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Mixed Doubles
Jill's Mansell's MIXED DOUBLES is a deliciously romantic read from the author of RUMOUR HAS IT and THE ONE YOU REALLY WANT for fans of of Lucy Diamond, Cecelia Ahern and Cathy Kelly. Jill's books are loved by 'Funny and heartwarming' BellaRules are made to be broken when you're playing mixed doubles...New Year is looming and best friends Liza, Dulcie and Pru are making their resolutions. Liza wants to get married - she's never had any trouble hooking a man. The trouble is, she can never stay interested once she's got him. Dulcie thinks marriage sucks. Her husband, Patrick, may be gorgeous and charming, but the impulsive Dulcie needs more excitement in her life. She wants a divorce. Pru loves her roving husband, and she secretly enjoys the periods when he's making up for his outrageous behaviour. All she wants is to stay married. Liza, Dulcie and Pru have no idea what the New Year has in store - but Fate has some sneaky plans up her sleeve...What readers are saying about Mixed Doubles :'Another fantastically funny book by Jill Mansell. The love lives of Dulcie, Liza and Pru are beautifully observed ' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars' Wonderful characters , wicked humour and a thoroughly entertaining plot make this book an unputdownable read ' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars' Fabulous from beginning to end - found it hard to put down . Characters are so well written - you're bound to know someone like them. Read it! ' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
233 people are currently reading
2229 people want to read
About the author
Jill Mansell
85 books4,873 followersJill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.
Jill Mansell's books have sold over ten million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.
Jill Mansell's books have sold over ten million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
September 8, 2020
In Mixed Doubles, three friends make New Year's resolutions for the upcoming year: Dulcie wants a divorce, Liza wants to get married, and Pru wants her relationship to stay the same. But as the year goes on, adventures and surprises await each of the three friends, and nothing goes according to plan.
This story has all that I've come to love about Jill Mansell books. It's sweet, heart-warming, funny, and poignant. Each of the three main characters is well-sketched out, with their quirks and flaws, but still interesting and lovable. It's fun to cheer them on as they discover themselves and search for love. There were so many moments when I was laughing out loud, and also moments when I was wiping away tears.
For me, Jill Mansell is the queen of the beach read, and this is yet another to add to a collection of winners. Her stories, without being overly cheesy or saccharine, always manage to move me and touch me. They also leave me with a feeling of happiness, which is exactly what I need right now.
This story has all that I've come to love about Jill Mansell books. It's sweet, heart-warming, funny, and poignant. Each of the three main characters is well-sketched out, with their quirks and flaws, but still interesting and lovable. It's fun to cheer them on as they discover themselves and search for love. There were so many moments when I was laughing out loud, and also moments when I was wiping away tears.
For me, Jill Mansell is the queen of the beach read, and this is yet another to add to a collection of winners. Her stories, without being overly cheesy or saccharine, always manage to move me and touch me. They also leave me with a feeling of happiness, which is exactly what I need right now.
January 16, 2020
After receiving a recommendation from Becky at Crooks Books, I was intrigued about trying a Jill Mansell book. When one came up on Netgalley it felt like fate. As it turned out, Jill Mansell will be one of my new go-to chick lit authors for those days when I just want to relax on the beach with a good book! Mixed Doubles was drama-packed while still maintaining a casual, lively pace and realistic character development.
What I loved about this novel was not only that it was character driven but Mansell managed to set a jaunty, casual pace throughout the entire book. Pacing is a huge factor in my enjoyment of a book! Spanning the time frame of a year, the story covered each character from multiple POV and was delightfully easy to read. There weren’t any instances where I felt myself zone out or become tired with the story, as can happen quite often to me with these types of books.
Mixed Doubles was a lively story that didn’t fail to completely shatter my heart near the end. It’s still a HEA but Mansell doesn’t seem inclined to hold back any while getting there. It was full of dramatic, yet realistic moments that picked up the pace consistently throughout the book. The only down side to that I found was one character (Dulcie) was responsible for majority of the drama – quite believably so, with her personality – yet I found myself quite disliking her for it. The book relied on her dramatic tendencies just a tad too much in my opinion and the story would have been better if she’d behaved more considerately toward others.
