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Glamour
Three powerful women. Once best friends. Now deadly rivals... Texan honey Sally Lassiter, English rose Jane Morgan and Jordanian Helen Yanna meet at an exclusive girls school and become best friends. They form a bond which will never be broken. Years later, the three girls are grown-up, co-founders and millionaire co-owners of the exclusive GLAMOUR chain of stores. They are fabulously wealthy, instantly recognisable, adored and revered. Or are they? The GLAMOUR empire is on the verge of collapse and the three women are embroiled in a bitter feud. A gloriously glossy blend of glitzy women, handsome men, and the power of friendship, Louise Bagshawes latest novel is irresistible. Because every woman needs GLAMOUR in her life.
480 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2007
61 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
Louise Bagshawe
64 books488 followersLouise Daphne Bagshawe was born on 28 June 1971 in England, UK. She attended local all-girls Catholic schools near her family home in Surrey, before going to Oxford University in 1989. After graduating with a degree in Anglo Saxon and Norse, she worked as press officer with EMI records and then as a marketing official with Sony Music. On her 22nd birthday, her passion for writing was realised with a major publishing deal as Louise Bagshawe. She is the author of more than fifteen novels, published in more than eight languages. She is sister of the also writer Tilly Bagshawe.
Louise married Anthony LoCicero, and they had three children, but since June 2011, she is married with her second husband Peter Mensch. She lives in Northamptonshire with her family, and has been the Parliamentary Candidate for Corby and East Northants since November 2006, and became the Member of Parliament for Corby after winning the seat at the 2010 general election.
Louise married Anthony LoCicero, and they had three children, but since June 2011, she is married with her second husband Peter Mensch. She lives in Northamptonshire with her family, and has been the Parliamentary Candidate for Corby and East Northants since November 2006, and became the Member of Parliament for Corby after winning the seat at the 2010 general election.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
November 20, 2023
Love the glitz and the glamour. Really loved the 3 girls and a great chick lit read.
Five stars.
Five stars.
November 7, 2012
Is also a novel by a certain Louise Bagshawe and, in my quest for awful books full of derp and rage, I read it because the bumf on the back said she was a British answer to some American chick lit scribbler and given that I have a special loathing for chick lit, I just had to immerse myself in this wasteland of "edgy, sophisticated women and handsome, powerful men" as the bumf refers to it as.
I wish I hadn't.
Executive Summary
The adventures of three nasty minded backstabbing wank baskets who everyone inexplicably loves.
A bit more detail if you don't mind?
Sally Lassiter, Helen Yanna and Jane Morgan are three women who are proprietors of the ultra-wealthy and high powered cosmetics firm named Glamour, who are some megacorp who have their fingers in every single fashion and beauty pie imaginable. They all descend on each other to thrash out some sort of massive argument where they're all trying to screw each other over for control of the firm. We are introduced to them - Jane Morgan, a sensible Brit, Sally Lassiter, an obnoxious American woman, and Helen Yanna, who's some sort of Middle Eastern princess - as they descend on each other for this argument. Much description is made of what they are wearing and how unearthly glamorous they are. Clothing porn is engaged in, to an extent where I wonder whether Dolce e Gabbana, MaxMara, and Maria Grachvogel are paying the author off for this.
The novel then flashes back to the 1980s where the three of them are all cohorts at a super exclusive Californian boarding school for the daughters of rich parents. Apparently Jane is the shy, bookish daughter of a diplomat, Sally is the town-bike offspring of a Texan oil magnate, and Haya (as she's called then) is the slightly bemused offspring of a Jordanian businessman. This is where they all get it together and suchlike. Their characters, well, I've just described their entire characterisations in the above paragraph. They are a trio of beautiful special snowflake Mary Sues whose flaws aren't. For instance, Jane is bullied as the bookish, shy girl she is until The Makeover upon where she becomes beautiful all along. The rest of it isn't much better.
