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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I just can't explain how I love this so much. I read the book like all the people in it are real, and I wish I could go have dinner with them. Even the character I initially disliked came around for me... she became real and ... I kinda liked her. I didn't get her life but still.
I think this is why I like Marisa de los Santos. She writes characters I want to know. This reminds me most of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees, and I think it's mainly because I like the people.
I think this is why I like Marisa de los Santos. She writes characters I want to know. This reminds me most of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees, and I think it's mainly because I like the people.
I found this book to be somewhat boring at the beginning, which was mentioned by a few other individuals. It was difficult to feel connected to the characters as there were many characters introduced in such a short amount of time. However, as the book continued, I began to feel more connected with the characters, although I wished that there was more emphasis placed on Cornelia and Teo as I found them to be the central focus of the book, with the others acting as secondary characters. There were a few surprises however, nothing that really stood out at me and left me speechless. There were parts of this book which excited me, but there were also many parts which bored me. I may give another one of Marisa's books a try in the future however, I'm not sure if it will be something that I'm looking for.
Truly a page turner...this was a heart felt story told from multiple perspectives & shows how friendships, family, life and death change each of us. The death part had me sobbing (get Kleenex ready). There is a plot twist that you will probably see coming a mile away, but that won’t keep you from reading. Teo, Cornelia & Piper are written so well you will feel like you know them! The Dev part could’ve been shortened up a bit.
Favorite Quotes:
“When the air feels snappier against your skin and the sky’s blueness turns wistful, and the humming of insects shifts pitch, and you just know like you know your own name that summer is over.” (What a way to explain the end of summer!)
“I think there are certain people who change the way time moves.” (Yes, this!)
Overall, smarter than most ChickLit ... but not as good as "Love Walked In.”
Favorite Quotes:
“When the air feels snappier against your skin and the sky’s blueness turns wistful, and the humming of insects shifts pitch, and you just know like you know your own name that summer is over.” (What a way to explain the end of summer!)
“I think there are certain people who change the way time moves.” (Yes, this!)
Overall, smarter than most ChickLit ... but not as good as "Love Walked In.”
I absolutely love the fact that my final book of 2023 is another 5-star book! This is the second book in Marisa de los Santos' "Love Walked In" series; I read the first one a couple of years ago.
Some of the same characters are included in this book, plus several new ones. The plot revolves around Cornelia, who has moved to suburban Philadelphia with her husband, Teo. After a few false starts, she makes friends with her neighbor, Piper. She also meets Lake in the grocery and they immediately connect. Not everything is going smoothly for these women; they are each having a challenging year for a variety of reasons. I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't stop reading the book.
De los Santos' writing is incredible -- sharp, witty dialog; elaborate descriptions; wonderful language. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this talented author!
Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.
Some of the same characters are included in this book, plus several new ones. The plot revolves around Cornelia, who has moved to suburban Philadelphia with her husband, Teo. After a few false starts, she makes friends with her neighbor, Piper. She also meets Lake in the grocery and they immediately connect. Not everything is going smoothly for these women; they are each having a challenging year for a variety of reasons. I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't stop reading the book.
De los Santos' writing is incredible -- sharp, witty dialog; elaborate descriptions; wonderful language. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this talented author!
Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.
Cornelia Brown has just moved to the suburbs and been instantly snubbed by her neighbor Piper. Piper is the Queen Bee of the neighborhood. She's judgmental, sharp and apparently has it all together. Immediately at odds, Cornelia has found a nemesis before she's made a friend. But after a chance encounter with Lake at the grocery store, Cornelia is sure she's found the perfect friend. She and Lake have a lot in common and hit it off but she's not fully comfortable when it becomes clear that Lake isn't being fully honest with her.
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos is a novel about interactions and relationships. Full of flawed characters who make mistakes and keep secrets and serve a friend and comfort each other. The characters are so real that they could be people in your own neighborhood.
I was drawn to the author's style. Cornelia's tangential and at time self-aware voice is refreshing. She's witty and doesn't take herself too seriously. Just when you think she's impervious, she becomes entirely human and collapsible. I greatly admired her character and wished I could have been more like her when I had my own meeting with a woman I hoped would be a friend and definitely wasn't.
The story is told from the perspective of Cornelia, her nemesis Piper and Lake's thirteen year old son Dev. I instantly liked Cornelia (I am familiar with her from de los Santos's novel Love Walked In). Piper is a character that I had to grow to love but I was constantly amused by her. Piper becomes a fully fleshed-out human being. She feels real to me--imperfect, judgmental and at the same time selfless and loving.
Overall, I adored this novel. I felt empathy for the characters. There is a revelation in the novel that initially worried me that the entire book would be ruined but it came together and after rereading some earlier sections, I appreciated how the situation was handled.
There is a lot of swearing in the novel which definitely turned off several members of the book club.
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos is a novel about interactions and relationships. Full of flawed characters who make mistakes and keep secrets and serve a friend and comfort each other. The characters are so real that they could be people in your own neighborhood.
