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Bitches of Fifth Avenue #1
Champagne at Seven!
Champagne at Seven!
Olivia Wyatt, a mid-40s, rich Washingtonian who beautifully plays the part of mother, socialite, philanthropist, wife, and Stepford cut-out doll in the chardonnay and whiskey-wrapped superficial world in which she lives. Her exclusive last minute D.C. dinner party didn't quite end how she had anticipated. Tragic news was served up late night instead of her planned dessert of luscious and blissful black forest cake. Olivia and her daughter, Gwynnie, suddenly need to rebuild their lives—and themselves.
Olivia reluctantly moves from her Georgetown high society personal battlefield back to New York City, and is on the prowl for work, only to find herself fighting in the trenches of a new, more intense luxury retail sales war. She dodges designer landmines in her new job as a high-end personal shopper—which only catapults her into a fifth gear spin cycle of anxiety, insanity and toxicity. She is now working alongside Bitches of Fifth Avenue in a gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking struggle to maintain her sanity, and her bank account. Olivia needs to find her way, and fast, before she loses her mind—and her job.
Olivia Wyatt, a mid-40s, rich Washingtonian who beautifully plays the part of mother, socialite, philanthropist, wife, and Stepford cut-out doll in the chardonnay and whiskey-wrapped superficial world in which she lives. Her exclusive last minute D.C. dinner party didn't quite end how she had anticipated. Tragic news was served up late night instead of her planned dessert of luscious and blissful black forest cake. Olivia and her daughter, Gwynnie, suddenly need to rebuild their lives—and themselves.
Olivia reluctantly moves from her Georgetown high society personal battlefield back to New York City, and is on the prowl for work, only to find herself fighting in the trenches of a new, more intense luxury retail sales war. She dodges designer landmines in her new job as a high-end personal shopper—which only catapults her into a fifth gear spin cycle of anxiety, insanity and toxicity. She is now working alongside Bitches of Fifth Avenue in a gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking struggle to maintain her sanity, and her bank account. Olivia needs to find her way, and fast, before she loses her mind—and her job.
242 pages, Paperback
Published July 14, 2022
29 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 13, 2023
I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Literally PR.
3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Champagne at Seven! is book one in a new series following Olivia Wyatt who seemingly has it all. She has the in clothes and shoes, vacations in the top places, but one evening her life changes in an instant. When Olivia receives a visit from the police with shocking news. Her husband is gone. Her relationship wasn't such a happy one and they had been growing apart, but the shock and drop in society hits Olivia hard. She now has to sell all her fancy belongings and home to pay off creditors who come knocking at her door and Olivia is lost and alone. Now a single parent to her daughter and navigating her way through what is now her new life, Olivia goes from being one of the wealthy women shopping in department stores to working there and dealing with people like her from the other side of the counter. There were some funny points in the story and I enjoyed the spin and dynamics within this story.
3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Champagne at Seven! is book one in a new series following Olivia Wyatt who seemingly has it all. She has the in clothes and shoes, vacations in the top places, but one evening her life changes in an instant. When Olivia receives a visit from the police with shocking news. Her husband is gone. Her relationship wasn't such a happy one and they had been growing apart, but the shock and drop in society hits Olivia hard. She now has to sell all her fancy belongings and home to pay off creditors who come knocking at her door and Olivia is lost and alone. Now a single parent to her daughter and navigating her way through what is now her new life, Olivia goes from being one of the wealthy women shopping in department stores to working there and dealing with people like her from the other side of the counter. There were some funny points in the story and I enjoyed the spin and dynamics within this story.
January 8, 2023
Dnf'd at 40%. From the summary on goodreads we know that the female main character will lose her rich lifestyle after her husband passes away. Why that event took place at 30% into the book is beyond my understanding. I don't want to read 30% of descriptions of this woman's wealthy shallow lifestyle. I made it through another 10% and all she did was moping around her loss of social status, and all the pricey things she wasn't able to buy anymore. And fighting with her mom and daughter. She's just obnoxious!
December 20, 2022
Olivia Wyatt is living the high life. She vacations in all the right places, is seen in all the right clothes and shoes and always with the perfect purse. Until, one night, the police arrive and give her terrible news. There's been a tragic accident and her husband is gone.
But all wasn't as it seems and she suddenly loses everything in one big swoop - the house, the clothes, the shoes - anything that can be sold for money. Because creditors and more are at the door.
I loved this little story of redemption. Olivia is a bit lost when she first loses everything except her daughter. It's a fast read, so most of the wallowing is summerized rather than read in painstaking detail but I appreciated it! I loved her banter with her daughter and meeting her new boss. Their relationship was adorable and I liked how they worked and she was mentored. This was just the light, fun, interesting read I was hoping for! 3.5 stars rounded up!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
But all wasn't as it seems and she suddenly loses everything in one big swoop - the house, the clothes, the shoes - anything that can be sold for money. Because creditors and more are at the door.
