For Better, for Worse [Paperback]

Carole Matthews (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: HarperAudio (2003)
• ASIN: B000OESLX0
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Carole Matthews is an internationally bestselling author of hugely successful romantic comedy novels. Her unique sense of humour has won her legions of fans and critical acclaim all over the world.

As well as appearing on the Sunday Times and USA Today bestseller lists, Carole is published in 24 different countries. Her novel Welcome To The Real World was shortlisted for the RNA romantic novel of the year award.

In the USA, the hilarious For Better, For Worse was selected by one of America's top TV book clubs - Reading with Ripa on LIVE with Regis and Kelly - as their book of the month. As a result it went straight into the USA Today and New York Times Extended bestseller lists.

Carole co-edited two editions of the hugely popular Girls' Night In charity series called Girls' Night Out - one for the USA and one for Canada. All proceeds go to War Child. She has recently contributed a story to an anthology for the Romantic Novelists' Association, Loves Me, Loves Me Not. Carole has presented on television and is a regular radio guest.

Born in St Helens, Merseyside, Carole has always been an avid reader and dreamed of being a teacher, an air traffic controller, a travel guide or a hairdresser - writer never featured once. Leaving Liverpool for London after a torrid holiday romance in Torquay, she worked as a secretary, an ice-cream lady, a shop assistant and a beauty therapist. It was when she was working in a completely mad holistic clinic that she first thought 'one day I should write a book about this.' She still hasn't got round to it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tiring, After a While, January 27, 2003

By 

Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For Better, for Worse: A Novel (Paperback)

I started off really enjoying For Better, For Worse. It was a light, humorous romantic comedy told from an omniscient perspective instead of the typical first-person narrative. I found that refreshingly different. Josie Flynn leaves her native London and her pining, cheating exhusband for a brief trip to New York to be the maid of honor in her cousin's wedding. While on the plane, she meets Matt, a charming English man, and they hit it off immediately. Sometime after Jo arrives in NYC, the novel starting losing most of its appeal. All the characters began behaving rather idiotically and the whole thing became annoying. I realize you must suspend your disbelief with a romantic comedy, but most of the occurences were a little too much, for various reasons, for this to be an enjoyable novel.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Definitely different..., October 4, 2004

By 

Always Reading (sunny california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For Better, for Worse: A Novel (Paperback)

This book started off good, and I really liked the way it was written - focusing on a bunch of different characters one by one and seeing what they were up to at that moment in conjunction with the plot. So that was cool. As the book went on, though, I began to get a little annoyed. Am I supposed to believe that after one great day, two strangers can think of nothing but each other and are going to such great lengths because they've both fallen in love with each other? I wish they'd either been together a little more at the beginning or at the end, as I didn't really feel any chemistry between them. It was an OK book overall - although the ending seemed rushed and I wish I could have known what happened after that, it wasn't very satisfying for me - but I'm rather disappointed that I bought this book at full price and am now stuck with it, since I'll probably never reread it. I'd recommend this to you only if you buy it at a used bookstore or check it out from the library and aren't expecting the best book in the world. Maybe if I'd set my expectations lower, I would have enjoying it more. :-/

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wrong couple???, September 18, 2005

By 

Susie Paik "janceesp" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For Better, for Worse: A Novel (Paperback)

I have to admit that I did like the book, in terms of the writing style. However, the ending was so abrupt and unbelievable. I wanted to know what happened with their relationship after those first five minutes back together. Also, I think Matt should have ended up with Holly, since he spent more time with her than the heroine of the book! Are we really supposed to believe that he's in love with Josie after everything he did with Holly?!?! You can probably tell that I was annoyed by this book A LOT, but it was funny!