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Taking the Lead
Just because the love of your life exists, doesn't mean you'll cross paths—a touching tale of dogged devotion and following one's heart Theodora English must be barking mad. She left her life, her home—possibly her sanity—in London, to move to a tiny Cornish village with her boyfriend Michael. Even crazier, when he dumps her, she decides to stick around. While Michael fell out of love, Theo fell head over heels—for the cottage next door. Miles away, half-Swedish honey Jonas Larsson is getting ready to start a new life with his beautiful fianceé Natalie, and he can't wait to introduce her to his other true love—his new dog Dylan. Theo and Jonas both think they're setting down, but one adorable four-pawed friend is about to shake everything up.
- GenresChick LitAdult Fiction
373 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2010
3 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Monk
15 books5 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
She also publishes as Sarah Harvey
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
She also publishes as Sarah Harvey
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 14, 2017
Лека, романтична и неангажираща история с предизвестен край, няколко обрата и доста живописни описания на английското крайбрежие. Доста наивна и еднопластова, описаните герои са или добри, или лоши. По книгата може да се направи филм подходящ за неделя следобед. Ако се сещате за поредиците немски филми, заснети в Англия или за тези създадени по книгите на Роземунде Пилхер.
Както още в началото споменах на няколко пъти се канех да изоставя четенето на тази книга, но не историята беше причина за това. Не знам как се е случило отпечатването на романа на български и дали е минал корекция, но в превода му има много смислови грешки. Изречения прекъснати по средата и продължаващи на друго място с други герои. Опитвах се да разбера каква е била оригиналната идея и това превърна четенето в мъчение. По относително високия рейтинг на книгата в Goodreads стигам до извода, че английската версия няма подобни проблеми. И ако все пак искате да прочетете историята на Дилън и владеете английски, то съветът ми е да потърсите книгата в оригинал.
https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
Както още в началото споменах на няколко пъти се канех да изоставя четенето на тази книга, но не историята беше причина за това. Не знам как се е случило отпечатването на романа на български и дали е минал корекция, но в превода му има много смислови грешки. Изречения прекъснати по средата и продължаващи на друго място с други герои. Опитвах се да разбера каква е била оригиналната идея и това превърна четенето в мъчение. По относително високия рейтинг на книгата в Goodreads стигам до извода, че английската версия няма подобни проблеми. И ако все пак искате да прочетете историята на Дилън и владеете английски, то съветът ми е да потърсите книгата в оригинал.
https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
August 18, 2011
It's funny, usually I get frustrated when it seems like the hero and heroine are talking too long to meet. This book reminds me a little of the movie "Sliding Doors", but instead of the alternate universes/realities, Jonas and Theo are living separate lives and don't know where they are about to intersect.
This book was really sweet and and I felt for both Theo and Jonas for separate reasons. I loved Theo's artistic and giving nature, while I adored Jonas for his ability to always look on the bright side. It broke my heart to read about dogs being abandoned at shelter homes. But the real stars of the book were definitely the dogs. I just wanted to grab Dylan, Poppy,Matilda, and Tilly and just go play! If this is the quality of work Sarah Monk has to offer, I am very eager to read more!
This book was really sweet and and I felt for both Theo and Jonas for separate reasons. I loved Theo's artistic and giving nature, while I adored Jonas for his ability to always look on the bright side. It broke my heart to read about dogs being abandoned at shelter homes. But the real stars of the book were definitely the dogs. I just wanted to grab Dylan, Poppy,Matilda, and Tilly and just go play! If this is the quality of work Sarah Monk has to offer, I am very eager to read more!
October 14, 2017
Идеята е добра,но е написана толкова наивно и толкова разхвърляно,че му загубих края.Да не говорим за българския вариант,който е срам за книгите.Направено е като едно изречение , без начало и без край. Има толкова грешки ,че ми идеше да се обадя в редакцията и да ги питам ,дали някой първокласник им редактира книгите.Просто развалят удоволствието от четенето,да не говорим , че ни взимат не малко пари затова.
September 9, 2023
A sweet and happy read! It's also very funny.
Loved that it had lots of Dogs in it.
Booooo to Natalie the Gorgon.
Loved that it had lots of Dogs in it.
Booooo to Natalie the Gorgon.
