'A funny, insightful read - with a brilliant twist' HEAT'One of our picks of the year... poignant, funny and well-observed' BELLALucy has always been a bit of a control freak - a single mother, with her own business, she has never been one for taking risks, she's never been brave enough. Then, one evening, a fortune teller looks into her future - and learns that she doesn't have one. Sceptical, Lucy decides to ignore the warning until other prophecies he made begin to come true... Lucy decides to throw caution to the wind and so begins a race against the clock to live a life of fulfilment all in a matter of days. During this adventure, she faces her demons, confronts people from her past and risks the thing that she has guarded most fiercely - her heart. But, after all this, will she actually live to regret it?From the authors of bestseller Goodbye, Jimmy Choo, this is the touching and bittersweet story of one woman's struggle to let go of her worst fears and, in doing, realise her dream life.
Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders met at ante–natal classes and bonded as they learnt the benefits of raspberry leaf tea and relaxation breathing. Neither remedy worked but a friendship was born.
Annie's background is in advertising copywriting and journalism. She cut her teeth on a great little magazine called Southside, and put in the journo donkey work at Essentials, editing knitting patterns, and the late lamented Woman's Journal. Since going freelance in 1990, she has written for several publications including the Evening Standard and Homes and Gardens, as well as editing Inspector Morse for serial in the Sunday People, without giving away whodunnit. She has three boys and has built her own house on a hill in Warwickshire. She is director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival.
Meg comes from a book publishing background, though she started out by translating thirteen volumes of robot technology from French to English. Things got more interesting when she edited and wrote a series of activity books telling children how to cover the kitchen table in glitter and PVA glue. This was obviously before she had children of her own. After a diploma in horticulture, she edited and wrote gardening books but still can't work how to prune apple trees. She is married, has twins – a boy and a girl – and lives near Stratford upon Avon.
They started out together with a mission to save the planet from grammatical horrors and badly placed apostrophes by offering their services as website content writers. Luckily they were rescued from catatonia (after a very dull foray with a government quango report) by the commission to write a book. Trade Secrets resulted, a spin off from the cult BBC2 series of the same name, and was followed by Trade Secrets Christmas, How to Beat the System, Trade Secrets Parenting, Fat Club, Celebrity Fit Club, The Property Chain, but they definitely didn't write a Channel 4 book called Am I Good In Bed? (A title that doesn't bear an answer but the research was entertaining.)
A tedious train journey spawned the germ of an idea for a novel and the rest is literary legend...
Cautious Single British mother approaching middle age faces mortality only days away. How will she live/wrap up her business, friends, son, protective father, her son's birth father? Will she continue her cautious ways or through it all to the wind? Pleasant read with some food for thought.
I think this story would be a fun movie! I liked the story, it isn't the most incredible book I've ever read, but it was a fun read, with a bit of a weird twist I didn't expect. I don't generally like reading books with lots of swearing, so I wouldn't recommend it to those that are like me, but I enjoyed the story
This was cute and fluffy. I'm giving it four stars because it was exactly what I felt like listening to and I enjoyed it immensely! Lots of fun with a nice message that life should be used and not wasted.
Lucy Streeter thought she had her life pretty sussed out. She runs a clothes shop, where she also gets to show off her own designs that she does in her own spare time, she’s mum to her grown up son Nat who is at University, and she gets on really well with the other occupants of Paradise Street, where their shops are based. However, Lucy decides to pay a visit to a fortune teller one day, and finds out a bit of shocking news… she has just days to live. Lucy is horrified that her time on Earth is nearly up, and makes some radical decision and changes that the old Lucy never would have done. Is Lucy going to be able to make the most of her last few days with her family and friends, or is it just too little, too late?
I have read quite a few of Annie Sanders’ novels in the past and really enjoyed them, so I was really looking forward to getting around to this one. I have to admit I wasn’t too keen on the cover when it was released but in real life, it doesn’t look quite as dull as the pictures online make it look. What I love about Annie Sanders’ novels are the realism – you can always count on characters that you recognise or can imagine being friends with, and that is exactly what I hoped I would get from this novel once more. So here’s my review!
The leading lady Lucy is a great character, and I liked her straight away. She’s a single mum to a grown up son who is at University, and seems at a bit of a loss as to what to do with herself now he’s grown up and flown the nest. Lucy is a talented designer but prefers to sell other people’s wares in her clothes shop, a point that did make me think “why would you not try and push your own designs?” but as the story progresses, we do see why. Lucy is a really normal woman, she’s certainly someone I can imagine liking and she seems like your average housewife which is nice. However, we soon see a new side to Lucy once she learns of her impending demise, and this is where the main bulk of the story comes in.
The character of Micah wasn’t one that I liked enormously if I am honest. I especially disliked him at the end when it all becomes clear about him and his predictions because I really don’t like that sort of things within books, and it seemed like Sanders was plugging into the magical element of books that has done well for authors such as Cecelia Ahern, but it seemed totally out of place in this book. It was a real shame because I had loved the book up until now, and thought it was a great story about someone reinventing themselves but the magical part really let it down for me and turned from a great book into something a bit silly and unbelievable which was a real pity.
The story of people reinventing themselves has been done before, but I really enjoyed the twist Sanders put on it that Lucy knew she was going to die, and therefore wanted to do everything she normally wouldn’t have the guts to do. It certainly makes you begin to think what would you get up to if you knew you only had a few days left on Earth, and you can sympathise with Lucy along the way too because you can see how much it is hurting her at the thought of leaving her son behind, but the things that come out of it are well worth reading about. What I really love was how it wasn’t just the physical things Lucy had to change, and it’s enjoyable to see this character come out of her shell.
Overall, this is a really enjoyable book and would definitely have been a superb one had they not brought in the silly ending that they did, which for me spoilt the rest of the tone of the book for me. I was actually guessing that Micah’s character was going to force the book to go one way, and it seemed so out of place in an otherwise brilliantly grounded read that it really spoilt the ending for me, and I was left quite disappointed. I don’t know why authors think that everyone wants something “magical” and “fantastical” in their books, because we don’t! We know which authors to go to when we want that and I just felt it out of place in an otherwise fantastic read.
Lucy spends her days beavering away at her sewing machine, making divine, flamboyant clothes that express all the passion and flair that she cannot, and at night she sits alone with her latest creations, fretting over her struggling business. Her life is one of unfulfilled ambitions and missed opportunities. Then one evening Lucy meets the beautiful, fey and enigmatic Micah, who has an uncanny knack for foretelling fortunes, and manages to convince even the cynical Lucy. So when Micah tells her that her future isn't looking too rosy - in fact she doesn't have one - Lucy embarks on a spree of 'what the hell and why not'. She faces her demons, confronts those that have annoyed her, and takes risks for the first time in her life, convinced that the accident he predicts will befall her. When the day of her prophesied demise comes - and goes - Lucy storms round to challenge Micah, who sheepishly admits he must have got it wrong this time. The appalled and angry Lucy has a hell of a mess to put right now, and demands that Micah help her do some damage control. So begins an edge-of-the-seat, race-against-time to repair Lucy's reckless actions. But halfway through Lucy asks herself if everything is worth mending? Has she inadvertently improved her life just as she thought it was about to end? And why is Micah so reluctant to help her untangle her biggest gaffe of all?
When Lucy Streeter attended a fundraiser with her friend, Tam, who was having struggle conceiving, she was sceptical when a male performer told Tam that she was pregnant. Lucy was so outraged that someone would get Tam's hope's up when Tam had made teh heartbreaking decision to stop trying, however Lucy left with more than she bargained for when Michah told her he saw no future for her, past the following Friday! As i previously said when reviewing Annie Sanders previous book, I am a great fan of their work (Annie Sanders is actually Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders), however i was unsure on this book as I, like Lucy am very sceptical with the whole area of psychics and foretune telling in general. As with all Annie Sanders books i was quickly drawn into the story and was able to 'forget' my personal views on the subject. Lucy's character used the news she had received as a way of changing her life, having a mad morning at the hairdressers, cutting and colouring her hair, wearing clothes she would never normally wear. She used her time to air old grievances with her parents about how her father treated her when she became a teenage mum. The story told of how Lucy dealt with these issues, lived life to teh full - even climbing the church bell tower after a night on the town, silencing the bell with her own jeans The story is told in Annie Sanders excellent style, and I found myself getting drawn into the story - i wish i could take hold of life like Lucy did and become carefree, looking after those i care for, ironing out any issues which have which have been hanging about not being cleared. The story does have a twist at the end and i won't spoil it for other readers but it was a great ending with the story ending how i wanted it to end. Although i will admit, i had other twists i though may happen, but i much prefer Annie Sanders ending. Another book which i recommend to all!! Thank you to Meg Sanders for sending me a copy to review.
