Customer Reviews

Voice of the Heart

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I just finished "Voice of the Heart" and it was good, if not slightly tacky. The middle section was pretty long (like about 600 pages) but held my attention though most of it, and the ending was fairly satisfying and unpredictable enough to surprise you. Good character descriptions and a good storyline. Worth a read.

Barbara Taylor Bradford's lackluster second novel after the highly-popular "A Woman of Substance" is doomed for the recycle bin for its turtle-paced plot, unappealing characters, but mostly for its trite narrative. Protagonist Francesca Cunningham has all the making of a Londonian Cinderella Complex candidate when she falls head over heals for movie star producer with a past Victor Mason who seems not that into her. In comes actress Katharine Tempest, the Wicked Witch of the West Coast who secretly has eyes for destruction in her quest of making it big, career-wise. Once she does spit out her venom (after many many long chapters), everything turns topsy-turvy for all involved, including yours truly who has been waiting so patiently for captivation to hit the fan. But, alas, all is way too late. Between long descriptive enumeration of settings and beautiful people lies the obvious fact that the novel is nearly plot-free. Nothing really happens to its cotton-candy characters. Their hook ups and break ups simmer in a lengthy (700+ pages) pen-happy delivery that would have been more rewarding had it been cut in half. Someone also needs to tell Miss Bradford that her male point of view is definitely not her forte. Her Victor/Nicholas duo team comes across awkwardly ill-defined rather than prone to mere male bonding. But prolific as she is, she must have found ways to correct this mishap by now. Or is it that her mostly wide female readership just doesn't care. You be the judge.-----Martin Boucher