December 10, 2010
Theodora is an artist with bright blue eyes and long chaotic hair which is supposed to be brown but gets attacked with colour as frequently as the canvasses she produces. Jonas is half Swedish, tall, with a halo of golden hair and jade green eyes and has channelled his mix of practicality and creativity into his own woodworking business. They are meant for each other. If only they knew each other. Their paths are tantalisingly close at times, but it will take something dramatic in both their lives to lead them in the right direction…
Up until I received a copy of Taking The Lead to review, I hadn’t yet read any of Sarah Monk’s novels. She’s written three Little Black Dress books but her most recent is my first. Sarah has also written under the name of Sarah Harvey previously, but, again, I have never picked up any of her books under that name either. So I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Taking The Lead. I liked the sound of the novel, though, as I love books that feature dogs so I began it hoping for the best and, thankfully, I was not disappointed.
Taking The Lead is a very clever story, as there isn’t one story, but two. First, we meet Theo English whose boyfriend Michael persuaded her to move to Cornwall with him before dumping her unexpectedly. However, Theo falls in love with Cornwall and ends up buying Otter Cottage and finds herself a lodger in the shape of Dill. Then the second story introduces us to Jonas Larsson, a half-Swedish God who owns a woodwork business with best friend Wilko and is about to get married to girlfriend Natalie. When a dog named Dylan enters his life, he’s blown away by his love for this furry creature, but when Dylan goes missing, Jonas is distraught. It seems that Theo and Jonas could be perfect for each other… if only they could meet!
The book alternates between Theo and Jonas and as it’s told in third-person, it’s very easy for that to happen. I found it very interesting that the book was told in this way and although I found Theo’s story a little slow to start off with, I was immediately taken in with Jonas and his story. Theo’s story does eventually take off and I thought the balance between the two stories was fantastic. The plot of the two stories were very different but were still interlinked, if that even makes sense and I did wonder how Sarah Monk would pull off two separate stories but they didn’t seem like two separate stories at all.
I really liked Theo, she was a wonderful character and was very endearing as she found friendship with a homeless man named Geoffrey. There was just something about her that made her so lovely and likeable. I fell in love with Jonas the moment we met him, he seemed like the absolute perfect man and it made me sad that Natalie wasn’t jumping with joy to be with him! What made the book even better were the surrounding characters. On Theo’s side you have her best friend Imelda, her new friend Suze as well as Geoffrey and new lodger Dill. I loved them all and they all added to the story. On Jonas’ side we had his vibrant grandmother Blix, along with mum Stella, girlfriend Natalie, dog Dyland and best friend Wilko. Again, I found them all enchanting, except for Natalie whom I didn’t like at all. The cast of characters was so wonderful and they all had their own quirks that I found it very easy to keep up with them all. Even Dylan and Dill, the dogs, were enchanting!
Taking The Lead is very well written, and I found myself speeding through the pages wanting to see if Theo and Jonas’ paths would ever cross, and the hope that they would meet was palpable for me. Sarah Monk has written a very sweet and lovely story, one that will have people smiling as they read it and I adored the fact the book featured dogs. I’ll be certainly picking up Sarah’s other books as she’s a true storyteller. I was really taken in with this lovely doggy tale and it will warm hearts on the cold Winter’s nights!
Up until I received a copy of Taking The Lead to review, I hadn’t yet read any of Sarah Monk’s novels. She’s written three Little Black Dress books but her most recent is my first. Sarah has also written under the name of Sarah Harvey previously, but, again, I have never picked up any of her books under that name either. So I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Taking The Lead. I liked the sound of the novel, though, as I love books that feature dogs so I began it hoping for the best and, thankfully, I was not disappointed.
Taking The Lead is a very clever story, as there isn’t one story, but two. First, we meet Theo English whose boyfriend Michael persuaded her to move to Cornwall with him before dumping her unexpectedly. However, Theo falls in love with Cornwall and ends up buying Otter Cottage and finds herself a lodger in the shape of Dill. Then the second story introduces us to Jonas Larsson, a half-Swedish God who owns a woodwork business with best friend Wilko and is about to get married to girlfriend Natalie. When a dog named Dylan enters his life, he’s blown away by his love for this furry creature, but when Dylan goes missing, Jonas is distraught. It seems that Theo and Jonas could be perfect for each other… if only they could meet!