Jetzt kann ich's dir ja sagen hat mich beim Stöbern direkt angesprochen. Wie wäre es, wenn plötzlich jemand voraussagt, dass man nur noch eine Woche zu leben hat? Diese Frage muss sich auch Lucy stellen, die für den ganzen "Esoterik-Quatsch" allerdings so gar nichts übrig hat. Erst nach und nach - als andere Voraussagen sich bewahrheiten - kommt sie ins Grübeln. Mir würde es auch so gehen und daher wollte ich das Buch sehr gerne lesen.
Der Roman wird von Lucy in einer Rückblende erzählt, so dass von Anfang an klar ist, dass sie natürlich nach der einen Woche nicht sterben wird. Lucy ist eine starke Frau, die einen Sohn hat, aber nie verheiratet war. Sie betreibt einen kleinen Laden in einer kleinen Stadt in England und lebt vor sich hin, als ihre Freundin ihr von einem Wahrsager berichtet. Lucys Reaktion auf den Wahrsager kann ich voll und ganz verstehen: Sie lehnt ihn komplett ab und glaubt nicht an das Übersinnliche. Ihrer Freundin Tam wird etwas prophezeit, dass sie sich schon lange wünscht und was Lucy davon hält, falsche Hoffnungen zu schüren, könnt ihr ja oben im Zitat lesen. Das Problem ist nur, dass Lucy am gleichen Abend ihr vermeintlicher Tod vorausgesagt wird und nach und nach alles eintritt, was sonst noch so prophezeit wurde. Lucy ist also gezwungen der Tatsache ins Auge zu blicken. Das dauert einige Zeit, in der sie über ihr Leben nachdenkt und berichtet, wie sie aufgewachsen ist und wie sie zu ihrem Sohn kam.
Ich finde den Entscheidungsprozess von Lucy durchweg gelungen. Erst nachdem sie praktisch gezwungen wird, zu glauben, stellt sie sich der Tatsache und beginnt ihr Leben aufzuräumen. Sie macht Dinge, die sie unbedingt schon einmal erleben wollte und geht völlig neue Wege. Alte Konflikte sollen beigelegt werden und der sympathische Ladenbesitzer von nebenan bekommt eine Liebeserklärung aufs Band, weil sie sich in all den Jahren nicht getraut hat, ihm ihre Liebe zu gestehen. Alle diese kleinen Episoden sind spannend zu verfolgen und meistens auch noch humorvoll, wenn Lucy ins eine oder andere Fettnäpfchen tritt. Ihre Eskapaden werden in Laufe der Woche immer größer, weil sie denkt, sie hat ja eh keine Strafe zu befürchten. Als normal denkender Mensch, der nicht mit seinem Ende rechnet, kann an über die Aktionen nur den Kopf schütteln, aber in ihrer Situation denkt man wahrscheinlich anders
Der Roman war völlig unvorhersehbar. Ich hatte keine Ahnung, was eine Seite weiter passiert. Daher machte das Lesen natürlich besonders viel Spaß. Außerdem war der Stil wirklich locker und einheitlich, was bei einem Autorenduo ja auch nicht immer sein muss. Hätte ich nicht zuvor gelesen, dass Annie Sanders für zwei Autorinnen steht, hätte ich es nicht gemerkt. Gut war auch, dass sich ernste Themen mit humorvollen abgewechselt haben, so dass nie über einen längeren Zeitraum eine traurige Stimmung aufkam, obwohl der nahende Tod an sich ernst und traurig ist.
Bewertung Jetzt kann ich's dir ja sagen ist auf den ersten Blick eine leichte und lockere, mit Humor gespickte Geschichte. Allerdings klingen immer wieder auch die leiseren Töne an, in denen Lucy über ihr Leben nachdenkt. Insgesamt habe ich mich gut unterhalten gefühlt.
I picked up this book looking for a little light reading after a couple of heavy books. This book looked interesting - chick lit with a twist - the heroine was around my age rather than in her 20's.
The story itself was interesting - middle-aged single mom and small business owner has her future foretold by a psychic, with devastating results. At first, Lucy convinces herself that the dire prediction of her future is ridiculous, until she watches the very same psychic predict everything else with 100% accuracy. Soon, she accepts what she believes is the truth and undergoes a radical metamorphisis.
*SPOILER ALERT* Lucy, normally quiet and serious begins to challenge others around her as well as herself once she is resigned to the fact that she only has days to live. She addresses unresolved relationships, holds others accountable, and even confesses her love to her long-time friend, figuring that she has nothing to lose....until the prescribed date of her demise arrives and passes with Lucy still alive and well.
The story itself is mildly entertaining, however the point where it is revealed that the psychic is actually an angel is where the story lost me for good. I prefer my chick lit to be incredibly shallow and funny, not go spiritual with descriptions of the afterlife and pondering the pearly gates. So, I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with the general direction of the book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a random book I picked up at the Library. I am not even sure what made me choose it to be honest. This was an interesting story, I certainly enjoyed seeing the character Lucy rediscover and embrace life. Some of the things she got up to I wish I had the courage to do, but aren’t we all afraid of doing anything and everything we want to do? Afraid of looking foolish or being ridiculed? I liked those aspects of the story, some even made me giggle. A few times I thought I had guessed the ending, to be honest it ended up more obvious than I had expected and I found that interesting. Rather than try to pack a punch with a big message they went with the slightly more realistic message, the weird part being that a realistic message appeared in the most unrealistic part of the story. To be honest I am still trying to sort out my feelings about this one :)
I liked the book. Lucy has sacrificed all these years to be mother and father to her son, whom she had at 17. She currently is a seamstress and owns her own shop. Business has been slow lately and the shop is in need of repairs. Lucy ends up going with a friend to a psychic, who tells her later that she's only got until next Friday to live. So Lucy takes stock of her life and starts making changes. BUt when it turns out there's been a mistake, Lucy goes into a panic.
It was great to see Lucy shake up her life. She made a list and accomplished almost all of it. She went out of her comfort zone and really said and did what she wanted to, instead of what she should have. And when it all went wrong, she backslid a little and then decided to take her new self forward.
I am not sure it was intentional, but to me 'Famous Last Words' reads like 'It's a Wonderful Life' (best movie ever) disguised as almost-predictable-but-saved-by-quirky Chick Lit. Heavy themes floated and skipped along on the chatty, coffee clutch voice of the author. Or should I say authors? Annie Sanders is the combined pen name of the two women who have written with one voice quite nicely. I think I'll try another of their books.
A great book for summer half term reading. Light, funny, but also thought provoking. The main character Lucy is a dress designer, running her own business. This is not the only reasons I could relate to Lucy, as she is not about to let injustice go unacted on. In this case a landlord bully trying to get the better of her and her neighboring businesses. The thought provoking bit is when Lucy believes she only has 4 more days to live... How would you spend your last 4 days?
Instantly attracted to this book about a middle aged single mother who, a bit like me, has no direction in life. This all changes when she meets Micah , a fortune teller, who completely alters her mindset and has a bit of a secret of his own ( plot twist right before the end , and I certainly didn't see it coming !)
Thoroughly likeable, very honest , tho sometimes a little implausible ( but it did make me laugh out loud ) ! NIce little page turner :)
The beginning of this book was REALLY slow. After reading the first 80 or so pages I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. But then the main plot happened and I finished the rest quickly. Pretty predictable story but I enjoyed it (well after the beginning).
Chick-lit but with a thought-provoking plot for anyone with ears to hear. A little bit trite with the way all the financial boats burned get sorted out. But fun, and makes you think about what's really important to you.
This was a nice easy read. Lucy is told that she doesn't have a future to look forward to, by a fortune teller. She makes a list of things she thinks she should do and achieve by Friday!
I thought this was a bit cheesey at first and didn't want to like it. But I did. I quite liked the concept behind the story even if some of the plot devices weren't really my thing.