Simply Heaven

by Serena Mackesy

'You wouldn't take on a cleaner without checking out their references. What possessed you to do it with a husband?'When Mel, an Australian abroad, falls in love with Rufus, the archetypal Englishman, she has no idea what she's letting herself in for. But it is only when their azure Mediterranean courtship is transported to the green fields of England that Melody's doubts set in. For Rufus is heir to the thousand-year-old Bourton Allhallows estate, and Melody is soon painfully aware that, in his family's eyes, an antipodean backpacker is far from the ideal wife. Trapped in a way of life she assumed had long vanished - awash in a stew of formal meals, unhampered snobbery, incomprehensible rules and crumbling masonry - Melody begins to fear for the future of her marriage. And when a set of ancient and not-so-ancient secrets begin to emerge, she faces the disturbing realisation that the stakes are far, far higher than she'd imagined -

Genres: Romance

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Serena Mackesy is a British novelist, author of four novels under her own name and several bestselling psychological crime novels under her pseudonym, Alex Marwood. She is the granddaughter on her mother's side of the novelist Margaret Kennedy and on her father's side of the novelist romantic novelist Leonora Starr/Dorothy Rivers. She grew up in Oxford, and graduated in English Literature from the Univeristy of London. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Rainbow_body · Rating 3 out of 5]

The start wasn't really that great. The main character's Australian-ness was a bit too exaggerated and annoying. But the ending made up for it as there was a great twist.

[JoAnna May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skipped chapters, it's like the author got lost half way through writing this book. There is so much waffle that I was able to skip 4 chapters and still follow the story.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian backpacker meets scion of English country gentry: whirlwind marriage, derelict stately home, mad granny, sinister servants, ghastly huntin' shootin' fishin' locals & all of which still turn out to be an improvement on HER family. Mel-o-drama, and then some, with an inevitable and heavily signposted dramatic climax, none of which detracted even minutely from my enjoyment. Loved it. Fail sadly at being an interleckcheral. Don't care.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cliche cliche cliche, probably not a bad book for a holiday read but not something I really want to spend my time on