Average customer rating:
- Light and predictable - and relaxing
- Dumber for reading it
- One of her worst...
- Yes - DS gets worse with each book ...
- Coming out needs filling out
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Coming Out
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
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ASIN: 0385338325
Release Date: 2006-06-27 |
Book Description
Olympia Crawford Rubinstein has a busy legal career, a solid marriage, and a way of managing her thriving family with grace, humor, and boundless energy. With twin daughters finishing high school, a son at Dartmouth, and a kindergartner from her second marriage, there seems to be no challenge to which Olympia cannot rise. Until one sunny day in May, when she opens an invitation for her daughters to attend the most exclusive coming-out ball in New York–and chaos erupts all around her. One twin’s excitement is balanced by the other’s outrage; her previous husband’s profound snobbism is in sharp contrast to her current husband’s flat refusal to attend.
For Olympia’s husband, Harry, whose parents survived the Holocaust, the idea of a blue-blood debutante ball is abhorrent. Her daughter Veronica, a natural-born rebel, agrees–while Veronica’s identical twin, Virginia, is already shopping for the perfect dress. Then there’s Olympia’s ex, an insufferable snob, who sees the ball as the perfect opportunity for a family feud. And amid all the hubbub, Olympia’s college-age son, Charlie, is facing a turning point in his life–and may need his mother more than ever. But despite it all, Olympia is determined to steer her family through the event until, just days before the cotillion, things begin to unravel with alarming speed.
From a son’s crisis to a daughter’s heartbreak, from a case of the chicken pox to a political debate raging in her household, Olympia is on the verge of surrender. And that is when, in a series of startling choices and changes of heart, family, friends, and even a blue-haired teenager all find a way to turn a night of calamity into an evening of magic. As old wounds are healed, barriers are shattered and new traditions are born, and a debutante ball becomes a catalyst for change, revelation, acceptance, and love.
In a novel that is by turns profound, poignant, moving, and warmly funny, Danielle Steel tells the story of an extraordinary family–finding new ways of letting go, stepping up, and coming out...in the ways that matter most.
Customer Reviews:
Light and predictable - and relaxing.......2007-09-16
Danielle Steel is an excellent writer with a huge production. Perhaps one cannot expect that every one of her books should be five stars unputdownable.
This one is not. There are too many typical Danielle Steel clichés in this book to make you feel you are reading a fresh new piece of work. I felt I had read most of it before and although there ARE family problems to be solved, they hardly seem as earth shattering as the synopsis indicates.
The people in this book are well educated middle upper class, or even "blue blooded". The young people go to Europe in summer and meet the rest of the family who holidays in St. Tropez, Monaco etc. etc.
An invitation for heroine Olympia's twin daughters to a coming out ball is the main issue in the book and becomes a huge family problem. Not the most serious situation for a family to deal with since coming out balls is a rather old fashioned upper class affair; even if the twins are from a previous marriage and father/step father highly disagree about the matter. As do the twins themselves. Neither is choice of ivy leage university and which one of the divorced parents (who can both very well afford it) should pay the tuition, the toughest problem for a family to handle. Apart from the background of the older Jewish members of the family and some of the young people's struggle in finding their place in life and modern society, the family seems privileged and blessed in every way.
What makes the book readable in spite of the nearly non-existing storyline, is Danielle Steel's unique talent as a writer. She has the ability to create entertainment from the "thinnest" material and make the characters come amazingly alive.
I quite enjoyed this book. Far from first class reading, but ok when you simply need to relax with something light and predictable.
Dumber for reading it.......2007-08-17
I have to say that if this was the first Danielle Steel book I had ever read, I would absolutely hate her writing. I just finished this book, and I feel just a little dumber for having read it.
I sat down to read a good romance novel by a good author and was just flat out disappointed. It was just plain boring. Stick to her old classics, and don't waste your money on this.
One of her worst..........2007-07-29
I am a fan of Steel but thought this book was almost written in a rush. It didn't have any of the usual twists and turns.... It seems like in her latest novels where Steel has to write in present modern times that she loses what was so brilliantly hers in her earlier novels - elegance. Another recent one called "The House" had me feeling the same thing. She shouldn't try try and be all "hip" and "cool" and just stick to what she knows...
Yes - DS gets worse with each book ..........2007-07-22
Her writing really has gotten worse with each new book. In fact, it's so bad that I'll only buy the books secondhand, or borrow from a foolish friend that has bought them (LOL ... I have to make sure that the quality is the same, therefore I have to read them!). The plots are okay, but no writing of substance to keep a reader interested.
I would never recommend buying a new Danielle Steel book when there are so many good writers to read. I read this book in less than two hours. DS books in the last few years have become less entertaining than a Harlequin Romance! Spend your money on someone like Norah Roberts/J.D. Robb.
Coming out needs filling out.......2007-07-18
Attorney Olympia Rubinstein is the epitome of the virtuous woman praised in Proverbs. Her home is well kept, she is the perfect daughter in-law, her children want for nothing and bask in her unconditional love, she is endlessly devoted to her husband of thirteen years and her career is balanced perfectly with her home life.
A simple envelope disrupts her peaceful life one day. It is an invitation for her twin daughters from her first marriage to participate in the most exclusive debutant ball in New York City. The invitation quickly causes chaos when everyone expresses a different opinion about the necessity of the upper class tradition. Chauncey is the father of her daughters and has his own agenda that adds pressure that they don't really need. Her oldest son has a confession, a religious debate erupts in her marriage and ethical lines are drawn between the twins.
There appears to be no end to the family drama before Steel corrals everyone into a happy ending.
I admire Steel for taking on a rather difficult question; where do old fashioned ideals fit in modern society? However her story is full of ideas that feel half written. She spent a lot of time narrating without delving deeper into what was going on. Dialogue is minimal and her characters feel forced and read more like classic stereotypes than people. Danielle Steel has written many beloved novels but I can not shake the feeling that she spell checked the first draft of this book and sent it off to be published. Please take note that 'Coming out' is lacking the polish of a finished book.
Book Description
A major national media event when published in hardcover, this delicious follow-up to Bergdorf Blondes was an immediate New York Times bestseller and confirmed Plum Sykes' status as a literary superstar.Sylvie Mortimer has just married and is blissfully happy with The Divine New Husband, Hunter. Sylvie's new friend, Lauren Blount, is very rich, very young, very thin, very pretty -- and very, very divorced. The most reckless and glamorous of Manhattan's Debutante Divorc+e set, Lauren captivates Sylvie, the group's token newlywed. But while Lauren sets out on a morality-lite, orgasm-heavy "Make Out Challenge," Sylvie discovers her marriage isn't exactly an Eternity ad -- especially when the city's most notorious Husband Huntress zeros in on her spouse.The Debutante Divorc+e delivers all the wit and charm that made Bergdorf Blondes a smash hit. This juicy new tale delighted Sykes' many fans in hardcover and will continue to earn her new ones in this dazzling, chic paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Dropped it after 5 pages of reading........2007-08-07
This book felt like a mindless chatter to me. I picked this book up after reading rave reviews about it. The first few pages talks about rich girls being divorced, it failed very terribly to hold my attention. I know I am being very critical here, but it just didn't do it for me.
Another vapid novel.......2007-08-03
I agree with those reviewers who said this novel is little more than an endless parade of the young and fabulous, who care more about clothing than their own happiness, and who think that marriage is more about finding the man with the most money than finding love. It does a disservice to women who look for more in life than the next party or couture designer. I do enjoy chick lit, but this novel is a sad representation of that genre. I am only glad I borrowed this book instead of wasting money on it!
A man's perspective.......2007-08-01
I read this book on holiday with my girlfriend, out of desperation without access to an English-language bookstore. My girlfriend took great delight in capturing on film the moment of me reading it, but in retrospect, prefers to avoid mentioning that she also read the thing.
It's not enlightening, it's not well written, it's not even particularly entertaining. My girlfriend wrote down a couple of the designer names that she'd never heard of, for later research, but that was about it for us.
The main character is weak, vacuous, vapid and dull. Her husband is a cliche (in a brilliantly cut designer shirt that accentuates his roughly-chiseled bone structure, no less...) as is every other character. The problem with writing that someone is the most perfect/beautiful/charming person EVER, is that if you can't come up with a new adjective later in the book, the whole thing seems ingenuous. Which, of course, it is.
Why do we care about these ridiculous characters that are so hard to relate to? Why are we supporting Ms Sykes' ridiculous lifestyle?
Falling short on expectation :(.......2007-07-31
Sadly, the book was only okay...perhaps, it was my fault for expecting too much from the author after reading "Bergdorf Blondes." On a brighter note, "The Debutant Divorcee" was still somewhat entertaining, and carried the similar sense of humor as expected by an author like Plum Sykes.
Pleasant Surprise .......2007-07-23
I was pleasantly surprised by Debutante Divorcee. I read Bergorf Blondes because there was so much hype around it, but I was quite disappointed with its absolute shallowness. I decided to give Plum Sykes one more chance, and I was happy I did. Debutante Divorcee is inarguably "light reading." That said, it has a nice plot and the protagonist is likable. As long as you do not go in expecting much in the way of intellectual stimulation, you will enjoy the book.
Book Description
From New York Times bestselling author Julia London comes the second novel in her irresistibly romantic Desperate Debutantes trilogy, in which three suddenly destitute aristocratic young ladies must resort to desperate means to keep up appearances...and find the husbands of their dreams.
Lady Greer Fairchild's only hope of avoiding marriage to the first bidder lies in journeying into the untamed Welsh countryside in search of an inheritance she's not sure even exists -- one reportedly controlled by Rhodrick Glendower, Earl of Radnor, also known as the Prince of Powys. Rumor has it that the prince is rough, ruthless -- even a murderer. But Greer never imagined that the brute would refuse to let her leave his remote castle until she has proven her identity. Or that she would find herself powerfully attracted to this passionately virile man whose gruff demeanor belies a proud and sensual nature. The further Greer falls under his spell, the more determined she becomes to unravel the secrets of her Welsh heritage and the mystery surrounding the dark prince who dares her to become his wife and princess.
Customer Reviews:
Major Disappointment! =(.......2007-09-13
- I stopped at page 100. And "ditto" on Greer's attributes already mentioned here.
- I've really enjoyed Julia London in the past, ("The Hazards of Hunting a Duke" was wonderful!) but "Greer" was *so* ridiculous: winey, prejudiced, hypocritical, and downright stupid! Her actions, her attitude, even her dialogue! I honestly couldn't find one thing I liked about her.
Greer takes Percy, a complete stranger she has met on a public coach, at his every word, for absolutely everything he says, simply because he is smooth and polite and knows how to lay on the charm; where Rhoderick is quiet, honest, albeit, somewhat suspicious and brusque. (And who wouldn't be if some stranger showed up on your doorstep and demanded money? )
- I thought perhaps it was just a mood so I put the book down and tried again a couple other times to read it. Nope! No better! I can only recall one other time I have ever put a book down and not completed reading it. This was very disappointing for me! =(
Enjoyed it from beginning to end.......2007-08-21
I picked up this book, the middle one in the trilogy, not knowing much about it. Now I'll have to pick up the other two. I didn't mind the least that the heroine was somewhat immature. Made her seem more real to me and I sort of would expect some immaturity from a sheltered high-society debutant. She can't very well be like a 21st century self-assured business woman with an MBA and a thick stock portfolio behind her :-)
I thought the story was taut and very sexy. Loved the prince. Just love a dark/scarred hero, I suppose. Their love story unfolded step by step and took me along. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Loved it!.......2007-08-02
I'm never disappointed when I read one of Julia London's books.. this one has just as much sexy spunk as the others... loved it!
Thank Mommy for Helping me Find the right person.......2007-06-21
Geer, got in a situation in which she couldn't get out of, leaving London without knowing anything about where she was going or who she might encounter on her journer. Mr Percy appeared to be pleasent enought but since she did not know any one, she took up with him, believing without question, everything he told her about the area and Rhodrick. Then to welcome Mr. Percy advances, showed just how little she knew about the world she traveled in. Rhodrick, was a good guy, everyone that talked to her about him, advised her that he was, this to me would bring about a question in my mind, if Percy was lying. but Geer still couldn't believe him to be a nice guy. Geer got a little trying towards the end, but she pulled through, thanks to her mother (in spirit), and realized that she loved Rhodrick.
Perfect Summer Read!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-20
Pulled an all nighter to finish this one! Fabulous summer read. Rhoderick was the perfect hero and Greer his fiesty perfect match. This has to be my favorite Julia London so far. My idea of a great way to spend a hot summer night! London's wicked wit kept me turning pages and the sexy hero left me wanting more! Can't wait for the next installment of the Desperate Debutantes!
Amazon.com
Vladimir Girshkin, a likeable Russian immigrant, searches for love, a decent job, and a credible self-identity in Gary Shteyngart's debut novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook. With a doctor-father of questionable ethics and a manic, banker mother, Vladimir avoids his suburban parents and their desire that he pursue the almighty dollar as proof of success. Vladimir gets by as an immigration clerk, eking out a living in a cruddy New York City apartment while accumulating an array of quirky acquaintances, from a wealthy but disheveled old man (who claims his electric fan speaks to him) desperate for citizenship to Challa, a portly S/M queen. As a love interest, Challa is replaced by Francesca, a graduate student whose friends welcome Vladimir for the status he brings their bohemian clique, and whose parents encourage them to shack up (she lives at home) as visible proof she can maintain a steady relationship.
The Russian Debutante's Handbook is a quirky amalgam of dead-on American absurdities, albeit with somewhat stereotypical characters. While Vladimir flounders with how to improve his state, he becomes an expatriate in a trendy European city, becomes somewhat of a mobster himself, and generally has a good time. While many of the central characters remain elusively thin, Vladimir is a delight, and Shteyngart's wit is merciless: Russian women wear "wedding cakes of blond hair" and graduate students lounge in a bar "as if waiting for funding to appear." Reminiscent of Gogol and other Russian satirists, The Russian Debutante's Handbook is a genuine, sublime social commentary. --Michael Ferch
Book Description
This is the story of Vladimir Girshkin-part P.T. Barnum, part V.I. Lenin, the man who would conquer half of Europe (albeit the wrong half).
Customer Reviews:
G.S. Does It on First Try.......2007-09-04
Congratulations to Gary Shteyngart on writing a worthy Russian-American novel, and a great satire, to boot. This is one of the most readable debuts I've ever had the pleasure of reading. While light, RDH is successfully humorous, entertaining, enjoyable, and mostly unpretentious.
We follow the adventures of 25-year-old Vladimir, whose quarter-life crisis, combined with deep-seated immigrant insecurity despite being mostly assimilated, send him on a search for self of the most modern proportions. Passively getting roped into a relationship with the spoiled and pseudo-intellectual Francesca, the daughter of clueless New York professors, as the token commie, Vladimir is soon caught up in the world of international crime. His constant running brings him to Stolovaya (Cafeteria, in Russian), a ready-to-be-pillaged-and-plundered post-communist state in Eastern Europe, where he balances his consulting spot to a crime syndicate with his role as the king of Western expatriates.
To his credit, Shteyngart in many ways succeeds where Franzen and many other writers have failed: creating a book in the spirit (if not the genius) of Catch 22. GS captures the ridiculous whims and self-delusion of the aimless post-collegiate crowd through the eyes of an aimless but paradoxically ambitious Russian immigrant. He orders his life with efficient lies and unapologetically, gradually buys into them.
If the book suffers from anything, it's characterization. GS often sacrifices credulity for effect (see Rybakov the insane citizenship-seeking Russian, etc.). But good laughs can redeem most anything, and they do here.
Pretty random, yet funny.......2006-12-28
This book definitly started out funny. It was rediculous and absurd. I must say that as a Russian imigrant, we are probably just as crazy as the book says we are, if not more. It gets especially exciting towards the middle of the book, when you can't help but to root for the main character. The last two thirds of the book become completely drawn out, as the author settles into a comfortable place. Then he somehow wraps it up in 20-30 pages and you're left wondering, "where did that come from." It's not that the ending is too unexpected, it just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the novel.
Overall, I thought it was a great, easy-to-get through book. If you're thinking, "oh another tale of the hardships of coming to America," this book is not just about that. It's not really an "immigrant's plight" book, which is good thing. It has an actual plot, albeit a completely random and absurd plot.
Well written but long and rambling story.......2006-11-29
The book overall is very well written, but the story is a bit long and rambles on. It definitely takes work to read this book. You must be prepared to pay attention. Not an easy read and mildly depressing.
If you have nothing better to do.......2006-11-07
This is a nice light read if you have nothing better to do.The tone is sufficientlt sarcastic to attract people who have no idea of what is going on , and the milieu is exotic enough. As to the quality of the story the less said the better. Terrific for a slow reader on a longish air trip. Also guaranteed not to offend too much, even those who normaly would feel offended. You may call it humor if you like.
Criminal Brutality - - is Cute.......2006-11-04
Jewish vaudiville farce makes light of "naughty" post-Soviet pillaging of Eastern Europe by amoral Jews supported by ex-KGB hoodlums, finding no serious fault with all things antisocial in Western society. Contains a minor theme of natural abuse of naive women, and maximum references to the giants of Slavic literature, such as Tolstoy, Lermontov, and Milan Kundera, apparently hoping their stature will enhance the image of this wannabe clown. Despite the reprehensible content, the quality of the writing is quite good, and a few of the contrived "funny" events pasted together in this novel actually ARE funny. Still, on the whole, there are tons of better ways to waste one's time than reading such nonsense.
Book Description
Renegade rich girl Andy Kendricks isn't the belle of any Dallas ball—and that's just the way the debutante dropout likes it! She's got a good life and a great man: her defense attorney boyfriend, Brian Malone. Brian's such a straight arrow that he had to be dragged kicking and screaming to a close friend's bachelor party at a sleazy local "gentleman's club."
So why is the groom-to-be saying that Brian left the bacchanal arm-in-arm with "the hottest body in the Lone Star State?" And what was that hot body doing stone-cold dead in the trunk of Brian's car? And where is Brian anyway? The cops are looking for Andy's allegedly unfaithful/possibly homicidal beau who hasn't been seen since the party. But Andy can't believe her upstanding lover is a murdering fool, and she's determined to prove it—though she might end up with a lot more broken than just her heart.
Customer Reviews:
couldn't get drawn into the story.......2007-07-30
I usually love contemporary mysteries combined with romance, but I wasn't able to get drawn into this book. The narrative didn't feel immediate, felt like a 'lookback'; the boyfriend sounded really boring; all the various events didn't seem to add much to the storyline: meeting with her Mom, her painting... Just wasn't my type.
A Darkly Funny Mystery.......2007-07-20
It's an ironic tradition that has the soon-to-be-married celebrating with strippers right before the wedding, and it's not surprising that these events often result in the loss of members of the wedding party. In Susan McBride's fourth Debutante Dropout Mystery Night of the Living Deb, it's not the groom but his best friend who disappears, leaving his girlfriend Andy Kendricks distraught and seeking answers in some of the seediest strip joints Dallas has to offer.
After her own rather inglorious moment at a Chippendale's show ends with her being photographed by her boyfriend's ex's cell phone, Andy's ready to be forgiving for any misdeeds Brian might have committed after being forced to take the groom to a strip club. But when Brian goes missing after he's last seen in pursuit of a big-busted dancer, her trust is tested as she faces a nightmare with the best situation being that he's shacked up with a silicone dancer, and the worst too horrible to imagine. Teaming up with Brian's ex and fellow attorney Allie Price, Andy hunts down "Trayla Trash" looking for answers and soon ends up seeing a side of Dallas that would have her mother quaking in her Prada pumps.
Once again McBride has written a hilarious mystery that has the reader cheering for Andy as she sinks to one of the lowest points in her life. While a little darker in tone than the previous novels in this series, the odd-couple pairing of Andy and Allie brings a wonderful humor and wackiness to the story. Andy's mother Cissie again proves herself to be than just an elitist socialite, and her love for Andy wins out over their mother-daughter battles. This is a witty, highly entertaining series that continues to entertain and leaves readers eager for more Andy Kendricks adventures.
Reviewed by Carianne Carleo-Evangelist.......2007-07-13
Night of the Living Deb the latest offering from Susan McBride is a book that will have you chuckling from the opening pages. It's partially because there's a little bit of Andrea (Andy) Kendricks in all of us but also because it's an amusing read. From Andy's father's death to her search for her missing boyfriend Brian (who's also being searched for by a former girlfriend and the police), you can't help but be caught up in Andy's experiences. And for this reader, be grateful that they weren't my own experiences.
In this murder mystery, the fourth of a series featuring Andy Kendricks, she's left the debutante world behind, or has tried to, but realizes what a tangled world it is when she's mixed in trying to find her boyfriend Brian while still worrying about Allie, Stephen, Cissy and all of the others who make up part of her world. Brian disappeared after visiting a strip club, and soon becomes the suspect in a stripper's death. Going on clues, including one reference to her mother and cabbage, Andy goes under cover to try and find her boyfriend. The diverse characters allow each to serve as interesting complements to Andy, especially Brian. He's not the kind of boyfriend most readers would have imagined for Andy, yet you can feel her concern when he's missing. She does care about him.
If the book has one fault it's the amount of characters: something common to McBride's works. These characters, by necessity, have to share the time and as a result, it's not possible to learn as much about the characters as the reader might like. I found myself wishing there was more available about the characters and that wasn't always possible. That said, I look forward to reading the others in the debutante series to learn more about Andy and her escapades. This is a quick read and an excellent choice for summer reading.
Definite Fun.......2007-04-24
I will admit to reading most of this one in the bathtub -- in one session. I was less than a hundred pages away from the end when I finally realized the water had gotten cold. (I finished the book as soon as I got out.)
As far as "mystery" goes, I wouldn't count this as one of the greats, but it's a fun caper story. Andy Kendrick's boyfriend has gone missing, possibly with a stripper -- who turns up dead. Andy wants to find him, either worried or wanting to kill him depending on the moment. Aided by her mother (who wins for the Best Use of Febreeze), her mother's boyfriend who works for the IRS and her boyfriend's co-worker/ex-girlfriend, Andy encounters a range of colorful characters who don't fit in with her Dallas society background.
If you're looking for intricately plotted mystery, this isn't the book for you. If you want a good read that often has you laughing and feeling like it was definitely not time wasted when you're done, I highly recommend it.
So-So.......2007-03-25
I've really enjoyed this series, but this installment didn't do it for me.
There wasn't much of a mystery -- rather, the majority of the book seemed to be Andy and her "posse" ineptly running around town trying to find Brian.
And I found it terribly annoying that Andy kept referring to "my boyfriend" or "my dude" throughout the book, rather than just calling the guy by his name. I also thought it was silly that she was suddenly so in love with this guy and talking so much about marriage when they've only been together a few months. This is one thing I hate in cozies, when the author tries too hard to rush the main character's romance. Let the relationship grow a bit, and let the reader get to experience that growth, before you start picking out china patterns.
Book Description
'Lord Orville did me the honour to hand me to the coach, talking all the way of the honour I had done him! O these fashionable people!' Frances Burney's first and most enduringly popular novel is a vivid, satirical, and seductive account of the pleasures and dangers of fashionable life in late eighteenth-century London. As she describes her heroine's entry into society, womanhood and, inevitably, love, Burney exposes the vulnerability of female innocence in an image-conscious and often cruel world where social snobbery and sexual aggression are played out in the public arenas of pleasure-gardens, theatre visits, and balls. But Evelina's innocence also makes her a shrewd commentator on the excesses and absurdities of manners and social ambitions - as well as attracting the attention of the eminently eligible Lord Orville. Evelina, comic and shrewd, is at once a guide to fashionable London, a satirical attack on the new consumerism, an investigation of women's position in the late eighteenth century, and a love story. The new introduction and full notes to this edition help make this richness all the more readily available to a modern reader.
Customer Reviews:
What a page turner!.......2007-09-14
This book is fantastic! It is so entertaining and engages the reader from the first page. This is actually the first review I've written, but I just finished this book and had to tell someone what fun it was to read and what an excellent writer and character-developer Ms. Burney was. I am a big Jane Austen fan, but I have to say this was even more entertaining than my favorite Austen works. I usually read to relax, but this book kept me on the edge of the couch page after page wondering what crazy event would take place next. While I read, I kept imagining 18th/19th century women reading this book aloud to each other and gasping and swooning. I've finished this book with a big smile on my face.
Evelina.......2007-09-06
I enjoyed this book, my first by Frances Burney. I read Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice this summer and thought I would try Burney since she influenced Austin. It was a good read! That Captain was so incredibly ornery!
We've come a long way.......2007-07-14
When I read novels from the past, I am often struck by how similar the people are with people today in terms of motivation and character although different in how they think and act. As I read this book, I kept being frustrated at how passive and helpless Evelina was. It's clear that she is not wimpy, but just accepts the reality that she is totally powerless in her society. This book really brings out how corrosive the rules of that society were for both men and women. What is the same in the eighteenth century as in ours is the problem of how people with good manners keep from being run over by people with bad manners without resorting to using bad manners themselves.
I enjoyed this book a great deal better than I had expected to. You do have to skim past some real melodrama. But the characters ring true and it makes you think.
Evelina is charming and a fun read--but sometimes you will wish the heroine would get some backbone!!.......2006-11-17
Evelina details the coming of age of a young girl and her introduction into late eighteenth century London society. The entirety of the story is told through a series of letters, generally between Evelina and her father. This epistolary format makes the work very reminiscent of the conduct books which were in vogue in the period and taught young girls how they `ought' to conduct themselves. Indeed the book may have been regarded as an appetizing format of moral instruction for its readers as it delivers the same message as conduct books but in a more appealing and palatable format.
Evelina may be somewhat frustrating to the modern female reader (as I found her at times) due to her tendency to have a bit too much of that `feminine delicacy' which was all the rage in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. There are many instances when she is `overcome' and faint of heart or to put it colloquially cannot stand on her own two feet. Evelina whilst endearing, often falls upon the assistance of the eligible (and naturally dashing and good looking) Lord Orville instead of relying on her own intuition, she is certainly no Elizabeth Bennet (from Austen's Pride and Prejudice).
When making my way through this novel I sometimes questioned just how innocent Evelina is as her `delicacy' seems to fade considerably when it comes to interations with her cousins and grandmother, people who she for the most part disowns in favour of a higher class set of acquaintances. It seems to be more socially convenient and indeed attractive for her not to be associated with those who are her real relations. However I am not sure if my contempt for her disregard of her family is the influence of my own contemporary perspective on the novel.
I found Evelina to be a nice love story, full of misunderstanding, tender feelings and of course a few scoundrels to be saved from. I am sure to the adept reader, there is probably much more to this novel, I always worry when I am reading books such as Evelina which are from a time so removed from my own, that I am missing huge contextual witticisms or ironies which make the book so much cleverer or give it additional layers of meaning, however, even in the absence of a deeper understanding of the late eighteenth century this is still a good read.
Evelina: Starts Out As Innocent & Finishes The Same Way.......2006-08-24
EVELINA by Fanny Burney was an immensely popular novel in its day (1778). Published as an epistolary novel, it built upon the tradition of Richardson and Fielding, both of whom wrote of their respective heroes learning to make their way into a hostile world to make their mark. The world as Fanny saw it was one inhabited exclusively by the upper middle class and full of rules that strictly delineated one's place on the social pecking order. Those who are familiar with Jane Austen's relentless focus on formal balls, flouncy bouncy dresses, and quests for marriage with suitably wealthy men will feel quite at home with Fanny. However, where Austen would have Elizabeth Bennett question the propriety of one rule or another, Fanny would have Evelina accept the underlying ideology that upheld the legitimacy of the heavy-handed patriarchy. As Evelina leaves the security of the home of Reverend Villars, who cares for her as his ward, she learns that she may be the daughter of the wealthy and high-born Sir John Belmont. At the beginning of the novel, as at the end, Evelina is the pure innocent. If one denies her flatness of character, it is only because her goodness is heavily diluted with a priggish sense of righteousness. The bulk of the book lies in her quest to find her identity, but the enduring appeal lies in the satiric peeks and pokes that Fanny Burney took along the way. With the exception of the Reverend Villars, nearly everyone else is flawed to one degree. Madam Duval, Evelina's grandmother, is a perpetual victim of ridicule by others, which goes a long way toward explaining her odious character. Her biological father, Sir John, is a pompous oaf who acknowledges his kinship only after he has no choice but to do so. Lord Orville, whom Evelina eventually marries as the supposed hero, is about as full of life as Evelina is of any trait other than her annoying goodness. The lessons that Evelina learns about life from the start to finish are superficial. She learns only how to move about in circles sufficiently well enough to climb that social ladder. Inwardly, she is more knowledgeable, but hardly wiser. Contemporary readers loved EVELINA because they could see that it was a rich vein of oafs, fools, and prigs, all of whom were ready victims, like Madam Duval, to be taken down a peg or two. Modern readers generally read it for the descriptions of a society that are so tightly wound in social caste that they resemble the nonsense world of the cartoon. There might not be such a big difference between the two after all.
Book Description
To the dismay of her high society mother Cissy, Dallas heiress Andy Kendricks wants no part of the Junior League life -- opting instead for a job as a website designer and a passel of unpedigreed pals. Now her good friend Molly O'Brien is in bad trouble, accused of killing her boss at the local restaurant "Jugs." Though no proper deb would ever set foot in such a sleazy dive, Andy's soon slipping into skintight hot pants and a stuffed triple-D bra to gain employment there and somehow help clear Molly's name. But Andy's undercover lark is soon bringing her into too-close contact with all manner of dangerous adversaries -- including a shady TV preacher, a fanatical Mothers Against Porn activist ... and a killer who is none too keen on meddling rich girls.
Customer Reviews:
An Ok Book..........2007-03-14
I wanted to like this book, but found it to be a little boring. The author writes too much dialogue going on in the main character's head. Boring. Andrea continually asks herself the same questions over and over again. I find myself skipping ahead to the real dialogue...and not just the stuff in her head. I also don't like weak characters who can't say no... that's very frustrating!
Get Debut!.......2006-04-07
The first book in the Debutante Dropout Mystery series is a fun, lighthearted look into the often hilarious life of "Andy" Kendricks. A dropout of the high society lifestyle, Andy decides to live her life her own way. She becomes a website designer, and avoids contact with her previous society friends and lifestyle (all to the chagrin of her mother). When a good friend, Molly, from the past seeks Andy's help clearing her name from a murder charge, Andy jumps right in. Knowing she needs to get inside information about the victim, Andy decides to become a waitress at a version of Hooters. Stuffing her bra and stuffing herself into hot pants, Andy goes undercover to discover who amongst his many enemies killed Molly's boss.
I loved the first entry into the series. Andy does a lot of goofy things, and doesn't spend too much time griping about her mistakes like a lot of characters in the genre. Andy's mother is hilarious, and has been pointed out in previous reviews, deserves more time in future installments. I look forward to more laugh-out-loud fun with this great series! Enjoy!
Almost like Bridget Jones meeting Miss Marple.......2006-01-16
I liked the fast-pace of the story, and McBride does a great job of meshing a mystery with chick lit. Which is nice, because one doesn't always want to read about post-menapausal little old ladies solving crimes.
So, as far as a beach read -- sign me up. It's really fun. Not a literary read. Not an Agatha Christie. But an entertaining read. I am looking forward to the rest of the series...if there's one thing I'd say on the other side, it's that I'm hoping there will be a little more mystery to the future Andy stories.
The Debutante Debut of the Season.......2005-09-27
Andrea "Andy" Kendricks has never felt comfortable in the high society life her mother had planned for her. Even before she blew off her own debutante ball, she had become best friends with Molly, the "scholarship girl" at Andy's exclusive high school.
Close during high school and the beginning of college, Molly and Andy lost touch over the years. Until one morning when Molly calls Andy from the police station. Molly's boss has been murdered and Molly is the police's only suspect. Not that it's too much of a wild conclusion since she was seen leaving the scene of the crime and her fingerprints are the only ones on the murder weapon.
With the police not looking at anyone else, Andy decides to go undercover at the restaurant to find the real killer. Poking around, she begins to find out that no one liked the victim. In fact, the list of possible suspects includes anyone who ever met the man. Andy's sure that Molly is innocent. But can she find the right piece of information to convince the police they have the wrong person behind bars?
The book starts off with a bang that draws the reader in quickly. Unfortunately, the plot is a little uneven, slowing down in the middle. Even so, the writing is so engaging and the characters so endearing it's hard to put the book down. The final third is a race to the finish.
As I said, the characters are also endearing right from the start. Andy and Molly's friendship seems so real even after the time apart, you root for things to work out. Cissy, Andy's mother, is shown to have a much bigger heart then Andy would lead the reader to believe. She's a great character and her scenes were laugh out loud funny. She should have had more page time.
Even though the plot got lost a time or two, this is still an entertaining read for anyone looking for a light book. The characters have worked their way into my heart, and I will drop in on them again soon.
Great "Girly" Mystery!.......2005-09-16
As a fan of the "Chick Lit" mystery's - this is ranked pretty high up there...
Very good, fast read with interesting characters and scenery.
Book Description
USA Today bestselling author Julia London, "a gifted and versatile author" (Publishers Weekly), introduces a sexy, wildly romantic and emotionally charged new trilogy in which three aristocratic young ladies, upon discovering they are destitute, resort to desperate means to keep up appearances...and find the husbands of their dreams.
When the young ladies of the Fairchild family learn that their stepfather has absconded with their late mother's fortune, Ava, the eldest, hunts down the notoriously wealthy rakehell Jared Broderick, the Marquis of Middleton and heir to a dukedom. Much to her shock and delight, the marquis sweeps her into a whirlwind romance and proposes marriage. But after their passionate wedding night, Ava discovers Jared has ulterior motives of his own. Not only does he expect her to deliver an heir while he continues to enjoy a rogue's life, but Ava also suspects she is a pawn in her husband's quest for revenge. Marriages of convenience work for some, but for Ava a loveless bond won't do. So she devises a bold plan to confront her husband's demons so that he might be free to choose to give her his heart for the right reason: because she is the only woman he will ever truly desire.
Download Description
When the young ladies of the Fairchild family learn that their stepfather has absconded with their late mother's fortune, Ava, the eldest, hunts down the notoriously wealthy rakehell Jared Broderick, the Marquis of Middleton and heir to a dukedom. Much to her shock and delight, the marquis sweeps her into a whirlwind romance and proposes marriage. But after their passionate wedding night, Ava discovers Jared has ulterior motives of his own. Not only does he expect her to deliver an heir while he continues to enjoy a rogue's life, but Ava also suspects she is a pawn in her husband's quest for revenge. Marriages of convenience work for some, but for Ava a loveless bond won't do. So she devises a bold plan to confront her husband's demons so that he might be free to choose to give her his heart for the right reason: because she is the only woman he will ever truly desire.
Customer Reviews:
Delightful "marriage of convenience" novel.......2007-04-08
"Hazards" was my first experience reading a historical romance by Julia London. It is the first in the "Desperate Debutantes" series, the stories of three girls who lost their inheritance to an unscrupulous step-father. While Ava has some faults as a heroine, it doesn't detract from the story. Jared is a marquis and has a very strained relationship with his father, the duke. The relationship between Ava & Jared is strained at first, but becomes more romantic as the story progresses. I'm looking forward to Ms. London's next book in the series, "The Perils of Pursuing a Prince".
wonderfully enjoyable.......2007-03-10
This is my first Julia London book and I enjoyed it completely. Good solid characters, well written. I highly recommend it. The Regency period is one I would have loved to have lived -- as an aristocrat with antibiotics of course!!
Breathe Taking!.......2007-01-07
I seriously couldn't put the book down. It was a riveting love story. I really got into it. I think that if you are looking for a good romance then this a good one to pick. You'll love it. Well I did so I hope you too.
Lightweight Regency.......2006-11-22
I found this book lightweight - not in its physical properties (it was a satisfyingly chunky book at nearly 400 pages) but in terms of its content. The basic story is that Jared, the Marquis of Middleton, is a rake who has numerous affairs but has no wife and legal heir. His father, the Duke of Redford, wants him to settle down and get a legitimate heir but Jared is unwilling.
Ava and her sister Phoebe discover, after their mother's death, that their stepfather will not give them any money - they merely have their small dowries left. Therefore they need to get some money in order to continue to live acceptably and to provide employment for the various people that they have helped (Ava's lady's maid is a former prostitute, the butler is another lame duck, etc).
Of course Ava hits on the plan of marrying the Marquis of Middleton to solve their problems and, spookily, he hits on the plan of marrying Ava to shut his father up. So they marry. After a successful wedding night they become estranged, the reason being that Ava wants his love and thinks he's still seeing his mistress. Jared believes he can't love, it's not within him, so keeps away from his wife - apart from telling her he needs an heir.
It's often said that authors should "show, not tell" what's going on in their characters' lives. This is a very true adage in respect to this book - Julia London TELLS us all the time what people are feeling but we can't really sense/detect this from their behaviour. It's pretty tricky to understand why Jared likes Ava and puts up with her being pretty annoying. And why he just doesn't tell her outright he's not still keeping a mistress - the Big Misunderstanding doesn't work properly when it could so easily be discussed. There's a side plot about an illegitimate son and Ava's cousin travelling in Wales to visit her family (which is no doubt a set up for another book) but I found this book generally pretty dull, I often put it down with boredom and it didn't even have any interesting historical vignettes to keep me interested. As always, the American author included some Americanisms in grammar and speech - and the most notable of these, for me, is the choice of names; I don't think that either Jared or Ava were names commonly used in the Regency. Jared, being a biblical name, might just have turned up - Ava is a German name which I believe first started occurring at the end of the 19th century, so would not have been in this historical/geographical timeframe. What does this say about the author's research?
If you just want basic escapist reading with a dishy leading man and a beautiful heroine then you might like this book. If you want an interesting, in-depth and worthwhile Regency then read Georgette Heyer or Laura Kinsale's "Flowers From The Storm" and leave this book alone.
Ignore the negative reviews - deeply moving love story!!.......2006-11-09
Oh my anyone that does not see this book as a beautiful love story well I just do not understand them. Someone discribed this couple as miserable and depressing. Truly I just did not see them that way at all. From the very first moment Jared met Ava there was something between them - even if it was just a chemistry. You could feel it. Of course they both had their hidden reasons for marrying. Poor Jared had been jerked around so much his entire life by his cold father the Duke he was just trying to marry someone that he might actually be able to tolerate, rather than the cold pathetic woman that the Duke had selected. And Ava was just trying to have some say so in her future before her horrible stepfather returned from France and then would accept the proposal of a man Ava could not tolerate. However, once these two married slowly things began to change. Ava fell in love. Jared, was actually a pretty good husband. Even though Ava did not realize it he had not further contact with his mistress and he intended to be faithful. He did not understand love, and felt that perhaps he was incapable of giving Ava the love she wanted. But as this couple learns to deal with each other they truly do come together and actually begin to have many more good days than bad. Of course Ava wants 100% of Jared's love and it seems for awhile that he just cannot deliver. It does take Jared awhile to come to his senses but the process for one so devoid of love most of his life would not be easy to recognize love when it finally touches him. Jared basically is a good and caring man. And I truly found this to be a very deep and moving love story. If this is the beginning of a trio of books I hope the other two are as good. This one is a complete keeper!!
Book Description
WEALTHY TEXAS WIDOWS NEED LOVING TOO...
...which is why Bebe Kent joined a dating service for "discriminating" seniors soon after relocating to the swanky Belle Meade retirement community. Unfortunately, Bebe didn't live long enough to meet "Mr. Right." And though doctors declared her death totally natural, extravagant blue-blooded Dallas socialite Cissy Blevins Kendricks believes her old friend's demise was hastened -- and she's ready to check herself into Belle Meade incognito to prove it.
Cissy's rebellious, sometime-sleuthing daughter, Andrea, wants no part of her mother's glittering social whirl -- and she's anything but pleased to have Cissy muscle her way into Andy's milieu. She has no choice, however, but to join her mom in search of the truth -- especially when more well-heeled widows start turning up dead...
Customer Reviews:
Andrea ends up helping Cissy solve a mystery this time.......2007-04-17
Andrea Kendricks doesn't want to be at Bebe Kent's memorial service, but her mother talked her into going to be her moral support. Bebe was one of her dear friends. After the service, Andrea's mother, Cissy, announces she believes Bebe was murdered. Andrea's afraid the grief is too much for Cissy.
Bebe had recently moved into Belle Meade, a swanky retirement community. When Cissy takes her there, she runs into an old friend she hasn't seen for years.
Then another resident is found dead. Another friend of Cissy's. Now Cissy is insistent that they were both murdered, even though there is no evidence to support her claims.
Andrea agrees to help her mother prove it was murder to humor her. But as Cissy begins digging, Andrea realizes something is going on and joins in the investigation. Can they get to the truth without finding themselves pushing up daisies?
I love this series. Andrea is such a fun character. I'm actually warming to her mother with each book. I'm not into the society scene. That's probably why I like Andrea so much. I thought this book was the best glimpse into the real Cissy and now I like her better.
I really enjoyed the mystery in this book and the retirement community was a great backdrop. I highly recommend this book and the complete series.
The Characters Weren't Given Enough Plot.......2006-12-05
Andrea Kendricks was looking forward to a nice relaxing Saturday alone. However, one of her mother's best friends, Bebe Kent, has died, and "Andy" gets talked into attending the memorial service to be Cissy's moral support. After the service, Andy learns that Cissy thinks her friend was murdered. Clearly, Cissy's grief is affecting her mental health.
Bebe had recently moved into the Belle Meade, a plush retirement community for the extremely rich. When another resident is found dead, Cissy again finds the normal looking circumstances suspicious. Could she be right?
Having read the previous two books in the series, I expected the plot of the book to be a little slow right out of the gate. However, I wasn't prepared for this. The plot moved forward with glacial speed, with too much of it being revealed on the back of the book. Frankly, the back of the book may be my complaint more then anything else. I love Andy and Cissy, so I was highly disappointed by the lack of development. One of Andy's childhood friends makes an appearance, and I loved learning more about Andy from their interactions.
Die hard fans of the series will still enjoy reading the book. But don't bother reading if you don't love the characters.
Retirement Community Murder..........2006-05-25
In the 3rd Debutante Dropout Mystery, Andrea Kendricks Blevins (aka Andy) feels even more pressure than usual from her wealthy Texas mother, Cissy Blevins. Normally, the pressure facing Andy has to do with the fact that she shuns high society, and lives without her trust fund. Always trying to marry her off to a rich suitor, Cissy spends a lot of time worrying about her independent daughter. But when one of Cissy's friends is found dead, Cissy enlists the help of her daughter to prove that the death was not from natural causes as the retirement community claims. Adding insult to injury, Andy soon learns that an old camp buddy, Annabelle, is the proud owner of the swanky community. Annabelle begs Andy to get Cissy off the case, and puts Andy is a difficult situation. And when Cissy goes deep undercover, will a killer be unmasked or will Cissy find herself as the latest victim?
I really enjoy this fun series! It is nice to see the relationship between Andy and Cissy grow with each new installment, and I have enjoyed watching Andy become more understanding of her mother's point of view. Some of the mystery itself was a bit unbelievable, but it did not take away from the story itself. For example, I found it a bit implausible that a retirement community could have a doctor on staff that could rule a death "natural causes" or not, especially with more than one death so close together. It seemed to me that Annabelle would have been more than willing to have an autopsy done just to prove no foul play was involved, which added to the mystery. I was kept guessing almost to the end, and still have some questions that I believe could be answered in future books. There is also a hint of a romance for Cissy, which could be a welcome addition to the series.
The first book in the series is called "Blue Blood". Enjoy!
An Absolute Delight.......2006-04-19
This was my very first Susan McBridge book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Since I'm in the age group of most of the characters in The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club I could relate to some of what went on though made me wary of high-class communities for seniors.
If you want light reading that will make you giggle at times while stretching your brain to figure out "who done it", give this one a try.
Marilyn Meredith, author of Wingbeat and other Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries.
the lone star lonely hearts club.......2006-04-01
Disappointing. Our heroine spends 300 pages convinced her mother (as sane as any wealthy Texas matron) is crazy. Not believable even in the pretend world. I was looking forward to this third outing of Ms. Kendricks but had to keep reading faster to not put it down completely. Surely #4 will be back on track.
Book Description
Website designer and high society rebel Andrea Kendricks would never have gotten involved with ego-in-pumps life-style hostess Marilee Mabry if it weren't for the underhanded machinations of Andy's upper crust mama. But thanks to Mother Cissy, Andy's donning designer duds to attend a launch party at the intolerable domestic diva's new Dallas TV studio -- and she's on hand to witness the celebration site go up in flames! Then a body turns up in the rubble, the victim, apparently, of some very foul play. Even though iron-willed Cissy isn't about to let her social calendar be upset by a little inconvenience like murder, her sometime-sleuthing daughter's got a more pressing engagement -- namely, hunting down a killer. But there are more than a few nasty messes tucked away in the Mabry closet -- and a craven assassin who has the Big D elite quaking in their cowboy boots may soon be burying Andy in hers!
Customer Reviews:
Slow Start to a Good Mystery.......2006-06-23
Much to her dismay, Andrea "Andy" Kendricks just can't say no to her mother. That's how she finds herself redesigning the website for Marilee Mabry, a local celebrity. Andy is working hard to get the website ready for Marilee's nationwide debut. She's just sold the syndication rights to her TV show, "The Sweet Life," and is hoping to give Martha Stewart a run for her money.
However, trouble is lurking in the Dallas, Texas studio. A poisonous spider has found in Marilee's desk. A studio light came crashing down, just missing the star.
This doesn't slow Marilee down in the least, and she charges full speed ahead with a web cast party to celebrate the new deal. Against her will, Andy finds herself attending the party only to witness in horror as the night takes several turns for the worse. There's an unhappy chef and an egotistical star. And that's before the fire starts. Andy knows Marilee is not a pleasant person to work for. Andy is the fourth web designer Marilee has had in six weeks, and she is more then ready to quit herself. But who could have it in for the woman?
After a short first chapter told in third person, the novel picks up with Andy's first person narration. It has a nice, breezy style that pulls the reader in, and Andy's asides on the action add to the enjoyment.
This is important because the first quarter of the book is pretty slow. Andy starts delving into memories of her relationship with her parents and worrying about accepting a gift from her mother. I was beginning to get a little bored when the action started.
Once the story moves to the party, it picked up speed quickly. I easily got engrossed in the events happening and had a hard time putting the book down. I saw a couple twists coming and should have seen more, but I was surprised by the events of the climax.
Adding to this are the characters. Not only are Andy and the other returning characters fully developed, but so are the slate of new characters. I found myself getting emotionally involved in the story, so when I reached the climax, it really hit me hard.
It's worth the time getting past the beginning to find the heart of the story. I am glad I persisted. I've already bought the next in the series and plan to read it soon.
Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave!.......2006-04-18
In the 2nd Debutante Dropout mystery, Andy Kendricks finds herself in a difficult situation. She is designing a website for Marilee Mabry's new TV show, The Sweet Life. Normally, Andy prefers to work for non-profit groups, and tends to shy away from the elite crowd to which she was born. Andy is talked into the job by her mother, Cissy Kendricks, the only close friend of the diva talk show host.
And things have been going a little awry for Marilee lately. Nobody seems to like the tantrum prone star, and incidents are happening with increasing frequently on set. A brown recluse spider bites a staff member, a microphone falls on another, and her daughter is poisoned. Is someone trying to kill Marilee or trying to ruin her new show? Could it be the boy toy that both Marilee and her daughter, Kendall, are involved with? Or is it the ex-husband who left Marilee before she became rich and famous? Or is it one of the numerous staff members that Marilee has run off or ticked off?
Once again Andy jumps into the mystery and tries to help. When a murder occurs, Andy feels she knows exactly who is to blame. But finding the suspect becomes a bit trickier. Does she have the right person in mind? Will she help the police locate the correct suspect before anyone else becomes a victim?
This series is one of my current favorites. I think Andy is a highly entertaining character. Not having endless amounts of money myself, it is sometimes difficult for me to relate to her chosen lifestyle of living way below her means. I do admire it, however, and feel that it makes the character much more believable. (I would, however, suggest that she get a vehicle with good air conditioning. Why suffer?)
Just a note on this series. The murder does not happen right away in the book. The author spends time developing the characters before killing them off. So, if you like a mystery that has the death occur quickly, you may be a little disappointed. However, the mysteries are good, and the characters strong. This book is a great addition to the series, and I look forward to upcoming books.
The first book in the series is called "Blue Blood". Enjoy!
an interesting idea not quite accomplished.......2005-09-24
I really love murder mysteries although they do mostly follow the same structure ( sometimes this is nessecary) where by; a murder is commited (stage one) the detective interviews all the suspects/ follows leads (stage two) and (finally)reveals who the murder is, possibly whilst in danger.
In a good girl's guide to murder, Susan Mcbride instead starts by indicating who is going to be murdered (stage one) and what movives other people might have to do this (stage two) then (finally) 3/4 of the way through the book she stages the murder. This alternative structure allows Mcbride to show a more rounded charecter regarding the murder victim (including why she is so dissliked yet also the charecter's reasons for being so disslikable in more depth than is usually used).
Overall this book has engaging charecters and is easy get into but i did find the actual mystery easy to solve as the clues were not very well hiden and some vital motives were aluded to repeatedly .
This book good for someone looking to try something different but not radically different. It is not as suspenceful as works by other mystery writes (i.e. jerrilyn farmer and joanne fluke) but a reasonable addition to the genre.
Another winner for the Dep series! .......2005-09-16
I enjoyed Blue Blood, and thought this was a great follow-up.
Again, great character structure and introducing some new ones that look interesting enough to continue on as "regulars" as well.
I'm looking very forward to the rest of the books!
It's a GOOD thing..........2005-07-18
Ever feel like murdering Martha Stewart? Okay, someone like Martha Stewart, only Marth-ier? Yeah, me too. But no way I'm doing time for the crime, so The Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a good way to get to rub her out and solve the Marthacide too. (Okay, her name is "Marilee Mabry" here, but she's the Marth-iest of them all.) And I loved the wacky Texas high society setting and the character sparks between Andy, the rebel "debutante dropout" sleuth, and her socialite diva mom, Cissy. Lots of plot twists and wit and great characters. A Texan I'm not, but McBride's pithy observations of human nature, the good, the bad and the funny, ring true. The Good Girl's Guide is a good thing. (Unless you're poor doomed Martha/Marilee...)
Books:
- Cravings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novella) (Queen Betsy Novella) (The World of the Lupi Novella) (Moon Series Novella)
- Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness
- Desierto: Memories of the Future
- Devil May Cry (A Dark-Hunter Novel, Book 11)
- Digital Lighting & Rendering
- Distant Shores: A Tenth-Anniversary Celebration (Star Trek: Voyager)
- Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance Chronicles, Book 3)
- Ethan Frome (Signet Classics)
- Every Woman Needs a Wife
- Finders Keepers
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- PowerNomics : The National Plan to Empower Black America
- Into the West: From Reconstruction to the Final Days of the American Frontier
- Computer Accounting Essentials Using QuickBooks
- How to Defend a Bridge Hand
- Food and Beverage Cost Control
- Operations Management: An Integrated Approach
- History: Fiction or Science
- Quicken 2000 for Macintosh, Second Edition
- Gaining Influence in Public Relations: The Role of Resistance in Practice
- Trojan Odysey
