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What Became of You, My Love?
Stella Ainsworth has settled for suburban peace with a pedantic husband, a dissatisfied daughter and a clutch of beloved grandchildren - who all take her presence in their lives for granted.
Then Cameron Keene, her boyfriend from her teenage years who'd left for America to become a rock icon of the Sixties, returns to England.
Much to Stella's astonishment, Cameron announces in an interview that his most famous song, which became a legendary love anthem across the world, was written about Stella, and that he has come back to find her.
What Became of You, My Love? explores the power of music to take us back to our youth, and asks if we can ever relive those giddy times when everything seemed possible
Then Cameron Keene, her boyfriend from her teenage years who'd left for America to become a rock icon of the Sixties, returns to England.
Much to Stella's astonishment, Cameron announces in an interview that his most famous song, which became a legendary love anthem across the world, was written about Stella, and that he has come back to find her.
What Became of You, My Love? explores the power of music to take us back to our youth, and asks if we can ever relive those giddy times when everything seemed possible
416 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2016
14 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Maeve Haran
34 books68 followersMaeve Haran is an Oxford Law graduate who worked in journalism and television before writing her first novel, Having It All, a worldwide bestseller translated into 26 languages and shortlisted for
the Romantic Novel of the Year. She wrote twelve more contemporary novels, one work of non-fiction, and two historical novels.
Her new book In the Summertime is due out on June 8.
She has grown-up three children and lives in North London.
the Romantic Novel of the Year. She wrote twelve more contemporary novels, one work of non-fiction, and two historical novels.
Her new book In the Summertime is due out on June 8.
She has grown-up three children and lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 2, 2016
I expected a lot more from this book and personally was a little disappointed. It had so much potential and I supoose there was a moral to the story in the end however it was too farcical for me. I think many will enjoy it as it is quite light hearted and funny but just not a great read for me really.
January 16, 2020
The story took a while to get going and even by the end I wasn't very invested in the characters. Not the usual standard by this author.
December 22, 2017
"Das größte Glück meines Lebens" war mein erster Roman von Maeve Haran und hat mein Interesse aufgrund des Klappentexts geweckt. Allerdings muss ich gestehen, dass bei mir die Ernüchterung kam, als ich anfing zu lesen. Irgendwie bin ich nicht richtig in die Handlung reingekommen, da mir die Figuren so gar nicht zugesagt haben. Angefangen bei der Hauptfigur Stella, bei der ich mich bis zum Schluss gefragt habe, warum sie von einer selbstständigen und lebensfrohen jungen Frau zu einer verbitterten, biedernden und sich unterordnenden älteren Frau werden konnte. Keine der Figuren konnte bei mir so echte Sympathien wecken. Ständig zerfließen die Figuren in Selbstmitleid. Neid und Missgunst sind ein immerwährendes Thema.
Des Weiteren habe ich eine Weile gebraucht, um die einzelnen Figuren auseinander zuhalten, da stellenweise sehr viele Figuren einen größeren Handlungsspielraum eingeräumt bekommen. Man fragt sich stellenweise, wer hier wirklich die Hauptrolle spielt.
Von der Thematik her ist dies eine durchaus interessante Geschichte. Jedoch fehlt es ihr auf weiten Strecken an Dramatik. Die Handlung ist meiner Ansicht nach zu sehr in die Länge gezogen, so dass ich das Buch immer wieder beiseite legen musste, da mich der Inhalt nicht fesseln konnte.
Ein kleiner Lichtblick sind die manchmal ein wenig chaotische Szenen, die der Handlung ein wenig Leben einhauchen.
Dieser Roman hätte ein wenig mehr Glaubwürdigkeit seitens der weiblichen Hauptfigur gut getan. Durch den sich bei ihr meiner Ansicht nach zu schnell vollzogenen Wandel, den die beim Aufeinandertreffen mit ihrer Jugendliebe durchlebt, kann man sich nur schwer in Stella hineinversetzen.
Fazit:
Leider konnten mich die Figuren und die meiner Ansicht nach dahinplätschernde Handlung bei "Das größte Glück meines Lebens" nicht mitreißen! Bis zum Ende fragt man sich "What became of you, my love"?!
Daher kann ich hier leider keine Leseempfehlung aussprechen!
Note: 4- (💗💗)
Des Weiteren habe ich eine Weile gebraucht, um die einzelnen Figuren auseinander zuhalten, da stellenweise sehr viele Figuren einen größeren Handlungsspielraum eingeräumt bekommen. Man fragt sich stellenweise, wer hier wirklich die Hauptrolle spielt.
Von der Thematik her ist dies eine durchaus interessante Geschichte. Jedoch fehlt es ihr auf weiten Strecken an Dramatik. Die Handlung ist meiner Ansicht nach zu sehr in die Länge gezogen, so dass ich das Buch immer wieder beiseite legen musste, da mich der Inhalt nicht fesseln konnte.
Ein kleiner Lichtblick sind die manchmal ein wenig chaotische Szenen, die der Handlung ein wenig Leben einhauchen.
Dieser Roman hätte ein wenig mehr Glaubwürdigkeit seitens der weiblichen Hauptfigur gut getan. Durch den sich bei ihr meiner Ansicht nach zu schnell vollzogenen Wandel, den die beim Aufeinandertreffen mit ihrer Jugendliebe durchlebt, kann man sich nur schwer in Stella hineinversetzen.
