Liebe lieber lebenslänglich

by Lucy-Anne Holmes, Claudia Geng (Translator)

Ist Gracie wirklich das erste Mal so richtig verliebt? Ihr wisst schon, mit Herzklopfen und Schmetterlingen im Bauch? Eigentlich ist sie viel zu rational für so etwas. Ihr Lieblingsbuch ist beispielsweise "Der 5-Jahres-Plan: Machen Sie das Beste aus Ihrem Leben". Und ihr 5-Jahres-Plan läuft sehr gut an! Allerdings nur bis zu dem Punkt, an dem ihr ein gut aussehender, schnöseliger Idiot den Auftrag ihres Lebens vor der Nase wegschnappt, ihr Freund sie verlässt und sie herausfindet, dass ihre Mutter kurz vor dem Bankrott steht.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult, Contemporary Romance, British Literature

361 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2011

Reviews

[Natalie TBGWP · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the world is tough and life's getting you down, we all have our own little things to cheer us up. I have three.
They are:
1) Books.
Books because reading allows you escape reality.
2) Music.
Music because let's face it music makes everything better.
3) The love of my Husband.
This because his hugs and fod kisses make me remind me how protected I am by him.

When I read the blurb to (Un)like a virgin, I thought great a fast, funny, girly read. Oh my I was wrong. I was so so wrong. (Un)like a virgin is my three cheer up items wrapped into one. (Un)like a virgin is a book that I will treasure forever. This is a book that puts us face-to-face with problems and life situations that we may never go up against in reality. This book brings so much reality and life to you that you forget its fiction. This book melts your heart in every single way possible. Pages of sorrow, pages of happiness, pages of despair, pages of magic. Magic pages that have you tingling with pleasure, fear, tears, laughter & goosies.

A short review I leave you with, but a promise that this is a book of ultimate charm. I honestly adored every single page

[Sanja ✵ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have not read that many chick-lit books, I tend to focus on books that are straight up romance. So while I don’t have much experience with the genre, stuff that’s promised in the blurb is supposed to happen, right? Two things is stated on the book, Gracie is gonna follow a ten year old dream, and she will be in love for the first time. But neither of those things happened for the first 90 % of the book.

Instead the book focuses on other things and handles them like shit.

The main character is insufferable.
She takes pride in never breaking traffic rules, but has worn out the horn in her car. The car horn is for avoiding accidents, not for being a little twat. She also screams at complete strangers for no reason. But maybe that’s because she is uneducated, that fact is stated more times than I bothered to count.

It handles grief and trauma horribly.
It very clear that Gracie is super affected by her fathers death ten years ago. She cries if she talks about it and if she hear a song she relates to him she screams and runs away. She stopped singing because it was their thing. It’s been ten years and she hasn’t seem to process it at all. And during the book I don’t get the impression it gets better. I mean, the guy she ends up with is proof of that. He strictly reminds Gracie of her father. So instead of processing her grief, she’s just gonna bone her fathers stand in. Great, daddy issues?

And given that Gracie really can’t deal with the traumatic experiences of her life, I thought the book would not just simply brush over the traumatic events of the book.
But when she gets mugged, all she thinks about is the fact that she’s not going to be able to get the morning after pill now. It’s barley mentioned after that.
Sure, when she finds out that she is pregnant (or was it that her boyfriend left her that was the trigger? I don’t remember, it didn’t leave an impression) she gets so shocked that she becomes mute. But when she laters miscarriages it gets no mention how it’s affecting her. This is something huge and women that goes through it can be really scarred. But nothing.

The portrayal of the female sexuality is a joke.
I know that chick-lit tends to have a pretty outdated view on a woman’s sexuality and her body. But while the body shaming certainly was present, I’m gonna focus more on the sexuality bit. Because I’m appalled.
This book sends the message that women should be okey with sexual harassment for the sake of her job. If your boss speaks condescendingly about women, just suck it up. If a client touches you when you don’t want to, just keep quiet. He has a lot of money.

