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Hannah #1
Hannah
«Hva ville du ha gjort om din første kjærlighet kom tilbake for å tilby deg alt du noensinne har drømt om?»
Hannah er 38 år og tilfreds med sitt liv som hustru og ikke minst mor til Luke, sin elleve år gamle øyensten. Forholdet til mannen Cliff er trygt og stabilt, og etter femten års ekteskap har hun klart å fortrenge ungdomstidens ville drømmer og slå seg til ro med hverdagslivets mange små gleder.
Men under sommerens ferieopphold i Grasse dukker Hannahs store ungdomskjærlighet opp. Hun blir overrasket om hvordan fortiden kommer tilbake og hvordan hun selv stiller spørsmål ved en tilværelse og et ekteskap hun til da har vært ganske tilfreds med.
Hannah er 38 år og tilfreds med sitt liv som hustru og ikke minst mor til Luke, sin elleve år gamle øyensten. Forholdet til mannen Cliff er trygt og stabilt, og etter femten års ekteskap har hun klart å fortrenge ungdomstidens ville drømmer og slå seg til ro med hverdagslivets mange små gleder.
Men under sommerens ferieopphold i Grasse dukker Hannahs store ungdomskjærlighet opp. Hun blir overrasket om hvordan fortiden kommer tilbake og hvordan hun selv stiller spørsmål ved en tilværelse og et ekteskap hun til da har vært ganske tilfreds med.
349 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2012
1469 people are currently reading
1221 people want to read
About the author
Nick Alexander
31 books657 followersMy novels:
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
March 24, 2020
Inane, predictable, abrupt ending, boring, irritating characters the list goes on. I just flicked through reviews of this book and these are just some of the descriptors used in the numerous one or two star critiques on Goodreads.
BUT, I loved it. Funny though, I could use the same descriptors as outlined above. Yes the plot was ordinary, mundane even. A family, with a few hangers on holidaying in France, sitting around chatting. The dynamics you might see in Big Brother (not as though I watch that you understand).
The main character Hannah, was 15 years into a marriage she considered okay but a little ordinary. She has a sister who lives a wild life, and one of Hannah's loves from before she got married features prominently. Hannah believes she is living half a life, hence the title.
To me, this book was rivetting. Nick Alexander, my first book of his, wrote really well - the dialogue was so natural, easy and interesting. The way he described the characters was so well done, I could almost touch them. Their interactions all believable. I loved some of the characters and was irritated by others.
There was a really heavy, quite sobering, turning point in this book for me, I won't spoil it, but it made me sit up and realise - this isn't just a fluffy, social romp. It had matter, some of the points did matter.
I found myself thinking about this book at work, eating my dinner in the evening quickly so I could sneak off to bed and catch up on the goings on with this lot.
I'll certainly read more of Nick Alexander.
Great fun 4 stars
BUT, I loved it. Funny though, I could use the same descriptors as outlined above. Yes the plot was ordinary, mundane even. A family, with a few hangers on holidaying in France, sitting around chatting. The dynamics you might see in Big Brother (not as though I watch that you understand).
The main character Hannah, was 15 years into a marriage she considered okay but a little ordinary. She has a sister who lives a wild life, and one of Hannah's loves from before she got married features prominently. Hannah believes she is living half a life, hence the title.
To me, this book was rivetting. Nick Alexander, my first book of his, wrote really well - the dialogue was so natural, easy and interesting. The way he described the characters was so well done, I could almost touch them. Their interactions all believable. I loved some of the characters and was irritated by others.
There was a really heavy, quite sobering, turning point in this book for me, I won't spoil it, but it made me sit up and realise - this isn't just a fluffy, social romp. It had matter, some of the points did matter.
I found myself thinking about this book at work, eating my dinner in the evening quickly so I could sneak off to bed and catch up on the goings on with this lot.
I'll certainly read more of Nick Alexander.
Great fun 4 stars
December 30, 2012
There is a line in this book which says that a conversation was like something out of a dodgy script and that perfectly summarises this book for me. After all the rave reviews on Amazon I downloaded it and by the time I got to 25% through the book I really wanted to stop but felt I would miss whatever it was that made for such great feedback. The same happened at 50%.I really should have stopped then. What a waste of time.
