Brilles aklai mīlestībai

by Adele Parks, Adele Pārksa, Dina Kārkliņa (Translator)

Kas kopīgs diviem svešiniekiem lidmašīnā? Jo sevišķi, ja viņi ir pretēji viens otram itin visā. Džo ir caurcaurēm optimiste, kas cenšas ieraudzīt savas dvēseles biedru ikvienā vīrietī, kuru sastop. Dīns, savukārt, ir rūdīts ciniķis, un viņa rūgtā pieredze neļauj uzticēties itin nevienam.

Dzīve mēdz pārsteigt. Lidojumā starp Londonu un Čikāgu katrs no viņiem atklāj otrā to, kā pašam ir pietrūcis un par ko nebija ne jausmas. Abu pagātne liedz būt laimīgiem kopā, tomēr tikai tad, kad lidmašīna nosēžas, viņu ceļojums sākas pa īstam...

Psiholoģiski niansētais darbs nedod padomu, kā pareizi rīkoties, lai garantētu sev apsolīto laimi. Romāns ļauj līdz mielēm izsāpēt cilvēciskas ilgas pēc mīlestības – īstās un vienīgās, kopā ar varoņiem iziet meklējumu ceļu caur sevis iepazīšanas un negaidītu atklāsmju labirintu. Fināls ir satricinošs…

Adeles Pārksas dzīvesgudrais romāns ir spēcīgs kā Džodžo Mojas, Diānas Čemberlenas un Kārenas Vaitas darbi.

Britu rakstnieces Adeles Pārksas mūžam aktuālie romāni Lielbritānijā vien izdoti vairāk nekā miljons eksemplāros un ar panākumiem tulkoti jau piecpadsmit valodās.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Ebooks, Book Club, Audiobook

441 pages, Hardcover

First published July 4, 2013

About the author

Adele Parks MBE is one of the most-loved and biggest-selling women's fiction writers in the UK. She has sold over 4 million books and her work has been translated into 30 different languages.

She has published 21 novels, all of which have been London Times bestsellers.

Adele has written 19 contemporary novels and 2 historical ones, Spare Brides and If You Go Away, which are set during and after WW1. Her latest novels, Both of You, Just My Luck, Lies Lies Lies, I Invited Her In, The Image of You and The Stranger in My Home are twisty, domestic noirs. Adele likes to scrutinize our concepts of family, our theories on love, parenting and fidelity.

During her career Adele has lived in Italy, Botswana and London. Now she lives happily in Surrey, UK with her husband, son and cat.

If you want to stay in touch you can find Adele on Twitter @AdeleParks, Instagram @Adele_Parks or Facebook @OfficialAdeleParks. You can sign up to her newsletter at eepurl.com/cI0l and there’s lots more info about Adele and her books on www.adeleparks.com.

Reviews

[ES Saw · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is the most annoying book I have a displeasure to read in 2013. The heroine is the most naive, irritating character I could possibly imagine. Her clumsiness and cluelessness is not endearing, it is just disgusting. Her obsession with getting married and planning future with every guy that happens to (however briefly) appear in her life (and her bed, because apparently, THAT'S how you make guy really fall for you) is just beyond contempt. She's supposed to be 35, but it reads as if she were 17 or less. She's a complete failure and there's no way in hell a successful, self-made man like Dean would ever find her interesting - she has nothing to offer but her obsessive clinginess. And while we are discussing Dean - how cliche is his character?! Tall, dark and brooding. Really?!
The plot is really thin, the whole idea of her going to stop the wedding of her ex-fiance just sums her character completely - a selfish psycho. Even the ending is absolutely ridiculous.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adele Parks continues to wow me.

This 2013 chick-lit novel sizzled and soared.

Favorite moment in the book:
When the protagonist gets bumped up to first class on a trans-Atlantic flight and gets seated next to a male passenger who has no interest in conversing with his seatmate.

The dialogue between the two was brilliant.

The protagonist, BTW, was en route from London to Chicago to break up her ex-fiancé's wedding.

GR readers either loved or hated this book. It was a winner for me.

I listened to the audiobook read by Ioanna Kimbook and Michael Fox.

Both narrators did a superb job with the narration.

