Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend by Jenny Colgan: Book Review

Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend is a standalone from best-selling author, Jenny Colgan. Originally released in January 2009, readers are introduced to Sophie Chesterton. What happens when someone who has everything suddenly has nothing?

Synopsis from Goodreads

Sophie Chesterton is London’s “It Girl”. She knows all the right people, goes to all the right parties, and wears all the right clothes…and her rich parents pay for everything. But deep down she suspects that her best “friends”—and her posh lifestyle–are nothing but shallow fakes. Then one evening Sophie’s life takes a shocking, drastic turn, and her father decides it’s high time for the party girl to make her own way in the world. 

Forced to earn a meager living as a lowly assistant to a “glamour” photographer, live in a shabby flat with four smelly boys, and eat baked beans from the can—Sophie is desperate to get her old life back, at any cost. But does a girl really need diamonds to be happy?

My Opinions

While many may consider Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend a romance, I’m not sure I do. Yes, there’s romance in the book; some of it is pretty messy! But the romance isn’t the whole story. For me, Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend is more about growth and Sophie finding who she is and what makes her happy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to read this book. I have read and enjoyed a few of Colgan’s other books, so I assumed this would be another great read. And I was right! It played a part in pulling me out of a reading slump.

The book has a certain cozy feeling, and that’s because the characters feel real. Does that make sense? Colgan has a knack for making her characters seem like people you could run into at the store or local coffee shop.

When we first get to know Sophie, she’s running around with her friends, trying to be the next “It” girl. Then suddenly, life had other plans for her, and she found herself with no money, no friends, and no job. Poor little rich girl! But she doesn’t throw in the towel and just quit. She fights to regain what she’s lost and learns she’s a strong woman who can survive. Overall, Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend is a cozy read full of realistic characters in realistic situations. While this is an older release, it still deserves all the love! If you’ve enjoyed other Jenny Colgan books, give this one a try.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.