado más ternura que Pía.
El libro retoma la historia justo donde termina el primero, solo que esta vez la protagonista en apuros es Angie. Tras ayudar a su mejor amiga Pía pierde su trabajo, el cual, tampoco le apasionaba y desde aquí en adelante la historia va de como volver a centrar su vida y de una forma más real que la de Pía, porque siendo sincera, una persona no se hace millonaria en un día.
En un principio, mientras leía la primera parte de esta saga de libros, la forma de ser que tiene Angie y las situaciones, pocas, que entrevemos en esa primera parte daban a entender los graves problemas a los que hace frente, muy solitariamente. Tras ser “considerada” una chica de compañía decide centrar su vida, ya en el primer libro, aunque ella no lo sienta como tal, todos los lectores podemos deducir que se dedica a algo más que a la moda, aunque de forma totalmente involuntaria, como descubrimos en este segundo libro.
Creo que su evolución es más notable que la de Pía, y es aún mucho más madura, al menos no recurre a un usurero a que le preste dinero. A pesar de lo superficial que podía resultar en el primer libro en este demuestra todo lo contrario, la mano que le tiende a Coco cuando la necesita, los conflictos con sus padres y demás la convierten en el personaje más completo de la historia. Me gusta como no pierde de vista su meta y como lucha por ella, dando pequeños pasos como convertirse en dependienta de GAP e incluso gastarse el poco dinero que le queda en cafés a cambio de que le cojan el currículum en las distintas empresas a las que va a buscar trabajo.
El desparpajo que muestra en algunas situaciones le ayuda a conseguir su meta, incluido el amor, algo que Angie desconocía totalmente y que ansiaba. Su personaje es sin duda, a falta de los tres libros restantes por publicar, el mejor, creo que es el más completo, al menos tras lo que podemos deducir de Coco, Madeleine y Julia.
Otro personaje que también me ha gustado mucho es Sam, es totalmente comprensible cómo se comporta a lo largo de la historia con Angie y como a pesar de todas las situaciones en las que le mete, la encerrona con Julia, sigue prefiriéndola a ella. Lo único que no me ha gustado ha sido la relación con su familia, creo que es una historia cogida con pinzas. El resto de personajes quiero hacer una mención especial a Julia, durante el primer libro me gusto su personaje pero en este segundo no, me ha resultado incluso egoísta, etiqueta que le había puesto a Madeleine, que nuevamente me ha sorprendido en esta novela y para bien. Coco en cambio me sigue pareciendo tan inocente que lo creo que le pasa en ambas novelas es totalmente injusto, estoy deseando leer la tercera parte ya que se centra en ella.
Algo muy positivo y a destacar en esta saga de libros, es el apoyo incondicional que reciben cada una de las protagonistas por parte de sus compañeras cuándo más lo necesitan, creo que es un punto muy grande a su favor, ya que nunca se juzgan las unas a las otras, sino que se muestran compresivas y tratan de ayudarse a sobrevivir en ese mundo tan incierto al que se enfrentan.
El libro sigue situándose en la vasta ciudad de Nueva York, en especial en el barrio de Brooklyn y en esta parte se ve aún más cómo funciona el mundo de la gente de un poder adquisitivo alto en comparación con el resto. La frivolidad que rodea al mundo de la moda y lo complicado que es hacer tus sueños realidad.
Secretos y Mentiras es aún mejor que la primera parte y totalmente recomendable, si buscas situaciones reales, divertidas y no demasiado dramáticas, es una buena mezcla de todo.
PUNTUACIÓN: 4/5
Para distraerse, sale de noche y bebe demasiado. Una situación ideal para meterse en líos. La fórmula perfecta para crear tensiones en la casa que comparte con Pia, su amiga de toda la vida, Madeleine, Julia y la hermana de esta, Coco.
Una mañana, Angie despierta desnuda en una habitación de hotel. No recuerda nada. Junto a su móvil descubre un sobre con tres mil dólares. Y las cosas están a punto de complicarse todavía más.
En “Secretos y Mentiras”, siguen las aventuras de estas cinco veinteañeras que comparten casa en Brooklyn mientras intentan hacerse un sitio en la vida adulta. Esta vez, los altibajos de la vida de este grupo de jóvenes en Nueva York están narrados a través de la mirada de Angie, una chica juerguista e independiente que comete muchos errores, pero que acaba encontrando su camino y hallando el gran amor de su vida. Todo gracias al apoyo de sus mejores amigas, su propio esfuerzo, un golpe de suerte y la aparición de un misterioso chico llamado Sam.
RESEÑA: “Secretos y Mentiras” me ha gustado aún más que la primera parte “Chicas de Brooklyn”, quizás porque la protagonista, Angie, me ha inspirado más ternura que Pía.
