What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Designs
Katie Fforde is a reviewers' favourite
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 1996
193 people are currently reading
1971 people want to read
About the author
Katie Fforde
96 books2,311 followersCatherine Rose Gordon-Cumming was born 27 September 1952 in England, UK, the daughter of Shirley Barbara Laub and Michael Willoughby Gordon-Cumming. Her grandfather was Sir William Gordon-Cumming. Her sister is fellow writer Jane Gordon-Cumming. Katie married Desmond Fforde, cousin of the also writer Jasper Fforde. She has three children: Guy, Francis and Briony and didn't start writing until after the birth of her third child. She has previously worked both as a cleaning lady and in a health food cafe.
Published since 1995, her romance novels are set in modern-day England. She is the founder of the "Katie Fforde Bursary" for writers who have yet to secure a publishing contract. Katie was elected the twenty-fifteenth Chairman (2009-2011) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is delighted to have been chosen as Chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association and says, "Catherine Jones was a wonderful chair and she's a very tough act to follow. However, I've been a member of the RNA for more years than I can actually remember and will have its very best interests at the core of everything I do."
Katie lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England with her husband, some of her three children and many pets. Recently her old hobbies of ironing and housework have given way to singing, Flamenco dancing and husky racing. She claims this keeps her fit. The writers she likes herself is also in the romantic genre, like Kate Saunders.
Published since 1995, her romance novels are set in modern-day England. She is the founder of the "Katie Fforde Bursary" for writers who have yet to secure a publishing contract. Katie was elected the twenty-fifteenth Chairman (2009-2011) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is delighted to have been chosen as Chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association and says, "Catherine Jones was a wonderful chair and she's a very tough act to follow. However, I've been a member of the RNA for more years than I can actually remember and will have its very best interests at the core of everything I do."
Katie lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England with her husband, some of her three children and many pets. Recently her old hobbies of ironing and housework have given way to singing, Flamenco dancing and husky racing. She claims this keeps her fit. The writers she likes herself is also in the romantic genre, like Kate Saunders.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
May 18, 2019
-
'Wild designs' is exactly the genre I favor: normal people, but gifted ones, everyday life, children, animals, plausible love-story, humor and so on.
But having the right ingredients doesn't make the dish and, if I didn't dislike this book, and even liked some parts of it, it wasn't a good read. I know that all authors can't be Jane Austen or Victoria Clayton, but a minimum quality is required to charm me.
To be petty I'll begin with two weaknesses : the animals. If the dog is well drawn, the three cats are invisible! They have no names and nearly never interact with anybody (just once, in fact). Nobody seemed to care about them - and the guinea pigs' condition is much worse, everybody is waiting for them to die! I understand it's supposed to be a joke, but I didn't like it much.
At all.
Second irritation: the french names.
Why authors and editors don't make the effort to try and choose coherent names for french people? (It's a standing joke to have supposed glamorous men called Roger or Bernard! They are perfectly good names, of course, but not... hum, sexy).
So, no ten years old french children in 1996 were called Véronique or Jean-Claude. And it isn't necessary to plant a surname beginning with an aristocratic particle, those are quite few since the revolution.
The writing isn't essentially bad, but is definitely flawed. Firstly the third person narration, which is so much glued to Althea's character that the frequent jump toward other characters' thoughts is always an unwelcome shock. Secondly the rhythm: the author tells us plenty, nothing is boring, but all these events don't really help the main development. Frequently some things are just there and could have been suppressed without making any difference. I really like, even love, the small details of life in this kind of book. But they must have a goal, and this goal is to show us something about the characters, to push the story in the right direction. Here, most details seem like useless decoration. Probably because the characters, in a psychologically point of view, never progress in any way: what they are in the beginning of the story is what they are in the end.
The worse is certainly Althea's thoughts about her love-life: as silly as any lovesick bad teenager love story: 'Oh dear, I can't love him, he's sooo sexy, but I can't, our love is doomed!' etc. How on earth the poor guy doesn't give up, I can't fathom it! (and why does he like her in the beginning either - not that she isn't lovable, out of her love sighs she's a likable person, but the interactions between the two love interests aren't convincing at all). So Althea doesn't want to be happy for a quite dumb reason and when she suddenly change her mind, it's because it's the end of the book, and for no other reason: no, no, no, no, no, yes!!!
There isn't any psychological development at all in this book ; and, alas, as in this genre I absolutely think it mandatory, I give up Katie Fforde for a lost cause...
A shame.
'Wild designs' is exactly the genre I favor: normal people, but gifted ones, everyday life, children, animals, plausible love-story, humor and so on.
But having the right ingredients doesn't make the dish and, if I didn't dislike this book, and even liked some parts of it, it wasn't a good read. I know that all authors can't be Jane Austen or Victoria Clayton, but a minimum quality is required to charm me.
To be petty I'll begin with two weaknesses : the animals. If the dog is well drawn, the three cats are invisible! They have no names and nearly never interact with anybody (just once, in fact). Nobody seemed to care about them - and the guinea pigs' condition is much worse, everybody is waiting for them to die! I understand it's supposed to be a joke, but I didn't like it much.
At all.
Second irritation: the french names.
Why authors and editors don't make the effort to try and choose coherent names for french people? (It's a standing joke to have supposed glamorous men called Roger or Bernard! They are perfectly good names, of course, but not... hum, sexy).
So, no ten years old french children in 1996 were called Véronique or Jean-Claude. And it isn't necessary to plant a surname beginning with an aristocratic particle, those are quite few since the revolution.
The writing isn't essentially bad, but is definitely flawed. Firstly the third person narration, which is so much glued to Althea's character that the frequent jump toward other characters' thoughts is always an unwelcome shock. Secondly the rhythm: the author tells us plenty, nothing is boring, but all these events don't really help the main development. Frequently some things are just there and could have been suppressed without making any difference. I really like, even love, the small details of life in this kind of book. But they must have a goal, and this goal is to show us something about the characters, to push the story in the right direction. Here, most details seem like useless decoration. Probably because the characters, in a psychologically point of view, never progress in any way: what they are in the beginning of the story is what they are in the end.
The worse is certainly Althea's thoughts about her love-life: as silly as any lovesick bad teenager love story: 'Oh dear, I can't love him, he's sooo sexy, but I can't, our love is doomed!' etc. How on earth the poor guy doesn't give up, I can't fathom it! (and why does he like her in the beginning either - not that she isn't lovable, out of her love sighs she's a likable person, but the interactions between the two love interests aren't convincing at all). So Althea doesn't want to be happy for a quite dumb reason and when she suddenly change her mind, it's because it's the end of the book, and for no other reason: no, no, no, no, no, yes!!!
There isn't any psychological development at all in this book ; and, alas, as in this genre I absolutely think it mandatory, I give up Katie Fforde for a lost cause...
A shame.
June 28, 2010
There were definitely times I wanted to smack the main character, Althea, upside the head. Also, her sister, her ex, her mother, and a few other characters.
Althea is a 38-year-old divorced mother-of-teens who's just lost her job as a school secretary. This is not all bad news--it gives Althea a chance to try for a career as a gardener, previously her hobby. Her younger sister is a bossy critic of pretty much anything Ally does or is--and their mother is apparently worse, but fortunately lives at a distance. However, the house with the greenhouse where she's been raising her plants--without permission--has just been sold, and now she's got to get permission to use it. The new owner is a good-looking architect with a possessive, rather tarty girlfriend-cum-secretary. THEN, as her swan-song with the school, Ally winds up chaperoning students on a trip to France, and gets stuck with sharing quarters with the handsome architect.
And that's just the first chapter or two. Ally runs hot and cold with her attraction to the architect. She worries about her kids. She fights with her sister. She does a fair bit of whining. (Annoying, but not so much as her hot-and-cold-running.) But it was still a good read. I enjoyed the Englishness of the story. The every-day-ness of the story was a large part of why it was interesting to me. I know people much like Althea. I am people like Althea, though while I do tend to let people take advantage of me, I don't simmer in quite such silence. Anyway, it was quite a nice story.
