Solo

by Emily Barr

Evie Silver appears to have it all. A semi-celebrity in the British tabloids, she’s known as
much for her fame as a “lite” classical musician as for her own fabulous sense of style.
But this self-made diva is dissatisfied with her stale, safe marriage to her college
sweetheart and her artistically shallow career. An extended trip to New York seems just
the thing, but Evie’s problems in London make the transatlantic journey with the
media demands on an emerging pop starlet; the increasing threats of a determined stalker; and a long kept secret that could ruin her image and all of the relationships she holds
dear.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance

358 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Emily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler alert. I really struggled with this book; the story was laboured, I never got on with the characters (which to start with is supposed to be the case) and I found myself jumping forward to see if things improved. It is easy to read and could have been an engaging story. Read if this is your style of book but sadly, I was disappointed.

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like the protagonist. Self-centered and difficult to relate. Towards the back half turned into a soap opera. Got ridiculous with one incident layered on with another. Ended up skimming the last quarter of the book. Plot got so ridiculous that I didn't care to find out the ending to the various "mysteries."

[June Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a selfish, self absorbed person Eve was, fault so sorry for her poor husband Jack, she used him remorselessly.

[Izabela · Rating 2 out of 5]

yawn

[Jayne Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

did not like the character to start with .... but it made sense by the end... kept me guessing.
good holiday read.

[Antonette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sixth book by Emly Barr that I've read, of whom the Sisterhood and The Perfect Lie were my favorites so far. The story is very simple really and I didn't like the fact that what is written on the back as introduction, is not what actually happens. I think that the main character is a very selfish person and at times I just wanted to put the book away because I was so frustrated about the way she manipulates people. Even though I didn't like the main character and the story outline what she has done in the USA (which I will not mention here to keep it hidden from the next readers) the author once again showed me she knows how to write and be different than most other authors out there.

[Clo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Emily Barrs books, this one was just as good as the others, I just couldn't put it down, and for the first time in a long time i have sat on the sofa and read a book, it has been so effortless to read the book.
Evie - at first the fact she was a muscian put me off because I wasn't really interested in the fact she was a celebrity but after 30 pages, I loved her, I felt sorry for her, she annoyed me because she wasn't true to herself, but like every character Emily Barr produces they're not perfect, which is what I love so much about her books.
I can't wait to read another one by Emily Barr!

[penelopewanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

At some point during this one I was so irked by the main character that I had to push myself to continue. I do tend to dislike books in which I dislike the main character... petty perhaps, but I feel like I'm spending a certain amount of my time with these people, and would rather they be people I enjoy hanging out with, so to speak. So Evie was not someone I wanted to be around. This being said, I do generally enjoy Barr and her writing so I continued. As ever, Barr's books seem to involve secret lives or hidden identities. In the end this was worth the read, but decidedly not my favorite by her.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and refreshing book for twenty to forty somethings.

Evie Silvermann is a minor celebrity who has made being a cellist semi-cool. She decides to leave her husband and find herself. What she finds, however, is NOT what she expected. Painful secrets with long shadows, finding out what's missing in her life and an unknown stalker intermingle with success in Manhattan, a new life and fascinating relationships.

A read with truly a bit of everything for everyone.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so fun! I started reading this book because the main character is a celloit and i played cello at that time. The main character Evye lest her husband, got a dangerous stalker, found her daughter who she gave up for adoption when she was 15 years old. The story is so light and interesting. I loved how every time her life was a mess she wold practise cello for six hours. I thought that the story is very clever and i want to read other books by Emily Barr.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't often read "chick lit," but I picked Solo up up at the library, mainly because the protagonist is a cellist (and I also play cello). I wasn't expecting much-- in fact, I was really expecting that it could in all likelihood be completely unreadable. But it wasn't. Definitely not great literature (but I certainly wasn't expecting that), but I enjoyed the read and was pleasantly described by the very reasonably realistic descriptions of her cello playing.

[Shay Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evie Silver is a rather unlikeable main character that decides to ditch her boring Husband for adventure and excitement and ends up finding herself somewhere very different indeed. With a big secret to hide and an ever more disturbing postal stalker Evie soon has a lot more to think about than her celebrity status, breaking America and her Husband and we follow her on the trail of it all. A good, well written read.

[Cláudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evie was one of the most obnoxious characters I've ever "met" in a book, even though while we read we start to understand why she's like that and redeems herself a little. But much had still to change by the end of the book... In any case, as usual Emily Barr writes a very fast paced story, interesting, with lots of details, and very hard to put down.
Not my favourite from her, but quite an enjoyable read anyhow.

[Kerri · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I gave up about halfway through when she went to her soon-to-be-ex-husband's place, displaced his girlfriend, and then "didn't even care how much I was manipulating him, I just didn't want to be alone" (or something like that. The further I read the more I disliked Evie and at that point I gave up. I did read the last few pages since I wanted to see what happened to her - and as far as I can tell, not much did! Eh.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily Barr is well known for combining chick lit with travel writing, although this book had less travel detail I actually preferred Atlantic Shift to Backpack, the other Emily Barr title I have read and reviewed. It was an enjoyable read with an interesting plot. Perhaps a little far-fetched in places and sometimes a bit disjointed, but overall a good read.

[Emily]

This is sitting on my shelf. I feel bad for Emily Barr as I bought it for $1 at amazon.

Her style used to be fun and travel focused but has devolved from this, hence making me lose interest. Cuban Heels tried to recapture some of this. Let's hope Solo gets it right.

[Joanna Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still haven't finished it, but it's a good easy read. I liked her Backpack book as well.

The central character is interesting (a famous cellist) in a story based in London and New York.

Good supporting characters, with secrets, desires and of course some man trouble.

[Sarah Goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Barr has a nice formula that makes for relaxing reading. And this one isn’t any different to the rest. Girl goes travelling, sorts out a mess in her life, and then comes home with everything sorted.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never disliked a character as much as Evie Silverman, the heroine of this story. She admits she's shallow and vain, so it's hard to empathize with her or even like this book. I thought maybe she'd redeem herself by the end, but I thought it was all pretty contrived.

[Danny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed. It sounded so promising but, for me, it did not live up to that. Evie, the heroine, is vain and shallow, which she doesn't deny. I was partly bored, partly annoyed with the storyline. Maybe good for a light read.

[Betty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evie is hard to empathise with and her flatmate and family are just unimaginative and not human enough. I only picked it up because of the author and the cellist! The plot is alright but the stalker sounds like petty school nonsense. Emily Barr can do so much better!

[Sheetal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot .... Not a page turner for me but the emotions expressed well.
Wanting to hide the past, wanting to be successful, needing fame & acceptance and the problems of infertility.
A lot of emotions put together made it an extremely feminine read !!

Enjoyed the emotional ride

[Jim Jaqcobs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barr's writing is- at best-about the level of a nine year old. This novel is as bad as I have ever read. Not only a story inadequately developed but a piece of trash as well. After the mid point of the book I skimmed and "finished" with disgust.

Jim

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classical musician is bored with her life and is forced to deal with stardom, secrets, and stalkers.
A decent enough book, but not wonderfully memorable.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read.

[Kellie Eizensmits · Rating 4 out of 5]

was ok...it was an enjoyable read,,,

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and enjoyable chick lit.

[Julia]

(Same as "Atlantic Shift" - I hate when novels are renamed for new markets!)

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. The main character is a bit self absorbed. Fun read.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book moved very slowly but wove an interesting tale about a mini-celeb and how it wasn't what it appeared.