Customer Reviews

Staying at Daisy's

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is one of my favourites of all time. Ok so its not the great literary masterpiece of the 20th century but its such easy reading and its so well done. It reads like a movie, a really good romantic comedy. Its laugh out loud funny and is an escape from the realities of life for a few hours. I always read this when i'm in a bad mood. It never fails to cheer me up and make me laugh. My favourite Jill Mansell, though its not the first one I've read. In essence this is good stuff.

I happened to pick this book up in Portugal while there on vacation. I used to be an avid reader but like everything else, I lost time to endulge in this pleasure!
The book was laying amongst a lot of other dicarded books and the cover caught my eye.
From the first page on, I was hooked. It is funny, lots of characters to follow without being difficult, lots of laughs! I liked it so much I brought it back to Canada with me and now I am on the hunt for the rest of Jill Mansell's books.
I would reccommend her books to anyone who likes a good, funny and romantic story. There is nothing in this book that is offending and no violence!
Thank you Ms Mansell for giving me back the ability to MAKE TIME TO READ.
Janet Brito
Vancouver
Canada

I was looking for something a cut above the terrible dime store romance novels I read as a teenager. There are some things I really like about the book: good dialog, multiple subplots interesting characters. But then something happened that completely ruined it for me. The main protagonist is set up to be a responsible together grounded person who has learned from the stupid mistakes she made in her past. She meets a guy and they dislike each other and engage in witty repartee. I'm totally with the program. What a fun book I thought. Then two days after they meet the guy shows up at her place of work. He tells her he needs her help on her day off with "something" but won't tell her what it is but it isn't a date. At first she says she won't go unless he tells her what it is but then as he is walking out the door calling her bluff she gives in and agrees to go off with him in his car for this unknown favor. What kind of sniveling idiot agrees to go off with someone she barely knows and doesn't really like because he shows up at your workplace and demands you do him a favor? A favor he refuses to tell one about in advance?

This is exactly the kind of controlling behavior the protagonists of dime store romance novels always put up with. Would the author want her teenage daughter reading about a together woman who puts up with controlling behavior as if it were perfectly normal?

Why I Read this Book: Once in a blue moon, I like to read a good chick-lit novel. Way back when (after I had read the Harry Potter series and I was trying to find my reading groove), I dabbled in a bit of click-lit. I'm not a huge fan of the genre so a book really has to grab my attention in order for me to read it. In fact, I have about 10 chick-lit books on my shelf, that have been on my shelf for over 3 years, that are waiting for me to read. When I get in the mood.

What I Liked: The book's length seems daunting - it's 500 pages long!! But don't let that get to you. I felt a bit overwhelmed by the size of the book but once I started reading it, I hardly noticed how long the novel was because I got sucked into the story.

I was also overwhelmed by the blurb. There seemed to be a lot going on (there is) and I was worried that I would get lost in the multiple story arcs. But that wasn't the case. Staying at Daisy's is a soap opera; there are many characters to keep track of and a lot of different storylines going on. The different storylines interconnect in ways you wouldn't have guessed. But the author does a great job at mastering this soap opera. It's not confusing or overwhelming. It is funny and at times, crazy.

What I Didn't Like: When I had this book in my hands, the pages just whizzed by. But when I put the book down, I wasn't so anxious to pick it back up. It wasn't a gripping novel; it's a great night time read to keep on your nightstand.

Overall Impression: Staying at Daisy's interesting characters with drama-filled lives and intertwining storylines will be a perfect read for soap opera fans and chick-lit fans. This is the first book by Jill Mansell that I've read so far and I'm looking forward to more from this author. And I'm not even a huge fan of chick-lit! This book is funny, it's touching and it's a novel you won't want to miss.

So, what I've noticed about Jill Mansell after reading several of her books is that she becomes quite predictable after the first two books - as is the case with all romance writers. Her storylines and characters are more or less the same (with different names and titles). There's always the cheating bastard, and the flimsy (usually also cheating) best friend, with a splash of flamboyancy, and an obnoxious, hard to crack hero, and the sweet, insecure heroine. Add to that a few extras - these may take the shape of a dog, or a daughter, or a sister, or a porter, or a father-in-law - and you get yourself a Mansell.

This specific book reminded me so much of "To the Moon and Back". Surprisingly, and although this was written before, I enjoyed "To the Moon and Back" a lot more than this. That could be because it was actually the first book I ever read for her, and so nothing about it seemed predictable, and I found it hilarious, sweet and witty. But let's lay out the similarities shall we?

We have the: dead husband (albeit one a jerk, and the other a nice guy), a year gap after his death, and heroine still can't seem to let anyone in, enter dark brooding hero, flimsy best friend who has an affair with a married man, an elderly romance involving father (or father-in-law), and the male companion who the heroine goes out with because they seem to get along, only for it to not be right, and have him fall for the above mentioned flimsy best friend.

Uncanny right?

All of that being said, I did enjoy the book. I just did not enjoy it as much, because it was like reading the same book twice with slight amendments and a change of scenery. Also, I may be wrong, but I feel like Mansell doesn't really know how to create "I love you" moments. She has a habit of dumping all the "I love yous" in the last few chapters in a rushed manner, making them seem almost insincere.

To be fair though, this book was about having a good laugh, and enjoying a light read about a bunch of odd characters. I also think Mansell intentionally tries to be shocking and bizarre in her characterisation and order of events. I mean, I could sit here and say, I don't like Tara, I hate people who cheat, I cannot believe her spinster-ly aunt prostituted herself to the man she loves (who does that?!) Hector was a jerk for offering Maggie money, Dominic was such an ass, and Tara was a twenty-seven year old idiot for not seeing it and being so immature, etc.etc. But what would I gain out of doing that? This book is exactly about all those series of unfortunate events!

And for that, I think Mansell managed to pull it off. I had a few good laughs, I liked Daisy's character, and I enjoyed the overall storyline.

Daisy runs the swanky hotel owned by her father, Hector. Daisy is married to Stephen and find out that he is cheating on her when Stephen and his girlfriend are in a serious car accident. Stephen ends up dying and Daisy decides to not fall in love with a player again. Daisy meets Dev at a wedding held at the hotel; he is everything she has sworn off. Of course she is immediately drawn to him. The two go to pick out a dog for Dev and Daisy picks Clarissa, a little hot dog with personality to spare. Besides Daisy and Dev, there are other romantic storylines going on--Hector and Maggie, Tara and Dominic, Barney and Mel. All of these characters are ones that readers will care about and invest in.

This is my second book by Mansell and I really enjoy her writing style. This book is great British chick lit. Mansell writes great characters, good romances and does not just make it fluffy. I also like how an animal is incorporated into her books in a decent supporting role.

I received this book from Sourcebooks to review.

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I have been laid off for six months and do not think I'd have maintained my sanity if I did not have my Kindle. I tend to read very serious memoirs or novels about, oh, the Holocaust for example. And when I'm totally wrung out from reading that type of book I will go to Jill Mansell for relief! I love her books. Everything always works out in the end, people are always where they should be and with whom they should be. The characters are so quirky and lovable...the perfect antidote for some of the horrible realities of life. A perfect escape!! Staying at Daisy's was just such a book. Even Clarissa made me laugh (you have to read the book to find out who Clarissa is!) Thank you Jill!

First reading this...i was wondering if indeed i had picked the wrong book off the library shelf. Mansell builds her characters till you will be up @ 2 in the morning with a glass of wine reminding yourself that you need to go to work the next day. The book has lovable characters that you will think kindly on way after reading the last page. An embarassing dad, a marriage full of secrets that come back to bite, a full of herself actress, a one customer prostitue. This book will keep you entertained. Ordering myself another Mansell book off amazon right now.... Enjoy! Happy reading :)

Jill Mansell has been a lighthearted, fun author. Her books, while predictable, are easy to get caught up in. This is her 3rd that I have read and I was not disappointed.

This is the second Jill Mansell book I've read and I thought it was so cute! As usual, it's a long book with a full mad cast of characters. It's told in third person and there are several different story lines all happening at the same time, yet it's easy to follow and each separate story somehow manages to intertwine with all the others. Each chapter is short so it makes a perfect book for a day at the beach. Read a chapter, get up and take a dip in the water. Read another chapters, get up and take another dip, etc. etc. If you like chick lit, more specifically, British chick lit, you have got to try Jill Mansell!