The book consists almost entirely of inane dialogue from a cast of complete caricatures - the wild sister, her promiscuous gay best friend etc... - there are less than a handful of "profound" statements which I can see have been highlighted numerous times. I'm guessing those must be the parts others have found so enlightening. A fortune cookie might have provided more insight but saved several hours.
The book consists almost entirely of inane dialogue from a cast of complete caricatures - the wild sister, her promiscuous gay best friend etc... - there are less than a handful of "profound" statements which I can see have been highlighted numerous times. I'm guessing those must be the parts others have found so enlightening. A fortune cookie might have provided more insight but saved several hours.
January 3, 2014
Hannah is thirty-eight and the happily married mother of eleven-year-old Luke, the diamond in her world. Her marriage is reassuringly stable, and after fifteen years she has managed to push the wild dreams of youth from her mind and concentrate on the everyday satisfactions of here and now. The first half of her life hasn’t been as exciting as she had hoped, but then, she reckons, whose has?
When she succeeds in convincing husband Cliff to rent a villa in the south of France for a summer vacation with her sister Jill, and gay friend Tristan, she’s expecting little more than a pleasant few weeks with her family.
But they each have their own baggage – their own secrets – ready to explode on this not-so-relaxing holiday in France.
Starting off as a gentle yet intriguing family story, we follow Hannah and co on holiday in France where tension lies just beneath the surface..
I wasnt expecting such a wonderful emotive tale but that is what I got. Cleverly using the past and present to build a picture in its entirety, I loved the fact that this was unpredictable. Character driven all the way with a terrific ending that both completes the story and leaves room for more (luckily for me the “more” was readily available) it is a slow burner that will hold your attention throughout.
It is a page turner and beautifully written. I found myself reading way into the night as I wanted to find out what would happen next – there are a few twists and turns along the way and you were not always sure where it was going.
A tale of family secrets this was compelling and emotional and is highly recommended for fans of family drama with heart.
When she succeeds in convincing husband Cliff to rent a villa in the south of France for a summer vacation with her sister Jill, and gay friend Tristan, she’s expecting little more than a pleasant few weeks with her family.
But they each have their own baggage – their own secrets – ready to explode on this not-so-relaxing holiday in France.
Starting off as a gentle yet intriguing family story, we follow Hannah and co on holiday in France where tension lies just beneath the surface..
I wasnt expecting such a wonderful emotive tale but that is what I got. Cleverly using the past and present to build a picture in its entirety, I loved the fact that this was unpredictable. Character driven all the way with a terrific ending that both completes the story and leaves room for more (luckily for me the “more” was readily available) it is a slow burner that will hold your attention throughout.
It is a page turner and beautifully written. I found myself reading way into the night as I wanted to find out what would happen next – there are a few twists and turns along the way and you were not always sure where it was going.
A tale of family secrets this was compelling and emotional and is highly recommended for fans of family drama with heart.
April 1, 2013
If I had one word to describe this book, it would be... meh. Descriptive, I know!
It centres around a family holiday to France, where old secrets may come to the surface... I had no real empathy for the main character, Hannah, she bangs on about having a seemingly perfect life; husband, son etc. but 'something' is missing, namely her husband's dead brother who she met once and proper fancied. She does absolutely nothing to get herself out of the rut that she GOT HERSELF INTO IN THE FIRST PLACE, and so I found it hard to feel for her. The supporting characters didn't really add much to the book, except for a handy way for the author to reveal his secrets.
I kept reading as I was looking forward to finding out more about Hannah's amazing affair with the
brother, but it seemed just as we were about to get a glimpse of it, the book finished.
I won't spoil it for anyone, but the plot is pretty predictable and couldn't have been more cheesy if she were to wake up and discover it was all a dream. Lot's of potential, but disappointing.
It centres around a family holiday to France, where old secrets may come to the surface... I had no real empathy for the main character, Hannah, she bangs on about having a seemingly perfect life; husband, son etc. but 'something' is missing, namely her husband's dead brother who she met once and proper fancied. She does absolutely nothing to get herself out of the rut that she GOT HERSELF INTO IN THE FIRST PLACE, and so I found it hard to feel for her. The supporting characters didn't really add much to the book, except for a handy way for the author to reveal his secrets.
