The Accidental Socialite by Stephanie Wahlstrom #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

The Accidental Socialite
by Stephanie Wahlstrom
Release Date: 04/15/14
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:
Quirky and clumsy twenty-two-year-old Paige Crawford arrives in London on a cold Saturday in January. Just when Paige starts to think that moving thousands of miles away from home with no real plan was a bad idea, Jason Frost appears. Confident and classy, Jason is the complete opposite of Paige and just what she needs in her life, or so she thinks.

But before their romance has time to blossom, Paige trips and falls into the arms of a mysterious man on a drunken night out. She’s snapped by paparazzi, and newspaper headlines the next day suggest that she’s having an affair with a married footballer.

Paige finds herself instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status which isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job at Fashionista magazine, a catalog of dating disasters and a nagging doubt that she maybe she can’t conquer London after all.

When a trip back to Canada for Christmas reminds Paige why she left her old life behind, she returns to London with renewed vigor realizing that while jobs, flats and men may come and go, friends in London are forever.

The Accidental Socialite is a little bit on the bat shit crazy side and a whole lot of fun. It’s weird to say a read like this is relaxing because so many things were going on in the book but it was. I really enjoyed the hilarity of it and the characters. I could gush how much of a fun read this is.

Paige decides she’s going to give her life a spin on the wheel of fate and just up and moves from Canada to London. Not only is she faced with some serious culture shock but also finds herself in some interesting predicaments that lead her to becoming a sort of celebrity. Do you ever flip through a magazine and think who the heck is that person and why do we care about her, that’s Paige. With the insta fame and stalkerazzi comes a kick butt job at Fashionista and VIP access some of the most exclusive clubs, the bubbly never stops flowing.

I liked Paige a lot. She made me laugh and the things that happen to her are things that would happen to me. Pickle sandwiches are not made with Pickles? Fanny Packs...well do you even want to go there and so forth. She has to not only deal with some really crazy roommates, I love when she ranks how psycho they each are, to understanding the difference in the slang. Actually the difference between what many things are called. Every Time she was riding the Tube I was picturing her sitting on television or a tube of toothpaste. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that addresses the fact that it would be really hard to adapt in that respect. People go to London and they speak English so no biggie right. Wrong, there are so many words that have different meanings. Hey that girl is pissed….umm do you mean mad, going pee or just drunk...

I loved Lucinda and their insta friendship after meeting at the cafe and the way she tells it how it is. She doesn’t let Paige fall into a hole of despair and she has some serious wisdom sharing at the end. Sometimes I couldn’t decide if Carlos was a total asshat or awesome friend. Turns out he’s an awesome friend sometimes disguised as an asshat. The book revolves more around these characters friendships then it does a particular romantic relationship. It was fun to see Paige dating different guys and have different experiences rather than just focus on one guy to get all lovey dovey about, although there are guys who make reappearances. I love romance and I love romance stories but it was nice to read something that is really focused on the main character who doesn’t need a steady man to make her interesting. Paige is this whirlwind all on her own. With a couple of friends who have got her back and go on adventures with her.

This book was such a fun read. I really thought the craziness going on with Paige made me feel more relaxed about the craziness in my life. Like hey at least someone isn’t dragging a wet mattress into my house. If you are looking for something fun definitely pick up this book.

Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, a significant amount of Stephanie’s time was spent making up and acting out stories. She was studying to be an actress when she realized there weren’t any parts for women being written. So, Stephanie wrote herself a short screenplay just to be in it, and quickly realized that writing was her true passion. She graduated from the University of Alberta with an English and Sociology degree and she also has a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College. After a fateful trip to Mexico in 2006, Stephanie decided to move to New York City to work in film development. A year later she went back home to write My Green House, a factual TV series. Stephanie moved to London in 2008 and aside from being obsessed with eggs benedict, fruit roll- ups and travelling, she also works in children’s television. The Accidental Socialite is her first novel.