Althea is a 38-year-old divorced mother-of-teens who's just lost her job as a school secretary. This is not all bad news--it gives Althea a chance to try for a career as a gardener, previously her hobby. Her younger sister is a bossy critic of pretty much anything Ally does or is--and their mother is apparently worse, but fortunately lives at a distance. However, the house with the greenhouse where she's been raising her plants--without permission--has just been sold, and now she's got to get permission to use it. The new owner is a good-looking architect with a possessive, rather tarty girlfriend-cum-secretary. THEN, as her swan-song with the school, Ally winds up chaperoning students on a trip to France, and gets stuck with sharing quarters with the handsome architect.
And that's just the first chapter or two. Ally runs hot and cold with her attraction to the architect. She worries about her kids. She fights with her sister. She does a fair bit of whining. (Annoying, but not so much as her hot-and-cold-running.) But it was still a good read. I enjoyed the Englishness of the story. The every-day-ness of the story was a large part of why it was interesting to me. I know people much like Althea. I am people like Althea, though while I do tend to let people take advantage of me, I don't simmer in quite such silence. Anyway, it was quite a nice story.
January 26, 2018
I always love the good old-fashioned romance.
May 30, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Recensie volgt.
Recensie volgt.
March 2, 2009
Nice escape read with an English flavor. Not perfectly written, but likable characters and generally fun. Fforde does seem to have difficultly wrapping up the story, so her endings are often a bit awkward.
September 3, 2015
From this first sentence: 'Mum,' said a voice, reproachful yet forgiving. 'Have you been drinking orange juice straight out of the carton again?' I knew this was going to be a fun read.
Althea is middle aged and a little overweight, has three teenage children, is a single divorced mother, and is about to lose her job. She is very likable and tries to make the best of things. She's cheerful but not perfect. There are some hilarious encounters and a whole lot of misunderstandings.
About half-way through the book I figured out this was a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for middle-age women. Two thirds of the way through the book the big "Darcy" kiss replete with bells and whistles happens. But tension keeps building right up to the very end.
Here are some random notes I made... (mostly vocabulary to look up, but also places to google)
p.5 Cotswold hills Severn Vale
p.68 'grasp the nettle' (a phrase my dad shared with me)
p.83 recherche`
p.113 propinquity
p.117 Whinging Pommish
p.193 voluptuary
p.208 asperity
p.222 maquillage
p.245 Tyrolean
and then it occurred to me to jot down British'isms with my best guess as the the American counter-part
poppers=snaps
tip=dump
removal people=movers
portakabin=storage unit
Oz=Australia
offload=dump
Ta=thanks
knackered=worn out or bushed
navvy=sailor
pushchairs=strollers
cashpoint machine=ATM
petrol=gas
indicated=signaled
bugger= ???
Althea is middle aged and a little overweight, has three teenage children, is a single divorced mother, and is about to lose her job. She is very likable and tries to make the best of things. She's cheerful but not perfect. There are some hilarious encounters and a whole lot of misunderstandings.
About half-way through the book I figured out this was a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for middle-age women. Two thirds of the way through the book the big "Darcy" kiss replete with bells and whistles happens. But tension keeps building right up to the very end.
Here are some random notes I made... (mostly vocabulary to look up, but also places to google)
p.5 Cotswold hills Severn Vale
p.68 'grasp the nettle' (a phrase my dad shared with me)
p.83 recherche`
p.113 propinquity
p.117 Whinging Pommish
p.193 voluptuary
p.208 asperity
p.222 maquillage
p.245 Tyrolean
and then it occurred to me to jot down British'isms with my best guess as the the American counter-part
poppers=snaps
tip=dump
removal people=movers
portakabin=storage unit
Oz=Australia
offload=dump
Ta=thanks
knackered=worn out or bushed
navvy=sailor
pushchairs=strollers
cashpoint machine=ATM
petrol=gas
indicated=signaled
bugger= ???
February 21, 2011
Wild Designs is my favorite book by Katie Fforde. I've read it several times. Althea, a 38-year-old British housewife finds her life turned upside down when she is laid off from her job as a school secretary. While she launches a new career as a garden designer she meets Patrick, a man who is both disconcerting and extremely attractive. Katie Fforde writes with humor and insight. This amusing chick lit novel makes me smile every time I read it.
April 29, 2008
Katie Fforde continues to be my favorite literary candy. This one was about gardening again, and reminded me how much I still really would love to have a greenhouse. And a fountain. And the heated indoor swimming pool isn't a bad idea either.
March 7, 2015
This is one of my favorite Katie Fforde books. Love the characters the writing , the setting. Katie Fforde is one of my favorite writers.
February 18, 2021
The timing was off, the h was so tied up in her role as a mother that she had lost all perspective, and her romantic interest disappeared for long stretches.
August 24, 2014
really enjoyed this - thanks for lending it to me sis!
November 18, 2015
This was a fun story. I like that romantic hero was a older woman with children and she seemed like a real person with many challenges like many women in their 30s and 40s.
February 10, 2021
A gorgeous and funny read. The perfect book to curl up to in today’s society when we can’t get anywhere. This book brought me to the Cotswolds and Chelsea Flower Show. Pure escapism.
October 5, 2018
Three and a half stars.
I'm slowly working my way through Katie Fforde's back catalogue - every time one of them is on sale at 99p I snap it up.
Althea is the divorced mother of three teenagers. Her ex-husband lives in Hong Kong with his glamorous girlfriend. Althea's younger sister Juno is Althea's opposite: thin, sophisticated, organised, childless and with a lucrative career. Althea on the other hand is expecting to be made redundant from her job as school secretary now that her school has merged with another one. Althea's true love is gardening and she dreams of turning her odd-job work for a few elderly neighbours into a full-blown career.
One of her last jobs is to accompany some of the school children on a trip to France where she is introduced to the new school governor, Patrick Donahugh, who has recently moved into the area and bought a large dilapidated house where Althea has secretly been growing plants in the ramshackle greenhouse/conservatory.
When opportunity strikes in the form of Althea winning a competition which might give her the chance to create a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show she pulls out all the stops enlisting friends and family along the way.
Of course Althea is the curvy, overweight, disorganised woman in a sea of athletic, driven women: her sister, Patrick's girlfriend, even her lodgers.
A word of warning, the book is quite old and so there are references to the old TV series Gladiators and what I believe is a Nescafe Gold Blend coffee advert which will puzzle younger readers. But otherwise the writing is fresh and lively and the characters are interesting.
Although I enjoyed the book I didn't feel Patrick's motivations were altogether clear, he seemed to blow hot and cold and ignore what I thought were Althea's quite real concerns about bringing a new man into her children's home. And it did seem to be a bit of insta-lurve without any real substance, they escorted teenage children on a weekend trip to France and boom! Love.
Nevertheless, I was engaged throughout.
I'm slowly working my way through Katie Fforde's back catalogue - every time one of them is on sale at 99p I snap it up.
Althea is the divorced mother of three teenagers. Her ex-husband lives in Hong Kong with his glamorous girlfriend. Althea's younger sister Juno is Althea's opposite: thin, sophisticated, organised, childless and with a lucrative career. Althea on the other hand is expecting to be made redundant from her job as school secretary now that her school has merged with another one. Althea's true love is gardening and she dreams of turning her odd-job work for a few elderly neighbours into a full-blown career.
One of her last jobs is to accompany some of the school children on a trip to France where she is introduced to the new school governor, Patrick Donahugh, who has recently moved into the area and bought a large dilapidated house where Althea has secretly been growing plants in the ramshackle greenhouse/conservatory.
When opportunity strikes in the form of Althea winning a competition which might give her the chance to create a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show she pulls out all the stops enlisting friends and family along the way.
Of course Althea is the curvy, overweight, disorganised woman in a sea of athletic, driven women: her sister, Patrick's girlfriend, even her lodgers.
A word of warning, the book is quite old and so there are references to the old TV series Gladiators and what I believe is a Nescafe Gold Blend coffee advert which will puzzle younger readers. But otherwise the writing is fresh and lively and the characters are interesting.
Although I enjoyed the book I didn't feel Patrick's motivations were altogether clear, he seemed to blow hot and cold and ignore what I thought were Althea's quite real concerns about bringing a new man into her children's home. And it did seem to be a bit of insta-lurve without any real substance, they escorted teenage children on a weekend trip to France and boom! Love.
