Rachel (Never Mind The Botox, #2)

by Penny Avis and Joanna Berry

[Leah]

After reading Alex, the first novel in Penny Avis and Joanna Berry’s Never Mind The Botox book series, I was intrigued by this new series. It revolves around 4 women – Alex, Rachel, Meredith and Stella – who are all involved in the sale of a cosmetic surgery clinic and as the deal moves along each woman has their own troubles to deal with. All the stories are different, but it all revolves around the sale of the Beau Street cosmetic surgery clinic. Clever, right? I liked the first book. The characterisation was weak (instead focusing more on the plot) but it was an enjoyable read so I was excited to read book two, to see what Rachel Altman’s story was. Sadly, though, I wasn’t a big fan. Which, perhaps, wasn’t helped by the fact that it took me almost two weeks to read it due to work commitments.

Rachel is the financier at Beau Street, making sure everything they’re saying is correct, that all their records are squeaky clean and that the sale to Equinox can go ahead. But when problems start to arise – both professionally and personally, Rachel is put to the test, particularly when it comes to her boozy boyfriend Harry. I don’t really know how or why ‘Rachel’ fell apart, but I just couldn’t get on with the book. I thought that, for a financier, Rachel was a bit dim. A bit stupid. A bit childish. First, where her job is concerned, she’s unable to keep her gob shut. She’s told not to tell anyone anything – not a hard thing, that’s how it goes with things like that, right? – but no, Rachel tells her family, her friends, her boyfriend all about the clients and what not. It came across as unprofessional. Then, when she finds something out about Beau Street, she keeps it to herself! She debates saying NOTHING! It made me want to bash my head in. The whole point of her company coming in is to be honest, open, to uncover secrets, yet all Rachel thinks of is herself and how it may affect her.

The novel was just all over the place. I finished it, but I can’t tell you how it ended, I can’t tell you what happened because I’ve forgotten already. It seems as if this novel was just a mish-mash of Rachel’s job and her bar-hopping ways. That’s it. Oh, except for Rachel’s brother Rowan’s incident. Which, by the way, you will see coming a mile off. Rachel’s reaction to what Rowan does is typical in how irritating it is. Much like the previous novel, the characterisation is weak. I didn’t “feel” Rachel, for lack of a better word. I just didn’t care for her and I found her to be really annoying. Her boyfriend, Harry, is the lowest of the low, he doesn’t care about her job, never listens to her, yet (as usual) she’s blind to it. I wondered why someone successful, clever (or supposedly so) like Rachel was doing with someone like Harry, frankly. There was just nothing I really liked. Nothing to hold on to and I just didn’t care at all, sadly. The only fascinating part of the book was the security guard, Fred, who dreamed of being a weather man. He made me smile. But that’s it. And what does it say when that is the only thing to smile about?