Speaking of which, the author seems unable to let a page go by without, where Sally is mentioned, referring to "her illegal curves." Not only is this a metaphor so stupid as to be unbelievable, but when I googled it every result, pretty much, took me to a porno story.
So, naturally, all three of them then find themselves dropping out, Jane because her diplomat father commits suicide to escape massive debt, Sally because her father gets banged up for colossal tax evasion, and Haya or Helen or whatever she's called this chapter gets stuffed into an arranged marriage back home. The rest of the flashback details their heroic and thoroughly unbelievable clawing back up to become who they are.
This is of course aided by the fact that they're all enormous Mary Sues. Now come on. Jane gets a job greeting at a supermarket and gets fired by her bitchy manager because a punter makes an unjustified complaint about her. Sucks to be her, right? Only it turns out that one of the directors of the supermarket chain is passing by and overhears this and not only chews out the manager for being a bloody idiot, but then Jane is able to talk her way into being promoted over the manager just like that. The company director then showers her with praise and affection and warm fluffies and the bitchy manager repents and sees the error of her ways and comes over all repentant.
Snerk. Yeah right.
Then there's Sally. Not only is she a totally unlikeable death-bitch with an ego the size of a planet and continues to act like this even after she's reduced to penury with her alcoholic mother while her old man's in the slammer, everyone suddenly likes her and thinks she's awesome even though she still acts like the same spoilt teenager she is. She also continues to have "illegal curves" and claims that she has "always been a star" when one of the first journalists who she runs across starts taking an interest.
Needless to say, people still like her even though she rages at people who explain quite reasonably why she shouldn't do what she's doing (such as using her laptop while a plane is landing) in a display of egotism not equalled until Tyra Banks screamed at an America's Next Top Model contestant for not crying when eliminated. The authorial voice sides with her on this and even those who berate her for such inauspicious conduct also see the error of their ways.
Helen is the only of the three whose plot is vaguely believable. However, the whole angle - arranged marriage to an older man who just wants to slap bellies with a pretty girl now his deeply missed first wife is dead - is kinda forgotten about when she goes off and rejoins her gittish mates. But not before he's got her up the stick so the author can tick the "career woman juggling a kid" marketing box. Although in retrospect, the impact of that is slightly lost when Helen is actually super rich enough to blunt the impact of this circumstance, both by being born to well off parents and then by marriage to an increasing number of wealthy men concluding in an Arab oil sheikh (which explains why she's a princess when the novel opens.) Sorry, but marrying into wealth is not sophisticated or edgy.
The rest of the book is suitably awful.
Then there's the fact that the author's chronologies are all completely out of whack. During the women's childhoods, it's explicitly the 1980s. We know this because heavy metal is popular amongst the cool kids. Like Nirvana. Who were grunge *spit on the floor in rejection of evil* and not big enough for the cool kids to like them until 1992. Then mention is made of selling something on eBay. In the 1980s. Yes. Also, how come this trio are so awesomely awesome and glamorous to attract press attention at a high school party just a couple of months after they get it together? Then there's the fact that Haya/Helen/whatever's baby is banging on saucepans and toddling... at four months old. Or the general meteoric rise of the threesome in what seems like just a few years.
There's also clumsily written sex scenes here and there. Which are about as erotic as assembling furniture. Oh come on, what else do you expect from the woman who brought you constant reference to Sally's "illegal curves" which becomes, over the course of the novel, almost as irritating as Fifty Shades of Grey and its' protagonist's constant flushing, biting her lip, and having an inner goddess.
Now don't get me wrong. Rags to riches tales do exist. Cardinal Wolsey for one. Emperor, sorry, avtokrator, Basil I of the Byzantine Empire for another. But it doesn't just happen overnight like it seems to here. Ascendancy of that nature takes years and years. Especially not in the fashion industry, where the snobbish he-bitches that rule it will only give up power the day Satan is skating to work. It's just... not believable in any way, shape, or form. Not here anyhow.
I notice the author wrote about nine or ten novels before this one. I won't be reading them. If this is the level of stuff that Louise Bagshawe puts out, then I can't really be excused now can I. If you see this novel for sale anywhere, shoot first, ask questions later.
(originally written for Everything2.com)
I wish I hadn't.
Executive Summary
The adventures of three nasty minded backstabbing wank baskets who everyone inexplicably loves.
A bit more detail if you don't mind?
Sally Lassiter, Helen Yanna and Jane Morgan are three women who are proprietors of the ultra-wealthy and high powered cosmetics firm named Glamour, who are some megacorp who have their fingers in every single fashion and beauty pie imaginable. They all descend on each other to thrash out some sort of massive argument where they're all trying to screw each other over for control of the firm. We are introduced to them - Jane Morgan, a sensible Brit, Sally Lassiter, an obnoxious American woman, and Helen Yanna, who's some sort of Middle Eastern princess - as they descend on each other for this argument. Much description is made of what they are wearing and how unearthly glamorous they are. Clothing porn is engaged in, to an extent where I wonder whether Dolce e Gabbana, MaxMara, and Maria Grachvogel are paying the author off for this.
The novel then flashes back to the 1980s where the three of them are all cohorts at a super exclusive Californian boarding school for the daughters of rich parents. Apparently Jane is the shy, bookish daughter of a diplomat, Sally is the town-bike offspring of a Texan oil magnate, and Haya (as she's called then) is the slightly bemused offspring of a Jordanian businessman. This is where they all get it together and suchlike. Their characters, well, I've just described their entire characterisations in the above paragraph. They are a trio of beautiful special snowflake Mary Sues whose flaws aren't. For instance, Jane is bullied as the bookish, shy girl she is until The Makeover upon where she becomes beautiful all along. The rest of it isn't much better.
Speaking of which, the author seems unable to let a page go by without, where Sally is mentioned, referring to "her illegal curves." Not only is this a metaphor so stupid as to be unbelievable, but when I googled it every result, pretty much, took me to a porno story.
So, naturally, all three of them then find themselves dropping out, Jane because her diplomat father commits suicide to escape massive debt, Sally because her father gets banged up for colossal tax evasion, and Haya or Helen or whatever she's called this chapter gets stuffed into an arranged marriage back home. The rest of the flashback details their heroic and thoroughly unbelievable clawing back up to become who they are.
This is of course aided by the fact that they're all enormous Mary Sues. Now come on. Jane gets a job greeting at a supermarket and gets fired by her bitchy manager because a punter makes an unjustified complaint about her. Sucks to be her, right? Only it turns out that one of the directors of the supermarket chain is passing by and overhears this and not only chews out the manager for being a bloody idiot, but then Jane is able to talk her way into being promoted over the manager just like that. The company director then showers her with praise and affection and warm fluffies and the bitchy manager repents and sees the error of her ways and comes over all repentant.
Snerk. Yeah right.
Then there's Sally. Not only is she a totally unlikeable death-bitch with an ego the size of a planet and continues to act like this even after she's reduced to penury with her alcoholic mother while her old man's in the slammer, everyone suddenly likes her and thinks she's awesome even though she still acts like the same spoilt teenager she is. She also continues to have "illegal curves" and claims that she has "always been a star" when one of the first journalists who she runs across starts taking an interest.
Needless to say, people still like her even though she rages at people who explain quite reasonably why she shouldn't do what she's doing (such as using her laptop while a plane is landing) in a display of egotism not equalled until Tyra Banks screamed at an America's Next Top Model contestant for not crying when eliminated. The authorial voice sides with her on this and even those who berate her for such inauspicious conduct also see the error of their ways.
Helen is the only of the three whose plot is vaguely believable. However, the whole angle - arranged marriage to an older man who just wants to slap bellies with a pretty girl now his deeply missed first wife is dead - is kinda forgotten about when she goes off and rejoins her gittish mates. But not before he's got her up the stick so the author can tick the "career woman juggling a kid" marketing box. Although in retrospect, the impact of that is slightly lost when Helen is actually super rich enough to blunt the impact of this circumstance, both by being born to well off parents and then by marriage to an increasing number of wealthy men concluding in an Arab oil sheikh (which explains why she's a princess when the novel opens.) Sorry, but marrying into wealth is not sophisticated or edgy.
