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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Trite, January 4, 2010
This review is from: Once In a Lifetime (Paperback)
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Once in a Lifetime by Cathy Kelly Kenny's Department store has been a mainstay, a way of life for ages in Ardagh a small Irish town and unfortunately there is a rumor of a takeover bid. Unfortunately for this exclusive store, the rumors are true. This book is supposed to center around, and tie together, the women that work at Kenny's, the woman that is married to the stores owner, Ingrid Fitzgerald a political journalist and another woman steeped in an aura of mystery and the paranormal, Star Bluestone. And this would be all fine and dandy if the book really did tie the women together and left out a lot of the past folderol. What should have been expanded on was David's extra curricular activities and his wife dealing with it. Ms Kelly tried to ramp up the tension with her allusions to things not being what they seem and giving us tiny glimpses into the "paranormal" aspect, but for me this trick just didn't work. It seemed more like Ms Kelly wants to jump on the speculative fiction band wagon but can't commit. The women were not all that likable and Ingrid, even through her mourning, wasn't a very sympathetic character, Star was too vague and "airy fairy", the characters of Dara, Kitty and Lizzie didn't do a thing for me. And speaking of the story, it seemed a little trite and quite thin and haven`t we yet had enough yet, of weak women finding empowerment through the advise of their friends?
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
She's no Maeve Binchy, January 26, 2010
This review is from: Once In a Lifetime (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
As a Maeve Binchy fan, people often recommend Cathy Kelly to me. I've never been able to make it through one of her books. This one, at least, I did finish, though that was largely because I needed to review it. Using Kenny's department store as the center of the stories was enjoyable - I found it difficult to keep the storylines straight - there aren't an unmanageable number of main characters, but each has her own constellation of supporting characters with their own problems - Natalie's alcoholic friend Lizzy, Charlie's domineering mother, Ingrid's work cohorts - none of whom really matter. Kelly's writing is more modern and younger, and perhaps then ineluctably crasser than Binchy, but more to the point, she doesn't have the gift of making characters I really care about, and though the lives of the characters in this novel are connected in a casual way, they don't have the coincidentally deep connections that make Binchy's writing such a delight. So against Binchy, this book doesn't stand up, but it's not such a treat on its own either. It's predictable and easy to read, but I can't say I'd recommend it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good story..more substance than you might expect, January 3, 2010
This review is from: Once In a Lifetime (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I received this book from the Amazon vine program. I would never have picked it up on my own for two reasons. One is the cover..terrible chic lit that says to me "keep away"! The title is another. There are other books with this title, and it too shouts chic lit. There is nothing wrong with fluff, chic lit etc. I do pic it up on purpose now and then. Most of the time, I just don't as it is not a favorite. I do like to keep fluffy books around for days when I need a fluffy read. Do not let these things deter you. Not if it is the story that matters to you. Is this chic lit? Yes and No. It certainly has all of the aspects of chic lit. Girls, divorce, make up , shopping and so on. But the characters are much better rounded out, and the story is much richer than some of the chic lit I have read. This is a story of women who live in a small town in Ireland. Small town all have one thing in common, it seems. Everyone either knows or knows about everyone else in town. I think what drew me in most was the character of Star. She felt like a kindred spirit. I liked Charlie Fallon. She is one of those women who it would be very easy to dismiss as a young woman with little substance. She works in the make-up department of the Kenny department store. We find out just how wise and gentle this character really is when she grows a little and feels more comfortable in her own skin. Kenny's is the basically the heart of the book. Many of the characters are involved in some way with the store or the family. David Kenny inherited the store from his parents and is struggling to keep it going during difficult financial times. His employees are like extended family and he knows how difficult it would be for them if he lost his battle to keep the store as is. The people who work for him appreciate this and know how lucky they are. Ingrid is Davids wife. He has a son and a daughter, and they have friends and lives of their own that figure into this story. I enjoyed this story. I liked most of the characters and cared what happened to them. I also liked the way that acceptance was both a reality and a lesson. If you are looking for a good story with likable characters, this is a book for you. I will be happy to read more from this writer. I also plan to gift copies to at least two people I know who will enjoy the story, and perhaps learn about acceptance. Good read for a relaxing afternoon.
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