The other main characters, Pru and Liza were delightful to read about though and more than compensated for my dislike of Dulcie. Themes such as age gap relationships, dating after the loss of a loved one and second chance romances were explored. I adored how each character spoke to a different form of loving relationship and the book overall was a supportive take on how love is not only present in one shape or form, nor should it be.
Things weren’t easily fixed in this book and I really enjoyed how Mansell covered the ‘all you need is love’ aspect of a relationship. Rather than rely on love being the solution to all things, she explored how despite love being present some relationships just don’t work. At least not until underlying issues are dealt with. It was a decidedly honest, authentic approach to a chick-lit novel and made the endings seem realistic. I totally bought the final HEAs as the characters had genuinely had to work for them!
I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future!
What I loved about this novel was not only that it was character driven but Mansell managed to set a jaunty, casual pace throughout the entire book. Pacing is a huge factor in my enjoyment of a book! Spanning the time frame of a year, the story covered each character from multiple POV and was delightfully easy to read. There weren’t any instances where I felt myself zone out or become tired with the story, as can happen quite often to me with these types of books.
Mixed Doubles was a lively story that didn’t fail to completely shatter my heart near the end. It’s still a HEA but Mansell doesn’t seem inclined to hold back any while getting there. It was full of dramatic, yet realistic moments that picked up the pace consistently throughout the book. The only down side to that I found was one character (Dulcie) was responsible for majority of the drama – quite believably so, with her personality – yet I found myself quite disliking her for it. The book relied on her dramatic tendencies just a tad too much in my opinion and the story would have been better if she’d behaved more considerately toward others.
The other main characters, Pru and Liza were delightful to read about though and more than compensated for my dislike of Dulcie. Themes such as age gap relationships, dating after the loss of a loved one and second chance romances were explored. I adored how each character spoke to a different form of loving relationship and the book overall was a supportive take on how love is not only present in one shape or form, nor should it be.
Things weren’t easily fixed in this book and I really enjoyed how Mansell covered the ‘all you need is love’ aspect of a relationship. Rather than rely on love being the solution to all things, she explored how despite love being present some relationships just don’t work. At least not until underlying issues are dealt with. It was a decidedly honest, authentic approach to a chick-lit novel and made the endings seem realistic. I totally bought the final HEAs as the characters had genuinely had to work for them!
I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future!
May 19, 2011
Pure fluffy fluff. But it was just the kind of book that I was in the mood for and it was a quick, funny read.
Dulcie is married to a work-aholic. She wants a divorce.
Liza is a food critic who has men falling in love with her at the drop of a hat but she gets bored in relationships easily.
Pru is married to a gambling womanizer and desperately wants to stay married no matter what.
They are best friends and we get to watch as their romantic lives fray, unravel, and then come back together again nicely.
Pru is the sweetest one of the bunch. She is the one I had the biggest issues with. She is a bit of a drip who completely enables her husband's bad behavior -- a husband who treats her like a 50s housewife (and she let him) and humiliates her in public. I love the fact that when Liza sees Pru's husband out with another woman, she goes and finds her and tells her about it. That is what a good friend would do. They wouldn't wimp out to leave you to find out in worse ways. Of course it doesn't help because Pru is in huge denial.
I liked Liza the best of the three women. She seemed the most centered and most mature of the three. And I loved the running gag of how men just seemed to swoon over Liza even though she wasn't the skinniest (she is lushly curved and has a magnificent cleavage). I pictured her as a Christina Hendrickson. She seems a little quietly resigned over her not finding the guy that keeps that spark with her past three weeks. Until she meets one who does.
