Love and Marriage
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
The concluding third book in this moving series following on from Forgive and Forget and Happy Ever After.
Product Description
When love flies out the window married life can be hell.
With an unplanned baby on the way, a newly-wed daughter whose marriage is already in trouble, a teenager who won't eat and doesn't think there's anything wrong with her, and, hiding secrets from each other, Barry and Aimee are on a rocky road.
When love flies in the window ex-wives can cause a lot of trouble.
And Marianna is going to cause as much trouble as she possibly can to make sure that her former husband is not going to waltz down the aisle with his new love.
Families in crisis, passion, tragedy, and the healing powers of love - Patricia Scanlan's brilliant and heartwarming new novel re-introduces us to the characters in Forgive and Forget and Happy Ever After, and brings their story to a triumphant conclusion.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
And so endeth the trilogy. I wasn't sure how this would pan out - or, to be honest, if it could sustain the interest levels after two such decent previous outings. But Scanlan has really pulled it out of the bag and it was a pleasure to spend time again with this cast of characters.
Love & Marriage is set in an angry, wintry Ireland. The glitz and sheen of the affluent mid-noughties have worn off and all of the characters go through the mill in one way or another. Human frailties and strengths are exposed, personal flaws and assets are uncovered in a series of upheavals and challenges that most of us could identify with. The arctic winter that straddled the end of 2010 and start of 2011 and the crippled Irish economy join forces to set the story in real time. Together, they form a beautifully versatile backdrop for many of the stories and set pieces. A palpable anger about the financial mismanagement of the modern Ireland makes its presence felt but it is the emotional and often spiritual crises affecting the characters that really drive the story.
In lesser hands, Love & Marriage could have been depressing. But Patricia Scanlan's characters always have three dimensions and that strength really comes into play here. Some lovely set-pieces pull the reader through a series of poignant highs and lows. One such scene features an ostensible "bad guy" in a beautifully tender moment with his troubled granddaughter. You'd need a heart of stone to be unmoved. All of the stories come to satisfying conclusions - nothing too neat or too pat - in ways that are curiously uplifting and dignified. The ending satisfies and still leaves the reader enough scope to imagine how the future might unfold for these people.
This trilogy has TV mini-series stamped all over it. Let's hope that some smart production company gets their hands on it. For the moment, though, Patricia Scanlan has provided another highly enjoyable read.
Love & Marriage is set in an angry, wintry Ireland. The glitz and sheen of the affluent mid-noughties have worn off and all of the characters go through the mill in one way or another. Human frailties and strengths are exposed, personal flaws and assets are uncovered in a series of upheavals and challenges that most of us could identify with. The arctic winter that straddled the end of 2010 and start of 2011 and the crippled Irish economy join forces to set the story in real time. Together, they form a beautifully versatile backdrop for many of the stories and set pieces. A palpable anger about the financial mismanagement of the modern Ireland makes its presence felt but it is the emotional and often spiritual crises affecting the characters that really drive the story.
In lesser hands, Love & Marriage could have been depressing. But Patricia Scanlan's characters always have three dimensions and that strength really comes into play here. Some lovely set-pieces pull the reader through a series of poignant highs and lows. One such scene features an ostensible "bad guy" in a beautifully tender moment with his troubled granddaughter. You'd need a heart of stone to be unmoved. All of the stories come to satisfying conclusions - nothing too neat or too pat - in ways that are curiously uplifting and dignified. The ending satisfies and still leaves the reader enough scope to imagine how the future might unfold for these people.
This trilogy has TV mini-series stamped all over it. Let's hope that some smart production company gets their hands on it. For the moment, though, Patricia Scanlan has provided another highly enjoyable read.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Love and Marriage by Patricia Scanlan was a lovely book which I highly recommend to all Patricia Scanlan fans and all fans of good books which are based on happiness of friends and family. This is the last book of the series which started off with Forgive and Forget and then Happy Ever After. I got to catch up with all those people I enjoyed to read about in the last two books - Connie and the handsome Drew, Debbie who eventually learned that she had to grow up quickly and face hard facts but gained satisfaction in life because of this. Aimee who I did not like in the first two books though after reading this book she really turned into a nice person. Barry, Aimmee's husband and Melissa their daughter and all the money that they had in the bank did not provide the happiness and security they craved so much they also learned many lessons in life. It was nice to read about Judith getting her life back together after the car crash and Lily learning to live again after a life time of depression. We learn how Melissa grows so quickly from a child to a teenager and those awkward years we all know and have went through and how quickly anorexia got such a strong hold on her body and life. Not only did anorexia affect Melissa's life so badly it affected all those that knew and loved her which is so true in real life. Patricia seemed to really understand how this disease affects young people and how hard it is to fight back and win that war that anorexia seems to fight so hard to win she clearly knew what she was writing about and researched this horrible disease.
When we left Debbie and Bryan in the second book Bryan was in hospital after having his stomach pumped after taking drugs and booze in huge quantities, and I was really interested how Debbie was going to deal with Bryan, Patricia Scanlan give them an ending which I thought to be perfect and give the lesson that "it is not always greener on the other side of the fence" and to be "really careful what you wish for you might just get it!!!!" This book was a lovely book, it is the type of book which when I was reading it I had a smile on my face and made me feel contented and I really cared what happened to the main characters.
No matter what money you have in the bank what matters most is good family and friends this is more important as I was always told "Money does not buy happiness". Patricia is a wonderful writer and you would know by reading her books she firmly believes in the security you receive from having good family and friends. Yes money is important but not the answer to all problems.
Patricia Scanlan did bring quite a bit of religion into the book, though in a comfortable way. Maybe this might annoy some other readers but it was small ways such as praying to different saints for different things that people feel they have no control over e.g. driving or health issues. She also wrote about angels and believing they are there protecting to those that believed in them and having little models of Angels giving extra comfort whenever needed.
I enjoyed this book and once again cannot wait until her next book.
When we left Debbie and Bryan in the second book Bryan was in hospital after having his stomach pumped after taking drugs and booze in huge quantities, and I was really interested how Debbie was going to deal with Bryan, Patricia Scanlan give them an ending which I thought to be perfect and give the lesson that "it is not always greener on the other side of the fence" and to be "really careful what you wish for you might just get it!!!!" This book was a lovely book, it is the type of book which when I was reading it I had a smile on my face and made me feel contented and I really cared what happened to the main characters.
No matter what money you have in the bank what matters most is good family and friends this is more important as I was always told "Money does not buy happiness". Patricia is a wonderful writer and you would know by reading her books she firmly believes in the security you receive from having good family and friends. Yes money is important but not the answer to all problems.
Patricia Scanlan did bring quite a bit of religion into the book, though in a comfortable way. Maybe this might annoy some other readers but it was small ways such as praying to different saints for different things that people feel they have no control over e.g. driving or health issues. She also wrote about angels and believing they are there protecting to those that believed in them and having little models of Angels giving extra comfort whenever needed.
I enjoyed this book and once again cannot wait until her next book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Patricia Scanlan has now released the final part of her trilogy entitled Love & Marriage. The first two books were Forgive and Forget released in 2008 and Happy Ever After released in 2009.
We again meet the same characters and their daily struggles. Bryan and Debbie are now newly married and feeling the pinch financially. Their marriage is already looking uncertain and as things get harder Bryan tends to bury his head in the sand even more.
Connie who has done her bit for her daughter Debbie and son-in-law Bryan is celebrating a new man in her life. Drew is everything her ex-husband Barry wasn't. Sadly, Drew's ex-wife likes to make a habit of ringing and calling upon Drew in her hour of need which is not doing much for Connie's relationship with Drew.
Connie's ex-husband Barry re-married Aimee who is the ultimate career woman. Barry is ecstatic when he realises that Aimee is pregnant. This is his chance to be a better father the third time round. With his elder daughter Debbie and youngest Melissa the new addition is something to look forward to. Aimee feels differently and with the added stress to their marriage of their daughter Melissa's eating difficulties things are looking tough.
Lily's daughter Judith is recovering slowly from a car accident that left her in a coma. The good thing is that they are finally building a relationship. Judith has become a different person and wants to make the most of her life and together they start to enjoy life as mother and daughter.
Ken and Juliet Davenport have been married for many years. However Judith is sick of her surgeon husband expecting things to be done the same now as they were years ago. When Juliet decides to take action and make her own life for herself independently, Ken struggles to accept that their married life will change forever.
The first two books in the trilogy were as usual good reads, but if I am honest her second book was the weakest of them all. This final part to the trilogy was lovely, so easy to read and a typical curl up with a cuppa type of book! When I first started reading, I kept thinking "I'm sure I have already read this book" and then it finally dawned on me that it was a trilogy.
It didn't take me long to catch up with the characters and their lives. It also didn't take me long to detest Bryan who is possibly the most obnoxious character I have read in a long time.
The story itself is always turning and rolling into another part of the story which I loved. The characters are all linked somehow, whether they are family, colleagues or just friends. Patricia Scanlan dealt with the pretty serious issue of anorexia in this book but just like the last one this was dealt with sensitively. The story of Melissa and her eating disorder combined with trying to bond with other family members was very real. It made for a heart-warming read when you see the positive steps she takes in the book.
All in all, this latest release from PS was as usual a great read. It's not a ten out of ten with a wow factor, but there is something very comforting with her books as you know just the sort of thing you are getting. I look forward to the next one and meeting some new characters.
We again meet the same characters and their daily struggles. Bryan and Debbie are now newly married and feeling the pinch financially. Their marriage is already looking uncertain and as things get harder Bryan tends to bury his head in the sand even more.
Connie who has done her bit for her daughter Debbie and son-in-law Bryan is celebrating a new man in her life. Drew is everything her ex-husband Barry wasn't. Sadly, Drew's ex-wife likes to make a habit of ringing and calling upon Drew in her hour of need which is not doing much for Connie's relationship with Drew.
Connie's ex-husband Barry re-married Aimee who is the ultimate career woman. Barry is ecstatic when he realises that Aimee is pregnant. This is his chance to be a better father the third time round. With his elder daughter Debbie and youngest Melissa the new addition is something to look forward to. Aimee feels differently and with the added stress to their marriage of their daughter Melissa's eating difficulties things are looking tough.
Lily's daughter Judith is recovering slowly from a car accident that left her in a coma. The good thing is that they are finally building a relationship. Judith has become a different person and wants to make the most of her life and together they start to enjoy life as mother and daughter.
Ken and Juliet Davenport have been married for many years. However Judith is sick of her surgeon husband expecting things to be done the same now as they were years ago. When Juliet decides to take action and make her own life for herself independently, Ken struggles to accept that their married life will change forever.
The first two books in the trilogy were as usual good reads, but if I am honest her second book was the weakest of them all. This final part to the trilogy was lovely, so easy to read and a typical curl up with a cuppa type of book! When I first started reading, I kept thinking "I'm sure I have already read this book" and then it finally dawned on me that it was a trilogy.
It didn't take me long to catch up with the characters and their lives. It also didn't take me long to detest Bryan who is possibly the most obnoxious character I have read in a long time.
The story itself is always turning and rolling into another part of the story which I loved. The characters are all linked somehow, whether they are family, colleagues or just friends. Patricia Scanlan dealt with the pretty serious issue of anorexia in this book but just like the last one this was dealt with sensitively. The story of Melissa and her eating disorder combined with trying to bond with other family members was very real. It made for a heart-warming read when you see the positive steps she takes in the book.
All in all, this latest release from PS was as usual a great read. It's not a ten out of ten with a wow factor, but there is something very comforting with her books as you know just the sort of thing you are getting. I look forward to the next one and meeting some new characters.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Light easy read
Well written,light and easy read about the twists and turns of ordinary life and the complexities of relationships that extended families bring
Published 16 days ago by Paperback reader
Patricia Scanlan
This author never lets you down ...this book was even better than her previous books ...she never seems to run out of characters and the story lines are brilliant my favourite by... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Lizzy
I could not put this down!
Like the previous two books in this trilogy, I couldn't put Love and Marriage down! Patricia Scanlan is so skilled at exploring the feelings and fears of the characters in great... Read more
Published 24 days ago by KirstenR88
Love and Marriage - Patricia Scanlan
I have read most of Patrical Scanlans book and this one certainly didn't disappoint. Scanlan weaves an interlocking tapestry with her characters so that you really feel that you... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lin M
overly long
I must admit I enjoyed this book more than the first, I took my own advice and borrowed it from the library. Read more
Published 2 months ago by bookworm
Love and Marriage, Patricia Scanlan
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these 3 novels, I couldn't wait for the next one to appear, they just continued on one after another, Patricia Scanlan's novels are very addictive, a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by avid reader
3rd book in great series
This was a really enjoyable book. Everyone learns so much about family, love & forgiveness. sad this is the end to them. Gd to see connie with abit of happiness.
Published 2 months ago by noelle
disappointed
I became so bored with this book, which was a shame because the previous ones were very good.
The wonderful Connie became a crashing bore with everyone she met adoring her,... Read more
The wonderful Connie became a crashing bore with everyone she met adoring her,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Woodford
Another good read by Patricia Scanlan
I've read a few of Patricia Scanlan's books now and have enjoyed all of them....especially the trilogy of books that Love & Marriage is part of. Read more
Published 3 months ago by carol1967
A great finale to the trilogy
As per usual another great book. I loved the trilogy, and couldn't put the books down from start till finish. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ange
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
