Customer Reviews

Wedding Day, The

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

 

 

Annie is a wanna-be novelist and single mum raising a pre-teen daughter and getting ready to marry the doctor that turned her heart around after she and her philandering spouse called it quits. A summer in the seaside community of Cornwall is just what the doctored ordered for R&R and a chance to complete her first novel. Luckily, his eccentric aunt has just the place for her to stay free of charge,

When she arrives, she discovers that absent-minded Aunt Gertrude rented the house out to Matt Malone, a hunky American psychiatrist who is on a sabbatical to write and reconcile with his teenage son. While she tries to get him evicted, Aunt Gertrude lets her know that his rent has already been spent. With no money of her own to shell out for a hotel, she and Matt enter into an agreement to share accommodations.

Soon their little abode is overrun by relatives, exes and friends. As Matt and Annie develop feelings for each other, she is torn between David, the doctor who rescued her from her self-imposed exile after her divorce, and Matt, who challenges her at every turn. And of course her ex Alex just keeps popping in on her wanting yet another chance.

The plot was engaging; the execution was so so. It appears that Alliott has either never been to the US or knows no Americans - the dialogue attributed to the American characters is completely British. At one point, Matt uses the term "nutters," I doubt any American, let alone a doctor would use such a term. And let's face it - Annie never really had to make a choice - it was made for her to keep her conscience clear - what a cop out. This one started out with a bang and had me laughing, but towards the end, I was just ... disappointed.

Annabel "Annie" O'Harran has raised her daughter Flora by herself ever since she dumped her womanizing spouse Adam. She vowed never again would she fall for another man until she met kindhearted and patient (no pun intended) Dr. David Palmer. They are marrying at the end of the summer, but first she must finish writing her book. David persuades her to go use crazy Aunt Gertrude's vacant home in Cornwall where she will find peace and quiet.

The only problem with the hideaway is Aunt Gertrude. She has rented the place to visiting American hunk Matt Malone. He is only the first in what seems like an endless queue as Annie's sister Clare and her crew arrive to use the beach followed by Adam and his young girlfriend. However, Matt is the one causing Annie trouble because she wants him instead of David in her bed, but she also does not want to cheat on the kind doctor who has given her a reason to live again. Of course he is in a custody fight with his ex-wife Madeline over young Tod and cannot afford a diversion. This will either be the greatest or worst summer of her life.

As the doorbell kept ringing at Annie's getaway, this reviewer kept thinking of the cabin scene in A Night at the Opera. That sets the tone of an amusing yet deep look at modern day extended families. Annie is the center that keeps the story line together while the ensemble cast feels like real people whose prime role is enhancing the heroine (some might say harassing her). Fans of contemporary character studies will enjoy this detoured trek towards the altar.

Harriet Klausner

I had a lot of fun reading this, but 2 whoppers stopped me in my tracks. May I just say, without spoiling the plot, that (1) no one just finishing his thesis would be appointed head of a department of a university hospital and (2) there is no desert in Nicaragua!

Annie regroups after leaving an unfaithful husband and now struggles to make a living with her writing and raise her preteen daughter. Her life looks to be back on track when she becomes engaged to a doctor with an autumn wedding expected to lead to a secure future.

Retreating to Cornwall for the summer seems the ideal way to finish (well, to start) her novel. Issues arise immediately with the ex-husband, her sister, and the proximity of an American writer who's too sexy for her peace of mind.

There are elements of chick lit here with some self-deprecating humor, also some standard romance fare, and yet, it pulls together to be even more than either of those genres. It fun, and touching, with warm family scenes - a good read.

I had enjoyed "Olivia's Luck" by Alliot and really found this book to be a good read as well. The themes are similar in some ways to her other novels (cheating husbands and the wives that learn to pick up the pieces of their own lives). This novel is both humerous and heartfelt.

The one thing that bugged me (repeatedly) is that the dialogue of the Americans in this book was completely British, save a few obvious American slang words. It's hard for me to believe that this book was editted to retain such British sounding dialogue coming from a 13 year old kid or the American doc. Even the doctor's diagnoses weren't spoken as an American e.g. "compulsive obsessive" instead of obsessive compulsive.

Still, this book is worth reading.

this is an excellent book and keeps you interested to the final page. i enjoy this writer and will read more and hope to get some on CD for traveling.

This was the first book by Catherine Alliott that I have ever read, although I do read a lot of British chick lit.

Her characters were real people that were easy to sympathize with (even when they weren't always being likable). The book managed to be funny while dealing with serious subjects such as infidelity and family issues. Highly recommended!

If you are a fan of good, witty chick lit this is a great book. a bit predictable and slow in places, but overall great entertainment.

The characters were actually believable, and I really liked it, appart from the contstant finger nail biting from the main female character, it annoy's me that alliot's characters always bite a certain nail, or lick their lips under stress.

Rosie Meadows was also really good, this book was actually very enjoyable. But after the above, alliot has gone from being fresh milk, to being the dodgy milk that was past its use by date a decade ago.

Please don't read "going too far" by alliot - I can assure you, you'll waste 10 hours of your life on absolute fairy floss, and a character that licks her lips, 152 times in the book.

Yes, it was so bad ... you start actually remembering the flaws, the main character was dumber than dumb, and so completely stupid, that if I met her in the street, I'd want to punch her teeth out, and I've never ever done one violent act in my life.

alliot was obviously on a 3 book deal or something from her publisher, and to fulfil her contract "going too far" was the one - a complete and utter load of crap.

If she was not an acknowled author, I can assure ou, this manuscript would've been binned, and I wish it had. A waste of trees to print complete non-inspired, non-interesting rubbish.