20 Nov 2013

BOOKENDS.

BOOKENDS by JANE GREEN.

SOURCE: Bought at a church fayre.

Total opposites, always together and both unlucky in love.

Cath is scatty, messy and guarded. While Si is impossibly tidy, bitchy and desperate for a man of his own. They live near each other in West Hampstead, close to their other best friends Josh and Lucy - who are married, with a devil-spawn child called Max and a terrifying Swedish nanny, Ingrid.

When Portia steps back into their lives - beautiful Portia, the undisputed queen of their group at university, who broke their collective hearts one night and from whom they have all gradually, silently, grown apart - her reappearance sets off a chain of events that tests Cath and her friends to the limit.

Does Portia have a hidden agenda, or is she just looking for happy endings all round? Whatever the answers, none of them could predict the outcome ....
...... Outer back cover.

FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): The first time I met Josh, I thought he was a nice guy but a transient friend.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS (Page 66): Max stands in the doorway, blocking my path, looking at me as if I'm about to start selling him dusters and dishcloths, a mixture of disdain and pity, which is quite extraordinary, bearing in mind he's three years old and half his face is covered in chocolate.

MY THOUGHTS: '.... Whatever the answers, none of them could ever predict the outcome'. If only the same could be said for me who had worked out the outcome of the book by about quarter of the way through.

'Chicklit' through and through though (and please excuse me for being evasive here, I'm desperately trying to avoid a spoiler) the Si thread of the storyline stops it from being completely fluffy. 

If you can get past how predictable the plot is, see beyond the stereotypical characters, two of whom could well have come straight from an episode of the American comedy Will and Grace, enjoy a pantomime-like 'will they/won't they' scenario, and an ending in which everyone ..... now that would be telling ..... then, like me, you might quite enjoy Bookends as an 'unthinking comfort read' perfect for these cold, dark nights.

The story of a group of thirty somethings who have been friends since their university days at the heart of which is Bookends, the business opened by friends Cath and Lucy. An aspect that could perhaps have been made more of. Not that it in any way impaired my enjoyment of the book but I certainly feel that the person responsible for writing the synopsis on the back cover missed something in not mentioning what is after all the dream of countless bibliophiles the world over.


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12 comments:

Kelly said...

As chick-lit is not a favorite of mine, this sounds like it might be a little too drama filled for my taste.

Trac~ said...

Hello my friend! Thanks for another great review - this is another one I must add to my list of reads I see. Thanks for stopping by to say hello last week. Do keep in touch please! I'm behind on my blogging again as this 4th quarter at work is really kicking my butt! HA! Have a great rest of the week dear friend! xoxoxo

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

Hi Tracy,

I'm not a huge fan of pure,unadulterated chick-lit, there has to be a bit of mystery and intrigue, to keep me turning the pages.

There are times when I just can't be bothered to think too deeply about a story, but they are the kind of books that I can read, enjoy and forget instantly!

This sounds like a pretty run of the mill storyline, with some shallow and unimaginative characters, but if it passes a few hours, what the heck! ....

Thanks for the feature and review,

Yvonne

Shooting Stars Mag said...

The summary would do well to mention the bookstore! That would spark my interest. haha Sounds cute enough, but nothing I'm dying to read.

Betty Manousos said...

i am not a big fan of chick-lit... this one sounds like a delightful read though.

big hugs!
xx

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

Hm... sometimes I do enjoy a chick-lit novel... even if it isn't original. Sometimes enjoyable is just fine with me.

Margo Dill said...

Yes, it is nice to be entertained while reading, and sometimes interesting characters and an okay plot make me keep reading. I think I love good characters! :)

Stephanie@Fairday's Blog said...

A good chick lit book can be good in between other books. Sometimes I need a fast, fairly predictable book- especially if I have come off of an emotional or nail biting book. :) Thanks for sharing!

Suko said...

Tracy, another honest, terrific review! This sounds like an enjoyable story.

So many books, so little time said...

Hmm I think I will keep a wee eye out for this, I like a bit of chick lit every now and again. Thanks for reviewing.

Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

Gina said...

Certainly a fan of this genre but oh my...I can't imagine why they utilize that aspect of the story more to their advantage? Love the name chosen for the store though. ^_^ Thanks for the share!

The Bookworm said...

Sometimes stereotypical characters and a predictable plot make for enjoyable fluff. I have heard about this author before.