The rest of the book is suitably awful.
Then there's the fact that the author's chronologies are all completely out of whack. During the women's childhoods, it's explicitly the 1980s. We know this because heavy metal is popular amongst the cool kids. Like Nirvana. Who were grunge *spit on the floor in rejection of evil* and not big enough for the cool kids to like them until 1992. Then mention is made of selling something on eBay. In the 1980s. Yes. Also, how come this trio are so awesomely awesome and glamorous to attract press attention at a high school party just a couple of months after they get it together? Then there's the fact that Haya/Helen/whatever's baby is banging on saucepans and toddling... at four months old. Or the general meteoric rise of the threesome in what seems like just a few years.
There's also clumsily written sex scenes here and there. Which are about as erotic as assembling furniture. Oh come on, what else do you expect from the woman who brought you constant reference to Sally's "illegal curves" which becomes, over the course of the novel, almost as irritating as Fifty Shades of Grey and its' protagonist's constant flushing, biting her lip, and having an inner goddess.
Now don't get me wrong. Rags to riches tales do exist. Cardinal Wolsey for one. Emperor, sorry, avtokrator, Basil I of the Byzantine Empire for another. But it doesn't just happen overnight like it seems to here. Ascendancy of that nature takes years and years. Especially not in the fashion industry, where the snobbish he-bitches that rule it will only give up power the day Satan is skating to work. It's just... not believable in any way, shape, or form. Not here anyhow.
I notice the author wrote about nine or ten novels before this one. I won't be reading them. If this is the level of stuff that Louise Bagshawe puts out, then I can't really be excused now can I. If you see this novel for sale anywhere, shoot first, ask questions later.
(originally written for Everything2.com)
November 9, 2013
This book is utterly ridiculous. There is not a single thing I found authentic about any of the characters, and the actual plot was so implausible (and non-existent) that I have no idea how anyone could think it makes any sense. And yet, in some weird way, I found myself enjoying this. Oh, I don't think Glamour is any good, but I personally liked reading a ridiculous rags-to-riches book for a change. In another review (where the book in question was far better than here, it must be said) I mentioned that I enjoyed reading it for the same reason I like eating at Burgerfuel sometimes. This would be more like McDonalds. Or Pizza Hut .
Anyway my point is, this is not a good book, but I liked it. I also enjoyed bashing it after reading ( metaphorically, of course - the book itself remains in fine condition). Hours of fun either way.
Anyway my point is, this is not a good book, but I liked it. I also enjoyed bashing it after reading ( metaphorically, of course - the book itself remains in fine condition). Hours of fun either way.
June 4, 2010
Fave trash read so far. Utterly cliched with love interests for the texas blond bombshell, the english rose, and the middle east beauty. Includes a baseball star, a billionaire, and royalty. Heaps of cliched lines, I lapped it up.
February 21, 2023
Въобще не си спомням , че съм чела книгата. Сега ме дразни стила на авторката,ама много. Такава грандомания. Няма други , освен милионери и милиардери,принцеси и кралици и т.н. Забравяш за какво става дума,докато четеш за всичко по по най.
September 25, 2013
Back in the days I did enjoy Louise Bagshawe's books. I think she has some great books but also some flops. I think this belongs more to the latter category alas.
To be fair I enjoyed the first half. Young girls having to fight, but after a while it started to bore and annoy me.
All 3 girls get rich. All of them find a very strong harlequin kind of macho guy who are all very handsome and all 3 are controlling which the 3 women love. They are interchangeable.
Yes I love books about women and their struggles but I do not want that reading them is a struggle for me! lol.
It became all so unbelievable. Not bad if you do not mind the unrealistic happenings in the book.