4.5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet 35 year old Jo who is boarding a plane to stop her exes wedding and throw in commitment phobe Dean who has just visited his dying father.

It sounds like a total chick lit book but it’s more than that, this is such a cute story that made me laugh, a lot, and made me feel a bit sad in a hopeful way.

Adele Parks once again has not disappointed.

Five stars.

[Barbara Elsborg]

I can't rate this book and I'm going to hopefully explain why.
First of all - I love Adele Parks. I've read all her books, loved some more than others but she is an auto buy for me and will continue to be. I was so looking forward to this- but for the first 40 or so pages I struggled to follow what was happening. IN fact, I had to go back and skin read again to get the names in my head. Good thing I did because they were important.
Then follows what in anyone else's hands would have been a typical romance - flighty 35 year old heroine who acts like she's 17. Raw hunk of a hero who attracts women like flies. Dean has a past that's tragic - Jo has had what seems an ideal upbringing. I love the way the two meet, the long discussions, the insight into their characters. The writing is lovely. I couldn't put the book down. It was 5 stars all the way and then - the end. The publisher has asked that readers not spoil it which in itself is rather a giveaway but for me that ending was not needed and ruined the book for me. For that, I'd give it one star - so that's why I'm not grading it. I'd read it again - shows how much I liked most of it - but I can't forgive or forget an ending that was showed nothing. Rant over - I was so upset when I finished it, I wailed to husband. OOh Ms Parks, why did you think that added to the story???????

[Vicky-Leigh Sayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are about to fall in love.

With characters in a book? Seriously? Yes, really, you are. Adele has a unique way of endearing us to her characters, even when they really should be thoroughly unlike-able.

With Jo and with Dean. Girl meets Boy on a plane. So far, so predictable.

Or is it? I personally don't think there is anything predictable about the way that these two meet, but I suppose this part of the novel is open to interpretation. On paper it might seem like a cliché, I have never really considered what Adele writes as 'Chick lit' and I certainly don't see her writing style as predictable. In fact, she always keeps me guessing, as every brilliant author should.

Jo is on her way to stop a wedding, chasing a past that seems brighter than her future. Dean is running away from his past: a childhood of neglect and a dying father he has never known.

Jo is a hopeless romantic, an eternal optimist, determined to find 'the one' or maybe 'the one' that she let get away. Dean is the opposite, a resolute cynic who has never been in love. Jo realises this, she recognises Dean as the sort of man who would break her heart, but she still finds herself attracted to him. Is the feeling mutual? Does Jo even want it to be when she is actively trying to stop another man's wedding?

Dean wishes Jo would just shut up and let him be. Jo desperately needs someone to talk to but assumes Dean is just like all the other hot men who have let her down. It seems like they have nothing in common. But could it be that without knowing it their past, present and future are already forever intertwined?

Jo and Dean have a LOT more in common than either of them realise at first. You will find yourself cheering them on, willing them to be together. It is their pasts that bring them together, but a bigger secret is about to stumbled upon. One neither of them has bargained for. Is it ever possible for them to be together?

Soon, all you will want to know is, can they make it?

You will have to read it the book to find out, I think I've already given away more than I wanted to. I definitely can't divulge any more information without giving the ending away. That said I will definitely #keepthesecret but I will tell you that I couldn't predict the ending and found myself racing through the last chapters desperately to find out what happens.

For me, it was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. I finished it in less than 2 days even with working full days in-between. If I were ever to actually have a book published myself, then this is the kind of novel that I would aspire to write, witty, clever, poignant and at times tragic and always very real.

Adele has done it again, written a simply brilliant book, that will leave her loyal fans impatiently waiting for the next book, and hopefully gain her some brand new fans along the way.

[Chelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read the first half, decided to skim the rest.
What a depressing book!
I was much more interested in Clara and Eddie's relationship. They could have scrapped Dean and Jo, as far as I am concerned.
The author jumped between first person and third person POV from chapter to chapter, which was very distracting. I wish she would have picked one POV, and stuck with it.
And although I am no stranger to silly, strange heroines (I've read a lot of chick lit), Jo is one of the most annoying character's I've ever encountered.
Even when I was still at least trying to read the book, I found myself saying, "SO what? Who CARES!?!?" during her endless internal monologues.
It was sooooooo boring.
The idea that Dean was falling in love with her was not convincing. Adele Parks should have employed the golden rule of writing more often: show, don't tell.
Ugh. I've just wasted an afternoon reading this.
Moving on to something better!