I loved this little story of redemption. Olivia is a bit lost when she first loses everything except her daughter. It's a fast read, so most of the wallowing is summerized rather than read in painstaking detail but I appreciated it! I loved her banter with her daughter and meeting her new boss. Their relationship was adorable and I liked how they worked and she was mentored. This was just the light, fun, interesting read I was hoping for! 3.5 stars rounded up!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
September 4, 2022
So the woman who had it all Ms Olivia Wyatt knew all the right people but had an edge to her but bought all these brand name elixirs , gadgets , make up and champagne that I had to personally google to see what all the hype was lol … Then it all came to a halt and I just love the story of a woman who is exactly my age pulling herself up and making a new chapter for herself .. love it 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read if you like:
🥂 fall from grace turnaround
🥂 spoiled brat who loses all her money
🥂 long chapters
🥂 shorter reads
🥂 mother/daughter relationship
Olivia Wyatt is living her best life: lavish parties, expensive vacation, all the shoes, purses and designer clothes she could possibly dream of! Until it all comes crashing down one day when the police arrive to tell Olivia her husband is dead. It only gets better when she finds out she must sell everything of value to pay off debts and creditors her husband left for her. She is forced to make her own money, and finally gets to see what the other (poor 😜) half lives like, and maybe, just maybe, it isn’t so bad after all …
I did not like main character at all… maybe it was because she spent the first half of the book bragging about all the amazing and expensive things she had and how she was better than everyone else. It’s hard for me to like her after that.
The only thing I didn’t like is I think the death of the husband and the starting over should have happened sooner the book. The author took up too much time talking about Olivia’s amazing life beforehand; I found myself desperately wanting to skip through until the good stuff.
I have a daughter myself so I really enjoyed seeing the relation between Olivia and Gwennie.
Read if you like:
🥂 fall from grace turnaround
🥂 spoiled brat who loses all her money
🥂 long chapters
🥂 shorter reads
🥂 mother/daughter relationship
Olivia Wyatt is living her best life: lavish parties, expensive vacation, all the shoes, purses and designer clothes she could possibly dream of! Until it all comes crashing down one day when the police arrive to tell Olivia her husband is dead. It only gets better when she finds out she must sell everything of value to pay off debts and creditors her husband left for her. She is forced to make her own money, and finally gets to see what the other (poor 😜) half lives like, and maybe, just maybe, it isn’t so bad after all …
I did not like main character at all… maybe it was because she spent the first half of the book bragging about all the amazing and expensive things she had and how she was better than everyone else. It’s hard for me to like her after that.
The only thing I didn’t like is I think the death of the husband and the starting over should have happened sooner the book. The author took up too much time talking about Olivia’s amazing life beforehand; I found myself desperately wanting to skip through until the good stuff.
I have a daughter myself so I really enjoyed seeing the relation between Olivia and Gwennie.
February 4, 2023
Champagne at Seven! (Bitches of Fifth Avenue #1)
By: Toni Glickman
I really wanted to love this short (less than 300 pages) book - but if I am totally honest it ended something like Olivia’s dinner party. Having lived in DC I could appreciate many of the references to people, places, and things. I even laughed a bit throughout. But the story, which follows Olivia post-dinner disaster, was lackluster compared to Olivia’s high-end lifestyle. I understand where the author was trying to go, but the writing was too brash for me. It was almost as of this book tried to hard and missed the target. This is only book 1 in the series, so I a definitely will to try the next book to see if there’s redemption to the series like there was to Olivia’s life.
Thanks to LiterallyPR and the author for letting me read/review this book.
http://www.literallypr.com/
By: Toni Glickman
I really wanted to love this short (less than 300 pages) book - but if I am totally honest it ended something like Olivia’s dinner party. Having lived in DC I could appreciate many of the references to people, places, and things. I even laughed a bit throughout. But the story, which follows Olivia post-dinner disaster, was lackluster compared to Olivia’s high-end lifestyle. I understand where the author was trying to go, but the writing was too brash for me. It was almost as of this book tried to hard and missed the target. This is only book 1 in the series, so I a definitely will to try the next book to see if there’s redemption to the series like there was to Olivia’s life.
Thanks to LiterallyPR and the author for letting me read/review this book.
http://www.literallypr.com/
January 17, 2023
Olivia Wyatt, a mid-40s, rich Washingtonian who beautifully plays the part of mother, socialite, philanthropist, wife, and Stepford cut-out doll in the chardonnay and whiskey-wrapped superficial world in which she lives. Her exclusive last minute D.C. dinner party didn't quite end how she had anticipated. Tragic news was served up late night instead of her planned dessert of luscious and blissful black forest cake. Olivia and her daughter, Gwynnie, suddenly need to rebuild their lives—and themselves.
Life had certainly knocked Olivia off of her pedastal. I thought the book was well written. loved reading it.
Life had certainly knocked Olivia off of her pedastal. I thought the book was well written. loved reading it.
January 5, 2023
The first book in the Bitches of Fifth Avenue series follows 46 year old Olivia Wyatt in D.C. Olivia is mom to teenage Gwynnie and wife to Wyatt Enterprises’ Edwin Wyatt. Olivia is wealthy, busy navigating social gatherings but growing apart from her husband. Almost half way through the book, Olivia’s life is drastically changed. Olivia goes from navigating DC society to navigating clientele and employees at a high end department store and regardless of the situation she’s in, you want her to win.
It’s the perfect beach read for a quick fun escape from everyday life. I love an escapist story surrounded by high end fashion and a woman rising to the top. It’s fast paced and the book takes its time getting to Olivia’s social demise but keeps you entertained and engaged throughout. The author does a great job of prolonging pivotal plot points to draw the reader further into the book. While this could seem annoying or cause others to stop reading, the book has such an easy flow it kept me reading. The book isn’t written with a lot of dialogue but it’s great at immersing you in both versions of Olivia’s life. The book reminded me of the Shopaholic series and a Plum Sykes book. I’m invested and can’t wait to read the next installment.