2.5 stars.
To be fair I enjoyed the first half. Young girls having to fight, but after a while it started to bore and annoy me.
All 3 girls get rich. All of them find a very strong harlequin kind of macho guy who are all very handsome and all 3 are controlling which the 3 women love. They are interchangeable.
Yes I love books about women and their struggles but I do not want that reading them is a struggle for me! lol.
It became all so unbelievable. Not bad if you do not mind the unrealistic happenings in the book.
2.5 stars.
December 20, 2014
Super enjoyable summer read:)
June 28, 2011
This was terrible, awful, no-good. Yeah, it had a plot, but that was about it. That's all it felt like it had - boring lurches from point A to point B. I defy you to actually like or believe in any of the characters.
I don't know why I kept reading it and even finished it. Should've thrown it at the wall much sooner, rather than waiting until the end.
If you want good sex scenes? They're not here. If you want wit? Absent. If you want actual glamour? Not present.
I LIKE fluffy, cheesy, romance/chick-lit books and this one wasn't worth one moment of my time.
I don't know why I kept reading it and even finished it. Should've thrown it at the wall much sooner, rather than waiting until the end.
If you want good sex scenes? They're not here. If you want wit? Absent. If you want actual glamour? Not present.
I LIKE fluffy, cheesy, romance/chick-lit books and this one wasn't worth one moment of my time.
December 16, 2015
This book is repetitive (we get it, the door is small and Sally has golden skin) and inconsistent (the author often seems to forget that much of this book that she wrote is set in the 80s). Also, the author is British, writing a book that she even states is All American but can't help using British terminology, which is just annoying. So the writing is extremely lacking. And the plot drags. And there's zero sympathy for the characters, who aren't developed and who also all mesh together.
June 23, 2018
It is SPECTACULAR in all the many ways it is terrible. If this book had had an editor, it might have been very slightly less terrible, so I salute Headline Publishing Group for their commitment to consistent inconsistency.
March 9, 2016
Don't read if you like books, authentic details, or feminism.
I spent more time irritated by this book for all sorts of reasons. It got worse. And worse.
I spent more time irritated by this book for all sorts of reasons. It got worse. And worse.
May 29, 2010
A story about how success can almost tear a friendshop apart. Three friends who have been through rough times finally find each other after years apart and form a company. But as the saying goes, you should never work with friends or family.
It was ok, I didnt hate it but its not one of those books that stays in my mind after I have read it. The author tried to cram too many years in the book and as a result it seemed confusing and rushed. The romance unrealistic, who begs someone to marry them after just 6 months. How can you even know that person after only half a year?
I havent read any of her other books and I cant say that this has encouraged me to try any more. Its not a book that is going to stay on my bookshelf for years to come.
It was ok, I didnt hate it but its not one of those books that stays in my mind after I have read it. The author tried to cram too many years in the book and as a result it seemed confusing and rushed. The romance unrealistic, who begs someone to marry them after just 6 months. How can you even know that person after only half a year?
I havent read any of her other books and I cant say that this has encouraged me to try any more. Its not a book that is going to stay on my bookshelf for years to come.
October 13, 2011
I was under the impression that this would be like Bergdorf Blondes or Sex in the City so I wasn't ready to read something similar. Lately I have been moving away from that Chick Lit stuff. While this was still Chick Lit it told the story through 3 completely different girls. Bagshawe took her time to tell the story of each girl. There were times when I would have prefered to read about one girl over the other but i liked all three which is surprising to me. I definitely suggest this if you wanna step away from that single-girl-in-the-city-working-16-hour-days-but-still-has-a-life type of book.
Read
July 31, 2011Another fabbie read from Louise Bagshawe. As ever, three girls come from "nowhere" (in this case, social disgrace after attending an elite LA school) to prove themselves in business, getting their hearts broken and mended along the way. If you've ever read a Louise Bagshawe before, you'll know the way her stories work, and although they all follow the same formula, they're all as addictive and un-put-down-able as ever!! One for those looking for a new chick-lit author, and for fans who find her books FABULOUS!!