I kept reading as I was looking forward to finding out more about Hannah's amazing affair with the
brother, but it seemed just as we were about to get a glimpse of it, the book finished.
I won't spoil it for anyone, but the plot is pretty predictable and couldn't have been more cheesy if she were to wake up and discover it was all a dream. Lot's of potential, but disappointing.
January 18, 2013
For £0.20 I will buy and read virtually any book, and this is very much an example of that. Reviews suggested to me that this was a light and amusing read, and this is another example of me completely failing to understand people, for I found this quite wholeheartedly unpleasant. The characters, the way they treated each other - and indeed themselves - was miserable, sad, reprehensible in some instances, and not witty or realistic to me at all. The amount of nastiness that befalls the most innocent parties rubbed in how gruesome the characters were.
The actual writing was strong, and the structure of the book meant that it was at least easy to read and comprehend, even if it wasn't a pleasure.
September 16, 2012
This started off a lot slower than Nick's other books and at first I wasn't sure it was going to grip me ... Then before I noticed I was hooked and have just spent the afternoon devouring the second half of the book. The characters draw you in without you even noticing - each one with their own baggage and secrets ready to explode on this not so relaxing family holiday.
Nice one Mr Alexander :)
July 3, 2017
3.5 stars.
It's a cute story, but not really original. But I liked it, it's a good summer story, the pages just flew by.
It's a cute story, but not really original. But I liked it, it's a good summer story, the pages just flew by.
September 19, 2012
I downloaded this book cos I have read a fair few of Mr Alexander's books and enjoyed them. Firstly, I found the book to be very well balanced. Yes, it starts off gently, the chapters switching between the third person "here and now" and the first person (Hannah) "background" which, imo, is necessary for the rest of the book to tie up neatly and didn't distract me from the story one little bit. The whole book starts to build steadily into the crescendo and (never saw that coming) twist at the end, finishing neatly sewn up but also leaving the story open for further continuation either from the author or, in my case cos I felt I knew the characters well enough by then, from my own imagination.
The characters were real and very well fleshed out. At times during the book I really felt for them, both positively and negatively. I laughed with them, I shouted at them, I worried for them and, I also have to admit, I cried with them too. I have always found this author to be great at characterisation and this book was no exception. I suspect he has been out and about sharpening up his people watching skills.
I also really enjoyed the style of writing. As already mentioned, there is a mix of 1st and 3rd person and yes, admittedly, it did take a little bit of getting used to but after a few chapter switches I settled into the swing of it very well. However, just when I found myself ticking along nicely, the author pops another style into the mix in the form of letters. So now we have three styles to get on with and blow me down if it doesn't work perfectly.
The story itself is much more than just the return of a lost love, it is about family and friends, their personal interaction and looking into each other's lives and the comparison of what we see and what is actually there and how much really is just a mask. For me, it was a reminder that you really don't know what is happening behind closed doors, even in your own house.
All in all, another winner from Mr Alexander. I would dearly love him to continue with either this story or at least some of the characters from it, so I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more from him.
The characters were real and very well fleshed out. At times during the book I really felt for them, both positively and negatively. I laughed with them, I shouted at them, I worried for them and, I also have to admit, I cried with them too. I have always found this author to be great at characterisation and this book was no exception. I suspect he has been out and about sharpening up his people watching skills.
I also really enjoyed the style of writing. As already mentioned, there is a mix of 1st and 3rd person and yes, admittedly, it did take a little bit of getting used to but after a few chapter switches I settled into the swing of it very well. However, just when I found myself ticking along nicely, the author pops another style into the mix in the form of letters. So now we have three styles to get on with and blow me down if it doesn't work perfectly.
The story itself is much more than just the return of a lost love, it is about family and friends, their personal interaction and looking into each other's lives and the comparison of what we see and what is actually there and how much really is just a mask. For me, it was a reminder that you really don't know what is happening behind closed doors, even in your own house.
All in all, another winner from Mr Alexander. I would dearly love him to continue with either this story or at least some of the characters from it, so I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more from him.
January 11, 2014
Sadly this was a bit of a nothing book for me. Nothing actually happens for the first 14 chapters, it's basically a holiday diary. There's quite a lot of superfluous words within the text which reads like the author has overused his thesaurus. I also got tired of being told what Tristan had prepared for lunch, as it was unimportant to the story and just slowed the pace.