[Isobel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really waiting to fall in love with this book but it just did not happen at all.
Ultimately I found the main character Jo extremely irritating. Her overriding characteristics were that of clinginess and desperation and she sounded like a lovesick teenager most of the time not a thirty five year old woman. Her only ambition in life was to get married and she permanently needed a man on the go otherwise it seems that she just couldn't cope (which is slightly demeaning to all women out there as it is basically saying that all women need a man in their life otherwise what is the point?!) I felt like shouting at her GET A GRIP WOMAN!
Then cliché of the century comes along in the dark, mysterious and brooding Dean who suddenly realised that all he ever needed in life was a woman to fix his broken heart...I MEAN REALLY? IS THIS FOR GUY FOR REAL??? He spent his whole life shunning commitment and then suddenly after spending 48 hours with possibly the most irritating woman on the planet he decides he cannot possibly live without her!
Overall I found this book very hard to believe and extremely boring because of the very bare plotline. I would not recommend it.

[Parveen Harnam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a disappointing read. I feel I have wasted my time on it. Time I could have spent reading a more valuable book. I am considering never again reading "chick-lit".

It starts off very promisingly. I believe I had this thought in mind that this book would be a good read, albeit not the best book I've read. Unfortunately, this allure wears off very soon in the book. I found Eddie and Clara's characters rather refreshing and quite interesting, to say the least. Their conflicting relationship intrigued me, in fact, is the only reason I continued to read this mostly atrocious book. The female lead, Jo is a very annoying, childish, and weak character. She has very few redeeming personality traits. I only warmed up to her in the last 20 pages of the book, that's saying something. She seems unable to be realistic and is for the most part delusional. She is also, almost but not quite a brainless bimbo and a failure in all aspects of her life. I wonder why the writer thought this personality is someone to read about. The male lead is a character we all know. The typical, cliched male lead. A guy who has a dark past, great looks and you know the rest. Mostly, a boring, light, and unintelligent read, riddled with hackneyed phrases and scenes that are so overused, one can guess the plot right until the end. Only the ending manages to surprise us. It is a horrible ending, completely out of place, and so inconsequential.

[Joolsm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book comes along that blows all of your expectations of it out of the water.
I expected a fluffy boy meets girl type of story but ended up with a thoroughly good yarn that I'm still thinking about 2 weeks later.
Its well documented twist at the end is what elevated it for me, a book well worth five stars.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable romance come family drama - my first book by Adele Parks and I think I'll read more! Full review to follow.

[Zoe O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this two stars because this book kept me company on a long (delayed) flight and I essentially read it in one sitting. So it is readable.

But it is also absolute twaddle.

Jo is the least likeable heroine I have encountered in a long time - whiney, neurotic, fickle, clingy and immature. Her irritating inner monologue makes it hard for the reader to believe that she feels genuinely for Dean. Surely this is just another fleeting and disastrous crush?? It's pretty much typical for her to meet and fall instantly in love with an unsuitable cad on a trans-Atlantic flight. I could only imagine that she had had similar situations a hundred times over before. What was so special about this one??

Dean is very 2-dimensional - all rugged misunderstood hunk, afraid to allow himself to love, yadayadayada... Can you guess what happens when they meet - yes, his barriers dissolve, and he starts blubbering about his cruel youth. *Yawn*

I don't know what annoyed me more... The too-perfect descriptions of their physical appearences (swarthy broodiness, him: peachy bum and big tits, her) and athletic sex sessions (they were truly in love, but they also happened to be technically very good in bed) or the ridiculous coincidences that riddled the narrative right up to the end.

Oh, and the big secret/twist? A silly plot device robbed from countless other chick lits/flicks and blu-tacked on to the epliogue.

I bought this because of all the wondersul reviews on the cover. I LOVE a good trashy novel. But this is just poor, write-it-as-I-go-along mulch!!

