Best trashy novel

[Rosamultiflora]

Dear Readers, what’s the best trashy, easy-going novel you’ve read and why was it good?? Thanks.

It's not actually trashy, but one of my favourite "easy reads" is Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes. I've read it several times now. I love the way she creates the narrative voice and how we see Rachel grow in self-awareness over the course of the novel, and the way Keyes depicts the selfishness of drug addiction is very skilfully done.

It sounds unbelievably heavy, reading that back, but Keyes writes with a great deal of empathy and humour.

Hard to pick a single 'best'. My favourite trashy-but-fabulous author right now is KJ Charles - if I had to say one then it would be either Henchmen of Zenda (rewrite of Prisoner of Zenda from the POV of the bad guys, complete with loads of sex & an unbeatable anti-hero in Rupert of Hentzau) or A Seditious Affair (the Cato Street conspiracy, William Blake, and, of course lots & lots of sex).

If you want trashy but not filthy, the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy is very good fun. (And even better on audio with all the different accents)

Quite old now but I liked the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. They are very easy to read and quite funny.

I like the Jilly Cooper books.

Rachel’s Holiday is one of my favourite books, definitely not trashy though.

Jilly Cooper is fabulous. Louise Bagshawe/Mensch also good for trashy beach reads. Also try Rebecca Chance and early Tasmina Perry.

The best trashy read I ever knew was something called "First Born" which I found abandoned on a campsite in France in the 80s. Honestly, it's amazing. It's about a family where the post-war survivors of nazi death camps all vow to name their first born daughters Frances Rebecca, and then it jumps forwards like 30 years to the 80s, where there are all these women called Frances Rebecca - but they all have cool nicknames like Bex and Jinx and Cis, and one is a multimillionaire fashion designer, and one is a golf champion, and one is an oscar winning actress, and they all have sex with each others' husbands and stuff, and it's just bonkers and full of shoulder pads and helicopters and murder and stuff. I love it so much.

Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon. It isn't trash (who wants to read trash?) but it is undemanding and hellishly funny.
"What to do if Matthew, your secret lover of the past four years, finally decides to leave his wife Sophie and their two daughters and move into your flat, just when you're thinking that you might not want him anymore . . ."
All of her novels are worth a read, in my opinion.

Penny Vincenzi's, especially her early stuff, is fab escapism. Not trash either but full of glamour and multi million dollar businesses and affairs and secrets and mysteries, great fun!

Any Lesley Pearse books. Fabulous but very easy reads.

Charlotte Bingham- to heat a nightingale.
Small town girl has horrible childhood at the hands of her grandmother. Finds out her grandmother is actually her mum. Moves to New York and meets and falls in love with a wealthy Irish race horse owner.
⬆️ none of that's a spoiler by the way. The book is huge that's just about the first 10%.

To hear a nightingale not heat!!

You then, me now by Nick Alexander. The biginning was right. I fell out laughing towards the end. It was even more funny towards the end. The sad bits were still funny. The pase got better too.

My favourite ‘trashy’ bonkbusters are Lace by Shirley Conran and Night Shall Overtake Us by Kate Saunders. Both gripping, melodramatic sagas with loads of sex. Also Jilly Cooper, of course!

Jilly Cooper. Rutshire Chronicles. Job done.

I was wondering how you heat a nightingale...

I did love all the Barbara Taylor Bradford ones - a woman of substance etc about Emma Harte

Lace! As a teenager of the 80s, I can confirm that we ALL read the goldfish scene and discussed it with horror 😱🐠

Any Sidney Sheldon - but I am particularly fond of 'The other side of Midnight'. I learned so much about sex from that as a 13 year old. Still much better than the unreadable 50 shades.

He was a fab writer who wrote trash from choice - and making genuinely easy-reading (rather than jarring) fiction is a gift he had by the gallon.

Ooooh yes, Night Shall Overtake us is brilliant.

There Should Have Been Castles by Herman Raucher. I used to read my mum's copy when she was out at her keep fit class. Lots of lots of sex.

Well if it is sex you want then Harold Robbins is your man!
When I was in sixth form I kept my copies at school, hidden in my locker in our common room. My family would not have approved!

@rosegoldwatcher I downloaded Getting Rid of Matthew earlier this week but I can't get into it because I just can't like Helen! She fucked another woman's husband. Will I like her eventually if I stick with it??

Mine is also Rachel's Holiday.

I've just finished The Delusionist by Rachel Matthias. I woke up last night just after 2am and couldn't get back to sleep, so decided to give it a go because it's been on my bedside table for weeks. The alarm went off before I'd finished so I was late for work, but it was well worth it. It was BRILLIANT. It was like reading about my friends. It's not really trashy, actually - it's probably a psychological thriller really - but it's an easy read.

I'm a big fan of the Jane Fallon books too.

I'd forgotten about Harold Robbins. Might have to download one of those next time I can't sleep …