Divas

by Rebecca Chance

Stunning good looks, a gorgeous fiancé, a bottomless trust fund, London's leading It Girl, Lola Fitzsimmons, leads a charmed life, a pampered princess whose rich father funds her every whim.

Evie on the other hand has had to work her own way up life's greasy pole - literally! But, having hooked herself an indulgent sugar daddy, Evie has been able to give up her pole-dancing career, abandoning New York's seedy strip bars for a luxury Manhattan penthouse.

Both Lola and Evie are about to meet their nemesis. Overnight, Lola's credit cards are refused, her fiance disappears and she finds herself locked out of her own Chelsea mews house. That same day, Evie is abruptly thrown out onto the streets.

One woman lies behind their misfortune. With Lola's father lying helpless in a coma, her icy stepmother has seized control of the purse strings - and cut off her spoiled stepdaughter without a penny. The same stepmother who happens to be married to Evie's sugar daddy.

Although the two girls loathe one another on sight, Lola and Evie must team up if they are to defeat their common enemy: the Ice Queen herself. Let battle commence.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, London, Adult

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Rebecca Chance was born in Hampstead to international art dealer parents, and grew up in the exclusive millionaire’s row surroundings of London’s St John’s Wood. Tiring of her cushioned, privileged existence, she ran away to Tuscany to live a wild bohemian life on a wine-making estate, where she lived in a 14th century villa in a Chianti vineyard, partying with artists, learning Italian, and picking grapes. But big city life was calling her, and after staying in Rome and Porto Ercole, she moved to Manhattan, lured by the glamorous single-girl existence and nonstop nightlife. She spent a decade living the Sex and The City dream in SoHo, equally at home in an uptown penthouse on Fifth Avenue overlooking the Metropolitan Museum, or downtown dancing on the bar of the Coyote Ugly for kicks. Eventually, a handsome American husband in tow, she moved back to London to settle down (as much as she can) and finally fictionalize some of her most exciting and glamorous experiences into her bestselling blockbuster novels.
Rebecca’s interests include trapeze, pole-dancing, watching "America’s Next Top Model", and cocktail-drinking.

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lola Fitzsimmons has everything - money, good looks, great friends, a rich and gorgeous fiancée. Everything is great until her father dies and she is left without a penny and her fiancée gets into a scandal and her friends don't even offer to help.

Evie on the other hand knows only struggle. She has a sugar daddy who pays for everything until he doesn't and she is left without anything as well. She bumps into Lola and from there their lives are interconnected in more ways than they thought at the start.

This was my first read from the author and it's an amazing read. The story is a very simple story or that's what I thought initially but wow was I wrong and very delighted about my being wrong. This simple story becomes full of mysteries and so much fun. I didn't much like any of the characters except the mother but that didn't stop me from enjoying this and burning through the pages to know what happens. The writing flows like an easy breeze. A perfect read for a weekend.

4 stars

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is the first book by Rebecca Chance, the storyplot of this book are well written and it took me lesss than 2 days on a weekend to finish all 453 pages ;)

The main character of the book are Carin (the evil stepmother), Lola (the spoilt, pampered daughter) and Evie (the mistress). Being a greed, Carin poisoned the husband, Benny and took charged of his fortune and the first thing that she did was to evict both Lola and Evie from their respective home and cut the money string at once.

Lola, who is accustomed to being served and is a socialite who spent her time spending daddy's money found herself in deep trouble when there was no money forthcoming and being caught in a controversial position when her fiance took an overdose who turned out to be gay, begun to realised who her true enemy was. And being charged as murderer of her own father, was something that she never dream will ever happen to her.

And, the mistress, Evie found herself once again on the road with no one to turned to after Carin force her out of the house that Benny bought for her, determined not to go back to the poverty that was her background and trying at all cost, to wrestle back what was rightfully hers.

Three different women with three different agendas...who will win in the end??

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5 Star Review ...

http://sleaze-factor.blogspot.ca/2016... …

[Toby Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Total entertainment from start to finish, couldn't put it down.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. LOVED. THIS. It was like classic Jackie Collins. Ms. Collins is my favourite author but her recent work is quite tame compared to her earlier stuff. This book however was anything but tame. The writing was so small I struggled to read it at times and it was around 450+ long but I still managed to devour it within 24 hours because I could not put it down! There were parts of the book which actually had my jaw dropping - literally! It was like an adult Gossip Girl, fantastic.