The book alternates between Theo and Jonas and as it’s told in third-person, it’s very easy for that to happen. I found it very interesting that the book was told in this way and although I found Theo’s story a little slow to start off with, I was immediately taken in with Jonas and his story. Theo’s story does eventually take off and I thought the balance between the two stories was fantastic. The plot of the two stories were very different but were still interlinked, if that even makes sense and I did wonder how Sarah Monk would pull off two separate stories but they didn’t seem like two separate stories at all.
I really liked Theo, she was a wonderful character and was very endearing as she found friendship with a homeless man named Geoffrey. There was just something about her that made her so lovely and likeable. I fell in love with Jonas the moment we met him, he seemed like the absolute perfect man and it made me sad that Natalie wasn’t jumping with joy to be with him! What made the book even better were the surrounding characters. On Theo’s side you have her best friend Imelda, her new friend Suze as well as Geoffrey and new lodger Dill. I loved them all and they all added to the story. On Jonas’ side we had his vibrant grandmother Blix, along with mum Stella, girlfriend Natalie, dog Dyland and best friend Wilko. Again, I found them all enchanting, except for Natalie whom I didn’t like at all. The cast of characters was so wonderful and they all had their own quirks that I found it very easy to keep up with them all. Even Dylan and Dill, the dogs, were enchanting!
Taking The Lead is very well written, and I found myself speeding through the pages wanting to see if Theo and Jonas’ paths would ever cross, and the hope that they would meet was palpable for me. Sarah Monk has written a very sweet and lovely story, one that will have people smiling as they read it and I adored the fact the book featured dogs. I’ll be certainly picking up Sarah’s other books as she’s a true storyteller. I was really taken in with this lovely doggy tale and it will warm hearts on the cold Winter’s nights!
January 24, 2013
i think i'll start to love and like dogs now. :)
May 18, 2021
I love this book. It’s so different from the usual romantic novels. The writing style and the pacing for me is really good.
July 9, 2022
Finally, a goddamn good romance novel.
I love Little Black Dress
I love Little Black Dress
March 30, 2020
Taking the Lead is a great slow-burn romance, perfect for every romantic out there.
This book has a lot of strong female characters which I really loved. From Theo, who found out how happier and better she can be alone than being with someone who doesn't really complement her, to Blix and Suze who are still rocking their beauty and humor, charming everyone even in their old age.
One more thing I liked about this book is the inclusion of dogs and art. DOGS AND ART. Aside from romance, dogs had been another central theme. I'm sure you will fall in love with Dylan, Tilly, Wilma, Poppy, Eddie, and all the other furry friends mentioned and described in this book.
Art had also been widely discussed because most of the characters have a heart for art; and they are not just spectators, they are artists themselves! Theo is a painter, Jonas is an adept woodworker, Geoffrey was an art history professor and is also a skilled craftsman like Jonas.
You will enjoy the supporting characters as much as the main ones. To be honest, I think I liked the side couples and their character development more than the main pair. Wilko and Clem is such a wonderful match-up. Though I didn't like the fact that the author paired almost everyone up, at least the relationships didn't feel forced.
Make sure you have patience when you read this book because as I said, this is a slow-burn romance and the main couple does not meet until the last few chapters. But believe me it's all worth the wait and will leave you craving for more.
This book has a lot of strong female characters which I really loved. From Theo, who found out how happier and better she can be alone than being with someone who doesn't really complement her, to Blix and Suze who are still rocking their beauty and humor, charming everyone even in their old age.
One more thing I liked about this book is the inclusion of dogs and art. DOGS AND ART. Aside from romance, dogs had been another central theme. I'm sure you will fall in love with Dylan, Tilly, Wilma, Poppy, Eddie, and all the other furry friends mentioned and described in this book.
Art had also been widely discussed because most of the characters have a heart for art; and they are not just spectators, they are artists themselves! Theo is a painter, Jonas is an adept woodworker, Geoffrey was an art history professor and is also a skilled craftsman like Jonas.
You will enjoy the supporting characters as much as the main ones. To be honest, I think I liked the side couples and their character development more than the main pair. Wilko and Clem is such a wonderful match-up. Though I didn't like the fact that the author paired almost everyone up, at least the relationships didn't feel forced.
Make sure you have patience when you read this book because as I said, this is a slow-burn romance and the main couple does not meet until the last few chapters. But believe me it's all worth the wait and will leave you craving for more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews