Book Review: The Power Trip by Jackie Collins

I received a copy of The Power Trip by Jackie Collins in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

A luxurious yacht in the Sea of Cortez, a birthday cruise for one of the world’s most beautiful women and an invitation no one can refuse.   The Power Trip—take it if you dare.

From Hollywood icon and mega-seller Jackie Collins comes a thrilling new novel, The Power Trip, set on a state of the art luxury yacht off the coast of Cabo San Lucas.  A tropical getaway with a cast of global power-hungry elites turns sour when they find out maybe they don’t control as much of the world as they thought . . .

In The Power Trip you will meet Aleksandr Kasianenko, a billionaire Russian oligarch, as he sets sail on The Bianca. You’ll meet his sexy supermodel girlfriend, whom The Bianca is named after, and five dynamic, powerful, and famous couples invited on the yacht’s maiden voyage: Hammond Patterson, a driven Senator, and his lovely but unhappy wife, Sierra; Cliff Baxter, a charming, never-married movie star, and his ex-waitress girlfriend, Lori; Taye Sherwin, a famous black UK footballer and his interior designer wife, Ashley; Luca Perez, a male Latin singing sensation with his older decadent English boyfriend, Jeromy; and Flynn, a maverick journalist with his Asian renegade female friend, Xuan.

You will also meet Russian mobster, Sergei Zukov, a man with a grudge against Aleksandr. And Sergei’s Mexican beauty queen girlfriend, Ina, whose brother, Cruz, is a master pirate with orders to hold The Bianca and its illustrious rota of guests for ransom.

The Power Trip explorers the decadent playgrounds of the super-rich . . . and leaves you hungry for more.

Review:

Oh, Jackie Collins is a naughty lady. I just can’t get enough of her books! While I was initially bummed out that I wasn’t going to be visiting Lucky in The Power Trip, I soon got over that qualm. What a juicy tale! There are so many characters and we get a POV from each of them, but in signature Collins style it’s effortless to keep them apart. You never know what one of them is thinking or what the next action is going to be. This is a seriously big book, but it took me less than two days to read. It’s impossible to put down, and the writing is so smooth yet captivating that you can’t help but devour it quickly.

5 stars

 

Chances by Jackie Collins

Oh, Jackie Collins. I have read countless titles from her, the majority from the Santangelo series, with good ole Gino and Lucky. I was excited when I was offered a review copy of Chances, where readers will see how it all began. This is the first Lucky book to be released as an eBook, and if you haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet – do it! I’ve never quite figured out how to describe a Jackie Collins book, but while I was reading through her bio I saw that she has been called a “raunchy moralist” by Vanity Fair, and I feel like that’s pretty fair. I was trying to describe this particular book to a girlfriend who just got done with the Fifty Shades of Grey series, and the word “filthy” kept being brought up. For sure – if you do not like very explicit sex scenes, foul language, murder, etc., I would keep away.

For those who don’t – wow, this is quite a book! I loved learning the beginning of the Santangelo’s, and I mean the very beginning. The book starts off in the 1920’s and switches quickly between characters and time. We learn how Gino got started in the streets, his family life, how he made “business acquaintances,” to when he fell in love with Maria and had his two children – Lucky and Dario. They both get to tell their POV’s as well, and I had blast reading about Lucky getting kicked out of boarding school and learning where her Santangelo smarts (and balls) came from. The story also follows Carrie and her son Steven. Carrie was forced into prostitution at the age of thirteen by her own grandmother and uncle, and then sold off to a whorehouse where she fell heavily into drugs. It was fascinating to know that Carrie in the present had money, prestige, even fame, and to see glimpses into the past of how she was able to overcome all the horrors of her life. I never minded the switching back and forth so many times, it’s the Jackie Collins style that I have learned to love, and I feel it almost made this (fairly lengthy) novel go by even quicker. The ending was so crazy! I was frantically pressing the “next page” button on my Kindle to see how the story would end, how the lives of all these characters were intertwine – and who would make it out alive. If you can handle these types of book, I would recommend not only Chances but many others from the intriguing Santangelo series.

[Rating: 4.5]

More Jackie Collin’s reviews!

Goddess of Vengeance

Drop Dead Beautiful

Poor Little Bitch Girl

Read my interview with Jackie Collins!

GIVEAWAY: Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins

Jackie Collins’ fierce and wildly beautiful heroine Lucky Santangelo is back with a vengeance—in a novel full of power, passion, revenge, and the raging family dynamics of the Santangelo clan—and, as always, Lucky comes out on top.

Lucky runs a high profile casino and hotel complex, The Keys in Vegas.