Immediately we are introduced to It Girl Lola Fitzsimmons who I immediately loved. The thing with girls like Lola is they are born into money, from a young age they have everything they could possibly want and then some and so you can't blame them for acting like spoilt rich kids, that's what they are after all. That's why I felt sympathy for her when her evil stepmother swept in and took away all her luxuries and leaving her to fend for herself. Yes Lola came across as a horrible person but she doesn't know any better. I did however love Lola throughout the whole book and felt that the experiences she went through humanized her and made her grow up and see the world through the eyes of those less fortunate than her.

I also really liked Evie. She reminded me of Ivy from Gossip Girl (who I also loved) and who I pictured as Evie in this book. Evie comes across as a gold digger initially, as she is the mistress of Lola's father but again we learn about her history and why she is like she is and again the experiences that she goes through also improve her as a person and she is an extremely likeable person throughout the whole book. The bit about her basically being Lola's twin was a bit American soap opera-ish but I loved it!

Carin was a nasty, vindictive character with nothing on her mind except money. The other two girls want money too but they aren't trying to get it in an evil way. Some of the things Carin did were disgraceful but as the principal villain of this book she was absolutely fantastic. I was seething at some of the things that she did in the book but all it did was improve the book and make it even more unputdownable that it already was! And the courtroom drama was fantastic. This book would play out incredibly on TV or in the cinema.

Overall I loved this book and didn't want it to end. Certainly not my last Rebecca Chance book as I have the rest of them ready and waiting to be read! Fans of Jackie Collins should pick up Chance's books ASAP.

[Andie Coppock · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a debut book this was really really good. It took only one chapter to get me hooked. Jaw dropping moments and fab filthy writing. Love this author.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a slowstarter this one. The first parts being like a bad reality show I normally try to avoid. However, started to get interesting about halfway and I ended up enjoying it.

[Seadaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok.
I found the storyline a bit silly, it had the potential to be very good, but fell short - although I believe this is her first published novel - so perhaps the next set of books will be better.

So the premise of the story is - rich IT girl Lola soon to be married to another uber rich kid - everything falls in a heaps, her dad is in a diabetic coma (or is he), her wicked step mum stops the money coming in and kicks her out of her home. Meanwhile stripper/exotic dancer Evie turned mistress finds herself kicked out of her unit by the same woman as she is the mistress of Lola's comatised dad. She even loses her diamond crusted pasties - she seems more upset about that than anything. Oh yes meanwhile she is bonking her 'zen yoga / exercise guy'.

Meanwhile Lola finds herself potentially going to jail for murdering her rich dad. She finds out her rich fiancée isn't in to her - they are just best friends, she gets a hammering (in more ways than one) by her rich fiancée's sour brother.

Oh and Lola is quite clumsy in a private helicopter she is having a shower and 'accidently' loses her towel while out in the cabin. I thought only private planes had helicopters and beds.. do private helicopters have this too?

Witnesses die/become murdered... mistress and daughter become good friends, daughter reunites with her mum who she had ostracised for so long - daughter finds herself with only one loyal friend after finding out everyone else sold her out to the papers or didn't want to know her.

All is well though she gets out of trouble, just in the knick of time (oh the suspense), gets a new fiancée, has one of her old friends, her mum back, her new ex-mistress stripper (oh now she's a burlesque dancer) and a couple of gay friends (won't say who) - oh and she is mega rich in her own right.
As I type this I see just how ludicrous it sounds. But I'll stick with the rating of 2 for OK.

[Cassie Caine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few paragraphs in, I knew I was going to treasure this book. The story rips along, the two heroines are adorable, and every page bristles with hilarious gags, snappy dialogue and wonderfully witty insights into the lives of the jetset. Ms Chance has taken the escapist chick lit holiday read, dipped it in 24 carat gold, sprinkled it with diamonds and turned it into something rare and priceless.

[Sarah Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I haven't read a trashy novel in forever. I'm a huge fan of the author not using a pseudonym, and this is just as good (in a Judith Krantz way.)

[Sharon Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! Could not put it down and read it in days. If you like a good Jackie Collins book then you'll love it!

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although at times the characters seemed a forced the story was really addictive.

[David Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divas had all the elements in place to be an enjoyable read. Sadly, it fell short of my expectations. The book is in desperate need of a good editor. The transitions between characters and scenes were abrupt, which led to confusion. The characters were not very well developed. Erie was perhaps the most well thought out character in the story. The poor formatting of the book was also a distraction. A valiant effort but not worthy of anything more than 3 stars. Am hoping the next time I decide to read a book by Rebecca Chance, I will find it more polished.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Closed this book early on and moved it outside the house. Got this book as I mislead by the cover into thinking it would be a relaxing fluffy chick lit read.

This book should be rated R.

I read some reviewers who said it would make a great movie - the only movie it could be would be a porn film.

A lot of cocaine sniffing and erotica. The characters are shallow and unbelievable as well as unlikable.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this one on the clearance shelf in WHSmith, and I'm so glad I did
This was such a good book
I didn't like the characters until late in the story but that seemed to be intentional
That being said there was amazing character development and personal growth for them
I loved reading about Niels he's totally hot 😂 and totally shy and cute!
Jean-Marc was totally sweet and supportive 😂
I lied I liked India - she was sweet
I really liked the ending

[Cherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! It was glamorous, sexy and utterly thrilling to the end. The characters were all so interesting - especially Niels! The way the court case unravelled at the end too was brilliantly done and just loved the way the two girls teamed up together - it was just fabulous! Perfect book for fans of Louise Bagshawe or Jackie Collins.

[Belinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I knew this was going to be a silly, far-fetched type of read but had no idea just how ridiculous it would be! I was somewhat engaged at the beginning but it just got worse as the terrible story went on. Won’t be wasting any more time on Rebecca Chance books.

[Amy Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of light fluff. But entertaining.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Rebecca Chance be warned some parts can be a bit saucy but are in context

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun sexy romp - I wouldnt read it if sex scenes offend you.

[Imogen Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! So juicy you have to know what happens next!

[Karen Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the story. Creative plot line, well defined characters, humor.

[Clairabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and fast read, enjoyed it more than I thought

[Karren321 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accidently read this again. I hate that!

This was entertaining. The sacherrine sweet ending put me off. No need for that rubbish

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well as her debut novel I had set my sights low (sad as that may seem).
Unfortunately there is so much competition in this field it seems like there is more
and more of the same tired types of chick lit out there. Having said that, the main
reason I read this type of genre is the sheer escapism element. The whole point
of reading this type of book is to lose yourself in the unrealistic and hope for a
happy outcome.

As soon as you start reading this it becomes clear very soon that the characters
are most definitely rich and spoilt. Lola is the spoilt ‘princess’ daughter who is given
everything and does not a thing all day every day apart from spend her fathers
money. You have Evie who is the mistress, put up in the smartest flat with lots of
credit cards in tap, and finally the wife Carin, who is all about the money and wants
anybody connected to money she could have, out of the picture.

The characters are fantastic because they are all so catty and hell bent on getting their own way. Although Lola and Evie are both greedy in their own way as well as being spoilt as the book progresses you begin to like them more and more as they realise the pitfalls of their own situations. Carin the wife was an absolute bi*ch and a character that you will love to hate. She truly is an awful woman. In addition to the women there are a whole host of male characters that appear in the book and their roles dramatically change over the course of the story.

The story itself was well thought out and most definitely further over the line for the unrealistic nature than I would normally go for, but somehow it worked incredibly well. There were quite a lot of twists and plot surprises along the way which made for an interesting read too.

My only criticism was that for some reason I found it hard to connect with one of the main lead male characters. It wasn’t a major issue but kind of bugged me that I couldn’t see the good in him all that much. Be warned, if you are not a fan of grapic sex in books then you may want to give this a wide berth. I think lately a lot of the chick lit books seem to be getting that little bit raunchier, and the authors certainly aren’t shy!

Overall, I think that this is an awesome debut for Rebecca Chance (aka Lauren Henderson) and think that I will definitely be getting the next book she has released to add to my ‘to read list’ rather soon.

[Jocelyn (foxonbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lola’s your average spoilt little rich girl, the apple of her Daddy’s eye. And she has the black credit cards to prove it – until her Dad mysteriously falls into a coma while he’s being cared for by Carin, Lola’s evil stepmother, and Carin promptly cuts off Lola’s trust fund, leaving Lola floundering. That same day stripper-cum-mistress Evie wakes up to find Carin and her henchman in the apartment given to her by ‘Benny’, and is summarily evicted. Turns out Lola’s Daddy was also Evie’s sugar daddy – and he forgot to put the deed to the apartment in Evie’s name. Now Lola and Evie find themselves wary allies against the malevolent Carin, both fighting to regain control over their money and their lives.

The plot is tightly constructed, and as with many of these books the three main female character’s stories intersect neatly – perhaps a little too neatly, at times feeling a little contrived. The novel happily emphasises the girls’ sex lives, and the suitors are appropriately gorgeous with a dash of danger. I found a little bit of Mr Darcy in Niels, Lola’s sometimes reluctant paramour, which is always a plus (although the Austen references fell apart pretty quickly during their raunchy scenes!). Fear not, there’s plenty of bonk for your buck.

I actually found myself more interested in the plot than the romantic interludes in this particular book, which could be a plus or a minus depending on your perspective? I loved the intricacies of Carin’s evil shenanigans, and both Lola and Evie ended up being pretty well established characters, more than just the heiress and the whore, although the guys were pretty straightforward.

A solid girly read, with a salacious punch and satisfying comeuppances.

[Idoru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I’ve been following the author on Facebook for some time. She’s very entertaining over there and I figured I owed her at least one read. And I’m pleased I did.

Rebecca’s books are generally described as ‘bonkbusters’, but in many ways this defies genre. It’s kind of a modern-day romance thriller with lots of steamy sex and glamour. Glam-lit? Glam-thriller-lit? Sexy glam-thriller-lit? Who knows? Who cares? Labels are really just for marketing purposes.

The book starts with a woman administering a lethal injection to her disgustingly corpulent husband (not a spoiler, by the way, this is just the prologue). It’s a great way to begin a story and really draws you in. I was intrigued from the off - who is this woman? Why is she murdering her husband? Will she get away with it?

All these questions do get an answer, but not necessarily in the way you might expect. In fact the first few chapters totally turned my assumptions - based on that prologue - on their heads. The story doesn’t start with our murderous wife and her identity is only revealed later on. Instead we begin in London with It Girl and socialite of the moment Lola Fitzgerald celebrating her forthcoming wedding to one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. Lola has lived a charmed life; the spoon she was born with wasn’t so much silver as diamond encrusted. But things are about to go very wrong …

The characters are all fabulously good looking, fabulously glamourous, fabulously wealthy (apart from one or two notable exceptions) and fabulously, well, fabulous.

The book is well written, pacy and fun. I really enjoyed it and will be reading more of Ms Chance’s books.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

London "It Girl" Lola has it all. She's rich, beautiful, has fabulous friends and a wealthy fiance who adores her. But her perfect life quickly spirals out of control when her father becomes gravely ill and her stepmother, Carin cuts her off financially. As if that isn't enough stress for a girl pampered her whole life, she is embossed in a public scandal surrounding her fiance and one of her friends sells her out to a tabloid. Not knowing who to trust, Lola travels to New York to be close to her dad and try to regain control over her trust fund.


Meanwhile, Evie is loving her new life as mistress to Lola's wealthy father. She no longer has to strip for a living, has a beautiful apartment, clothes and unlimited credit cards. But when her sugar daddy becomes ill, his wife quickly kicks her out of the apartment and cancels her credit cards. Unwilling to go back to her previous life, Evie eventually meets up with Lola and they conspire to take down Carin.


I had a difficult time empathizing with the two lead characters. I have been working since I was 15 so it's challenging to feel bad for a Paris Hilton type who has never worked a day in her life. I will say that Lola did eventually grow on me and she had her amusing moments. While her love story was predictable, I loved the interactions between her and her man. Evie, on the other hand, was an odious character that I could not stand. The relationship with her boyfriend did not seem the least bit realistic nor was the ending plausible.

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

London‘s leading It Girl Lola has a rich daddy and is living her best life, all about her looks, with her gorgeous fiancé, her girlfriends, lots of parties and some coke. Until her father ends up in a coma and her stepmother takes control. Suddenly her credit cards are being refused, she‘s locked out of her Chelsea townhouse, her fiancé is involved in a first class scandal and her friends don‘t even offer to help.

Evie had to work hard to be able to exchange the seedy strip bars for a Manhattan penthouse. But she‘s forced out of her home when her sugar daddy‘s wife shows up and claims all her belongings.

Both women loathe each other at first sight but they have to team up to fight the Ice Queen herself.

Diva is all about the women in Benni's life and an easy read but a fun story with lots of little mysteries and storylines. I mean it’s unbelievable and unreal but I enjoyed most of it. It‘s the perfect trashy read and Chance does a great job of making one character so loathable that you find yoursef cheering for the bitchy one.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a like Jackie Collins for the Millennial generation. Beautiful, blonde, London It girl Lola Fitzgerald is on her hen night preparing for her wedding to IT boy Jean-Marc; a beautiful blonde It boy. Surrounded by her closest and richest friends what could possibly go wrong? Everything... the next day she is homeless and penniless, Jean-Marc has been hospitalized after OD-ing in the council flat of an ugly transsexual and the Paps are out in force.

In NY Evie; former pole dance turned mistress, is being evicted from her penthouse and she can't even bring her diamond pasties.

These seemingly unrelated events are terribly related and will force both women to learn about themselves and each other.

Note to my friends- this book is very different that what I usually read and has lots of adult content.