This is the first Jill Mansell novel that I have read and would say that it is easy-reading. If you’re after a riveting novel with an intricate storyline, this is not the book for you. It’s not that it has a bad storyline or is boring, it’s just that it’s what I picture people reading on the beach on holiday.
I read it rapidly so I much have enjoyed it somewhat. I liked the characters and thought they were al
l well thought out and likeable. For the first time in a while there was a single character that I found annoying and in most books there usually is! In this novel though, I particuarly liked Gabe, although it is a name which I would probably usually assosiate with an American. That may just me though.
As I have said before, it is not an intricate storyline, the characters are perhaps it’s saving grace! I thought it was very predicable, but aren’t all love stories? I also thought that it was very unrealistic as what kind of woman would see spending £12,500 to see that their son doesn’t see a girl who they deem as unfit a good way to spend money? And then to make this even more riduculous at the end of the novel after not much swaying she changes her mind and says “so long as he’s happyy”. WHAT? Also the whole way through the novel I just wished Lola would tell everyone what she spent it on, it would have made it all better! I know she made that promise but I am sure he would have understood! Maybe it’s because I can’t relate. It my have something also to do with the fact that I am not so good with secr
ets myself. Depending on who’s they are of course!
However, my main criticism of this book is it is about 400 pages long and the whole way through it feels as though nothing happens and so you read it, thinking “something big is going to happen” and then you get to the end of the novel and you think “actually nothing happened!”
I am not saying I was disappointed by this book because honestly I wasn’t expecting much. I wouldn’t be in a rish to read another, although I would recommend it for people who are going away on holiday as a “light read”.
Sunsets and Fireworks 
Hi, so sorry you didn’t think anything happens in my book! And I can promise you, Gabe is a name we use in the UK. I agree with you about the mother at the end – my editor made me change it to that ending – I didn’t want it!
Best
Jill Mansell
I feel so bad! I guess I just don’t think that anyone would read my blog, least of all an author! I did enjoy the book, even though it sounds like I didn’t. My mum has told me that a lot of your earlier books are really good so I am going to read them 🙂 What was the original ending? It seemed that if the mother hated Lola that much she would have never said it was ok in the end. I did like the her and Doug got back together in the end 🙂
Ha, don’t feel bad, everyone’s allowed to have an opinion! And I wrote it with the mother being completely left out and Lola and Doug not caring if she disapproved and never wanted to see them again, but my editor asked me to rewrite it and make her accept the situation in the end. xx