Thank you to Speaking Volumes for this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s the perfect beach read for a quick fun escape from everyday life. I love an escapist story surrounded by high end fashion and a woman rising to the top. It’s fast paced and the book takes its time getting to Olivia’s social demise but keeps you entertained and engaged throughout. The author does a great job of prolonging pivotal plot points to draw the reader further into the book. While this could seem annoying or cause others to stop reading, the book has such an easy flow it kept me reading. The book isn’t written with a lot of dialogue but it’s great at immersing you in both versions of Olivia’s life. The book reminded me of the Shopaholic series and a Plum Sykes book. I’m invested and can’t wait to read the next installment.
Thank you to Speaking Volumes for this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2023
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Champagne At Seven' by Toni Glickman
Read and reviewed for NetGalley, Literally PR, Toni Glickman and Speaking Volumes.
Publication date 11th July 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Bltch3$ Of Fifth Avenue' series
I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Speaking Volumes. I have yet to read a book published by Speaking Volumes that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 11 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in New York, USA 🇺🇸..
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Olivia Wyatt . The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is very well written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline. It is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is interested in fashions, the life's of the wealthy, rich and famous and anyone who is intrigued in what goes on behind the closed doors of top end brands. However, it is also for anyone who is not particularly interested in any of those, like myself, and is just looking for a fun, witty, funny, easy, b!tch\/ read!! I really enjoyed the first book in this series and really cannot wait to get my hands on the second book 'Cutthroat Couture' which sounds just as good as this one!! In this book we see Olivia go from rich, famous and well known to scandalized, degraded and back to living with her mother. She has to move from her uptown life in Georgetown to reality in New York City where she is now on the other side of what her life once was, job hunting and being looked down upon. I loved watching Olivia's personality change and her character developing and changing throughout the storyline and I did feel for her on occasions, especially the way her so called friends shunned her but unfortunately that is the reality of some lifestyles. It was fun watching Olivia pulling off events and her love of design. the fact that Toni has experience in the fashion and retail industry absolutely shines through this book and I think any author without this experience would have struggled to pull off such a book whilst making it as realistic and believable as Toni did. I always find it fun reading about the life of the rich and famous, especially knowing I will never be either but being able to see how the "other half live" is fun and sometimes makes me glad I am neither considering how fake some people are!!
This may be the first book I have read by Toni but I cannot wait to get hold of more books by this extremely talented author!!!
It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also with any characters who may make repeat appearances throughout the series. I had nothing to worry about with this book as I really clicked with Olivia and also Marguerite who I would class as the main characters. I could picture Olivia going through her daily rituals of her skin care plan, trying different clothes and accessories on, job hunting, event planning and everything she gets up to in this fantastic book. Once Olivia's life changed for the worse, although I did feel for her, I did like her even more as that is when we see the real Olivia and can see her determination, strength and personality really shine. Gwynnie, who is Olivia's daughter is very mature and likeable and although we didn't see a huge amount of her in this book I hope to meet her again in this series as she is very down to Earth and a genuine person. I also adored Marguerite who may have been an older lady but she had plenty of fight with her and was feisty and fun. I could not stand Lauren and any other people like her that I have met who think they know more than people who actually have experience because they have a certificate saying so. She is a horrible person and I hope we don't meet again. however, regardless if you love them or hate them each of these characters come together to make this an absolutely fantastic read!!
Congratulations Toni on an absolutely fantastic, funny and page turning book!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂
Overall an absolutely unputdownable, funny, page turning and successful start to what promises to be an addictive series!!
Genres covered in this book include Business Humour, Satire, Women's Friendship Fiction, Women's Contemporary Fiction, Dark Humour, Fiction Satire, General Humour, Women's Writers & Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Literary Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Modern Fiction and Contemporary Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'The Devil Wears Prada', the fashion industry,, you, your friends, your family, your neighbours and absolutely everybody and anybody!!!!! What are you waiting for??? Grab your copy now!!!
244 pages.
This book is just £6.58 to purchase and £13.14 in paperback via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#ChampagneAtSeven #BitchesOfFifthAvenue #ToniGlickman #Netgalley #Goodreads #SpeakingVolumes #Literallypr #Bookworm1986 #bookworm86 #Kindle @Bookstagram
@ChampagneAtSeven @BitchesOfFifthAvenue @ToniGlickman @Netgalley @Goodreads @SpeakingVolumes @Literallypr @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Kindle @Bookstagram
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Review for 'Champagne At Seven' by Toni Glickman
Read and reviewed for NetGalley, Literally PR, Toni Glickman and Speaking Volumes.
Publication date 11th July 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Bltch3$ Of Fifth Avenue' series
I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Speaking Volumes. I have yet to read a book published by Speaking Volumes that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 11 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in New York, USA 🇺🇸..
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Olivia Wyatt . The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is very well written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline. It is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is interested in fashions, the life's of the wealthy, rich and famous and anyone who is intrigued in what goes on behind the closed doors of top end brands. However, it is also for anyone who is not particularly interested in any of those, like myself, and is just looking for a fun, witty, funny, easy, b!tch\/ read!! I really enjoyed the first book in this series and really cannot wait to get my hands on the second book 'Cutthroat Couture' which sounds just as good as this one!! In this book we see Olivia go from rich, famous and well known to scandalized, degraded and back to living with her mother. She has to move from her uptown life in Georgetown to reality in New York City where she is now on the other side of what her life once was, job hunting and being looked down upon. I loved watching Olivia's personality change and her character developing and changing throughout the storyline and I did feel for her on occasions, especially the way her so called friends shunned her but unfortunately that is the reality of some lifestyles. It was fun watching Olivia pulling off events and her love of design. the fact that Toni has experience in the fashion and retail industry absolutely shines through this book and I think any author without this experience would have struggled to pull off such a book whilst making it as realistic and believable as Toni did. I always find it fun reading about the life of the rich and famous, especially knowing I will never be either but being able to see how the "other half live" is fun and sometimes makes me glad I am neither considering how fake some people are!!
