The Other Side of the Story by marian keyes

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

As other people have said, it’s a very long book - about twice as long as most women’s fiction books. I listened to the audiobook while driving, or I might have abandoned it. The other thing is that it’s rather meta - about a literary agent and two of her clients whose lives intersect in various ways. But the women characters are very self-absorbed and the men are sort of weak. I’ve enjoyed many of Marion Keyes’ books but this one isn’t one of her best.

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fuzokyu13

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Marianne Keyes is back to her best with her latest offering about three whacky women in the London Publishing World. Gemma, JoJo and Lily are all involved in the world of writing. Lily as an author, by choice, Gemma, as her rival, by chance, and Jojo as a literary agent.

I loved the insider’s view onto this world of words and wordsmiths and the people who make their money from both of them.

Gemma is having a ‘lust’ affair with a younger man in Ireland, and a flirtation with a pharmacist on the side. She’s also still yearning for her true love, Anton, who left her for London and her best friend, Lily.

Lily is an author who hits on a magical recipe with her flighty book, “Mimi’s Remedies” after years of struggling to have her real work published. She’s an overnight sensation and then a terrible failure. She has a baby, an unsuccessful boyfriend and a mortgage she can’t afford.

Jojo is an American living in London (Must be a Madonna thing). She just happens to be an ex-policewoman who is one of the hottest agents at Lipman Haigh. She is engaged in a love affair with her married boss, Mark Avery. They trade witty emails and have lots of good sex, but something’s not quite right. Keyes weaves the lives of these three women together with a light touch. She is often funny, and poignant when she means to be.

I enjoyed Rachel’s Holiday and Watermelon. I was frustrated by Last Chance Saloon and Angels. Perhaps Keyes was trying too hard. The Other Side of the Story is not meant to be deep. It is probably best described as chick-lit but I enjoyed it. It is an entertaining read that kept me giggling for a couple of nights in a row. In fact, it’s a perfect book to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s night.

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Luigi_AU

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

On one hand, I loved it. It’s Marian Keyes, who is one of my favourite authors. Commonly known as chic lit, Keyes stories are usually full of heroines whose lives are inevitably changed by, sometimes horrific, life events. It was exactly the kind of book I needed to read at this time of life.

On the other hand, it simple wasn’t long enough. I wanted to keep reading about the characters and what happened after the epilogue. Maybe a bit too much filler for three separate stories? Filler or not, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Noxidian

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Marian Keys takes chick lit and makes it deep. Yet still hilarious with just enough love and romance. Despite the length of this book I finished it in two days because I could not stop reading!

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ArjuR

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

I don't why I keep doing this to myself. A possible glutton for punishment, who knows?! This was a painful read from the beginning and another Keyes book where I picked the storyline from the beginning. Little to no respect for the characters who just cannot seem to assert themselves in the circumstances that they find themselves in. There was an hilarious line from Gemma Hogan which went something like, "If Lily can write a book, it can't be that hard." That line made me snort laugh for a split second because I feel like I (or really anyone) could write a book better than this one (if I really felt the need and had the time). Also this book could have been 200 pages instead of more than 600, too much exposition for the unworthy plot.

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kudzuken

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

2.5

Mildly entertaining, but I HATED the characters.

1. Gemma. GET OVER IT. Yes, your best friend "stole" your boyfriend (not EVEN), but it happened THREE YEARS ago. And don't even get me started on Gemma's mother. What an IDIOT. I can understand being devastated after your husband of thirty-five years leaves you for a younger woman, but to make your idiot daughter take care of you for MONTHS as if you're terminally ill? GIVE ME A DAMN BREAK.

2. Jojo. I actually liked Jojo. I didn't have a problem with her affair with Mark, and I liked her ambition. Every time I reached a Jojo chapter, I breathed a small sigh of relief at having been done a ridiculous Gemma one.

3. Lily. OK, she was kind of sweet. But what an idiot with money, and she was such a WIMP. Reading a Lily chapter was like watching a train wreck, and then it just got old.

Marian Keyes, I will give you ONE MORE CHANCE, and then I'm calling it quits. Oh, and by the way, your novels DO NOT need to be this long.

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zefreak

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Makkelijk lezen maar kon ook in 200 blz verteld worden ipv 600. Daardoor was het saai. T einde gaf wel enige voldoening. Owja en de hoofdpersonen waren echt de meest irrationele mensen ooit. Not it

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