Some Like It Haute

by Julie K.L. Dam, Carrington MacDuffie

A style and shoes-obsessed American girl with all the right press passes spends Fashion Week in Paris in a funny, charming tale reminiscent of "Confessions of a Shopaholic."

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Fashion

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Robert Lambregts · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried. I really did, but ... ugh.... this book has been on my shelves for years. I always thought, it will be an easy summer read, just like the Lauren Weisberger books. But this was just a struggle. nothing interesting and it became a hate read. Life is too short for bad books. Skip this one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an extremely silly book with no real plotline and very underdeveloped characters. Alexandra Simons (goes by Alex of course, because we wouldn't want to be slightly interesting and have a character actually enjoy their first name) is a fashion writer for a magazine very ambiguously titled The Weekly. She is suspiciously wealthy and is staying at a hotel in Paris for fashion week. The story starts with her somehow managing to collide with a model on the runway during a Chanel show. The next day a mysterious man does almost the exact same thing at a Givenchy show and the two end up meeting through the enormous (and quite unbelievable) amount of publicity they have been receiving. They proceed to start up a ridiculous romance where he tells completely unfunny stories and Alex is described as "unable to breathe" due to the "gales of laughter" erupting from her mouth. Then there's a side story that includes an MIA designer and Alex's old French teacher Jaques, who was hot stuff back in the day but now appears to be in a homosexual relationship with the missing designer.

Alex is boring and stupid. Her two female friends Lola and Jillian are exactly the same person. The dialogue is unnatural. The fact that Alex and Jaques, and Alex's mother are actually from Texas and Jaques and the mother still have full-blown southern accents while Alex tends to slip in and out of hers while she's around them really clashes with the Paris backdrop. There are way too many good books and much better chick-lit out there to waste time on this one.

[Ceanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, all I can say is "blah, blah, blah" and then he said, and then she said, blah, blah, blah. Waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy toooooo maaaaaannnnnyyyyy words used in this story for what it was. By halfway through I was so bored with the lead character's minutia in her life. I think the author would have written the sleeping scenes in if she could (and account for every minute of that too). Sorry. just not good, and didn't even care about the ending so didn't actually finish it because I was so bored by halfway through...

[Peggy]

Have just BARELY started this book a while back (early fall 2010) and certainly didn't get "hooked" in the first few pages (as far as I got). Reviews pass it off as fluff, shallow and tiresome, so I may not finish it. BUT some find it entertaining for a quick and light beach read, so maybe I'll take it along for our Xmas stay at Hudson Beach in Florida. I strongly suspect it's going to end up on the "can't finish" shelf though. TOO MANY GOOD books out there!

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh goodness.............I went into this book trying to ignore all of the reviews I had read and give it a chance and form my own opinion......... It wasn't good. :( I seriously struggled to finish it.

[Alicia 🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I blew through this book. It was such an easy read. Starting off it honestly seemed kind of pointless but I love books about Paris so I stuck with it. Once they threw in mystery (I’m a huge mystery fan) I was hooked. However, they left a good chunk of the books without the mystery I wish they would’ve incorporated it more. And Nick’s bombshell could’ve been written as a different kind of bombshell... like it was just random to me. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend if you like quick, easy reads with some romance and fashion.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit is een simpel verhaal, maar wel heel leuk. Ik hou van boeken over fashion, en dit was precies wat ik wilde. Ik had niet kunnen raden wat er met Nick aan de hand was, maar dat maakte het veel leuker ook al kwam het uit het niets. Aan het eind veranderd het verhaal ineens in een mysterie, die overgang had wat soepeler gekund, maar het was heel leuk.

[Dils AB · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started off shaky. Then when it got to the fashion stuffs I am enthralled, once the character met the man, it spirals out of control to the point where I was wondering should I even finish the book.

[Edie Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't going to change your life, but it's a fun read. I listened to it in the car when I was driving around town. High fashion is out of my real world that it was interesting to listen to. I enjoyed it.

[Annabelle Gary · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little free library pickup I thought could maybe be fun. It was okay for the first half and then I was just confused. Utter fluff and not in like a “so bad it’s good” way. Back to little free library it goes!!

[Linda Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this silly girlie books!