Nevertheless, I was engaged throughout.
November 23, 2022
I read this book long ago, but never wrote a review. At that time, I gave it 2 stars. I don't remember the story now and I'm not about to re-read it, so still no review. This note is just for my record-keeping.
September 26, 2017
Old fashioned romance and pure escapism.
June 16, 2019
predictable but sweet and funny and excellent Sunday read.
Read
July 27, 2019summer reading!
August 21, 2023
Una lettura scorrevole e poco impegnativa adatta a chi staccare un po' la spina, l’unica pecca è il finale che ho trovato decisamente un po' troppo frettoloso.
August 25, 2024
This book was like a piece of warm apple pie with cinnamon and a cup of hot tea. Homey, warm, cozy and sweet. The main character is witty, fun, and assertive enough until the middle of the book, then she becomes a bit of a pushover, and meek, and irritated me by thinking she knows what others think without asking. It got better again when she started to find herself again.
Still, in general, it was a lovely holiday book.
Still, in general, it was a lovely holiday book.
August 2, 2021
Trite
The writing style and the description on the cover is what drew me in but the book ended up being a huge letdown with an inane plot and a mind-bogglingly stupid heroine so at 50% I couldn't stand it anymore and skipped to the end. And what would you think? The guy ended up being a millionaire. It's like reading Pride and Prejudice in reverse minus the enjoinment.
The writing style and the description on the cover is what drew me in but the book ended up being a huge letdown with an inane plot and a mind-bogglingly stupid heroine so at 50% I couldn't stand it anymore and skipped to the end. And what would you think? The guy ended up being a millionaire. It's like reading Pride and Prejudice in reverse minus the enjoinment.
July 16, 2016
I read in one of the other reviews (Vivian's) of this book that this story was like Pride and Prejudice. Although I have never read Jane Austen's tug-and-pull love story, I've seen some adaptations - albeit long ago - and can see where she is coming from.
Nevertheless, I don't mind that. All Katie Fforde's stories involve some sort of misunderstanding between two (potential) lovers, which end up in a happily-ever-after anyway. And ultimately that's what you read a chick-lit for. No, it was not that which makes me rate this book only 3 stars.
The pros - or, the things I liked about the book -, were; easy read, the details on the subject (botany), the setting (England), the fact that the protagonist was not a stuck-up, upper-class woman, but just as confused about the rules of that social class in which she did grow up in. And this story at least featured a man with not a complete flat personality. And the sex scene's were not awkward, which is more than I can say for Living Dangerously, Katie's first book. I didn't like Althea's character myself - so indecisive, insecure and unselfish! -, but she was consistent in being herself and ultimately I can see she is a caring, loving person, who cannot help herself wanting to help others.
The cons - or, the things that I did not like -, were; a lot of details get mentioned and seem important, but nothing gets done with them; such a lost opportunity! Namely, his family; his kids - don't they also have say/influence his feeling about new relationships? Apparently he has at least a sister living in the same country! Why does she not get a say? Is he on friendly terms with her? We don't know! She only gets mentioned to get him, conveniently, out of the picture so that Althea can realize she misses him!
And then there are all these animals! As reviewer Hélène Louise points out: "If the dog is well drawn, the three cats are invisible! They have no names and nearly never interact with anybody (just once, in fact). Nobody seemed to care about them - and the guinea pigs' condition is much worse, everybody is waiting for them to die!". These two were the main reason for rating 3 stars.
I also don't like all these minor characters in the book: the french kids that come to stay (to what purpose to the story?), her mother and father (why create them into the story and not leave them only mentioned?), etc. Also; I had no idea 17 year old's were allowed to drive (without supervision) in the UK? I always assumed it was 18, like in the Netherlands.... it confused me.
So there has been is a lot of improvement since Katie's first publication. And although I really do see she is still experimenting with story lines, characters, and story fillers, I liked her previous book (The Rose Revived) better. However, I think her latest books are marvelous, so I will continue reading anything that she produces.
