He Loves Me Not... He Loves Me

by Claudia Carroll

In the heart of County Kildare is Davenport Hall - a crumbling eighteenth-century mansion house, ancestral home to Portia Davenport, her beautiful younger sister Daisy and their dotty, eccentric mother, Lucasta. Disaster strikes when their father abandons the family, cleaning them out of the little cash they had managed to hold on to. But a ray of hope appears when Steve Sullivan, an old family friend and confirmed bachelor, suggests that they allow the hall to be used as the location for a major new movie.So Davenport Hall is taken over by the crème de la crème, including the self-centred Montana Jones, fresh out of rehab and anxious to kick-start her career, and Guy van der Post, a major sex symbol with an eye for Daisy. Throw in Ella Hepburn, Hollywood royalty and living legend, and soon there's more sex and drama off-camera than on!And Portia, who'd completely given up on love, is in for quite a surprise...

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy

Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Claudia was born in Dublin and is a graduate of UCD, the College of Music and of the Gaiety School of Acting. Since then she has worked extensively as an actress on the Irish stage, but is probably best known for her role as TV’s Nicola Prendergast in the long running Dublin soap opera, ‘Fair City.’

Reviews

[Veronica Widya · Rating 3 out of 5]

actually i like this book from the beginning.
i love the castle thing and the romance in it. ;)
i do love Andrew and Portia's Character. they're perfect being together.
Portia is a nice, loveable, patient and kind-hearted woman, while Andrew si such a super nice, handsome,gentle and 'almost perfect' guy.

i love the story, but honestly i start to be annoyed since in the middle of the book.
when there're many misunderstanding. i really hate misundertanding part. i hate it. in the real world, or in fiction.
like when Portia thought that Andrew is disappear, whereas he called many times. but Portia's stupid sister didn't convey that Andrew called. also, how Mrs Flanagan tell Andrew that Portia slept with Steve, and also when andrew look Portia slept with the other guy. (paddy)
it really sucked me up.

but the most weird thing re:
1. even andrew misunderstanding about this, but he still want to help Portia. (how come??) and it makes me wondering.....
2. how come Andrew being so in loved with Portia? they just met in the part, then suddenly puff! they're falling in love each other and Andrew is crazy for her, and want do anything to make her happy. its too good to be true heh?
3. Lucasta and Mrs Flanagan's character. they're nice but they're a bit crazy i think.
Especially Lucasta. At first, i feel that she just an exentric woman. you know, the cat things, the spell and everything. but the way she act, the way she talk, the way she dressed, and the way she do is not like the normal person. even she just care about what she drink, and she never really cared about her daughters. its weird.
sometimes i feel portia is more like Lucasta's mother than Lucasta's daughter.
how come people can feel convenience lived with her?
but actually, she's nice and she help many things for the castle.

and the most thing is the happy ending thing! :D

[Yola NY · Rating 4 out of 5]

buahahahaha!!
kocak,kocak!

ini pertama kalinya aku baca novel ttg kluarga bangsawan yang bersikap seperti para rakyat jelata yg melarat dan sinting. bahkan bisa dibilang semua tokohnya sinting, terkecuali si sulung portia, si pengacara andrew dan steve, daaaaan jaksa de councey. semua tokoh di dalam novel ini layak diadu dalam kontes komedi. serius, ini semua dialognya bikin aku ngakak2 gila di malam hari (bayangkan, di saat org udah tidur smua, aku dibikin ketawa sendiri oleh novel ini)

tokoh sang Lady (ibunya portia) sgt berbeda sekali dgn lady-lady bangsawan lainnya. bahkan cenderung sinting menurut aku. kecintaannya trhdp mantra2, zodiak, reinkarnasi, roh-roh dan pemujaan gak jelas, jd, klo ngebayangin karakter lady yg anggun, angkuh, gak bakal dapet deh dalam diri Lucasta.
ada tokoh si adik Daisy. heem, dia bertingkah seperti cewek jalang. bentar2 bobok bareng sama cowok ini, trus ini, trus ini. bukan tipe yg aku jadiin idola dalam sebuah novel sih. tapi ending dia brsama si pengacara, hmm oke jg drpd sama cowok2 laen gak jelas.
si pelayan rumah mereka, mrs. flanagan. hihi, mgkin cuma d rumah ini kita bs liat tindak tanduk seorang pelayan yang sama sekali gak brrbicara sopan sama majikannya..