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I was enjoying this, it was a solid 3 right up until the last third of the book, and then - disaster. Too many coincidences, way too much exposition and neat realisations, and an ending that I absolutely HATED. Really, really hated. But not as much as I hated the Epilogue.

It's a real shame, because I liked the characters, I liked that the author didn't run away from them being in some ways unlikable, in some ways behaving badly, and most importantly when it came to Eddie, not redeeming him on his deathbed. That took guts. Oh well, there was enough for me to hope that I'll like others by this author, so I'll be trying again.

[Donna Irwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very very disappointing. Such a great novel, loved the characters of Dean & Jo but oh you could see that ending from so far! And another author who used the same mechanism did it so much better because it was a total shock. Was the ending to be kept secret in case Adele Parks was seen to be copying someone else's
plot?

[Megan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this book, like the author says at the end - KEEP THE SECRET! If you love Parks then you seriously won't be disappointed - its a winner.

[Bernie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, really felt for each character - bit of a shock twist at the end.

[Jean Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also, read my full review here:
http://viktoriajean.wordpress.com/201...

At times, Joanna (Jo) Russell's naivety gets on my nerves. She attempts to salvage a youthful mistake of ditching a fiance at the altar, by flying 300miles to wreck his upcoming wedding. That simply shows how much of a tragically hopeful romantic she is. I hated her less when she's simply unhinged and having fun, while not harbouring thoughts of how romantic love is the one thing that should determine how you run your career and life.

The story runs beautifully. We see a parallel story running side-by-side, an almost continuation of the affair that never was. On one hand Eddie Taylor at his bedside and the son that he had left 29 years ago, Dean, flies over to bid him hello and farewell, but leaves for his house in Chicago in a fit of anger when he discovers that it was not Eddie who had asked to see him, but the meddlesome nurse who felt sorry that no next-of-kin was holding the dying man's hand. On the other hand, delusional Jo Russell leaves her parent's house and flies to Chicago to stop her ex-fiance - Martin's - wedding, determined that the letter of invitation was a cry for help, and that Martin was pleading with her to not hold her peace. Somehow, she was inclined to believe that she had to take him away from his current bride-to-be. That Martin was the One.

I mean, who in their right state of mind still believes in the One?

Fate, or whatever forces that be, dictated that Dean and Jo were to spend 10 hours in the pressured tube bound for Chicago in the Club Class. The moments of emotional upheaval that they shared were rather less physically intimate than usually required for Dean to feel for anybody, but in rare cases more fictional like this, Dean cared for the delusional 35-year-old.

The forces that be also created a tragic interweaving of their histories. The father that Dean came to abhor happened to have left Dean, his mother and sister, 29 years ago, for the woman that happened to be Jo Russell's mother - Clara Russell. And in a dramatic irony, Jo finds out that her ideal picture of what family had been and should be, was destroyed by a single phone call revealing that after decades of marriage, her mom was leaving her dad for a dying man - Eddie Taylor. And that her dad was actually gay.

What?

That much was revealed in the span of this novel which had moments of epiphany that tugged at my heartstrings, despite the loathing I felt for Jo Russell at certain points where she was behaving less than half her age. How thoughtless and selfish a woman past her 30s can be really got on my nerves.

Dean, however, made a huge impression with his touch of sensitivity. His genuine care and concern filled up the void left blank by absent members of his family. He was the true hero of the book, taking baby steps in placing trust upon people and learning to commit like nobody in his life had ever shown his before.

The part where he was beginning to fall in love with Jo got a bit unrealistic and unconvincing, though. It was clear that girls were throwing themselves at his feet - cleavage, cellphone numbers and all - yet Jo was all he had on his mind after a mere 10 hours in the air. And Jo was being such a selfish, self-obsessed and indulged woman. Perhaps the oxygen up there is insufficient indeed.

Amidst the interweaving tales of marriage, relationships and families - broken or not - lies the keen reminder that nobody is perfect. Perfection should not be expected of anybody. And that forgiveness, big or small, is the hardest yet most essential part of any human relationship.
This is one piece of thoughtful contemporary literature that I would recommend to lovers of Jodi Picoult or even Jill Mansell and Kristin Hannah.

If 'The State We're in' were to be made a movie...
Joanna Russell: Isla Fisher (Bring back the Shopaholic, please!)


