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Daddy's Girls
The Balcon sisters are London's paparazzi darlings. Serena, the country's most beautiful actress, Venetia the glamorous designer, Camilla the rising political star and Cate the feisty magazine editor. They have wealth, privilege and sizzling sex lives.
But money doesn't buy you love. When their aristocratic and tyrannical father Oswald Balcon is found dead, the finger of suspicion points towards his glamorous daughters and their dazzling lives. Suddenly we find that beneath the ritzy façade of the Balcon family lies a web of deceit and betrayal that hides a thirty-year-old secret that threatens to destroy them all.
From the sun drenched beaches of Mustique to Manhattan's elite society circuit. From the exclusive fashion houses of Milan to the star-studded streets of Cannes, the Balcon Sisters play out their lives in a whirl of glitz and the ultra chic. But as tragedy and danger stalks each one of them, the scene is set for a stunning climax.
But money doesn't buy you love. When their aristocratic and tyrannical father Oswald Balcon is found dead, the finger of suspicion points towards his glamorous daughters and their dazzling lives. Suddenly we find that beneath the ritzy façade of the Balcon family lies a web of deceit and betrayal that hides a thirty-year-old secret that threatens to destroy them all.
From the sun drenched beaches of Mustique to Manhattan's elite society circuit. From the exclusive fashion houses of Milan to the star-studded streets of Cannes, the Balcon Sisters play out their lives in a whirl of glitz and the ultra chic. But as tragedy and danger stalks each one of them, the scene is set for a stunning climax.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
35 people are currently reading
954 people want to read
About the author
Tasmina Perry
44 books508 followers"Tasmina Perry left a career in law for the more glamorous world of women’s magazine journalism.
She has written on celebrity and style for many national magazines including Marie−Claire‚ Glamour and Heat and was most recently Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine. She has also found time to launch her own travel and fashion magazine Jaunt. All of her four novels have been Sunday Times best-sellers and her books have been published in seventeen countries.
She lives in Surrey with her husband and son." (Source: http://www.tasminaperry.com/the-autho...)
She also writes under the pseudonym J.L. Butler and with her husband John Perry under the pseudonym Mia James.
She has written on celebrity and style for many national magazines including Marie−Claire‚ Glamour and Heat and was most recently Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine. She has also found time to launch her own travel and fashion magazine Jaunt. All of her four novels have been Sunday Times best-sellers and her books have been published in seventeen countries.
She lives in Surrey with her husband and son." (Source: http://www.tasminaperry.com/the-autho...)
She also writes under the pseudonym J.L. Butler and with her husband John Perry under the pseudonym Mia James.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
June 4, 2013
Ova britanska autorka i njen debitantski roman bili su pravo osveženje za mene dok sam čitala ovu knjigu još u rukopisu... I jednostavno sam odmah znala da će biti bestseler... I bila je... Trebalo mi je malo vremena ali sam uspela da ipak nagovorim jednog srpskog izdavača da je objavi... Stylos Art... Nažalost, oni su razvukli s objavljivanjem knjige, nisu ništa uradili na marketingu... i onda im se promenio urednik i ova autorka nije više objavljivana na srpskom...:( Ali ja sam nastavila da uživam u njenim knjigama i ne gubim nadu da će je neko ponovo objavljivati kod nas... Prava kvalitetna komercijalna "ženska" beletristika... Recimo za ljubitelje Peni Vićenci, Barbare Tejlor Bredford, Sidnija Šeldona, Harolda Robinsa... :) Sve sam vam rekla ovim poređenjima :)
July 20, 2010
Ok i only got this book because it was really cheap and i had nothing else to read. After finisheing it however i was suprised, i actually enjoyed it, this book is way better then i initially thought it would be.
Daddy's Girls by Tasmina Perry is the story of the four powerful, successful, beautiful-but-flawed daughters of the wealthy and cruel Lord Oswald Balcon. Cate is a recently fired magazine editor with big ambitions to open her own up-scale travel/fashion magazine. Venetia is an interior decorator who longs to have a baby. She's married to a nasty closet-bisexual who seems to be doing everything in his power to keep her from realizing any of her goals. Camilla is a smart and savvy lawyer with an eye on a political position. Finally, there's Serena, a Victora Beckham type celebrity who likes to party and has an ego as big as Paris (the city, not the Hilton, though, that works too!).
