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Ralph's Party #2
After the Party
Eleven years ago, Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary fell deeply in love. They thought it would be forever, that they’d found their happy ending. As everyone agreed, they were the perfect couple. Then two became four, and an apartment became a house. Romantic nights out became sleepless nights in. And they soon found that life wasn’t quite so simple anymore. But through it all, Jem and Ralph still loved each other. Of course they did.
Now Jem is back at work part-time as a talent agent. Ralph, a successful painter, is struggling to come up with new, hopefully groundbreaking, work for his upcoming show. But the unimaginable has happened. Two people who were so right together are starting to drift apart And in the chaos of family life, Jem feels like she’s losing herself, while Ralph, stuck on the sidelines, feels like he’s lost his muse altogether. Something has to change. As they try to find a way back to each other, back to what they once had, they both become momentarily distracted—but maybe it’s not too late to recapture happily ever after…
Now Jem is back at work part-time as a talent agent. Ralph, a successful painter, is struggling to come up with new, hopefully groundbreaking, work for his upcoming show. But the unimaginable has happened. Two people who were so right together are starting to drift apart And in the chaos of family life, Jem feels like she’s losing herself, while Ralph, stuck on the sidelines, feels like he’s lost his muse altogether. Something has to change. As they try to find a way back to each other, back to what they once had, they both become momentarily distracted—but maybe it’s not too late to recapture happily ever after…
468 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
1476 people are currently reading
8569 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Jewell
45 books88.1k followersLISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.
Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 661 reviews
November 10, 2021
Why did I read this book? Someone explain to me why I gravitate to books that seem good but then it takes a foray into Cheat Street and then passes Unfaithful Boulevard and then end up at the intersection of WTF Avenue!!! I am so mad at myself. It came up on my Scribd recommendations and I was like oh I love marriage in peril books, with no cheating, and this sounded like nothing happened, except lustful thoughts and Bam halfway into the book the wife sleeps with a younger man. Then the husband sleeps with another woman. And guess what, they love each other again and get married. That's the end of the book and they are so happy and both got nookie from younger hard bodied lovers and were ready to embrace Fidelity and forever. I didn't buy it and I really really m mad at myself for reading it without checking Goodreads reviews. Note to myself: never do that again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2011
One word: seriously?
I was down with the main theme of fleeting youth and the changing of personalities based on having kids, becoming a stereotype, etc. That is something that 30+ people struggle with every day.
Instead, this was a jumble of completely insane and non-issues that deteriorated the relationship of two people. It was so forced that it was evident (reinforcing the Acknowledgments by the author at the beginning of the book) that this book was written for monetary purposes and not because there was a legitimate concept of what happened to these two characters.
I did not love the first book, but it was intriguing and different. This was different, but in a vapid, self-loathing way where I actually found myself in a horrible mood after reading because it was so depressing - yet the obstacles put in the way of the characters were just stupid.
YUCK.
I was down with the main theme of fleeting youth and the changing of personalities based on having kids, becoming a stereotype, etc. That is something that 30+ people struggle with every day.
Instead, this was a jumble of completely insane and non-issues that deteriorated the relationship of two people. It was so forced that it was evident (reinforcing the Acknowledgments by the author at the beginning of the book) that this book was written for monetary purposes and not because there was a legitimate concept of what happened to these two characters.
I did not love the first book, but it was intriguing and different. This was different, but in a vapid, self-loathing way where I actually found myself in a horrible mood after reading because it was so depressing - yet the obstacles put in the way of the characters were just stupid.
YUCK.
September 12, 2011
this novel represents the culmination of days of trying to be a goodreads giveaway winner. thank you, goodreads!
of course, as such, the aura of mystery and anticipation surrounding its arrival unfortunately built-up the potential majesty of said-prize.
ah well!
warning, here there be spoilers.
the bangers:
1. the names - sure, it's a bit gimmicky, but the highly literary names were pretty spectacular. jem, ralph, blake, and scarlett - it was a veritable feast of characters and authors. plus, using preexisting heroes from literature past forced the feeling that i already knew the characters (I had not previously read the first one of these about Ralph and his party).
2. the setting - i'm a total sucker for brit-lit. if it's set in london, i'll read it. i don't know - it's like by the mere shift in location can take a book about the crumble and reaffirmation of love and make it seem more interesting, more fun, more sophisticated.
the mash:
1. i didn't need to read the first one to understand this one. i thought about whether this was a negative or a positive...it would have been a positive except for the fact that jewell constantly references the parts of the first book that i would have found imperative to read. yes, ralph is a snooper! jem kept a diary that he read! (um, this is the basis of a healthy relationship???) they had some lovin' after a party! jem used to date ralph's best friend! did i mention they got together after a party?!? it gets mentioned. a lot. so, while it was good to have the backstory, it was not good to have the backstory like 15 times.
2. is this supposed to be chicklit? - i couldn't really tell exactly what genre jewell was hoping for here. i would have guessed chick-lit except that the character of jem is sort of fecklessly irritable. she fantasizes about a neighborhood dad, leads him on, cuts him off cold, judges him, and then freaks out when he calls her on it? oh, yeah, and she sleeps with his 24 year-old son. WHAT?!? and this is our heroine? she also seems to have forced her not-hubby into having their two children (always a recipe for success)...i wanted her to be more likable then she was. but she never quite got there. (oh, and anyone who would win a vivienne westwood anything on ebay would totally know what a fascinator is. just sayin'.)
3. the funky bunch - ralph is a commitment-phobic father (he's sold on jem, the kid's, not so much), smith is a reiki-spiritualistic weirdo, rosey is a faux-christian rocker with cheap jewelry, lulu is exactly how you'd picture someone named lulu, karl is a cheap sideplot, the kids are tragic casualties in a plot device gone horribly astray, joel is a creepy-addict-stalker, lucas is a hot 24-year-old with some mild stalker habits learned from watching his crack addicted father...do i need to go on? overall, i was left wondering who exactly i was supposed to like here.
4. jewell has never met a plot device she didn't like. - seriously, what DOESN'T happen here. crumbling relationships, unplanned pregnancies, planned pregnancies, planned abortions, spontaneous abortions, stalkers, drug addiction, infidelity (emotional and physical), trips to california, revenge sex, celebrities,quasi-religious conversions/cults, etc. TOO MUCH! it was like the last hour of armageddon (the movie) where you're pretty sure they're going to get out of this whole "end of the world" mess but first the drill has to jam and steve buscemi has to ricochet off a meteor. towards the end, if one more thing happened, i would have been forced to close the book prematurely.
5. the end, for the length of it, was very rushed. at a certain point, the narrative gets truncated; time passes with just emails - it's like jewell realized that if she didn't expediate the process a bit, we'd be there for 800 pages.