andreeeeewww.. hihi ini salah satu tokoh cowok yg normal. dan tampan pula. dan kaya. dan cerdas. oke, dia seorang pengacara, dan semua yg dilakuinnya bt portia itu, hmmm, bikin klepek2 deh sama ini cowok.

portia sendiri, sang tokoh utama, yang satu2nya mencirikan seorang lady di sini. pembawaannya tenang, anggun, dan slalu berpikir dengan tepat (kecuali untuk masalah percintaannya), bikin dia yg mengurus semua kebutuhan rumah sejak ayahnya, sang lord, kabur pergi membawa uang mereka bersama seorang pengurus istal kuda yang umurnya masi dbwh 20 taun..

beneran deeh, baca novel ini, bikin stress ilang. ehm, yah walaupun terkadang stress jg ngeliat aksi sinting si ibu.

[Kate’s Book Spot · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may or may not know that I am a huge fan of Claudia Carroll’s work, there are still a few of her books that I haven’t managed to read yet so when I saw this one (which is the first book she wrote) I simply had to buy it.

I got caught up in the story quickly, I love books with a celebrity twist in them and this certainly had plenty of that with Davenport Hall being used as a movie set.

I really fell in love with all the characters, they were wonderfully stereotypical and so much fun. The eccentric Lucasta and straight-talking Mrs Flanagan were particular favourites of mine, their arguments were hilarious even though I got the feeling that deep down they were actually quite fond of each other.

Andrew was a very charming character and I loved the way he called Portia ‘my lady’. Paddy was another funny character, the poem he wrote near the end had me in stitches. There were many laughs to be had in this book, one of the funniest moments for me was when the Davenports went to their neighbours house-warming party – with Lucasta and Daisy as guests there was certainly no need for entertainment!

There were misunderstandings galore throughout the book and a couple of surprises that kept me on my toes, including one that occurred at a breath-holding auction.

This book does include some swearing which doesn’t bother me in the slightest but if you would be offended by it then maybe this isn’t a book for you.

Perfect escapism, this book is another great read from Claudia Carroll.

[Christin Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ceritanya tidak membosankan, tetapi juga tidak meninggalkan kesan apa-apa setelah membaca. Awalnya saya berharap bahwa karakter utama, si Portia, agak sedikit konyol dan lucu tapi ternyata dia sangat anggun dan tenang. Saya rasa memang dibutuhkan karakter seperti dia untuk mengimbangi karakter gila ayah, ibu, adik perempuan dan pelayannya. Belum lagi karakter pendukung dan antagonis yang juga tidak normal. ckckck.. Jadi kehadiran beberapa tokoh normal cukup agar novel ini bisa dibaca oleh orang normal.

[Nevay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ceritanya bagus, tapi kenapa aku cuma ngasih bintang 2?
Karena aku iri sama endingnya...hahahaha...
Andrew is just Too Good To Be True...

[Muri Ummu Ainun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise dengan buku ini. Kisah romance jaman now, dengan di bumbui latar belakang hisrom.

Menceritakan satu keluarga, dimana mereka ini masih keturunan bangsawan. Hidup dijaman masa kini. Sang wanitanya masih menyandang gelar lady dan sang ayah lord. Latar belakangnya di Irlandia.

Terdiri dari seorang ayah yang suka menghabiskan uang di meja blackjack, hingga kekayaanya keluarganya habis. Terakhir kali dia pergi dengan membawa habis sisa uang tabungan keluarga. Tanpa menyisakan seperpun untuk anak dan istrinya.

Sang lady alias istri sang lord merasa terpuruk dengan penghianatan suaminya. Setiap harinya sibuk dengan minuman keras, sampai hilang kewarasannya malahan berkutat dengan tahyul dan hal-hal magic yang membuat orang waras menjadi gila 😄.

Portia anak pertama mereka, sebagai anak tertua dia yang mengurus keluarganya, mengurus Devenport hall. Sedangkan adiknya daisy sosok anak yang cantik manis dan manja.

Dalam usaha mempertahankan Devenport hall, dia menyewakan lahan dan tempat tinggalnya serta kudanya untuk suting film.

Dalam suatu pesta yang di adakan tetangga barunya portia bertemu dengan Andrew de Cource, yang ternyata anak dari tetangga barunya tersebut.

