Gold Coast Wives - Bernadette Walsh > Reviews (1)

Review: I have to say that I've never actually read chick-lit before so I wasn't really sure what to expect from this novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find a light-hearted and fairly humorous tale of Kate Ryan, a woman whose husband has left her to go gallivanting all over the globe and is left alone to look after a young daughter. Faced with rising debts and bills Kate agrees to take part in a new small-scale reality TV show called Gold Coast Wives; however, she quickly realises that perhaps she's bitten off a bit more than she can chew.

Gold Coast Wives is written from the first person perspective of Kate, the protagonist of the novel, which allows you to really connect with her character. Kate has real life problems and being forced into the company of three perfect socialites does not make anything easier. I'm pretty sure that every girl/woman out there will be able to relate to some aspect of Kate’s life. Kate is a newly single mother, unemployed and desperate to make ends meet, but perhaps the most important thing about Kate is her obsession with doughnuts, and let’s be honest ladies, we can all relate to that one. Not only that, but Kate gets a blast from the past when one of her fellow ‘Wives’ turns out to be her high school nemesis, which I can only imagine would be like reliving a nightmare.

This story is quite compact as there are only a few characters and the setting doesn’t change all that much; however, this just makes for a more intimate and detailed story. Although Kate is the protagonist and the story is written from her POV, it is also easy to relate to many of the other characters. Those that at first looked like they led perfect lives, may actually be scratched under the surface.

This is quite a short novel, but there's a lot of action nonetheless. The story gets off to a slow start, but the pace soon picks up and it's a rollercoaster from there. This story has aspects of romance, family and friend drama. You really go on a journey with Kate as she wades through a difficult period in her life trying to figure out who she really needs and wants in her life, and who is just using her to get what they want. Kate is a real 3-D character and you see her character develop and progress throughout the novel.

It was quite interesting to read about reality TV, and it’s not something I’ve ever come across before. It portrayed the reality TV industry pretty much exactly how I’d imagined it to be, but the drama was far more exciting. The popularity of shows like Jersey Shore and Made In Chelsea is rising every single day and the question about whether these shows truly are ‘reality’ is still prevalent so it was interesting to see what the daily life of a reality TV show star would actually be like.

At a time when the recession is really cutting into everyone's pockets and money is short, this novel could not be more appropriate. Coupled with the fact that reality TV (or should I say 'reality' TV) is rapidly rising as a top form of entertainment, this is an incredibly current novel that I'm sure most women will be able to relate to. This is a fab book for any woman looking for a quick and entertaining read. Kate's story will no doubt steal your sympathies and you’ll be turning page after page trying to find out how her story ends.

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