RSVP

by Helen Warner

Four women, one wedding and a day to remember - or rather forget ...Anna's world is rocked when she receives an invitation to her ex Toby's nuptials - Toby was The One, The Love of Her Life, The One That Got Away. Will attending his Big Day finally give her the sense of closure she so desperately craves? Or will it only re-open old wounds? Clare is Anna's best friend, the person who was there for her when she and Toby split all those years ago. But little does Clare know that Toby's wedding day will also change her own life for ever. Ella is a classic femme fatale. She loves men and leaves them without a backward glance. But the one person who's never fallen for her charms is Toby. As he prepares to get hitched, is it too late for a last-ditch attempt to win his heart? Finally, Rachel is the blushing bride-to-be. This should be the happiest day of her life. So how come she feels nothing but a terrible sense of foreboding?

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Adult

392 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Nicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't buy this book unless you like sickly sweet stories, drippy, selfish, tear-sodden heroines, and an ending tied up in a big pink bow. Anna is insufferable and something of a Mary Sue character - petite, gorgeous, perfect all the time, supposedly beautiful even when she's blubbing like a baby. Claire should be a stronger character, but takes a fork down the Anna route, as does Rachel. Ella is the only one that improves slightly over time.

This reads like the kind of story a starry-eyed teenager would write, where love is either blissful and romantic or angst-ridden and tear-drenched. My advice would be not to waste your time on this rubbish.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

N am ras nici macar o singura data citind această carte. Nici n am zâmbit.
Nu stiu unde o vad ăștia de la editura "amuzanta".
E o poveste cliseica fără sare si piper. Personajele sunt șterse si modul de scriere al autoarei nu te face sa te atașezi de ele.
Nu mi a transmis nici o emoție, nici un sentiment... ceea ce e nașpa daca te gândesti ca o carte trebuie să ti trezească niste trăiri... ceva... orice.
Am citit o pentru ca imi plac poveștile cliseice, dar cred ca e genul de carte pe care maine nu mi-o voi mai aminti.
3 stele dar doar pentru ca sunt o romantică si mi plac finalurile fericite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[belle woodhouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, for me this book is more confusing to review than it was to read
I'm not really sure what I can say...the story, to me, wasn't believable. The only character I could really tolerate was Ella (who ironically, I was supposed to despise).
Another opinion I have is that Anna and Toby's love seems so very superficial and again, I find it incredible to believe that someone can wait 10 years to rekindle the love with their supposed "soulmate" while knowing that the same guy has already got a girlfriend/fiancé and has MOVED ON.
I also found it unlikely that Toby wouldn't have found a way to tell Anna that actually he had been essentially sexually assaulted by Ella and hadn't cheated on Anna at all
The only part of this story I respected and the reason it has a 2-star rating was the storyline of Ella and the awareness it brings, I would definitely be far more interested in a sequel that focused in on Ella's childhood and her future in fact.
I can't say much more about this book, I'm not even going to mention Rachel and Marco because it was so farfetched I've tuned it out of my brain.
I wasn't happy that problems were solved with the click of a finger just to appeal to the fairytale ending.
The author clearly has a talent for writing, it's just this was definitely the wrong storyline for her style in my opinion.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole thing was written in a way that you felt like a stalker or someone was about to get murdered.

The character Ella just made me feel sick.

We didnt get any background on Toby or why he was so lovable except for the cringeworthy pickup line 'lets get lost together', that he has sharp cheekbones. I think not young man.

Don't get me started on the soul mate but happy to string someone along for 7 years baloney. Love the one your with!

I found it all to depressing 3/4 through the book and quit.

P.S Give poor Rachel a baby someone!!

[Andra Steliana · Rating 2 out of 5]

As cheesy and unrealistic as it gets. Anna is the most pathetic main character I have ever seen. If you're still in love with the man who left you 10 years ago but you don't do anything to get him back, I really don't want to read about you and your story. The majority of women in this world went through an ugly and painful break-up, but I personally know no one who still pines for a person after 10 years. This just means you are not able to bounce back and pull your life together, which is just sad...

[Enni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started of alright. Flowed well etc etc. Then some reason it went down hill for me.

I liked Rachel, she could have been more though, I hated Anna.
Rachel has loads of good qualities about her where as Anna was a pathetic main character. A total brat who only thinks about herself.