At one point her co-worker kisses her and she kisses him back. Then she kicks him between the legs. At first I was gonna say, that if you accept his advantages, you have no right to abuse him. It not funny because the genders are reversed, abuse is still abuse. But then she declines his offer to sleep with him, so he gets her drunk so she’ll agree. So I’m instead gonna go with fuck him. It’s never acceptable to take advantage of a drunk woman.

It’s also okey that men call women a slut, as long as this woman is interested in said man, according to this book. Gracie defends her friend by saying she’s the nicest person on the earth. But she also calls her friend “Friendly Wendy”, because she’s so friendly towards men with sexual advances. So she also slut shames her.

Some other things
The fact that Gracie’s boyfriend gets his mother to break up with her is just... I don’t even know what to say. It’s an excellent point in proving he’s childish. But I did hate the boyfriends mother, she was so condescending.

But the book mentions these enormous hits from the 80s and acts like young people never would have heard them. Absolutely ridiculous. I’m born in the middle of the 90s and I’ve heard every single one of them. They are hits for a reason.

This book was simply horrible.

[Branislava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cetiri zvezdice, a mogla da bude cista petica! Pravi primer kako autor da autogol i kako propusti priliku da napravi savrsen roman. Ima sve: odlican zaplet, drage , simpaticne likove za koje se odmah vezete ( i zavolite ih ) i najduhovitije dijaloge i poredjenja koje sam u poslednje vreme citala ! I sta je problem? Ono sto ja zovem "tapkanje u mestu", tj. ponavljanje vec recenih stvari, vec objasnjenih dogadjaja, emocija, secanja. Sve ide fenomenalno do ( oko ) poslednje trecine knjige, onda krene tu da se vrti, ubacuje nepotrebne dogadjaje sa sporednim likovima ( totalno nebitno za radnju ili razvitak samog lika , npr. prijem kod Boba preduzimaca; da se te 4 strane iskidaju iz knjige, nista se ne bi primetilo ). Malo smori sa maminim finansijskim problemima - sve moglo krace, dinamicnije! Tako da sam kraj ne bude tako efektan i ne ostavi onu odusevljenost posle citanja knjige, kao sto je bilo kada sam pocinjala. Posebno mesto u knjizi ima muzika, tako da sam morala da prekidam citanje i trazim pesme na YT i stvarno sam uzivala u podsecanju na tolike bisere evergreen muzike!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and tagline of (Un)like a Virgin attracted me to it, and from the beginning I loved Gracie Flowers and her world.
What I didn't love, were the unnecessary pregnancy storyline and the cliched love-interest-turns-sour plotline of Posh Boy.
I also hated the ending, Gracie ending up with Anton smacks of Daddy issues, and I loathe the idea of 'Britain Sings Its Heart Out' - an absolutely terrible title for an X Factor/Britain's Got Talent style show.

The plot had so much potential, but the author strayed too far into boring plot contrivances and lost her way.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4 Stars
Genre Chick Lit

Since October I have been feeling the blogger burnout. This has affected the type of books I read, the books I sign up for, and the time I spend writing my reviews. Sometimes, it feels more like a chore to read rather than a pleasure, so I’ve taken a step back from the romance books I used to read by the dozen. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read a few that I have loved and I’m so grateful to the authors for sending me copies, but I can’t JUST read new releases, especially on a schedule. So, I’ve been taking time off from ARCs and reading the books that I’ve wanted to read that have been sitting on my shelves. Guess what? I’M LOVING IT! I really needed this downtime to enjoy some of the older titles that have been on my mind and this book is one of them.

(Un)like a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes is a chick lit book to its core. The story revolves around one heroine (Gracie) as she grapples with the pain of loosing her father, the strained relationship with her mother, and a seemingly unlimited amount of bad luck. This one has its funny moments, but also tender ones as well and I felt a myriad of emotions while reading it. Now, while I wasn’t expecting the emotional undertones and the few moments of tears that collected in my eyes, I found this to be a truly heartwarming read. If you’d like to see my specific likes and dislikes you can find them below.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞
🎵 Gracie is a relatable and realistic character. She has had her share of ups and downs but readers from all walks of life are sure to find something in common with her. The author does a nice job with making some of her problems, something we have all been through at one time or other (not all, some).