Each woman comes under suspicion after their father takes a nasty fall from the ramparts of the family castle. As the story unfolds, we learn about the women's lives, loves, and the skeletons in their closets. We also learn about Lord Balcon; his shady dealings, other-worldly arrogance, and abusive relationships. We soon discover that each woman has a solid motive for wanting to push cranky old Lord Balcon off the castle walls.
Daddy's Girls is a good beach read, though it is little more than that. It is brain candy - fun, tasty, but offering little literary substance. There are flaws, too. The character development is a bit shaky. Venetia's character starts out weak and wishy-washy but ends up strong and fierce without the benefit of true character growth. We, as readers, never see the stages of her metamorphosis, just the end result. Camilla is only in the book briefly and we never get a true sense of who she is, only what she wants. Cate and Serena are the big players here, and they are interesting. Readers might be disappointed by Serena's sudden growth and the neat little way the author resolved the Tom-Serena love situation at the end.
The plot moved along at a brisk, keep you interested pace, but seemed too pat, too convenient at the end.
On the whole, Daddy's Girls was a good novel, offering readers a peek into the decadent, flawed world of the rich and narcissistic.
Daddy's Girls by Tasmina Perry is the story of the four powerful, successful, beautiful-but-flawed daughters of the wealthy and cruel Lord Oswald Balcon. Cate is a recently fired magazine editor with big ambitions to open her own up-scale travel/fashion magazine. Venetia is an interior decorator who longs to have a baby. She's married to a nasty closet-bisexual who seems to be doing everything in his power to keep her from realizing any of her goals. Camilla is a smart and savvy lawyer with an eye on a political position. Finally, there's Serena, a Victora Beckham type celebrity who likes to party and has an ego as big as Paris (the city, not the Hilton, though, that works too!).
Each woman comes under suspicion after their father takes a nasty fall from the ramparts of the family castle. As the story unfolds, we learn about the women's lives, loves, and the skeletons in their closets. We also learn about Lord Balcon; his shady dealings, other-worldly arrogance, and abusive relationships. We soon discover that each woman has a solid motive for wanting to push cranky old Lord Balcon off the castle walls.
Daddy's Girls is a good beach read, though it is little more than that. It is brain candy - fun, tasty, but offering little literary substance. There are flaws, too. The character development is a bit shaky. Venetia's character starts out weak and wishy-washy but ends up strong and fierce without the benefit of true character growth. We, as readers, never see the stages of her metamorphosis, just the end result. Camilla is only in the book briefly and we never get a true sense of who she is, only what she wants. Cate and Serena are the big players here, and they are interesting. Readers might be disappointed by Serena's sudden growth and the neat little way the author resolved the Tom-Serena love situation at the end.
The plot moved along at a brisk, keep you interested pace, but seemed too pat, too convenient at the end.
On the whole, Daddy's Girls was a good novel, offering readers a peek into the decadent, flawed world of the rich and narcissistic.
February 14, 2013
A brilliant chick lit novel.
Four famous and glamourous sisters, the Balcon sisters seem happy enough day to day but througout the course of the novel their happy lives are slowly shattered due to circumstances, ending of relationships, loss of jobs, marriages, affairs then the four seemingly independent sisters are thrust together to help each other out when their millionaire father is found dead in the grounds of the ancestral home.
Was it an accident or murder?
Definitely worth reading, sweeping, full of the jet set lifestyle but with enough tense storyline to put this above the common chick lit genre.
Four famous and glamourous sisters, the Balcon sisters seem happy enough day to day but througout the course of the novel their happy lives are slowly shattered due to circumstances, ending of relationships, loss of jobs, marriages, affairs then the four seemingly independent sisters are thrust together to help each other out when their millionaire father is found dead in the grounds of the ancestral home.
Was it an accident or murder?
Definitely worth reading, sweeping, full of the jet set lifestyle but with enough tense storyline to put this above the common chick lit genre.
December 30, 2020
The father of four rich girls is found dead under suspicious circumstances. His biographer suggests that one of them killed him.
I thought this was ok. It is kind of a whodunnit where it goes back in time beforehand so you can try to piece together the women and what they might have against their father.
I thought this was ok. It is kind of a whodunnit where it goes back in time beforehand so you can try to piece together the women and what they might have against their father.
April 15, 2014
A delicious guilty pleasure that somehow carries a little morality tale within about the value of hard work. Great fun.
