Book Review: Killer Heels by Rebecca Chance

"From the boardroom to the bedroom, the catwalk to the kerbside...Starry-eyed ingenue Coco Raeburn is passionately ambitious. She will do anything - and anyone - to get her own editorship at a top fashion magazine. And her ruthless boss Victoria Glossop, editor at top UK fashion magazine Style, will do everything in her power to stop her...But Victoria has her own ambitions - she wants the top job at Style's US headquarters, and nothing will come between her and her dream. Uber-svengali Jacob Dupleix, media magnate, owner of Style, and one of the most powerful men in New York and London, is used to controlling all he sees. But when Victoria demands that he give her the US Style editorship, he gives in, little realizing that his empire could be about to fall apart. In New York, mentor and voice of calm in a storm, Mereille watches the shifts of power with detached amusement. If only they knew quite how much power she could wield if she had to..."

Rating: 4/5

I love Rebecca Chance's books - they're very naughty bonkbusters but lots of fun to read and I always find myself getting lost in the very glamourous and exciting worlds of her characters! Killer Heels, with it's bright pink cover featuring a studded stiletto, looked like it was going to be no different, and I was right! I'd actually go so far as to say this is Chance's naughtiest book yet, so do be warned - if rude bits in books aren't your thing, then you're probably going to want to shy away from this one! I thought the story in this book was fantastic, I was so keen to find out what was going on and who was going to get one up over who that I couldn't put it down until it was finished!

Coco Raeburn wants to be at the top of her game in the world of magazines, and will seemingly do anything to get there. She's changed immensely from the young girl she used to be when she started as Victoria Glossop's assistant back at Style magazine in the UK, and is determined to prove to her and Jacob Dupleix, Style's owner, that she has what it takes to be a magazine editor herself. But Victoria is determined not to be upstaged by her young protégé, despite issues in her personal life threatening to put a stop to her successful career. Then there's Style's French fashion director Mereille who is watching the battle between the two women with concern, wondering where it's going to leave her if the women do battle. How are things going to end between Victoria and Coco - will one woman triumph over the other?

I don't want to talk too much about the story of this book as I really enjoyed reading it as it progressed, and it's one of those where it will spoil it if you know too much! I will. however, talk about the characters because they are what I really liked about the book, and as usual Chance delivers a cast of powerful and strong women with a bit of a hidden something about them. Coco, a young woman with a deep determination proves herself to be indisposable to editor Victoria, but when the tables turn and she finds herself getting attention from powerful Jacob, she finds a new side to herself that she didn't realise she had, but will it be the right thing for Coco? Victoria is a career woman without a doubt, but is finding pressure from her husband to start a family hard to handle, especially as she wants to move back to America.

Both of these women were great to read about, and Chance writes the world of magazines so well! You can see why some of the editors get power crazy when people treat them like Victoria gets treated as Style, but I can't really fathom why women like Coco are willing to be treated like dirt just for a chance to work with them, but I suppose each to their own! The story is so interesting, as you're always wondering what is going to happen next for the women, and how things will go for them. There are glimpses of the present tense story, hinting at something between Coco and another character but we aren't told what, then it suddenly goes back to the past story again for a huge chunk, leaving us in suspense once more! I really like this style of story-telling by Chance as it allows you to get really involved in the story, and desperate to find out exactly what's going on - I was shocked when it was revealed I have to say!

I really enjoyed reading Killer Heels, although I did find the obsession with weight and being skinny a little hard to read about sometimes, as well as the relationship that Coco has which made me uncomfortable in parts, but it did all work well in the scope of the story. Chance is definitely back with a bang, and isn't shy at making those scenes quite shocking, perhaps the most shocking she's written so far. With a great cast, and a story that will have you gripped, Killer Heels is a must-read for fans of Chance's other books, and will transport you away from your normal day to day life as you get dragged into the world of Coco, Victoria and co! Magazines, designer names galore, powerful men and women - this book has it all and more... you won't want to miss it.

You can buy Killer Heels as a paperback or an eBook now!