🎵 The story flows nicely and Gracie is absolutely loveable. It would be hard to enjoy a story if it was choppy and all over the place (yes, I’ve read books like this many times) and thankfully that’s not the case here. There were times when I did wonder where the story was going, but I was patient and it all made sense. I recommend the same for potential readers.

🎵 (Un)like a Virgin is a British chick lit novel which I prefer to any other kind of chick lit novel. I think this is because I read so many Sophie Kinsella books back in the day! LOL.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞
🎵 It was a little too emotional for a chick lit novel. This genre is known for being fun and flippant, something we can just enjoy for the silliness. This one though really digs deep into the emotions and I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not.

🎵 Gracie’s eventual love story was flighty. I knew she would end up with someone (no matter the genre; romance or chick lit; the heroine always finds someone) but it took so dang long to do so. In all honesty, nothing happened until the last 5 pages which was a bit frustrating to me.

🎵 You can only find copies of this book from used book sellers (think eBay or thrift books). I understand the book is just about 10 years old, but I would have hoped it would also be available in an eBook format so that other readers could also enjoy the story. It’s not. ☹

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗨𝗣
(Un)like a Virgin is a sweet and heartwarming read with more emotion than I expected! Gracie is a fantastic character and one of the most relatable I’ve come across in the genre. I recommend this to those who want to get back to their roots (if you’re like me, anyway) and read the types of books that got you into reading in the first place!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Joanne D'Arcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess to picking this book up and thinking I was going to get your average chick-lit but I was mistaken, actually what I got was a book which gripped me, made me laugh, made me cry and made me think all in the space of day whilst I read it.

Grace Flowers has a plan, in fact she has a Five Year Plan, and it was all going swimmingly the final thing was to get the big promotion at work and she achieved everything. Psyching herself as to how she would deal with this new-found superiority, Grace is fallen as the big promotion goes to someone else. To add insult to this, her boyfriend dumps her, her mother seems to be spending money with no thought for the future and Grace is still grieving for her father. Her father is the constant in her life even though he is dead, he made dreams come true for her, and made her see life through words and music but more importantly song. All this comes back to her throughout the course of the book. Grace realises that perhaps having such a structured plan is not the best way to succeed in life and perhaps following your heart and your voice are much better.

The character of Gracie, got me from the start she was to the point of manic, the sort of friend you could never keep up with, everything always happening to her and not you. I loved the little quips to herself, her friend Wendy (another great character), the 'posh' bloke who got the job she had planned to have even to her father, who could not answer back. What Lucy-Anne Holmes has done is bring so much warmth and pathos to the character that when the unexpected turns to joy for the future and then is cruelly taken away, I shed more than one tear.

I thought I knew what was going to happen, having read plenty of this type of fiction in the past. To Grace it was so obvious the path she was going to go down, to get to the happy ending that a reader gets from reading such books. How wrong I was. There was twists and turns along the way and just when I thought I had sussed it, the path changed yet again. It goes to show that you can never trust a well known formula.

A great book which goes above and beyond the cover which does not do it justice. This was sophisticated 'chick-lit'. A must read.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a slew of different ways to become interested in reading a book: judging by the cover (it's okay, we all do it), the synopsis on the back/inside cover, it comes recommended by a friend, or because you've read other novels by the same author. For me and (Un)like a Virgin , I found it on one of those Chick Lit lists here on Goodreads; the synopsis sounded interesting ("career driven girl with family issues" tends to be my weakness), but it didn't fully prepare me for the book.

(Un)like a Virgin is about a 26-year-old Gracie Flowers who is suddenly forced to take a look at her life and how it was derailed when her father died ten years previously. Gracie is forced to take this good hard look at her life because the promotion she wanted is given to someone else, she is dumped by her boyfriend, she discovers her mother's money problems, and (most importantly) she becomes pregnant.