And then there is Dulcie. It get the impression that the author had fun writing Dulcie. Dulcie is one of those love her or hate her characters. I actually quite liked her. For all that she is selfish, lazy, rich, skinny (but could eat loads of salt & vinegar crisps and Ice cream and never gain an ounce) and absolutely had no idea what a great guy she had in her husband, she was still quite likeable. She has absolutely no self awareness and she makes comically bad decisions that have predictably horrible (yet really funny) results. The thing about Dulcie is that a lot of the stuff she does, the bad decisions she makes completely blow back on her. She never gets by unscathed and yet she's like the energizer bunny, she picks her self up and goes on to the next, bad idea. This is why I couldn't dislike Dulcie. The author really balances Dulcie's shallow character with her consequences.
The friendship between the three women is strong and realistic. They support each other, they bicker and they have more serious fights that are not allowed to wallow into melodrama. Instead the one who is in the wrong often realizes she needs to apologize. She may drag her heels about it, she may be sheepish about it, but she does it.
I can't finish the review without saying something about the supporting characters. To the person all were interesting and 3-dimensional. I especially liked all the different incarnations of he various men in the women's lives. They were all different and interesting. I especially liked Kit and Patrick.
I usually am not a hug fan of chick lit but this was so light, funny and effortless that I can't help but want to read more by this author.
Dulcie is married to a work-aholic. She wants a divorce.
Liza is a food critic who has men falling in love with her at the drop of a hat but she gets bored in relationships easily.
Pru is married to a gambling womanizer and desperately wants to stay married no matter what.
They are best friends and we get to watch as their romantic lives fray, unravel, and then come back together again nicely.
Pru is the sweetest one of the bunch. She is the one I had the biggest issues with. She is a bit of a drip who completely enables her husband's bad behavior -- a husband who treats her like a 50s housewife (and she let him) and humiliates her in public. I love the fact that when Liza sees Pru's husband out with another woman, she goes and finds her and tells her about it. That is what a good friend would do. They wouldn't wimp out to leave you to find out in worse ways. Of course it doesn't help because Pru is in huge denial.
I liked Liza the best of the three women. She seemed the most centered and most mature of the three. And I loved the running gag of how men just seemed to swoon over Liza even though she wasn't the skinniest (she is lushly curved and has a magnificent cleavage). I pictured her as a Christina Hendrickson. She seems a little quietly resigned over her not finding the guy that keeps that spark with her past three weeks. Until she meets one who does.
And then there is Dulcie. It get the impression that the author had fun writing Dulcie. Dulcie is one of those love her or hate her characters. I actually quite liked her. For all that she is selfish, lazy, rich, skinny (but could eat loads of salt & vinegar crisps and Ice cream and never gain an ounce) and absolutely had no idea what a great guy she had in her husband, she was still quite likeable. She has absolutely no self awareness and she makes comically bad decisions that have predictably horrible (yet really funny) results. The thing about Dulcie is that a lot of the stuff she does, the bad decisions she makes completely blow back on her. She never gets by unscathed and yet she's like the energizer bunny, she picks her self up and goes on to the next, bad idea. This is why I couldn't dislike Dulcie. The author really balances Dulcie's shallow character with her consequences.
The friendship between the three women is strong and realistic. They support each other, they bicker and they have more serious fights that are not allowed to wallow into melodrama. Instead the one who is in the wrong often realizes she needs to apologize. She may drag her heels about it, she may be sheepish about it, but she does it.
I can't finish the review without saying something about the supporting characters. To the person all were interesting and 3-dimensional. I especially liked all the different incarnations of he various men in the women's lives. They were all different and interesting. I especially liked Kit and Patrick.
I usually am not a hug fan of chick lit but this was so light, funny and effortless that I can't help but want to read more by this author.
June 10, 2020
Inclusief dit boek heb ik nu 17 boeken van J.M. gelezen en dit was de eerste keer dat ik moeite had om in het verhaal te komen .De drie vriendinnen die hun dagen vullen met winkelen en op de club rondhangen konden mij niet boeien en het begon pas leuk te worden toen bij alle drie , de relaties /huwelijken in de soep liepen . Oooh jee .. dat klinkt helemaal niet aardig hè . Maar ja .. dat was toch het punt waar het verhaal op stoom kwam en vanaf dat punt heb ik het boek in een ruk uitgelezen .
March 10, 2011
I love Jill Mansell books. They are easy to read and sometimes I just need to read one because it so light and uncomplicated. The story starts with three friend who all have their own plan. One wants to get married, one wants a divorce and the third just wants to stay married. Off course nothing works out the way they planned it. It's a book with multiple storylines and I always like those stories. I really liked their friendship, it was natural and I didn't get the impression that were joined at the hip. They had different interests and ran in different circles. Mansell knows how to create lovable characters. Liza was my favorite, especially when the story developed. I also liked Pru, because she was so sweet, kind and insecure. She changed later on in the book and became more self confident. Dulcie kinda annoyed me. She wants to get rid of a perfectly good man and she's very shallow, because she started dating another man just for his looks. When he dumps her, she off course realizes how much she misses her husband. I liked the individual happy endings, in those books that always works. Mansell is my go-to author when I need a no-brainer that is just fun to read and doesn't make you think too much. Not high standing literature, but very enjoyable.
June 3, 2013
Liza quer casar.
Pru quer manter-se casada.
Dulcie quer o divórcio. E depressa.
Estas são as resoluções de Ano Novo de três amigas que nem desconfiam o que estes desejos lhes estão prestes a custar…
«Paixões Agitadas» está muito longe de figurar entre os melhores livros de Jill Mansell - de facto, é o que menos gostei até hoje. Quando pegamos num livro desta autora devemos estar a contar com uma leitura leve, cheia de futilidades e trivialidades. Elementos que, aliados ao brilhante sentido de humor de Mansell, costumam funcionar muito bem…mas não desta vez…
A minha principal dificuldade foi criar empatia por personagens tão fúteis, inúteis, preguiçosas e indulgentes. O pior é que, aliado a isso, temos várias tentativas de humor que falham redondamente, um enredo desinteressante, um final apressado e uma escrita descurada.
Embora me tenha mantido entretida durante algumas horas …soube-me demasiado a «Donas de Casa Desesperadas»…
Pru quer manter-se casada.
Dulcie quer o divórcio. E depressa.
Estas são as resoluções de Ano Novo de três amigas que nem desconfiam o que estes desejos lhes estão prestes a custar…
«Paixões Agitadas» está muito longe de figurar entre os melhores livros de Jill Mansell - de facto, é o que menos gostei até hoje. Quando pegamos num livro desta autora devemos estar a contar com uma leitura leve, cheia de futilidades e trivialidades. Elementos que, aliados ao brilhante sentido de humor de Mansell, costumam funcionar muito bem…mas não desta vez…
A minha principal dificuldade foi criar empatia por personagens tão fúteis, inúteis, preguiçosas e indulgentes. O pior é que, aliado a isso, temos várias tentativas de humor que falham redondamente, um enredo desinteressante, um final apressado e uma escrita descurada.
Embora me tenha mantido entretida durante algumas horas …soube-me demasiado a «Donas de Casa Desesperadas»…
September 8, 2012
Mixed Doubles is piss-poor. Here is why;(a) It is written absolutely terribly. The English language has suffered in the past, but Jill Mansell just beat it to within an inch within of it's life and then tormented it for a while with her claws, then left it to recover, shivering and in unfathomable pain. (b) The characters are all really dumb and detestable, there's not really much to say about them because there is very little development to speak of... actually there's none. (c) The title is misleading because the only tennis-related reference is one of the love interests plays squash or something, apparently. Tennis-fetishists, look elsewhere, this will leave you dry and feeling cheated. (d) There were some attempts at jokes but they were so bad, that cringing wasn't even an option, only pity for the author.
April 28, 2020
A lighthearted story about 3 friends at various stages in their lives. The characters are well developed and the friendship between them is realistic and their experiences are relatable. The story is well written and flows from each character flawlessly. This is a book that once you become involved with each character (even Dulcie) you will not want to put down until you're done. I highly recommend if you're looking for a book with lighthearted emotion and some humor mixed in. I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for a honest review.
