What do you think?
Rate this book
All Together Now
Four strangers in the midst of difficult life transitions find friendship, purpose, and perfect pitch in in this heartfelt comic novel.
In the small English village of St. Ambrose, the members of the Bridgeford Community Choir have little in common. But when their singing coach dies unexpectedly before a big contest, the motley group must join forces -- and voices -- in pursuit of an impossible-seeming goal. Featuring an eclectic cast of characters -- including a mother suffering from empty nest syndrome, a middle-aged man who has just lost his job and his family, and a 19-year-old waitress who dreams of reality TV stardom -- ALL TOGETHER NOW is a poignant and charming novel about small town life, community, falling in love, and the big rewards of making a small change.
In the small English village of St. Ambrose, the members of the Bridgeford Community Choir have little in common. But when their singing coach dies unexpectedly before a big contest, the motley group must join forces -- and voices -- in pursuit of an impossible-seeming goal. Featuring an eclectic cast of characters -- including a mother suffering from empty nest syndrome, a middle-aged man who has just lost his job and his family, and a 19-year-old waitress who dreams of reality TV stardom -- ALL TOGETHER NOW is a poignant and charming novel about small town life, community, falling in love, and the big rewards of making a small change.
322 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2015
45 people are currently reading
1330 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
August 31, 2016
All Together Now was not as easygoing to read as I had hoped for. Not that I didn't enjoy the book. I did like parts of the book. However, I also found the book a bit dry to read. Just not as funny and engrossing as I had hoped it to be. For instance, I had a pretty hard time getting into the book and enjoying all the different characters plight and quirkiness. But, somewhere along the way I started to enjoy the book more and more and some characters situations did come to intrigue and amuse me.
For instance, I wasn't that interested in Bennett, but when he started the choir and started to change he suddenly becomes more interesting, the same thing happened with Tracey. What was her big secret and how come Bennett thought he recognized her from somewhere? And, then we have Annie, who to be honest could be a bit annoying in the beginning, but the more one got to know her the more one could see that this busybody also had her problems. And, the last part of the book was quite good, secrets were revealed, injustice was discovered and taken care of and the choir really started to become an important part in Bridgeford.
So, the book actually did turn out quite good, despite a slow start for me with some problem with the story and its characters. I even laughed out loud at one part towards the end of the book and I came to like the quirky characters in the choir.
2.5 stars
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book and for letting me taking part in the blog tour!
For instance, I wasn't that interested in Bennett, but when he started the choir and started to change he suddenly becomes more interesting, the same thing happened with Tracey. What was her big secret and how come Bennett thought he recognized her from somewhere? And, then we have Annie, who to be honest could be a bit annoying in the beginning, but the more one got to know her the more one could see that this busybody also had her problems. And, the last part of the book was quite good, secrets were revealed, injustice was discovered and taken care of and the choir really started to become an important part in Bridgeford.
So, the book actually did turn out quite good, despite a slow start for me with some problem with the story and its characters. I even laughed out loud at one part towards the end of the book and I came to like the quirky characters in the choir.
2.5 stars
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book and for letting me taking part in the blog tour!
February 3, 2016
Truth: I straight-up read this because of the author's last name. A Brit whose last name is Hornby? Any relation to Nick? Why, as a matter of fact, yes. Yes, this is his sister.
Sadly, I was not delighted by this story. Instead, I was bored.
It's actually poorly written, which surprised me. I stereotype English authors as being adept with the language. I know several people from England and thereabouts and they're all quite well-written and spoken and they're not even novelists. Ergo, I expected much in the way of grammar and sentence structure and was horribly disappointed.
Then there was the storyline. It wasn't what I'd hoped for. I anticipated the off-center cast but none of them were really all that quirky, despite how hard they tried. There's the punkrock mom of a burnout late-teenage son. She hates people. There's the neighborhood gossip who is in everyone's business, taking care of everything in an overbearing yet precious manner. There's her best frenemy who is bitter and mouthy. There are two snarky old ladies as well as the charmingly perfect girl bound to her wheelchair and her dad who pushes her along everywhere so she doesn't miss out on life and they're all in the community choir together though not all of them necessarily want to be and there's a woman dying in a hospital, which no one acknowledges, and there's an incoming chorale group determined to stage a coup and win championships and a cafe that's not going to stay in business and a divorce and...stuff. So much clutter, none of it very interesting.
Instead the characters are flat and uninteresting. It’s like "Glee" for the trite, silly British neighborhood.