Although I was hooked quickly by Lucy-Anne Holmes's character Gracie, the cliche take on pregnancy was enough to turn me off (Un)like a Virgin to the point that I considered giving up on the book entirely. Eventually, I finished the novel; the ending wraps up the story in an incredibly predictable fashion. It's a fine Chick Lit novel for anyone looking for a cliched pregnancy storyline, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

[Carol W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and half stars for me

Gracie Flowers is a very ambitious and energetic estate agent on the surface. Underneath the confident exterior there is sadness in Gracie's life apparent from her little rituals, a book, some old songs, and a missed career opportunity, that she clings to.


Danny, the boyfriend, in a world of his own, decides to upsticks and go to work in Canada. Exit boyfriend.


Ken, her boss, screws up her 5 Year Plan when he gives the promotion, she was sure had her name on, to Posh boy - aka John St John Smythe.


Anton, good looking, but too old for Gracie, is landlord of the local pub. He is looking for a singing partner to enter the final of Britain Sings competition.


I sat up way past my bedtime to finish this book. I just couldn't resist it. I needed to know how things turned out for Gracie.


I loved the way Lucy-Anne Holmes unravels the reasons behind Gracie's little rituals and quirks slowly through the book. I also enjoyed the way she neatly explained what all the characters were up to in the final chapters as they all gathered in different settings to watch the final of Britain Sings, just like any good Chick Flick.


This is a real emotional roller coaster of a read. Not only is this a very funny read, it also has the ability to seriously tug at the heart strings. Cracking read!

thank you to Little, Brown for a review copy. This did not influence my review in any way

[Milica Stojiljkovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iskreno, meni se ova knjiga dopala. Simpatična je, smešna, ali sam dala nešto nižu ocenu jer... imam utisak da se autorka malo rasplinula: ima malo više likova, ima 84 poglavlja, a što se radnje tiče, stanje je slično. Knjiga govori o Grejs koja je izgubila tatu za kog je bila mnogo vezana, ona voli da peva, ali nije pevala otkako je on umro, radi kao agent za prodaju nekretnina, a uz to ostaje i trudna i prosto radnja malo previše ide u širinu i opširno priča o svim ovim temama, a pošto sam je čitala iz par puta, teže mi je bilo i da pratim.

[Astoldbymarlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel fijn boek met een origineel plot en genoeg twists waardoor je het moeilijk weg kan leggen! Ik had vlak hiervoor een ander boek van deze schrijfster gelezen, dit raad ik niet aan, ik vond de hoofdpersonen sommige stukken wel veel overeenkomen! Ik raad dit boek zeker aan!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy-Anne Holmes, before the publication of Unlike A Virgin, is the author of two previous novels. They both feature the same character, although I haven’t read either of them (although I will be now). But I really, really liked the sound of Lucy-Anne’s new novel Unlike A Virgin (the title alone had me hooked) and when I saw the cover I fell even more in love. I was thrilled to receive an early copy of the novel to read, and since my proof copy proclaimed Lucy-Anne is the “UK’s funniest rom-com writer” I was guaranteed a light novel that would have me in stitches. Right? Um, as the case may be, that’s not right. However I still thoroughly enjoyed the novel.

Unlike A Virgin is not the read I expected it to be. The title, the cover and the synopsis made me think that the novel was going to be light and fluffy and all about Gracie finding love. That’s so wrong, it’s almost laughable. I actually think it’s a disservice to the novel that it’s being marketed with a cover Sophie Kinsella would be proud off, making everyone think it’ll be laugh-a-minute because it’s not. From what I gather, Lucy-Anne’s two previous novels are hilarious, but Unlike A Virgin isn’t. I didn’t laugh once and my sense of humour is fairly juvenile I have to admit. There are some light moments during the novel but more often than not, it’s actually a bit darker than I expected it to be, and for me it was all the better because of it. What my wonderful proof copy does get right is that Gracie’s story could very much rival those featured on the X Factor.