March 21, 2023
2.5 stars.
Too many people that was unessesary to need to follow in the story. It went on and on, plus random drama that also was boring and unessesary. But some of the women were interesting and had good insight.
I got this eARC from Netgalley
Too many people that was unessesary to need to follow in the story. It went on and on, plus random drama that also was boring and unessesary. But some of the women were interesting and had good insight.
I got this eARC from Netgalley
dnf
August 31, 2022Ok ok!! I give up. I started this one in March! And could not connect, but I kept thinking I would try again. Just DNF!
December 10, 2021
I have enjoyed all the other Jill Mansel books I have read. This one fell short of the mark. It’s called mixed doubles and has a tennis court on the cover. I couldn’t figure out when we were getting to the tennis part. I’m going to take a break from my beloved chick lit genre for a bit as I’ve been disappointed too many times
December 1, 2019
Mixed Doubles by Jill Mansell is a re-release of a previous bestseller, and while it does not rank among my favourites, fans of Ms Mansell will not be disappointed in this light, fun read.
Three friends make their resolutions for the new year, each committing to a fresh focus. Liza wants to get married, Dulcie decides that a divorce is the way forward, and Pru will do whatever it takes to maintain the status quo in her existing relationship. They are lofty goals, but who better to hold you accountable than your best friends?
While this was, by most accounts, an enjoyable read, I did find myself struggling to connect with any of the three women, and as a result was not as engaged with the story as I would have hoped. As previously noted, I would not rate this as one of Ms Mansell's best, although I will continue to look forward to any new offerings from this tried and true author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to read this book.
Three friends make their resolutions for the new year, each committing to a fresh focus. Liza wants to get married, Dulcie decides that a divorce is the way forward, and Pru will do whatever it takes to maintain the status quo in her existing relationship. They are lofty goals, but who better to hold you accountable than your best friends?
While this was, by most accounts, an enjoyable read, I did find myself struggling to connect with any of the three women, and as a result was not as engaged with the story as I would have hoped. As previously noted, I would not rate this as one of Ms Mansell's best, although I will continue to look forward to any new offerings from this tried and true author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to read this book.
April 16, 2012
This was a surprise. When I started it, I found the characters so superficial and annoying that I nearly abandoned it, but halfway in I suddenly became interested and was sorry when the book ended. I think the turning point came when the women each began grappling with their inhibiting beliefs and exploring different ways of doing things. At that point, they became people I could relate to, and I genuinely started caring what happened to them. Entertaining as light fiction.
March 22, 2020
Liza, Dulcie, and Pru have been fiends for many years. It is the afternoon of New Years Eve and the gals are having lunch together as they make their resolutions for the new year.
Liza is a beautiful, single, food writer and restaurant critic. Her wish is to get married.
Dulcie is married to a lovely man who has just started his own business. This means he works from dawn to midnight and she never sees him. She has become bored and her wish is to get a divorce.
Pru wants to stay married to her husband even but he constantly cheats on her. She is a good wife and homemaker. Her wish is to stay married.
When Dulcie decides to give her husband a surprise 40th birthday party, it ends up wrecking the lives of several people Now, they are separated.
Pru’s husband’s gambling has led to them losing their home and he moves in with his girlfriend who happens to be their cleaner. Now, Pru has moved into a tiny rented room and works as a cleaner. Oh, the irony!
An unflattering restaurant review blows up in Liza’s face which makes many problems for her in lots of ways.
This is a soap opera type story that allows the reader to really get to know the characters and watch them grow. It goes from silly to funny to sad to happy. And do keep an eye out for the character of Marjorie. She is a total delight who will have you laughing out loud. I loved the book and the characters. Now that I have finished the book, they feel like family.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Liza is a beautiful, single, food writer and restaurant critic. Her wish is to get married.