Lennie, her movie star husband, is still writing and directing successful independent movies, while Max, her stubborn and gorgeous teenage daughter is about to celebrate her 18th birthday, and her son, Bobby, owns a string of hot clubs. Lucky has everything. Family. Love. Life.

And everything is exactly what billionaire businessman Armand Jordan is determined to take from her one way or the other.

Born a Prince in the small but affluent Middle Eastern country of Akramshar, Armand comes to America with his American mother at an early age, and rises to become a real estate business titan. Armand regards women as nothing more than breeding mares or sexual playthings, so when his people inform him that the one property he covets more than anything, The Keys, is not for sale, he is shocked. That a mere woman would dare to turn down his offer to buy The Keys is unthinkable, and Armand vows to force Lucky’s hand whatever it takes. And so the battle for power begins . . .

Meanwhile Bobby is dealing with shady Russian investors, while his girlfriend—smart and independent Denver Jones—is becoming a Deputy D.A. in the L.A. drug unit.

And Max, Bobby’s seventeen year old sister, is busy embarking on a forbidden affair with a sexy young movie star. An affair they have to keep on the down-low lest Lucky finds out.

The word is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and what happens in Goddess of Vengeance will blow your mind!

**I have one print copy up for giveaway! To enter, please leave a comment below. The winner will be chosen on Friday, October 7^th. Thank you to Ann-Marie at Get Red PR for sponsoring this giveaway. Please note this is open to US/Canada residents only. Thank you!

**The winner is Lisa McCarthy. Thank you to everyone who entered!**

 

Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins

Lucky Santangelo is back! The dynamite Jackie Collins recently released number 27, Goddess of Vengeance, and the Santangelo family and friends (and enemies) are back in a big way. Goddess focuses mainly on Lucky’s daughter, the eighteen-year-old Max, as she stars to make adult decisions- like sleeping with her mom’s best friend’s soon to be ex-husband. Venus and Billy have headed for splitsville, and Billy finds himself besotted over Max, while Venus simply starts sleeping around. Lucky is somewhat in the background of the story, but her fierce determination, loyalty, and balls of steel are at no shortage. When the disgustingly sleazy billionaire businessman/Middle Eastern Prince, Armand Jordan, tries to buy out Lucky’s precious casino and hotel complex, The Keys, Lucky quickly lets him know who has the last say. And we can’t forget Lucky’s gorgeous son Bobby and new girlfriend Denver, who are trying to work through there relationship obstacles.

It’s a little difficult to write a synopsis with so many leading characters, and I always worry that readers new to the series will give up hope, but don’t! Once you start reading, it is easy to identify and connect with the jumbled cast. I really enjoyed learning more about Denver and Bobby and where there story continued from Poor Little Bitch Girl, and even diving into Max’s character more was interesting to read about. There is no shortage of raunchy scenes and vulgarity, of course, especially when it comes to Armand’s character and his dimwitted view of woman. The ending of the book really picked up for me, and I couldn’t put it down. I loved how all the characters were slowly gravitating towards one location, and had to see how it all finished. I will say that I thought the ending with Armand was a little bit of a letdown. I would have been okay with a much less easy and way out for him to die, after all his disgusting behavior and lewd acts. But other than that, another delicious and frantic story to add to the Santangelo collection!

[Rating: 4]

In My Mailbox: Week of August 14

In My Mailbox: Week of August 14

 

Title: Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes

Author: Denise Grover Swank

Received: From Denise Grover Swank via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: “It all started when I saw myself dead.” For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect. Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen– do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own. Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

 

Title: Merciless

Author: Diana Palmer

Received: From Jaime at Planned Television Arts

Synopsis: Can she convince a man to let down his defenses when he’s set on guarding his heart? Tall, dark and eligible? That’s all that matters to the women of Jacobsville when it comes to handsome and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his efficient and reliable assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he’d be at the mercy of husband hunters—but the more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is… While Joceline can’t deny that her boss is attractive, as a single mother with responsibilities she’s determined to be professional. But when Jon is accosted by a criminal seeking revenge, she comes to his aid—fueling the spark that is growing between them. As the attempts on Jon’s life increase, Joceline stands by his side. But when the smoke clears, will the man who avoided love realize that all he ever needed was right there all along?

 

Title: Goddess of Vengeance

Author: Jackie Collins

Received: From Ann-Marie @ Get Red PR

Synopsis: Lucky runs a high profile casino and hotel complex, The Keys in Vegas.

Lennie, her movie star husband, is still writing and directing successful independent movies, while Max, her stubborn and gorgeous teenage daughter is about to celebrate her 18th birthday, and her son, Bobby, owns a string of hot clubs. Lucky has everything. Family. Love. Life.

