I really like this author and have enjoyed several of her other books which did not give any clue as to the problems I would have with this one. The main character is Niamh is engaging and there is enough of a plot to carry the story along, so it's certainly readable. As some of the other reviews have touched on, the way the inter-racial relationship is handled is difficult to stomach. Although this is an Irish Catholic family, they are living in London and it is set (I believe) in the nineties. At times this was hard to believe given the racist attitudes shown by the Irish family, indeed some of the episodes were borderline offensive. I certainly cringed inwardly during one or two of the episodes. It's perfectly plausible that a family might have reservations about their daughter getting engaged to someone from a different culture (although that's hardly the case - they've both been living in London for ages) that she hasn't known that long, but it's hard to accept that a normal family would react in as extreme a way as in this story....and then turn around within a matter of days and decide everything's ok after all. At the same time the fact that they are getting married prematurely and are likely to face some real obstacles is glossed over. Pierre is not a very well-rounded character, save that he would have to be a saint to put up what he put up with. There's a fair amount to like about this book but the over-the-top treatment of this issue lets it down.

I liked Kidulthood and have been meaning to watch this for years. This is of course a follow up to Kidulthood but it's quite a different film in some ways. It's still a gritty urban drama but both the writing and acting seemed to me far mature than in the previous film. I was far more involved in the film than I expected to be, on the edge of my seat towards the end. Noel Clarke is a great actor and I really cared what happened to him, to the point of being on the edge of my seat towards the end of the film. The characters are complex and as sympathetic as they can be in the context. I loved the ending - there is hope...

My boyfriend bought me the DVD of this film as a gift believing it would be similar to Spirited Away and Howls Moving Castle, which I am a great fan of. We watched it together and at first I was slightly disappointed at the animation which seemed somehow less magical and captivating than in those films. It also seemed a little slower to get going, taking perhaps 20 minutes before I was truly involved in the film and could not have stopped watching. I am glad we persevered - when Hols gets to the village and meets Hilda the film comes to life and becomes emotionally involving. In some ways the film is dark and sinister due to the threat of death hanging over the characters including children, but the themes are of innocence and love overcoming evil through perseverance. It was moving and I did have a tear in my eye at the end! What I did not realise until looking it up on Amazon was that this film was made in 1968 - over 40 years old. So whilst the animation does not look groundbreaking by today's standards it certainly stands up well. I did notice some mistakes in the English subtitles, but nothing that detracts from enjoyment of the film.

First a confession - I have not yet managed to finish this book, so maybe it's nto entirely fair to review it at this stage. I am about 4/5 of the way through and not sure if I will finish it. I am a massive fan of Joanna Trollope and have read all of her other books. I really enjoyed her last book (Friday Nights) which seemed to be in her usual style but slightly updated. I am not sure where she has gone wrong here but I have found this novel very hard to get into. I expected to enjoy it as I am interested in any story dealing with these sorts of issues, e.g. second families. I think the main problem is that most of the characters are deeply flawed and really quite unpleasant but this is not something which is acknowledged or dealt with in the book in any way. For example the main character Chrissie had an adulterous affair with a married man with a young son, and once he left his wife for her and they started their own family she encouraged him to forget about his son and even after her husband's death begrudges the son any acknowledgement and even his very existence. Save for one, her daughters are equally weak and selfish. The son is not unlikeable but is a fairly poorly developed character in the book - he seems to have very little personality. Most of the characters act so selfishly that I found it actually quite unrealistic - in my experience people do usually try to do the right thing even if they don't manage it. Plus no-one in the book seems to get much enjoyment out of life, which makes it a rather joyless read. If you are a die-hard Trollope fan you will probably want to try it anyway but if you are not, I would try one of her other books first.

I found this a touching and sympathetic novel. I knew that Sam Baker is a step-mother before I read the book but it would have been obvious from reading it. She has a real understanding of the issues and difficulties that can arise for both step-parents (willing or otherwise) and step-children. Although it's a very common situation that does not mean it's easy. I could really identify with the female characters and found them all likeable even when their behaviour was not. The male characters were possibly less well drawn and less sympathetic as a result...they seemed to have more weaknesses than the women. But then people do not always behave well under pressure. I am hoping there will be a sequel as I would love to know what becomes of the people and their relationships in five years time...

Often I feel when reading through the reviews of books I have read that I don't have much too add, if I have enjoyed a book (or not) then it's likely someone else has felt the same way. With this book I am surprised that no one else seems to have felt this book was quite frightening and sinister. I was alone in the house when I started reading it and had difficulty getting to sleep that night! Sometimes that can be a good thing but not in this case. I found the storyline quite sinister and chilling, particularly as you don't know where it is going until the end. Even at the end, there is no real resolution, at least not a particuarly satisfying one. The main character is very disturbed and in need of psychiatric help in a way that is difficult to get your head around in a 'chick lit' book. Marian Keyes also deals with very dark themes but in a much more reader friendly way, so you can still symathise with the characters. I did finish this book but it depressed me and the enjoyment I got from reading the book was not enough to make up for that.

The glowing reviews of this book, and the fact that I have loved all of Tess Stimson's novels, led me to order this from Amazon. If you are a fan, be warned, this is quite a different book. It is not a work of fiction but a kind of self-help/relationship manual for people who believe that all men are unfaithful or that their own partner is being unfaithful. The best parts of the book are where she is talking about her own experiences of being on both sides of the fence, i.e. a mistress and a cuckolded wife. She does also have some meaningful things to say about marriage i.e. that it is hard work and you cannot expect to glide through any long-term relationship without difficult patches. However she comes across as a woman with a very old fashioned view of life and relationships that I found hard to warm to - a pair of diamond earrings is no cure for a broken heart no matter how many carats! The main thrust of her relationship advice is to make sure you never refuse your partner sex and initiate it as often as possible, which I find simplistic and lacking in realism. It is a fun enough read though and probably does have some practical tips if you genuinely fear your partner is being unfaithful and don't know what to do.

I have read all of Louise Bagshawe's books and whilst I would say this was far from her best, it was a hugely enjoyable read. I did find that compared to her previous works this one lacked depth and I could not agree with the reviewer who described it as complicated - I found it to be a straightforward action-packed chase but in a romantic context. I felt the characters slightly lacked depth and were a bit cliched. The plot is also completely preposterous. But having said that it's great fun and I could not put it down. I'm sure anyone who has enjoyed her previous novels will enjoy this one, but do not expect it to be the same.

I have just finished reading this book. Like most other reviewers I am a big fan of Jane Green and was looking forward to it. Until this book I did not think that her writing had suffered from her physical and literary move to the US. I did enjoy the book but found it disappointing on some levels. I did not find any of the characters particularly likeable - Adam is weak and selfish, Charlie materialistic and disloyal, Tracey manipulative and conniving, and Annabel the implausible long-lost sister shallow. The character of Eadie does not seem to have much to do in the story, and I found her irritating. Robert McClure the famous author does not actually feature very much, and there is an odd thought he has towards the end of the book about being able to mould his new love, which I found unpleasant and inexplicable, as it did not go anywhere. The relationships seemed to lack depth - there is no meaningful exploration of how the marriages are suffering due to the recession. Having said all this, it is a very readable story and pretty entertaining. But definitely chick-lit lite rather than something a bit more substantial as I have come to expect from Jane Green.

I have read most of Jane Green's novels and loved every one, finding the characters empathetic and interesting. This book is light and easy reading but also irritating at times. The characters are mostly too good to be true - although their behaviour is not always good, inside they are sentimental to the point of being sickly. Nan is so perfect that to me it does not make her a believeable character, and the book is full of amazing coincidences that also defy belief. It doesn't matter if all you want is escapism, but it does make it a little hard to relate to.