Helpful Score: 2
Another fabulous book from Anna McPartlin, who has quickly become one of my favourite authors! Love her characterizations -- these are people that you care about and wish you really knew. Love the premise of people meeting and becoming friends at an actual performer's (Jack Lukeman aka Jack L) concert and as a result of reading this book the performer, who is extremely popular in Ireland, has popped up on my music radar and I have downloaded great music of his as a direct result of reading this book. Hated to see this book end! Highly recommend!
Helpful Score: 1
This is a really intriguing, enjoyable novel by one of Ireland's best authors. McPartlin writes a lot like Diane Chamberlain - in other words she creates likeable characters in dramatic situations. In this novel Tom is searching for the love of his life, Alexandra, who has gone missing while picking up concert tickets. In a random fashion Tom ends up getting stuck in an elevator with Jane, Alexandra's former best friend from high school. Jane, her sister, Elle and a stranger named Leslie all band together to help Tom find Alexandra and shed light on her disappearance. This book is a page turner and the characters have interesting histories, secrets and lies. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
I really liked this book. The title would suggest that it is about Alexandra, and it is to an extent. But the real story involves the other characters and what they go through while trying to find Alexandra. Really the character Alexandra is just a catalyst to pull all of the other characters together. Not to say that Alexandra isn't part of the plot, because the entire book revolves around finding her, but she's not part of the main stories.
This book reminded me a bit of a Maeve Binchy novel. Even before I read the author bio, and realized that McPartlin also lives in Ireland. I guess it's a similarity in Irish authors, but luckily Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors so being similar to one of her books is a good thing (at least in my opinion). The writing is similar and the dialect is the same. While this story doesn't have a Binchy style happy ending it is still very similar.
There was really only one character that I connected with, and that was Leslie. I too have lost family to cancer, and like Leslie am scared every time I go to the doctor that they will find something. Even though I didn't really have a personal connection with the rest of the characters I still liked every one of them. Jane is the levelheaded one. She keeps everyone else "in line" so to speak. Elle is the one that adds drama and excitement to the story. Tom is the one we all want to feel sympathetic for. The rest of the characters help the plot along, but I didn't really feel anything for them. They were just kind of there.
The writing was very good. It was humorous, touching, and romantic. Everything in the story was believable. I didn't feel as if any of the characters were fake, and the dialog was real. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. And while I knew how the story would end I didn't expect it to take the path it took to get there.
Overall this was a great book. I liked the characters, the plot, and the writing. It's very readable, and I think I could read this again.
This book reminded me a bit of a Maeve Binchy novel. Even before I read the author bio, and realized that McPartlin also lives in Ireland. I guess it's a similarity in Irish authors, but luckily Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors so being similar to one of her books is a good thing (at least in my opinion). The writing is similar and the dialect is the same. While this story doesn't have a Binchy style happy ending it is still very similar.
There was really only one character that I connected with, and that was Leslie. I too have lost family to cancer, and like Leslie am scared every time I go to the doctor that they will find something. Even though I didn't really have a personal connection with the rest of the characters I still liked every one of them. Jane is the levelheaded one. She keeps everyone else "in line" so to speak. Elle is the one that adds drama and excitement to the story. Tom is the one we all want to feel sympathetic for. The rest of the characters help the plot along, but I didn't really feel anything for them. They were just kind of there.
The writing was very good. It was humorous, touching, and romantic. Everything in the story was believable. I didn't feel as if any of the characters were fake, and the dialog was real. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. And while I knew how the story would end I didn't expect it to take the path it took to get there.
Overall this was a great book. I liked the characters, the plot, and the writing. It's very readable, and I think I could read this again.
