Sarah Tucker

This book started a bit slow but picked up after awhile to the point I didn't want to put it down. It's your typical Chick lit where you have a strong woman who thinks she knows her own mind and how she wants to live life at age 40. Then she meets a man 10 years her junior who makes her take a second look at her life. She also has a varied group of girlfriends with their own confusing lives. It wasn't as humorous as some of the chick lit I have read but had a bit more sex than some too so trade-offs occured. :)… (mais)

I would describe this as more vulgar Bridget Jones. The stylistic approach is pretty similar in many regards.

Gah -- I hated the way the short form of "because" was spelled "'cuz" (or was it "coz"?) rather than "'cause"! And the consistent omission of pronouns so that it was all colloquial (e.g. "Went to store" rather than "I went to the store"); this is fine occasionally, but it grated on my nerves, being used throughout the entire novel.

And, boy, is the main character ever clueless for so, so long! She basically needs to be hit over the head repeatedly to get a simple message that her long-term relationship is no longer working.

Her jaunt to Canada was pretty well done.

But besides these criticism it was still a pretty good read. And the heroine's cluelessness was actually quite welcome because she was so obviously flawed in that regard -- yet likeable in so many ways -- it made her relateable because she didn't come off as too perfect.

Oh, and note to self -- Lisa Tucker (whose story appears in the Cold Feet collection) is not the same author as Sarah Tucker.… (mais)

A very light quick read. If I wasn't so obsessive about finishing a book once started I definitely would have stopped after a few pages. I heard an interesting interview on the radio with the author last year which motivated me to pick up this book. Also having been through big school selection fairly recently I thought I would be able to identify with some of the main characters. Unfortunately this was not to be. The main focus of the book is about the organisation of a charity fashion show instigated by a mother to impress the Head of the local grammar school in order to gain preferential admission. In fact that is totally what the book is about. No mention in the blurb. It is so far removed from my reality of parents in the playground being ex top models and successful journalists for example that the average reader might be inclined to switch off as I did. However I am sure there are some readers out there who would enjoy it as it bounds along with gusto.… (mais)