Meh.
Sadly, I was not delighted by this story. Instead, I was bored.
It's actually poorly written, which surprised me. I stereotype English authors as being adept with the language. I know several people from England and thereabouts and they're all quite well-written and spoken and they're not even novelists. Ergo, I expected much in the way of grammar and sentence structure and was horribly disappointed.
Then there was the storyline. It wasn't what I'd hoped for. I anticipated the off-center cast but none of them were really all that quirky, despite how hard they tried. There's the punkrock mom of a burnout late-teenage son. She hates people. There's the neighborhood gossip who is in everyone's business, taking care of everything in an overbearing yet precious manner. There's her best frenemy who is bitter and mouthy. There are two snarky old ladies as well as the charmingly perfect girl bound to her wheelchair and her dad who pushes her along everywhere so she doesn't miss out on life and they're all in the community choir together though not all of them necessarily want to be and there's a woman dying in a hospital, which no one acknowledges, and there's an incoming chorale group determined to stage a coup and win championships and a cafe that's not going to stay in business and a divorce and...stuff. So much clutter, none of it very interesting.
Instead the characters are flat and uninteresting. It’s like "Glee" for the trite, silly British neighborhood.
Meh.
March 28, 2016
Three and a half stars.
Anyone who has ever been part of a choir or a community group should be able to relate to this book. I enjoyed reading about the small English town and the Bridgeford Community choir. I liked the different characters that drew in new members and sought to work together to help the choir win the country championship. Of course as in any group, there are always those who have a different agenda, who think they are better than the others and who have only one aim - to promote themselves.
I particularly liked the way we see Bennett change as the story goes along and how Tracey’s secrets are revealed, showing people are not always what we first think they may be. I found it an entertaining read. I liked that the end didn’t quite go the way it easily could have. It wasn’t a perfect book. Some things seemed a bit unnecessary or out of place, but overall it was a good read with some characters people could care about and a lot of songs that echoed in my head as I went though. Pretty much a light hearted fun read about friendship, romance, and working together. If only it could have all been achieved without resorting to the F word in capital letters at times.
Anyone who has ever been part of a choir or a community group should be able to relate to this book. I enjoyed reading about the small English town and the Bridgeford Community choir. I liked the different characters that drew in new members and sought to work together to help the choir win the country championship. Of course as in any group, there are always those who have a different agenda, who think they are better than the others and who have only one aim - to promote themselves.
I particularly liked the way we see Bennett change as the story goes along and how Tracey’s secrets are revealed, showing people are not always what we first think they may be. I found it an entertaining read. I liked that the end didn’t quite go the way it easily could have. It wasn’t a perfect book. Some things seemed a bit unnecessary or out of place, but overall it was a good read with some characters people could care about and a lot of songs that echoed in my head as I went though. Pretty much a light hearted fun read about friendship, romance, and working together. If only it could have all been achieved without resorting to the F word in capital letters at times.
August 20, 2015
I think most readers will give All Together Now three or maybe four stars. Maybe they'll think it's cheesy or kind of lame or too dang sunshine-y at the end. Maybe they will be right about that. All I know is that this book made me happy. It has so many of the story elements I love: strangers become friends, community bands together, woman learns her own strength, fresh start in life/career, good guys/girls "win," music is a bridge, and more. Plus, I just can't resist a British setting. I imagine All Together Now has been (or will be) optioned for film. I can already picture my mom and sisters and I laughing, crying, and singing along. Can't wait. Rolling your eyes? That's fine. Haters gonna hate.
April 27, 2015
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC of this book.
I picked up this book because I am a fan of the author's brother, Nick Hornby, and her husband, Robert Harris, so I had high hopes of the quality of the writing. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The book follows a series of lonely misfits in a small town who come together in the community choir and improve their lives, happiness and family relationships through the power of joining in and communal support.
With a plotline treading such familiar and predictable ground, the book either needed to be exceptionally funny or have particularly compelling characters in order to be successful. Unfortunately it has neither qualities.
I didn't really like or care about any of the characters. I thought the characterisation was poor and I couldn't really get inside the heads of the characters; they were all a bit flat and one note.
The plot was also written by numbers with no twists or surprises and could be any number of other books I've read or films I've seen. In fact, the basic premise of an unlikely group of people drawn together by circumstance and becoming an extended supportive family is almost exactly the same as Nick Hornby's book 'A Long Way Down', but his writing is much more accomplished and compelling and his observations about human relationships more piercing.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was just incredibly average and bland.