August 1, 2022
Four English aristocrats. Strong, clever, stylish and powerful. Four sisters united by their difficult relationship with their father. When he was found dead in the castle moat, all of them realise they had a reason to remove him from their lives. But love and filial attachment run deeper than the conflicts that surround them. In trying to find the truth, they face themselves in the mirror. The actress whom everyone loved, and whose life was going not the way she expected it to, the lawyer whose public career seem to vanish before her eyes, the interior decorator who is fighting for her business and the magazine editor who has just lost her prized position.
May 29, 2017
Daddy's girls by Tasmina Perry is a true chick flick novel for the summer.
The story revolves around the four Balcon sisters, Venetia an interior designer , Camilla the politician , Cate a magazine editor and Serena an actress and their father Oswald Balcon. Each of them has a difficult relationship with their father and when he dies after a Christmas Eve party who is the most guilty one?
The story follows each of them through their glamorous celebrity lives.
A fun read which I did actually enjoy!
The story revolves around the four Balcon sisters, Venetia an interior designer , Camilla the politician , Cate a magazine editor and Serena an actress and their father Oswald Balcon. Each of them has a difficult relationship with their father and when he dies after a Christmas Eve party who is the most guilty one?
The story follows each of them through their glamorous celebrity lives.
A fun read which I did actually enjoy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2018
On the cover Glamour magazine described this book as 'A guilty pleasure...like eating a magnum'. I concur (but swap out magnum with Ben n Jerrys Pfish Food. I do love Tasmina Perry books - I wonder if this was her first though? As it seemed a little longer winded than her other ones I have read, still very enjoyable all up.
April 6, 2019
I wasn’t sure about this one - it had sat on my bookshelf gathering dust for an age.
I’m glad I read it - it really was reminiscent of the books I read as a teenager - take a splash of Jilly Cooper - add a dash of Jackie Collins then mix with a bit of Agatha Christie. Really enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
I’m glad I read it - it really was reminiscent of the books I read as a teenager - take a splash of Jilly Cooper - add a dash of Jackie Collins then mix with a bit of Agatha Christie. Really enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
June 19, 2020
Роман с претенции за семейна сага. Блясък, лукс, слава, обществено влияние. Всичко това се отнася за четирите сестри. Всяка от тях обаче страда, прикривайки страданието си зад лустрото на известността си. Жесток и суров баща, едно имение, заради което си заслужава да убиеш. Книгата е пълна с хубави неща и в същото време разфокусирана.
July 26, 2022
I found it at a thrift store for $1 and thought it would be a good pool read but it was so much better than I thought. It’s a good mix of mystery, romance, and ambition. Got me hooked on the author as well since it was well-written. Finished it in about a day despite being over 600 pages. Couldn’t put it down.
December 6, 2022
Good story liked the sisters and their different roles in life and the ups and downs. I would have scored it more but it was completely ott regarding the mention of designers at every turn. There was no need for it from looking at his so and so watch, to the designer range for everything they wore.
August 31, 2018
I enjoyed this saga .
February 8, 2020
Really enjoyable trashy book. Better storyline than most "beach reads".
May 10, 2020
Chick lit escapism. Lots of name dropping used to denote wealth.
October 20, 2022
read for a second time, better the second time around not quite jackie collins but very readable and enjoyable
August 21, 2023
I actually really liked this book. Great character development and kept you guessing throughout. Much better than I expected.
April 30, 2022
It had a decent storyline in the beginning but then it got so drug out that I was getting bored with the rich privileged women. Don't bother reading it. It's not as good as her others. She got better later on!
July 25, 2011
Since the start of May I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump. I went an entire week without picking up a book (which may not seem too bad to some people, but to me that’s disastrous) so when I noticed Daddy’s Girls, I decided to give it a read. I generally don’t read long blockbuster books like this, but recently I am reading more of them and I decided this would be perfect to get me out of my slump. It promised to be glitzy and glamorous with an intriguing mystery peppered into it, too. It took me three days to finish, and I must admit, it was enjoyable enough, so I’ll definitely be picking up Tasmina’s other novels.
