General Chat

Please review Accidental wife and Me and Mr Darcy.

thanks
ann

GILL'S reviews

Review Me and Mr Darcy
At first I thought I would struggle with this book, a young American whose dates were a total let down, not really my type of book but decided to stay with it. I am so pleased I did, I have enjoyed this book so much, what a character Emily turned out to be and that tour was the ideal theme for finding Mr Darcy.
I was amused by the way she was living parallel to the book – and her little ‘asides’ to herself were real I could actually imagine myself saying those things. I thought all the characters in the book almost brought the tour to reality.
It was well written and unfolded into a fun and very much today situation. I am glad I read the whole book and would gladly recommend the book to all.

Review The Accidental Wife
I felt this was cleverly written, all the back tracks blending so well, it brought both families into the storylines as familiar and very probably people we could all know. I enjoyed the mildness of the disagreements, and felt the ‘extra’ character Kirsty had a wonderful approach to life and friendship.
This book was easy to read, witty in some places and seemed well balanced for all the characters. My best part of it was at the end with Jimmy and Cathy, coming through all those years of uncertainty to reunite and finally be happy.

Review Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter.

Do you know, I don’t know whether I liked this one or not. It is quite a light read and I feel it would be good for holiday reading, or reading on a plane. I was a bit bored in the middle because it started to get predictable, but then I quite enjoyed the last few chapters. Not really a book I would recommend as it is too airy fairy for me. And the bit about the tour guide Miss Steane and Jane Austen stretched my imagination a bit too far. I have to say I liked the characters of Stella and Spike, they actually rang true. Emily seemed a bit too dippy to be manager of a shop, even if it was a book shop. No, didn’t r

Review the Accidental Wife by Rowan Coleman.
My first thought on starting this book was that it was going to be a light read. But it soon became apparent that there was more to it than that. Focusing on relationships, mainly the relationship between two females, first as children and then as adults, and the relationships between those females and their partners, and each other’s partners Rowan Coleman develops some quite complicated characters.
Alison, the strong one as a child and Catherine, dominated by her Mother, looking up to and leaning on Alison. Catherine, betrayed by Alison and by the man she loves, damaged by life events she marries Jimmy who, incidentally was the one Alison originally tried all ways to date as a teenager. Unable to commit the marriage breaks up.
Alison runs away with and marries Marc the Father of her child, and lover of Catherine, and loves him despite the fact he appears unable to stop betraying her. It is a huge challenge to her when Marc decided to move back to the village where it all started. Their children and Catherine and Jimmy’s children attend the same school and it is inevitable that old wounds are re-opened.
There are touches of comedy in the story too with Kirsty determined to ‘bed’ her personal trainer and when she is successful wanting to talk about it all the time.
The authors skill lies in her ability to get inside the mind of her characters and to portray the heartbreak of betrayal and lost love and the finding of love again. She also manages to portray the worries and agonies of the four younger children who fear their parents will break up and, in the case of Catherine’s girls, that their father will go away and they wont see him, but also their conviction that some day he will live with them again. Then there is the teenage son with his conviction that his Father doesn’t love him and that he is a bad father. The scene between Marc and his son I found very touching as each realised the feelings of the other.
So it is a book about relationships, love, betrayal, realisation, self knowledge, families. I loved it and look forward to reading more of her books.

I'll review tonight when I get home! AL

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The Accidental Wife

I found this book quite easy to read, apart from the beginning when I couldnt remember who was who with the 2 main female characters - had to keep referring to the back cover.

I did think it was well written and a good plot - but sooo depressing and full of negatives..... and with a very predictable ending. The Kirsty characted was the only one to bring a bit of laughter and lightness into the story - love her attitude! lol So I cant say that I particularly enjoyed it - prefer a lighter mood book myself.

Behind again as usual and will be starting the other book tonight.

Sue

I'll be back after work to do my reviews.

Michelle

nudge

Me and Mr Darcy

I was convinced that the "Mr D'Arcy" was going to be a dream, or it was going to be a "Lost in Austen" moment, when she decided to stay in the Austen era. I didn't realise Spike was going to become "Mr D'Arcy" until late in the book when he wrote the letter regarding his mum, etc. Then I realised this was in line with the letter Mr D sent to Elizabeth Bennett, when she wrongly accused him of his actions towards Mr Wickham. In that respect, I did feel you really needed to know Pride and Prejudice to get the full meaning of the book. I also liked the Una J Steane anagram near the end!

I wasn't too sure when I started the book whether I was going to enjoy it. I am a great Austen fan and I did check the reviews on Amazon, which weren't that favourable. However, I did enjoy it and thought it was cleverly done.


The Accidental Wife

Well, what a lucky escape Catherine had! Glad she reunited with her husband at the end! As for Alison - who needs friends like that? She should have realised what Marc was like from an early stage. As for Marc - couldn't stand him!!

As others have said, I did think this would be a light "chick lit" read, but was pleasantly surprised that there was a great deal of substance to it, mainly due to the web of emotions that came through.

I really enjoyed this and hope to read more of the "Accidental" books.

AL

Quite a few reviews still to come.

Ann
Glos

This gets beyond a joke when I have asked for people to make a note of the date.

The Accidental Wife - Rowan Coleman

I haven't been able to get into this at all, I have been trying for the past couple weeks and have only made it to page 60 so far. I think I am going to have to leave it and try again at some other point in time.

Me and Mr Darcy - Alexandra Potter

This was one of my book suggestions and do I admit that this came out of the barign bit and it was the word Darcy in the title was the only thing that drew me to it in the beginning (Pride & Prejudice is one of my favs). I found Emily so easy to identify with and there were so many things that she said and did, that I could so see myself doing/saying. I did find some of the Mr Darcy bits towards the end getting a bit tedious. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Oh yes and the character Rose, the former actress, always amused me when she appeared in the story.

Michelle

Me and Mr Darcy

I quite enjoyed this book, in turn bewitched and bewilldered by th appearance (appetation?) og Mr Darcy.
Amused by the pairing of Spike and Lee playing pool. Thunder and Lightening, being the names of the horses and wondered if I had missed any other pairs.
Realised, of course (as the reader is meant to), that the little old lady in the book shophad a lot to do with the Austen tiur and Mr Darcy.
I didn't work out the anagram of the name Una J Steane though at all, what a nice surprise!

The charecter of Mr Darcy turned out to be quite boring while Spike and a man you could talk to/laugh with etc.

Quite an enjoyable book, may well read it again to see what other referances I missed.


Tess

P.S. Accidental Housewife to follow ... when I find the notes I've made!

I'm back I've unearthed the note book I used to write about Accidental Housewife.
(I've got workmen here at the moment, removing old dammaged plaster, before shoring up the cracks and replastering, lovely and messy. I have tried to put everything out of the way, so it is dusty, noisy havoc here at the moment)
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Accidental House Wife by Rowan Coleman

That will teach me to judge a book bt its title.
I had assumed it would be just a light and frothy read.
I got the light and froth, but I also got some sad and serious moments.
A good story about relationships past and present.
Set in the here and now there were places,people and feelings I could relate to.
It was good to have children's view of what was happening. They could certainly teach the adults how to behave.

Was pleased that Catherine and her husband got back together and that Alison decided that it was time to try independance.

I may even read some moe "Accidental" books.
Especially whemn I don't want to read something ultra-serious but do want a story with some meat on its bones,

Tess

Whilst I love reading other people's reviews and impressions of the books we read - can I please ask that people try not to give away the endings! I have only just started the "Darcy" book and am now having to avoid the reviews for that one. lol

Book marked and will do as soon as I get back from Uk
x jill

We will try to remember. the problem seems to be now that every month people are not managing to read both books before the review date. which is why I wonder if we should revert to only one choice again.

Me and Mr Darcy

A very frothy story in which the author explores what it would be like to go out with Mr Darcy in 2008. What made this book so funny is that he turned out to be a moody, sexist, absolute bore!!

Bit too frothy me but an okay read all the same


Accidental Wife

Ive been really struggling to read this book. It just hasnt held my attention long enough for me to geo grips with the characters.
Im nowhere near finished reading it so may have to give it uo for a while

Very disappointing

Bev xx

ps Sorry for the delay but had no internet access

n