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Original poster

Can anyone remember these books (chicklit - maybe 15 years ago))

21 replies

NotImpossible · 14/10/2021 16:47

Bit of an odd one but I have hazy memories of two books I read probably 15 ish years ago and I was wondering if anyone recognised them?

1st one - woman moves to London after uni (somewhere north - Edinburgh maybe...?). Rubbish boyfriend leaves her so she gets 2 housemates - Harry/Henry and Dante (?). She gets a job in publishing (way to easily!) Somebody has a sister called Cressida.
I think the book had a yellow cover...

2nd book might have been a freebie with Cosmo or some such. Pink cover - might have had 'pink' in the title. Very fashion world - overblown plot. The only bit I really remember was someone trying to murder someone by injecting them with an oxygen bubble (?!)

Any ideas? They've been bugging me this week - especially the second one!

OP posts:
RIBlue · 15/10/2021 22:16

I had an immediate reaction that the first one is a Jill Mansell. The yellow cover for some reason was instant but not really the story, so probably ignore me!

HotSauceCommittee · 15/10/2021 22:31

The first one could be "Ralph's Party" by Lisa Jewel? A nice book.

Original poster
NotImpossible · 15/10/2021 22:44

@HotSauceCommittee

The first one could be "Ralph's Party" by Lisa Jewel? A nice book.
Oh, that name rings a bell. I'll have a look, thanks for the suggestion.

@RIBlue thank you too. I did read quite a lot of Jill Mansell back then but I don't think this was her.

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RJnomore1 · 15/10/2021 22:47

Doesn’t sound like Ralph’s party to me - does sound familiar though...

MichelleScarn · 15/10/2021 22:50

Book 1 I loved this book, so cheesy she gets a fabulous job in publishing so easily in london and is sharing a flat with Virginia Andrews twins!

Original poster
NotImpossible · 15/10/2021 23:16

@MichelleScarn

Book 1 I loved this book, so cheesy she gets a fabulous job in publishing so easily in london and is sharing a flat with Virginia Andrews twins!
Haha, glad I'm not the only one who remembers it! It was seriously cheesy - I think she even ends up with the brooding, slightly bad-boy flatmate.
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Cattenberg · 15/10/2021 23:21

I remember Ralph’s Party! The girl, Jem, worked in PR, I think. Ralph was an artist. The other bloke who owned the flat (Smith?), was a twat. Jem dated him before ending up with Ralph.

There were other characters, who had affairs. That’s about all I can remember.

MavisMonkey · 15/10/2021 23:58

I remember Ralph's Party (nice book) but I think book 1 is called Kiss Him Goodbye by Victoria Routledge.

Book 2 isn't ringing any bells.

Mumoftwoinprimary · 16/10/2021 00:06

Definitely not Ralph’s Party but for all those who liked Ralph’s Party there is now a sequel called “After the Party”. Jem and Ralph have two kids!

TheRealMrsMorningstar · 16/10/2021 00:11

Is the first book one of the shopaholic books ? The plot sounds vaguely familiar.

The second book is making me think of one of the point horror books from a million years ago (OK, I read them about 30 years ago but feels like a million years ago 😂)

ColonelNobbyNobbs · 16/10/2021 01:43

Any chance Book 2 could be Angel by Katie Price? I got that for free with Cosmo or something and it had a bright pink cover and she was a glamour model!

Original poster
NotImpossible · 16/10/2021 05:57

@MavisMonkey

I remember Ralph's Party (nice book) but I think book 1 is called Kiss Him Goodbye by Victoria Routledge.

Book 2 isn't ringing any bells.

Omg that's it! Kiss Him Goodbye. Thank you @MavisMonkey - that's one mystery solved!
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MichelleScarn · 16/10/2021 09:43

Yesss! @MavisMonkey superstar! Off to look at ebay Grin

Original poster
NotImpossible · 16/10/2021 12:57

I've been doing a bit of Googling and I think the 2nd book might be Think Pink by Georgina Newbury. It looks and sounds vaguely familiar.

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Original poster
NotImpossible · 16/10/2021 12:58

I'm also going to read Ralph's Party. I read something else by the same author recently and enjoyed it.

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Original poster
NotImpossible · 16/10/2021 13:04

@Cattenberg

I remember Ralph’s Party! The girl, Jem, worked in PR, I think. Ralph was an artist. The other bloke who owned the flat (Smith?), was a twat. Jem dated him before ending up with Ralph.

There were other characters, who had affairs. That’s about all I can remember.

This also reminds me of a Jill Mansell book I read many years ago! Pretty sure the artist in that one was called Casper but there was definitely the dating a twat part before she got with the artist!

I used to enjoy Jill Mansell but read a Kindle 99p one recently and thought it was a bit crap. Terrible characters.

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AristotlesTrousers · 17/10/2021 14:00

It's not a book called 'Love Stuck' by Susie Gilmour, is it? That was about somebody moving to London after uni, though I think she might have worked in TV production rather than publishing. It was one of those books that alternated chapters depending on a decision the main character had to make.

AristotlesTrousers · 17/10/2021 14:06

The second book doesn't ring a bell I'm afraid, but I'll keep trying to rack my brain in case something comes to mind.

antsinyourpanta · 17/10/2021 14:12

I used to like Jill Mansel books but the last one I (tried to) read was so predictable I couldn't be bothered to read the whole thing. By the time I'd got to about chapter 3 all the characters had been introduced and it was obvious who was going to pair up with who, so I didn't finish it!

Cattenberg · 17/10/2021 20:25

@Mumoftwoinprimary

Definitely not Ralph’s Party but for all those who liked Ralph’s Party there is now a sequel called “After the Party”. Jem and Ralph have two kids!
I’ll look out for this one.
Mucky1 · 17/10/2021 20:28

Was there a hike involved and a posh exclusive bag maybe angel bag?

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