6. the overall message - okay, here is my biggest gripe with the book. it glorifies marriage. now, you'll probably wonder how i jumped to that bold conclusion considering most of the novel is about the dissolution of this couple's perfect romance. well! here you go: jem and ralph never married. that's right. never. they had two kids together, bought a house together, and agreed upon some sort of coexistence. but no marriage. so, while they're busy screwing up their relationship with hot australians and creepy dads from the park, they're technically not married. because in novels, what comes after marriage is "happily ever after". appropriately, the novel ends with the reunited couple's wedding, thus restoring our shattered faith that the perfect couple can once more be perfect together. this pissed me off to no uncertain end. for a couple plagued by so many problems, marriage seemed like a quick, if not inevitable, surface fix. it didn't feel romantic - it just felt wrong.
honestly, i'm not sold on this novel. i wanted desperately to love it, because i won it! and winning is made of awesome! but i couldn't get past all the bullshit and pretense. no one comes across as particularly likable or vulnerable. the writing at times feels stilted (more so at the end when jewell seems to cave to the pressure of the happy ending and needs her characters to find forgiveness - i can't imagine EVER being okay with my fake-hubby disappearing for three weeks to paint pictures of my family so we can start anew. but i am most definitely not jem).
it's compelling enough to finish but not to love.
of course, as such, the aura of mystery and anticipation surrounding its arrival unfortunately built-up the potential majesty of said-prize.
ah well!
warning, here there be spoilers.
the bangers:
1. the names - sure, it's a bit gimmicky, but the highly literary names were pretty spectacular. jem, ralph, blake, and scarlett - it was a veritable feast of characters and authors. plus, using preexisting heroes from literature past forced the feeling that i already knew the characters (I had not previously read the first one of these about Ralph and his party).
2. the setting - i'm a total sucker for brit-lit. if it's set in london, i'll read it. i don't know - it's like by the mere shift in location can take a book about the crumble and reaffirmation of love and make it seem more interesting, more fun, more sophisticated.
the mash:
1. i didn't need to read the first one to understand this one. i thought about whether this was a negative or a positive...it would have been a positive except for the fact that jewell constantly references the parts of the first book that i would have found imperative to read. yes, ralph is a snooper! jem kept a diary that he read! (um, this is the basis of a healthy relationship???) they had some lovin' after a party! jem used to date ralph's best friend! did i mention they got together after a party?!? it gets mentioned. a lot. so, while it was good to have the backstory, it was not good to have the backstory like 15 times.
2. is this supposed to be chicklit? - i couldn't really tell exactly what genre jewell was hoping for here. i would have guessed chick-lit except that the character of jem is sort of fecklessly irritable. she fantasizes about a neighborhood dad, leads him on, cuts him off cold, judges him, and then freaks out when he calls her on it? oh, yeah, and she sleeps with his 24 year-old son. WHAT?!? and this is our heroine? she also seems to have forced her not-hubby into having their two children (always a recipe for success)...i wanted her to be more likable then she was. but she never quite got there. (oh, and anyone who would win a vivienne westwood anything on ebay would totally know what a fascinator is. just sayin'.)
3. the funky bunch - ralph is a commitment-phobic father (he's sold on jem, the kid's, not so much), smith is a reiki-spiritualistic weirdo, rosey is a faux-christian rocker with cheap jewelry, lulu is exactly how you'd picture someone named lulu, karl is a cheap sideplot, the kids are tragic casualties in a plot device gone horribly astray, joel is a creepy-addict-stalker, lucas is a hot 24-year-old with some mild stalker habits learned from watching his crack addicted father...do i need to go on? overall, i was left wondering who exactly i was supposed to like here.
4. jewell has never met a plot device she didn't like. - seriously, what DOESN'T happen here. crumbling relationships, unplanned pregnancies, planned pregnancies, planned abortions, spontaneous abortions, stalkers, drug addiction, infidelity (emotional and physical), trips to california, revenge sex, celebrities,quasi-religious conversions/cults, etc. TOO MUCH! it was like the last hour of armageddon (the movie) where you're pretty sure they're going to get out of this whole "end of the world" mess but first the drill has to jam and steve buscemi has to ricochet off a meteor. towards the end, if one more thing happened, i would have been forced to close the book prematurely.
5. the end, for the length of it, was very rushed. at a certain point, the narrative gets truncated; time passes with just emails - it's like jewell realized that if she didn't expediate the process a bit, we'd be there for 800 pages.
6. the overall message - okay, here is my biggest gripe with the book. it glorifies marriage. now, you'll probably wonder how i jumped to that bold conclusion considering most of the novel is about the dissolution of this couple's perfect romance. well! here you go: jem and ralph never married. that's right. never. they had two kids together, bought a house together, and agreed upon some sort of coexistence. but no marriage. so, while they're busy screwing up their relationship with hot australians and creepy dads from the park, they're technically not married. because in novels, what comes after marriage is "happily ever after". appropriately, the novel ends with the reunited couple's wedding, thus restoring our shattered faith that the perfect couple can once more be perfect together. this pissed me off to no uncertain end. for a couple plagued by so many problems, marriage seemed like a quick, if not inevitable, surface fix. it didn't feel romantic - it just felt wrong.
honestly, i'm not sold on this novel. i wanted desperately to love it, because i won it! and winning is made of awesome! but i couldn't get past all the bullshit and pretense. no one comes across as particularly likable or vulnerable. the writing at times feels stilted (more so at the end when jewell seems to cave to the pressure of the happy ending and needs her characters to find forgiveness - i can't imagine EVER being okay with my fake-hubby disappearing for three weeks to paint pictures of my family so we can start anew. but i am most definitely not jem).
it's compelling enough to finish but not to love.
March 25, 2019
I’d give this book a 2.5. It was well written as are all of Lisa Jewels books but I just found it a little bit boring compared to some of her other books. This was one of her earlier ones so I can definitely say that her books have improved over time. It wasn’t a bad read I just found it lacked any kind of gripping or exciting story line and I found myself loosing interest throughout. Not really one that I’d recommend but I would def recommend lisa as an author, just perhaps some of her more recent books.
April 16, 2010
It’s been eleven years since Ralph McLeary and Jem Catterick first got together and everyone, including themselves, thought their relationship would last forever. Life hasn’t turned out that way though and as a flat has turned into a house and their family has expanded to four, it seems that Ralph and Jem are drifting apart. As Ralph tries to get over his feelings of helplessness and Jem tries to remember who she was before the children came along, they both try to figure out how to recapture their love for each other. Is it too late for Ralph and Jem or is still possible for them to have their happy ever after everyone expected of them?
I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and have loved most of her novels that I’ve read. Ralph’s Party was amongst those and I really enjoyed it. I’ve also read ThirtyNothing and One Hit Wonder before getting a hold of Lisa’s latest The Truth About Melody Browne late last year. It seems that her writing has evolved so much since Ralph’s Party and The Truth About Melody Browne seemed so more mature than her earlier novels so when I heart Lisa was writing a sequel to Ralph’s Party – her debut! – I was thrilled because I’d loved Ralph and Jem first time around. After The Party appeared for pre-order on Bookdepository a few months ago and I placed my order for it. As soon as I saw it had been dispatched I eagerly awaited it, not wanting to start anything else for fear of it coming whilst I was half way through another book! It finally arrived and I eagerly started it.
It’s fair to say that After The Party is totally different to it’s prequel Ralph’s Party. It has a very different feel to it – as I mentioned, Lisa’s writing has evolved – and whereas Ralph’s Party featured six main characters (Ralph, Smith, Siobhan, Karl, Jem and Cheri), After The Party was mainly about Jem and Ralph. The book begins with a prologue, set in the present year, before being split into multiple parts set mainly in the year that causes Jem and Ralph to think about taking a break from each other until we ourselves come up to the breaking point in Jem and Ralph’s relationship. It wasn’t how I expected it to be but I was happily pleased with how it was all laid out.
After The Party isn’t exactly the happiest read you’ll ever encounter because for the majority of the book we see Jem and Ralph’s relationship disintegrate and, believe me, it isn’t particularly pretty. There’s no definitive starting point that marks the potential beginning of the end for Jem and Ralph, it just seems to be the way life has gone for them. They have two children – the ever lovely Scarlett and Blake – and the change in dynamics that came with having children weren’t what Jem or Ralph expected. Up until Jem and Ralph had kids, they were solely focused on each other (as you’d expect) and after having kids, their focuses changed and Ralph ended up feeling left out whereas Jem felt as if she was losing her real self – the carefree and younger version of herself.
Ralph decides to take a holiday to California to see his best mate Smith and Jem begrudgingly lets him go. Out in California, Ralph seems to find himself, with a little help from Smith’s girlfriend Rosey, and appears to have found a new lease of life. Meanwhile Jem is stuck at home alone and finding that, actually, she’s kind of enjoying it. It’s helped that she appears to have a new friend in single dad Joel – but is that all there is to it? Ralph comes back from California determined to help Jem out more with the kids but Jem is pre-occupied with thoughts of Joel and it appears that Jem and Ralph, instead of becoming closer, are moving further and further apart.
Because I didn’t read Ralph’s Party before reading After The Party, I can’t particularly say if Jem and Ralph are the same in the sequel as they were in the prequel. It’s been such a long time that I simply can’t remember their character traits. Both Ralph and Jem have obviously grown up though in the years since we left Ralph’s Party. I admit that I really liked both Ralph and Jem. Yes, they were a tad annoying at times – Ralph running off to California, for one, and Jem getting a bit gooey over Joel another – but it’s obvious to see that they both still love each other, it’s just that they don’t talk about anything. Ever. It seems that, for the most point, that a good banging together of heads may have sorted a lot out. (It wouldn’t have been as good a book, admittedly.) Jem and Ralph are the only recurring characters in the book – the rest seem to flit in and out at will: Lulu, Jem’s sister, Joel, the single dad Jem befriends, Smith and Rosey, Ralph’s best friend and Smith’s girlfriend, a few of the characters from Ralph’s Party appear but not in any real way and only fleetingly.
After The Party is an incredibly emotional read because it’s clear that Ralph and Jem belong together no matter what so to see their relationship self-destruct is horrible to read. I wanted to shake them both and tell them to stop being so silly. I rarely get so involved with characters but with Jem and Ralph I just couldn’t get enough. It helps that Lisa Jewell gives us both Ralph and Jem’s point of view, making for a very fair view of their relationship. Lisa Jewell really is a fantastic writer because, to be blunt, After The Party isn’t your usual boy-meets-girl-they-fall-in-love affair, After The Party is about what it’s like after being together for a huge amount of time and all the troubles a modern couple face these days. It was a very turbulent year in the life of Jem and Ralph and I really didn’t know how it would end.
I really loved reading After The Party. At 450 pages, it’s a fantastic book to sink your teeth into and it never gets dull, each page was not exactly a pleasure to read but it sure was addicting. My only complaint if the lack of Siobhan. I loved her in Ralph’s Party and she was only mentioned once, fleetingly and I thought that was rather disappointing but I could understand why, Ralph and Jem were the focus here, not the other (former) residents of 31 Almanac Road. After The Party really was a great read and I hugely recommend it. It’s not even really necessary to read Ralph’s Party beforehand as everything is explained very well. Hugely recommended.
I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and have loved most of her novels that I’ve read. Ralph’s Party was amongst those and I really enjoyed it. I’ve also read ThirtyNothing and One Hit Wonder before getting a hold of Lisa’s latest The Truth About Melody Browne late last year. It seems that her writing has evolved so much since Ralph’s Party and The Truth About Melody Browne seemed so more mature than her earlier novels so when I heart Lisa was writing a sequel to Ralph’s Party – her debut! – I was thrilled because I’d loved Ralph and Jem first time around. After The Party appeared for pre-order on Bookdepository a few months ago and I placed my order for it. As soon as I saw it had been dispatched I eagerly awaited it, not wanting to start anything else for fear of it coming whilst I was half way through another book! It finally arrived and I eagerly started it.
It’s fair to say that After The Party is totally different to it’s prequel Ralph’s Party. It has a very different feel to it – as I mentioned, Lisa’s writing has evolved – and whereas Ralph’s Party featured six main characters (Ralph, Smith, Siobhan, Karl, Jem and Cheri), After The Party was mainly about Jem and Ralph. The book begins with a prologue, set in the present year, before being split into multiple parts set mainly in the year that causes Jem and Ralph to think about taking a break from each other until we ourselves come up to the breaking point in Jem and Ralph’s relationship. It wasn’t how I expected it to be but I was happily pleased with how it was all laid out.
After The Party isn’t exactly the happiest read you’ll ever encounter because for the majority of the book we see Jem and Ralph’s relationship disintegrate and, believe me, it isn’t particularly pretty. There’s no definitive starting point that marks the potential beginning of the end for Jem and Ralph, it just seems to be the way life has gone for them. They have two children – the ever lovely Scarlett and Blake – and the change in dynamics that came with having children weren’t what Jem or Ralph expected. Up until Jem and Ralph had kids, they were solely focused on each other (as you’d expect) and after having kids, their focuses changed and Ralph ended up feeling left out whereas Jem felt as if she was losing her real self – the carefree and younger version of herself.
Ralph decides to take a holiday to California to see his best mate Smith and Jem begrudgingly lets him go. Out in California, Ralph seems to find himself, with a little help from Smith’s girlfriend Rosey, and appears to have found a new lease of life. Meanwhile Jem is stuck at home alone and finding that, actually, she’s kind of enjoying it. It’s helped that she appears to have a new friend in single dad Joel – but is that all there is to it? Ralph comes back from California determined to help Jem out more with the kids but Jem is pre-occupied with thoughts of Joel and it appears that Jem and Ralph, instead of becoming closer, are moving further and further apart.
Because I didn’t read Ralph’s Party before reading After The Party, I can’t particularly say if Jem and Ralph are the same in the sequel as they were in the prequel. It’s been such a long time that I simply can’t remember their character traits. Both Ralph and Jem have obviously grown up though in the years since we left Ralph’s Party. I admit that I really liked both Ralph and Jem. Yes, they were a tad annoying at times – Ralph running off to California, for one, and Jem getting a bit gooey over Joel another – but it’s obvious to see that they both still love each other, it’s just that they don’t talk about anything. Ever. It seems that, for the most point, that a good banging together of heads may have sorted a lot out. (It wouldn’t have been as good a book, admittedly.) Jem and Ralph are the only recurring characters in the book – the rest seem to flit in and out at will: Lulu, Jem’s sister, Joel, the single dad Jem befriends, Smith and Rosey, Ralph’s best friend and Smith’s girlfriend, a few of the characters from Ralph’s Party appear but not in any real way and only fleetingly.
After The Party is an incredibly emotional read because it’s clear that Ralph and Jem belong together no matter what so to see their relationship self-destruct is horrible to read. I wanted to shake them both and tell them to stop being so silly. I rarely get so involved with characters but with Jem and Ralph I just couldn’t get enough. It helps that Lisa Jewell gives us both Ralph and Jem’s point of view, making for a very fair view of their relationship. Lisa Jewell really is a fantastic writer because, to be blunt, After The Party isn’t your usual boy-meets-girl-they-fall-in-love affair, After The Party is about what it’s like after being together for a huge amount of time and all the troubles a modern couple face these days. It was a very turbulent year in the life of Jem and Ralph and I really didn’t know how it would end.
