Bachelor Boys [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Kate Saunders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2005

As the child of remote, chilly parents, Cassie reveled in the exuberant chaos she found at the home of the Darlings—two boys, a cheerful father, and a glorious mother, Phoebe, who welcomed the lonely little girl next door into their family circle.

Now Cassie is all grown up, the editor of a highly respectable literary magazine, with a well-ordered life and a suitable boyfriend. But her beloved Phoebe is dying and comes to Cassie with one last request: Will Cassie help find wives for her sons, two gorgeous, sexy, but wildly impractical bachelors still living in their mother’s basement flat?

Heartbroken at the thought of losing Phoebe, Cassie cannot refuse—but how will she ever find decent girlfriends, let alone wives, for the Darling boys? It’s all very well for Phoebe to insist they are lovely boys who are absolutely sweet to their mother, but who else would see either one as husband material: Fritz, a handsome medical student turned unemployed actor; or Ben, a dreamy, soulful musician who is too “sensitive” to perform or teach? Even Cassie, she tells Phoebe firmly right from the start, is not prepared to marry one of these bachelor boys. . . .

Kate Saunders has written a story about love and loss that is moving, wise, and wickedly funny.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her sprightly second novel, Saunders (The Marrying Game) humorously captures the love affair between the boisterous British Darling family and their lifelong girl-next-door, Cassie. With emotionally distant parents of her own, Cassie has looked to the Darlings—Phoebe, Jimmy and their sons Ben and Fritz—for warmth ever since she was a child. At 31, Cassie, who is a literary editor, is thrust into the role of matchmaker when terminally ill Phoebe asks her to find suitable wives for 31-year-old Fritz and 29-year-old Ben. Much like the boys of Peter Pan, Fritz and Ben don't want to grow up: they don't have proper careers or serious girlfriends, and they still live at home with Phoebe. So it's much to Cassie's surprise that they're willing to help her fulfill their mother's dying wish. Soon Cassie is keeping the boys in dates while also dealing with her own relationship woes. With steady work and steadier girlfriends, Fritz and Ben suddenly seem headed toward a belated adulthood, and Cassie wrestles with deepening feelings for Fritz. Though Phoebe doesn't live to see the day, Cassie ultimately makes a very suitable match for her son. Witty banter and spirited characters propel this lighthearted novel to its heartwarming if formulaic conclusion. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Growing up next to the Darling family was a joy for Cassie, whose own family was cold and distant. Phoebe and Jimmy Darling treated her as their own daughter, and their sons, Fritz and Ben, were like brothers to her. It is years later and Jimmy has long since passed away and Phoebe is terminally ill. Willing to do anything for the woman who was more like a mother to her than her own was, Cassie promises Phoebe that she will find wives for her two boys--a promise that will be almost impossible to keep. Both Fritz and Ben are entrenched in their bachelorhood, enjoying the company of many women, doing laundry and housework only when necessary, and working as little as possible. How is Cassie going to find any woman in her right mind who would want to marry either one of these men, and will Cassie's own infatuation for Fritz keep her from finding him a suitable wife? Saunders writes a funny, touching, and sweet story about love, family, and keeping promises. Carolyn Kubisz
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; Lrg edition (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312347642
• ISBN-13: 978-0312347642
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,407,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming and hilarious, August 3, 2005

By 

lucy stone "lucystone" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bachelor Boys (Hardcover)

I don't know when I've read a novel that made me laugh and even cry as much as this one. Here and in her earlier book, THE MARRYING GAME, the author has a gift for creating fantastic characters who are lovable and warm without ever being trite or sentimental. Phoebe Darling, the woman who wants the heroine Cassie to find good wives for her dashing but irresponsible sons, is one of the most appealing characters I've ever met, and her boys are pretty irresistible too. As entertaining as any chick-lit I've ever read, with way more heart and brains.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't sure..., December 31, 2006

By 

LAD (PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bachelor Boys (Hardcover)

after reading some of the other reviews, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book. I am so glad that I did. I thought the book was great and would recommend it to anyone. I'll be picking up other books by this author.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HAPPY SURPRISE, September 14, 2006

By 

Vorys Girl (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bachelor Boys (Hardcover)

Normally, I would never have picked up a book like this, which I guess I consider to be "Chick Lit" and something I won't like. However, it was one of the top 25 recommended books by the Book of the Month Club for 2005, so I took a chance. Bottom line -- I adore this book. Lots of laughs out loud. Would make a really cute movie with all of Phoebe's unusual friends and their paths to luv. The Bachelor Boys themselves? Fabulous fun in their escapades, and you end up loving both of them.