This may be the first book I have read by Toni but I cannot wait to get hold of more books by this extremely talented author!!!
It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also with any characters who may make repeat appearances throughout the series. I had nothing to worry about with this book as I really clicked with Olivia and also Marguerite who I would class as the main characters. I could picture Olivia going through her daily rituals of her skin care plan, trying different clothes and accessories on, job hunting, event planning and everything she gets up to in this fantastic book. Once Olivia's life changed for the worse, although I did feel for her, I did like her even more as that is when we see the real Olivia and can see her determination, strength and personality really shine. Gwynnie, who is Olivia's daughter is very mature and likeable and although we didn't see a huge amount of her in this book I hope to meet her again in this series as she is very down to Earth and a genuine person. I also adored Marguerite who may have been an older lady but she had plenty of fight with her and was feisty and fun. I could not stand Lauren and any other people like her that I have met who think they know more than people who actually have experience because they have a certificate saying so. She is a horrible person and I hope we don't meet again. however, regardless if you love them or hate them each of these characters come together to make this an absolutely fantastic read!!
Congratulations Toni on an absolutely fantastic, funny and page turning book!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂
Overall an absolutely unputdownable, funny, page turning and successful start to what promises to be an addictive series!!
Genres covered in this book include Business Humour, Satire, Women's Friendship Fiction, Women's Contemporary Fiction, Dark Humour, Fiction Satire, General Humour, Women's Writers & Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Literary Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Modern Fiction and Contemporary Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'The Devil Wears Prada', the fashion industry,, you, your friends, your family, your neighbours and absolutely everybody and anybody!!!!! What are you waiting for??? Grab your copy now!!!
244 pages.
This book is just £6.58 to purchase and £13.14 in paperback via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#ChampagneAtSeven #BitchesOfFifthAvenue #ToniGlickman #Netgalley #Goodreads #SpeakingVolumes #Literallypr #Bookworm1986 #bookworm86 #Kindle @Bookstagram
@ChampagneAtSeven @BitchesOfFifthAvenue @ToniGlickman @Netgalley @Goodreads @SpeakingVolumes @Literallypr @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Kindle @Bookstagram
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
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July 28, 2022
Champagne at Seven is about a very (very) wealthy woman who loses everything and has to start over - more or less - fr0m scratch. It's a pretty quick read, and I was very surprised when it ended because I was still waiting for something to happen. Nothing really did. Lots of description of fashions, elaborate dinner parties and so on. Mean girls. A very memorable tough old broad who was a joy to read about, although her motivations weren't always clear. Part of a series, I'm one and done.
June 16, 2023
📚SERIES REVIEW📚
B*tches of Fifth Avenue Series by Toni Glickman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice level: 0/3
Genres: Women’s fiction, drama, satire
Tropes: fish out of water, midlife crisis, different worlds, underdog
Olivia Wyatt is a middle-aged woman married to a high-profile political campaigner and lives in Georgetown in D.C. She spends her days shopping and organizing social events, but has been wondering if her life lacks substance.
After a scandal involving her husband is brought to light, Olivia loses everything. She is forced to move herself and her daughter back to New York City to live with her mother while she tries to rebuild their lives. Her mother reveals that she unfortunately cannot support all three of them indefinitely, so Olivia will need to get a job.
She worked in high-end retail and personal shopping in college, so she tries to return to that field. It’s an uphill battle but Olivia hopes she can start at the bottom and work upwards.
This series is based around Olivia working her way up through a high-end department store, where the other employees are incredibly catty (in general, and also more so towards Olivia because she’s older).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was an interesting series (still being published). The author actually is a former retail executive, so she has an interesting and genuine take on the industry. I definitely think it was fun to see how the “other half” lives, as well as the ins and outs of the high-end retail industry.
The pace of the first book is super slow. The incident that caused Olivia’s life to change doesn’t even happen until 1/3 of the way into the book. Some of the details about Olivia’s life and backstory don’t make sense or aren’t revealed until the second book (like how she met her husband).
There is a lot of brand and name dropping in this series, which I think fits the vibe it’s going for, but it does make it feel very exclusionary to anyone reading who is not in that industry.
This is so minor but I have to mention it because it irked me, but the slang that her daughter uses (15 years old) is definitely not correct Gen-Z slang. She was using “slang”, for sure, but it definitely wasn’t current. It felt very weird and out of place.
I will say that I enjoyed the second book a lot more than the first, and it was actually pretty captivating. I like the author’s writing style in general, but the first book was a bit rocky. The concept is cool, and I’d definitely be down to check out the rest of the books in the series as they’re published.
B*tches of Fifth Avenue Series by Toni Glickman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice level: 0/3
Genres: Women’s fiction, drama, satire
Tropes: fish out of water, midlife crisis, different worlds, underdog
Olivia Wyatt is a middle-aged woman married to a high-profile political campaigner and lives in Georgetown in D.C. She spends her days shopping and organizing social events, but has been wondering if her life lacks substance.