I really loved reading After The Party. At 450 pages, it’s a fantastic book to sink your teeth into and it never gets dull, each page was not exactly a pleasure to read but it sure was addicting. My only complaint if the lack of Siobhan. I loved her in Ralph’s Party and she was only mentioned once, fleetingly and I thought that was rather disappointing but I could understand why, Ralph and Jem were the focus here, not the other (former) residents of 31 Almanac Road. After The Party really was a great read and I hugely recommend it. It’s not even really necessary to read Ralph’s Party beforehand as everything is explained very well. Hugely recommended.
December 30, 2010
I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and I buy whatever she writes.
I must have been about 20 when I read Ralph's Party and I totally fell in love with Ralph and Jem. Plus it was set in North London, where I grew up, and I really felt I was reading about people just like me. I couldn't wait to read After the Party and learn more about these two and I eagerly awaited the release date.
I have tried to read it twice now and I just can't do it.
I accept that this book is probably very realistic, but being newly married myself, I'm not ready to accept that happily ever after comes to an end. This book made me feel so sad that I just couldn't carry on. I did skip through to find out if they stayed together and I couldn't believe the unforgivable things that they both did. I am definitely not in the right place in my own life to understand their actions and to understand how you can carry on in the relationship afterwards.
I know my reaction probably seems a little naive but I assure you I am a very realistic and logical person. I need more magic from my happy ending and I need to feel that they can't live without eachother.
I must have been about 20 when I read Ralph's Party and I totally fell in love with Ralph and Jem. Plus it was set in North London, where I grew up, and I really felt I was reading about people just like me. I couldn't wait to read After the Party and learn more about these two and I eagerly awaited the release date.
I have tried to read it twice now and I just can't do it.
I accept that this book is probably very realistic, but being newly married myself, I'm not ready to accept that happily ever after comes to an end. This book made me feel so sad that I just couldn't carry on. I did skip through to find out if they stayed together and I couldn't believe the unforgivable things that they both did. I am definitely not in the right place in my own life to understand their actions and to understand how you can carry on in the relationship afterwards.
I know my reaction probably seems a little naive but I assure you I am a very realistic and logical person. I need more magic from my happy ending and I need to feel that they can't live without eachother.
December 19, 2018
After buying this book by a second hand shop i started reading it. What i didn't know was that it belonged to a series (Ralph's party). Luckely i did understand the whole book without reading the other part. This makes this book a really good book. I love the way it is written this is also the first book i have read from Lisa Jewell, and will make me read more of her books.
March 26, 2019
This is one of Lisa Jewell’s first books & it’s easy to see how she’s grown as a writer since this, it’s unrecognisable to her more recent work. It’s an easy light read & she's in entertaining form following up on the characters of Ralph's Party. It follows a fairly predictable pattern but does have a few surprises, twists & turns. I felt like banging the two main characters’ heads together more than once, who were pretty frustrating, but it all makes sense in the end; It's chick lit- but readable chick lit.
April 26, 2019
Love the writing style SO much, not too sure about the characters.
I've always loved Lisa Jewell's books. She's got such a clear, relateable voice, and she really knows how to keep readers turning the page.
This book was rather different to the ones I'd read before; which wasn't a problem at all and I enjoyed it. Though to be honest, I wasn't in love with either of the main characters...
Ralph and Jem are a 'happy' couple. They've got two young children, they live in London, and they're chugging along nicely. Then Ralph decides he needs some 'away' time in the US, where he meets Rosey. And in his absence, Jem gets cosy with Joel, a single man with a daughter, an older son, and a dark past.
On Ralph's return, the relationship blossoms, only to take a turn for the worse. Suspicion kicks in, followed by emotional trauma. Can their relationship make it through?
So, as mentioned previously, Lisa Jewell does a great job of keeping me hooked. I definitely wanted to know what happened next, especially when the lies and deceit kicked in. However, I found the behaviour of both the main characters really awful.
For starters, what partner sods off to the US for a nice holiday, after his wife has literally only just had a baby? And then proceeds to flirt with his mate's partner? What woman invites a single man over to her house for 'curry', flirts with him, then goes cold and expects that to be okay?
There are several more incidents of this sort of selfish behaviour that made me thoroughly dislike them both. They came across as the epitome of pampered London types, used to getting their own way, using others without thought of the consequences and so forth, and I really didn't like either of them.
However, the saving grace was the author's fantastic sense of relateability. The moments when the kids are acting up. When Jem is trying to cope with a stinking hangover and has to get up at 6am to sort out the baby. When she's gossiping with women in a posh bar. All of these moments were so beautifully written that I almost felt I was there.
I'd definitely recommend reading this, because it's compelling, and an interesting study of what happens when communication breaks down in a relationship. However, don't expect to fall in love with Ralph or Jem...
I've always loved Lisa Jewell's books. She's got such a clear, relateable voice, and she really knows how to keep readers turning the page.
This book was rather different to the ones I'd read before; which wasn't a problem at all and I enjoyed it. Though to be honest, I wasn't in love with either of the main characters...
Ralph and Jem are a 'happy' couple. They've got two young children, they live in London, and they're chugging along nicely. Then Ralph decides he needs some 'away' time in the US, where he meets Rosey. And in his absence, Jem gets cosy with Joel, a single man with a daughter, an older son, and a dark past.
On Ralph's return, the relationship blossoms, only to take a turn for the worse. Suspicion kicks in, followed by emotional trauma. Can their relationship make it through?
So, as mentioned previously, Lisa Jewell does a great job of keeping me hooked. I definitely wanted to know what happened next, especially when the lies and deceit kicked in. However, I found the behaviour of both the main characters really awful.
For starters, what partner sods off to the US for a nice holiday, after his wife has literally only just had a baby? And then proceeds to flirt with his mate's partner? What woman invites a single man over to her house for 'curry', flirts with him, then goes cold and expects that to be okay?
There are several more incidents of this sort of selfish behaviour that made me thoroughly dislike them both. They came across as the epitome of pampered London types, used to getting their own way, using others without thought of the consequences and so forth, and I really didn't like either of them.
However, the saving grace was the author's fantastic sense of relateability. The moments when the kids are acting up. When Jem is trying to cope with a stinking hangover and has to get up at 6am to sort out the baby. When she's gossiping with women in a posh bar. All of these moments were so beautifully written that I almost felt I was there.
I'd definitely recommend reading this, because it's compelling, and an interesting study of what happens when communication breaks down in a relationship. However, don't expect to fall in love with Ralph or Jem...
October 1, 2021
I read "Ralph's Party", oh it must be knocking on twenty years ago &, like all other books by Jewell that I've read, I loved it. In fact she's one of those authors that I always felt I could rely on for an above average read, which makes me wish I hadn't read this book. There's no way to sugar coat it - I really don't like this "new" Jem & Ralph.
From the start they just plain irritated me. Yes, they've got young kids & that changes a couple's dynamic no-two ways about it but that's what happens when you're a parent - grow up! I couldn't work out what the hell either of them was expecting from the other. They didn't seemed to want to stay together & both were contemplating affairs - not the way to stick together IMHO, but at the same time said they still loved each other- shame they never said it to each other. I wanted to give them a good shake & tell them talk, for gawd's sake - TALK! - relationships need working at there's no miracle cure!
And what was the story with Joel? After his rant at Jem & his stalkerish behaviour I was expecting things would come to some sort of explosive conclusion but he just seemed to vanish off the scene....only to be replaced in Jem's so called affections by Lucas, who just happened to be Joel's son - strangely for someone who struck me as a possible bunny-boiler this didn't seem to bother Joel in the least!
