Shopaholic & Baby

Kinsella keeps the formula fresh by giving Becky a real worry under the comedy. Her jealousy of Venetia is played for laughs, with plenty of spying, misunderstandings and excuses, but it also shows how insecure she can be beneath all the bravado. Luke, distracted by trouble at his company, is a more rounded figure here than in some earlier books.

The baby shopping is predictably extravagant and often very funny, from a hunt for the perfect pram to a range of products no parent could possibly need. Becky's parents, her best friend Suze and the long-suffering staff around her all get good comic moments. Readers who have been through pregnancy will recognise the swings between excitement and panic.

The plot depends on Becky not simply talking to her husband, which can be frustrating, and the ending wraps up quickly. Some jokes repeat familiar patterns from the series. Still, it is warm, brisk and good-hearted, and it moves Becky's story forward in a satisfying way. Readers new to the series can follow it, though the in-jokes land better with background. About 368 pages in the Dial Press hardcover.