And everything is exactly what billionaire businessman Armand Jordan is determined to take from her one way or the other.

Born a Prince in the small but affluent Middle Eastern country of Akramshar, Armand comes to America with his American mother at an early age, and rises to become a real estate business titan. Armand regards women as nothing more than breeding mares or sexual playthings, so when his people inform him that the one property he covets more than anything, The Keys, is not for sale, he is shocked. That a mere woman would dare to turn down his offer to buy The Keys is unthinkable, and Armand vows to force Lucky’s hand whatever it takes. And so the battle for power begins . . .

Meanwhile Bobby is dealing with shady Russian investors, while his girlfriend—smart and independent Denver Jones—is becoming a Deputy D.A. in the L.A. drug unit.

And Max, Bobby’s seventeen year old sister, is busy embarking on a forbidden affair with a sexy young movie star. An affair they have to keep on the down-low lest Lucky finds out.

The word is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” and what happens in Goddess of Vengeance will blow your mind!

 

Title: Aftertaste

Author: Meredith Mileti

Received: From Kensington Books (unsolicited)

Synopsis: Mira Rinaldi lives life at a rolling boil. Co-owner of Grappa, a chic New York City trattoria, she has an enviable apartment, a brand-new baby, and a frenzied schedule befitting her success. Everything changes the night she catches her husband, Jake, “wielding his whisk” with Grappa’s new waitress. Mira’s fiery response earns her a court-ordered stint in anger management and the beginning of legal and personal predicaments as she battles to save her restaurant and pick up the pieces of her life. Mira falls back on family and friends in Pittsburgh as she struggles to find a recipe for happiness. But the heat is really on when some surprising developments in New York present her with a high stakes opportunity to win back what she thought she had lost forever. For Mira, cooking isn’t just about delicious flavours and textures, but about the pleasure found in filling others’ needs. And the time has come to decide where her own fulfilment lies – even if the answers are unexpected.

Best Scandal Nominees

The nominees for Best Scandal in a Novel:

Perfect Blend by Sue Margolis

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

Still Thinking of You- Adele Parks

Poor Little Bitch Girl- Jackie Collins

Pieces of Happily Ever After- Irene Zutell

***I didn’t want to post the scandals for each novel, some come as a surprise and I wouldn’t want to give anything away!***

Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!

Drop Dead Beautiful by Jackie Collins

Lucky Santangelo is back again for another round of Hollywood romance and deceit in this Jackie Collin’s tale. Lucky, who stems from a mafia family but has managed to turn herself into one of the hottest Hollywood players, is busy planning a birthday party for her 95 year old father, Gino.  She is also in the midst of opening a megaresort in the city of sin, Las Vegas, but is unaware that a long-time family enemy, Anthony Bonar is seeking revenge on the Santangelo clan.

There is many subplots involved, like usual with Collins, and they bring along a hefty portion of suspense, sex, and drama. Lucky’s 16 year old daughter, Max, sneaks away from home to meet the Prince Charming she met on the internet- who turns out to be a crazed ex-actor that is holding a grudge against Lucky since she passed him over for a part in one of her past films. Anthony Bonar, a violent drug dealer, is unaware that his wife is having an affair with the Mexican gardener. Other slightly less exciting plots deal with Lucky’s best friend, an aging Hollywood actress, and her much younger boyfriend trying to maintain a relationship amidst the paparazzi and rag magazines, and Lucky’s business partner and his growing affection for Lucky, despite having a live in girlfriend. 

 Drop Dead Beautiful from Jackie Collins covers the Hollywood scene with open eyes and no holding back. The sex scenes are raunchy, the violence is gruesome, and each plot will hook readers more and more. This was one of my favorite Jackie Collins reads, and a definite recommendation for chick lit fans.

Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins

Annabelle Maestro is such a poor little rich girl. The breed from two of Hollywood’s hottest legends, Annabelle is living up life running a high priced call girl business with coke addict boyfriend, Frankie. When her mother is brutally murdered in her own home and her father is the main suspect, Annabelle is forced to fly home from New York to Los Angeles for the funeral. She is toted along by an old friend turned lawyer, Denver, who is struggling to defend the legendary Ralph Maestro in his wife’s murder, all while trying to find a suitable man. Denver’s best friend, Carolyn, has managed to get herself knocked up by the very married US senator she works for, and has now been kidnapped as part of the senator’s grand scheme.

