An easy breezy read which starts off quite well in its attempt to subvert the trope - our heroine is not the warm, cutesy type but an ice princess witAn easy breezy read which starts off quite well in its attempt to subvert the trope - our heroine is not the warm, cutesy type but an ice princess with hard edges. Her romantic match is set to be a stormy brooder who she initially positions as rival for absolutely no good reason other than a mildly uncomfortable lunch meeting.
In any case, I really enjoyed the banter between Nora and her sister, Nora and Charlie. I also liked the idea of the Small Town romcom checklist that Libby proposes they check off on a sisters� getaway.
Somewhere in the middle though, the story becomes one of almost obsessive sisterly love and sacrifice. After a while the relationship between the sisters felt weird and suffocating to me. Nora was unnecessarily paranoid and overprotective when it came to her sister - a married woman with 2.5 kids and a loving husband! The drama when one of them decides to move to a different town would make you think they had left the planet. Also despite their purported closeness, both sisters hold back quite a lot of important stuff from each other.
Nora’s personality as someone hardheaded or “shark-like� was less seen and more told to us. In her actions she seemed like a normal, friendly and interesting woman - which helps with the story but is at odds with the set up. Her only fault seemed to be being dedicated to her work and checking emails after 5!
I still liked Nora and Charlie as a couple though their star crossed lovers bit - the supposedly insurmountable problem - was easily tackled and solved in the last few pages.
Still, more well written than a lot of other chick lit so might try another of the author’s books....more
I found this a quick read and the mystery seemed promising but in the end it was just a rather silly and dated novel.
I checked the original publicatioI found this a quick read and the mystery seemed promising but in the end it was just a rather silly and dated novel.
I checked the original publication date twice because I couldn’t believe the sexism, the cliches and the poor attempt at a police procedural. Pretty sure that I’ve read better thrillers written in the early 90s.
The conclusion was laughably over-the-top with the killer being unmasked thanks to the flimsiest of connections and with a car chase around central London. ...more
Hard to get into, slow and meandering, further hindered by characters I couldn’t really care about (too many, too insipid, too repressed). I think it Hard to get into, slow and meandering, further hindered by characters I couldn’t really care about (too many, too insipid, too repressed). I think it was after the halfway mark that the pace started to pick up and it looked like a compelling picture might form from all the many disconnected scenes shared so far (jumping PoVs and years with every chapter). Well, that was partly true with the denouement being surprising but also a bit meh. Too much prose and not enough payoff....more
Loading...