Daddy’s Girls is a whopping book, coming in at 612 pages, and it’s mammoth. There’s a lot going on in Daddy’s Girls, as I expected, but I must admit, I thought the synopsis was rather misleading. The synopsis I read mentions Oswald’s death and it seems as though that’s a major part of the book, when it’s not. In fact, Oswald’s death is mentioned briefly in the Prologue and then we go back to 10 months ago leading back up to the day of Oswald’s death. The book was more about the Balcon sisters, Camilla, Cate, Serena and Venetia and the lives they lead and the struggles they face. Yes, Oswald is pivotal to that, but his death isn’t necessarily the main plot. Because it barely covers 100 pages. The main plot, I suppose, is the leading up to Oswald’s death. I suppose each girl shows a reason for wanting Oswald dead, and that’s what the book focuses on. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it immensely but I did have some problems with the novel.
The first thing I’d like to say is that the book was too long; some scenes featuring the sisters could have been cut. Because some scenes didn’t necessarily add anything to the story so the words could have been better spent. I mean the build up to Oswald’s death was plentiful but his death and the subsequent ‘mystery’ was wrapped up within 100 pages, which was rather disappointing. It was as if it was all wrapped up in double-quick time and my mind is still whirling with all the different things we learned. I must admit, also, that I think one of the sisters could have been cut. Originally I thought there was three sisters and it took me ages to differentiate between Camilla and Cate. Camilla could have been cut out completely because she didn’t really add anything to the book and her big secret could have, quite easily, been given to Cate, Serena or Venetia because that’s all she was there for, this big mysterious secret.
I found the characters fascinating. Characters in novels like this are always larger than life and aren’t like normal people. They’re rich, glamorous and nasty most of the time. For much of the novel, the only sister I felt anything for was Cate. Cate was the more level-headed sister and it was easy to forget she was rich and glamorous. I liked how she fought her way into the journalism world and made herself a success. I also liked Venetia, she was fairly normal, too, with her interior design business. For most of the book I couldn’t take to Serena. She was horrible, and selfish and felt as if the world owed her. However, she did change as the novel wore on and she did become easier to tolerate. I don’t entire know where the change occurred, but she did seem to stop being as nasty as she was in the beginning of the novel. As I’ve already said about Camilla, she was easily forgettable. I thought Oswald Balcon was a pantomime villain, a bit too evil to be true, and he had no redeeming features at all.
I thought Daddy’s Girls was well written, Tasmina clearly has talent and I did enjoy the novel. I did think it was overly long, yes, and I did find myself just wanting to get to the end by the time I got to page 500, but for the most part it was a good read. If you like your books to be super-sized with larger than life characters then you would enjoy this. I have Tasmina’s newest novel Kiss Heaven Goodbye to read and I’ll certainly be picking it up soon. I’m really pleased I persevered with the novel and didn’t let the 600+ pages put me off as it’s definitely brought me out of my Chick Lit slump! I would absolutely recommend it if it’s the sorta thing you like and I look forward to reading more of Tasmina’s novels.
Daddy’s Girls is a whopping book, coming in at 612 pages, and it’s mammoth. There’s a lot going on in Daddy’s Girls, as I expected, but I must admit, I thought the synopsis was rather misleading. The synopsis I read mentions Oswald’s death and it seems as though that’s a major part of the book, when it’s not. In fact, Oswald’s death is mentioned briefly in the Prologue and then we go back to 10 months ago leading back up to the day of Oswald’s death. The book was more about the Balcon sisters, Camilla, Cate, Serena and Venetia and the lives they lead and the struggles they face. Yes, Oswald is pivotal to that, but his death isn’t necessarily the main plot. Because it barely covers 100 pages. The main plot, I suppose, is the leading up to Oswald’s death. I suppose each girl shows a reason for wanting Oswald dead, and that’s what the book focuses on. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it immensely but I did have some problems with the novel.
The first thing I’d like to say is that the book was too long; some scenes featuring the sisters could have been cut. Because some scenes didn’t necessarily add anything to the story so the words could have been better spent. I mean the build up to Oswald’s death was plentiful but his death and the subsequent ‘mystery’ was wrapped up within 100 pages, which was rather disappointing. It was as if it was all wrapped up in double-quick time and my mind is still whirling with all the different things we learned. I must admit, also, that I think one of the sisters could have been cut. Originally I thought there was three sisters and it took me ages to differentiate between Camilla and Cate. Camilla could have been cut out completely because she didn’t really add anything to the book and her big secret could have, quite easily, been given to Cate, Serena or Venetia because that’s all she was there for, this big mysterious secret.