Dulcie is married to a lovely man who has just started his own business. This means he works from dawn to midnight and she never sees him. She has become bored and her wish is to get a divorce.
Pru wants to stay married to her husband even but he constantly cheats on her. She is a good wife and homemaker. Her wish is to stay married.
When Dulcie decides to give her husband a surprise 40th birthday party, it ends up wrecking the lives of several people Now, they are separated.
Pru’s husband’s gambling has led to them losing their home and he moves in with his girlfriend who happens to be their cleaner. Now, Pru has moved into a tiny rented room and works as a cleaner. Oh, the irony!
An unflattering restaurant review blows up in Liza’s face which makes many problems for her in lots of ways.
This is a soap opera type story that allows the reader to really get to know the characters and watch them grow. It goes from silly to funny to sad to happy. And do keep an eye out for the character of Marjorie. She is a total delight who will have you laughing out loud. I loved the book and the characters. Now that I have finished the book, they feel like family.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 8, 2020
First of all I'd like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was many, many years ago, but I do remember reading a couple books by Jill Mansell when I was much younger. They were okay but didn't make me want to rush off and find other books by her. I can't my opinion has changed a whole lot today. I know this is a reissue of a book published during the time period I might have read other books so I guess that makes a bit of sense.
I found this a pleasant enough read. Essentially it's three romances built around three close friends. There's Pru who seemed satisfied being married to someone who pretty much walked all over her. Then there's Liza, the restaurant reviewer who'd finally like to enjoy a bit of romance and marriage in her life. And finally there's Dulcie, who sits at home, bored and dissatisfied her husband spends more time with work than with her.
I find the characters of Pru and Liza quite likeable. They have their flaws but they seem to be good people. It's not that Dulcie isn't likeable in her own way. But at the beginning she's bored and spoiled for the most part and then she behaves pretty shallowly in pursuit of a guy she had a crush on as a high schooler. She seems to have the most character development, though, and comes out a much better-liked person in the end.
I don't find the male counterparts of the story are as well-fleshed out. In some ways it's a bit of a superficial feel at times. The arc with Liza and Kit was a bit confusing because it isn't clear exactly what happened to him. It is explained towards the end but the way the story was going, I came to some conclusions that weren't correct. Well it wasn't a terrible thing but I just felt it could have been better than it was.
I did find Pru's romance the sweetest of the three and there were lots of cute and funny moments along the way. She also had a bit of character development when she stopped being a bit of a doormat.
Overall this was pretty likeable story and I give it a solid three stars.
It was many, many years ago, but I do remember reading a couple books by Jill Mansell when I was much younger. They were okay but didn't make me want to rush off and find other books by her. I can't my opinion has changed a whole lot today. I know this is a reissue of a book published during the time period I might have read other books so I guess that makes a bit of sense.
I found this a pleasant enough read. Essentially it's three romances built around three close friends. There's Pru who seemed satisfied being married to someone who pretty much walked all over her. Then there's Liza, the restaurant reviewer who'd finally like to enjoy a bit of romance and marriage in her life. And finally there's Dulcie, who sits at home, bored and dissatisfied her husband spends more time with work than with her.
I find the characters of Pru and Liza quite likeable. They have their flaws but they seem to be good people. It's not that Dulcie isn't likeable in her own way. But at the beginning she's bored and spoiled for the most part and then she behaves pretty shallowly in pursuit of a guy she had a crush on as a high schooler. She seems to have the most character development, though, and comes out a much better-liked person in the end.
I don't find the male counterparts of the story are as well-fleshed out. In some ways it's a bit of a superficial feel at times. The arc with Liza and Kit was a bit confusing because it isn't clear exactly what happened to him. It is explained towards the end but the way the story was going, I came to some conclusions that weren't correct. Well it wasn't a terrible thing but I just felt it could have been better than it was.
I did find Pru's romance the sweetest of the three and there were lots of cute and funny moments along the way. She also had a bit of character development when she stopped being a bit of a doormat.