January 7, 2013
Really enjoyed reading this book from the first page. There's so much to it. It was so interesting following the paths of 3 young girls as they grow up, watching their friendship from a tender a age and what can happen when we grow up. Some bits were hard to read and very sad, but so real as a lot of the hardships they go through have happened the world over to many people. It was a real feel good book seeing how you can over come any obstacle that life throws your way. It definitely made me feel inspired. Cannot wait to read another Louise Bagshawe novel, brilliant writer!
Read
January 19, 2014Glamour is one among the best books that I have read. It is a page turner and very motivating. Although it may seem unrealistic and therefore not much appreciated, I don't see the point of reading fiction then. Stories are all about a little bit of magic that makes one want to believe and move forward. Glamour does that!... Compelling and a help during hard times. Who knows maybe somebody somewhere rose to success just like these women. Must read!
September 11, 2008
Three girls go to Milton Academy and become friends. Unfortunately, each experiences an event in her life that forces her to leave Milton. Each is trying to compensate for the event during the life. The women create a business, Glamour. Glamour was a fun read and enjoyed the relationships and characters.
September 27, 2015
The beginning of this was not good. It read like poorly written YA fiction and the word "chick" was used entirely too much. The poor editing was annoying too, like switching characters' last names by accident. However, around page 75 it started to get better and slowly worked its way up to a three star rating.
October 15, 2015
One of my most favorite stories. I read it first when I was in my early teens, and I've been dreaming of reading it again for years. The second time around, I do notice that the style of writing was not as mature as the first time around. Mostly because it was over 5 years since I could get my hands on the book again. However, the story stuck to me. And it was worth the reread.
June 19, 2011
I loved this book, and didn't even guess what was going to happen at the end!
I loved all 3 characters, and wouldn't have liked to have decided who should 'get it' (don't want to spoil the story!!!).
I have another Louise Bagshawe on my shelf - can't wait to read it now!!
I loved all 3 characters, and wouldn't have liked to have decided who should 'get it' (don't want to spoil the story!!!).
I have another Louise Bagshawe on my shelf - can't wait to read it now!!
February 13, 2012
I enjoyed this book, to an extent. Some of it was a bit contrived, mostly the ending. But I'm glad it ended the way it did, nonetheless. It was engaging, at the very least. Kept me entertained on an airplane. Picked it up at Texas Book Festival in October. Finally got around to reading it.
April 5, 2013
Flawless writing, flawless characters. Three friends with diverse cultures and personalities blend together into one glamorous trio. Aside from all the ichy-bitchy bits, there are the sweet, cheesy moments that keep me glued to the book. I can definitely see a movie production out of this book.
December 28, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book and can hardly put it down the moment I started to read it. Despite the hardship and turmoils faced by the girls, I loved how Bagshawe sprinkled the elements of glamour, sparkles and style along with it.
April 22, 2025
Just as expected from Louise, a lighthearted romance with a strong message threaded throughout. My second time reading this book, I had read it years ago and the premise came back to me randomly, so glad I remembered the name again. Will no doubt be back on my list in another few years time.
January 1, 2008
Its awesome.
July 31, 2009
Ok. This was rather silly. I file it under guilty pleasure.
December 28, 2009
Loved this fluffy, beach read. The perfect trio of LA girls and how they survived the big city, life and all of its madness.
March 20, 2010
This book is genuinely awful. I loved Sparkles and gave it credit for being chicklit with a little bit extra, but this book...it's like she didn't put any thought into it.
July 3, 2010
I was thinking light fluff, but these characters were much deeper. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend if you like Jackie Collins style books, I always enjoy finding a new favorite author.
February 18, 2011
It was pretty rubbish to be honest. I didnt appreciate the style of writing but i suppose the general story was ok. i found this book really cheesy and it sort of made me cringe in parts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews