In Review

21 November 2008 22:04 BST

Tough Love by Kerry Katona

Ebury Press, out now.

In a nutshell...

Gritty. Simple. Predictable. Light-hearted. Mediocre.

What's it all about?

After losing her job as a world-famous glamour model, Leanne Crompton is forced to move 'back up norf' with seven-year-old daughter Kia in tow, and nothing to return to except a troublesome, loud-mouthed family from Bradington.

With a drug-addict mother, a brother just released from prison and a younger sister who is on the road to replacing her celebrity status, Leanne is brought back to earth the hard way and forced to live the life she left behind.

The biggest challenge (supposedly) is keeping the identity of her daughter's famous father a secret from her family, and remembering that trusting people isn't easy – even outside of the public eye.

Who's it by?

Just when we were reaching the point of questioning Kerry Katona's ability to actually read a book, let alone write one, the singer-turned-reality star-turned face of Iceland follows the success of her autobiography by trying her hand at novel writing.

Okay, so the amount of involvement the star had with the whole 'writing' part is, er, questionable to say the least, but if there's ever a good time for her to release a book, it is now.

With an upbringing in and out of care, a failed singing career behind her and a well-publicised divorce, drug addiction, miscarriage and robbery recently splashed across the tabloids, there's no doubting the star’s raw experience of the highs and lows of celebrity status.

As an example...

"Along with Jeremy Kyle, one of Tracy’s pleasures in life was the Late Nite Love-In on Bradington Community radio. The voice of the DJ Kent Graham, was enough to make her go weak at the knees. After Paul's no-show and the subsequent arguments, in which he had defended going on a three-day bender, Tracy had decided to do something for herself for once."



Denying this one a Hollywood status is pretty much a given, but, surprisingly, it might very well work as a tacky two-part drama. Think Warrington council estates, select cast members of Hollyoaks and a slightly downmarket version of Footballers Wives. Novel number two is out next Spring, so watch this space...

What the others say

"Tough Love comes laden with grit and, thankfully, some humour, plus heaps of diverse characters who might not quite hold your attention. Of it's genre, it's not that bad. Certainly, it is leagues about Katie Price's effort." - Mirror

"It is absolutely gripping and bound to be a bestseller - unless it gets pulped for libel because one of the characters is extraordinarily like David Beckham except that he's a closet gay married to a bitch." - Observer

So is it any good?

It's rather difficult to detach from the unsettling image of the face of Iceland sitting down to a laptop and bursting with ideas, and her questionable ability to do so certainly raises a few eyebrows.

But after grinding through a rather slow beginning – and feeling brave enough to stop hiding the book inside a copy of the Metro when in public – I realised that it really wasn't that bad. In the context of easy-reading chick lit, not that bad at all.

The obvious question that springs to mind is how autobiographical Kerry's novel really is, despite her recently brushing off claims that the central character is based on herself ("Leanne is more sophisticated – not that I'm common") and that the world-famous couple is a swipe at the Beckhams ("it's not based on them, cos I'd get my arse sued").

Nevertheless, the portrayal of celebrities' relationship with the press is interesting, and the depiction of high-flying celebrities amusing enough to produce a few laughs.

The characters may be textbook, the plot predictable and the 'explosive secret' guessable around page five, but the basic package is there. Deep and meaningful it is not, but if you need some mindless chick lit to help you through a hangover by the pool in Magaluf, this could be for you.

6/10

Charissa Coulthard