Mexican Kimono

This book was a really amusing read. Sam leads a very self centred life on the whole. The cast of characters are loveable, over the top people!
Sam finds a lovely Kimono in an auction and because she has her credit card pays $10,000 dollars for it. But then her life seems to fall apart due to the curse of the Mexican Kimono. Just little irritating things at first- but soon things seem to be escalating.
Her eccentric mum does try to warn her- but then all of her friends are aware of the ominous events and the kimono’s reputation!
She gets approaches from the ex men in her life- where is this going to lead? A really funny book

***** 5 Stars

As soon as I saw the cover of this book I knew it was a book I wanted to read regardless of what it was about. It has one of those covers that just reaches out and grabs you. Oh & the main character has a really cool name, Samantha. No reason not to want to read it :).Thankfully I have been lucky enough to be included as part of Billie Jones blog tour to promote the book which was released on the 4th September.

I admit that I did not have a clue what to expect from the book having read nothing by the author previously but the beautiful cover totally lived up to what was written inside.

The Blurb

Samantha knows what she wants from life – and she’s got it!

1.A loving family. OK, her Mum’s plan to marry her off to the world’s most metrosexual man might not be ideal… but it’s only because she cares!

2.A great job. Or at least: a job that leaves plenty of time to update Twitter and shop for designer bargains online…

3.A credit card, with a very generous limit. So generous that she’s just spent over
$10,000 on an antique kimono…

But suddenly Samantha’s charmed life starts to fall apart! From a hair-related fire to losing her job, Sam’s facing bad karma – and it all started when she bought that kimono…

Sure, it’s ridiculous. How could a piece of silk ever bring bad luck? But it can! Because, whether Samantha likes it or not, someone wants to teach her a lesson: it’s what’s inside that counts.

My Thoughts

We first meet our heroine Sam, on her way home from work when she passes an auction house and is immediately drawn inside. She is mesmerised by an antique kimono that is being auctioned and is pulled into the bidding, winning the kimono for over $10,000. That's what credit cards are for after all- free money!

The kimono is beautiful and Sam is captivated, I mean who doesn't need an antique kimono right! Unfortunately for Sam the purchase of the kimono starts a run of some very bad luck all with hilarious consequences.

Sam, has lived a rather priviliged life- she's young, she is beautiful, she has a wonderful job. Everybody loves her or do they? Unfortunately Sam lives her life by a series of unwritten rules that only she knows and abides by. These rules in turn lead some acquaintances/friends to feel rather differently about Sam than she actually thinks they do. She also has a little habit of thinking that every man is attracted to her- why wouldn't they be. She is beautiful right! Some very hilarious moments in the book come with the internal conversations that Sam has in her head between herself & her many suitors, conversations that she actually believes are real some of the time.

As the book progresses we learn more & more about Sam's upbringing, the men in her life and little by little her secrets are revealed. It becomes very apparent that someone has put a curse on Sam, but who is that someone because after all everyone loves her. So she begins a mission to try to find out who is messing with her.

This is one of those books that you just can't put down. It is hilarious from start to finish with the morale being don't just look at the outside it is what's on the inside that counts. I've been trying really hard to think of a way to sum up Sam, she is probably part Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich novels, with a little bit of Elle Woods thrown in from Legally Blonde, although probably not quite as intelligent, add a dash of Phoebe from Friends and I think you are pretty close.

She is a character that you should hate because she is self centred & selfish most of the time, believes herself to be far superior to anyone else and is basically living in a world that she feels should revolve around her. However it is very difficult to hate her as she has a naivity about her, a child-like quality & charm that you can't help but like. She really is a walking disaster and things become even more messy for her when not one but two men from her past come back into her life to confess their dying love for her.

I finished this book in pretty much one sitting, eager to learn who cursed Sam? Which man she ends up with? Would she learn the error of her ways? Would she finally succumb to her mother's mumbo jumbo? The only way you are going to find out is by reading the book, a perfect read for the Autumnal evenings that are setting in. Enjoy!

Hilarious book that I found entertaining and unputdownable. Loved it!!