I picked up this book because I am a fan of the author's brother, Nick Hornby, and her husband, Robert Harris, so I had high hopes of the quality of the writing. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The book follows a series of lonely misfits in a small town who come together in the community choir and improve their lives, happiness and family relationships through the power of joining in and communal support.
With a plotline treading such familiar and predictable ground, the book either needed to be exceptionally funny or have particularly compelling characters in order to be successful. Unfortunately it has neither qualities.
I didn't really like or care about any of the characters. I thought the characterisation was poor and I couldn't really get inside the heads of the characters; they were all a bit flat and one note.
The plot was also written by numbers with no twists or surprises and could be any number of other books I've read or films I've seen. In fact, the basic premise of an unlikely group of people drawn together by circumstance and becoming an extended supportive family is almost exactly the same as Nick Hornby's book 'A Long Way Down', but his writing is much more accomplished and compelling and his observations about human relationships more piercing.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was just incredibly average and bland.
August 17, 2015
While this book is not "Great Literature" it is well-written, well structured and by no means Chick Lit. A very enjoyable and absorbing read. Anyone who has ever joined a Club or Society will be familiar with the differences that occur when people with a common interest but different social background and life experiences come together.
June 19, 2016
A view weeks ago I was approached to read ‘All Together Now’ by Gill Hornby, for the blog tour. I haven’t read any books by Gill Hornby before, and this book sounded different than the books I normally read. Since getting out of your comfort zone is definitely a good thing at times, I decided to participate in the tour.
Well, ‘All Together Now’ definitely was a different read for me. I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary romance novels lately, and ‘All Together Now’ is definitely not that.
It took me a long time to really get into ‘All Together Now’. I don’t really know why. For one, I had some trouble with keeping up with all the characters of which we get to read the point of views. I don’t mind reading different point of views, but when there are more than two point of views, and from the very beginning on, I always have trouble keeping everyone apart. The other problem at the beginning of this book was definitely the whole choir part. All the talk about a choir just wasn’t very interesting to me and it took a while to really get my attention.
Half way through the book I began to like this story more. The characters started to interest me, and I enjoyed the way of writing more and more. There definitely were a view very funny parts in this read. And what made it even more funny was how different all these characters were. Most characters only had one thing in common and that was the choir.
What I really liked about this book was the little town it took place in. Although it was forced at times, everybody seemed to want to help out and there was a huge sense of community. I loved that. Especially since I’ve never known that little town vibe myself. I love to read about these little towns.
And not to forget, I really love the cover of ‘All Together Now’ by Abacus. That cover can really cheer you up.
So, this read wasn’t perfect. But in the end I definitely liked it.
Well, ‘All Together Now’ definitely was a different read for me. I’ve been reading a lot of contemporary romance novels lately, and ‘All Together Now’ is definitely not that.
It took me a long time to really get into ‘All Together Now’. I don’t really know why. For one, I had some trouble with keeping up with all the characters of which we get to read the point of views. I don’t mind reading different point of views, but when there are more than two point of views, and from the very beginning on, I always have trouble keeping everyone apart. The other problem at the beginning of this book was definitely the whole choir part. All the talk about a choir just wasn’t very interesting to me and it took a while to really get my attention.
Half way through the book I began to like this story more. The characters started to interest me, and I enjoyed the way of writing more and more. There definitely were a view very funny parts in this read. And what made it even more funny was how different all these characters were. Most characters only had one thing in common and that was the choir.
What I really liked about this book was the little town it took place in. Although it was forced at times, everybody seemed to want to help out and there was a huge sense of community. I loved that. Especially since I’ve never known that little town vibe myself. I love to read about these little towns.
And not to forget, I really love the cover of ‘All Together Now’ by Abacus. That cover can really cheer you up.
So, this read wasn’t perfect. But in the end I definitely liked it.
June 10, 2016
A lot of the books I read are dark with scary zombies and the world about to end but you know when the apocalypse gets too much I do like to look for a good book that will take me to a happier place.
All Together Now is the perfect prescription to cure my dystopian book overdose!
It is the charming tale of the small town of Bridgeford and its community choir. Now choral ensembles are everywhere this day and programmes like Glee and of course Pitch Perfect give a fun teen view to it all but the Bridgeford community choir is quite the mixed bag.
The choir has people of all ages but its membership has waned and when the choir leader is involved in a car crash, well the remaining members start to fret.