I did read to the end as I soooo wanted to find some glimmer of the sort of story I was expecting, but it was not to be. Jem & co remained unappealing throughout & the they all live happy ever after style ending was a cop out. After all that had gone on? A wedding would NOT have been on the cards in my world....
A very disappointing read although I'm not going to let this put me off Lisa Jewell (I have "Before I Met You" waiting on my TBR) but I will be wary of re-visiting "old friends" in the future.
From the start they just plain irritated me. Yes, they've got young kids & that changes a couple's dynamic no-two ways about it but that's what happens when you're a parent - grow up! I couldn't work out what the hell either of them was expecting from the other. They didn't seemed to want to stay together & both were contemplating affairs - not the way to stick together IMHO, but at the same time said they still loved each other- shame they never said it to each other. I wanted to give them a good shake & tell them talk, for gawd's sake - TALK! - relationships need working at there's no miracle cure!
And what was the story with Joel? After his rant at Jem & his stalkerish behaviour I was expecting things would come to some sort of explosive conclusion but he just seemed to vanish off the scene....only to be replaced in Jem's so called affections by Lucas, who just happened to be Joel's son - strangely for someone who struck me as a possible bunny-boiler this didn't seem to bother Joel in the least!
I did read to the end as I soooo wanted to find some glimmer of the sort of story I was expecting, but it was not to be. Jem & co remained unappealing throughout & the they all live happy ever after style ending was a cop out. After all that had gone on? A wedding would NOT have been on the cards in my world....
A very disappointing read although I'm not going to let this put me off Lisa Jewell (I have "Before I Met You" waiting on my TBR) but I will be wary of re-visiting "old friends" in the future.
August 3, 2012
This is a good story but found the story could of been wrapped up quicker. I read this straight after reading Ralphs party. My favourite characters were Scarlett and Blake(Jem and Ralphs children) A lot happened to Jem and Ralph throughout the book and it was enjoyable to see what they'd become after been together 11 years and two children later.
July 28, 2010
Quick one here. Again, 3-stars doesn't exactly do her justice. I actually do like Lisa Jewell quite a lot, I think in the way that I really like the Whopper with Cheese, or the burgers I get at my local during the lunchtime special. They're a bit better than, say, a shit burger and quite good now and then, but it's not sustenance.
That's kind of cruel, maybe, and I don't mean to be. Really. I like the idea that she's gone back to her first book, Ralph's Party and imagined what became of the characters, which considering this is supposed to be 'Chick Fic' (or is it 'Lit'?) means that the original lot of characters were actually quite memorable somehow. The first book was something of a cut above your standard chick-fic fare, almost heading into Nick Hornby territory, when he gets his culture/zeitgeist hat on and touches a nerve here of there.
It's also interesting for me in that Ralph's Party was very much set in the approach to 1997, the arse-end of a pretty bad recession and a moribund Tory-led Britain before the expectation of a New Labour victory. This one is set literally after that party. Not exactly that you notice it much in the text -- she's not a political writer or anything of the sort, but it's interesting that she dabbles fleetingly in religion and the spiritual, and even hints that the jollies the central couple used to get was sort of, well, vacuous. The good times are gone.
But I guess I want her to really go all out. When her female lead starts drinking a lot of wine and is clearly on the road to a drink problem, I guess I want Jewell to give her that problem and paint some pictures. I want her hero to get a little bit more churchy. I want her characters to interact with their south London streets a bit more, to engage with the plantain and nail salons that form a backdrop to the action; it's London, man, there ain't no backdrops in this city.
So, I think she's a better thinker than is expected for the genre, which I do like, and why I've oddly read more of her books than I probably should have. I do love a Whopper, me. Lisa Jewell can tell a story, adding just enough mystery and interesting observation to ease you through without thinking you've sullied your mind somehow. I do wish she'd paint a few more pictures, engage in London as a place rather than as a setting for characters drinking wine and buying shit. Perhaps it's the limits of the genre, or maybe it's a case of sticking to what you know. But I reckon she could push the boat out just a little bit more.
But, at least they lived happily ever after. Trilogy, you say?
That's kind of cruel, maybe, and I don't mean to be. Really. I like the idea that she's gone back to her first book, Ralph's Party and imagined what became of the characters, which considering this is supposed to be 'Chick Fic' (or is it 'Lit'?) means that the original lot of characters were actually quite memorable somehow. The first book was something of a cut above your standard chick-fic fare, almost heading into Nick Hornby territory, when he gets his culture/zeitgeist hat on and touches a nerve here of there.
It's also interesting for me in that Ralph's Party was very much set in the approach to 1997, the arse-end of a pretty bad recession and a moribund Tory-led Britain before the expectation of a New Labour victory. This one is set literally after that party. Not exactly that you notice it much in the text -- she's not a political writer or anything of the sort, but it's interesting that she dabbles fleetingly in religion and the spiritual, and even hints that the jollies the central couple used to get was sort of, well, vacuous. The good times are gone.
But I guess I want her to really go all out. When her female lead starts drinking a lot of wine and is clearly on the road to a drink problem, I guess I want Jewell to give her that problem and paint some pictures. I want her hero to get a little bit more churchy. I want her characters to interact with their south London streets a bit more, to engage with the plantain and nail salons that form a backdrop to the action; it's London, man, there ain't no backdrops in this city.
So, I think she's a better thinker than is expected for the genre, which I do like, and why I've oddly read more of her books than I probably should have. I do love a Whopper, me. Lisa Jewell can tell a story, adding just enough mystery and interesting observation to ease you through without thinking you've sullied your mind somehow. I do wish she'd paint a few more pictures, engage in London as a place rather than as a setting for characters drinking wine and buying shit. Perhaps it's the limits of the genre, or maybe it's a case of sticking to what you know. But I reckon she could push the boat out just a little bit more.
But, at least they lived happily ever after. Trilogy, you say?
June 24, 2023
After the Party (Ralph's Party #2)
Lisa Jewell
OH God, this was just so bad...
DNF
Happy Reading!
Lisa Jewell
OH God, this was just so bad...
DNF
Happy Reading!
October 23, 2024
3.5, for 500 pages there was very little plot but I also enjoyed reading for some reason??
June 12, 2025
I hadn't realised that this was a sequel when I started reading, but it doesn't really matter. A bit of a depressing read, the breakdown of a long-term relationship and all that goes with it, but still good. Nothing like her later books, which are in the thriller genre.
May 16, 2019
It has been eleven years since Jewell's debut novel, Ralph's Party, was published. This sequel revisits familiar, beloved characters and catches up with their lives since the book ended. Unfortunately, there's not much of a "happily ever after" to be found, and although the conclusion is positive, the rest of the tale bogs down with mundane real-life and stale relationship details. All of the light-hearted fun of the first book is lost with this dreary story.
SUMMARY: Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary fell in love eleven years ago after Ralph finally convinced her his love was real. Fast forward eleven years and two children, and Jem is returning to work and Ralph is floundering to figure out where his life should go next. After a week-long trip to California to sort things out, both Jem and Ralph have doubts about their relationship and themselves. Will they be able to go forward together, or will they ultimately be better apart?
SUMMARY: Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary fell in love eleven years ago after Ralph finally convinced her his love was real. Fast forward eleven years and two children, and Jem is returning to work and Ralph is floundering to figure out where his life should go next. After a week-long trip to California to sort things out, both Jem and Ralph have doubts about their relationship and themselves. Will they be able to go forward together, or will they ultimately be better apart?
June 3, 2010
I love Lisa Jewell and will always read her books, but I can't deny that this book was a struggle to get through at times.
I think I found it a struggle because I was comparing how I live my life with my husband to Jem and Ralph, and I found the story infuriating in so many ways! If Jem and Ralph had just been open with each other from the start then we probably wouldn't have a book and things would have been less complicated, but the sad reality is that most relationships are like Jem and Ralph. It took my husband to point that out to me and that our's is very different from others, which is why I didn't 'get' their issues.
However, Jewell's natural ability to write and the warmth in her writing is there and I still recommend this to her fans. Not a disappointment, but not quite what I expected from her.
I think I found it a struggle because I was comparing how I live my life with my husband to Jem and Ralph, and I found the story infuriating in so many ways! If Jem and Ralph had just been open with each other from the start then we probably wouldn't have a book and things would have been less complicated, but the sad reality is that most relationships are like Jem and Ralph. It took my husband to point that out to me and that our's is very different from others, which is why I didn't 'get' their issues.
However, Jewell's natural ability to write and the warmth in her writing is there and I still recommend this to her fans. Not a disappointment, but not quite what I expected from her.
May 23, 2020
4.5 stars.
Im fairly certain that Imogen Church’s narration is a big reason why I enjoyed this book (and its predecessor, “Ralph’s Party”).
Im fairly certain that Imogen Church’s narration is a big reason why I enjoyed this book (and its predecessor, “Ralph’s Party”).
March 15, 2019
This is most definitely chick lit but for some reason Lisa Jewell makes it bearable. There aren’t overly predictable dialogues and although it all ends happily ever after there are lots of bumps in the road
Not her finest BUT this was one of her first novels and her style has definitely changed since then
Not her finest BUT this was one of her first novels and her style has definitely changed since then
February 10, 2013
3.5 stars
I love Lisa Jewell's writing. Opening the cover of one of her books is a great feeling. Like visiting old friends that I haven't met yet. :) And I'd been looking forward to reading After the Party for ages. Even though it's been 10-12 years since I read Ralph's Party, I remembered Jem and Ralph's story and was thrilled to catch up with them. I was certainly in for a surprise. Ralph and Jem were in dire straits. I suppose I should not have been surprised. It's hard to write 400+ pages about happily ever after. There has to be conflict. I understand it - but that doesn't mean I necessarily enjoyed it. Reading about a formerly happy, solid, loving relationship imploding... well, it's downright depressing. Page after page of unhappiness, resentments, what-if's... I found myself being bogged down in it and not always looking forward to returning to it. The ending was as it should be, but I'm not sure it made the ride worthwhile.
I love Lisa Jewell's writing. Opening the cover of one of her books is a great feeling. Like visiting old friends that I haven't met yet. :) And I'd been looking forward to reading After the Party for ages. Even though it's been 10-12 years since I read Ralph's Party, I remembered Jem and Ralph's story and was thrilled to catch up with them. I was certainly in for a surprise. Ralph and Jem were in dire straits. I suppose I should not have been surprised. It's hard to write 400+ pages about happily ever after. There has to be conflict. I understand it - but that doesn't mean I necessarily enjoyed it. Reading about a formerly happy, solid, loving relationship imploding... well, it's downright depressing. Page after page of unhappiness, resentments, what-if's... I found myself being bogged down in it and not always looking forward to returning to it. The ending was as it should be, but I'm not sure it made the ride worthwhile.
May 5, 2024
I usually love a Lisa Jewell book. So maybe I should have paid more attention and realised this one is quite different to what I was expecting... First of all, it's the 2nd in a series (although you can read it in isolation). Second, when a particular character is introduced into the story, I thought "here comes the creepy, psychological thriller bit", but that just fizzles out randomly.
It's brilliantly written, but I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters. It's great to have a love story where the protagonists are parents, but I didn't care for them much, which was an issue. The book deals with some sensitive issues quite well, but ultimately I found the end unbelievable. While it maintained my interest, it felt pretty long-winded at times.
If like me, you were a bit disappointed with this story, don't be put off the author. She has significntly better books out there!
It's brilliantly written, but I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters. It's great to have a love story where the protagonists are parents, but I didn't care for them much, which was an issue. The book deals with some sensitive issues quite well, but ultimately I found the end unbelievable. While it maintained my interest, it felt pretty long-winded at times.
If like me, you were a bit disappointed with this story, don't be put off the author. She has significntly better books out there!
October 1, 2017
This is a sequel to a book I haven't yet read, and I suspect I wouldn't like as much, because After the Party isn't about finding love but keeping it. What makes relationships break down and what's needed to heal them once they've broken down. Jewell writes with insight and painful honesty about leaving the rosy years of early adulthood for the tricky territory of midlife. Her writing is quite lovely in this book also, with sentences you want to savor.
The ending felt a little rushed to me, and I kind of wanted to see this couple figure out their communication problems a little more explicitly. But you do get the sense from some of the subtext that they're on the right track, which I suppose is more realistic--a positive trend versus some big epiphany of undoing every misunderstanding ever.
The ending felt a little rushed to me, and I kind of wanted to see this couple figure out their communication problems a little more explicitly. But you do get the sense from some of the subtext that they're on the right track, which I suppose is more realistic--a positive trend versus some big epiphany of undoing every misunderstanding ever.
July 24, 2017
Yesterday mainly thanks to the rain I started and finished After The Party by Lisa Jewell. It's actually the sequel to Ralph's Party which is still festering in one of my many to read piles!
Really enjoyed her style of writing, natural flow so it was like reading a chic lit beach read but with depth to the characters so you slowly got drawn in. It felt like I was following the characters around their home watching them act out the story which is when I know the author has grabbed me.
It tells the story of Ralph and Jem and how their relationship develops 'after the party', how they are both struggling to adapt to their new roles as parents and how they start to suffer with self doubt about how much the other one still loves them.
Definitely worth a read
Really enjoyed her style of writing, natural flow so it was like reading a chic lit beach read but with depth to the characters so you slowly got drawn in. It felt like I was following the characters around their home watching them act out the story which is when I know the author has grabbed me.
It tells the story of Ralph and Jem and how their relationship develops 'after the party', how they are both struggling to adapt to their new roles as parents and how they start to suffer with self doubt about how much the other one still loves them.
Definitely worth a read
February 6, 2016
I think the thing I love the most about this book is the refreshing honesty. As a wife and mother myself I really felt for Jem and found myself nodding along with her thoughts - although not her actions! Will definitely keep an eye out for more books by Lisa Jewell.
June 25, 2019
Not my favorite romance ever. I think there's a bit too much drama.
May 17, 2022
I have not read a book strictly about a “married” couple’s relationship in a very long time. I kept waiting for something big and dramatic to happen which never materialized. This was a minor frustration. I would recommend to anyone who likes relationship stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2022
I have so many mixed feelings about this book, and after reading the reviews, it seems im not the only one.
