Customer Reviews

Wild Designs

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having enjoyed "Stately Pursuits," I wasn't disappointed with "Wild Designs." That the heroine has some "unromantic" traits from a traditional standpoint -- she is slightly older, divorced, with 3 teenaged kids, no job and major money woes -- only made the story more enjoyable. Occasionally the British slang escaped me (e.g. what does it mean to be "Pommish"?) and I thought Althea did altogether too much sighing and bursting into tears when people left the room (the constant self-denial for the sake of the children routine made her a bit too martyrish) but overall a fun, funny, enjoyable book for those who are sick of Oprah-book-club angst.

I've read all of Katie Fforde's books and Wild Designs is the best yet. I guess I identify more with Althea. She may be pushing 40 and devoted to her kids, but she still has a wonderful sense of humor and is such a "real" person. Fforde writes with such wit and gentle concern for people, you really come to care about the characters. The love story between Patrick and Althea seems genuine and you come away believing that they will live happily every after. The supporting characters are, as always with Fforde, strong and really make the book. Is this deep, heavy literature? No. But it's not all fluff either, and Fforde truly writes well.

This was my first experience reading anything author, Katie Fforde has written. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Laugh at loud funny and a real page turner. The main character, Althea is so likable you find yourself really cheering her on. I would have liked to have read about Patrick's life a bit more. I felt there were aspects of his character that could have been explored further, but it doesn't take away from the story at all. I'm definately going to read some more of this author's books.

Wild Designs is a light and delightful novel. I appreciated the way Fforde included realistic concerns about money, aging, and raising children in a romance novel. Sure, it's not great literature, but it's a charming read, and you'll enjoy meeting Althea, her friends and family.

Once again, Fforde comes through with a delightful, thoroughly modern English romance. The writing is light and happy feeling and the book will leave you with a smile.

Katie FForde is a charming writer, reminiscent of the style of Mary Wesley, Rosamunde Pilcher and Marjorie Sharp. A good book to curl up with on a rainy, winter afternoon.

I finished this book in a day. It was entertaining and amusing, not requiring a lot of deep thought. I thought Fforde did a fairly good job of character development even if the plot was a tad predictable
I liked the way the family was presented with all of its faults: the disagreements, the messiness, the lack of planned meals. This was very realistic. I also liked the way Althea met her financial problems head-on and made the best of things.
The only false note was the way Althea treated Patrick....there were too many times when she decided to let him go and pushed him out of her life.
But overall, this was an enjoyable way to spend a day of reading.

This author was recommended. I enjoyed WILD DESIGNS very much and I'm surprised at the wide range of opinions on it here at Amazon! But if you like reading romances that are well-written and whose characters are "real" you'll enjoy this one (Lavyrle Spencer fans, take note).

then, towards the end, you realize you've been racing through this story, and oh, no ... it's going to end soon, and you JUST DON'T WANT IT TO. Our heroine is NOT your typical mom; she's much too involved in her kids; perhaps that is why they're so likeable, and you wish they were your own? And the messes she gets herself into, couldn't possibly happen in real life; perhaps that's why you find yourself laughing out loud so often. A light hearted, fun, read-it-in-one day novel. Katie Fford is a new favorite author!

When I started readng Wild Designs, I did not think that I was going to enjoy it. The story seemed to start rather slowly, and I almost gave up after only one chapter. Something made me continue to read, and I'm very glad that I did. Once into the story, I decided that I really wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!