There was a few inaccuracies, in chapter 11 they didn't order a drink for Aisha, yet she picks up her drink of coke a few paragraphs later. There's a handful of spelling errors, eg Stanstead instead of Stansted and one incident of confident when it should read confidant, and heals instead of heels. But these were just minor errors.
I guessed Cliff's secret about halfway through the book so it didn't come as a surprise to me, it would have possibly added more drama if the reader had this information earlier and he could have then been developed into a more substantial character, rather than the one-sided one he was throughout the story. The rape scene was totally out of character for him I felt and that Hannah never mentioned it again in any depth was odd.
This is a rather lack-lustre story where very little happens, the plot is as thin as a tissue and has moments of nonsense that add nothing but a higher word count to the story, for example Luke's accident, I know you could argue this was a vehicle for Tristan to discover Cliff's secret, but that could have been easily written into the plot by his taking a stroll down to the river as everyone did at some point in the story, the convoluted hospital scenario was pointless.
Sadly I felt that very little happened and it could easily have been trimmed down into a novella, the repetition annoyed me as did the need to add tags to the dialogue like 'she said pedantically' or 'he said annoyed'... please let the dialogue convey the mood rather than assume the reader isn't intelligent enough to understand the characters emotions.
Finally the move from third to first person chapters didn't work, neither did the letters as this was Hannah's story and that she never saw the letters means the POV in these sections was wrong.
There was a few inaccuracies, in chapter 11 they didn't order a drink for Aisha, yet she picks up her drink of coke a few paragraphs later. There's a handful of spelling errors, eg Stanstead instead of Stansted and one incident of confident when it should read confidant, and heals instead of heels. But these were just minor errors.
I guessed Cliff's secret about halfway through the book so it didn't come as a surprise to me, it would have possibly added more drama if the reader had this information earlier and he could have then been developed into a more substantial character, rather than the one-sided one he was throughout the story. The rape scene was totally out of character for him I felt and that Hannah never mentioned it again in any depth was odd.
This is a rather lack-lustre story where very little happens, the plot is as thin as a tissue and has moments of nonsense that add nothing but a higher word count to the story, for example Luke's accident, I know you could argue this was a vehicle for Tristan to discover Cliff's secret, but that could have been easily written into the plot by his taking a stroll down to the river as everyone did at some point in the story, the convoluted hospital scenario was pointless.
Sadly I felt that very little happened and it could easily have been trimmed down into a novella, the repetition annoyed me as did the need to add tags to the dialogue like 'she said pedantically' or 'he said annoyed'... please let the dialogue convey the mood rather than assume the reader isn't intelligent enough to understand the characters emotions.
Finally the move from third to first person chapters didn't work, neither did the letters as this was Hannah's story and that she never saw the letters means the POV in these sections was wrong.
December 11, 2012
The third Nick Alexander book I've read and very enjoyable and thought provoking. One summer Hannah and her family - husband Cliff and young son Luke- go to France to stay in a villa with Hannah's sister Jill, daughter Aisha and gay friend Tristan. As with most family holidays there's tension there from the start. Jill has always been spoilt and lets her daughter get away with murder, and while It's clear Hannah is content with life, you get the sense she wants more. As for Tristan, he loves entertaining them all with sometimes shocking tales of his gay lifestyle - much to ultra-straight Cliff's discomfort. Partway through the holiday a freak accident puts Hannah's son in hospital and that signals the start of the unraveling of her life, where secrets are revealed and a face from the past appears. Is Hannah happy living a half life, or is this the chance for her to experience life to the full?
A great novel with really solid, believable characters.
A great novel with really solid, believable characters.
September 11, 2012
A great story about those moments both past and present in our lives where we ask ourselves - What if? Hannah dares to answer those questions during the course of a holiday with family and friends. My only criticism would be that the ending was rather abrupt. I can totally understand why the author would leave it to the reader's imagination but my preference would be for something a little more polished.
Please don't forget your M/M audience Nick! Give us another gay book soon.
Please don't forget your M/M audience Nick! Give us another gay book soon.
