Goddess of Vengeance

Starred review from July 18, 2011
The 73-year-old chick lit doyenne of raunchy romance presents No. 27 with a revival of her most popular character, Lucky Santangelo (whose debut in the 1981 blockbuster Chances made the prolific Brit author as popular as big-sister actress Joan). But as kick-ass as the now 50-something Lucky isâoperating ancient patriarch Gino's Las Vegas hotel empire as it comes under siege from a menacing royal brat with pervy sexual proclivities and a nasty drug habitâthe packed plot belongs to the next generation: Lucky's 17-year-old mini-me daughter, Max; hot-and-handsome oldest son, Bobby; and all the lovers and losers the spoiled duo cycle through with giddy abandon. There's never a doubt Collins's cast of strong women, and the guys who chose them, will ferret out true love and survive. But that's not entirely the point in this delicious, manic tale of rich people behaving badly, getting everything they deserve, and leaving enough loose ends to warrant an inevitable sequel.

August 1, 2011

All plotlines lead to Vegas in this latest installment of Collins' saga of the irrepressible and seemingly immortal Lucky Santangelo.

Lucky is convening her family at The Keys, her lavish hotel/casino/condo empire in Las Vegas. The occasion is the 18th birthday of Max, her daughter with latest husband (and soul mate) Lennie. Son Bobby, wildly successful as a nightclub impresario and heir to the fortune of his late father, a Greek shipping magnate, frets about introducing his girlfriend Denver, a prosecuting attorney, to his family for the first time. The family reunion, however glitzy, is only a setup for Collins' trademark seamy subplots. The author excels at portraying villains her fans love to hate, and in this outing she does not disappoint. Billionaire Armand Jordan, son of King Emir of the fictitious Gulf state Akramshar, is not merely a misogynist but a rapist. Although he has a wife and family back in Akramshar, he prefers to hire elite call girls and debase them in the vilest ways possible. Armand's most recent obsession is his drive to possess Las Vegas' most opulent real estate: The Keys. Undeterred by Lucky's outraged refusal to sell, Armand goes to Vegas determined to change her mind, but his ex-showgirl mother Peggy, whom he detests, insists on tagging along. Before joining King Emir's harem, Peggy had an unforgettable one-night stand with Gino, Lucky's father, in his mafia kingpin days. Could Gino, now in his 90s, actually be Armand's father? Max eagerly sheds her virginity with movie star Billy Melina. Max and Billy may be star-crossed lovers, but will Lucky approve? Especially since Billy is embroiled in a messy divorce battle with Lucky's best friend? All of the thrills swirl around Lucky, now more matriarchal figurehead (albeit one still endowed with raven hair, silken skin and an unflagging libido) than major player. Still, when Lucky's precious Keys is threatened, her street-fighter instincts resurface, sparking the novel's over-the-top but enjoyable climax.

Unapologetic thrills with oodles of flash.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2010

Lucky Santangelo owns the wildly successful casino-hotel complex The Keys, and billionaire businessman Armand Jordan wants it--even if it's not for sale. Collins has not faded away, and neither have her fans.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Sex, drugs, and Las Vegas star in Collins' newest ritzy soaper. Collins' avidly followed characters, sexy, tough Lucky Santangelo and her famous film director-producer husband, Lennie, plan to throw daughter Max a super eighteenth-birthday party at the Keys, the luxury Sin City casino and hotel Lucky owns and runs. But Max, her two best friends, and their new lovers have completely different birthday-celebration plans. Meanwhile, Prince Armand Mohamed Jordan, a naturalized American and head of Jordan Industries, threatens to buy the Keys, no matter what it takes. Peripherally, Max's stepbrother Bobby, owner of two hip new nightclubs, and L.A. assistant DA Denver start getting serious, and Lucky's actress friend Venus is getting a divorce from her much younger megastar husband. While the promise of a plot does not a plot make, Collins fans, especially those who have followed Lucky through the six previous titles in the series, will be caught up by the myriad lascivious vignettes, while new readers will wonder what all the fuss is about, since many romance novels today are at least this raunchy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2011

Revenge has long been a popular literary theme, and two new commercial novels tackle it in showbiz fashion. In the latest installment of best-selling author Collins's Lucky Santangelo saga (Drop Dead Beautiful), the strong, beautiful, and successful Lucky refuses to sell her luxury Vegas hotel/casino/apartment complex to Armand Jordan, a misogynistic billionaire who won't take no for an answer (this is where vengeance comes in). In addition, her nearly 18-year-old daughter, Max, wants to move to New York City to start her adult life, but Lucky, who grew up way too fast, is concerned. Reality TV star Osbourne's fiction debut is a sibling rivalry story about two English sisters whose mother's plans for stardom were thwarted when she became pregnant. As a result, Margaret resented firstborn Chelsea, now a wild, troubled, and talented actress, and favored baby Amber, who is a rom-com sweetheart who does what Margaret tells her to do. All hell really breaks loose between them when Leo, a movie producer, interferes professionally and personally and drives the sisters to seek revenge. VERDICT Collins delivers another juicy read, but pay attention: Goddess of Vengeance has many characters to track, and the novel moves rapidly. Collins spends a lot of time interrupting the various stories to tell readers about the characters' histories, a common hazard when writing a series. In a story published in the British Times, a Little, Brown spokesperson disclosed that Revenge had an uncredited cowriter but said the story was dreamed up by Osbourne (ow.ly/5UsG8). However this novel was conceived and written, it's massively entertaining and perfectly paced, with just the right amount of narrative and dialog. The characters are drawn well. Both novels name-drop brands and celebrities and are filled with sex and drugs. Libraries should expect high demand for Collins, as usual, and should order extra copies of Revenge, which is sure to get a lot of mainstream press. [Goddess of Vengeance previewed in Prepub Alert, 3/28/11.]--Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ., NY

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.