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I loved The Devil Wears Prada. I can appreciate good fashion. I also like to be able to step into another world when I read a book. But somehow, I couldn't get into this book. I am not very fascinated by the author rattling off random articles of clothing by the standard big names like Chanel or Jimmy Choo, or obsessing over whether she should run out and buy a brand new $400 pair of shoes to match her meticulous clothing strategy. First of all, she is a reporter. She may be a fashion reporter, but come now, no reporter makes enough money to just up and buy multiple pairs of Manolos...no matter how delicious they are. Second, the romance is a little dull. She runs through the hours her character Alex spends with her potential mate so quickly that there's almost no character development at all. The same goes for the other characters. The plot is a little dull, if not contrived, and the ending is quick and thrown together. In the end, yes, the book achieved what it set out to do, help me while away the hours as I sit at a desk from 9-5. But you know what? That's about all I got out of it.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book was not at all what I expected. Not to say that it was a bad read or anything, because it wasn't. I loved that the main character was a fashion writer and was currently in Paris for Fashion Week. She also has a fascinating obsession with top notch designer labels, which I liked about her too. I especially loved when the main character said, "Oversize Marc Jacobs bag to carry evreything in, with the added benefit of the heavy hardware that meant it could be used as a weapon:check." I just think that is something fo funny to think about, yet I have been there!

I wasn't sure what I really thought this book was going to end like, but I didn't expect all the strange twists. This chick lit started to turn into a Nancy Drew wanna be with the character's mother involved. Not to mention the guy in the story...there is something weird about him, which I won't give away, but very weird. I guess the twists in the book were just a tad random, but overall it was a pretty good read. I really loved how the author wrote the last paragraph too. It really wrapped up the book nicely.

[Desirae · Rating 1 out of 5]

2017 Reading Challenge: 52 Weeks, 52 Books! #52wks52bks

Week 6; Prompt: book with "some" in the title

Picture an entire book told from the perspective of Bianca in 10 Things I Hate about You



But without all the cool quippyness of this



And this



Literally, a whole book, all about this

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is what it is, which is a light book about a magazine writer who loves fashion in Paris. Not serious, not in depth, not life altering. Just a PG smut novel.

My favorite part was 5 bus boys carting in roses, each saying, " 'E eez not a bastard."

I think it did make me crave shopping. I bought 2 dresses since I started reading this.

[Aidywi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very cute book. It didn't tax me...it was a nice mellow read, and I liked that. The whole reality TV element kinda bugged me, but there were enough other things happening that I was pretty entertained.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like fashion, then you will enjoy reading a fiction accounting of a fashion writer experiencing fashion week in Paris. It is entertaining in a "don't have to think much" way; a nice change from heavy books.

Not among my favorites but a light, easy read.

[Ingrid]

I stumbled on this book during my first visit to the Boston Public Library Audiobooks database. It's funny, quick, and perfect for unwinding at home after a long day. It's in the same vein as The Devil Wears Prada and that sort of writing.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, fun little read. It's a quick one so would be good for a summertime, beach read. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in fashion. Be warned though: there's a lot of brand name mentions so if that annoys you, this probably isn't the book for you.

[Mallory · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character is incredibly shallow, although she keeps telling herself otherwise. It's very much centred in the fashion world, so if you don't know much about it or really don't care, then you'll find yourself lost. The reality tv "shoker" was incredibly predicatble and a little rediculous.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend Julie's debut novel. Check her Web site: [http://www.somelikeithaute.com].

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not remember too much about this book as I read it quite ahile ago. I feel it was probably a feel good, brain candy type of book. I rated it a two because it was not that memorable to me.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

being bored in mexico cause some interesting book choices, but I actually really liked itand have read it a few times since

[Karen Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute chick-lit with a bit more substance and some interesting twists but a complete lackluster ending really spoiled the book for me...

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! High fashion, a little romance, a little mystery--fabulous. Enjoy a quick, total chick-lit read.

[Cyndi Portier]

Light-hearted book about the fashion industry and one journalist's trip to Paris to cover the fashion shows. Funny with a little suspense.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good fluff read

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of Paris and couture references. Otherwise a light, easy read not unlike the written equivalent of a romantic comedy.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some like it haute is highly entertaining, but I didn't like that her beau was a reality tv guy. Good Chick Lit, although the plot needed a little bit of work!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, brain-candy beach read. The Paris couture backdrop is perfect for anyone with an interest in fashion -- be it mild or full-blown fashionistas.