After a scandal involving her husband is brought to light, Olivia loses everything. She is forced to move herself and her daughter back to New York City to live with her mother while she tries to rebuild their lives. Her mother reveals that she unfortunately cannot support all three of them indefinitely, so Olivia will need to get a job.
She worked in high-end retail and personal shopping in college, so she tries to return to that field. It’s an uphill battle but Olivia hopes she can start at the bottom and work upwards.
This series is based around Olivia working her way up through a high-end department store, where the other employees are incredibly catty (in general, and also more so towards Olivia because she’s older).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was an interesting series (still being published). The author actually is a former retail executive, so she has an interesting and genuine take on the industry. I definitely think it was fun to see how the “other half” lives, as well as the ins and outs of the high-end retail industry.
The pace of the first book is super slow. The incident that caused Olivia’s life to change doesn’t even happen until 1/3 of the way into the book. Some of the details about Olivia’s life and backstory don’t make sense or aren’t revealed until the second book (like how she met her husband).
There is a lot of brand and name dropping in this series, which I think fits the vibe it’s going for, but it does make it feel very exclusionary to anyone reading who is not in that industry.
This is so minor but I have to mention it because it irked me, but the slang that her daughter uses (15 years old) is definitely not correct Gen-Z slang. She was using “slang”, for sure, but it definitely wasn’t current. It felt very weird and out of place.
I will say that I enjoyed the second book a lot more than the first, and it was actually pretty captivating. I like the author’s writing style in general, but the first book was a bit rocky. The concept is cool, and I’d definitely be down to check out the rest of the books in the series as they’re published.
January 16, 2023
Wow!
And yes, that is how I'm starting out this review. Olivia irked me from the first couple of pages. I had not seen her speak in the present yet, but I was ready to close this book. She simply represented my least favourite kind of woman, the one who thinks she is simply better than the others. What's worse about that, is she doesn't even really realize she's doing it. She criticizes the men for thinking and acting like that, and then two paragraphs later, she's acting just like them.
Also, the author had a habit of giving way too much information at once. I would forget things after I had just read it because I was supposed to be making room for another truckload of uninteresting information. The Way things were repeated was also pretty annoying. I get that repetition is a pretty nifty writing tool, but the way it was used came across as boring and useless.
I'll have to pause picking apart this book and ask some questions.
Why was I one hundred pages into this book and it still hadn't felt like the book had started? Why did the thing that pushes the plot forward not happen until 30% into the book? Why are the readers being fed information in such a haphazard way? Why is the book all over the place? Why am I supposed to feel sympathy for this woman when all she does is annoy me?
I don't like this book. I, unfortunately, could not make myself like this book no matter how much I looked forward to it. It was honestly just a huge waste of my time and I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I at least read 75% of it to see if it would pick up, but I should have just listened to my friend and ditched it from the moment I started receiving Coco Chanel's life story.
This book had the potential to be something. The concept of it intrigued me and drew me in so I got started reading right away. Unfortunately, it was just a ball of disappointment. The plot still doesn't feel like it has started and the writing style is off-putting and clunky. I want to know what happens next, not what happened before. I understand wanting to keep an air or mystery, but the past already happened and we're supposed to be in the present, yet we spend more time looking back.
This book could have been good. The author just spent too long flaunting retail knowledge and trying to get me to care about someone I could not like.
And yes, that is how I'm starting out this review. Olivia irked me from the first couple of pages. I had not seen her speak in the present yet, but I was ready to close this book. She simply represented my least favourite kind of woman, the one who thinks she is simply better than the others. What's worse about that, is she doesn't even really realize she's doing it. She criticizes the men for thinking and acting like that, and then two paragraphs later, she's acting just like them.
Also, the author had a habit of giving way too much information at once. I would forget things after I had just read it because I was supposed to be making room for another truckload of uninteresting information. The Way things were repeated was also pretty annoying. I get that repetition is a pretty nifty writing tool, but the way it was used came across as boring and useless.
I'll have to pause picking apart this book and ask some questions.
Why was I one hundred pages into this book and it still hadn't felt like the book had started? Why did the thing that pushes the plot forward not happen until 30% into the book? Why are the readers being fed information in such a haphazard way? Why is the book all over the place? Why am I supposed to feel sympathy for this woman when all she does is annoy me?
I don't like this book. I, unfortunately, could not make myself like this book no matter how much I looked forward to it. It was honestly just a huge waste of my time and I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I at least read 75% of it to see if it would pick up, but I should have just listened to my friend and ditched it from the moment I started receiving Coco Chanel's life story.
This book had the potential to be something. The concept of it intrigued me and drew me in so I got started reading right away. Unfortunately, it was just a ball of disappointment. The plot still doesn't feel like it has started and the writing style is off-putting and clunky. I want to know what happens next, not what happened before. I understand wanting to keep an air or mystery, but the past already happened and we're supposed to be in the present, yet we spend more time looking back.
This book could have been good. The author just spent too long flaunting retail knowledge and trying to get me to care about someone I could not like.
February 20, 2023
Olivia is the perfect example of a Washingtonian socialite and part of the ‘IT’ crowd. She is wife to a successful husband, Edwin and mother to Gwynnie. When Olivia is asked to organise a last minute dinner party by Edwin, Olivia doesn’t break a sweat and goes into organisation mode. But Edwin never arrives to the party. Instead it is that night that she is informed that he has died and Olivia’s life and world change forever. Especially when it comes to light that Edwin was hiding secrets from her about his business and their finances. Will Olivia and Gwynnie be able to rebuild their lives when they move back to Olivia’s childhood home in New York City?