Nevertheless, I don't mind that. All Katie Fforde's stories involve some sort of misunderstanding between two (potential) lovers, which end up in a happily-ever-after anyway. And ultimately that's what you read a chick-lit for. No, it was not that which makes me rate this book only 3 stars.
The pros - or, the things I liked about the book -, were; easy read, the details on the subject (botany), the setting (England), the fact that the protagonist was not a stuck-up, upper-class woman, but just as confused about the rules of that social class in which she did grow up in. And this story at least featured a man with not a complete flat personality. And the sex scene's were not awkward, which is more than I can say for Living Dangerously, Katie's first book. I didn't like Althea's character myself - so indecisive, insecure and unselfish! -, but she was consistent in being herself and ultimately I can see she is a caring, loving person, who cannot help herself wanting to help others.
The cons - or, the things that I did not like -, were; a lot of details get mentioned and seem important, but nothing gets done with them; such a lost opportunity! Namely, his family; his kids - don't they also have say/influence his feeling about new relationships? Apparently he has at least a sister living in the same country! Why does she not get a say? Is he on friendly terms with her? We don't know! She only gets mentioned to get him, conveniently, out of the picture so that Althea can realize she misses him!
And then there are all these animals! As reviewer Hélène Louise points out: "If the dog is well drawn, the three cats are invisible! They have no names and nearly never interact with anybody (just once, in fact). Nobody seemed to care about them - and the guinea pigs' condition is much worse, everybody is waiting for them to die!". These two were the main reason for rating 3 stars.
I also don't like all these minor characters in the book: the french kids that come to stay (to what purpose to the story?), her mother and father (why create them into the story and not leave them only mentioned?), etc. Also; I had no idea 17 year old's were allowed to drive (without supervision) in the UK? I always assumed it was 18, like in the Netherlands.... it confused me.
So there has been is a lot of improvement since Katie's first publication. And although I really do see she is still experimenting with story lines, characters, and story fillers, I liked her previous book (The Rose Revived) better. However, I think her latest books are marvelous, so I will continue reading anything that she produces.
October 19, 2023
I’ve been working my way through Katie Fforde’s back catalogue and sometimes I wish I hadn’t bothered. I have loved so many of her other books. ‘The Rose revived’ was utterly brilliant and this is so weak in comparison.
This book was published in 1996 and it shows it’s age in the dated references (Gladiators, Coffee advert etc.). There is no doubt that KF can write - she is the doyenne of this kind of cosy Romcom and I have loved most of them. But this failed on so many fronts for me.
Where to start? What did I like?
The premise, (Alathea loses her job and it makes her think she should focus on her ambition to become a professional gardener). The children, the dog, the gardening stuff, the discovery by the television producer. The hero, for a lot, but not all of the time!
What did I dislike? The heroine (more of that later), the sister, the ex husband, the hero’s girlfriend, the fact the hero had a girlfriend because he couldn’t quite figure out how to get rid of her, the wannabe other women Sylvia and Jenny who seemed oblivious to how their actions might hurt their friend. All the other characters. Even the fellow contestants at Chelsea were stereotypical and unpleasant characters.
The heroine is a an annoying, naive, self sacrificing, moralistic bore. Divorced from a husband who lives in Hong Kong and nags her about everything, she has a sister from hell whose sole purpose in life appears to be to undermine, criticise and diminish our heroine and side with the ex husband! With a sister like that who needs enemies?
The killer for me was the heroine. Alathea could be assertive when she wanted, her treatment of Patrick showed that. But mostly, she chose not to, she allowed her husband to exploit and criticise her. She allowed the sister to constantly to put her down - weight, appearance, clothes, child rearing, job choices etc etc. Juno was awful until almost the last page.
Half way through the book I thought she was going to show some sense but. NO, her moral pretentiousness was overwhelming. Quite why Patrick loved her is a mystery.
This was not my cup of tea. But, it’s a tribute to the author’s writing skills that I became so engaged with the charactrs she had created that I actually disliked them.
This book was published in 1996 and it shows it’s age in the dated references (Gladiators, Coffee advert etc.). There is no doubt that KF can write - she is the doyenne of this kind of cosy Romcom and I have loved most of them. But this failed on so many fronts for me.
Where to start? What did I like?
The premise, (Alathea loses her job and it makes her think she should focus on her ambition to become a professional gardener). The children, the dog, the gardening stuff, the discovery by the television producer. The hero, for a lot, but not all of the time!
What did I dislike? The heroine (more of that later), the sister, the ex husband, the hero’s girlfriend, the fact the hero had a girlfriend because he couldn’t quite figure out how to get rid of her, the wannabe other women Sylvia and Jenny who seemed oblivious to how their actions might hurt their friend. All the other characters. Even the fellow contestants at Chelsea were stereotypical and unpleasant characters.
The heroine is a an annoying, naive, self sacrificing, moralistic bore. Divorced from a husband who lives in Hong Kong and nags her about everything, she has a sister from hell whose sole purpose in life appears to be to undermine, criticise and diminish our heroine and side with the ex husband! With a sister like that who needs enemies?
The killer for me was the heroine. Alathea could be assertive when she wanted, her treatment of Patrick showed that. But mostly, she chose not to, she allowed her husband to exploit and criticise her. She allowed the sister to constantly to put her down - weight, appearance, clothes, child rearing, job choices etc etc. Juno was awful until almost the last page.
Half way through the book I thought she was going to show some sense but. NO, her moral pretentiousness was overwhelming. Quite why Patrick loved her is a mystery.
This was not my cup of tea. But, it’s a tribute to the author’s writing skills that I became so engaged with the charactrs she had created that I actually disliked them.
October 30, 2012
I was a little bit disappointed with this one. I liked the where the story started but it kinda dwindle down for me at the end. I wanted more romance and it felt like Patrick didn't put enough effort to win Althea. Although I did like it when Althea realized that she wanted to pursue Patrick but I guess for me it was rather flat. Plus, there was too much third party going on. Like first with Topaz, and then also Althea's ex-husband Frederick, and then with Sylvia and Jenny. And there was also a mention of a Barbara in the mix. It was also a little bit rushed off in the end with Patrick and Althea getting engaged, it didn't feel real to me.
I liked Althea's kids and I think there the ones that kept the story going. There nice kids who obviously loves their mom. I liked the interaction between Althea and her kids. I like William the most being Buddhist and all.
So yeah, it was okay for me. I was disappointed because I really liked Stately Pursuits. Hopefully her other ones that I'm going to read are more entertaining. :D
I liked Althea's kids and I think there the ones that kept the story going. There nice kids who obviously loves their mom. I liked the interaction between Althea and her kids. I like William the most being Buddhist and all.
So yeah, it was okay for me. I was disappointed because I really liked Stately Pursuits. Hopefully her other ones that I'm going to read are more entertaining. :D
May 6, 2012
This book was painfully s-l-o-w.....It dragged on and on, and was muddied up with so many useless characters that I would feel annoyed and confused. The main character was way too much of a pushover with such a prudish and self sacrificing outlook on love and life I don't know how Althea's main love interest Patrick could stand it. He was enormously patient. The way the character thought of herself and described herself I couldn't picture anyone remotely desirable. She sounded like such a matronly frumpty dumpty. I'm close in age to this character and never mentally think of myself in such elderly terms as this lady....she's 38 for god's sake!! She let everyone take advantage of her and talk rudely to her. She needed some serious assertiveness training classes! Glad to be done with this one and hope to move onto something more exciting.....
February 12, 2015
DUMB. DUMB. DUMB. SO DUMB IT HURTS.
JUST SHUT UP. YOU'RE STUPID.
NO MORE PLEASE! YOU DUMB B****
***SNORE**** BORING *****
snore - way better books out there - don't waste your time
JUST SHUT UP. YOU'RE STUPID.
NO MORE PLEASE! YOU DUMB B****
***SNORE**** BORING *****
snore - way better books out there - don't waste your time
January 12, 2012
For me, this was the weakest Katie Fforde yet.
It kept me going to the end, but the tension between the main characters just didn't work. Perhaps it was because the author did such a good job of convincing me that the protagonist was ordinary, dull and frumpy, the fact that the drop dead gorgeous and frankly too good to be true man was single and mad about her just didn't ring true.
What's more, because she kept turning him down (even though she really didn't want to we were supposed to believe) he started to become someone rather creepy to me, as he repeatedly refused to take no for an answer.
and really, I know it must be nice, but do they really ALL need to be millionaires to be the dream man. oh, ok, go on then...
It kept me going to the end, but the tension between the main characters just didn't work. Perhaps it was because the author did such a good job of convincing me that the protagonist was ordinary, dull and frumpy, the fact that the drop dead gorgeous and frankly too good to be true man was single and mad about her just didn't ring true.
What's more, because she kept turning him down (even though she really didn't want to we were supposed to believe) he started to become someone rather creepy to me, as he repeatedly refused to take no for an answer.
and really, I know it must be nice, but do they really ALL need to be millionaires to be the dream man. oh, ok, go on then...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2013
Sometimes life can be a disappointment. This book was one for me.
Forgetting the end, it is a reasonably good story - Strong single Mother pushing onwards into life after losing her job. Her parents have given her money, so she can survive. Althea decides to enter a contest for gardening, blah blah blah.
It was constantly mentioned about the Eldest Son, being a Buddhist. I don't get 'why' it was always mentioned. He sounds like my Son, whom isn't a Buddhist. It makes me want to over thing, but I don't want the headache.
There was too many directions that it could have taken, but saying that it is supposed to be a light read chick lit. So I should just take it as that, and it would be brilliant. :)
Forgetting the end, it is a reasonably good story - Strong single Mother pushing onwards into life after losing her job. Her parents have given her money, so she can survive. Althea decides to enter a contest for gardening, blah blah blah.
It was constantly mentioned about the Eldest Son, being a Buddhist. I don't get 'why' it was always mentioned. He sounds like my Son, whom isn't a Buddhist. It makes me want to over thing, but I don't want the headache.
There was too many directions that it could have taken, but saying that it is supposed to be a light read chick lit. So I should just take it as that, and it would be brilliant. :)
January 21, 2013
This is probably really between 3 and 4 stars for me. I liked that our heroine is a single woman, "pushing forty," with three teenage children.
It was refreshing to read a story about finding love later in life. (At least beyond the twenties.) My problem with the book, and why I am only giving it 3 stars, is because for all of Althea's protestations of how moral she is, and that she needs to set the example for her children, she still manages to sleep with her love interest before they are married. Why must everything end in bed? Romance may include, but is more than, a physical coupling. Why isn't it more romantic and delicious to wait?
It was refreshing to read a story about finding love later in life. (At least beyond the twenties.) My problem with the book, and why I am only giving it 3 stars, is because for all of Althea's protestations of how moral she is, and that she needs to set the example for her children, she still manages to sleep with her love interest before they are married. Why must everything end in bed? Romance may include, but is more than, a physical coupling. Why isn't it more romantic and delicious to wait?
August 2, 2021
"Anger always rebounds on the person being angry."
William ~ Chapter 9
***
Terminar WILD DESIGNS de Katie Fforde marcou o meu primeiro dia de férias. Às 8h, a hora a que começo a trabalhar, foi precisamente quando comecei a ler as trinta e poucas páginas que faltava para terminar ☺.
Gostei muito deste livrinho. É verdade que teve algumas partes monótonas mas, no geral, é um romance tão fofo. Divertido também, por causa de Althea e o seu estilo descontraído e os filhos também eram muito engraçados.
O romance de Althea e Patrick foi muito giro mas andou ali enrolado demais durante muito tempo, sem atar nem desatar mas o final foi precioso e compensou.
William ~ Chapter 9
***
Terminar WILD DESIGNS de Katie Fforde marcou o meu primeiro dia de férias. Às 8h, a hora a que começo a trabalhar, foi precisamente quando comecei a ler as trinta e poucas páginas que faltava para terminar ☺.
Gostei muito deste livrinho. É verdade que teve algumas partes monótonas mas, no geral, é um romance tão fofo. Divertido também, por causa de Althea e o seu estilo descontraído e os filhos também eram muito engraçados.
O romance de Althea e Patrick foi muito giro mas andou ali enrolado demais durante muito tempo, sem atar nem desatar mas o final foi precioso e compensou.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews