The Summer House Party

by Caro Fraser

An alternate cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

In the gloriously hot summer of 1936, a group of people meet at a country house party. Within three years, the country will be engulfed in war, but for now time stands still as they sip champagne on the lawn, engaging in casual flirtations and carefree conversation. Then a shocking death puts an end to their revelry, changing everything in an instant.

For all of them, that summer house party will be a turning point. The mistakes made during that fateful weekend will change their lives for ever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, War, Romance, World War II, Literary Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2017

About the author

Caroline Georgiana ("Caro") Fraser was a novelist.

Fraser began her career as an advertising copywriter. She became a commercial and maritime lawyer, and practised until 1992, when she became a full-time writer.

Reviews

[Siv30 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ספר טוב מאוד, קולח עם עלילה קצבית ומעניינת שמושכת להמשיך לקרוא. קצת הזכיר לי את "כפרה" מאת מקיואן בסיגנון הבריטי המובהק שלו ובעיצוב הדמויות על רקע שנות המלחמה.

הספר עוסק בחבורת מכרים שנפגשים בשנת 1936 בבית הקיץ של סוניה בסארי. סוניה היא דמות דומיננטית אבל היא משמשת רק כדמות שמקשרת בין הדמויות השונות בעלילה. הסיפור המרכזי בספר לא מתרכז בה אלא במשולש: פול לאטימר, מג ודן רנסקומב.

בקיץ 1936 בעת האירוע בבית בסארי דן ופול מחזרים אחרי מג. היא חסרת ניסיון ותמימה ולא עומדת על טיב שני הגברים הללו. שניהם גברים מושכים, דומיננטיים וכריזמטיים.

אירוע טראגי מוביל לסיום בילוי הקיץ באופן טראומטי לכל הצדדים ומנקודה זו ואילך עד שנת 1945 הספר עוקב אחר מהלך חייהם של פול, דן ומג על רקע אירועי התקופה, פרוץ מלחמת העולם השניה והפגזת לונדון.

בשולי העלילה המרכזית מתרקמות עלילות משנה שנקשרות לדמויות נוספות בסיפור: דיאנה לאטימר אחותו של פול, סוניה כמובן ואיב.

פול למרות גבריותו המוחצנית ועושרו שירש מאביו )שנישל את דיאנה) הוא הומוסקסואל מודחק. לאורך כל הסיפור נשתלים רמזים בוטים פחות או יותר על מערכות יחסיו עם גברים. הוא נישא למג מכל המניעים השגויים ולהוסיף חטא על פשע, מרבה לנטוש אותה בביתם בכפר אם לעיסוקיו כמנהל קבוצת מירוצים ואם בתקופת המלחמה בעניינים צבאיים בהם הוא לא משתף אותה.

כאשר מג מתעמתת איתו על נטיותיו וזאת על סמך תחושות שיש לה ועל סמך התנהגותו, הוא מכחיש מכל וכל ומסרב להכיר בתחושותיו לגברים.

מג התמימה מבלבלת בתחילה חיבה עם אהבה אבל מהר מאוד מבינה שבעלה פשוט לא נמשך אליה ולא חושק בה. הוא אכן מספק לה את הצרכים החומריים, אבל
מתעלם לחלוטין מאלה הגופניים והנפשיים.

מג מתאבלת על נישואיה ומנסה להשלים עם המצב בלי הצלחה כך
שבזמן שפול מתאבל על נישואי חברו רודי לאחותו דיאנה, מג נופלת כפרי בשל למערכת יחסים עם דן שמלכתחילה מאוהב בה ומזהיר אותה מנישואים עם פול שרק בעל חזות מושכת.

פול שובניסט לא קטן ויחסו למג מחפיר לאורך רוב הספר הן בהתבטאויות שלו והן בגישה שלו לחיים. הוא רואה בחברות שלו עם גברים משהו מקודש ונעלה יותר מהנישואים שלו והוא גם אומר לה את זה. הוא לא מוכן להודות בנטיות ליבו וכך הוא מכניס את מג ואותו למלכוד קשה שבו שניהם חסרי סיפוק.

מג שעוד בתחילה מנסה לרצות אותו ולתרץ עבורו נשברת כאשר היא חווה עם דן רגש שהיא לא מצליחה לחוות עם בעלה.

בכל הסיפור מרגיזה הצביעות של דיאנה וגם של פול כאשר שניהם, למרות שהם מכירים בנטיות של פול ואף דיאנה בשלב מסויים סבורה שמג תמצא לה סיפוק מחוץ לנישואים, הופכים את עורם ומגלים מוסריות נעלה ונשגבת כשמתגלה הרומאן של מג עם דן.



הספר מתאר היטב את תקופת טרום המלחמה ותקופת המלחמה. את חוסר היכולת של חלק מהציבור האנגלי להפנים את האנטישמיות של היטלר תוך שחלקם מביעים הסתייגות בוטה מהיהודים ומההגירה. את הסבל של האוכלוסיה האזרחית בתקופת המלחמה ואת התקוות לעמידה מול הניסיונות של הגרמנים לפלוש לאנגליה. היא גם מתארת היטב את הסולידריות החברתית.

הספר מייטיב לתאר את הלכי הרוח של הדמויות השונות לאורך השנים והתמוגגתי בחלקים רבים ממנו. בשני החלקים האחרונים של הספר היתה לי הרגשה של התמרחות מסויימת ולכן הורדתי לספר כוכב, יחד עם זאת עיצוב הדמויות והאווירה בספר לא פחות מנפלאים ובכישרון מרשים.

ספר מומלץ בחום.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 4 out of 5]

You get real good value for money with this book, its a heaping 512 pages thick full of goodness, drama, intrigue and mystery.

I was very lucky to receive a proof copy from Head of Zeus which I will forever treasure.

Its the summer of 1936 and a group of people meet up at the Summer House. Its 'party' time. Champagne is flowing nicely, chit chatter being had and flowing nicely and what would a party be without a little bit of flirting. Dan had a 'thing' for Meg and she was in his thoughts as he was getting ready for the summer party.

A fight breaks out on the lawn between Latimer and Asher. Dan ran down the stairs needing to separate the pair of them. It turns out the fight was over a game of cards.
A few rows, bickerings follow including some loving behind closed doors.

A death suddenly occurs that put a stop to all the high adventure and revelry which now suddenly alters the entire meet up at the Summer House party.

Its a fabulously written book which will have you turning page after page. The conversations that go on and the intrigue of 'oh what is going to happen next' is well on the agenda as you flip the pages.

Within 3 years war will break out.

For anyone who loves to read books such as this, its a "must" read.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer House Party

In 1936 a group of young people gather for a frightfully delightful garden house party. From there we follow them as they grow and start to face the reactions of their choices and watch as they try to cope with the whole world changing around them.

I adored this book and the characters that I got to meet. Meg is so likeable and you do feel great empathy towards her throughout the book. She was my absolute favourite and I was at odds with her choices. There really wasn’t a character that I didn’t like. They were all completely valid in the roles they played. I enjoyed how they were all connected in some way. Very much like one domino falling down it has a reaction to the rest.

The book is a hefty 500 pages but it flows beautifully and to be honest, I read slower towards the end because frankly, I didn’t want my time in this wonderful adventure to end. Yes, it really is that good.

If you are like me and you enjoy a good Sunday night four-part drama on the box. Then you will love to meet these flawed, engaging, dangerous and lovable lot. I recently visited London and it features a lot in the book and it was super to be able to imagine myself in certain places as I ghosted the characters as the story progressed.

I feel Fraser captures the war years absolutely perfectly. I really had not thought much about how social classes would, in the end, have to mix and work together to survive.

The book is colourful in lots of ways it heightened many of my senses as I read. I have great visuals of the grand houses with beautifully kept gardens and the vast alternative being the dark and smelly air raid shelters in the heart of London. Of course, you have this amazing cast of characters who are all fragile and flawed in their own ways too. So the book just keeps on giving. The plot for me was not predictable, I didn’t quite know where it was going to go at times. Which made it even better.

I am overjoyed that there is indeed a sequel. Even now as I write my review I miss the characters dreadfully and I know that’s silly but I do. I am not getting a holiday this year, but it’s okay because I feel I have been on quite the adventure. Book two will be like a catch up with old friends. I am like a child before Christmas day, just bursting at the seams with happiness.

Jump into The Summer House Party you will leave full, happy and content that you just had the most amazing unforgettable time.

Read more here www.lovebooksgroup.com

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook version that was brilliantly written and I really enjoyed.
Very well written and well worth a read. Storytelling at it's best.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the sequel, Summer of Love, before reading this one and remarked in my review that there were spoilers from this book, even in the blurb. I now realise why the consequences of some of the events in this book – including an extremely significant one – felt under-developed. Presumably, it was always intended there should be a sequel. I don’t think I would be alone in finding it frustrating for some things to be left hanging at the end of this book.

I confess that for a lot of the book I found very little to like about many of the characters. Their lives seemed very self-idulgent and remote from those of ordinary people. Diana’s hedonistic lifestyle is a whirlwind of cocktail parties, boozy lunches and night clubs. It’s all ‘simply too divine’. She’s pretty free with her sexual favours too. Conversely her brother Paul is a straightlaced and rather pompous individual who eulogizes male friendship, has a very dismissive attitude to women and expresses views which border on the anti-Semitic. Dan is a philanderer who views every woman as a potential conquest so his professions of love are rather difficult to believe. Meg comes across as very naive and eager to please. For some unfathomable reason, she idolises Paul. Sonia, wife of artist Henry Haddon, is the perfect hostess but has a strangely distant relationship with her young daughter Avril who is invariably consigned to the care of a nanny. Sonia seems unable to see that Avril’s frequent tantrums are a result of this neglect, especially since Avril’s father is usually cloistered away in his study.

The days consist of a seemingly endless round of cocktails, long lunches and idle chitchat with a few games of tennis thrown in. Events in Europe (this is 1936) seem far away with more concern given to the difiiculty of finding reliable servants than what may be on the horizon. The only concession to world events is Charles Asher’s announcement that he is off to fight in the Spanish Civil War, greeted with particular dismay by Paul. During the house party at Woodbourne House there’s a lot of flirtation and late night knocks at bedroom doors. The relationships that form that summer, including the love triangle that is at the heart of the book, have repercussions that persist for years.

Meg, finding herself in a rather sterile marriage, struggles with the competing demands of love and responsibility. Trying to ‘have her cake and eat it’ means deceiving those around her in order to find snatched moments of happiness, usually followed by intense feelings of guilt on her part. Despite the risk of discovery, she is unable to find the courage to commit wholly one way or the other. It’s a situation that cannot continue, with tragic consequences.

Once war breaks out, I found the characters became more appealing as we see other sides to their characters. Sonia discovers life can be lived without servants doing everything for you and rises to the challenge of keeping the household supplied with food. Woodbourne House becomes a place of refuge as German bombing raids on London intensify. Dan and Paul demonstrate courage whilst on active service. And Meg experiences first-hand what many in London are suffering leaving her with an intense feeling of displacement.

The book perfectly captures the milieu of upper class society in the years before World War Two, epitomised by the carefree atmosphere of a summer house party in an idyllic setting. The travails of the war years intervene bringing with them a sense that some social changes are irreversible (even if Sonia does still yearn for the days when a servant would draw her bath for her). The book demonstrates the very complicated nature of human relationships. Indeed, to quote from Sir Walter Scott’s poem Marmion, ‘Oh what a tangled we we weave, when first we practice to deceive’.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love house parties and complicated families and books set in the English countryside but there was no one in this book I really liked and I disliked the way the male protagonist professed to be in love with one person but slept with all her friends as well.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book set in the early WW2 period in England. The characters and plot center on the upper class who at times exhibit no class.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF..decided the disturbing act(s) with a child were not worth any intrigue this book held as such promise which is why I was originally interested…life is too short…

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for something to read after The Cazalets series by Elizabeth Jane Howard, then this is likely to appeal. The novel covers a similar time period, from the summer of 1936, with a gathering of a group of young friends in their late teens/early twenties, at a large country house belonging to the aunt and uncle of one of the characters.

Some big event, which reverberate through the ensuing years, begin here, with a secret love affair, a death, and an illegitimate child, amongst other things.

The rise of fascism and threat of war hangs heavy over their lives and some become embroiled in the Spanish Civil War and then WWII.

It's a lengthy novel, and it is generous with the time it takes for these events to unfold. There's plenty of historical research and the novel feels authentic, and not over-filled with detail. I liked the observations on social change - comparing pre war to war and how the main characters progressed from a life of privilege attended by servants to having (or wanting) to do more for themselves, as society changes and the servant class disappears.

I wouldn't put the novel quite in the same literary class as Elizabeth Jane Howard's novels, which I thought were pretty much perfect, but it is a good tale well told.

[Anna]

This has an average rating of over 4 stars.

Huh???

It's a one-dimensional yawnathon. DNF at 20%.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in order to clasp on to the last remaining days of summer. Well, there was certainly enough heat in the first section of the book.! I can’t imagine or even remember the guests of Downton Abbey being this much on heat. Knocks on doors in the middle of the night, stolen kisses on the Chaise Longue and that’s nothing compared to what happens in the little wooden artists haven at the bottom of the garden.

There’s a summer party going on and many guests with their fair share of secrets. They look down upon those with less money than them and celebrate their cleverness by games on the lawn, lazy summer days and whispered conversations in the library. War is coming, some of the men go off to foreign climes but will they live to tell the tale?

The lies which are told during this summer however have consequences that last for years. That’s where the novel fell short for me as not all of the consequences were explained or even tied up in any way by the end. I’m not talking minor ones either, but one which is mentioned heavily at the start of the novel and indeed forms a large part of the lies of the day. I was waiting for an appearance of one character in paticlar, a mention, even a death....but nothing. Is there a sequel to this book I wonder? Still strange for a character to disappear like that. Then there’s the little girl Avril , so traumatised at the house party, who also seems to disappear later on in the book. Was there a murder Agatha Christie style that was so perfect not even the characters have worked it out yet?

The setting of Woodbourne House however is magnificent and nicely done with its evocative description and jaunts to London for tea and cake at Fortnum. Oh this is the life! Well, apart from the infidelity, suspicions of homosexuality, the seemingly revolving doors on some of the bedrooms of this grand manor house, war, tales of survival and traumatised children.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF/Skimmed to the end

I've dipped into Fraser's books set within a set of law chambers, but this family saga/romance is very different and seems to be aimed at Downton Abbey fans. Opening in 1936, it follows a group of friends and relations through love and lust affairs, marriage, separation, heartbreak and war. It doesn't add anything fresh to the genre and is a gentle rather than a gripping read.

The writing can be cliche-ridden: 'she felt the familiar fire glowing in her loins'; 'their love was like a plant which had struggled to survive in the harshest circumstances', and there's little character in the er, characters, the writing or the plotting. Bored, I skipped through the sections but sadly found all the predicted, well-worn attitudes and set pieces: the loveless marriage, the illegitimate child, the passionate love-you-forever affair.

Not for me, I'm afraid.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

British author Caro Fraser's novel, "The Summer House Party" is set in the years 1936 to 1945, and looks at a bit of British society that is often the subjects of novels. The upper class - non-titled but still wealthy - who have country homes in addition to London apartments, and lived fairly easy lives with plenty of servants. The book begins during the summer of 1936 - that year of the three kings - and is the story of the Latimer and Haddon and Slater families. There is love and sex that first summer; lies told about both and the repercussions go on for years. Fraser does an excellent job of telling a story about 12 or so people and how they are affected by the coming war and the war itself. She writes without caricatures of her people and wartime events. If you're looking for just a great story, well-told, try Caro Fraser's "The Summer House Party".

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

I so enjoyed this book. Not being familiar with the author, I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, sometimes, in choosing a book and an author you're not familiar with, brings an unexpected surprise. Caro Fraser writes beautifully, bringing the story, the setting, all the characters wonderfully to life. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more of her work.

[Robin Kuritzky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all Caro Fraser books, a really good read, with that essential ingredient of suspense; so that the characters are real and complex and you really care what happens to them. And my personal favourite, that it almost completely avoids cliché. And tedious explanation of subtleties that the reader deduces on his/her own. A striking albeit predictable tale that will leave us thinking about the characters for a long time, as if they had been a real part of our own lives.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read.

A group of carefree friends and family gather at a large house in rural Surrey during the Summer of 1936, not knowing that England would be at war within a few years.
I loved the characters in this story, the bonds they formed, the betrayals, the secrets they held, the mistakes, and finally, the consequences of all of these.
A enjoyable read, with vivid descriptions of the people and life during that era.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history of life in the war. Some interesting ideas that unfortunately are all dealt with on a very superficial level. Good, fluffy summer read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed the book and it was interesting to hear about how the war affected those left at home and the changes and sacrifices the middle and upper classes had to make, but I felt that there were many plot lines laid down that didn't bear fruition. I was constantly trying to work out twists and turns that simply never materialised. I would sum it up as a gentle very steady read but with no punch.

[Shoshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thoutht it to be worth reading. About a British upper-middleclass family and their friends. Meg marries Paul. She thought it would give her a nice, wealthy life, a husband, who always does the propper thing. But her heart and passion is with Dan, a childhood friend, who showed up at the summer party. Then the war comes with its challanges to survive.
Fromthere on it gets slow and sticky. The affair plus her determination, to keep her family intact, takes its toll on Meg. Sudden Paul is "a good man". Got tired of all the praises. There are also some open issues not finished. Sonias dead husband fling with the Nanny leaves a child behind, she is racing . An open secret. But hushed down.

[Tabitha S Frey · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know it's good when you want more book but all you find is the end.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, a reasonably lengthy 500 page saga, and was left unsure how it would end, right up to the final page. Caro Fraser's narrative voice is fairly dispassionate and I enjoy the moral ambiguity of her characterisations, but that wouldn't be everyone's 'cup of tea'. I also think her style (which is the same in her legal series set in the less distant past) is particularly appropriate to the period this novel is set in - the late 30's to end of 2nd World War.
Plot spoilers:
The story begins at a country house party hosted by philandering artist, Henry Haddon and his wife, Sonia. He seduces his daughter, Avril's nanny, Madeleine, a bored, beautiful girl who has been taken in by his wife, fathering a child.
Dan Ranscombe, is a charming, relatively impoverished, journalist, to whom Meg Slater, the central character, is intensely attracted. She, however, marries Paul Latimer, a good looking and extremely wealthy but very straight-laced man. The ambiguity concerning his character and actions was a compelling part of the novel for me. There is a host of characters and some plot developments that are left slightly hanging, I expect to be resolved in the sequel. I loved Sonia who hosted the initial party and worked hard to keep her country house functioning while looking after those closest to her.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through Netgalley. This book is much more than the title or cover discloses; it is much more than a one-week summer party. The setting initially is in England prior to WWII but progresses through the war. It begins very lighthearted and is a pleasant read.

The introductions to characters are primarily made in the first chapter. As the story progresses, the complexity of the characters and relationships becomes evident. The story includes war, survival, infidelity, homosexuality, and relationships. The book does a fairly good job developing characters. With that said, some characters, such as Avril, could have been developed more. I wonder what happens to this character; she is left somewhat hanging.

I enjoyed the perspective of life in and near London prior to and during the war. It portrays some of the hardships for, primarily, women (since the men were at war) due to rationing which is overcome with gardening. Yet, at times it is somewhat predictable but overall entertaining.

The book is enjoyable and I recommend it as a good summer read.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this novel a bit disappointing overall. At the beginning, a young, under-loved child witnesses her father in a disturbing situation with her very young nanny. As a reader, I was lead to believe that the child and the nanny would be significant characters in this story, but the author chose to let both characters fade into oblivion which I found very unsatisifying. After having finished the novel, it is my opinion that the nanny and the underloved child were both superfluous to the story, but those stories, if developed, could have added so much more entrigue and depth to the story. The novel ended up being about a young woman and a young man who met before WWII at a mutual relation's house one summer and had a connection, but who didn't act on it. The young woman ends up marrying the man she's known since childhood, but for both of them, it's because they love each other, not because they're "in love" with each other. After that fact is established, the rest of the novel becomes something of a Harlequin romance novel and ended very unsatisfying as well.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a pleasant surprise as I picked this book up by chance and I loved it. The book starts off in 1936 at a country house party and you meet all the characters. We follow the characters throughout the book and watch them grow and face the reality of their choices and how they cope with the world changing around them.

I just adored the book and the characters from start to finish, Meg was such a loveable character and I felt for her so much throughout the book. I have to say there wasn’t a character I didn’t like throughout the book which is very unusual for me but I just loved them all.

The story didn’t plan out as I expected, the book is quite a chunky one at 500 pages but the story just flowed perfectly for me. I have to say I read the ending slightly slower as I wanted to soak the story up and didn’t want it to end. Although I now know there is a second book so will definitely be picking that up!

Such an incredible read, it will definitely not be forgotten.

[Pam Mertens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, it's 3.5 but we don't have that option. The story started out well, but I never felt that any of the characters were other than sort-of stereotypes. Meg, the main character around whom the story revolves, is in my mind shallow and only barely self-aware and introspective. While she professes to love one man, she marries another because she wants peace, security, and a conventional life managing an estate and manor house complete with servants, then has an affair because her marriage is too staid and she can't/won't make up her mind between the two. This is evidenced by her Scarlett O'Hara attitude that "After all, tomorrow is another day."

There are also several threads that get short shrift: does Sonia learn the identity of the father of the infant she takes in and raises; what happens to Sonia's daughter (4 when the story starts) during the war; and how can a 500-plus-page book be credibly wrapped up in 30 pages?

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical romance set in upper class England beginning just before WWII. A variety of college friends and relatives meet at a summer party. The owner of the estate, a well-known artist, dies unexpectedly but not before impregnating one of the guests.

Within three years the war arrives and they scatter; the men into various government and military jobs and the women turn their country houses into supports of the war – as both the women and their gardeners raise fruits, vegetables and small livestock in former luxury gardens.

The war scenes and war-support efforts do turn this into more than the usual romance (the author, who wrote approximately eighteen books before her death, calls her books ‘romances for thinking woman’). Do not be fooled, though. This is romance with all it’s yearning, soft descriptions of sexual encounters, partner swapping and pettiness used to spoil others’ lives.

It’s just not the genre for me.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some interesting things about this book. I like that most relationships were kind of messy and there were some believable plot dead ends. But in the end, I think it feel short of being a really good book in several ways. It often felt like Fraser was taking the easy way out in her resolutions - anticlimactic finishes to what could have been some truly devastating situations being built up, stereotypical catty women stirring the pot. It was a historical novel, but that is not why some of the choices felt less than modern. I think what really held it back, though, was that the author didn't seem to really understand her main female protagonist's position. I don't mean socially, which she did a great job portraying. But she never seemed to acknowledge the tragedy of Meg being caught between two uncompromising men; men who felt like they were the heroes of the author's mind in a way that was ultimately quite unfortunate.

[Kiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

You certainly get your money’s worth from this book. It’s a lengthy sprawling epic saga (that would probably do well as a daytime TV series) spanning the key years just before and during WWII and following the lives of a group of ‘bright young things’ living life in the pre-war cocoon of London high life and country manor house parties; and how their lives change as they start to mature and as the country heads into war. I’m sure that a certain demographic of older female readers who enjoy easy-reading gentle sweeping historical romantic dramas will love this. The main problem for me was that all the characters (except possibly Diana and Eve) were just very dull - and they led wealthy and independent, yet very sheltered, narrow lives. Still it provided decent enough escapism for a long holiday read; but was nothing memorable.