Customer Reviews

Crossed Wires

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A real story, about real people. People with families you could understand. People you could possibly know, and certainly, people you would like.

Mina, a young single mother, works each day at a call center for an auto insurance company. Peter, a widowed, single father with twin daughters, teaches at Cambridge University. Their worlds are miles apart, literally and figuratively, but when Peter calls one day with an accident claim, something clicks. The phone wires cross in such a way that two people who, by rights, should have never met, are unwittingly drawn towards each other.

At first, they simply speak to each other on the phone weekly. Their lives move forward and the supporting characters: Peter's twin daughters Cassie and Kim, his graduate student Trish and two best friends Martin and Jeremy, as well as Mina's daughter Sal are delightful additions to the story. There are small, every day joys and larger, every day frustrations. Then, as their friendship develops, Peter is the one to whom Mina turns when she faces a parent's greatest fear.

Quintessentially English. An enjoyable, moving read. Quite simply, what should be simply an ordinary story is, instead, a charming story about the ups and downs of every day life and the joy you can find in family and friends.

I look forward to reading Rosy's other books.

Peter Kendrick is a charmingly self-effacing Cambridge don who has smashed up his Land Rover's front end at the start of Rosy Thornton's Crossed Wires. The girl behind the phone at his insurance company's call center is Mina Heppenstall, who finds his bumbling and the fact that he'd swerved to avoid a cat charming. From that inauspicious beginning, and after another accident on Peter's part, a long-distance relationship develops between the two, though they're divided by the telephone wires as well as differences in age and station. But they're situations are otherwise similar: both are single parents--Peter's a widower with twins; Mina, now in her 20's, was pregnant at 17.

The above summary of the book, as well as its rosy cover and the brief description on its back, would lead one to expect a light romance--Hugh Grant as Peter in the movie version, maybe, falling for a younger Meg Ryan type. It is a sweet romance, as it turns out, but much more than that as well. In fact the book is more about parenting than dating. For most of the book Peter and Mina's stories unfold separately, though the two update one another in weekly phone calls. They both have concerns about their children's social development, and both of them wind up facing a similar, more serious problem with their kids in the course of the book. What's nice is that the issues they face are very true-to-life. Their children are good kids whose small crises aren't ripped from the headlines material; their problems are realistic, the sort of thing any parent might face, and thus heartbreaking in the small way kids' problems sometimes are.

Crossed Wires is definitely a good read, deeper than you'd expect and as sweet as its cover suggests.

-- Debra Hamel

Crossed Wires is a quiet story of people who are not that different from you and me. They've endured sorrows and have experienced joy. They not only survive their sorrows but seem to strive to find joy in everyday life. Not in big ways, but in the small things. It reminded me of how just being a friend can mean the world to someone. If you're looking for something a little different and uplifting, Crossed Wires could be the book for you. I'm so glad it "found" me.

Mina is a single mom working at a car insurance call center. Peter is a widowed father of twin girls, who crashes his car into a tree stump trying to avoid a cat. When Peter calls the insurance center for help, Mina answers the phone. From that simple phone call, two complete strangers who live miles and miles apart begin a friendly relationship, each wondering if it is possible they found love.

Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton is a charming love story. I enjoyed reading about not only Mina and Peter's relationship, but the lives the supporting characters lead. Peter's twin daughters struggle with growing apart, while Mina's daughter can't come out of her shell. There is also a little mystery played out with Mina's troublesome younger sister that kept my interest. Overall, I thought the over the phone love story was too drawn out, that it took too long for the characters to meet face to face. The sub plots almost held me over, but the last few chapters I found myself frustrated that Mina and Peter had yet to meet. I still enjoyed the read, and I would love to see sequel on how the merging families have turned out.

I picked it up thinking it was a romantic book. 2 single parents meet each other, fall in love and everything falls into place again. I love romantic books, books with a lot of mush and the works, so I am actually surprised that I liked this book. I expected the guy and the girl to meet and fall in love or at least fall in love because of incessant online chatting. That didn't happen and not once did I feel like abandoning the book because nothing was happening where their love life was concerned. They are busy with their own lives, they have friends and family to turn to during difficult times, but you can easily see why they are so perfect for each other even though they don't meet for more than half of the book.

Peter, a college professor and Mina, a call center worker are the lead characters in this story. But more than that they are normal human beings, who make mistakes, who react the way you and I would. Peter has 9 year old twin girls Cassie and Kim and Mina has a 10 year old girl Sal. Not to forget the friends and family that comprise of Mina's straight forward mother and Peters friends Jeremy and Trish. They are all interesting in their own way.

Mina's character reminded me so much of myself. I like to skirt around situations that are difficult to handle, I avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary and I too worked in a call center once. So I could, in a way, understand Mina really well, although I did feel like shaking her at times and asking her to do something. That's exactly what my boyfriend does, shakes me up when required :)

This book has some of the best character descriptions I have read in a while. Very non-dramatic and real.

If you are looking for a typical, stereotype love story, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a plot driven story, again this book is not for you. Don't be fooled by the pink cover, this book isn't all mush. Read it with absolutely no prejudice or strict expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Crossed Wires is a charming, cozy and gentle novel about two single parents whose lives cross by fate through the phone lines of the call center at an auto insurance company. Mina is a single mom of one shy and isolated daughter Sal and works at the call center. Peter is a widow and single dad of twins Cassie and Kim who is struggling with his own loneliness. They live in different villages two hours away from each other and develop a friendship through their phone calls. They share their feelings and issues related to parenthood and support each other along the way, all at a distance. Their lives connect unexpectedly and it is enjoyable to watch their friendship develop along the way. Crossed Wires is a slow paced and delightful book to read with a cup of tea or coffee by your side as you discover the joys life can bring to two people whose lives cross by fate. Crossed Wires highlights those unexpected friendships that have the possibility to grow and change you as a person and bring joy to your life unexpectedly.

Call center rep Mina and Cambridge professor Peter live in entirely different worlds and parts of England, but after a few silly collisions in Peter's Land Rover and the subsequent calls to Mina at the insurance company, the two are brought swiftly into each other's lives.

CROSSED WIRES is described as an "old-fashioned fairytale" -- and, as in many great stories, we wonder if our two characters will ever meet. In this way, it had a very "Sleepless In Seattle" vibe! Peter and Mina are living out their own stories with friends and family, and we meet many well-drawn, interesting characters: Jess, Mina's wayward baby sister; Jeremy and Martin, Peter's good friends; Trish, a grad student who watches Peter's twin girls and serves as his personal assistant; Mina's mum and Dave, her boyfriend. As Peter is still trying to find the balance between being a single father following the death of his wife Bev, Mina is grappling with Sal's reticence and disinterest in anything other than her favorite books.

Our romantic leads chat comfortably first about Peter's car, and later about everything else -- a phone relationship, of sorts, begins after Mina calls Peter at home. After their girls are all in bed, their Sunday night chats become a ritual . . . but chatting is as far as it goes. Until fate suddenly brings Peter to Mina.

I really, really loved this book -- the push-and-pull of wondering how the story will play out; if Mina and Peter will ever stand before one another, face-to-face; the realistic, heart-wrenching descriptions of parenthood, friendship and sisterhood. I really related to Mina and Sal, and felt very close to them . . . and I adored the twins and their frantic, close relationship. Thornton deftly draws each character and fashions them into people we feel like we really know, or that we could sit beside in a coffeeshop (should I find myself in England!).

I will say that as an American, I struggled with many of the British references and jargon -- calling dinner "tea," a flashlight being a "torch," etc. Though I'm an Anglophile beyond a doubt and could clearly hear the cadence of each character's vocal patterns, it was still a little jarring and hard to focus sometimes one what was going on. I almost felt like I was reading a foreign language! But that was part of the fun. Mid-way through the story, I'd gotten the hang of it . . . and can probably imitate some of sayings now!

Overall, a really great, fun and moving novel -- and not just light and fluffy fare. After finishing it, I feel like I've really been on an emotional journey with Mina and Peter . . . and I love where Thornton leaves us. Great read!