The town of Bridgeford isn't exactly full of perfectly pitched singers but with some gentle persuasion the choir manages to acquire some new members and begins to find new life.
Of course it isn't just about the singing, the members are all from different backgrounds - they include Tracey who is a single mum who really isn't keen to be involved, Bennett who is recently divorced with an outstanding voice and Annie, who is keeping the choir together, just!
They are a mixed bag and as the choir gets in to its stride we learn more and more about the people who bring the songs to life, as well as discovering their love of song and I know this sounds cheesy but they all discover themselves too, they learn what they are all capable off.
It really is a charming read, full of humour and the characters are all wholly likeable plus there are lots of lovely nods to lots of songs that you will find yourself singing whilst you read!
Thank you to Abacus for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All Together Now is the perfect prescription to cure my dystopian book overdose!
It is the charming tale of the small town of Bridgeford and its community choir. Now choral ensembles are everywhere this day and programmes like Glee and of course Pitch Perfect give a fun teen view to it all but the Bridgeford community choir is quite the mixed bag.
The choir has people of all ages but its membership has waned and when the choir leader is involved in a car crash, well the remaining members start to fret.
The town of Bridgeford isn't exactly full of perfectly pitched singers but with some gentle persuasion the choir manages to acquire some new members and begins to find new life.
Of course it isn't just about the singing, the members are all from different backgrounds - they include Tracey who is a single mum who really isn't keen to be involved, Bennett who is recently divorced with an outstanding voice and Annie, who is keeping the choir together, just!
They are a mixed bag and as the choir gets in to its stride we learn more and more about the people who bring the songs to life, as well as discovering their love of song and I know this sounds cheesy but they all discover themselves too, they learn what they are all capable off.
It really is a charming read, full of humour and the characters are all wholly likeable plus there are lots of lovely nods to lots of songs that you will find yourself singing whilst you read!
Thank you to Abacus for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2015
This is set in a small village called St Ambrose which is in decline. Some of the locals join together to form The Bridgeford Community choir and hope to make their lives more complete by joining in. They want to win the championship- can they pull together? When Constance, their singing coach dies in an accident will they be able to succeed without her?
This combines a sense of community, family life, love and finding yourself. What secrets are they all hiding? Can they help each other overcome their problems?
This is the first book I’ve read by Gill Hornby, who is the sister of the author Nick Hornby. Her debut book was called The Hive.
Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this book
This combines a sense of community, family life, love and finding yourself. What secrets are they all hiding? Can they help each other overcome their problems?
This is the first book I’ve read by Gill Hornby, who is the sister of the author Nick Hornby. Her debut book was called The Hive.
Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this book
October 25, 2019
As soon as i read the first page I knew this was my kind of book. It tells the story of a local choir and the stories of its members. This book was so uplifting it actually made me want to live in this town and join in. A great read that I will tell the world to read
May 15, 2019
In the beginning, I groaned and moaned and made a right fuss. Tracey was boring and Bennett was emotionally incompetent. But as I read on, the characters became more interesting and intelligent. This thing called character development happened, and thank god, because this book definitely needed it.
There were a few things I didn’t really see coming, such as Annie’s husband, James, not having an affair, and learning to cook for himself. I definitely didn’t see Tracey being a famous pop star that performed at something called Eurovision. (Which is apparently a big deal?) So on those fronts, I was pleased.
There were some things I really didn’t understand. The super market protests, for one. Gill Hornby gives virtually no real reasons for the protesters to actually care about this plot of land. She even flat out says at one point in the novel that the land, “was of no use or no interest as anything to anybody” Jazzy’s storyline disappointed me as well. I predicted that her mother would flake out again, but I wasn’t sure why she quit the choir? I understand she had to take care of her grandmother, but I was still confused, as she had a care system before and would have been able to have one after.
All in all, very solid read, and I would recommend to anyone who’s looking for a somewhat predictable read with a few unexpected surprises. 3/5 stars.
There were a few things I didn’t really see coming, such as Annie’s husband, James, not having an affair, and learning to cook for himself. I definitely didn’t see Tracey being a famous pop star that performed at something called Eurovision. (Which is apparently a big deal?) So on those fronts, I was pleased.
There were some things I really didn’t understand. The super market protests, for one. Gill Hornby gives virtually no real reasons for the protesters to actually care about this plot of land. She even flat out says at one point in the novel that the land, “was of no use or no interest as anything to anybody” Jazzy’s storyline disappointed me as well. I predicted that her mother would flake out again, but I wasn’t sure why she quit the choir? I understand she had to take care of her grandmother, but I was still confused, as she had a care system before and would have been able to have one after.
