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Christmas at Tiffany's
Christmas at Tiffany's
Karen Swan | 2011 | Romance, Travel
8
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Light hearted (1 more)
Easy Read
Slightly Predictable (0 more)
Power to the women!
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The whole time I was reading it, anyone that saw the book in my hands would ask ‘is that similar to ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s?’ The short answer to that is no, not even close.

I must admit that I was quite confused by the start of the book and the prologue could have been explained a bit better. The story is focalised through Cassie who is celebrating 10 years of marriage with her husband. 3 of her friends have come to visit her in order to celebrate this ‘achievement’. However, things quickly turn sour and it’s revealed that her husband has been having an affair with her best friend and they even have a child together. Her 3 visitors whisk her away and it is agreed that she will spend 4 months with each of them in order to find herself again. She will have to find her feet in New York, Paris and then London (it can’t be all bad!).

This novel shows you a journey of a woman who has always depended on her relationship and who gains her independence and finds what she truly wants. Granted, there are parts that are incredibly cheesy but I think that is part of the beauty of it. It’s a predictable feel-good book but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

As a woman, it has inspired and reminded me that relationships aren’t everything and a happily ever after can come at any moment. The novel excites you as the prospect of a new and better relationship unfolds for Cassie. Swan takes you into this world where anything is possible even for a woman with a broken heart.

This book doesn’t just appeal to women that have had their heart broken but also those that love to travel. It highlights different things to do in the three locations and makes you feel inspired to go and see these for yourself. It is a bitter sweet romance novel and I’m just waiting to find my own version of Henry.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and something that I could happily pick up again. I must admit, I’m surprised that they have made an adaptation of this novel. It would be an ultimate chick flick!
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Dear Wife in Books

Jul 8, 2019  
Dear Wife
Dear Wife
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In Pine Bluff Arkansas, Jeffrey comes home from travel to find his wife, Sabine, missing. Her car has been left behind, and she's seemingly vanished into thin air. As Detective Marcus Durand begins his investigation, things quickly become complicated. Sabine and Jeffrey's marriage wasn't what it seemed, and all signs appear to Jeffrey wanting her gone. What was he doing between his flight and arriving home, for instance? Meanwhile, several hundred miles away, Beth Murphy is on the run, carefully executing a meticulous plan to escape her violent husband. One slip, one mistake, and Beth knows he will find her--and kill her.


"Four hours on the road, two hundred and eight-three miles of space between us, and it's nowhere near enough. I still hear the clink of your keys when you toss them on the table, still tense at the thud of your shoes when you come closer to the kitchen. Still feel the fear slithering, snake-like, just under the surface of my skin. You have three moods lately: offensive, enraged, or violent."


This was a really enjoyable, compulsively readable thriller. It pulls you in nearly immediately and never lets you go--I was completely sucked up in the various stories. The book alternates between the points of view of Beth, Jeffrey, and Marcus. Beth is focused on escaping her husband, Jeffrey on figuring out what happened to his wife, and Marcus on solving the case. Each has their own unique voice, but you're never quite sure of who is telling you the truth or what is happening.


"People don't just fall off the face of the planet. They run, they hide, or they are taken. I should know, because I am one of them."


The result of hearing each person's individual take is a really exciting, twisty story. Where is Sabine? Who exactly is Beth? There are a bunch of fun "aha" moments throughout. I figured out some ahead of time; others were great surprises. No matter what, I enjoyed every moment and was kept interested and guessing. I especially liked and was intrigued by the character of Beth. (Please note that there is a domestic violence trigger in this book.)

Overall, this is a quick, suspenseful read that will keep you flipping the pages. I recommend this well-executed and entertaining thriller! 4+ stars.
  
The Intern (2015)
The Intern (2015)
2015 | Comedy
8
8.0 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Ben is a widower who has tried to fill his time with routine and travel since his wife passed, but he is stuck in a rut. He feels unnecessary and lonely. On his way out of a grocery store Ben spies a flier for “Senior Interns”. He discovers that they actually mean Senior Citizens and not high school seniors, and he creates a video application outlining his qualifications and telling about himself.

Jules runs her company, which she started out of her home, with an attention to detail that insists on perfection, all the while it’s strangling her home life.

She neither remembers she agreed to, nor wants to utilize, an intern of any sort, let alone an out-to-pasture one as Ben appears to be.

With quiet persistence, a good dose of humor, and genuine caring, expertise and talent, Ben goes about proving to Jules just how much she needs his brand of help and how much value he can add to her operation.

I really enjoyed this film. For me, it had just the right amount of funny and sad and even a bit of action (entrenched in a totally impossible situation, and obviously for pure comic relief sake) that made it completely enjoyable to watch.

It is rated PG-13, but I think that even a youngster in the 10 or 11 year old range, provided they were mature enough to deal with the idea of infidelity inside a marriage, would be ok to see it too. The rating was given in part due to “brief strong language” but to be honest I can’t recall any very strong language, which honestly in this day & age is a refreshing change.

I love DeNiro in almost anything I see him in, and this was no exception. I have never had strong feelings either way regarding Anne Hathaway, but I liked her in this, paired against DeNiro. The rest of the cast did their job well, but for me sort of faded into the background against the 2 main characters.

I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars, and the 4 stars is only because it wasn’t a movie I came away with a feeling of “oh my gosh that was AMAZING”, and more that I came away thinking “that was really good, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to see it.”
  
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