All I can say is....wow. I'm glad I'm done with this book. Normally when I speed read books, it's because I'm desperate to know what happens next. I start gripping the book so hard, willing myself to read faster. This book was like that for me, but because I just wanted to get it over with.

The bar was set pretty high because I've heard such great things about Marian Keyes. The characters were all pretty "meh," and I couldn't relate to any of them. Sometimes they were so stupid that it was painful to read, and I didn't even feel like cheering for any of them (other than Fintan). I also didn't see the point of Liv and Milo...they didn't contribute to the storyline whatsoever. The storyline was also VERY slow...no suspense, no moment that made my heart race and kept me up all night reading.

I'll probably read another Marian Keyes book sometime because of all the hype and great praise she's gotten. I do hope it's better than this book, though.

This was really cute. Keyes is hilarious! I will read more of her stuff..

2.5 stars Could have been much shorter, seemed too drawn out. Three friends and their relationship, health problems.

Great book. Exploring relationships between friends and their ups and downs during their lives! Their personal tribulations and their love lives! Enjoyed reading it!

One of the rare chic lit books that has some kind of smart message

Este ha sido el único libro que he leído de Marian Keyes, y aunque no fue una lectura tan mala, no voy a repetir. No sentí nada mientras leía esta novela, y el chick lit me parece un género de lo más frustrante.

Hacía mucho que no leía a Marian Keyes. En su momento me encantaban y devoraba sus libros.
Disfrutaba su humor, sus historias de amor, fiestas y desfases.. Pero creo que de algún modo he desconectado como lectora de su narrativa. No es que no me haya gustado el libro. Sigue siendo facil de leer y divertido en algun momento, pero ya no lo he disfrutado como antes. Las vidas de los personajes, las actitudes, las conversaciones, sus motivaciones en la vida.. son personajes muy típicos de la autora y creo que ya no conecto con ellos.

And another Marian Keyes book I read but not registered.


On Thursday, July 28, 2005 I wrote on bookcrossing.com

8 out of 10
Hi Lauraloo
This book was so hard for me to get into.
Didn't know why. maybe because it is huge and I have set a goal, to read 100 books in 1 year?
anyway I had tried to read it twice. Both times I'd read 10 pages and then I received another book and stopped reading this one.

Well third time lucky. Again it was hard.I think because the main persons annoyed me, and did not have anything in common with them. I do not see food everywhere (Tara), and am not in control of my self like Katherine, + tara annoyed me ,it was hard for me reading she took all that abuse of her boyfriend.
at one moment I thought I can't read any further. I am going to quit. Tried another book, but started to miss this book so I picked it up again :-)
Quess what. I am so glad I did. it is great, I am laughing so much.
Last night in bed I could not stop. it was 01.00 am and I was alone in the house (Glad for that!) screaming with laughter.
Love the Irish family of Finton, and the mudd bath of tara :-)
I have read about 450 pages and still nearly 150 to go.
Hooray!!! :-) thanks!
will update this J.E when ready

update august 10 2005

OOps i forgot to update. really enjoyed it.

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(Left all errors and typos to show that my English did improve ;) )

Esta novela llegó a mis manos por azar, sin haber oído hablar apenas antes de la autora, y la sinopsis no atraía demasiado mi atención, pero sabía que era una historia a la que quería dar una oportunidad, sobre todo después de haber visto más novelas de Marian Keyes que parecían tener buena pinta. Así que sí, es el primer libro suyo que leo y tengo que decir que es una novela con más mensajes de los que uno podría esperar, que retrata la vida urbana de Londres y la actitud recatada de los pueblos de Irlanda, que narra la vida de diversos personajes, dándoles a todos sus momentos de protagonismo y esto es algo que no suele gustarme, cuando una novela no se centra en una pareja principal o un personaje que es el epicentro de todo. Por eso esta historia es tan real, porque muestra inseguridades, secretos, confianza en uno mismo y en los que le rodean, porque enseña la amistad con sus puntos buenos y malos, porque muestra a personajes que persiguen, aun sin saberlo, la felicidad.
Por supuesto que la recomiendo, aunque tengo que decir que la narrativa o la historia no es para gusto de todos, lo digo sobre todo porque he leído opiniones y las hay muy buenas y muy malas. Pero a mí me ha gustado cada anécdota.

This book was about the changes that a group of friends maded in their lives after it is discovered that one of them has Hodgekins Disease. It was a good story but slow in parts.

No, this is not great literature. It isn't perfect, it may not even the one of the best Marian Keyes books. What it is is funny, gentle, sweet and relatively calm - exactly what I've been needing to read.

In typical Keyes fashion, the characters are all terrible flawed and all the more likeable for it. I really think Katherine is not up there with my favourite Keyes characters, as is the lovely Fintan (which makes the usual heartbreaking plot-line of the book even more heartbreaking). Having dealt a lot with cancer in my short life through multiple family members' journeys through the disease, I am always fascinated to see how authors deal with such a tricky subject. I thought Keyes did a fairly good job, most particularly with the friend's and family's reactions and support of Fintan throughout. Again, the characters' flaws show up hugely, but so do their strengths, just as in real life.

Anyway, apart from the more sobering tone of Fintan's story, the other plot threads were entertaining and (mostly) cheerful. I can't honestly say that I could relate to Tara at all, but her melodramatics made for a amusing read, and she shows surprising strength in the end.

The banter between friends was hilarious, and I suppose my only disappointment with this book is that I left it with very little more than I came to it with. Still, a worthy little read for summer, especially if you happen to already be a Keyes fan.

Muy divertido y, aunque no me gustan los libros con varias historias paralelas, la verdad es que me ha gustado mucho