Masalah demi masalah silih berganti, dari kekacauan para kru pembuat film, dari para wartàwan, dari artis bintang film juga dari dewan kota yang ingin membeli manor Devenport hall. Di tengah kakacauan tersebut portia bimbang apakah Andre mencintainya atau tidak, karna sesungguhnya lelaki itu sudah bertunangan dan sebulan lagi akan melaksanakan pesta perkawinan.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of her better ones but I got there in the end.

[Natalie Martin]

Laughed so much! Love the characters. It really is a breath of fresh air

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was not bad and certainly funny in parts but I really wish the book hadn't been filled with so many mean female characters that constantly acted against each other.

[Alexandra Mikedaki-Daxner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best choice if you want to read something light, funny, entertaining. Better than watching a movie or a soap opera. The description of Lucasta"s wedding day is incredible!

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the heart of County Kildare is Davenport Hall – a crumbling eighteenth-century mansion house, ancestral home to Portia Davenport, her beautiful younger sister Daisy and their dotty, eccentric mother, Lucasta.

Disaster strikes when their father abandons the family, cleaning them out of the little cash they had managed to hold on to. But a ray of hope appears when Steve Sullivan, an old family friend and confirmed bachelor, suggests that they allow the hall to be used as the location for a major new movie.

So Davenport Hall is taken over by the creme de la creme, including the self-centred Montana Jones, fresh out of rehab and anxious to kick-start her career, and Guy van der Post, a major sex symbol with an eye for Daisy. Throw in Ella Hepburn, Hollywood royalty and living legend, and soon there’s more sex and drama off-camera than on! And Portia, who’d completely given up on love, is in for quite a surprise… Read my review underneath…

Now I don’t usually start a review before I’ve finished a book but this is an aside that I might forget before completing the book: not being told about sequels is irritating. I hate starting a book which has a sequel when I don’t have said sequel. If it hasn’t been released I’ll read the book and then re-read after I get the sequel/sequels (a la Harry Potter – I read 1-5 then 1-5 plus 6 then 1-6 plus 7). I always check a book to see if a sequel is in the works and when I did got He Loves Me Not… He Loves Me, there was no mention of a sequel. It did however mention her second novel which IS the sequel. That irritates as it didn’t state her second novel WAS the sequel. If I’d have known I wouldn’t have started it until I had both books. Oh well, it’s water under the bridge since I have started the book. I just find it irritating not knowing, I prefer to read sequels right after I’ve read the first. Now… on to the book!

I really don’t know what I made of the book, I enjoyed it yet it was filled with so many cliches; the handsome but rubbish actor, kooky mother, leading female/male actor who don’t get on, etc. I also hated the way Portia and Daisy talked to each other – darling? – it’s such an old-fashioned word. It was definitely a soap-opera-type plot with plenty of different characters. My favourite character was Lucasta, she was hilarious and I also liked Mrs. Flanagan.

It was amusing in parts but it was pretty much a typical plot with the main character having difficulties with a man, the trouble was, unlike most plots like this (which is many, many, many) if they had just talked to each other or rather if Portia had just listened, none of it would have been a problem. Talk about jumping to conclusions! Daisy wasn’t too great a character, she just flitted between men and completely used poor Paddy.

The plot – a movie being filmed at the crumbling house – was outlandish and you would think the house would have been knocked down years ago. But despite the outlandish nature of the plot – and getting over the whole film itself – which was ridiculous and sounded so rubbish – I did enjoy reading it and did laugh out loud a few times.

As far as a debut goes it wasn’t overly impressive, when I think of some of the debut novels I’ve read (Paige Toon’s Lucy in the Sky, Lucy Dawson’s His Other Lover, Debbie Carbin’s Thanks For Nothing, Nick Maxwell – all 5/5 books). I will give Claudia another go as well as trying to find the sequel to this as well.

Rating: 2/5

[Caoimhe Levins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from start to finish. I got it a present a few years ago. I really felt I was part of the Davenport family. I was hooked on Claudia Carroll from the start.

[Renchrst · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for this book:)

Kisah-nya bercerita tentang sebuah keluarga berdarah bangsawan, yang complicated(kalo bisa dibilang gitu), Portia Davenport adalah anak tunggal dari keluarga Davenport yang bisa dibilang telah menggantikan tugas parents-nya sejak ayahnya kabur dan meninggalkan mereka begitu saja dengan begitu banyak hutang yang terus menumpuk, ibu dan adik-nya Daisy-pun tak mampu untuk menggantikan tugas2 utama ayahnya, jadilah Portia yang melakukan-nya.

Karna hutang yang terus menumpuk dan kondisi Davenport Hall, yang menghawatirkan, Steve pengacara keluarga Davenport pun mengusulkan sebuah ide untuk menyewakan Davenport hall sebagai tempat syuting sebuah film. Portia dan keluarganya-pun menyetujui kontrak itu.

Di tengah-tengah konflik itu Portia bertemu dengan Andrew De Courcey, dia adalah tetangga baru Portia, saat itulah Andrew and Portia mulai suka-sukaan.

Selama proses perfilman dilakukkan keluarga Davenport juga menemukan banyak masalah, mereka dituntut untuk keluar dari Davenport Hall, karna tempat itu sudah diambil alih.Satu-satunya cara yang dapat di lakukan dalam menyelamatkan rumah-nya adalah dengan membujuk ayah Portia dan Daisy agar mau kembali dan mempertahankan rumah mereka.

Di tengah semua itu Portia mulai gundah karna Andrew tidak pernah menghubunginya lagi.Apa yang harus di-percayai Portia? Apakah Andrew mencintainya? atau tidak?

[Puni · Rating 3 out of 5]

true to its kind, this book was a light read, which explains why it didn't take me that long to finish it. it's full and thick of Irish "accents", and the main characters actually feel homey to me.
the only minus points were that there're a bit of repetitive phrases used here and there (like "practically joined at hips", which was used by the author quite a lot of times and in a not so distant pages either). i know it may be hard to be creative when explaining something/the same situation over and over again without putting it into the same exact words, but it kinda felt like a deja vu to me :D
another thing is that, even though it is meant to be like that, in the middle part of the book i felt that it's too...soap-y..as in "everyone started to make out with everyone else". it kinda distracted me from the main, big story. thankfully though, in the end it's wrapped up nicely (and very chicklit-y) without any steamy actions :p
i would expect something more from the author next time she writes a book, and will definitely read it :)

[Agi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was like never - ending story for me, I thought it would never end. Everything was too long and too many there: the book itself, the descriptions, the characters... There were so many heroes in there that I still don't know who is who. And I think I'm going to be sick if I ever read "darling", "mummy" and "daddy" again. I mean, who is speaking like this? Aristocracy? Then I'm really sorry, but either they speak like this or they are swearing like crazy, which I didn't like at all too. It's not that I'm against swearing or am kinda saint or something, no, but it just didn't suit the situation.
All the characters were sooooo flat and boring, I couldn't stand Lucasta, Portia was so weak and meak, Daisy was... I really don't know, what she was. I guess I liked Paddy the best at the beginning, but than he started to exaggerate and it was too much.
Not my type again. Pity.

[Nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

its has a scent of Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen) for me, but of the modern version. Portia as Elinor and Daisy as Marianne, Steve as Colonel Brandon, and of course Andrew as Edward. for me, this book is comical and the lighter version of Sense and Sensibility. its snail's pace that we found in the "original" is also had been "cured" thus it fits perfectly into the chicklit case.

in summary, sad to say, i much prefer this book compare to Sense and Sensibility

[Prima patriotika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nih buku kok enggak banget ya... males nyelesein bacanya... padahal separuh aja belum kebaca... tapi banyak bahasa kotor dan sudut pandang penokohan yang berganti-ganti dan sekan-akan semua tokoh ingin diceritakan bikin gak enak dibaca, padahal bukanlah tokoh yang penting dalam cerita keseluruhan...

Dan sepertinya saya memutuskan untuk tidak menuruskan membaca buku ini...

[Shelley Kowalski · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I fist started reading this book I was unsure. However the more I got into it the more I enjoyed it. Alot of the charaters seemed hard to believe, however it was quiet funny, and in the end enjoyed the book :)

[Sandra Sales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este livro é um espectáculo! Fartei-me de rir, a história está muito bem contada e os personagens são do melhor! Foi uma surpresa muito agradável, visto não conhecer a autora e ter ganho este livro num passatempo.

[Marzena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very witty and enjoyable from the very beginning, a bit cliche at times, but still a great read for everyone in need to be entertained.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, light,easy, readable rom com.

[Tracey- Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, that had me laughing out load at times. The ending was surprising! It could of done with an extension to the ending, I felt like it wasn't quite finished!

[Natacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geweldig boek! Lekker ontspannende roman met hier en daar een vleugje humor.

[Karen Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good enough to read xD

[Tarum · Rating 3 out of 5]

gak nyangka ceritanya lucu. ngakak sendiri jadinya..

[Shannon Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that this was much better than what I was expecting.