I forget how much we have changed as a society in what is considered acceptable and what isn't.

This book takes place from the mid-70's to the early 80's when certain things were considered normal and other things have yet to even happen
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An example: Women who are pregnant drink alcohol. Yup. In this book and the previous one in this duet, two of the characters are pregnant (at different times). One (in the previous book) is going to have her kid in the next 24 hours (although she thinks it will be two weeks away). She thinks that alcohol that is made from fruit or is fruit flavored can't hurt the baby, because fruit is good for people, RIGHT? Although she is kind of ditzy in the book, she isn't stupid. Anyhow she talks the guy she is with into getting booze to drink because they are stressing out over being nominated for the Academy Awards (She's in it for best supporting actress and the awards are the next day). Anyhow, her guy gets like 10 different types of fruit flavored liquors including Framboise. She likes that it has practically no flavor but it smells nice. She and her guy get totally bombed. In that book there is nothing wrong with that. There is no internal monolog saying "maybe I shouldn't". Nope, they get bombed and there are no repercussions. It happens again in this book at the beginning when the main heroine finds out she is unplanned and unexpectedly pregnant by her new husband. She finds out because her Oscar dress was too tight. Her husband is up for best Picture (he was the producer). She is pissed and goes home and has a couple of brandies. Then the next day (in the beginning of this book) she had multiple glasses of champagne. Although she loses the baby early on, there is never any talk that it could have been from drinking

That and the casual infidelity as well as the general tone of the early 80's with its mass capitalism.

I did find it funny how towards the end of the book two of the main characters think that they could go into the catalog business to sell their big idea of vintage lingerie. However, they don’t' think it would be a good idea because what catalog only sells lingerie? Victoria's Secret hadn't been started yet. Also, in case you are too young to remember, Victoria's Secret was strictly a catalog store with more clothes, shoes and accessories than lingerie when it first came out in the early 90's. Actually, they didn't even have lingerie then (I don't think). It was a straight clothing catalog.

Another thing that made this book dated was the complete lack of technology that is abundant today. No computers, no cell phones, no phones that weren't actually attached to the wall (so no cordless phones). The plot depended a lot on that fact. People weren't as accessible; news wasn't so fast to get around.

Anyhow, I love this book, I read it for the first time in 1998 when I was stuck in my own version of quarantine at an in-law’s home in Jordan. No tv, nothing to do but read her books. She had a large library with all the Judith Krantz, Sydney Sheldon, Harold Robbins, and other books. It was there that I read my first "erotica". ( )

I remember anticipating this book so much and feeling utterly betrayed by it. It took the relationships I loved and trashed them. Stay away from this one. ( )

I first read this book around age 15, and it has impacted my life more than a piece of commercial fiction should: so much that I studied abroad in Paris to be like Billy Ikehorn! This book is a delicious read, rife with beautiful people and amazing locations. Krantz does a wonderful job of creating believable, delightful characters, and her command of setting and plot is no less. Though a lot of people may dismiss this book (and her others, which are also wonderful) as "sex and shopping," "commerical fiction," or "an embossed cover read," Judith Krantz is a very good writer. So many commercial books are poorly written, so the plot (which may be good) drowns underneath pedantic language. Not so with Scruples Two! Krantz is a Wellesly grad, which may have something to do with that. I've given this to some of my friends and we all love it, even having been English majors who read some pretty heavy lit. Buy this book, it's sure to delight! ( )

In 1978 Judith Krantz burst upon the publishing scene with Scruples, a novel that captivated readers everywhere. Now, in Scruples Two, Judith Krantz continues the story of Billy Ikehorn, one of contemporary fiction's most intriguing women.

It begins on the day after Scruples ended, the day on which Billy's husband, producer Vito Orsini won the Oscar for Best Picture. Scruples Two gives us five more years in the luscious lives of the three people who run Scruples, the best fashion store in the world.

Ooit was ze een lelijk eendje, nu is ze een oogverblindende schoonheid. Ooit was ze een eenvoudige secretaresse, nu is ze een van de rijkste en machtigste vrouwen ter wereld. Ze is zelfstandig en eigenzinnig, maar ze is eenzaam en ze verlangt naar de ware liefde. Ze heet Billy Ikehorn en ze is de eigenaresse van Scruples, het meest exclusieve modehuis ter wereld. Scruples is anders. Scruples is een opwindende, bruisende wereld vol bijzondere mensen, zoals:

Spider Elliot, die als een koning over Scruples regeert. Hij is de briljante manager die zorgt voor de gouden succesformule, maar hij is ook de roekeloze rokkenjager die op zie is naar willige armen om hem in moeilijke tijden te troosten…

Valentine O’Neill, die half-iers is, maar zich o zo Frans voelt. Ze is mooi en temperamentvol, deze meesterlijke ontwerpster van de onovertroffen Scruples-collectie. Met hart en ziel stort ze zich op haar werk, maar ze moet haar liefde voor Scruples en voor de man in haar leven duur betalen…

Gigi Orsini, Vito Orsini’s dochter uit zijn eerste huwelijk, een dochter waarover hij zijn vrouw Billy nog nooit heeft verteld. Gigi wordt door Billy geïntroduceerd in de wereld van de glamour. En hoewel ze wordt overdonderd door zoveel luxe, wil Gigi toch zelfstandig zijn. Samen met Spider Elliott bedenkt ze een nieuw, sensationeel plan voor Scruples…

Cora Middleton de Lioncourt, een in Amerika geboren Franse banores. Intelligent en invloedrijk, weet ze iedereen feilloos te manipuleren, want geheimen ontdekken is haar specialiteit. Ze heeft bijzondere belangstelling voor Billy, een belangstelling die heel gevaarlijk is, want Billy heeft een geheim dat Scruples in gevaar brengt…