Something Borrowed (Brenda 2)
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Product Description
Brenda must face her demons, but first she needs to get to the bottom of the sinister goings-on that threaten to overcome an all-too-quiet seaside town.
When poison pen letters start flying around the quiet lanes of Whitby, trouble is in store for Brenda and Effie. And with Jessie the Zombie Womanzee, trips down memory lane and amorous ghoul hunting, literary minded and strangely youthful professors of Icelandic history, as well as a terrifying encounter with bamboo wickerwork gods from the dawn of time, even Brenda's ample cup is running over. But her most challenging battle is the one she must fight with herself - or, at least, parts of herself...
About the Author
Paul Magrs was born in the North East of England. After seven years at the University of East Anglia teaching English Literature and Creative Writing, he now lives in Manchester and lectures part-time at the Manchester Metropolitan University.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Something Borrowed is the second novel in the Brenda and Effie series, following Never the Bride and succeeded by Conjugal Rites. Like its predecessor, the story is told in the first person by the main character, Brenda, but unlike it, this novel is related in the present tense, which I found rather off-putting, a literary game for which there was really no need. Like its predecessor, Something Borrowed tells of mysterious goings-on in the legend-haunted North Eastern coastal town of Whitby. This time, poison-pen letters are going around the town, sowing seeds of suspicion in their wake, something is haunting Brenda, and an old friend has returned from the grave. On top of this, Brenda has to cope with the return of someone from her past, and the sudden deluge of memories this brings. As is this weren't enough to cope with, the town is falling increasingly under the spell of an ancient Being from the dawn of time itself.
Whereas Never the Bride was a novel made up of several short stories, the plot of Something Borrowed feels more integrated. That said, I felt there was too much flashback to Brenda's earlier life, much of which reads like padding. Overall, a slight disappointment, but the finale, which leads into the third novel, promises much, and I shall be continuing with the series.
Whereas Never the Bride was a novel made up of several short stories, the plot of Something Borrowed feels more integrated. That said, I felt there was too much flashback to Brenda's earlier life, much of which reads like padding. Overall, a slight disappointment, but the finale, which leads into the third novel, promises much, and I shall be continuing with the series.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I feel as though I have just jumped off a moving train....
I will be reading more and soon!
there are many comparisons in these reviews but the voice I was hearing above all was Douglas Adams. Paul Magrs gives us quirky, fantastic characters and deals with them in the same matter of fact almost world weary way that Adams used to such acclaim.
I just hope he becomes as prolific!
I will be reading more and soon!
there are many comparisons in these reviews but the voice I was hearing above all was Douglas Adams. Paul Magrs gives us quirky, fantastic characters and deals with them in the same matter of fact almost world weary way that Adams used to such acclaim.
I just hope he becomes as prolific!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Something Borrowed is Paul Magrs second foray into the world of Brenda and Effie who are two of the most delightful characters to go on a journey of almost 400 pages with. Brenda, not quite considered an outsider by the town but by no means a local yet, runs a B&B in Whitby next door to Effie and her Antique's Shop. These two unlikely friends like nothing more than morning tea's, gossiping and investigating all the mysteries of Whitby and its locals; also known as sticking their noses into other peoples business. It's ironic in some ways that both of them love to find out all the secret going on in everyone else's lives when they go to great lengths to hide their less than normal and mysterious pasts.
We follow the duo not long after all the going on in their debut outing `Never The Bride' the following spring. It appears that all the mysterious and magical things in Whitby have gone to rest until someone starts sending people poison pen letters, and this person seems to know everything about the villagers with the most secrets to hide including Brenda. There is also the matter of Jessie who, until she became the living dead, was one of Effie's very few friends and now seems to be intent on striking terror into those in Whitby she doesn't try and eat. Plus there is a blast from Brenda's past as Henry a professor of Icelandic history turns up to add more mayhem to the mixture.
I do have two teeny tiny niggles with this book and they would be that the chapters are very long, each on in a way is like a short story that all comes together near the end which is wonderful I am just a short chapter person. I still raced through this though you simply cannot help yourself it's just so readable and so well paced. The other thing would be that while I absolutely loved reading more of Brenda's back story there was less of Robert and his high drama and also less of Effie and her slightly prickly awkwardness that I had come to love so much in the previous book. These are two very, very minor niggles though and only come because I love Magrs' characters so much. Mind you there is a third instalment `Conjugal Rites' already out with the fourth following in the autumn so I cant complain as I will be getting my fix of these wonderful characters and all the delightful and dark goings on in Whitby twice more this year.
As you can probably tell I absolutely loved this and in a world where books such as Twilight (which after reading the first is a series I am avoiding like the plague) doing so well, I think people should be reading wonderful supernatural mystery romps like this instead. Books that are both plot and character led and that make you laugh along the way whilst being taken into the macabre. I do need to add that two separate scenes in this book actually properly scared me as I was reading in bed of a night, seriously. Now if any f you are sat there thinking 'I don't like sci-fi, supernatural or fantasy' neither do I normally, well bar the supernatural stuff as a complete Most Haunted addict, but this book is also comical and looks at villagers and their secrets with a splash of the bizarre and I promise thats a concoction that can't go wrong! If you haven't started this series of wonderful books then I advise you to do so pronto.
We follow the duo not long after all the going on in their debut outing `Never The Bride' the following spring. It appears that all the mysterious and magical things in Whitby have gone to rest until someone starts sending people poison pen letters, and this person seems to know everything about the villagers with the most secrets to hide including Brenda. There is also the matter of Jessie who, until she became the living dead, was one of Effie's very few friends and now seems to be intent on striking terror into those in Whitby she doesn't try and eat. Plus there is a blast from Brenda's past as Henry a professor of Icelandic history turns up to add more mayhem to the mixture.
I do have two teeny tiny niggles with this book and they would be that the chapters are very long, each on in a way is like a short story that all comes together near the end which is wonderful I am just a short chapter person. I still raced through this though you simply cannot help yourself it's just so readable and so well paced. The other thing would be that while I absolutely loved reading more of Brenda's back story there was less of Robert and his high drama and also less of Effie and her slightly prickly awkwardness that I had come to love so much in the previous book. These are two very, very minor niggles though and only come because I love Magrs' characters so much. Mind you there is a third instalment `Conjugal Rites' already out with the fourth following in the autumn so I cant complain as I will be getting my fix of these wonderful characters and all the delightful and dark goings on in Whitby twice more this year.
As you can probably tell I absolutely loved this and in a world where books such as Twilight (which after reading the first is a series I am avoiding like the plague) doing so well, I think people should be reading wonderful supernatural mystery romps like this instead. Books that are both plot and character led and that make you laugh along the way whilst being taken into the macabre. I do need to add that two separate scenes in this book actually properly scared me as I was reading in bed of a night, seriously. Now if any f you are sat there thinking 'I don't like sci-fi, supernatural or fantasy' neither do I normally, well bar the supernatural stuff as a complete Most Haunted addict, but this book is also comical and looks at villagers and their secrets with a splash of the bizarre and I promise thats a concoction that can't go wrong! If you haven't started this series of wonderful books then I advise you to do so pronto.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant books
Brenda and Effie strike again. Have read four of these books now and they are all brilliant if a little barmy. Very enjoyable reading.
Published 2 months ago by Not a Techno
Unique Style and a Vivid Imagination
Paul Magr's unique style and vivid imagination combine in Something Borrowed to produce a story which seems a little disjointed at times, but certainly fascinates in part due to... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Brett H
Quaintly gothic, fairly cute, but fizzling out of steam a little
Never The Bride (Brenda 1) was playful, original, lightweight, but great fun.
Something Borrowed is a sequel that continues the tale of Brenda, the Bride of... Read more
Something Borrowed is a sequel that continues the tale of Brenda, the Bride of... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Federhirn
More gothic fun from Brenda and Effie
Reading the second installment of Brenda and Effie's antics (after the first in the series 'Never the bride') is something I've been looking forward to for quite a while. Read more
Published 19 months ago by The story fiend
Hooked!!!!!
I was leant the first book in this series by a friend who recommend I read it due to it being my kinda thing. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. C. J. Hall
something borrowed(brenda 2)
i had read the first book- Never the Bride- by Paul Margs and loved it so much that i had to read the second book which is called Something borrowed, this tells the tale of Brenda... Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by Susan Baldwin
Something Borrowed, Everything New
There are good ideas and there are great ideas.
Naming a band 'Dogs Die in Hot Cars' and my own plan to remake Seven Brides for Seven Brothers using only the music of... Read more
Naming a band 'Dogs Die in Hot Cars' and my own plan to remake Seven Brides for Seven Brothers using only the music of... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2010 by Mr. Stuart A. Douglas
Another entertaining read from Mr Magrs
I bought this book after seeing it advertised in the Fortean Times (great magazine) and found it was the second book in the series (Never the Bride being the first book). Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2008 by Nicola
Fun and enjoyable, but not memorable
I read this novel in January and when now that I've finally got round to writing this review, I've realised that I can't really remember much of the plot! Read more
Published on 13 May 2008 by Jonathan
I want more and I want it now!
I thoughly enjoyed this book, as the reader below did, and I've come to love Brenda and Elfie. The heart to heart they had in this book was very poignant. Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2008 by Deborah Long
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