I was drawn to the author's style. Cornelia's tangential and at time self-aware voice is refreshing. She's witty and doesn't take herself too seriously. Just when you think she's impervious, she becomes entirely human and collapsible. I greatly admired her character and wished I could have been more like her when I had my own meeting with a woman I hoped would be a friend and definitely wasn't.
The story is told from the perspective of Cornelia, her nemesis Piper and Lake's thirteen year old son Dev. I instantly liked Cornelia (I am familiar with her from de los Santos's novel Love Walked In). Piper is a character that I had to grow to love but I was constantly amused by her. Piper becomes a fully fleshed-out human being. She feels real to me--imperfect, judgmental and at the same time selfless and loving.
Overall, I adored this novel. I felt empathy for the characters. There is a revelation in the novel that initially worried me that the entire book would be ruined but it came together and after rereading some earlier sections, I appreciated how the situation was handled.
There is a lot of swearing in the novel which definitely turned off several members of the book club.
[b:Belong to Me|2113410|Belong to Me A Novel|Marisa de los Santos|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1204946187s/2113410.jpg|2212314] started off as another chick-lit novel but quickly developed into much more. The story was told from the point of view of three characters: two thirty-something women neighbours, and one 13 year old genius.
It took a while for the characters to really intertwine but what resulted was a tremendously genuine story with characters that had you rooting for them (even when they were being devilish).
This book was definitely a good summer read, and probably also enjoyed in the fall, winter, and spring. Recommended for anyone looking for a not-so-fairytale story that remains heartwarming all the same.
It took a while for the characters to really intertwine but what resulted was a tremendously genuine story with characters that had you rooting for them (even when they were being devilish).
This book was definitely a good summer read, and probably also enjoyed in the fall, winter, and spring. Recommended for anyone looking for a not-so-fairytale story that remains heartwarming all the same.
Audio book narrated by Julia Gibson
This is a sequel to de los Santos’s first novel - Love Walked In - continuing the story of Cornelia and Teo. However, if you have not read the first book (and I haven’t), you can still enjoy Belong to Me.
Set in a trendy Philadelphia suburb, the novel focuses on three women whose paths cross and the unlikely friendships they form. Cornelia is a petite city girl who has left New York for the suburban life when her husband, hunky doctor Teo Sandoval, gets a new job. Piper Truitt is the Queen Bee of the neighborhood, perfectly dressed and coifed, the self-proclaimed arbiter of taste and appropriate behavior among her set, the perfect mother with perfect children and a perfect home. Lake Tremain, like Cornelia, is a newcomer, but she is a single mother working as a waitress and trying her best to provide an enriched education for her genius son, Dev.
De los Santos alternates point of view among three characters, and does a reasonably good job of this. I did think that some of the plot elements were rather like a soap opera, and the competing story lines resulted in some plot elements not getting sufficient exposition. I would really have liked to read Piper’s story in more depth – that would be an interesting novel all on its own. I did enjoy the writing; occasional phrases really caught my attention (“a confetti of noise” for example). I was engaged and interested from the beginning, though I did think the ending was a bit rushed. I do plan to read her first novel, and would read other works by her.
Julia Gibson does a credible job on the audio performance. She was able to sufficiently differentiate the characters, tricky when you have so many conversations between two or more women. I thought her pacing was good as well.
This is a sequel to de los Santos’s first novel - Love Walked In - continuing the story of Cornelia and Teo. However, if you have not read the first book (and I haven’t), you can still enjoy Belong to Me.
Set in a trendy Philadelphia suburb, the novel focuses on three women whose paths cross and the unlikely friendships they form. Cornelia is a petite city girl who has left New York for the suburban life when her husband, hunky doctor Teo Sandoval, gets a new job. Piper Truitt is the Queen Bee of the neighborhood, perfectly dressed and coifed, the self-proclaimed arbiter of taste and appropriate behavior among her set, the perfect mother with perfect children and a perfect home. Lake Tremain, like Cornelia, is a newcomer, but she is a single mother working as a waitress and trying her best to provide an enriched education for her genius son, Dev.
De los Santos alternates point of view among three characters, and does a reasonably good job of this. I did think that some of the plot elements were rather like a soap opera, and the competing story lines resulted in some plot elements not getting sufficient exposition. I would really have liked to read Piper’s story in more depth – that would be an interesting novel all on its own. I did enjoy the writing; occasional phrases really caught my attention (“a confetti of noise” for example). I was engaged and interested from the beginning, though I did think the ending was a bit rushed. I do plan to read her first novel, and would read other works by her.
Julia Gibson does a credible job on the audio performance. She was able to sufficiently differentiate the characters, tricky when you have so many conversations between two or more women. I thought her pacing was good as well.
just as satisfying as Love Walked In....not really super deep, but also not just fluff - a *very* good read...like a feel-good movie
I remember really liking Love Walked In, so I was disappointed in this sequel story. The twists whether expected or unexpected didn't cut it for me. I didn't feel invested or interested really in anyone except Dev. Oh well. Not a horrible read, just didn't live up to my expectations. Really a 2 and a half