I found the characters fascinating. Characters in novels like this are always larger than life and aren’t like normal people. They’re rich, glamorous and nasty most of the time. For much of the novel, the only sister I felt anything for was Cate. Cate was the more level-headed sister and it was easy to forget she was rich and glamorous. I liked how she fought her way into the journalism world and made herself a success. I also liked Venetia, she was fairly normal, too, with her interior design business. For most of the book I couldn’t take to Serena. She was horrible, and selfish and felt as if the world owed her. However, she did change as the novel wore on and she did become easier to tolerate. I don’t entire know where the change occurred, but she did seem to stop being as nasty as she was in the beginning of the novel. As I’ve already said about Camilla, she was easily forgettable. I thought Oswald Balcon was a pantomime villain, a bit too evil to be true, and he had no redeeming features at all.
I thought Daddy’s Girls was well written, Tasmina clearly has talent and I did enjoy the novel. I did think it was overly long, yes, and I did find myself just wanting to get to the end by the time I got to page 500, but for the most part it was a good read. If you like your books to be super-sized with larger than life characters then you would enjoy this. I have Tasmina’s newest novel Kiss Heaven Goodbye to read and I’ll certainly be picking it up soon. I’m really pleased I persevered with the novel and didn’t let the 600+ pages put me off as it’s definitely brought me out of my Chick Lit slump! I would absolutely recommend it if it’s the sorta thing you like and I look forward to reading more of Tasmina’s novels.
March 8, 2017
Chaotic
This book is not one of my favorites, but I continued to read it, so it was not that bad. The story line is choppy, some parts dragged on forever, others made no sense. I am a fan of Tasmina Perry, so I will read other books. But this one, not so much.
This book is not one of my favorites, but I continued to read it, so it was not that bad. The story line is choppy, some parts dragged on forever, others made no sense. I am a fan of Tasmina Perry, so I will read other books. But this one, not so much.
November 3, 2015
I decided to read this debut Novel by Tasmina Perry because the jacket description was appealing. I would describe it upon first glance as Chick Lit although later I think this theory will appear slightly incorrect.
Tasmina's first novel features the Balcon sisters. Serena, Cate, Camilla and Venetia are used to a world where money can buy you anything but the four sisters are completely different. The four sisters all have different careers. Cate is a magazine editor, Camilla is a barrister, Venetia is a designer and Serena is the spoilt actress. The sisters all love each other despite their differences but all seem united in the one problem they all have, their father. Lord Oswald Balcon is never pleased, least of all with his daughters. When he is found dead one morning, the sisters decide to find out who is behind his murder. All four sisters have the motive, so is one of them the killer?
This book was in my opinion a great first novel. The thing is, you will either love this or hate it, and for me I definitely loved it. I am a fan of all things cheesy and this book is certainly along the Jackie Collins Genre of book. Although this is probably still considered Chick Lit I thought the storyline was well written and thorough. There are quite a few plotlines so you have to keep track of them all but for me the experience was thoroughly enjoyable. This is the sort of book that you can fully absorb yourself in. Highly recommended, especially for Jackie Collins fans. The only negative I can say is that Tasmina Perry only writes a book a year at the moment. In one respect I like the fact that she doesn't just churn them out, but at the same token it means having to wait quite a while for a great book!
Tasmina's first novel features the Balcon sisters. Serena, Cate, Camilla and Venetia are used to a world where money can buy you anything but the four sisters are completely different. The four sisters all have different careers. Cate is a magazine editor, Camilla is a barrister, Venetia is a designer and Serena is the spoilt actress. The sisters all love each other despite their differences but all seem united in the one problem they all have, their father. Lord Oswald Balcon is never pleased, least of all with his daughters. When he is found dead one morning, the sisters decide to find out who is behind his murder. All four sisters have the motive, so is one of them the killer?
This book was in my opinion a great first novel. The thing is, you will either love this or hate it, and for me I definitely loved it. I am a fan of all things cheesy and this book is certainly along the Jackie Collins Genre of book. Although this is probably still considered Chick Lit I thought the storyline was well written and thorough. There are quite a few plotlines so you have to keep track of them all but for me the experience was thoroughly enjoyable. This is the sort of book that you can fully absorb yourself in. Highly recommended, especially for Jackie Collins fans. The only negative I can say is that Tasmina Perry only writes a book a year at the moment. In one respect I like the fact that she doesn't just churn them out, but at the same token it means having to wait quite a while for a great book!