July 28, 2013
My one regret about this book is that I actually read right to the end - this has got to be one of the worst books I have ever read. Cannot understand why some of the reviews rave about it or why some people give it 4/5 stars. The storyline was appalling and the characters were boring.
July 23, 2025
Setting: France; modern day.
Hannah and Cliff have been married for 15 years and have an 11-year-old son. They have rented a villa in France and are holidaying with Hannah's sister Jill and her teenage daughter and Jill's gay friend Tristan. The relaxing holiday also gives Hannah time to look back on her marriage, having decided to marry stable, predictable but somewhat boring Cliff all those years ago when something that promised to be more exciting may have been an option.
Now Hannah hears that the person she could have been with for the last 15 years is coming to the villa to visit his brother, Cliff - which is strange as Cliff told her that he had been killed in a motorcycle accident in India years ago. And then even more lies are revealed....
Described on Goodreads as being in both the Romance and Chick-lit genres, I wasn't sure what to expect of this one as these are certainly not my regular genres. However, for me, it wasn't really either of those. Yes, it was a bit of a light and easy read but more of a family saga than anything, with some humorous moments and some serious ones. The relationships between the characters were well-plotted (if a bit cliche at times) and overall I quite enjoyed it and am glad that I have the next book in the series, which tells more of Hannah's story. Told from Hannah's point of view, I thought the male author did quite a good job of this - 7/10.
Hannah and Cliff have been married for 15 years and have an 11-year-old son. They have rented a villa in France and are holidaying with Hannah's sister Jill and her teenage daughter and Jill's gay friend Tristan. The relaxing holiday also gives Hannah time to look back on her marriage, having decided to marry stable, predictable but somewhat boring Cliff all those years ago when something that promised to be more exciting may have been an option.
Now Hannah hears that the person she could have been with for the last 15 years is coming to the villa to visit his brother, Cliff - which is strange as Cliff told her that he had been killed in a motorcycle accident in India years ago. And then even more lies are revealed....
Described on Goodreads as being in both the Romance and Chick-lit genres, I wasn't sure what to expect of this one as these are certainly not my regular genres. However, for me, it wasn't really either of those. Yes, it was a bit of a light and easy read but more of a family saga than anything, with some humorous moments and some serious ones. The relationships between the characters were well-plotted (if a bit cliche at times) and overall I quite enjoyed it and am glad that I have the next book in the series, which tells more of Hannah's story. Told from Hannah's point of view, I thought the male author did quite a good job of this - 7/10.
January 12, 2025
I’m not mean enough to rate any lower. I feel like I’ve been reading this book for months. I should’ve dnf’d but all the positive reviews persuaded me I may miss something.
Nothing happened, it was so mundane, there was a lot of talking about a character being gay and the fear of a child turning out gay, more nothing then a bit of moaning about everyone in France speaking French, a lot more nothing. A little bit of action when another character turned up and some truths surfaced, I assume the end was supposed to be a bug twist, but I’d completely stopped caring by then.
This book made me watch tv!
I didn’t love the narration it was giving Enid Blyton.
Currently included with audible 🎧
Nothing happened, it was so mundane, there was a lot of talking about a character being gay and the fear of a child turning out gay, more nothing then a bit of moaning about everyone in France speaking French, a lot more nothing. A little bit of action when another character turned up and some truths surfaced, I assume the end was supposed to be a bug twist, but I’d completely stopped caring by then.
This book made me watch tv!
I didn’t love the narration it was giving Enid Blyton.
Currently included with audible 🎧
March 27, 2021
A book I just picked off the shelf at the library. The story starts with Hannah going on a family holiday to France, and then develops into her reevaluating her life and choices she has made and the what ifs. With many twists and turns it grabs you to keep reading to see what is going to be revealed next. An abrupt ending then a sneak preview of the sequel, so of course I will just have to read that to see what choices Hannah makes.
July 28, 2021
A great story, loaded with emotion, family squabbles and revelations that all shake Hannah's oh so safe (and boring) luge and marriage to the foundations.
Great characters as always from Mr Alexander, with whom we can empathise and at times identify.
No off to read the sequel...
Great characters as always from Mr Alexander, with whom we can empathise and at times identify.
No off to read the sequel...