I would like to start by saying how much I love Jewell, as previously stated in all of my past Jewell book reviews. Ralphs party was great, though very clearly the beginning of her career as an author. It was different and cute and quirky. I really enjoyed the characters. I finished it feeling so excited to see where life takes them as a couple, and immediately started this one. Right from the jump, I was sad. I was sad to see that they were separated. I was so intent on figuring out what happened between the first story to the 'present' time of the book, that it had me fully engrossed. I was WAY too into these fictional characters lives. But as I stated in the progress update.. Ralph truly became THE WORST. He went from going above and beyond when he was in love with Jem, to the absolute bare minimum of a partner, and that was very hard for me to absorb. Jem pretty much stayed the same honestly. I don't understand the hate she got in a lot of the reviews. If you had a partner who just gave up on trying, you would also start looking for attention elsewhere (especially when it was a person who is essentially going through something similar, a single parent). I did find her a little bit aggravating at times. When she was drinking a lot and going out and flirting a ton with guys, that got a little old. I wanted to scream at her to wake up and leave Ralph.
But heres the thing. A lot of things that people don't want to hear if they are young and in love- people change. I appreciated in so many ways that their story wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. If anything, this was a highly literal and realistic outcome for a lot of relationships. The miscarriages, the act of only having sex to create a life instead of being in the moment with your partner, the love fading, attraction waning, losing yourself to motherhood and becoming a vessel for everyone elses needs and not your own first priority- I truly get it. It was probably so 'dark' and 'depressing' and a 'downer' to so many of you readers because maybe you haven't experienced it. A couple coming together after so many hardships and heart breaks is so incredibly hard, and that was pictured so well in this story. So many times you are thinking to yourself when reading, 'Jem, you are so unhappy. Why do you stay? Why are you seeking attention from other men? you're clearly unhappy, JUST LEAVE.' But that is SO not easy when you have children! I think that a part of me really related to Jem and related to her struggles and thats why I never felt like she was in the wrong.
If anything, RALPH was the horror of this story. I swear. Detaching himself from his wife and family, doing nothing and expecting everything from his partner, fantasizing about other women and literally falling in love with someone who is basicaly a stranger and more of an IDEA. Jetting off to California because he needs to find himself when his girlfriend is struggling to keep sane and is clearly not dealing with motherhood well, when she needs him the most?? He was the villian in this. He didn't deserve her, and it took him way too long to realize that. I honestly cannot believe it ended so happily, because I don't think I would have given my husband another chance after all that if he had done me that dirty.
Also, can we talk about Joel? I understand that he felt he was being used and clearly had a lot of issues he had to work on, but he fell for a woman that clearly was involved with someone else. Just because she feels she can confide in you doesn't mean she is telling you she wants you sexually. I cannot stand men like this that get pissy when they're 'friendzoned' even though THEY are the ones that can't handle being rejected when they misinterpret women being kind and needing a FRIEND as anything other than what it is. He was horrible to Jem and needed to sort through his own bullsh*t.
Overall, this story was relatable and a little bit slow at parts. I did enjoy it, and don't understand the low ratings. Coming from Jewell as one of her first novels/series I think she crushed it.
I would like to start by saying how much I love Jewell, as previously stated in all of my past Jewell book reviews. Ralphs party was great, though very clearly the beginning of her career as an author. It was different and cute and quirky. I really enjoyed the characters. I finished it feeling so excited to see where life takes them as a couple, and immediately started this one. Right from the jump, I was sad. I was sad to see that they were separated. I was so intent on figuring out what happened between the first story to the 'present' time of the book, that it had me fully engrossed. I was WAY too into these fictional characters lives. But as I stated in the progress update.. Ralph truly became THE WORST. He went from going above and beyond when he was in love with Jem, to the absolute bare minimum of a partner, and that was very hard for me to absorb. Jem pretty much stayed the same honestly. I don't understand the hate she got in a lot of the reviews. If you had a partner who just gave up on trying, you would also start looking for attention elsewhere (especially when it was a person who is essentially going through something similar, a single parent). I did find her a little bit aggravating at times. When she was drinking a lot and going out and flirting a ton with guys, that got a little old. I wanted to scream at her to wake up and leave Ralph.
But heres the thing. A lot of things that people don't want to hear if they are young and in love- people change. I appreciated in so many ways that their story wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. If anything, this was a highly literal and realistic outcome for a lot of relationships. The miscarriages, the act of only having sex to create a life instead of being in the moment with your partner, the love fading, attraction waning, losing yourself to motherhood and becoming a vessel for everyone elses needs and not your own first priority- I truly get it. It was probably so 'dark' and 'depressing' and a 'downer' to so many of you readers because maybe you haven't experienced it. A couple coming together after so many hardships and heart breaks is so incredibly hard, and that was pictured so well in this story. So many times you are thinking to yourself when reading, 'Jem, you are so unhappy. Why do you stay? Why are you seeking attention from other men? you're clearly unhappy, JUST LEAVE.' But that is SO not easy when you have children! I think that a part of me really related to Jem and related to her struggles and thats why I never felt like she was in the wrong.
If anything, RALPH was the horror of this story. I swear. Detaching himself from his wife and family, doing nothing and expecting everything from his partner, fantasizing about other women and literally falling in love with someone who is basicaly a stranger and more of an IDEA. Jetting off to California because he needs to find himself when his girlfriend is struggling to keep sane and is clearly not dealing with motherhood well, when she needs him the most?? He was the villian in this. He didn't deserve her, and it took him way too long to realize that. I honestly cannot believe it ended so happily, because I don't think I would have given my husband another chance after all that if he had done me that dirty.
Also, can we talk about Joel? I understand that he felt he was being used and clearly had a lot of issues he had to work on, but he fell for a woman that clearly was involved with someone else. Just because she feels she can confide in you doesn't mean she is telling you she wants you sexually. I cannot stand men like this that get pissy when they're 'friendzoned' even though THEY are the ones that can't handle being rejected when they misinterpret women being kind and needing a FRIEND as anything other than what it is. He was horrible to Jem and needed to sort through his own bullsh*t.
Overall, this story was relatable and a little bit slow at parts. I did enjoy it, and don't understand the low ratings. Coming from Jewell as one of her first novels/series I think she crushed it.
July 14, 2010
It's eleven years since Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary first got together. They thought it would be for ever, that they'd found their happy ending. As everyone agreed, they were the perfect couple. Then two became four, a flat became a house. Romantic nights out became sleepless nights in. And they soon found that life wasn't quite so simple any more. But through it all Jem and Ralph still loved each other, of course they did. Now the unimaginable has happened. Two people who were so right together are starting to drift apart. And in the chaos of family life, Ralph feels more and more as if he's standing on the sidelines, and Jem that she's losing herself. Something has to change. As they try to find a way back to each other, back to what they once had, they both become momentarily distracted - but maybe it's not too late to recapture happily ever after...
I really enjoyed Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell, to which After the Party is the sequel, so I was beyond excited when I found out that this book was being released and I would be able to see how life turned out for Jem and Ralph.
I don't know whether it was due to this massive excitement, but my overwhelming feeling having finished this book is one of disappointment. It was wonderful delving into the lives of Jem and Ralph again, meeting their beautiful children and seeing how hard it can be to keep a sense of love alive after years of being together. The sentiment behind the book, as presented most succinctly by the quote from Mignon McLaughlin: "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" is believable and very pertinent to many couples.
However, the mechanics of the book didn't work for me. The flitting back and forth in time felt clumsy - I prefer it by far when Jewell uses a linear structure. I also didn't enjoy the throwing in of several subplots that felt too convoluted. Dealing with Joel, his son and wife; Karl Kasparov; Ralph's new spirituality; Rosey and Smith; Jem trying desperately hard to find herself - it just seemed like too much by far. Jewell works best with a more simplistic story. Karl's tale, especially, was just so much tacked on nonsense.
The characterisation was odd. I ended up not liking Jem very much, which seemed unimaginable to me when embarking on the story. I had little sympathy for her, being as she was so unable to see the best solution to her problem. A solution that didn't involve leading on men, going out drinking and trying to forget she is a mother! Joel was just hideous and I had no idea why Jem was so fascinated by him when she had the lovely Ralph at home. And then Ralph himself! His actions towards the end of the book are incomprehensible to me (and I'm frustrated that I am unable to say anything further for fear of spoilers).
I was pleased with the ending of the book and I do remain glad that I read this book. Jewell's novels will still be a must-buy/read for me, but this was not one of her better works. Of course, anyone who read and enjoyed Ralph's Party will be reading this book as a priority, regardless of how I report back, but I would advise those who haven't yet tried Lisa Jewell to either go back to the beginning with Ralph's Party or pick up Vince and Joy, which is a gloriously joyful book. Disappointing.
I really enjoyed Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell, to which After the Party is the sequel, so I was beyond excited when I found out that this book was being released and I would be able to see how life turned out for Jem and Ralph.
I don't know whether it was due to this massive excitement, but my overwhelming feeling having finished this book is one of disappointment. It was wonderful delving into the lives of Jem and Ralph again, meeting their beautiful children and seeing how hard it can be to keep a sense of love alive after years of being together. The sentiment behind the book, as presented most succinctly by the quote from Mignon McLaughlin: "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" is believable and very pertinent to many couples.
However, the mechanics of the book didn't work for me. The flitting back and forth in time felt clumsy - I prefer it by far when Jewell uses a linear structure. I also didn't enjoy the throwing in of several subplots that felt too convoluted. Dealing with Joel, his son and wife; Karl Kasparov; Ralph's new spirituality; Rosey and Smith; Jem trying desperately hard to find herself - it just seemed like too much by far. Jewell works best with a more simplistic story. Karl's tale, especially, was just so much tacked on nonsense.
The characterisation was odd. I ended up not liking Jem very much, which seemed unimaginable to me when embarking on the story. I had little sympathy for her, being as she was so unable to see the best solution to her problem. A solution that didn't involve leading on men, going out drinking and trying to forget she is a mother! Joel was just hideous and I had no idea why Jem was so fascinated by him when she had the lovely Ralph at home. And then Ralph himself! His actions towards the end of the book are incomprehensible to me (and I'm frustrated that I am unable to say anything further for fear of spoilers).
I was pleased with the ending of the book and I do remain glad that I read this book. Jewell's novels will still be a must-buy/read for me, but this was not one of her better works. Of course, anyone who read and enjoyed Ralph's Party will be reading this book as a priority, regardless of how I report back, but I would advise those who haven't yet tried Lisa Jewell to either go back to the beginning with Ralph's Party or pick up Vince and Joy, which is a gloriously joyful book. Disappointing.
July 2, 2013
Jem and Ralph are blissfully in love and make the perfect couple. But several years later, it's not going so well. They fell in love at an art gallery so it's bad karma that Ralph feels he has lost his sense of artistry. His paintings just don't look or feel the same and Jem feels like she is Ralph's wife and the children's mother - she's lost who she is.
When Ralph decides to go to California to spend some time with his old friend Smithy, Jem is livid. They have a baby and responsibilities - but she allows him his time to go. But while he is away, she begins a flirtation with a virtual stranger. It puts a bounce back in her step.
When Ralph returns, they have another child and they try to work things out between them, but the sparks are gone. They decide to separate and see how things go. They share the children and Jem's career blossoms as well as her health and a fling with a younger man. Or so it seems. She worries about Ralph, they never talk anymore, but she is finding out who she is not attached to him. Ralph misses Jem but tries to find his muse - he ends up spending time with an old man and having a fling with a young American.
However, when Ralph fails to pick up the kids one week, Jem is frantic. What if something happened? What if there is no second chance? Can they be together without losing themselves in their relationship?
After the Party is a close look at what happens after the sparks dim, when reality sets in. Jem and Ralph are unique and complex characters whose personalities complement one another, even if they take different paths to reach their goals. Jewell's writing is captivating and a breath of fresh air. A wonderful tale about marriage, parenthood and starting over, readers of chicklit will devour this one!
When Ralph decides to go to California to spend some time with his old friend Smithy, Jem is livid. They have a baby and responsibilities - but she allows him his time to go. But while he is away, she begins a flirtation with a virtual stranger. It puts a bounce back in her step.
When Ralph returns, they have another child and they try to work things out between them, but the sparks are gone. They decide to separate and see how things go. They share the children and Jem's career blossoms as well as her health and a fling with a younger man. Or so it seems. She worries about Ralph, they never talk anymore, but she is finding out who she is not attached to him. Ralph misses Jem but tries to find his muse - he ends up spending time with an old man and having a fling with a young American.
However, when Ralph fails to pick up the kids one week, Jem is frantic. What if something happened? What if there is no second chance? Can they be together without losing themselves in their relationship?
After the Party is a close look at what happens after the sparks dim, when reality sets in. Jem and Ralph are unique and complex characters whose personalities complement one another, even if they take different paths to reach their goals. Jewell's writing is captivating and a breath of fresh air. A wonderful tale about marriage, parenthood and starting over, readers of chicklit will devour this one!
October 2, 2011
I was nostalgic for my former home London, and I've always liked Lisa Jewell's writing so click! there it was my Kindle. Amazon really makes impulse purchases far too, well, impulsive.
If I'd had to buy the book the old-fashioned way, it would have stayed on the bookstore shelf. Because I would have been able to flip through the book and easily determine that the Jewell magic, at least for me, just isn't present.
I read Ralph's Party eons ago, and I vaguely remembered liking the characters. However, whatever had made them likable was absent from this book. Both Ralph and Jem were utter self-absorbed twits. I believe Jewell was reaching for something profound and wise about aging and coming to grips with lost youth and lost opportunities, while also accepting the more constrained but possibly richer and more meaningful life that comes with maturity. But the resulting story came across as shallow and pretentious - basically, everything creepy playground stalker dad accused Jem of being.
The plot is basically the two main characters refusing to have an honest conversation with each other - because if they did, no book. The conflict is manufactured and forced, clumsily handled. And Jem, especially, makes some boneheaded, illogical and highly unsympathetic choices. While Jewell's writing flows easy and her prose can be quite evocative and lyrical, the characters and plot make this a Do Not Recommend.
If I'd had to buy the book the old-fashioned way, it would have stayed on the bookstore shelf. Because I would have been able to flip through the book and easily determine that the Jewell magic, at least for me, just isn't present.
I read Ralph's Party eons ago, and I vaguely remembered liking the characters. However, whatever had made them likable was absent from this book. Both Ralph and Jem were utter self-absorbed twits. I believe Jewell was reaching for something profound and wise about aging and coming to grips with lost youth and lost opportunities, while also accepting the more constrained but possibly richer and more meaningful life that comes with maturity. But the resulting story came across as shallow and pretentious - basically, everything creepy playground stalker dad accused Jem of being.
The plot is basically the two main characters refusing to have an honest conversation with each other - because if they did, no book. The conflict is manufactured and forced, clumsily handled. And Jem, especially, makes some boneheaded, illogical and highly unsympathetic choices. While Jewell's writing flows easy and her prose can be quite evocative and lyrical, the characters and plot make this a Do Not Recommend.
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