El libro retoma la historia justo donde termina el primero, solo que esta vez la protagonista en apuros es Angie. Tras ayudar a su mejor amiga Pía pierde su trabajo, el cual, tampoco le apasionaba y desde aquí en adelante la historia va de como volver a centrar su vida y de una forma más real que la de Pía, porque siendo sincera, una persona no se hace millonaria en un día.
En un principio, mientras leía la primera parte de esta saga de libros, la forma de ser que tiene Angie y las situaciones, pocas, que entrevemos en esa primera parte daban a entender los graves problemas a los que hace frente, muy solitariamente. Tras ser “considerada” una chica de compañía decide centrar su vida, ya en el primer libro, aunque ella no lo sienta como tal, todos los lectores podemos deducir que se dedica a algo más que a la moda, aunque de forma totalmente involuntaria, como descubrimos en este segundo libro.
Creo que su evolución es más notable que la de Pía, y es aún mucho más madura, al menos no recurre a un usurero a que le preste dinero. A pesar de lo superficial que podía resultar en el primer libro en este demuestra todo lo contrario, la mano que le tiende a Coco cuando la necesita, los conflictos con sus padres y demás la convierten en el personaje más completo de la historia. Me gusta como no pierde de vista su meta y como lucha por ella, dando pequeños pasos como convertirse en dependienta de GAP e incluso gastarse el poco dinero que le queda en cafés a cambio de que le cojan el currículum en las distintas empresas a las que va a buscar trabajo.
El desparpajo que muestra en algunas situaciones le ayuda a conseguir su meta, incluido el amor, algo que Angie desconocía totalmente y que ansiaba. Su personaje es sin duda, a falta de los tres libros restantes por publicar, el mejor, creo que es el más completo, al menos tras lo que podemos deducir de Coco, Madeleine y Julia.
Otro personaje que también me ha gustado mucho es Sam, es totalmente comprensible cómo se comporta a lo largo de la historia con Angie y como a pesar de todas las situaciones en las que le mete, la encerrona con Julia, sigue prefiriéndola a ella. Lo único que no me ha gustado ha sido la relación con su familia, creo que es una historia cogida con pinzas. El resto de personajes quiero hacer una mención especial a Julia, durante el primer libro me gusto su personaje pero en este segundo no, me ha resultado incluso egoísta, etiqueta que le había puesto a Madeleine, que nuevamente me ha sorprendido en esta novela y para bien. Coco en cambio me sigue pareciendo tan inocente que lo creo que le pasa en ambas novelas es totalmente injusto, estoy deseando leer la tercera parte ya que se centra en ella.
Algo muy positivo y a destacar en esta saga de libros, es el apoyo incondicional que reciben cada una de las protagonistas por parte de sus compañeras cuándo más lo necesitan, creo que es un punto muy grande a su favor, ya que nunca se juzgan las unas a las otras, sino que se muestran compresivas y tratan de ayudarse a sobrevivir en ese mundo tan incierto al que se enfrentan.
El libro sigue situándose en la vasta ciudad de Nueva York, en especial en el barrio de Brooklyn y en esta parte se ve aún más cómo funciona el mundo de la gente de un poder adquisitivo alto en comparación con el resto. La frivolidad que rodea al mundo de la moda y lo complicado que es hacer tus sueños realidad.
Secretos y Mentiras es aún mejor que la primera parte y totalmente recomendable, si buscas situaciones reales, divertidas y no demasiado dramáticas, es una buena mezcla de todo.
PUNTUACIÓN: 4/5
July 17, 2017
Totally cheesy, but a great pick me up. Angie just keeps on going when things get tough.
November 1, 2017
Oh well, at least this book kept my mind off stuff.
June 21, 2018
So good! This is a good summer read.
September 23, 2019
Such an amazing read. Every character was unique
January 23, 2020
Don’t judge me 🙈
February 26, 2016
After professing my love for Brooklyn Girls last year, it is no surprise that I was looking forward to reading Love and Chaos. Gemma Burgess hits it out of the park yet again, with a vividly told tale. Complete with emotions and situations that I found easy to identify with, Love and Chaos has certainly earned a place as one of my favorite reads this year.
This second installment of (mis)adventures is narrated by Angie, the wild child, the party girl. I was worried I wouldn’t connect with her, since she and I are basically polar opposites. But I shouldn’t have feared – Burgess managed to make Angie easy for me to identify with by writing about familiar situations, particularly the hunt for a “dream job”.
Sure, Angie is brash and frank. She’s impulsive, and prone to the flee instinct in lieu of staying to fight. Her partying habits, and tendency to drink too much, made me wrinkle my nose a time or two. But all these things are a result of her upbringing, especially the way she understands love and craves it for herself. This isn’t an excuse, however, just an explanation.
It may appear that Angie isn’t the most likeable character, but that’s not true. Angie is also a talented designer, to whom fashion is like breathing and style is as natural a facet of her personality as breathing. She is loyal and extremely protective, with the capacity to fight on behalf of her friends. She can be brave, and funny, and also the kind of person who just lights up the room. My favorite thing about Angie? She harbors a secret stash of romance novels that she enjoys reading.
Apart from the five girls still living together in Rookhaven, the one other thing Brooklyn Girls has in common with Love and Chaos is the search for a job. While Pia was unsure of what she wanted to do, Angie has known that she wants to be involved in fashion. It’s a competitive industry, especially in New York, and the novel chronicles Angie’s journey to finding her way to a job she loves. I seriously thought this part was the easiest of all to relate to – the constant trying and failing and trying again, settling for a job just so you can pay your bills, feeling hopeless because nobody seems to want to give you a chance. Burgess wrote it well, wrote it real, and I think many readers will feel the same way I did.
Clearly, reading Love and Chaos was no hardship. It was fun to tag along with Angie as she goes through life, through the good moments and the not-so-good ones. The extremes to which her misadventures went to made me decidedly uncomfortable (and angry on her behalf), but it also felt fitting that she would end up in these crazy dead-ends because of her actions. I loved it all – the drama, the gasp-inducing twists, and the appearances of the other girls.
The Brooklyn Girls series is seriously one of those series that I feel is underrated. It’s written so well, even though certain turns of events might be a little over the top (which is not a bad thing at all). Plus, the five friends – Pia, Coco, Julie, Madeleine and Angie – are seriously awesome to read about!
I might not have done the best job of book pushing Brooklyn Girls last year, but rest assured I’m going to fix that after reading (and loving) Love and Chaos. Obviously, I highly recommend these two! In particular, they’re good reads for fans of chick lit, books about friendship and books about self-transformation and self-discovery.
{If you liked this review, check out Alexa Loves Books for more!}
This second installment of (mis)adventures is narrated by Angie, the wild child, the party girl. I was worried I wouldn’t connect with her, since she and I are basically polar opposites. But I shouldn’t have feared – Burgess managed to make Angie easy for me to identify with by writing about familiar situations, particularly the hunt for a “dream job”.
Sure, Angie is brash and frank. She’s impulsive, and prone to the flee instinct in lieu of staying to fight. Her partying habits, and tendency to drink too much, made me wrinkle my nose a time or two. But all these things are a result of her upbringing, especially the way she understands love and craves it for herself. This isn’t an excuse, however, just an explanation.
It may appear that Angie isn’t the most likeable character, but that’s not true. Angie is also a talented designer, to whom fashion is like breathing and style is as natural a facet of her personality as breathing. She is loyal and extremely protective, with the capacity to fight on behalf of her friends. She can be brave, and funny, and also the kind of person who just lights up the room. My favorite thing about Angie? She harbors a secret stash of romance novels that she enjoys reading.
Apart from the five girls still living together in Rookhaven, the one other thing Brooklyn Girls has in common with Love and Chaos is the search for a job. While Pia was unsure of what she wanted to do, Angie has known that she wants to be involved in fashion. It’s a competitive industry, especially in New York, and the novel chronicles Angie’s journey to finding her way to a job she loves. I seriously thought this part was the easiest of all to relate to – the constant trying and failing and trying again, settling for a job just so you can pay your bills, feeling hopeless because nobody seems to want to give you a chance. Burgess wrote it well, wrote it real, and I think many readers will feel the same way I did.
Clearly, reading Love and Chaos was no hardship. It was fun to tag along with Angie as she goes through life, through the good moments and the not-so-good ones. The extremes to which her misadventures went to made me decidedly uncomfortable (and angry on her behalf), but it also felt fitting that she would end up in these crazy dead-ends because of her actions. I loved it all – the drama, the gasp-inducing twists, and the appearances of the other girls.
The Brooklyn Girls series is seriously one of those series that I feel is underrated. It’s written so well, even though certain turns of events might be a little over the top (which is not a bad thing at all). Plus, the five friends – Pia, Coco, Julie, Madeleine and Angie – are seriously awesome to read about!
I might not have done the best job of book pushing Brooklyn Girls last year, but rest assured I’m going to fix that after reading (and loving) Love and Chaos. Obviously, I highly recommend these two! In particular, they’re good reads for fans of chick lit, books about friendship and books about self-transformation and self-discovery.
{If you liked this review, check out Alexa Loves Books for more!}
March 12, 2014
www.iheart-chicklit.blogspot.com
Fans of Gemma Burgess, rejoice! Your (our) favourite author is back with the second book in the Brooklyn Girls series! Since I really enjoyed the first book, I was really looking forward to reading the second book, which follows Angie's life in the Big Apple. Let's just say, if you enjoyed the first book, you'll want to read Brooklyn Girls: Angie!
If you've read the first book, you might get a vague impression of how Angie is as a character, so you can expect a brass, snarky heroine with lots of attitude. I really enjoyed Angie's book. It's the amazeballs. Maybe because I really liked how Angie's life pans out in the book, or I feel like I could connect with Angie, but Brooklyn Girls: Angie is so far my favourite book in the series!
In Brooklyn Girls: Angie, readers are able to learn more about Pia's best friend, the notorious Angie James. Maybe it's just me, but since being introduced to her in the first book, I really liked her already. She's sassy, carefree and wild. But don't hate her, I'm sure everyone has gone through that phase in their lives when they are lost and stray, with no proper direction. The premise of the book and the heroine's predicaments could definitely relate to the young adults today and that's why I love Gemma Burgess's new series. It's all about life at this age and it's perfectly relatable.
Since it's a completely different book compared to the first one, there are certain similarities to the storyline. In Brooklyn Girls: Angie, the heroine Angie is facing a "quarter-life crisis" and her life isn't exactly panning out like how she wanted it to be. On the edge of turning 23, she decides to "grow up" and achieve something. Well, easier said than done!
I thoroughly enjoyed Brooklyn Girls: Angie and after reading it, I can't wait for the next book in the series, but right now, let's talk Angie! So far, I think my favourite character in the series has to be her. I like her sassy, bold attitude and drive to prove herself. And of course, her passion for fashion just makes me admire her more. Gemma Burgess's writing voice really shone through her NA books and I really liked it - funny, sharp and biting.
Although I found the plot a bit predictable, but I really liked how things panned out. And I didn't hope it was shorter nor longer. The entire book is about 300 pages, I think the length of the book was just right. And the ending was really just the perfect way to wrap up a book in an ongoing series, leaving room for Angie to be a part of the other girls' books.
All in all, the second book of the Brooklyn Girls series is as good as it gets. If this is the way Gemma Burgess is going with this series, I'm a fan. I cannot wait for the next books! It's fresh, different, edgy and quirky. If you like her previous adult books, then her new series is chick lit with bite!
Rating: 9/10
Fans of Gemma Burgess, rejoice! Your (our) favourite author is back with the second book in the Brooklyn Girls series! Since I really enjoyed the first book, I was really looking forward to reading the second book, which follows Angie's life in the Big Apple. Let's just say, if you enjoyed the first book, you'll want to read Brooklyn Girls: Angie!
If you've read the first book, you might get a vague impression of how Angie is as a character, so you can expect a brass, snarky heroine with lots of attitude. I really enjoyed Angie's book. It's the amazeballs. Maybe because I really liked how Angie's life pans out in the book, or I feel like I could connect with Angie, but Brooklyn Girls: Angie is so far my favourite book in the series!
In Brooklyn Girls: Angie, readers are able to learn more about Pia's best friend, the notorious Angie James. Maybe it's just me, but since being introduced to her in the first book, I really liked her already. She's sassy, carefree and wild. But don't hate her, I'm sure everyone has gone through that phase in their lives when they are lost and stray, with no proper direction. The premise of the book and the heroine's predicaments could definitely relate to the young adults today and that's why I love Gemma Burgess's new series. It's all about life at this age and it's perfectly relatable.
Since it's a completely different book compared to the first one, there are certain similarities to the storyline. In Brooklyn Girls: Angie, the heroine Angie is facing a "quarter-life crisis" and her life isn't exactly panning out like how she wanted it to be. On the edge of turning 23, she decides to "grow up" and achieve something. Well, easier said than done!
I thoroughly enjoyed Brooklyn Girls: Angie and after reading it, I can't wait for the next book in the series, but right now, let's talk Angie! So far, I think my favourite character in the series has to be her. I like her sassy, bold attitude and drive to prove herself. And of course, her passion for fashion just makes me admire her more. Gemma Burgess's writing voice really shone through her NA books and I really liked it - funny, sharp and biting.
Although I found the plot a bit predictable, but I really liked how things panned out. And I didn't hope it was shorter nor longer. The entire book is about 300 pages, I think the length of the book was just right. And the ending was really just the perfect way to wrap up a book in an ongoing series, leaving room for Angie to be a part of the other girls' books.
All in all, the second book of the Brooklyn Girls series is as good as it gets. If this is the way Gemma Burgess is going with this series, I'm a fan. I cannot wait for the next books! It's fresh, different, edgy and quirky. If you like her previous adult books, then her new series is chick lit with bite!
Rating: 9/10
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