March 22, 2020
Anbefales veldig
November 17, 2012
This is the first book I have read by this author and it did not disappoint.
Hannah has a normal life, she is married with a son and she is fairly happy. She loves her son Luke dearly, she cares for her husband Cliff but pretty much just goes through the motions of marriage with him.
The story starts at the beginning of a family holiday where they join Hannah's sister Jill, her gay friend Tristan and her daughter Aisha. We are also introduced to Cliff's brother James later on in the story.
The holiday starts well although from the beginning it is evident there are tensions there, I am not going to spoil the story but I will say that there are plenty of twists in it.
Once I got past the first 50 pages I could not put this book down, my only criticism of the book is that it was a bit of a slow starter for me.
I loved the characters Hannah, Jill and Tristan. I thought that all of the characters were well developed and it was a thoroughly engaging story.
This book also addresses some serious issues, it does it tastefully but also raises awareness to the reader.
This book did leave me slightly wanting more but that is not a negative to me, that is something I really like in a book. If there was a follow up to the story I think I would prefer a book about James's story that runs alongside this story rather than a sequel.
I loved this book and I can not wait to read more of this author's books. I have rated The Half Life of Hannah 5 stars, this is a justified rating although if there was the option to I would realistically have given it 4.8 stars just because It was a bit of a slow start. The complete story is definitely worth waiting for though.
Becky Sherriff (The Kindle Book Review)
The KBR received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. We are not connected with the author or publisher in any way, nor are we otherwise compensated for this service by Amazon or any other party
Hannah has a normal life, she is married with a son and she is fairly happy. She loves her son Luke dearly, she cares for her husband Cliff but pretty much just goes through the motions of marriage with him.
The story starts at the beginning of a family holiday where they join Hannah's sister Jill, her gay friend Tristan and her daughter Aisha. We are also introduced to Cliff's brother James later on in the story.
The holiday starts well although from the beginning it is evident there are tensions there, I am not going to spoil the story but I will say that there are plenty of twists in it.
Once I got past the first 50 pages I could not put this book down, my only criticism of the book is that it was a bit of a slow starter for me.
I loved the characters Hannah, Jill and Tristan. I thought that all of the characters were well developed and it was a thoroughly engaging story.
This book also addresses some serious issues, it does it tastefully but also raises awareness to the reader.
This book did leave me slightly wanting more but that is not a negative to me, that is something I really like in a book. If there was a follow up to the story I think I would prefer a book about James's story that runs alongside this story rather than a sequel.
I loved this book and I can not wait to read more of this author's books. I have rated The Half Life of Hannah 5 stars, this is a justified rating although if there was the option to I would realistically have given it 4.8 stars just because It was a bit of a slow start. The complete story is definitely worth waiting for though.
Becky Sherriff (The Kindle Book Review)
The KBR received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. We are not connected with the author or publisher in any way, nor are we otherwise compensated for this service by Amazon or any other party
February 18, 2014
This book was simply just an easy read, i like the characters and how the book continued to change my opinion of them throughout. I started out thinking that Hannah was a bit of a floozy and that after just a couple of days with James has fallen madly in love with him...yeah ok :/ But the more I read and the more the lies transpired I really started to sympathize with her and my dislike for Cliff grew more and more. Especially when he pretty much raped her after James left and she stupidly went back to him for no apparent reason!
My main disappointment with this book was the fact that it literally saved all the juicy bits for the very end (last chapter pretty much!)I was starting to think that the ending would turn quite dark and he would try and kill her or something but alas it turns out he is kind of but kind of not gay?? Strange way for the book to end but none the less was an easy read and flowed really nicely from past to present. I'm not sure whether I would read the second book just because the story just didn't do it for me unfortunately.
My main disappointment with this book was the fact that it literally saved all the juicy bits for the very end (last chapter pretty much!)I was starting to think that the ending would turn quite dark and he would try and kill her or something but alas it turns out he is kind of but kind of not gay?? Strange way for the book to end but none the less was an easy read and flowed really nicely from past to present. I'm not sure whether I would read the second book just because the story just didn't do it for me unfortunately.