I am so in love with this book! Samantha is outrageous, self centred, narcissistic but is completely unaware of all her bad qualities, which makes her a brand new type of heroine, from skorts in the office to getting her hair crimped Sam's antics are hilarious, its one of the most entertaining books I've read this year!

So the premise of the book is fresh, Sam buys an antique kimono from an auction and it has a terrible but comical outcomes. The supporting characters are sublime. In Sam's conquest to find a new BFF you are introduced to fabulous characters, but my favourite characters are JJ and Toff/Tim Sam's love interest, now this book doesn't have your traditional love story ending, but that is not a problem at all, oh no, Sam's slightly gay but oh so beautiful artist JJ is totally swoon worthy and Tim or Toff depending on what he feels that day is one smooth talker. I won't go into any more detail because I want everyone to go and buy this book and find out what happens to Sam and her many friends and lovers.

So what can I also say about Sam, well she is a mind slut, what is this concept you ask, well its when she has mental relationships and sexual encounters in her head which sometimes leads to priceless encounters in nightclubs and even a restraining order. At the end of the day Sam is flawed, yes she is over the top, takes social rules to extreme and is basically a spoilt brat but everyone can change especially with the help of a Bruja, her magical mother, her crazy friends, love interests and even the dead, Sam has a lot to learn and even more to make up for.

Billie Jones is a fantastic author and I can not wait to read more books by this author! Mexican Kimono is one hell of a ride, funny, it gives its reader a message, and it is simply satisfying

8 mins · MEXICAN KIMONO BY BILLIE JONES

THE BLURB Samantha knows what she wants from life – and she’s got it!
1.A loving family. OK, her Mum’s plan to marry her off to the world’s most metrosexual man might not be ideal… but it’s only because she cares!
2.A great job. Or at least: a job that leaves plenty of time to update Twitter and shop for designer bargains online…
3.A credit card, with a very generous limit. So generous that she’s just spent over $10,000 on an antique kimono…
But suddenly Samantha’s charmed life starts to fall apart! From a hair-related fire to losing her job, Sam’s facing bad karma – and it all started when she bought that kimono…
Sure, it’s ridiculous. How could a piece of silk ever bring bad luck? But it can! Because, whether Samantha likes it or not, someone wants to teach her a lesson: it’s what’s inside that counts.
But will Samantha slow down long enough to listen?
WHAT I SAY What can i say about this fab book it so funny i highly recommend you all read it it will make you laugh. Sam the main character you will love or hate her she a bit dippy at times she not got a care in the world she loves spending money she not got . She buy that kimono at this auction she not sure why she was just pulled in by the look of it she got no cash so it goes on her card again not a good idea .
She a bit of a happy go lucky kind of girl .I say she not worried about not paying her gas bills rents ect one of her friends a hairdresser she lives next door she brought a bottle of shampoo years ago from her now she just pop next door to top it up her friend got no idea she did this . She will make you laugh at some of the things she does she seem to be very fussy about her friends at times sometimes she was a bit to judgmental at times i wanted to shout at her so many times she just does silly things or i should say silly things happen to her Her mum was fab i loved her she read tea leafs everyone seem to love her she was mate with all sam friends they all seem to go to her i hate that just like sam did to me she seem shock her friend believed in her mum her leaf reading ect she a bit far out but a great character to connect with i loved she keep saying it in the leaves she just made me smile i loved her and bill that scene just made me laugh i would of die i would of run out or gone mad it was fun JJ and Toff her ex husband and ex boy friend were just fab character so gay a lots of fun they just bring the story to life for me all the personalities were so different and fun the humour between them was so fab you could she them in your mind the banter between was so well written you become one of them All that happen to sam was not her fault or was it ? the kimono was sending her this bad luck i like that sam mum passed her warning about the kimono on to all her friends as sam would not listen to her mum the book take you on to see all this bad luck that sam having it so funny the one liner are fun it full of silly mishaps the one with her hair were the best her friends are not nice sometimes they put it you tube facebook ect i kill them if they did that to me The whole book just a fun story to read it just flows along and you flow with the fab story You will want to shout at them all and some point a great book 5 stars i recommend you all read it a great book full of fun and great characters I like to thank net galley for letting me read