Despite being thrown off balance by the pesky beautiful cover, I did very much like the book. I found it to be incredibly readable, and not once did I find myself getting bored. I’m not necessarily sure what the main plot of the novel was, as there were many featured throughout the novel, from Gracie’s disappointment that her 5-year-plan has fallen apart after some Posh idiot steals her job, to her mother planning to sell her father’s burial plot so developers can, er, develop it into a road. The romance in the novel is very much a backseat story, as Gracie focuses on making her life what she wants it to be, as she tries to figure out what she wants it to be, to be more precise. There were loads of touching scenes during the novel, I particularly loved the fact that Gracie regularly visits her father’s grave to chat to him, their closeness is apparent even though he passed away a decade ago. I also loved Gracie’s job, she’s an estate agent (a nice one!) and I loved seeing her at work, talk about a good estate agent.

I found all of the characters to be very enchanting. Gracie is the narrator of the novel and works it beautifully. I loved her confidence as an estate agent, felt sympathy for her when she found she didn’t want to sing any more and enjoyed her chats with her dad at the graveyard. She’s an incredibly warm character and I loved her immediately. She’s everything a main character should be. I loved her supporting cast, too. Her mum is a bit of a cold fish, but I liked the Gracie persevered with her and made a plan to help her out when she was in need. Her mum does come out of her shell, though, as the novel progresses and I could definitely understand why she was house-bound. Gracie’s best friend Wendy is the best friend everyone wants, I thought she was a really great mate. The only character I didn’t particularly take to was Dan, Gracie’s (ex-)boyfriend, he’s in about 100 or so pages, but I never actually felt anything towards him. He never really came out of his shell so when he eventually upped and left, I wasn’t disappointed. I did wonder where who Gracie was going to be falling in love with, particularly as the book’s strapline is “Is Gracie in love for the very first time?” and I’m still a bit puzzled as to who that was in reference to.

Unlike A Virgin wasn’t in any way what I was expecting, particularly since it was way more serious and I was shocked to find it to be a bit darker than I expected. However it was still a brilliant read, and I very much enjoyed Gracie’s story as she finds her way in life. It seemed that we witnessed Gracie fully merge into an adult whilst I read the novel and I loved being there with her to see it. There were many touching moments to the novel and although it wasn’t perfect, it’s made me go out and buy Lucy-Anne Holmes’s previous two novels. I can see why she’s such a well-liked author and though people will be disappointed that this novel isn’t particularly funny, it’s good in other, different ways and her fans will lap it up. I did. I’m thrilled Lucy-Anne is going to be a book-a-year author and I look forward to catching up with her previous novels and eagerly awaiting her next release. She’s a great writer and easily manages to get us into Gracie’s head and see what makes her tick. The ending was probably a bit rushed for me and I wasn’t a fan of the sudden switch to third-person for those last 10 pages, and it does leave it open for a potential sequel if Lucy-Anne ever wanted to go down that route. I would definitely recommend the novel, it was really great.

[Zuzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so much fun reading this book. I loved every page. It was so wonderfully british and so so funny. A great book to brighten up your day.

[Sandra Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book loved it

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not judge a book by its cover. This book defines that phrase. This story was much more than I was expecting. It covers at least one important topic to talk about. I thought it would be quite light and fluffy. It was darker in quite a few places. I was pleasantly surprised. I like Grace and think she deserved much more than Danny.

[Luise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always difficult to enjoy a story if you just can't relate to the main character and her decisions.

And if you add a bunch of too cringe bad luck/ awkward situations to this unsympathetic main character, the story gets even better.

And THEN, if you add too much 'input' into this story - so much that the story itself struggles to keep up with what's happening- it gets even better better. A masterpiece.

There were some turns and events happening during the story that came out of nowhere, without any indications or just poor previous development in that direction.

So I often wondered why I'm still reading on. I guess, there were some okay aspects about it that made it overall still tolerable.

[Carol Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often read books written in the first person as I find them harder to get into, however, this was an exception. I really enjoyed it, and read it in just over a day. I liked Gracie Flowers (her full name gets mentioned a lot) and the lovely relationship she had with her dad and music. Her character is interesting and quirky, and the banter she shares with others (her friend Wendy, Bob the builder, and posh boy John) is great at reflecting the different relationships she shares with them. The story frequently made me smile, and I had to stop myself from crying as I read one part while sitting in a cafe! The supporting characters are likeable, and the story moves along at a good pace with you willing more than just the main characters towards their happy ever after moment. The ending has a lovely romcom montage feel. It is overall, a good fun, quick read.

[Agi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, finally, finally! Thank you, Lucy - Anne Holmes for this book. After reading an unspecified number of books lately that dissapointed me, were not interesting, were boring, I have finally came across a book that have me hooked from the first to the last page. It has all that I like: short chapters, witty and sparkling dialogues, fUntastic characters, has some drama, has some twists and made me laugh! Finally. Feisty, fantastic, hilarious, sweet and with a warm heart.

[Imen's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, you can say that I liked the book but I found it quite messy and I couldn't reach the global idea it was sending. I couldn't understand what it is that Grace really wanted or who she was really in love with, I also couldn't understand her feelings till the end. Apart from that, I liked the story and the way it was dealt with by the author.

[Briony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books like this prove the "chicklit" label is inadequate and the frivolous cupcake covers unnecessary. Warm, entertaining, and so much more than the girly romance the publishers obviously decided to sell it as...

[Sue Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. It was both funny and bittersweet. The characters were wonderful and I adored Gracie. She was so quirky and real. The banter made me smile and more than once I had a tear in my eye. What more could you ask? Highly recommended.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it..... not slushy... not predictable but an ever so nice read..

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

<3

[Fatima · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think their love story was done well in the beginning. There was no hint of the couple working towards something. So it felt weird to me when the main chick ended up with the guy.

[bookish_emmxx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ages ago since I read this but I definitely remember loving this book. Definitely recommend it to anyone.

[Lesley Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww that a funny heart warming lovely chick flick story! Dead easy read with a lot of parts which are happy smiley! Would definitely read more by this author.

[J Heyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody brilliant

A story that keeps you spellbound by the characters and the way the author keeps you entertained. An absolutely delightful tale.

[Ms Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undoubtedly a five star book!

What a cracker of a book this is. So readable and quite brilliant from start to finish. I can highly recommend it.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than what the cover suggests. A story that will tear at your heartstrings then surprise you with some good laughs all while cheering on the courageous Gracie Flowers.

[Ana Marija · Rating 2 out of 5]

* Džejn Torvil i Kristofer Din- jedan od najuspešnijih parova u umetničkom klizanju svih vremena. Najveće uspehe postigli su u prvoj polovini 90-ih
* Mezonet (maisonette)= kućića sastavljena od 2,3 etaže, po čemu ima strukturu zasebne kuće, ali to nije već je deo stambene zgrade (po Le Korbizjeovoj zamisli) vs pentahus
* Amazing Grace = poznata hrišćanska himna napisana 1772
* Čebrlejn roud- živeli u okolini
* Mr Bojangles = vrlo popularna kantri numire iz 1968, snimili su je mnogi izvođači
* Letom Vlakira = popularni naziv za upečatljiv početak III čina Vagnerove opere Prsten Nibelunga
* Džimi Savil ( Jimmy will fix it), Džonatan Ron (The Jonathan Ross Show), Fredi Kriger, Brus Springstin
* Little Chef = britsanski lanac restorana smešenih na usputnim odmorištima. najčešće pored benzinskih pumpi i malih motela
* Sobnost stanova su u VB meri brojem spavaćih soba (koje su suglavnom male i sadrže pretežno krevet i ormar), ne računajući dnevni boravak zasebno
* U VB se nekretnine prodaju često na specijalizovanim aukcijama. Međutim, i onda kad se ne organizuje prava aukcija, kad se jave 2 ili više kupaca, prodavac ima pravo da odabere onog ko mu ponudi više, a agent je u tom slučaju koordinator tog procesa nadmetanja
* Marmita = slani namaz od kvasca
* Roadie = šef ili deo tehničke ekipe (road crew) koja brine o celokupnoj logistici na turneji nekog pevača ili benda
* Hju Grant - 4 venčanja i sahrana
* Will Young (1979) = I pobednik muz. takmičenja Idol, gej
* Cofee Morning
* bell-end
* ITV
* doner = turska verzija girosa
* U Londonu je traka namenjena autobusima i taksi vozilima označene crvenom linijom
* Bikram joga= prostorija je zagrejana na 40 stepeni
* Marks and Spencer = britanski lanac specijalizovanih prodavnika luksuzne robe
* coq au vin = peto u vinu, čuvena francuska varijanta pilećeg paprikaša s pečurkama
* Butlins
* Irn Bru = škotska marka gaziranog osvežavajućeg napitka citrusnog ukusa koja se naziva drugim njihovim nacionalnim piće, posle viskija
* Royal Shakespeare Company
* 60 minute makeover
* Coffe morning = prepodnevni skup na kom se uz kafu prikuplja novac za nekoga kome je potrebna pomoć
* Butlin's britanski lanac kampova
* Cymry = velški izraz za Vels
* Homebase = britanski trgovinski lanac s prodajnim programom sličnom Ikeinom
* U VB zvanje medicinske sestre stiče se posle 3godišnjeg obrazovanja u Nursing College koji se upisuje posle velike mature, viša med sestra mora završiti i postdiplomske studije, a zvanje bolničara se stiče pohađanjem programa koji traje 1 semestar i organizuje se pri većini državnih gimnazija. Ne postoji srednja med škola
* Selfridges = britanski lanac luksuznih robnih kuća
* "Pesme. Bože, umeju da budu savršene. Obična pesma. Tri i po minuta instrumenata i glasova - generalno je to sve. SA ipak, ta tri i po minuta mogu da ti pokažu svet i svom njegovom užasu ili veličanstvenosti, mogu da te ganu do suza ili da te nateraju da zaigraš u kuhinji, s papučama na nogama. Mogu da pokažu osećanje za koje nisi ni znao da poseduješ ili da naslute čežnju negde duboko u tebi."
* dry up doručak tradicionalni
* lažno pokazivanje nekretnina
* " veliki sam fan 5 P: Perfektna priprema- preventiva pogubnog poslovanja"
* "Mislim da ti želiš mušklarca koji će da unese pesmu u tvoj svet."
* " Daj prestani da svojim glasom zagađuješ tišinu
* Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club u londonskoj četvrti Soho, špstoji od 1959.
* " U ljubavi moraš da pucaš na veliko i ciljaš na visoko, baš kao i u svemu ostalom. Znaćeš da je to ljubav onda kad sve tvoje pesme budu za njega"
* " Ne smem da se bacam čoveku u naručje samo zato što želim da provedem ostatak života sa njim"
* Lonodnski Pineapple Dance Studios, jedan od najpoznatijih na svetu, nazivaju ga mekom za plesače
* "Ni trenutka ne smeš da izgubiš veru ako želiš istinski da živiš"
* Mimoza ili Bzck's Fizz= koktel od soka pomorandže pomešanoig sa šampanjcem
* francuska (banana) punđa
*

[Maja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book had so much potential and for the first half of it, I was hooked. But then it just spiralled down and I just wanted to finish it and forget about it. Well, say what bothered me and then forget about it.

1. The cover is completely misleading.
2. I felt 0 chemistry between her and Anton, he seemed more like a father figure and all of a sudden, she realizes she’s in love with him. Even then, when the author was convincing us in the idea of them being an item, I couldn’t feel it and I think it was all very forced. I think she needed a therapist to deal with her traumas and her father’s death in a healthier way, not getting together with Anton. She even felt like she was singing with her father when she sang with him. Disturbing, to say the least.
3. The way that Posh Boy went from a potential love interest (they actually had chemistry together) to the villain of the story is just ridiculous. I get that the author thought that she had to make him so, so that we’d warm up to the idea of her and Anton getting together, but it was unsuccessful attempt, as far as I’m concerned. The plot twist did nothing for me and it all just felt too forced and unsatisfying.
4. She went mute when her boyfriend left her, but losing her child was not such a big deal.

So, 4 stars for the 1st half of the book, 1 star for the 2nd.