Love Letters [Import] [Hardcover]

Katie Fforde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2009

Phillida Horsley might have bitten off more than she can chew when she agrees to help organize a literary festival and finds herself going to Ireland to persuade the infamous and reclusive author Dermot Flynn to come out of hiding.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Laura, younger than her years, relies on books for action in her life. But now her ideal job in a bookshop is ending, leaving her at loose ends. Arranging author signings is her forte. At her farewell event, she meets a strong-willed literary agent who compels her forward into her future. Next thing you know, Laura is helping plan a literary festival, meeting new friends, and heading off to Ireland to hunt up Dermot Flynn, an elusive author who will absolutely put the festival on the map. She finds adventure and more new friends; then, under the influence of much strong drink, she offers her body to Flynn to get him to attend the festival. Laura is more naive and innocent than many of Fforde’s heroines, but she is as lovable and stalwart as any who have gone before her. She finds resources within herself that she never knew were there, has her heart broken, survives, and learns to make her way in the world with great success. In all, a sweet and engaging romance. --Danise Hoover --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

Fforde's cosy style is strangely comforting and Laura's transformation from ingenue to confident and lustful young woman makes for an enjoyable summer read. Daily Telegraph I was engrossed in this tale. Sun Kate Fforde's latest read is the perfect escapism - the witty dialogue and sizzling romance will keep you entertained in the long summer evenings. Press Association (syndicated article) Laura is searching for love and finds work with literary agent Eleanora. She ends up running a book festival in Ireland and trying to convince a reclusive author to take part. Will she find love while she is there? Daily Record A sweet and endearing read. News of the World Heartfelt. OK! Enjoyable and satisfying...perfect for these hot lazy summer days. www.thebookbag.co.uk Yet another brilliantly written piece of escapism from Katie Fforde! www.studentsmart.ie A great fun countryside romp with engaging characters and a narrative thrust that had me hooked to the end. Daily Mail A charming and witty read. P&O Cruise Magazine A charming, romantic love story that evokes a nostalgic feel...well done and enjoyable to read. MSLEXIA An easy but fulfilling read Essentials Huge fun Saga --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Century (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846054478
• ISBN-13: 978-1846054471
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.2 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,204,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Calgon, September 14, 2009

By 

Ruby C. Callander "Conch Lady" (Suwanee, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Love Letters (Hardcover)

I know I can count on Katie Fforde to help me escape and leave me with a wistful smile on my face. When my neice was a flight attendant, she discovered Katie Fforde on a London layover. We both became hooked and have now read everything Ms. Fforde has written. We like the fact that she writes for Brits and not a US audience. We sometimes have to do a little research to find out what she is talking about. For instance, we had no idea what an Aga was.

When I read Love Letters I was delighted to see characters from one of her earlier novels. Just like the main character, I found Katie's brooding, intimidating, vulnerable, and devastatingly handsome Irish poet irrestible. The lead character in Love Letters is young, but Ms. Fforde just as often gives us characters who (like myself) have been around for a while.

Ms. Fforde's books follow a recipe: 1. Woman faces undesired change. 2. Woman faces change with creativity taking her outside her comfort zone. 3. Woman makes new friends who help her in her transition. 3. Woman meets a man she can't stand and falls hopelessly in love with him. 4. Woman's new skills are put to the test. 5. Woman gets the man and the new life she has worked for. It is a very good recipe. Ms. Fforde is a master chef who manages to make her receipe seem new and fresh every time she serves it to her readers.

I love learning about the places she takes us in her books: Irish villages, Scottish highlands, English country estates, live aboard barges on English canals, and English gardens. Ms. Fforde's characters battle pain, defeat and self-doubt with the help of good friends, food and wine. Does it get better than that?

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as her other books, October 29, 2009

By 

Grace O'Malice (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love Letters (Hardcover)

I usually love Katie Fforde books. Good escapism, good for a read in the tub.

This one though, I was ready to strangle the main character. I hate movies and books that revolve around miscommunication - this one drove me nuts. The man that she loves calls her and texts her and what does she do? Deletes them. Doesn't read them. Give me a break.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A former fan of Fforde finds the latest book just plain silly, January 14, 2010

By 

Susan B. Hanley (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Letters (Hardcover)

I've read all of Katie Fforde's books, purchased most in hard cover. I am a fan of English books on relationships, and KF's books, while light reading, I've found enjoyable in the past. But they have started to deteriorate into silly romances without saying anything useful, interesting, or believable about relationships between people, not just men and women, but parents and children, friends, and more.

The premise of this book is a 26-year-old virgin who hasn't found the right man but is suddenly willing to sleep with a womanizing novelist. I couldn't read further when she spends the night with him after an evening of drinking but can't figure out whether they actually had sex or not! This goes on for pages! And I'm not giving much away because this all happens early in the book. Nor is the rest of the plot either riveting or very believable.

I usually give a one star to any book I can't get through, but as a fan of her earlier books I can't bear to.