Poor Little Bitch Girl, the 26^th best-seller from acclaimed writer Jackie Collins is another great. The scandal of Hollywood, the raunchy sex scenes, and the way each character entwines with another makes this a page turner until the end. The only problem I had was the big “scandal” wasn’t really that scandalous, if you follow the Tinseltown standards. But still another fabulous novel from Collins that will drag you into that selfish, all about me world, and make you not want to come back out.

Interview with Jackie Collins

Q: What made you decide to start writing?

A: I loved creating characters, and from the age of 8 I knew that’s what I was destined to do.

 

Q: Your novels go in depth on Hollywood and the celebrity lives. How did you start gaining the insider knowledge?

A: Because I arrived in Hollywood at 15, so I’ve had plenty of years to observe all the action.  When you’re reading a Jackie Collins book you are getting the real truth, not the front page of a tabloid.

 

Q: I read a quote from you on your website that intrigued me. “I write about real people in disguise. If anything, my characters are toned down — the truth is much more bizarre.” Can you give just one example of a “bizarre” situation? (I’m sure you have plenty!)

A: Well, who would believe the Tiger Woods situation?  If I wrote it, I’d be laughed off the page!  Truth is always much wilder than fiction, and Hollywood insiders tell me everything!

 

Q: I have to ask a question on reality TV ‘stars.’ What is your opinion of the reality shows, and do you think the cast members of popular shows such as The Hills and Jersey Shore should be classified as celebrities?

A: Kind of fifteen minute celebrities, because once their show ends, what next?

 

Q: You are not only a novelist, but have produced many works as well. How were you able to get into producing?

A: I decided I wanted the movies of my books to bring my characters to life.  So to gain control, when I did a deal to make a movie of my work, part of the deal included me as one of the producers.  I really enjoy the producing process.

 

Q: I read that you are writing a play, Jackie Collins Hollywood Lies. Can you tell us more about that?

A: It’s a fun project about a pop star fresh out of rehab, whose mother has gained conservatorship and taken over her life.  Chaos ensues!

 

Q: You have achieved so many successes in your professional life, with writing and producing and topping multiple best-seller lists. What is one your proudest accomplishments in your personal life?

A: My daughters!  I have three, and they are fantastic, smart, strong, beautiful women.  They are my greatest accomplishment.  Then comes 27 novels!

 

Q: Your novel, Poor Little Bitch Girl, just came out February 9^th. Where did you get your inspiration for this particular story?

A: I live in Hollywood.  Inspiration is all around me!  I wanted to write about a role-model career woman, and 25 year old Denver is just that.  She’s feisty, great at her job as a lawyer, but also prepared to dip into the relationship scene with great gusto.  ”Poor Little Bitch Girl” was so much fun to write.

 

Q: I get overwhelmed looking at all you do! How do you find free time for yourself and how do you spend it?

A: I am a TiVo junkie!  Love relaxing while watching all my fave shows – “Dexter,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Big Love,” “Modern Family,”  I could go on and on!!

 

Q: What would be the best advice you could offer to aspiring writers?

A: Do not talk about it – do it!!

 

Q: I read that you like to visit exotic locations. What would be one of your favorites?

A: Paris and some of the smaller islands in Hawaii.  A city and an island.  Great combination!

Click Here to Visit Jackie’s Website!

In My Mailbox: Week of February 28

In My Mailbox: Week of February 28

 

 

Title: Poor Little Bitch Girl

Author: Jackie Collins

Received: From Jackie Collins for review

Synopsis: Three twenty-something women, one hot rich guy, two mega movie stars, and a devastating murder: Poor Little Bitch Girl has it all.

Denver Jones is a hotshot twenty-something attorney working in L.A. Carolyn Henderson is personal assistant to a powerful and very married Senator in Washington with whom she is having an affair. And Annabelle Maestro—daughter of two movie stars—has carved out a career for herself in New York as the madame of choice for discerning famous men. The three of them went to high school together in Beverly Hills—and although Denver and Carolyn have kept in touch, Annabelle is out on her own with her cocaine addicted boyfriend, Frankie.

      Then there is Bobby Santangelo Stanislopolous, the Kennedyesque son of Lucky Santangelo and deceased Greek shipping billionaire, Dimitri Stanislopolous. Bobby owns Mood, the hottest club in New York.  Back in the day he went to high school with Denver, Carolyn and Annabelle. And he connected with all three of them. Frankie is his best friend.

      When Annabelle’s beautiful movie star mother is found shot to death in the bedroom of her Beverly Hills mansion, the five of them find themselves thrown together . . . and secrets from the past have a way of coming back to haunt everyone. . . .