All in all, very solid read, and I would recommend to anyone who’s looking for a somewhat predictable read with a few unexpected surprises. 3/5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2015
Originally posted on: http://www.albainbookland.com/2015/11...
All Together Now is a tale about how music can bring together a community, but also how it can brighten anyone’s life. And all this thanks to a community choir. I have to admit that being on a choir has always been something I would have loved to do but given that my music sense is non-existent and that I cannot tune when I sing even if my life depended on it… it’s a dream I had to give up a long time ago. So I found the idea for this book really interesting and amusing.
At the beginning though, it took me a long while to really warm with the characters. They all had their problems at home and the choir was just an extension of these problems, with no organization, no new ideas and no charm at all. But as the story progressed and new characters were added to the story and to the choir, I started enjoying the story a lot more. I really liked that music played such a big role in the story. Gill always described all the songs they were doing on the choir but also added music on the routine lives of the choir members. I knew most of the songs and the ones I didn’t I checked online. This made me feel closer to the story.
But the best bit of the story is definitely the last quarter. Here the story finally takes speed and everything happens at once. With a big finale, worthy of a musical I closed the last page of this book with a huge smile on my face.
All in all, All Together now is a charming story about many different people who are brought together thanks to a hobby but end up bonding beyond it. A bit slow, especially at the beginning, but worth a reading. I enthusiastically recommend it to music lovers and choir aficionados.
All Together Now is a tale about how music can bring together a community, but also how it can brighten anyone’s life. And all this thanks to a community choir. I have to admit that being on a choir has always been something I would have loved to do but given that my music sense is non-existent and that I cannot tune when I sing even if my life depended on it… it’s a dream I had to give up a long time ago. So I found the idea for this book really interesting and amusing.
At the beginning though, it took me a long while to really warm with the characters. They all had their problems at home and the choir was just an extension of these problems, with no organization, no new ideas and no charm at all. But as the story progressed and new characters were added to the story and to the choir, I started enjoying the story a lot more. I really liked that music played such a big role in the story. Gill always described all the songs they were doing on the choir but also added music on the routine lives of the choir members. I knew most of the songs and the ones I didn’t I checked online. This made me feel closer to the story.
But the best bit of the story is definitely the last quarter. Here the story finally takes speed and everything happens at once. With a big finale, worthy of a musical I closed the last page of this book with a huge smile on my face.
All in all, All Together now is a charming story about many different people who are brought together thanks to a hobby but end up bonding beyond it. A bit slow, especially at the beginning, but worth a reading. I enthusiastically recommend it to music lovers and choir aficionados.
October 29, 2015
Set in a small UK suburb with an engaging group of characters each of whom is struggling to find a sense of purpose and direction. The local community chorus, itself struggling to remain relevant, becomes the catalyst that inspires and challenges a single mother, a recently laid-off middle-aged man, a young waitress and an under-appreciated, traditional mother among others. This was an enjoyable read. The issues that many of these characters face are contemporary: redundancy, dealing with an empty-nest, bad past decisions, toxic relationships and the homogenization of small towns. Some readers may find some of the plot twists a bit sentimental but those are offset by some irreverent humor and inspiring musical moments throughout.
Full disclosure: This book was an Advanced Reading Copy provided by the publisher through a Goodreads.com giveaway promotion.
Full disclosure: This book was an Advanced Reading Copy provided by the publisher through a Goodreads.com giveaway promotion.
August 4, 2015
I think my rating is slightly inflated because of the subject matter: A community choir that has fallen upon hard times and faces big changes. As a choral singer myself, I'm probably a little biased, but I really enjoyed reading the book. The Bridgeford Community Choir has lost its long-time leader and its direction (not musical) as well. New blood must be found to swell the choir's ranks and improve its performance before the county choir competition. A motley crew comes together to breathe new life into the seemingly moribund institution, and nearly all find themselves growing and changing in the process.
This was a perfect summer read, not too weighty, but with well-drawn characters, plenty of humor, and just enough treatment of large issues like Community and Happiness and the Power of Music to Change Lives.
This was a perfect summer read, not too weighty, but with well-drawn characters, plenty of humor, and just enough treatment of large issues like Community and Happiness and the Power of Music to Change Lives.
August 14, 2015
Bridgeford is a small country town in England. Like many similar it has become a dormitory town for commuters and the town centre is fading. Small community groups exist but are dwindling, one of these is the Bridgeford Community Choir. The stories of some of the members, new and old, intertwine to give a portrait of small town life.
In a similar way to her previous book, 'The Hive', Hornby focuses on the lives of a small group of people drawn together by common purpose. Her writing is unchallenging and the stories predictable but that doesn't make this a bad book. For those looking for a simple, enjoyable, entertaining read this fits the bill perfectly.
In a similar way to her previous book, 'The Hive', Hornby focuses on the lives of a small group of people drawn together by common purpose. Her writing is unchallenging and the stories predictable but that doesn't make this a bad book. For those looking for a simple, enjoyable, entertaining read this fits the bill perfectly.
June 14, 2018
Having read The Hive and liked some aspects of it, I approached All Together Now with a reasonably open mind. The subject matter of a community choir was very appealing and the author is absolutely right about the healing and unity singing together can bring. Some of the characterisation is spot on too. However, taken as a whole, this book never really grabbed my attention. If I am honest I only finished it so quickly (for me) so I can pass it to a friend who is very involved in a local community singing group.
June 8, 2016
This isn't my usual choice of genre, but I ended up enjoying the book quite a bit. the author explores the themes of dealing with change and what it means to be a community in such a way that you feel empathy towards the characters, but without it feeling too sickly sweet or preachy. I would most likely read something by this author again as it was a really easy read and perfect for summer days or going on holiday
February 22, 2018
The first half of this dragged for me, and I almost abandoned it... but it picks up a bit later. I liked the sparks of dry humor, but something about the writing style just came off passive. It didn't quite flow as much as I would have liked. I found myself wishing J.K. Rowling had written this instead, something along the lines of 'A Casual Vacancy'.
March 12, 2017
3.5-4* a nice read about the coming together of a community. The characters are very relatable even though we do not get overly detailed insights into each. Thoughtfully written.
June 14, 2017
A book that tries to be warm and witty and fails on both counts. Little to recommend it.
November 7, 2017
Quite good in parts. Some parts that were unbelievable annoyed me. A bit all too good to be true.
March 4, 2018
Really bad
January 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this story of the community choir in a small English village. Following the various and sundry lives of the eclectic group of singers, there's hope and despair and intrigue of every day woven amongst dry wit and hysterically factual observations. Will the power od music actually transform? Read it and see! Loved it!
January 26, 2019
A wonderful story of belonging and community
June 24, 2018
In a book of 324 pages it took until page 226 for me to finally want to finish the book rather than just give up. Just not my cup of tea.
October 8, 2021
This was meant, I think, to be a feelgood book bringing together disparate members of an unremarkable and slightly sad and faded town in Britain as they learn more about themselves and their abilities, and rejuvenate the town's choir. It didn't work for me as the writing style tried too hard to be quirky and finished up annoying. One of the characters is portrayed as Horace Wimp on a spectrum and I wasn't sure what the author was trying to do. Also the secrecy and mystery surrounding Tracey and her past was over the top; I was thinking she was somebody really famous and when it was revealed I found it hard to believe anyone would care!
Meant well, but it fell short for me, not one of my best reads.
Meant well, but it fell short for me, not one of my best reads.
May 31, 2018
Struggling to read this book. The characters are a bit unbelievable. Would anyone pass a road traffic accident without feeling SOME kind of empathy? It's an OK book for reading on the train to work. Not so gripping you'd miss your stop.
July 14, 2018
I enjoyed this,it was nice to read a straight forward story without there having to be a twist or surprising crazy serial killer character! I liked reading a happy ending for once! It was cosy and I was rooting for Bennett the whole time,his ex wife Sue was awful! I wanted to know what had gone on in Tracey’s past to make her so spiky and I felt sorry for Annie. I’m not musical,can’t sing and have no desire to join a choir so I did get a bit bored with the choir stuff sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2016
I would love to see this book as an independent Brit flick like "The Full Monty" or the one about the boy who loves ballet, but it's also a lot of fun as a novel: good hearted, full of quirky characters and slightly unrealistic plot twists. At its core, however, it holds to the truth that singing together is something wonderful--slightly mystical--and very rare in these days. It may even have convinced me to join our church's rickety choir--at least for the Easter season!
Somewhat slow going at the start, but gains verve and confidence after the first quarter or so.
Somewhat slow going at the start, but gains verve and confidence after the first quarter or so.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews