Always and Forever [Kindle Edition]

Cathy Kelly (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This charming novel, set in the quaint town of Carrickwell, Ireland, centers on the absorbing stories of three women. There's Mel, a working mother who is worried about losing her sense of worth if she stays at home. There's Daisy, a go-getter clothing buyer whose all-consuming dream to have a child is shattered by her boyfriend's betrayal. And there's Cleo, the willful twentysomething who thinks she has what it takes to rescue her family's hotel, if only they believed in her abilities. They're all brought together by the Cloud's Hill spa, which--along with is enigmatic owner, Leah--seems to have the power to make visitors discover and achieve their true desires. Kelly succeeds in making each woman a complex and interesting character and creating a plot that blends humor and poignancy, light moments and tension. This novel has something that will appeal to adult story lovers of all generations. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A must for Kelly's many fans; a warm, moving read."

-- The Daily Mail

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 372 KB
• Publisher: Pocket Star; Original edition (January 2, 2007)
• Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000N2HCO2
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,860 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars interesting character driven contemporary fiction, December 27, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Always and Forever (Paperback)

In Carrickwell, Ireland three women struggle with the respective directions of their lives. Mel Redmond struggles with guilt feelings as she precariously balances her career at Lorimar with raising her two children. Cleo has just graduated from a hotel management course and wants to prove to her hotelier family that she can do the job as good if not better than they as she offers ideas to save the Willow Hotel, but neither her parents nor her brothers take her seriously. Daisy Farrell yearns for a baby with her long time live-in lover Alex, but fails to conceive so they go to a fertility clinic though he seems very reluctant and has since he became ill several years ago.

The three women find their life map devastated with detours and u-turns as nothing goes right. That is until the opening of the new Clouds Hill Spa by Leah, who is looking to start over with a better balanced lifestyle. Mel, Daisy and Cleo find the spa gives them moments to relax and place perspective on what matters in life and the courage to ALWAYS AND FOREVER seek to achieve what means the most to the individual; of course it is easier to try after a beauty treatment.

This is an interesting character driven contemporary fiction starring three women each suffering from a person crisis that requires change in their lives if they are to achieve any modicum of harmony. The R&R pampering at the spa enables them to unwind and obtain perspective so that their predicament no longer seems like climbing Mount Everest. Cathy Kelly's message is simple that everyone needs a little pampering magic.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little too much Cathy Kelly, July 12, 2007

By 

E Anderson (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Always and Forever (Paperback)

Always and Forever took me longer to get into than your typical Cathy Kelly book. Each of the characters had her own tragedy of life occurring and needed mothering and helpful advice - in comes Leah the owner of the new local spa. Leah helps Daisy through the inability to be pregnant and the fact that her boyfriend of over ten-year never loved her and left her after he got his new girlfriend pregnant. She gives her motherly advice and strength when she needs it. Leah also gives Mel courage to go back to work after the huge decision to stay home from work with her 2 little girls. She also helps Cleo reconnect with her family after they sell the family hotel out from under her, crushing her dream of maintaining it and raising her children there as well. Leah seems to be a miracle worker while getting herself along each day after the death of her own son.

It's all just a little too cheesy, of course there is a very happy ending, and all the girls end up becoming life long friends. Although it is entertaining and heartwarming.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It made me relax and enjoy, February 20, 2007

By 

A. Bennett "LoveA" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Always and Forever (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this book. At first one of the characters annoyed me, but once I kept reading she became higher on my list. I think that any woman who reads this book will be able to compare themselves to at least one of the characters. At first I was just like one of the characters Mel, but then soon realized I was a little of each one.

This book is a great story of 3 woman who are going through crazy times in their lives and all the obsticles they go through. I really enjoyed how one chapter was about a certain character and once that chapter was over you had to wait until 2 chapters later because the author took turns for each character. That was very smart, made you just not want to put the book down. Don't be fooled by the back of the book saying about 3 woman who go to a spa, that is not till the end and it doesn't make the whole story. The whole book is great at knowing the characters and everything they are going through, not a day at the spa. Read it and you will just feel like you are in another world wanting to help each character.