September 23, 2015
I bought this ages ago and have no idea why I left it so long to read it. Something else must have cropped up to distract me. I found myself really pulled into the story of Hannah, her dreary husband Cliff and her loose-moralled sister Jill. They holiday together with their children (one per sister) and Jill’s gay friend, the chef Tristan. One day when Hannah’s out, there’s a phone-call from Cliff’s brother which throws Hannah’s composure out of the window. Her son Luke has an accident and this, too, makes her re-evaluate her life and its direction.
This is one of those books where you don’t instantly fall in love with the characters. There are, as in life, those you warm to and those who make you squirm. I liked Hannah, though I sometimes wanted to shake her, found Jill annoying and Cliff cold. The children and Tristan were people I liked. I couldn’t guess the ending (I think there’s more to come in another book) and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
This is one of those books where you don’t instantly fall in love with the characters. There are, as in life, those you warm to and those who make you squirm. I liked Hannah, though I sometimes wanted to shake her, found Jill annoying and Cliff cold. The children and Tristan were people I liked. I couldn’t guess the ending (I think there’s more to come in another book) and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
June 4, 2013
Towards the end of the book Hannah describes what is happening to her as being"like a bad script from a bad TV drama" Sadly that is also an apt description of the book. It is irritating when the writer keeps slipping from 1st person to 3rd person and back when the whole story is told from Hannah's point of view. The characters are unbelievable caricatures from the sister who despite having no means of support is able to go on a shopping splurge in Nice, to the thirteen year old daughter who doesn't understand even the most basic words in French. The only character that is developed in anyway is that of Hannah. We are supposed to work out for ourselves how it will all end up, but the only question I was left with was, who cares.
February 9, 2014
Hannah has been with Cliff for the last 15 years, they have a son Luke and we join them on holiday in France. With them are Jill, Hannah's sister, Tristan, Jill and Hannah's friend and Aisha, Jill's daughter. They have rented a villa and are looking forward to having the break
The events that unfold test the seemingly solid relationship between Hannah and Cliff and we get to learn more about their past as the book progresses.
I really enjoy Nick Alexander's writing and will keep my eyes open for more
The events that unfold test the seemingly solid relationship between Hannah and Cliff and we get to learn more about their past as the book progresses.
I really enjoy Nick Alexander's writing and will keep my eyes open for more
October 8, 2012
The first few chapters of this book were very slow and really didn't grab me. It left me wondering how it had got such great reviews. So, I decided to persist with it and am glad I did. What a great story with an ending you don't expect. I'm sure we can all identify with the what if's in life. Will defo be recommending to my kindle/good read friends x
August 28, 2015
My first Nick Alexander but probably not my last. Although a little slow to start, as other reviewers have noted, it quickly picks up pace. I read it in a day. The ending had the potential to be disappointing but, thankfully, once I put the book down, I felt content, not frustrated. Always a good thing!
January 26, 2013
all a bit ho-hum this for me, it was a step above chick lit, well written characters, and enough emotional drama to keep you going a while, but I only read chick lit for the escapism and humour, this didnt have that much, and in fact had quite a few darker moments.
probably best saying just not my cup of tea.
probably best saying just not my cup of tea.
May 21, 2016
Slow. The first 12 chapters could have been condensed into one, because nothing happens in them--at all. After that, things *almost* happen, but not quite. Recommended for people who like reading about average 30-somethings having a family holiday in France. (If those readers exist...)
January 14, 2013
Lame with a capital L.
I know the idea was to tell of Hannah's boring simple life before her ex love came back to tempt her away, but I got so bored with her boring life that I was tempted away in need of something more interesting to read.
I know the idea was to tell of Hannah's boring simple life before her ex love came back to tempt her away, but I got so bored with her boring life that I was tempted away in need of something more interesting to read.
January 18, 2015
I read this in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much to think about and discuss. After some of the poor reviews I wondered if I should bother but I'm glad I did! Looking forward to reading more by this author
January 5, 2016
Enjoyed this book -can't remember how I came upon it, I think it was in the long list of Bibliogoth, as it is a genre or type of book I don't normally go after -but I enjoyed the story and the characters. The twists of the story at the end were rather contrived but overall a very good read.
September 13, 2012
Good story, takes place during a weeks holiday, two Sisters and their families on holiday in France. A character from their past and Hannah questions everything she thought she knew and believed.
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