Amazon.co.uk Review
When Matt decides to uproot his family and move to Ireland in Cathy Kelly's novel,
What She Wants, his wife Hope has no choice but to go with him. "Needy and pathetically hungry for love", Hope has such a horror of being abandoned that she'll do anything to keep him by her side. But their move to the rural village of Redlion is a far cry from the rustic romantic life that he promised--with Matt spending every day at the local arts centre, Hope has to look after the children on her own for hours on end in their small run-down cottage, miles away from any friends or family. It's not long before she's desperately lonely, their marriage is on the rocks and she's got nowhere to turn.
Back in London, her sister Sam is completely different. Brittle and sharp, she's a mover and a shaker, with a fantastic job as the managing director of a major record label. Having decided she's never going to be anybody's accessory, she oozes a well-practiced unapproachable air. But just as Hope is having to reassess her life and learn to be stronger and more independent, so Sam is forced to reshuffle the pieces of her world, to stop pushing people away and allow herself to be vulnerable.
If you're strong enough to cart this giant of a book about, What She Wants is a great read. Despite the slightly heavy-handed, laboured style, it's a classic page-turner that focuses on real women facing life-changing challenges. What She Wants is the fifth novel by the bestselling Irish author Cathy Kelly, who won the Parker Romantic Novel of the Year Award for her fourth novel Someone Like You. Kelly, a columnist for the Irish Sunday World, openly admits she writes books that she would want to read herself--a winning formula judging by her sales record. --Jane Honey
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
From the reviews of previous novels: 'A compulsive read' Woman's Weekly 'All the ingredients of the blockbuster are here a page turner' Sunday Independent 'Not only one but two likeable heroines Kelly dramatises her story with plenty of sparky humour' The Times 'Down-to-earth and insightful, her novels are as compelling as Big Brother' Andrea Henry, The Mirror
The biggest lesson life can teach anyone is how dangerous it is to plan for the future - for the future is unknown territory, ever ready with corners we can't see round and obstacles to trip us up. Hope, her sister Sam, Virginia and Nicole all have life mapped out. They know what they want and are well on the way to achieving it. Half-Indian Nicole, over-anxious prop-and-stay of her close family, has a boring day job but loves to sing. She has no idea of her own potential, and the height of her ambition is to sing along to karaoke in the pub - and maybe, one day, have 'a place of her own'. Hope already has a place of her own, a man of her own and children of her own. All her ambitions have been achieved. Sam, her sister, is a complete opposite: high-flying Managing Director of a music label, ambitious, successful, self-reliant, she thinks she's probably happy, but isn't sure. Virginia was happy until her beloved husband died, leaving an enormous hole in her life that nothing could ever fill. A disparate group, they have almost nothing in common... except for a small village in south-western Ireland which only one of them has yet seen, but which draws them to it for completely different reasons, offering solace, challenges, new opportunities and in the end the realization of their true selves. This is a generous book, in both length and content, perfect for long dark winter evenings or lazy days on sun-warmed beaches; unashamedly romantic, full of homespun philosophy and appreciation of the capacity of women to support each other in adversity. Cathy Kelly won the Parker Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2001, with Someone Like You, and, if this novel is anything to judge by, the prize was well deserved. (Kirkus UK)
Five heroines for the price of one. Hope, the frazzled working mother of two, remembers when her husband Matt would rip off her clothes and make passionate love to her whenever they felt like it, not caring whether he'd be late to work. But now, with his demanding job in advertising and their two young children, they're just barely getting by. Living in Bath is so expensive-and what about her needs? Suddenly Matt proposes that they all move to Redlion, a rural Irish hamlet, so he can write a great novel instead of selling his soul writing copy. Hope is charmed by the old-fashioned village, but not so sure about the chickens in her antiquated pantry. With wild clucking, segue to: Hope's sister Sam, a hard-driving music exec who secretly yearns for a husband and baby for at least two minutes every day, when not whipping new acts into shape. She's awfully tired and pale. Does Sam have fibroids or ovarian cancer? Many phone calls between London and Redlion ensue. Jump-cut to Virginia, a well-heeled widow from Dublin who's moved to the village to get away from memories. She's soon befriended by Mary-Kate, the pharmacist, a shrewd middle-aged spinster who knows about pretty much everything in Redlion. Back to London for the story of Nicole, a beautiful half-Indian 20-year-old who wants to be a pop star. Flashback: her granny was born in Redlion. Nicole gets the attention of Sam, who sets her on the road to fame and fortune while wondering silently why she bothers. But things are looking up: a great-looking, down-to-earth venture capitalist in faded jeans has just moved in next door. Could he be the man of Sam's dreams? Back in Redlion, Hope must deal with the amorous attentions of a rakish Irish hotelier. Oh, dear. He just kissed her . . . and she seems to have kissed him back! Overlong but generally amiable second from Irish author Kelly (Someone Like You, 2001). (Kirkus Reviews)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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