February 27, 2012
Daddy's Girls would be a good beach read, IMO. It's kind of like if you mixed the Sex and the City girls with the main character from the Shopaholic book series.
The book is told from 4 points of view: Camilla, Cate, Venetia, and Serena; the Balcon sisters. Each sister has a very different personality (hence the SATC feel) but are all very close. They bonded over the loss of their mother and fear of their asshole father as a child, and that's not the kind of thing easily split apart. There are also a few scenes where Oswald, the father, is the narrator.
It's not the best written book I've ever read, but it was interesting. Each sister has a secret, and some aren't revealed until quite late in the book so that keeps it a little interesting (but it's kind of annoying too lol). Serena is a little spoiled, and I didn't like her. But she does improve slightly by the end. I had trouble keeping Cate & Camilla straight, the similar names through me off a lot. I felt like the end of the book was kind of a letdown. I don't know if I missed the big hint or what, but the resolution seemed to come out of left field for me. Not in a "Oh my gosh, I never saw that coming" way though. More like a "WTF, where did that come from?" way.
All in all it was a decent book though. I think I would have preferred to read Camilla's story as a separate book, it was the only one that really grabbed me. But not a bad way to spend some down time.
The book is told from 4 points of view: Camilla, Cate, Venetia, and Serena; the Balcon sisters. Each sister has a very different personality (hence the SATC feel) but are all very close. They bonded over the loss of their mother and fear of their asshole father as a child, and that's not the kind of thing easily split apart. There are also a few scenes where Oswald, the father, is the narrator.
It's not the best written book I've ever read, but it was interesting. Each sister has a secret, and some aren't revealed until quite late in the book so that keeps it a little interesting (but it's kind of annoying too lol). Serena is a little spoiled, and I didn't like her. But she does improve slightly by the end. I had trouble keeping Cate & Camilla straight, the similar names through me off a lot. I felt like the end of the book was kind of a letdown. I don't know if I missed the big hint or what, but the resolution seemed to come out of left field for me. Not in a "Oh my gosh, I never saw that coming" way though. More like a "WTF, where did that come from?" way.
All in all it was a decent book though. I think I would have preferred to read Camilla's story as a separate book, it was the only one that really grabbed me. But not a bad way to spend some down time.
February 20, 2009
This book was over-all better what I expected. It was an absorbing, delicious guilty kind of read.
Okay, so the plot's a tad weak and generic, and the whole murder-mystery plat is crap (it's barely mentioned til 100 pages from the end and rushed) but I still loved reading it. It's a no-brainer.
Of the women, Cate and Serena are really the only interesting characters. Venetia's affair temporarily caught my interest, but over-all she was a bit of a weak-willed sap.
It is generally well-written; Perry knows how to capture her audience, and as it has been described before, it's a "romp". The constant name dropping- "monkfish from Harrods food hall" and "Chanel dress with Vera Wang shoes" etc. got a bit annoying, but mostly just made it feel all the more decadent.
One massive gripe though- was Oswald really meant to feel scary? He was laughable; a cartoon cut-out baddie with all the cheesy "nasty" one-liners. I felt that the whole fear and hatred the girls all felt for him was just not justified. Yes, he did bad things. But he just was not intimidating.
I would recommend this book if you don't want to think too much. The lavish clothes make you feel jealous/depressed though...
Okay, so the plot's a tad weak and generic, and the whole murder-mystery plat is crap (it's barely mentioned til 100 pages from the end and rushed) but I still loved reading it. It's a no-brainer.
Of the women, Cate and Serena are really the only interesting characters. Venetia's affair temporarily caught my interest, but over-all she was a bit of a weak-willed sap.
It is generally well-written; Perry knows how to capture her audience, and as it has been described before, it's a "romp". The constant name dropping- "monkfish from Harrods food hall" and "Chanel dress with Vera Wang shoes" etc. got a bit annoying, but mostly just made it feel all the more decadent.
One massive gripe though- was Oswald really meant to feel scary? He was laughable; a cartoon cut-out baddie with all the cheesy "nasty" one-liners. I felt that the whole fear and hatred the girls all felt for him was just not justified. Yes, he did bad things. But he just was not intimidating.
I would recommend this book if you don't want to think too much. The lavish clothes make you feel jealous/depressed though...
June 26, 2011
Of course something good, always have to be followed up by trash. This was one of those epics and not a very good one. The whole mystery of the story was hardly in it at all. It was about 4 sisters who while are all very different, are still really close. Their farther on the other hand, is a complete nightmare and it seems like his own goal is to ruin their lives, which I hated so much. The mystery of the story is his death, but he was such an asshole anyway, you totally didn't care. Each sister was going through her own misery of life but some sisters got more chapters then others, I felt, which was kind of annoying. One good thing is I like them all the same (or hated them all equally) so at least it was evenly split. But the mystery was lame, hardly took up anytime in the book and was solved in like 2 chapters. For such a long book, there could have been more epic twists and turns.
Grade: C-
Grade: C-
July 22, 2011
Glamour magazine describes this book as 'a sexy guilty pleasure', in other words a stomping good holiday read! And I was not disappointed. The 4 beautiful Balcon sisters in a designer clad world, all with different careers, and watched over by their tyrant of a father, Oswald. We read of htier highs and lows in love and in their careers, and the many attempts made by their father to belittle them. He really is a nasty piece of work,he is rich and powerful and believes anything ,and anyone can be bought, at a price. Needless to say, such a lifestyle makes him very unpopular and despised by many......
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, as a holiday read.However, I've not given it 5 stars because firstly I found she spent far too much time namedropping every Designer possible in describing characters outfits, homes etc, which became a little tedious; and secondly the ending, tidying up all the loose ends was rushed, which is a shame; but that aside, it was entertaining escapism!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, as a holiday read.However, I've not given it 5 stars because firstly I found she spent far too much time namedropping every Designer possible in describing characters outfits, homes etc, which became a little tedious; and secondly the ending, tidying up all the loose ends was rushed, which is a shame; but that aside, it was entertaining escapism!
October 13, 2008
not as good as "Golddiggers" (is that one word or two? is it descriptive or just a pure noun now?) - although still a gem, as it is littered with sentences such as: "Before she had met him on the set of a tiny British indie movie five years ago, Serena had been just a posh blonde who dabbled in modeling and importing pashminas." (p.11). there was a lot more brand-dropping in this book which i didn't like as much, and the characters were a little obvious. there is a power-blonde character named Serena, as mentioned above, which is an awesome parallel to the greatest show on tv today.
btw i bought this book from half-dot-com with a gc from o. for 75 cents! it was withdrawn from the DC public library, which may say something about its value and readability, but whatever.
in conclusion, tasmina perry writes great trashy novels!
btw i bought this book from half-dot-com with a gc from o. for 75 cents! it was withdrawn from the DC public library, which may say something about its value and readability, but whatever.
in conclusion, tasmina perry writes great trashy novels!
March 20, 2014
Daddy's Girls is a big thick chick-lit book, about four beautiful sisters (Venetia, Cate, Camilla, Serena) and their tyrannical, bullying father (Oswald Balcon).
OK. I actually preferred this to the other Tasmina Perry book I have read (Original Sin). But the problem I have is being able to connect to the characters. These four women are incredibly wealthy, famous and privileged - completely the opposite of me, really. I mean, there's escapism and then there's just - this.
The character I liked the most, Camilla, was barely mentioned, whereas most of the book was dedicated to Serena, a character I loathed. Spoilt, bratty, fame hungry and shallow - ugh.
I did feel the book was a little over-long, but overall for a chick-lit book it does deliver. Romance, beautiful characters, and a murder mystery thrown in.
OK. I actually preferred this to the other Tasmina Perry book I have read (Original Sin). But the problem I have is being able to connect to the characters. These four women are incredibly wealthy, famous and privileged - completely the opposite of me, really. I mean, there's escapism and then there's just - this.
The character I liked the most, Camilla, was barely mentioned, whereas most of the book was dedicated to Serena, a character I loathed. Spoilt, bratty, fame hungry and shallow - ugh.
I did feel the book was a little over-long, but overall for a chick-lit book it does deliver. Romance, beautiful characters, and a murder mystery thrown in.
October 10, 2017
I absolutely love this author, as I always know that when a read one of Tasmina's books, i know that I'm in for a treat. Pure indulgence on so many levels, it's got everything.
I loved getting to know all of the different characters and there own individual stories which you get to discover as you progress through the book.
If you haven't read a Tasmina Perry book before, then I highly recommend that you do.
I loved getting to know all of the different characters and there own individual stories which you get to discover as you progress through the book.
If you haven't read a Tasmina Perry book before, then I highly recommend that you do.
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