Review: Priceless - Nicole Richie

Meet Charlotte Williams… Rich, gorgeous, blonde and a talented singer, she has everything going for her. Spoiled and indulged, her life has always revolved around fashion, gossip, partying and men. When Charlotte’s father – her only family since her mother’s tragic death years ago – is arrested on fraud charges, her glittering world shatters around her. Alone and penniless, she must make her own way for the very first time. Harassed by paparazzi and the outraged victims of her father’s crimes, Charlotte flees to New Orleans to escape the scandal. But what happens when a Park Avenue Princess is forced to fend for herself? How will she adapt to the Big Easy’s bohemian lifestyle? And in the face of anonymous death threats, can she keep herself out of danger? From the stylish avenues of Manhattan and dark clubs of the French Quarter to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Nicole Richie’s scintillating tale shows that the very life you run from is the one that won’t let you hide. 

Priceless basically tells the story of rich socialite, Charlotte Williams, and how her life is turned upside down when her father is arrested for fraud. With the family home seized, all bank accounts frozen and the paparazzi out to get her, Charlotte flees to stay with her old nanny, Miss Millie, in New Orleans. Charlotte quickly gets to know Miss Millie’s son, Jackson, and the quirky Kat Karraby and her life starts to change.

I found this book to be a nice easy read, if a little predictable in places. I was pleasantly surprised to find the writing good. There were some parts that had a little bit too much description for me. I’m not a big fan of authors overly describing clothing and this book really went to town on this aspect. It did fit with the characters in that both Charlotte and Kat were big into fashion but it did feel like a case of throwing as many designer names as possible into the story and as a result I skipped over some of those parts. There’s some really good dialogue in the book. I particularly loved Kat’s witty quips. One of my favourite bits was a phone conversation between Kat and Tiffanii-with-two-i’s which had me giggling out loud. The characters were likable enough and developed throughout the story, although I did feel that maybe they developed a little too quickly. Within days Charlotte had a job, a new best friend and a boyfriend. I think I would have liked to see her struggle a little more.

Overall, this is an enjoyable enough read if you’re in the mood for a bit of light fun.