Dean Taylor: Hugh Dancy


Eddie Taylor: Sean Bean


Clara Russell: Christie Brinkley

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: I will admit that I found this book a little difficult to get into at first, but when I did I literally couldn't stop. I actually ended up listening to this on audiobook. I knew that I liked the narrator of this particular audiobook, having listened to her on several other occasions reading some of my favourite books and I was intrigued by this title. I have a few Adele Parks sitting on my shelf, as yet unread, but this one seemed to draw me in more than the others.

The story is told from multiple narratives. We have Jo, Dean, Eddie and Jo's mum. I found this a little confusing at first which was strange because I love a book from more than one point of view, but once I worked out who each character was and how they related to one another, I was away! This book had some serious funny moments when it was Dean or Jo's turn to narrate. The really great thing was that they sometimes went over an event that had already happened form both points of view and sometimes that change in view was used to move the story forwards.

I loved the character of Jo, I thought she was so optimistic and became so outgoing and forward, whereas at the beginning of the book, she seemed a little self absorbed and introverted. She believes in love and I think that is admirable in this day and age. Dean, as well, has a character change ove the course of the book. He too is pretty self absorbed to begin with, and a little stuck p. once this exterior melts however, we see someone who is keen to do the right thing and is just as optimistic as Jo can be. The other two storylines kind of tie everything together and so I don't have any particularly strong feelings about these extra characters.

The book is part set in London, part in Chicago which I found really interesting because there aren't too many books set here, and whilst it isn't my favourite place in the world, it was good being able to pinpoint landmarks the characters were going to. The main settings are a an and a hospital aside fom these cities and that leave plenty of room for all sorts of things to happen, which the do! The storyline was partly your typical storyline of boy meets girl but with all sorts of twists and turns along the way that will keep you guessing. Although I guessed how this book would end, it was by no means predictable and definitely didn't spoil it for me.

Overall I really enjoyed this books and found myself makin excuses to listen to this, listening for four hours straight at one point! You will laugh, you may cry, but on the whole it is an extremely heart-warming tale that delivers a generous dose of optimism for today's cynical society that we live in. I will definitely be catching up on my other Adele Parks titles very soon!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There has been a huge air of mystery surrounding what this book is actually about, and the only information freely given out is the vague description above. And that’s the way I’m going to keep it. In all the excitement of this book, the hashtag #KeepTheSecret is flying around on twitter and for a very good reason! This is a book that is SO MUCH BETTER when you go into it not knowing a lot, if anything about it.

Of course it is very hard to review a book without giving away anything. What I will say is that this book is perfectly written. I have been a huge fan of Adele Parks for a long time, and read every single book of hers, and I can confidently say that this is by far her best novel yet! I was completely blown away by the plotline, the characters and the journey that they go on over the course of the book. My attention was caught from the very first page and as the novel progressed, I became more and more intrigued, and nearer the end I was racing through the pages because I was so desperate to know what would happen at the end.

The characters were wonderful, I found that they all had very interesting background stories and many layers to them, and I enjoyed discovering more about them, and following their development as the story progressed. I became very involved in their lives and I really wanted to know how things would turn out for them.

I have the strongest urge to talk about the ending, so much that I could burst! But in line with #KeepTheSecret I can’t. The ending surprised me in so many ways, in fact, I’m still trying to digest it and since finishing I have not stopped thinking about it. I’m recommending this book based on the ending alone, it is that brilliant! But please read it because the entire story is fantastic.

The State We’re In is a very emotional read. I went through such a range of emotions whilst reading this, at times I laughed, at other times I had tears in my eyes and I even cried. It is not only a gripping book but it is also touching, moving and at times heart-breaking. I thoroughly enjoyed The State We’re In and it is an exceptional novel that I’m sure will be a big hit.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this novel to be very enjoyable and an easy read.

Parks has created Jo Russel as one of her main characters. She's a little ditzy, naive and whiney.

Jo's biological clock is ticking and the desperation of not finding and securing her Mr Right leads her to many many silly relationship choices. Jo is more "in-love" with the idea of love than an actual man it would seem.

Dean is an attractive, successful and complicated young man who meets Jo on a flight. They could not be more different but yet their differences have a few strong common threads that bind them together.

Both characters becoming a breathe of fresh air to one another and open a new world of possibility to each other.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I found this book just ok, not brilliant, not terrible, bit like a lukewarm cup of tea. I found Jo annoying and at times just ridiculous, and the entire plot and ending was highly predictable. Not one of the better books I've read this year.

[Bernice Berrisford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. I couldn't put this down once I started it. Adele Parks has surpassed herself with this book.

[Mary Grand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but found it difficult to follow inititally , may be it was reading late at night!

[Jo Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Rachel Gilbey]

The writing was very good, clear and concise, and it was obvious that the book had to be building to something, however for the majority of my reading, I felt as though I was getting nowhere with it, and was struggling to get excited about continuing.

Towards the end that all changed, when everything clicked, and wow was I annoyed when I ran out of train journey just as I was enjoying the book.

However for me a great ending isn't enough, a story needs to capture and hold my attention throughout, and I think its in part that I struggled initially to work out who the characters were, and then as I got used to them realised I didn't particularly like any of them just didn't help.

The book started with a couple of interesting chapters set in the past, outlining aspects of the two main characters, but not necessarily from the points of view that would follow as we got more up to date, so I felt a bit disconnected until I was able to place who came from each initial chapter!

The odds are had I read this at a different time in my life, or even on a different day, I may have enjoyed it a lot more, and I hate to use a cliche (or destroy one) but "its not you, it's me"

This was the first Adele Parks book I had read for many years, and it might be that if I was more in tune with her writing style I may have found this an easier and more engaging read. Fans of the author that haven't read this yet will probably enjoy it though.

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

Det känns som det finns så mycket att säga om den här boken samtidigt som jag inte vet hur jag ska uttrycka det. Det är en himla fin och mysig bok om kärleken, med flera förutsägbara delar men även flera tvistar jag inte trodde skulle bli på det viset. Karaktärerna är så varma och levande på något vis vilket gör det underhållande att läsa om dem, trots att början drog ut på tiden ganska mycket. Gillar hur Parks har lyckats väva ihop berättande ur olika perspektiv och även ha olika tempus och berättarform, det funderade väldigt bra i sammanhanget.

Tyckte väldigt mycket om att den inte kändes som den ”typiska” kärleksboken, med vanliga komplikationer osv som det brukar innebära. Det fanns fokus på fler saker i boken än jag förväntade mig helt enkelt, både olika ämnen och händelser. Både Jo och Dean var även väldigt intressanta karaktärer och det fanns fin karaktärsutveckling överlag i boken.


Svårt att säga mer utan att avslöja handlingen, så kort och gott - klart läsvärd!!!

[Joanna Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, good characters and a decent storyline. Maybe a bit far fetched at times but all in all I would recommend it.

[Saarah Niña · Rating 2 out of 5]

This love story begins on a plane headed to Chicago. Jo and Dean: two individuals with very different world-views and pasts. Can they make it work; after knowing how brutal, loss and emptiness can be?

I am fond of the story (kind of) but, I didn't think its ending was fitting. (Though it was powerful and all else was more predictable.) I mostly kept reading to just see how the final secrets were dealt with. Answer: Quietly. There was this great build-up, and while their responses were rational and I'd have reacted the same (well, not exactly the same) it felt almost as if there wasn't any more momentum to keep the ball rolling. The reader knew everything it was just a question of 'when will the characters find out?' Answer: in the final forty or so pages. The story was relying on its ending: and, it turned out to be inadequate. Stuff was thrown into motion and then, almost immediately, reversed.

I think that's why the massive ending in the epilogue was introduced. It did hurt but I was mostly disappointed that it was included. It didn't save the story. I'm also of the opinion something like that shouldn't happen in an epilogue- of all places. It made it feel even more like an afterthought. I'm quite tempted to rip out the epilogue (books don't even require epilogues), just to save the next reader from it. It kills it, and not in a good way.

I liked the characters, the story was quite light-hearted, with serious moments particularly involving a character's past. There wasn't that humour that has you turning the pages happily, even though there were plenty of moments for it. I wasn't rooting for the couple too much, as the pacing felt too fast. But more than that, I couldn't tolerate a character being so idealistic that she can't take heed from the lessons of her past.

The moment when it was simply two strangers talking on the plane, that was when the book was ar its most vulnerable. There was raw honesty. It was what had me selecting the book. I think I was more fond of the book's potential, its direction. But after that moment, it felt more like a Netflix-type of romance: quick timeline, littered with montages and predictable characters and moments. It felt like it was written with the intent to be like a film as opposed to a novel in its own right.

I do, however, like the sound of some other Adele Parks novels, so I may read her work again in the future.

[ReaderSP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was already a fan to Adele Parks. I got one her first books free with a magazine when I was younger and I have liked her ever since. I have not read all of her books (like I have some other authors) but I have a few more on my Kindle waiting to be read.

I didn’t actually know anything about The State We’re In before I bought it. I skimmed through the summary quickly and bought it on an impulse but I am glad that I did.

This book is written from the vantage points of several of the characters, Jo, Clara, Dean and Eddie. I like this style of writing as I think that it gives us a real insight into each of their lives and what they are thinking and feeling with every situation. I know that other reviewers have had an issue with this narrative but I think it works well. Each chapter is from the point of view of the different characters and sometimes they talk about the same situation or conversation and sometimes they don’t.

The main character is Jo. She’s a bit of a dreamer hoping for her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet but worried that she’s already let him slip through her fingers. Dean is the other main character. He has issues that he’s dealing with and he's very cynical about love and relationships. The two meet, by accident, on a long-haul flight and soon get talking. The story also involves Jo’s mother, Clara, and Dean’s father, Eddie.

Like others, I found the beginning a bit slow and difficult to get going but I was soon hooked into their lives. I became completely engrossed and found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn’t even reading the book. I think that you can tell when a book is great when it starts to ‘bleed’ into your own real life. The ending was a surprise to me but I won’t say how as I don’t want to give anything away. I will just say that I was still thinking about it hours after finishing the book.

This has renewed my love for Adele Parks and I will now search out her other books that I haven’t read.

[Becky Mitchener · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had this free on my kindle and didn't read for ages because I thought it wouldn't be my thing (I eventually have after hearing Parks talk on the radio and thinking maybe I had it wrong - that's credit to a good interviewer probably). It actually isn't my thing. I'd call it Sweet valley High for Grown-ups.

Everyone in it is wealthy, or has wealthy back up, because if money was an issue the plot couldn't happen. Also allows lists of rich fantasy descriptive pieces, like 'dream' houses and weddings.

Only written in 2014 but the stereotyping sexism is shocking - and its by a woman! Do we need to be told repeatedly Jo has large inviting breasts!? Don't need to know the size of Dean's assets because he's rich and good-looking, that will do.

And the end. Other less favourable reviews complained about the weak plot twist, so I won't repeat it. But in this century there is the internet, yet Jo was unable to discover her beau was dead. Had she never stalked him or his sister on facebook because she definitely seemed like the type that would. And then Dean dies the same day as his Dad; hospital has Dean's number at work, hospital think Clara is is wife.....very strange how never gets pieced together. You'd expect Clara to go to his funeral at least.

I didn't enjoy it, dumb chick-lit just isn't my thing, and I sort of read it all apart from all the bits I skimmed because I really didn't care about how Jo was going to win her man (take your pick which one).

[Damelapin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is really, really, really rare of me to put down a book without finishing it. And if you'd tell me one of them would be by Adele Parks, I'd have laughed at you.
But I was so disappointed by this book. I kept hoping I'd get into it, but at 80% of it, I simply put it down.

Jo the main character? I couldn't warm to her. She's the most annoying and selfish person I've read about. I can't even understand how Dean can fall in love with her. She doesn't know what she wants (come on, 35??!!), and doesn't think about her decisions.

The plot about Dean's father and Jo's mother is taken too far. I doesn't seem realistic. And on top of that, the husband is gay. Seriously...

Also, I've found this book quite dark. The mother was an alcoholic, violent, and is dead. The father is dying, from an illness. It was really depressing - and I don't expect that from a chick-lit. If I was depressing stuff, I turn on the news channel.

So after skipping paragraphs and paragraphs, I've simply abandoned it... Very disappointing from an author I love.