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itchyfingers's review against another edition
2.0
Four very different women--Abby, a television actress; her painfully shy teenage daughter, Jess; Lizzie, reeling from her ex-husband's new romance; and Erin, returning to Ireland from Chicago to help her husband's career--are brought together in the town of Dunmore, Ireland, by various circumstances as they get the chance to transform their lives for the better.
It's a story of pretty ordinary lives, mingled with the odd bit of panache, though I thought that the ending was very predictable and could have been tackled in a better way. The writing style is clear though over padded, and that's where the book fails, although I did get involved in the lives of the ladies over a two week period. It's not a hard read, but it is a long one, and the atmosphere of the little village in which it was placed didn't really come out very well at all.
The strongest character of all in the book was Sally, the link between the three women who played more major parts in the story, and I was actually saddened when Sally died, not because she had died so young or left children behind her, but because she was the most interesting of the characters created, and left the rest of the book bland, and missing that vital ingredient that makes fiction work.
I have to admit now that having read the first couple of chapters, I felt I had made a huge mistake, though perhaps was not being fair to the author. Instead of finding it tempting to read, I found it hard work, and thought that the author had included too many characters to make it readable, though giving the author a bit more of my time, and wanting to get my moneys worth out of the book, I persevered.
It's a story of pretty ordinary lives, mingled with the odd bit of panache, though I thought that the ending was very predictable and could have been tackled in a better way. The writing style is clear though over padded, and that's where the book fails, although I did get involved in the lives of the ladies over a two week period. It's not a hard read, but it is a long one, and the atmosphere of the little village in which it was placed didn't really come out very well at all.
The strongest character of all in the book was Sally, the link between the three women who played more major parts in the story, and I was actually saddened when Sally died, not because she had died so young or left children behind her, but because she was the most interesting of the characters created, and left the rest of the book bland, and missing that vital ingredient that makes fiction work.
I have to admit now that having read the first couple of chapters, I felt I had made a huge mistake, though perhaps was not being fair to the author. Instead of finding it tempting to read, I found it hard work, and thought that the author had included too many characters to make it readable, though giving the author a bit more of my time, and wanting to get my moneys worth out of the book, I persevered.
paigesreadingcorner's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
craftingrama's review against another edition
3.0
way too many triggers for me but it was a good book
jojopink's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this as I do all of CK’s books. I always struggle to start with at the vastness of characters and trying to remember who everyone is and this was no different. An unexpected turn to the story which made a nice change and a simple but good ending
janefrance's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book. I enjoyed all the different characters, the way they helped each other out and their different stories. It was a nice "holiday" read.
bookishnat's review
5.0
I have been finding that sometimes, Cathy Kelly books can be a bit hit and miss. Some of her books I have really struggled to read, as I have found them a bit slow going at the start, then the ending seems rushed. Not this one however! This was a great book, such a great story, and I really liked the lead characters.
It is a sad story at times, but that is balanced by happier moments, and the women's friendship really help the story feel more than just sad. I would definitely recommend this one of Cathy's books.
It is a sad story at times, but that is balanced by happier moments, and the women's friendship really help the story feel more than just sad. I would definitely recommend this one of Cathy's books.
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