Overall this was pretty likeable story and I give it a solid three stars.
January 11, 2020
I'll lead this off by saying that I really like Jill Mansell, generally, especially her newer books. However this one is a re-release from the late 90s, and it just feels dated.
Three best friends end their year together sharing their resolutions. One wants to stay married (even though her husband is a jerk, a gambling addict, and a cheater,) one wants to get divorced from her husband (because he's too boring and nice and works too many hours so she can be a member of the country club and go shopping all the time,) and the third just wants to meet someone and get married. None of them were very interesting, and instead the focus was on them filling a specific, predefined role rather than in creating a character that readers could relate to.
It's a basic chick lit/light romance book, very light reading, and the sexism was definitely kept in throughout, which is so much more obvious now than it used to seem. I'm looking forward to reading future new Jill Mansell books, but her older books definitely don't hold up over the decades as society has changed.
Three best friends end their year together sharing their resolutions. One wants to stay married (even though her husband is a jerk, a gambling addict, and a cheater,) one wants to get divorced from her husband (because he's too boring and nice and works too many hours so she can be a member of the country club and go shopping all the time,) and the third just wants to meet someone and get married. None of them were very interesting, and instead the focus was on them filling a specific, predefined role rather than in creating a character that readers could relate to.
It's a basic chick lit/light romance book, very light reading, and the sexism was definitely kept in throughout, which is so much more obvious now than it used to seem. I'm looking forward to reading future new Jill Mansell books, but her older books definitely don't hold up over the decades as society has changed.
December 20, 2017
Anyone who’s followed my reviews over the years knows how I adore Jill Mansell! As I have been forced to lay low due the flu, I have been trying to spend my time reading and watching things I haven’t been able to get to. I picked this up last night, and was so glad I had to stay in bed today, because it meant I could read until I finished and not feel guilty!
This particular novel was originally published around 1998. It’s still as funny and relevant as it was then. It has 3 main female characters who have been friends for ages and share in each other’s life’s dramas. And this has plenty of female drama! Starting in on New Years of one year and finishing the same time the next year, you get to follow them in their resolutions and quests for happiness. Which is often funny and sometimes sad. I loved it. Recommended to readers of British chick lit and Jill Mansell fans!
This particular novel was originally published around 1998. It’s still as funny and relevant as it was then. It has 3 main female characters who have been friends for ages and share in each other’s life’s dramas. And this has plenty of female drama! Starting in on New Years of one year and finishing the same time the next year, you get to follow them in their resolutions and quests for happiness. Which is often funny and sometimes sad. I loved it. Recommended to readers of British chick lit and Jill Mansell fans!
October 26, 2019
My review will be live on donnasbookblog on 7th January 2020 - publication day!
This is another great story from Jill!
I haven't read her books for a while but they do not disappoint and this one reminded me of why I love and enjoy her books so much.
This books focussed on the trials and tribulations of three good friends. There was good detail, it was easy to read and I flew through the pages. It is another very well written story and it had a lovely flow to the story and I read it in a day.
It was all very well done - 5 stars from me - very highly recommended!!
This is another great story from Jill!
I haven't read her books for a while but they do not disappoint and this one reminded me of why I love and enjoy her books so much.
This books focussed on the trials and tribulations of three good friends. There was good detail, it was easy to read and I flew through the pages. It is another very well written story and it had a lovely flow to the story and I read it in a day.
It was all very well done - 5 stars from me - very highly recommended!!
January 14, 2020
Wonderful Brit Lit! Loved the LOL funny side of this book, loved the brit vocab (and I'll apologize right now if I slip into that while talking now 😂) but I also enjoyed the "real life" stories here. Three women, relationships, marriage, divorces, hold on one divorce, age differences, and more. There was a lot going on but it wasn't "too busy" and it kept me reading page after page to see what was going to happen next 😁
December 2, 2020
Loved Mixed Doubles! I was looking for Chicklit and my friend suggested one of her favorites. It turned out to be right what I needed now. Fun, hilarious, and with wonderful characters. I only wished there was more of Lisa's storyline.
A very enjoyable read!
A very enjoyable read!
December 9, 2020
3.5. Jill Mansell is just the author I need between super serious books. She’s fun, her characters are quirky, and sometimes you want to strangle them for their actions, but it all comes out in the end.
December 29, 2024
Despite being an OK read it didn’t live up to the usual stories by Jill.
It started with a slow story and I thought it struggled to grasp the point until almost 3/4 way through. Then it seemed to rush. I liked how it finally came to the ending but was very spasmodic.
It started with a slow story and I thought it struggled to grasp the point until almost 3/4 way through. Then it seemed to rush. I liked how it finally came to the ending but was very spasmodic.
January 7, 2020
This book is about 3 friends, Liza, Dulcie and Pru. Two are getting divorced and one has trouble committing. This is a re issue, previously published in 1998. It wasn’t my favorite of hers, but it kept me entertained. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
September 27, 2022
Started out great and I enjoyed the first half. Second half was very disappointing. Lots of loose ends tied up too quickly and confusion about what was happening with some characters
May 11, 2019
Lekker lezen, humor en natuurlijk een goed einde.
January 12, 2020
Mixed Doubles is a fast, light read. It has multiple story lines as the reader follows the lives of close friends.
March 28, 2011
Three close friends make their New Year resolutions. Liza, who gets bored with men within a few weeks, would like to get married. Pru, whose husband is a womanising drunk, is determined to stay married. And Dulcie, whose husband Patrick is a very likeable and good-looking guy, wants a divorce. He works too hard and she feels neglected.
The book follows their year, and their love-lives, with several lively sub-plots as we learn whether or not each of them achieves her resolution. Classic chick-lit, I suppose, with rather shallow people and loose morals... and yet, I kept reading, and found myself warming to all three of the main characters before the end. Three and a half stars, really.
The book follows their year, and their love-lives, with several lively sub-plots as we learn whether or not each of them achieves her resolution. Classic chick-lit, I suppose, with rather shallow people and loose morals... and yet, I kept reading, and found myself warming to all three of the main characters before the end. Three and a half stars, really.
March 3, 2025
This was a weird one for me, specially loving Jill's books usually.
I had absolutely no love for Dulcie- she was pretty horrible to her husband and didn't show any aspects really of being a good friend. She displayed some scary red flag behaviour throughout but ended up back with the great husband & no work?!
Pru was a bit oh a meh character- I just wasn't too fussed to hear what was gonna happen.
And Liza was by far the easiest character to like and then seemingly formed a bind instantaneously and then he died ( or so it would seem based on the extremely vague writing) to then be alive and well in the last few pages.
It was all predictable but somehow still rushed and only felt for one of the characters ( maybe Arthur the dog too 😅)
I had absolutely no love for Dulcie- she was pretty horrible to her husband and didn't show any aspects really of being a good friend. She displayed some scary red flag behaviour throughout but ended up back with the great husband & no work?!
Pru was a bit oh a meh character- I just wasn't too fussed to hear what was gonna happen.
And Liza was by far the easiest character to like and then seemingly formed a bind instantaneously and then he died ( or so it would seem based on the extremely vague writing) to then be alive and well in the last few pages.
It was all predictable but somehow still rushed and only felt for one of the characters ( maybe Arthur the dog too 😅)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2010
I discovered this book -- and this author -- in Tuscany, on a bookshelf tucked in an obscure delightful corner. I had very few books with me and I was getting a bit desperate. It was delightful. Adorable but not not in a gagging way. The heroines all needed to do some growing up and changing, especially Dulcie, who actually was my favourite.
If you like books about real female friendship, about women who pick up the reins of their lives and make changes, books that make you laugh and cry a bit too, you'll love this one. The British vocabulary just makes it more fun!
If you like books about real female friendship, about women who pick up the reins of their lives and make changes, books that make you laugh and cry a bit too, you'll love this one. The British vocabulary just makes it more fun!
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