The Asking Price

by Caroline Upcher

Hope is beginning to lose her grip. She has three unruly children (well, four if you count her hopeless husband), a high-powered job in real estate on Long Island that keeps her permanently stressed and overworked, a glamorous ex-husband who she is still in love with and a serious nanny crisis. The fifth childminder in nearly as many weeks has walked out and, today of all days, when she has a 1.5 million dollar house to sell, she is left holding the baby – literally. In desperation, Hope calls England and asks her sister-in-law to send Mary Poppins. Instead she sends Annabel and Annabel isn’t quite what Hope had in mind – she has had very little experience with children, she hardly knows anything about babies, she cannot drive and the real reason she has come to America is to escape her own problems. But miraculously Annabel becomes the answer to everyone’s the children become less unruly, the husband becomes less hopeless, the ex-husband is suddenly less glamorous and Hope begins to regain control of her life. But why was it that Annabel left England in such a hurry? And now that she has solved everyone else’s problems what about her own?

Genres: Fiction

342 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2001

About the author

Caroline Upcher was born in London and raised in Africa and Paris. She worked in films and as a book editor and journalist before becoming a novelist.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the title suggests that the book is about Hope, the realtor, it is rather more about the English nanny. Both women fall in and out of love very easily. Too easily most of the time. I loved the descriptions of the houses in the Hamptons but for the rest of the book, not so much fun.

[Gloria Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

A OK book but kept sort of dragging on a bit

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t my usual genre so I thought I might find it boring but I really enjoyed it and wanted to see what would happen, very good story with interesting characters.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

You would think the book is boring: an unhappy marriage and three children with an English nanny in America, problems with the first husband, an irritating mother-in-law, a busy mother and estate agent and the occasional affairs....this is normal. But what I mostly liked, which also surprised me, was the occasional sense of humour and sarcasm.

[Tracy Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story with a few surprises along the way. Very easy reading.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing but I wouldn't care one bit about the characters, except possibly, the nanny.