 

 

Title: The Overnight Socialite

Author: Bridie Clark

Received: Public Library

Synopsis: In this beguiling retelling of the classic Pygmalion, we meet Lucy Ellis, a Manhattan transplant who dreams of making it as a fashion designer but instead toils away on a Garment District assembly line. Road-blocked each time she tries to score a break, Lucy is beginning to think the unthinkable: maybe it’s time to pack it in and move home to Minnesota. Then, during a torrential downpour, at her most bedraggled and disheartened, Lucy meets Wyatt Hayes IV.

Wyatt-man-about-town and bored Ph.D. anthropologist- has just been publicly dissed by New York’s reigning socialite, Cornelia Rockman, whom he’d been dating. He boasts to his best friend Trip that he can transform any woman- even a trailer-born nobody like Lucy- into this year’s “It” girl. “Give me a few months,” he tells Trip, “and I could turn her into a social luminary. She’ll make the rest of the pack look like dim little tea lights.” If Wyatt can fool the East coast aristocracy into thinking Lucy’s the real deal, he can reveal the farce behind Cornelia’s social superiority complex…and score a career-boosting book deal.

Headstrong Lucy challenges her teacher at every turn, but armed with a made-up pedigree and a wardrobe costlier than most studio apartments, she’s soon navigating a world in which the most photographed socialite takes all. Can Lucy survive in a wilderness where no girl wears the same gown twice, the Astors are considered Johnny-come-latelies, and weddings are more lavish than the coronation of Louis XIV? Will she forge the connections needed to make a name for herself in fashion? And can she surmount the schemes and suspicions of her newfound rival, Cornelia?

Three months of rigorous prep and test runs culminate in Lucy’s showdown at the Fashion Forum Gala, where she and Wyatt confront the ne plus ultra of society…and their unexpected feelings for each other. But the gaps between them-as well as Wyatt’s secret agenda-may make this improbable couple an impossibility.

Set against the gold-plated world of Manhattan’s social elite, The Overnight Socialite puts a witty twenty-first-century spin on a timeless story of transformation and unlikely love.

 

Title: Dirty Girls on Top

Author: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Received: Public Library

Synopsis: The Dirty Girls are back, saucier and sexier than ever….but would it be wrong to ask them to be a little smarter, too?? Especially when it comes to men. And sex.

Lauren Fernandez is at the top of her game as the cleverest columnist the Boston Gazette has on board—but she can’t quite figure out how to pick a guy or how to eat (and not drink) like a healthy person.  Usnavys is still sashaying all over town, 260 pounds of her dolled up in designer duds and ready for action—from anyone except her husband Juan, that is.  He’s become just a bit boring staying home scrubbing the tub and cooking up chicken fingers for pre-schooler Carolina while somebody else brings home the bacon.

Maybe the other Dirty Girls could help Lauren and ‘navy out, but they’ve got their own messes to deal with: Rebecca Baca hasn’t gained a pound since college (well, who would, if they had an ounce of self-control?) but suspects her picture-perfect marriage may not yield the baby she longs for; Sara may be the star of her own decorating show on cable television, but her dangerous pull toward her ex-husband Roberto isn’t so pretty;  Amber keeps renaming herself and doesn’t want to hear that her soulfulness and reinvention aren’t enough to make fans actually buy her music; and Elizabeth is discovering that a relationship with another woman takes more than bravery and a nesting instinct.

Dirty Girls on Top is about trying to figure it all out without quite as much time left as there was five years ago.  And it’s about sex and love—getting it, not getting it, yearning for it, having it with the wrong person, fighting it from the right person, trying it a new way, giving up on it. And, in the end, if your fingers are crossed and the planets are in alignment, having it come out just the way it should.

 

 

Title: Drop Dead Beautiful

Author: Jackie Collins

Received: Public Library

Synopsis: “Like mother, like daughter. “No truer words for Lucky Santangelo’s sixteen-year-old Max, who goes looking for trouble when she hooks up with some guy she met on the Internet. Soon the beautiful, willful Max finds herself in deeper waters than she can imagine as she becomes a pawn in a greater scheme that leads back to Lucky and Billy Melina, the studly movie-star boyfriend of Lucky’s best friend, superstar Venus. “” If Max’s troubles weren’t enough, Lucky has her multi-billion-dollar Las Vegas hotel complex to contend with…along with Anthony Bonar, the illegitimate grandson of her one-time Godfather and lethal enemy, Enzio Bonnati. So begins a non-stop thrill ride as Lucky builds her dream resort–and gambles with all she holds dear. Max, too, is following her dreams, and as her high-flying triumphs prove, she’s more than just a little Lucky.