Fazit:
Leider konnten mich die Figuren und die meiner Ansicht nach dahinplätschernde Handlung bei "Das größte Glück meines Lebens" nicht mitreißen! Bis zum Ende fragt man sich "What became of you, my love"?!
Daher kann ich hier leider keine Leseempfehlung aussprechen!
Note: 4- (💗💗)
December 13, 2017
‘What became of you, my love?’ opens with a prologue in 1969. Stella, dressed rather flamboyantly, is the girlfriend of Cameron, an up-and-coming rock star.
The book then moves forward to 2016. Stella is in her mid-sixties, married to the somewhat grumpy Matthew. They have a married daughter, and three grandchildren. Stella works as a portrait painter for pets.
While preparing a family meal, Stella learns from the radio that Cameron is back in the UK after living for decades in the United States - and that he's looking for her! The book is quite a mixture of storylines, woven together. There are preparations for concerts, and plans to save a local shopping area. There are problems in Stella’s marriage, and also in her daughter's. My favourite subplots, however, were those that involved Stella’s teenage grandson Jesse, who is a delightful young man.
Other than Stella and her grandchildren, and Cameron's manager Duncan, I found most of the other characters rather stereotyped, and (in many cases) annoying. While the threads mixed nicely together, I felt that some of them didn't really have enough time for development: in particular the issues Stella has with her husband, who has a sudden apparent change of direction and character.
Overall, it made a good light read. I like books that focus on people around my age, but with such a mixture of generations it could well appeal to younger fans of women’s literature too.
Three and a half stars would be fairer.
The book then moves forward to 2016. Stella is in her mid-sixties, married to the somewhat grumpy Matthew. They have a married daughter, and three grandchildren. Stella works as a portrait painter for pets.
While preparing a family meal, Stella learns from the radio that Cameron is back in the UK after living for decades in the United States - and that he's looking for her! The book is quite a mixture of storylines, woven together. There are preparations for concerts, and plans to save a local shopping area. There are problems in Stella’s marriage, and also in her daughter's. My favourite subplots, however, were those that involved Stella’s teenage grandson Jesse, who is a delightful young man.
Other than Stella and her grandchildren, and Cameron's manager Duncan, I found most of the other characters rather stereotyped, and (in many cases) annoying. While the threads mixed nicely together, I felt that some of them didn't really have enough time for development: in particular the issues Stella has with her husband, who has a sudden apparent change of direction and character.
Overall, it made a good light read. I like books that focus on people around my age, but with such a mixture of generations it could well appeal to younger fans of women’s literature too.
Three and a half stars would be fairer.
June 4, 2019
As a 64 year old I quite related to much of our main protagonist's life journey, without having had a famous song written for me in the style of Patti Boyd! Anyone who lived their younger lives in the 60s and 70s will love this book - definitely a good holiday read, though I knocked it over in a day or so. I've since seen many of the negative reviews, which I feel are probably from much younger readers. It could possibly seem self indulgent with way too many memories of old fashion and music, even the way we used to go to concerts, to anyone under 50!
January 6, 2019
I’ve enjoyed this author for years so was looking forward to reading this. The progression to a sixty-something heroine took a while to get used to and at times it seemed like an excuse to reminisce. Do we need quite so many references to the music and fashions of the sixties? Having said that, it was an enjoyable story, if a little too neatly packaged at the end.
May 26, 2017
Die alte Maeve Haran ist zurück - die letzten Bücher fand ich ja nicht mehr toll, aber dieses hier hat mich wieder mehr gepackt. Eine gut durchdachte, kurzweilige Geschichte mit netten Charakteren, gut lesbar und unterhaltsam - genau das, was man braucht, um abzuschalten!
September 14, 2025
This was quite a good read, although the plot wasn't terribly believable. There were loads of references to rock and pop music of the 60s/70s. I quite enjoyed it but wouldn't go out of my way to read another.
August 7, 2017
Three stars for the seventies music references
July 11, 2019
A middle aged novel but a nice romantic story.
January 18, 2020
Langweilig und künstlich.
January 28, 2020
Enjoyable, but could've easily been about a 100 pages shorter.
July 26, 2022
A fun read
September 9, 2020
Have been a fan of Maeve Haran since becoming an expat - I have read almost all of her books. I just did not like this one. It really feels forced. Maybe it's simply that I am getting old, cranky and cynical. I notice I've been rating a lot of feel-good fiction downward lately...
January 28, 2019
An easy 4 stars.
Predictable elements and a few surprises the characters feel real - you dislike them at times but you get invested in their stories.
One I suspect I shall read again and an author I will look to read more of.
Edit: This book has really stuck with me and thinking of it makes me smile a great deal it really deserves 4.5 stars but I can't quite bring myself to award 5 as it isn't perfection.
Predictable elements and a few surprises the characters feel real - you dislike them at times but you get invested in their stories.
One I suspect I shall read again and an author I will look to read more of.
Edit: This book has really stuck with me and thinking of it makes me smile a great deal it really deserves 4.5 stars but I can't quite bring myself to award 5 as it isn't perfection.
December 24, 2016
A rather unlikely story but a fun read at the same time.
September 8, 2016
Meh....
April 22, 2016
Very good and easy to read as I flew through it in 3 days!!! Enjoyable, something for everyone whether young or old.
November 23, 2016
Entertaining easy read but nothing special.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews