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I found the idea for the show really interesting, adding this competitive bit really gave the story a bonus spark as you were never sure which contestants were acting for the sake of the public and which ones were being genuinely themselves. Also, as the show gained popularity, you could see all the changes in them. Especially on Issy, you could say that the fame went to her head and she started forgetting about her family and friends and focusing a bit too much on the show and her fans. For a moment there, I wasn't sure I like her anymore. But I guess that it must be difficult to stay true to yourself when everyone starts adoring you and you cannot even go to the loo without it making to the news.
While the documentary format was new for Pattison, she’s no stranger to being in front of a camera. First finding fame on 2011’s Geordie Shore – in her words, a “controversial reality show, notorious for featuring a cast of twenty-somethings involved in some serious boozing” – Pattison had her youthful overindulgence watched by millions. Not her, though: “I never watched Geordie Shore, ever”, she explained. “I have complicated feelings about what that show made me become.” We watch her get ready for a night out with her girlfriends in Newcastle. She says she is much more contained than she was during her Geordie Shore years, and is looking forward to it (hell, we’re all looking forward to it – I haven’t been out or young for years), but – “I’m already sweating behind my knees thinking how poorly I’m going to be tomorrow.” Those slippery definitions, lubricated with the perspiration of hangovers and regret. Then Amber meet someone an American heartthrob who shows her the glittering sights of an ilustrious career can bring.But Amber's life isn't quite as perfect as it seems and when a face from the past turns up, Amber's life is turned upside down. Can she right it again and make up for her mistakes in time for Christmas? Where the book lost me a bit was on some of the minor characters like Nicole who I just could not identify with at all. She just seemed far too fake and over the top for me - are people really like that? I hope not. Despite the fact this book really does contain a Christmas Kiss, the Christmas bit of the book is very small and right at the end, so I really would't worry about the title and you can easily read this book at any time of the year and enjoy it. I loved the bond she has with her flatmates, Tom and Jess and I can imagine the fun times the threesome have had over the years. They like to have a good time but they also look out for each other too. I also liked the friendship she forms with assistant Freddie and her new boss Alessandro is such a sweetheart and is so much more than a boss and becomes a real mentor for Amber.
The girls clash over many different situations during the story. But both realise in the end that they are only looking out for each other. When Issy's dad puts her forward for a sensational new reality TV show, no one expects her to actually be selected. With her family urging her to grab the opportunity with both hands, Issy suddenly finds herself surrounded by glamour, fame and celebrities. Full of excitement, Issy embraces it all - it's what she needs to do to achieve her goals. But when the reality of what she's signed up for doesn't match the dream Issy is chasing, things begin to fall apart. Issy is so close to getting everything she ever wanted - but just how much of herself will she have to sacrifice to get it? To me this book had a real ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ feeling. It was a good read and different than my normal reads. The romance wasn’t really what I hoped it would be, but in the end it was really good and perfect for Amber’s character. I did think this book was a bit too long when I was half way through. I think this book would have been just as good if a view parts were left out.Issy Jones is clearly a very likeable but ambitious young girl. Having given up her place at a London Hair Academy to be with her family after a family illness, she is just plodding along in her mum’s Manchester hair salon doing blue rinses. However her family think she now deserves more and without her knowledge put her forward for a new reality TV show – ‘Can You Cut It?’ – (think ‘Big Brother’ in a hairdressing environment) with the ‘Confession Cam’ substituted for the Big Brother Diary Room. The rest of the story is about Issy’s time on that show and how the seduction of fame can change even the most grounded person into someone that family and friends do not recognise. It also shows that you shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers!
There are two major love interests in the book, the one you are rooting for the whole way through, and the other which I was enjoying to start with, but within one relationship, Amber soon learnt just who she can count on. A perfect summer read: full of sunshine and light breezes with occasional thunderstorms that clear up with rainbows at the end. In ‘A Christmas Kiss’ we meet Amber Raey. Amber is living in London and working hard to become a fashion designer. Fashion and designing is her big passion and she doesn’t remember a time where she didn’t want to become a designer. But to get to her dream she has to work hard and do some terrible jobs. But slowly working hard pays off. Amber gets herself a job interview at one of London most prestigious fashion houses and before she knows it, her life will never be the same. The story was very basic but was very interesting and entertaining to read. The premise is that Issy becomes part of 'Can You Cut It?' and the whole book is her time on the show and in the contestants shared apartment. I loved reading all of this as it reminded me so much of Big Brother, a show I absolutely love!I loved how this book explored family dynamics, the relationships between the people who make up a family and that sometimes they're not all related to you. The only downer that I have of this book is that the front cover, title and bio promise me a wonderfully festive read. However there is only a little bit that is set over the festive period. Which is a little bit of a let down. As I was looking forward to curling up with a delicious Christmas read. But nethertheless this is still a very sweet book To start with what I liked, I loved the themes of friendship and family running through this book. Amber the main character has some fierce friendships and her family bond with her mother and sister is lovely. I also liked the references to local places to me and the ending although predictable was warm and fluffy. From the moment I started reading this book I enjoyed it. Fashion isn’t really my thing, but reading about Amber’s life in London and her friends and adventures really made up for that. I loved getting a look inside Amber’s life. It was fun to read how she got to her ‘dream’ job and I especially loved getting to know Amber’s friends and family. Reading about those characters and the relationships they had with Amber were really the best part of the book if you ask me.
Meanwhile Lizzie -slapdash, fun-loving, loyal, wild, yet insecure- who is without a job, a flat or a boyfriend, feels left out in the cold. Very easy to read and impossible to put down; hence I read it in 15 hours (8 of which I was sleeping, then others spent cleaning house, preparing a family breakfast and the joy of Saturday swimming lessons at the local pool).
Amber Raey has always dreamed of designing her own fashion label. But her boos is a true nightmare. Has Amber working all hours and doing menial tasks like taking her dog for a walk instead of using Amber to her full potential. Amber doesn't mind too much thou as she knows it is the first stepping stone to getting her new job. Then one day Amber is headhunted by the head of a majorly popular fashion house and all of a sudden Amberd dreams are coming true. It was also very interesting to read about how the behind the scenes of the show worked and how everything was thought and planned beforehand by the crew. I guess that in every reality TV show there are a lot more staged situations than they want us to believe. The other characters are all well written, they are more than just props, I felt like we got to know them all, just enough. On the whole though, whether Pattison wrote this book single-handedly or employed the services of a ghost-writer, I thought this was a really great read, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her fiction work.
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