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sarahs_bookish_life's review
4.0
I adored Heather in this book. She is so lovely and I know if she was a real person we would get on really well. I have to admit I was quite envious that she was gong to be sharing a house with four guys. I mean come on, honestly, who wouldn't want to?
All the men are very different in personalities and I really enjoyed getting to know them better. Any of them had to be better than Graham, of who the further into the book I got, the more I started to dislike him. I was desperate for Heather to wake up and realise she deserved way better.
It was really quite endearing in parts to see this group of people bonding. It isn't just Heather and the guys, there are quite a few other characters that spend quite a bit of time in the house also. Even though there is quite a vast amount of characters, it was still easy to keep up with who was seeing who and what relation they were to everyone else in the house.
Rob was definitely one of my favourite characters by the end. He just grew on me the more and more I read about him. At times I wanted to give him a good shake but you know his heart's in the right place really.
It Started With A Snub was a great mix of friendship and romance. The story line itself had enough going on that kept me enthralled and I couldn't wait to see how everything was going to end. It really did have a bit of everything and sends your emotions haywire. Really enjoyed it and very much look forward to reading more by the author.
All the men are very different in personalities and I really enjoyed getting to know them better. Any of them had to be better than Graham, of who the further into the book I got, the more I started to dislike him. I was desperate for Heather to wake up and realise she deserved way better.
It was really quite endearing in parts to see this group of people bonding. It isn't just Heather and the guys, there are quite a few other characters that spend quite a bit of time in the house also. Even though there is quite a vast amount of characters, it was still easy to keep up with who was seeing who and what relation they were to everyone else in the house.
Rob was definitely one of my favourite characters by the end. He just grew on me the more and more I read about him. At times I wanted to give him a good shake but you know his heart's in the right place really.
It Started With A Snub was a great mix of friendship and romance. The story line itself had enough going on that kept me enthralled and I couldn't wait to see how everything was going to end. It really did have a bit of everything and sends your emotions haywire. Really enjoyed it and very much look forward to reading more by the author.
sylvia_a's review
4.0
In It Started with a Snub, Bernadette has created a cast of characters that is as full of contradictions as any human beings I’ve ever met. Take Heather’s boyfriend, Graham, for example. He could be unbelievably selfish one minute, then he’d pick her up and carry her halfway from the pub to her house because her feet hurt. We’ve all met people like that, haven’t we? Some of us dated people like that for a long time. I’m not naming names and pointing fingers. It’s the sort of thing that could happen to anyone.
The story in Bernadette’s book, just as suggested in the blurb, revolves around Heather “…as she navigates the simple things in life, her inability to remember the code for the house alarm, odd driving habits, general musings on chick flicks, casualties in cooking, as well as her attempts to talk down the “mad farmer with the gun.”” There are dark times in Heather’s life too and they were treated with the sensitivity that, as mentioned above, I’ve come to expect from an Irish author.
There are a lot of characters in It Started with a Snub. There are Heather’s family and her housemates, but also her workmates and the friends and girlfriends of her friends, still they come forward with their own voices and character traits. Here is a little sample of a dialog that springs out from the page:
“‘The other night I asked him to come up with three words to describe me and he came up with sexy, beautiful, funny – could he not have done better than that? Oh and don’t take offence at this but if I hear anything else about how amazing Heather is, I’ll lose it! She’s so strong, she’s so funny, she’s so amazing. I mean we even started talking about you in the lead up to getting down and dirty. He said you were like a ray of light. Ray-of-light… now there’s three words I would have been happy with…’
‘Sweet Jesus.’ Heather’s face felt like it was about to explode. ‘Please don’t talk about me before sex again.’”
Bernadette manages to carry us through the ups and downs of the narrative with a smooth and melodic voice that’s delightful to read.
One thing I’d like to point out, though, and that’s the only point of possible improvement for the books Bernadette would write in the future, is that the book was overly long for me. As much as I liked the bubbly way the characters talked, I found myself distracted at times from the plot with all the details they shared.
All in all, It Started with a Snub is a fantastic debut that finished very satisfactory (I’m not saying more!) and left me with the lingering pleasant sensation usually associated with having a drink with a friend.
The story in Bernadette’s book, just as suggested in the blurb, revolves around Heather “…as she navigates the simple things in life, her inability to remember the code for the house alarm, odd driving habits, general musings on chick flicks, casualties in cooking, as well as her attempts to talk down the “mad farmer with the gun.”” There are dark times in Heather’s life too and they were treated with the sensitivity that, as mentioned above, I’ve come to expect from an Irish author.
There are a lot of characters in It Started with a Snub. There are Heather’s family and her housemates, but also her workmates and the friends and girlfriends of her friends, still they come forward with their own voices and character traits. Here is a little sample of a dialog that springs out from the page:
“‘The other night I asked him to come up with three words to describe me and he came up with sexy, beautiful, funny – could he not have done better than that? Oh and don’t take offence at this but if I hear anything else about how amazing Heather is, I’ll lose it! She’s so strong, she’s so funny, she’s so amazing. I mean we even started talking about you in the lead up to getting down and dirty. He said you were like a ray of light. Ray-of-light… now there’s three words I would have been happy with…’
‘Sweet Jesus.’ Heather’s face felt like it was about to explode. ‘Please don’t talk about me before sex again.’”
Bernadette manages to carry us through the ups and downs of the narrative with a smooth and melodic voice that’s delightful to read.
One thing I’d like to point out, though, and that’s the only point of possible improvement for the books Bernadette would write in the future, is that the book was overly long for me. As much as I liked the bubbly way the characters talked, I found myself distracted at times from the plot with all the details they shared.
All in all, It Started with a Snub is a fantastic debut that finished very satisfactory (I’m not saying more!) and left me with the lingering pleasant sensation usually associated with having a drink with a friend.
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