As soon as I started to read the book gave me Real Housewives vibes because I love that series. From the first page we are thrown into Olivia’s world; full of luxury and extravagance but then that quickly disappears with a blink an eye, leaving her with nothing. The story follows Olivia’s journey from losing the wealth and comfortable lifestyle she is use to and how she adapts to her new life, finding new independence. Initially Olivia falls into a form of depression as she’s not really sure what she’s meant to do with her life, but also she has no motivation to do anything. Olivia is grieving for the life that she lost. Although it must have been sad for Olivia to lose all her wealth and the luxurious lifestyle it was also very humbling for her because it makes her realise what is truly important in life and that’s family. Gwynnie appears to adapt better to the change in their circumstances. She is the one that suggests the move and is quite grown up about the situation. It is by giving Olivia the motivation that she needs that she inadvertently finds a job at Harper James which sells luxury clothing.
It was interesting to learn more about Olivia‘s backstory and how she didn’t come from a privileged background. When she was younger she wanted to pursue a career in fashion and worked in retail where she was a cross between a personal shopper and a fashionista. Her job at Harper James isn’t what she is expecting. Olivia believes she will be selling designer brands but then finds out that she will be working in the section which sells La’Airy, a clothing brand which is no longer popular, whose sales are non-existent and is close to being closed completely. So Olivia takes it upon herself to make the changes needed to try and save La’Airy but also prove to her employer that she is the right person to work at Harper James. It is this job that gives Olivia something to concentrate on and a new challenge; giving Olivia the opportunity to reinvent herself and become a new woman. At the end of the book Olivia is informed of further opportunities at Harper James but the reader is not told what they are. So I’m quite interested to see what awaits Olivia next in the next book.
A story about embracing change and starting again.
As soon as I started to read the book gave me Real Housewives vibes because I love that series. From the first page we are thrown into Olivia’s world; full of luxury and extravagance but then that quickly disappears with a blink an eye, leaving her with nothing. The story follows Olivia’s journey from losing the wealth and comfortable lifestyle she is use to and how she adapts to her new life, finding new independence. Initially Olivia falls into a form of depression as she’s not really sure what she’s meant to do with her life, but also she has no motivation to do anything. Olivia is grieving for the life that she lost. Although it must have been sad for Olivia to lose all her wealth and the luxurious lifestyle it was also very humbling for her because it makes her realise what is truly important in life and that’s family. Gwynnie appears to adapt better to the change in their circumstances. She is the one that suggests the move and is quite grown up about the situation. It is by giving Olivia the motivation that she needs that she inadvertently finds a job at Harper James which sells luxury clothing.
It was interesting to learn more about Olivia‘s backstory and how she didn’t come from a privileged background. When she was younger she wanted to pursue a career in fashion and worked in retail where she was a cross between a personal shopper and a fashionista. Her job at Harper James isn’t what she is expecting. Olivia believes she will be selling designer brands but then finds out that she will be working in the section which sells La’Airy, a clothing brand which is no longer popular, whose sales are non-existent and is close to being closed completely. So Olivia takes it upon herself to make the changes needed to try and save La’Airy but also prove to her employer that she is the right person to work at Harper James. It is this job that gives Olivia something to concentrate on and a new challenge; giving Olivia the opportunity to reinvent herself and become a new woman. At the end of the book Olivia is informed of further opportunities at Harper James but the reader is not told what they are. So I’m quite interested to see what awaits Olivia next in the next book.
A story about embracing change and starting again.
January 4, 2023
I feel the concept of this book has so much promise and yet it just massively under deliveries in so many ways. Won't be looking for the next books within what I'm guessing is a series.
It's a short read but I really had the slog through the pages. I felt 0 connection to any of the characters and the moments that really should have tugged on the heart strings didn't. Olivia buying her channel had more emotion than when she found out her husband died.
There's no connection between the characters, everything moved so quickly in places it shouldn't have and slow in others. I really wanted to dig into the daughter/mother/grandmother relationship that takes place at the end cause it doesn't feel natural.
Also as someone who worked in retail for a while, head office would never listen to someone who had just joined.
I hope the author got paid for all the name dropping because the level of brands mentioned was OVERWHELMING and sounded as if she was trying to convince us all that she knew what she was talking about when it felt unnatural.
The writing style of the book was easy, however the unnecessary brackets was off putting but they seemed to drop off, or I blocked them out, towards the end
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing a copy via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
It's a short read but I really had the slog through the pages. I felt 0 connection to any of the characters and the moments that really should have tugged on the heart strings didn't. Olivia buying her channel had more emotion than when she found out her husband died.
There's no connection between the characters, everything moved so quickly in places it shouldn't have and slow in others. I really wanted to dig into the daughter/mother/grandmother relationship that takes place at the end cause it doesn't feel natural.
Also as someone who worked in retail for a while, head office would never listen to someone who had just joined.
I hope the author got paid for all the name dropping because the level of brands mentioned was OVERWHELMING and sounded as if she was trying to convince us all that she knew what she was talking about when it felt unnatural.
The writing style of the book was easy, however the unnecessary brackets was off putting but they seemed to drop off, or I blocked them out, towards the end
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing a copy via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
February 10, 2023
Every women that loves fashion is going to want to read Champagne at Seven!, with the luxury world Olivia lives in with her husband and daughter. Olivia is in her mid 40, with a house keeper and a nanny.
I love reading about rich women in a fictional tale as it’s an full of rich fantasy with posh clothes, expensive bags, and the top range of makeup, that makes it really exciting to read about.
Olivia is a woman who wears nothing but the best of everything, with a Swarovski belt, Coco chain and diamond earrings with Louboutins heels, Chanel clutch bag.
She is a woman that has time on her hands who really loves to looks after herself.
I could quite picture Olivia doing her skin care plan, applying, her top brands of favourite makeup, Lancôme black mascara, Chanel Beige face powder.
Olivia has a timetable from the early morning getting her daughter off to school, having hair done, doing Pilates and yoga, with eating a healthy diet plan that all makes Olivia feel good.
Dinner parties is something Olivia, is good at. She loves to host dinner parties for her husband’s friends. But Olivia always wants the table to look perfect with flowers, and napkins folded in a designed fashionable way, to set the table to a first class setting she uses Tiffany champagne flutes, with the table full of delicious food for her guests.
April 16, 2023
This is a tricky one for me. I think the book was interesting. I think that it definitely has the potential to be a popular book. And I objectively can see the appeal of the upcoming series.
However, I didn't necessarily enjoy the reading experience, and that's because I didn't vibe with the main character, Olivia.
I love the interactions that she has with her daughter, and I love the premise of the 'rise from the ashes'/'from riches to rags' kind of tale, but I felt like I resented Olivia because of how much she bragged in the first portion of the book. I think this might have been resolved had the main catalyst of the story (her husband dying) happened earlier in the storyline. I feel like this would have reduced the amount of perspective the reader has with Olivia at the beginning of the book.
In addition, I think the cover is ICONIC. It very much gives off 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. I am also open to seeing what the next book in the series will be like.
Overall, I've given this a 2.75/ 5 but rounded up to 3/5
However, I didn't necessarily enjoy the reading experience, and that's because I didn't vibe with the main character, Olivia.
I love the interactions that she has with her daughter, and I love the premise of the 'rise from the ashes'/'from riches to rags' kind of tale, but I felt like I resented Olivia because of how much she bragged in the first portion of the book. I think this might have been resolved had the main catalyst of the story (her husband dying) happened earlier in the storyline. I feel like this would have reduced the amount of perspective the reader has with Olivia at the beginning of the book.
In addition, I think the cover is ICONIC. It very much gives off 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. I am also open to seeing what the next book in the series will be like.
Overall, I've given this a 2.75/ 5 but rounded up to 3/5
February 7, 2023
This was such a fun book to read! Not only is it written in a way that is just unbelievable effortless to read, the characters were so loveable. Firstly, Olivia is a fantastic main character - relatable, funny and stylish. I have been cheering her on since the first page and enjoyed watching her story unravel. And then theres Marguerite - she that just reminds me of my grandma, pure but firm.
The first half of the book focuses around the ‘scandal’ that forces Olivia and her daughter to move, and although I would have loved the second half to take up more of the story I found it fun slowly watching the scandal unravel. Glickman doesn’t give anything away too quickly or too obviously. It’s fed to you in drips which makes reading it all that more fun and exciting.
I cannot wait to see what Olivia gets up to in the next book!
The first half of the book focuses around the ‘scandal’ that forces Olivia and her daughter to move, and although I would have loved the second half to take up more of the story I found it fun slowly watching the scandal unravel. Glickman doesn’t give anything away too quickly or too obviously. It’s fed to you in drips which makes reading it all that more fun and exciting.
I cannot wait to see what Olivia gets up to in the next book!
February 8, 2023
When I first started this book, I was immediately put off by the ‘American-ness’ of it. References to which I didn’t relate, brand names which meant nothing to me. But: I had been gifted this book on the promise of my review do I ploughed on and was really glad that I did!
Once her world has fallen apart and she was back in the real world that I felt I understood, I really warmed to Olivia and her determination to succeed. The scene in the store when she finds a customer’s perfect outfit, even tho she’s a customer herself, really resonated. I used to own a clothes shop and often assisted people in other shops with their choices, going to find suitable accessories etc!! By the end of the book I was really rooting for Olivia, cheering for her put down of Lauren and wishing Marguerite a happy retirement!! Can’t wait for the next instalment!!
Once her world has fallen apart and she was back in the real world that I felt I understood, I really warmed to Olivia and her determination to succeed. The scene in the store when she finds a customer’s perfect outfit, even tho she’s a customer herself, really resonated. I used to own a clothes shop and often assisted people in other shops with their choices, going to find suitable accessories etc!! By the end of the book I was really rooting for Olivia, cheering for her put down of Lauren and wishing Marguerite a happy retirement!! Can’t wait for the next instalment!!
February 13, 2023
Thanks to Literally Pr and author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. This is the first book in the bitches of fifth Avenue series and honestly left me really excited to read the rest and see what’s next in store. This book follows the initially successful business woman Olivia wyatt and then her downfall. It gives great insight into the life of the rich with a sprinkling of family relationships dynamics and also tragedy thrown in. A great balance with lots of different themes throughout to make the book extremly enjoyable. I would recommend as it does keep you engaged throughout. If you enjoy the movie/book confusions of a shopaholic or movies such as mean girls. then you will definetly enjoy this read as it is similar vibes.
April 4, 2023
Olivia Wyatt has it all. The house, the clothes, the status until her husband dies suddenly and she finds herself in debt and having to sell everything and move back to her roots and raise her daughter alone. Olivia goes from having it all and shopping in the finest department stores to being reduced to someone who works at the store and can't afford to buy the items. She finds herself working for the bitches of Fifth Avenue and there won't be champagne at seven for Olivia. I liked Olivia was in her mid'40's. This fall from grace was witty and funny at times. I really enjoyed it. A perfect summer read. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
August 24, 2023
Thank you #Netgalley
This was a cute short read about a woman who unexpectedly has to start over after a tragedy and scandal rocks her world. She is back living at her parents home with her teenage daughter and struggling to move on. She finally gets the courage to venture out and look for a job, though she hasn't worked in years and was unsure where to even look. So instead she went shopping at one of her favorite stores when she was approached by a customer for help. When a higher up notices the interaction and also recognizes her, he offers her an opportunity to work at the company. We watch as she takes her housewife and party planning skills and translates it into the fashion and marketing world.
This was a cute short read about a woman who unexpectedly has to start over after a tragedy and scandal rocks her world. She is back living at her parents home with her teenage daughter and struggling to move on. She finally gets the courage to venture out and look for a job, though she hasn't worked in years and was unsure where to even look. So instead she went shopping at one of her favorite stores when she was approached by a customer for help. When a higher up notices the interaction and also recognizes her, he offers her an opportunity to work at the company. We watch as she takes her housewife and party planning skills and translates it into the fashion and marketing world.
February 18, 2024
Champagne At Seven is a hilarious, witty, deep, snarky, exciting, and entertainingly written read! This is the first book in the B****** of Fifth Avenue Series. The series is labeled under the genre of women's fiction and humorous. It undoubtedly lives up to both of those titles! Olivia is fiery, ambitious, and captivating. She is a phenomenal character. Olivia cusses frequently which I'm not always the biggest fan of, but somehow it I don't mind it as much in this book. Her inner thoughts are often shared with the reader and they are an absolute hoot! Olivia is able to turn her life around and find an inner strength never would have expected. However, the new life she creates is not without its ups, downs, and toxic people. This book is full of twists and turns! I loved it!
December 19, 2022
This book unfortunately did not meet my expectations. I was hoping for a lighthearted story with funny and charismatic character, but it was not that and I couldn’t finish it (chapter 5).
The amount of name dropping was very off putting and unnecessary, the saying “less is more” comes to mind, it could have been more subdued.
Olivia seemed very cold and self centered. Much of the writing was choppy, jumping between what was happening or what happened in the past as described by the main character, normally that would make them more likable but I think it did the opposite. In summary, the story and main character were quite shallow.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook
The amount of name dropping was very off putting and unnecessary, the saying “less is more” comes to mind, it could have been more subdued.
Olivia seemed very cold and self centered. Much of the writing was choppy, jumping between what was happening or what happened in the past as described by the main character, normally that would make them more likable but I think it did the opposite. In summary, the story and main character were quite shallow.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
I normally tend to stay away from this kind of read but I decided to give it a go and I am glad I did. I thought it was not bad. We meet Olivia who is a woman of many talents and being rich helps. We get to see the behind the scenes of the fashion world. There were many cringy moments but also some funny parts too which helped. With the descriptions that the author Toni provided you can really get a sense of each other characters. It was not a bad read but one that I would question if I would read again.
June 12, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book and review it.
Champagne at Seven is such fun and an easy read.
This is a good beach read but beware you won't want to put it down.
We were able to get a look into the NY fashion scene and I love how Olivia is so real and has the strength to come back after her loses. I can't wait to read what she endures next.
Champagne at Seven is such fun and an easy read.
This is a good beach read but beware you won't want to put it down.
We were able to get a look into the NY fashion scene and I love how Olivia is so real and has the strength to come back after her loses. I can't wait to read what she endures next.
Read
December 12, 2022CHAMPAGNE AT SEVEN! by Toni Glickman is a joyful read about a woman rediscovering herself in her mid-forties after exiting her rich surroundings. A must read for #fiction lovers who enjoy dark humor.
Read the full review on Booktrib.com!
Read the full review on Booktrib.com!
January 14, 2023
This was a fun, easy read about high society and the fashion world. This wasn't my favorite, I felt the characters could have been a little more multi-dimensional.
Thank you Netgalley and Speaking Volumes for the ARC!
Thank you Netgalley and Speaking Volumes for the ARC!
Read
February 6, 2023I really enjoyed champagne at seven. Olivia’s life appears to be perfect to anyone looking in. She has everything at her disposal. One night it all goes up in flames and she has to find herself.
It was a quick read and entertaining. Thank you #netgalley for the advanced copy
It was a quick read and entertaining. Thank you #netgalley for the advanced copy
February 12, 2023
Champagne at 7
Is book 1 in the Bitches of Fifth Avenue. In this firstly installment of this series we are introduced to Olivia Wyatt and her daughter Gwyn ie. A shocked serverd to her one night has changed her life forever.
Is book 1 in the Bitches of Fifth Avenue. In this firstly installment of this series we are introduced to Olivia Wyatt and her daughter Gwyn ie. A shocked serverd to her one night has changed her life forever.
February 18, 2023
This novel follows Olivia, a 40-something who seemingly has her life together…until it becomes obvious nothing is going to plan.
The dynamics and concept were phenomenal. The humor was laugh out loud funny. I’m not sure the plot was well executed, but the humor more than made up for it.
The dynamics and concept were phenomenal. The humor was laugh out loud funny. I’m not sure the plot was well executed, but the humor more than made up for it.
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