Category: Reviews-Sourcebook(2009)

TITLE: Perfect Timing
AUTHOR: Jill Mansell
PUB DATE: November 1, 2009

ABOUT THE BOOK:
When you meet the man of your dreams on girls night out, it’s hardly Perfect Timing.

In this fresh and funny contemporary romance by bestselling author Jill Mansell, Poppy Dunbar’s whole life gets turned upside down after a chance encounter with a handsome stranger.

Never a troublemaker, Poppy had always been content with the way things were supposed to be done—which included marrying predictable Rob McBride. But that was before she met Tom Kennedy the night before her wedding. Could she really be falling in love with a stranger?

Unable to forget Tom, or go through with the wedding, Poppy runs off to London. Her new life and colorful friends are anything but predictable. Misunderstandings, family secrets, and jealous quarrels ensue, but can Poppy stop running long enough to figure out what—or, rather, who—is in her heart?

MY THOUGHTS:

This has been my fourth Jill Mansell book that I have read and I have enjoyed them all. Each one is different from the last. I am really happy to have discovered her books. Thank You Danielle from Source Books for introducing her to me.

Perfect Timing is the newest one to hit the US market.

Perfect Timing begins with Poppy out on her hen night (bachorlette party) the night before her wedding. Not wanting to have a hangover for her wedding she becomes the designated driver of the evening.

One point in the evening she decides to step outside to get some air and even though she is sober she manages to fall down the stairs. A handsome guy comes to her rescue. He helps her to the bench and offers to check her foot to see if there is any damage. Talking with this guy she realizes she is nervous around him. She is feeling something she has never felt for her fiancee. Right on cue, not Perfect Timing her friends show up and help her back inside.

She tells him how she feels and he admits he feels the same way and asks her to meet him at a near by restaurant and that he will wait for her and if she doesn’t show up then he will understand. One the way home after all the girls have been dropped off she does go to the restaurant but will she go in?

This chance meeting triggers a domino effect to Poppy’s life. This one evening will change the course of life for Poppy will be it a good thing or a bag thing?

Having thought about the evenings events Poppy realizes she can’t go through with the wedding and tells her fiancee. You can only image what will happen and how he will take it. He is devastated and hurt and tells Poppy that her father really isn’t her biological father.

With this new knowledge Poppy decided to head to London to get away from her fiancee, his family and in search of her father. She makes London her home. In London she encounters all kinds of characters who become a part of her life.

I envied Poppy because once she was in London things seemed to fall into place for her and it all seemed like being at that right place at the right time.

This book was provided for review by Danielle from Source Books. Thanks to Danielle for sending me an ARC of the book.

PUB DATE: June 2009

I have to send a huge Thank You to Danielle at Sourcebooks for sending me this book. She has introduced me to a fantastic UK author that I probably would never had read otherwise.

I loved this book and I can’t wait to read her Millie’s Fling.

I have to say right off that there is alot of characters in the book. There is Miranda, Chloe, Bev, Fenn, Florence, Danny, Greg, Bruce, Miles, Johnnie and a bunch of other characters which all have small parts in the book. Even though there is alot of characters and story lines happening, it was really nice to see that they all play a part in Miranda’s life and they all came together in the end.

Miranda is a young trainee at a hair salon. Her boss is the famous Fenn Lomax. She’s constantly late and always has the greatest excuses for being late which Fenn never believes. Miranda is a sweet and kind person who goes out of her way to make everyone around her happy. She even makes it a point to give half her lunch to a homeless guy and brings him gloves (which she takes from the salon after a customer left them behind) Then she discovers that the homeless guy (Danny) really isn’t homeless but that he is a making a documentary about life on the street and they want Miranda to okay her part. She is mad at first but then they become friends and perhaps more?

Chloe is married to Greg and works at Bruce’s store. Greg and Chloe seem to have the perfect relationship until Chloe tells Greg that she is pregnant. He isn’t happy and he lets her know. He leaves her because it hates the fact that Chloe broke their wedding promise about not having kids. Chloe decides that she will have the baby. When money becomes tight she decided to look for another place. Thankfully Bruce’s mother Florence tells Chloe that she can move in with her tell she gets on her feet again.

Greg takes tickets that Chloe had for a celebrity event and goes with his friend to the event in hopes to meet Daisy. Its at this party that Miranda and Greg meet. They hit it off instantly and quickly become a couple and then engaged. Greg hasn’t told Miranda about Chloe and swears he never will.

Now as any good book would go of course we know that fate plays a part and the paths of Miranda and Chloe cross. They are now housemates with Florence. How will this play out in the book? Will Chloe realize who the man in Miranda’s life really is?

I loved Miranda and I felt bad for her when she found out about Greg and what he did to her. He got what he deserved in my opinion. Then when she found Miles (the race car driver who was at Grand Prix in Montreal) It was sad to see that didn’t work out and it wasn’t by choice. Then there is Danny will he be able to win Miranda’s heart in the end?

There was alot of love happening in the book. Florence got her man in the end and even Chloe got hit with the love bug while she was having her baby.

These are two cover images I found online for the books. I really like the one with the drawings on it. Which one do you like?

The next book set to be released this fall in North America is Millie’s Fling. I am really excited and can’t wait to read it. I am sure it will be fantastic. I love reading chick lit and I am loving Jill’s books. If you haven’t read anything by Jill yet then you really need to pick it up.

PUB DATE: June 1, 2009

Have you ever wanted to read someone else’s emails? I am sure deep down you wanted to or perhaps you have. We are curious by nature. Remember that old saying about curiosity killed the cat?

Well in case you ever wanted to read someone else’s inbox now you have the chance. You need to pick up this book, you won’t be disappointed.

Holly’s Inbox is about Holly Denham and she is a 29 year old, (inexperienced) receptionist working at Huerst and Wright. They are a huge financial Institute.

The book is written in email form. The emails are between Holly and a wide range of characters that are family, friends and coworkers. There is always a section with emails from Trish and Toby. Trish is her coworker and Toby is an ex boyfriend.

The emails span over a 5 month period while Holly is adjusting to a new job, a secret love affair with a VP, the return of her ex, family problems and a backstabbing coworker.

Out of all the characters in the book I truly loved her grandmother. The grandmother just got set up with a computer and learning about the web. She emails Holly and before Holly knows it her grandmother is signing her up for cheap flights (so that Holly will visit more) and to dating sites. Can you imagine your grandmother doing that to you? Thankfully I don’t have to worry about that.

The only thing the book lacked was when they mentioned attachments they didn’t include that in the book but you can check out hhtp://www.hollysinbox.com to see them.

Before the book there was a website http://www.hollysinbox.com and it became a huge it with thousands of people logging on to read what was happening next as it was done on a daily bases. It became so popular that they made it into this book. The emails were collected and printed.

You can also see Holly’s MySpace page here http://www.myspace.com/Hollysinbox

Thank you to Danielle at Sourcebooks for sending me this book to read. I am so happy that I did. I am loving British chicklit more and more. When I first got the book I was a little nervous wondering how would I ever read this because its 665 pages. Don’t let that fool you because once you start reading it, the book is a breeze. Its a little and fun read. Be prepared for some laughing moments.

Also Thanks again to Bill for doing the interview with me and for stopping by to comment on the interview. Can’t wait to see what happens next to Holly.