The Liberation of Alice Love

I really liked what turned out to be the evolution of Alice Love. A staid, contract lawyerly type, Alice is usually picking up after her artsy family and dramatic friends. One day, her debit card is denied. Alice chalks it up to a bank error, but then discovers all of her savings are gone too. Almost right away, we discover who has pulled off this con. The bank and a fraud invesitgator (Nathan) recommended by her brother in law tell her it will all sort out in time. But Alice's orderly mind wants to know more about this person who took over her life. I loved the moment at which Alice decides to take over "Alice's" dance classes at the gym. You could just feel the moral dilemma inside. And that's what makes the latter part of this book show more and the end so intriguing. I was left pondering Alice's possibilities as well. show less

Alice Love is a lawyer at a talent agency who keeps her life in perfect order. When she becomes a victim of identity theft, her life is suddenly thrown into chaos. To make matters worse, the perpetrator is someone Alice had thought was a close friend. Feeling betrayed and depressed, Alice is determined to hunt down the identity thief and uncover the reasons behind why she was the thief's target. She has help from a charming fraud investigator along the way.

I liked this book a lot. It was refreshing to read a British chick-lit book that had an intelligent heroine that I didn't want to strangle for most of the book (unlike Shopaholic, etc.). As Alice goes further down the path looking for the thief and realizes what a seemingly carefree show more life the thief lives; Alice goes through a personal journey of self-discovery, reevaluating her life choices. This book is fun but it also raises some interesting moral questions about truth and lies. Is it okay to lie in pursuit of the truth? In some cases, do the ends justify the means? show less

The Liberation of Alice Love is a surprisingly refreshing take on the classic theme of growth and empowerment in the downtrodden. It's also a fun bit of chick lit that will have readers rooting wholeheartedly for Alice, a contract lawyer, whose identity is stolen by a new friend, who proceeds to rob her of her life savings and investments. Fun? Yes, fun. Alice comes wholly into herself as a confident woman with focus and direction, thanks to her self-guided search for the traitorous "Ella" and the love of a good man. Alice and Nathan travel from London, England to Italy and eventually L.A., tracking Ella to get at the bewildering truth of why she befriended Alice and then so cruelly deceived her. Well, Ella doesn't actually have the show more answers Alice is looking for, but she does hold the key to Alice's newfound life. Don't miss the opportunity to tag along for the ride. Author, Abby McDonald serves up plenty of plot twists and keeps her reader guessing about Alice's future until the very last paragraph. Highly recommended. show less

I am so glad I won this book from the early reviewers program! The very first line of this book had me hooked "It began with a vibrator." At first, I was wondering what I got myself into, then as I kept reading it just got better. Alice is all about order. So imagine her surprise when she finds that all of her accounts have been drained and somebody is using her to enjoy the good life. I enjoyed watching as Alice slowly went from boring to a enigmatic woman. Told with humor and plot twists that I loved, you can't go wrong with this book. This kind of book is why I love to read "chick lit".

Keeping her life in perfect order is something that Alice Love is exceptionally good at, so you can imagine her surprise when her debit card is declined for lack of funds. This just has to be some sort of clerical error, of course. It’s not until Alice goes to see about a mortgage loan to put a deposit down on her flat that she gets a wake-up call: all her bank accounts have been emptied and she’s thousands of pounds in debt. Enter Nathan, a fraud investigator. Together with Nathan, Alice begins to get to the bottom of what’s going on…and the lies that unravel in the process. Will Alice discover who she really is?

Alice Love starts off a little slow, but trust me, sticking with it is worth it. While I’ve not dealt with exactly show more what Alice goes through, I have been hounded by creditors so I could relate some. Gosh, Backseat Saints, Gone Country and now The Liberation of Alice Love … if the industry keeps it up, I might actually become a fan of chick lit (*collective gasp*). Abby McDonald is amazing, and unquestionably a talent to watch. Only 25 years old and already has four titles under her belt. I’ll definitely be waiting for her other titles to swim across the pond. 4/5.

http://www.read-all-over.net/fiction/chic-lit/book-review-the-liberation-of-alic... show less

The story of Alice Love - as she unintentionally (at first) transforms from dull lawyer to free-spirited agent - is full of surprises. At first there is the mystery of who stole her identity; I wouldn't have guessed it was who it was. Then there is the romantic triangle; I was unsure which man she would end up with, if any. And there's also the parallel transformation of her stepsister, Flora. I love a novel that keeps me guessing! My only complaint is the character of Julien and Alice's relationship with him. Their back story is never really fully told. The reader needs to know WHY they are only friends and nothing more. And the events that unfold between them toward the end of the story do not end in a satisfactory way; they almost show more seem to be left hanging. Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be actively searching for more books by this young British author. show less

Alice Love thinks she has her life under complete control. Strange things start happening; her debit card is refused, odd packages arrive - but she writes it off to nothing important. Then she goes to apply for a mortgage and she finds out that her savings has disappeared and her credit rating has been destroyed.
The bigger surprise comes when she finds out who has stolen her identity.
I found this to be a very enjoyable book, albeit with a very serious topic at its heart. That was, perhaps was bothered me just a bit - the way the topic was handled the conclusion to the tale. Identity theft is a crime that should not, by any means, be taken lightly and I feel this book does just that.
That being said it is a saga of the horrors that can show more happen to someone who has their whole life hijacked. As Alice and a handsome (are there any other kind?) fraud investigator try to find the perpetrator Alice actually finds herself.
I found it to be a fast, light read in spite of the subject matter full of fun characters and lots of fun British wit. Alice's family is quirky but there for her in odd and necessary ways. show less