Spolier:
After ruining Rachels wedding to Toby, she and Toby gets back together. She's jealous of Rachel and keeps thinking Toby somewhat still thinks about her etc. Well what did she expect since Toby and Rachel were together for a while.

Rachel was hurt but understood that Toby wasn't ever in love with her and would not be happy in the relationship if she knew deep down she would always be second best.

Anna and Toby gets engaged and Anna acts like a brat. Talk about not feeling any guilt what so ever and wanting to keep Rachel away after Rachel has been nothing but nice to her. All selfish reason because she is worried what goes round comes round.

Despite of Rachel actually finding someone she really love. Anna still acts like a total *beep*.

To be honest I would have rather the storyline goes like this... Toby gets back with Anna then through their relationship they find out what they had was feelings they held onto and they actually do not love each other. They finally get a closure to their childhood relationship and Toby really loves Rachel and does everything to get back with her after all being with her for 7 years or more must have done some impact in his life! Shes finds out she was pregnant with his baby (she always wanted a baby, so give her one!) Etc etc something like that. The storyline could have been funny while trying to chase her back etc etc.

Clare and Ella waste of space. They could have been more. Clare being pregnant after a week! Ella and her stupid relationship ended up pathetic! I don't even know what to say about these two characters... Lost for words!

Overall disappointed the story could have been more. But wasn't.

Dislike it. Ended up flippng through it. Was stupid how they both jumped into another relationship so fast. Both not really feeling very sad or guilty or anything just shows that it was actually a waste of time writing about Rachel and Tobys relationship altogether!

Very fast forward. Not really anything I can put my heart into when reading it. It did not touch me in anyway. It was just boring after a while. Upset that the fact for the past three days i read two utterly crap books.

1 star for this book for starting okay. Thats it.

[Karyn Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well What can i say about this book? Well I'm glad I didn't take it on holiday with me. which is what i bought it for in the first place.

First off it's the most ridiculous book i have read in a long time. I mean who pines for someone for ten years that badly and doesn't do anything to either win them back or make peace with it?

The characters annoyed me for the most part.

Anna was pathetic in a Bella laying down in a forest after Edward leaves kind of way that made me wan to claw her eyes out.

Clare was actually my favourite character in this book until she fell in love with a guy after one night of amazing sex. That's not love darling that's infatuation! though she redeemed herself with the whole pregnancy thing.

Ella well she was a down right bight, but i feel that she would have been a more rounded character if her issues had been delt with in more depth. I feel that the author skimmed a lot of the things that my have made Ella a more empathic character for me.

Rachel was well, I have very little to say about her other than she was a flat lifeless character to me.

Toby Who the hell is he? we no nothing about him of any relevance. why was he so damn perfect? it makes no sense!

Over all the character's and the plot were poor and one dimensional, lacking in any real depth or emotion. However this book had one saving grace and is the reason that i have not given it the one star is should really get. It was written in an easy going style that made it a quick, easy read that was just what I needed to get my mind off the feeling of nausea and stomach pains of the 25 hour bug I had,. the short chapters were also easy to manage whislt feeling poorly.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bought this as I'm getting married in a few weeks and wanted a casual summer read. One of the most ridiculous books I've ever read. The plot either is boring and mushy or ridiculous (bride on a bike?!)
The main issue I had was that we are supposed to like the insufferable Anna, even though she abandoned her boyfriend when he's clearly been sexually assaulted? Then when Ella goes through something similar, she speaks to police, gets lots of sympathy and it changes her character completely. Sexist drivel.

[Paula Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I like the idea of reading each of the main characters stories from their own perspectives, my kind of book. Looking forward to reading I.O.U now xxx

[La scrittrice impazzita · Rating 5 out of 5]

È l'una di notte e ho appena terminato questo romanzo. Era da tanto tempo che non divoravo in questo modo le pagine di un libro e devo dire che l'autrice mi ha aiutata moltissimo in tal senso.
Non sapevo che cosa aspettarmi basandomi solamente dal titolo. E invece mi ha lasciato sbalordita su come quest'autrice sia stata in grado di gestire quattro persone diverse lungo tutta la durata del romanzo, con anche gap enormi di tempo che avrebbero fatto girare la testa dalla confusione. Sono stati piazzati dei momenti del passato nei punti giusti per spiegare alcuni "perché?!" che mi balenavano durante la lettura delle parti nel presente. Tutte e quattro le protagoniste hanno avuto una vita abbastanza turbolenta, tra passione, amore, lavoro, bugie, tradimenti e molto altro. Ma una cosa è certa: alla fine il lieto fine è arrivato per ognuna di loro e in modi diversi in base alle situazioni createsi. Sono stata molto contenta di aver letto questo romanzo, sperando che mi sproni a continuare a leggere, anche a questo ritmo!

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the back of the book, I though we would have more of a build up until the wedding between Toby and Rachel, which I assumed was the main event. But this happens quiet soon and sets other events in motion.

This is pretty typical chick-lit fluff. I didn't really believe in the love that Toby and Anne had for each other. They spent ten years apart and didn't get over each other, even though Toby lived with Rachel for 7 years! Come on! They didn't even seem right for each other when they did get back together. They were my least favourite characters.

I did really like Rachel, James and Marco and found their story far more interesting. Though again, I don't really believe that Rachel would have been as nice to Anna as she was.

Grab this one when you don't want to think about anything too serious or save it for the beach.

[Hannah Polley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and did struggle to put it down. It was a nice, light read and funny in places.

I did have a problem with a lot of the characters – Anna badly needed to get a grip and Clare should know that you can’t fall in love with someone instantly.

I thought Toby should have married Rachel, he was completely out of order. I just couldn’t buy into Toby and Anna’s love story.

The best character of the book for me was Ella and I felt her story should have been explored more. I was in tears when she opened up to Clare.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are no chapters in this story as the whole is made up of each female character’s separate story. It is cleverly crafted in how at first we read about the present interspersed with the past – we are finding out where they are today and what has happened in the past to lead them there. Then the stories eventually come together in the present time and lead on where the other character finishes. I loved this as it kept me interested and wanting to read on.

I empathised with Anna and Toby – with how they felt and their conflicting emotions - but felt I never actually got to know them and their characters were a bit wishy-washy. For me, Rachel, Clare and Ella were much stronger characters and their stories carried the suspense that led me through to the end.

Ella’s story at first feels like a stand-alone read (although she has a very significant part to play in the past) until she becomes a part of Clare’s story. Ella definitely adds an extra dimension to their lives and is the conflict and negative influence all good stories need! She is also the one who grows the most on an inner level and starts to find a resolution through crises. I think the ‘poetic license’ used that changes Ella inheritance from that which in ‘real life’ and therefore is lawful, fits in really well with where Ella’s story is heading at that time.

I loved the way RSVP was also written in to Clare and James’ relationship so it is not only relevant to the wedding – a very clever idea to include it on the note Clare receives from James!

The one thing I did find annoying was a couple of repetitions where we were told something later on in the book that had already been presented to us earlier on. For example Anna’s parents separation and her brother living in Australia. Perhaps it was thought the reader might have forgotten and might be useful for some readers but it wasn’t for me.

I found RSVP easy to read and enjoyed the way the stories intertwined with each other. Despite my predictions being correct I still found the story exciting not only because of the way the separate stories are told but also the way Helen Walker shows us again and again that the outside veneer, the way we present ourselves to the world, is often very different from how we are feeling inside.

[AlexLovesBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

My honest opinion of this book is that it's really quite poor. It's strange because everything in it is so cliche and predictable, and yet really unbelievable at the same time.

I struggled to like the main character Anna. She seemed so ungrateful and whingey, just not what the protagonist should be like if you want readers to relate to her. The fact that she spent 10 years of her life deeply in love with her teenage boyfriend seems a bit ridiculous, because if she really cared that much about him she would have picked up the phone and called him long ago.
As for Toby, he wasn't likable either. There wasn't much description of his looks either, of what made him stand out so much so that Anna had to devote half of her life to him. To me, he sounded just as pathetic.
Clare was a great character, she was strong, although along came the cliche that she was the career driven lawyer, of course. However, as soon as James came along, I felt that we lost her, because suddenly she had turned to Anna and become a complete wreck over a man.
Ella was the character we were all supposed to hate. I thought that she had way too many bad characteristics for one person, like the author had watched loads of Mean Girls-type chick flicks and decided to roll every single character into one. When it was all put together it just sounded too ridiculous, but by the big happy ending we all like her again of course.
Rachel was the only character I thought was normal, although her part of the story was pretty boring. Jilted at the altar, but she's happy for Toby! Oh yay now we're near the end of the story she feels nothing for him and can settle down with Marco, how convenient.
Readable but so predictable and cliched. Characters dull and irritating.

[Rachel (Smelleykins) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read chick-lit. It’s broken down in chapters voiced by each of the four girls, which i liked. It brought a little more detail and quirkyness to each character, as we seen particular senarios from their viewpoint.

It is however, a very predictable story. Some times I just wanted to throttle the characters, other times I really felt for them. I have to say Clare was my favourite over all. She just seemed the most grown up of the four girls. Anna, who the story mainly centres around, annoyed me at times. I almost felt she was just inflicting the pain she felt on herself more than anything. It seemed at times, she was very desperate. But love hey.

I’m torn if i liked Ella at all. She was the evil one, the one we are meant to hate. But towards the end, situations changed. And Rachel, annoying at first, likeable towards the end. The same with some of the male characters. The predictably gorgeous lead, who was the main cause for three of the girls craziness, Toby. James was my favourite, even if he was a little ditzy.

Like i said, its an easy read, simple and will make you laugh in some places and cringe in others. I throughly enjoyed it

[87lectures · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si la couverture est mièvre et le titre un peu au lance-pierres, ce roman à voix multiples a le mérite de sortir du lot.
On suit quatre femmes : Anna, Rachel, Ella et Clare autour d'une journée qui va changer leur vie.
Si le roman débute à la rentrée universitaire d'Anna, on suit l'évolution des protagonistes jusqu'à cette journée cruciale et on fait agréablement connaissance avec eux.
Chaque lecteur pourra choisir son "héroïne" favorite, même si Anna reste le personnage central du roman.

Les évènements s'enchaînent avec fluidité et pour notre plus grand bonheurs, les rebondissements ne sont pas fades.
Bémol pour la fin : elle est certes prévisible (on est dans de la chick-litt), mais est très bâclée. Dommage de finir sur cette note.

[Yasnani Yassin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's something, the plot, but I'm not a fan. I'm not in love with any of the characters. Probably because of the characterizations. Normally, I would love the leading guy character, but not in this book because I don't get to know him. No back story about him, just the fact that girls swoon over him. The first half of the book is mainly just flashbacks and summaries to set up the story, which I do not like. Also, no scenes really stands out to me in the book. It's plain normal. So, not worth the time to read every lines of the book. Sorry...

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious and inconsistent. Just goes to show that if you have friends in the right places you can get anything published.

[Adelyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get on with this one, though I did semi-skim read through till the end just to find out how things panned out. I was irked quite early on due to what I admit is a rather minor point: The fact that I am probably overly familiar with the Oxbridge admissions process at the time period that the novel claims to be set in, and know for a fact that there were no such thing as A* grades in the year that the author claimed that the offer letter was sent . This happened quite early on, and immediately I flagged it as plain lazy writing – that no research whatsoever went into this book – and to me there is no excuse for lazy writing, chick-lit or otherwise.

My bigger issues with this one was that there was no emotion in any of the writing, it was quite literally “he did this” followed by “she responded with that”. On and on and on again. In principle the premise was interesting: Guy and girl getting married, he has a load of baggage that she isn’t quite aware about, shit hits the fan in the run-up to the wedding, told from multiple points of view so we can see how the different characters perceive the same situation differently.

Unfortunately let down so badly by the writing, and again a manifestation of the laziness in it: After Toby lets Rachel down, literally in the middle of her wedding, she is completely okay with it and is merely “happy for him” when she later visits Clare at the flat that they share. I get that the author was trying to create a happily-ever-after ending for everyone, and indeed there were enough men and women in the picture for that to eventually become a reality, but we could have done with some conflict on the way there! . I get that stories of this genre are meant to be light reading and not always chock full of realism, but this one could have done with a dose of it – and a big dose at that. Guess that’s one author to add to my “not interested in” list, which is good for my ever-growing TBR! 2 stars, only because I did finish it.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna’s world is rocked when she receives an invitation to her ex Toby’s nuptials – Toby was The One, The Love of Her Life, The One That Got Away. Will attending his Big Day finally give her the sense of closure she so desperately craves? Or will it only re-open old wounds? Clare is Anna’s best friend, the person who was there for her when she and Toby split all those years ago. But little does Clare know that Toby’s wedding day will also change her own life for ever. Ella is a classic femme fatale. She loves men and leaves them without a backward glance. But the one person who’s never fallen for her charms is Toby. As he prepares to get hitched, is it too late for a last-ditch attempt to win his heart? Finally, Rachel is the blushing bride-to-be. This should be the happiest day of her life. So how come she feels nothing but a terrible sense of foreboding?

Helen Warner’s debut novel RSVP is one I’ve been wanting to read since I first heard about it. It sounded like a really amazing novel, and that if done correctly it could very much launch Warner as a must-read Chick Lit author. But what really sold the book to me was the cover. It’s a lovely light blue set out like a real wedding invitation with the title in an embossed font. It’s hugely appealing (I’m a total sucker for a pretty cover and RSVP’s cover is one of the best I’ve ever seen). It looks even better in real life, with a chocolate covered ribbon as a bookmark. I couldn’t wait to dive in, and for the most part, I enjoyed the book but I did have a few niggles.

Despite looking and sounding very wedding-y, RSVP isn’t chockful of weddings as you might expect. Although a wedding does play a major role in the novel, the major focus of the novel is pre-wedding and post-wedding with only a few pages dedicated to the actual wedding itself. But because the wedding in question changes a lot of things, it does make it an integral part of the novel, because without the wedding we wouldn’t have our story now, would we? The wedding in question is that of Toby and Rachel, who after being together for six years have now decided to get married. After making a pact with his university friends, Toby then invites his ex, Anna, who hasn’t exactly gotten over him despite the fact they haven’t been a couple for a decade. Along with her best friend Clare, they decide to attend the wedding in the hope of getting some closure. Also invited is Ella, the girl at the center of Anna and Toby’s break-up, who is now unhappily married to Max. It’s a brilliant plot, and I was definitely wondering what was going to go down at Toby and Rachel’s wedding. And it didn’t let me down.

The first half of the book is very impressive, it pulled me in like a good’un, but after the wedding fiasco, I found my interest dwindling a little bit. During the first half of the book there are numerous flashbacks, explaining how Anna and Toby met, got together and eventually split up and how Ella was a part of that. But in the second half, there are no more flashbacks, and it was mainly full-steam ahead in present day 2010. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of good plot points, Ella and Clare’s stories in particular kept me hooked but the Rachel/Anna/Toby triangle was a bit drab. I liked the fact the big dramatic part of the novel wasn’t saved until the end but was instead put in half-way, but all that excitement kind of leant the end of the Rachel/Anna/Toby story to a bit of a flat conclusion. But Ella’s story in particular kept me gripped, which I have to admit surprised me because for the first portion of the novel I couldn’t stand her.

The characters are interesting, to say the least. Despite the fact that I found Anna to be a very warm and likeable character, I did question how she could still be hung up on somebody a decade later. Maybe it is possible, but it’s the kind of thing that seems improbable. I did like Anna, though, very much and through the flashbacks I could see why she was so devoted (though I still didn’t ‘get’ it). Clare was probably my favourite character, she’s not as central as Anna and doesn’t get as much page-time, but I liked her and I liked her plot. Like I said in my previous paragraph, I didn’t like Ella for the first half of the book, but she grows up a lot as the novel progresses and in the end I couldn’t help liking her. She has a bit of a tough time, realises the error of her ways and all that, and eventually there is a light at the tunnel to show she can be a better person. As for Rachel, I expected to hate her, I really did, for ‘stealing’ Toby. But, actually, she was a fantastic character. I’d have even liked to have seen more of her. There aren’t many male characters in the novel, just Toby, James, Max and Marco and all were very well written.

RSVP is written in a very peculiar way. The bulk of the novel is set in 2010, and for that, Warner has gone for a third-person-present-tense narrative which, I must admit, I found strange. I love the present tense narrative, but I don’t believe it’s right to use when writing from third-person. It didn’t mesh well with me, and it would have been a lot easier to use past tense, it must have been a total pain to make sure it was all (excuse the pun) present and correct. Not only that, though, but because we had flashbacks, they were told in past tense, so the alternative tenses could get annoying. I found it easy to switch back and forth, I just didn’t like the use of the present tense. The novel is very easy to get into though, and up until the wedding fiasco, it was well on course to become one of my favourite novels. However the pace slowed and I did find that it dragged a little after that, particularly where Anna was concerned. As far as debut novels go, it was enjoyable and I did want to see how it was all going to pan out, particularly for Ella and Clare. I would recommend the book, and I will be reading Warner’s next novel, I was just a bit disappointed with the lack of pace during the last 200 pages.

[Tiina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't waste your time with this drivel. Gosh, I hope that the people who read this don't think that this is a realistic description of ANY real people. The characters were all gorgeous or handsome or beautiful or radiant or glowing, and incredibly good friends while incredibly suspicious of each other, ready to believe the worst of each other at the smallest hint.

The main character wasted 10 years of her life, pining after her The One. Men were obviously just props in the story. So whatever they did was only because of a woman did something first.

At the end, I was so critical that I started looking for holes in the story. For example, why did Anna not have her mobile phone with her? "Because she did not want it ringing in the middle of . Never heard of Do Not Disturb feature, or Silent Mode? Of course not.

I would have given this a zero, but since I did finish this, I'm giving it one star at least.

[-Rirame- · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a decent book for people who struggle to get into reading. If you live chick flick movies from the 2010 and earlier, this book is basically that, a everyone has a happy ending type book.

The main characters Anna and Toby are very forgettable and so without much depth to the point I felt bored whenever they came into the main light of the book.

Claire was such a good beginning character, a self driven woman and for her to get into love and first sight and a child with a guy she only knew for a week felt ridiculous.

Rachel was almost a good character, just that she got over her potential marriage too quickly and only because she found another guy.

The only fun character ended up being the 'villainous' character. She has so much depth towards the end, but I felt a lot more could have been explored with her on the path to redemption.

Overall a decent book for people who like to switch of their brain and relax with cheap 'comedy' and 'romance'.

[Victoria Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim and was very surprised by it!

At first I didn't have high hopes for it but as I kept reading I couldn't put the book down however then the more I read the more unrealistic I found the whole story and I started to want to just finish the book.

I really liked Anna at first (although she needed to pull herself together a bit) however as I read on I just felt like all the women in the books really depended on the men.

I felt sorry for Rachel, as the poor victim of the story. Everyone is getting their happy ending whilst poor Rachel is humiliated in front of all people she cares about. And then..... she gets her happy ending too... a bit too convenient....

Ella and Clare showed promise but then they got taken over by their obsession for men.

Overall I liked the book enough to finish it but not enough to want to read it again.

[Holly is Happy Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about Anna who has been invited to her ex boyfriend Toby’s wedding whom they got together at university . We learn about how their relationship evolved to it ending. Clare is Anna’s roommate and university friend, Clare meets a friend of Toby’s but things aren’t as simple as they seem. Ella knew Clare and Anna at university but they weren’t friends as we learn how Ella plotted to break up the relationship between Anna and Toby. Rachel is set to marry Toby but she has doubts about whether he is still in love with Anna. This book goes through the girls going through friendships and relationships. I loved Anna and Toby but the ending was abrupt and should have had a epilogue.

[MadRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super easy read in a typical chick-lit style. You quickly get to know the characters as the chapters are told from each of the four women's point of view. Each woman has completely different traits and it is easy to feel empathy with each one at different stages of the story. Full of romance and the search for the one true love whilst also dealing with some heavier themes along the way. Predictable and comforting 'happy-ending' style which isn't for everyone, but I would recommend it for someone who enjoys traditional chick-lit or for someone looking for a light read.

[Cristina's Chronicles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di solito le storie che parlano d'amore non mi piacciono troppo perchè sono sempre super scontate. In questo caso seguiamo quattro storie diverse che tengono il lettore interessato per tutta la durata del libro...
Ammetto che la storia di Anna è quella che mi ha preso meno e quella di Ella è quella che mi ha tenuto incollata al libro fino alla fine...se non contiamo il fatto che volevo veramente sapere il sesso del bambino. Mannaggia!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a while to get into as it was a bit of a slow starter. The characters were fairly well drawn but I found them somewhat irritating but I suppose given the genre I should expect a certain amount of that. It was an easy read despite the very sedate beginning and I did finish it. This book wouldn’t make my top 100 but it held my attention enough for me to finish it so I gave it 4 stars. All in all an easy entertaining read.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Generally enjoyed this book and would recommend it as a light hearted read. But I did have to knock half a star off for the last chapter. Anna’s over the top reaction ruined any character development. Then the ending was really quick, a better wrap up for all women / an epilogue would have been nice.

[Sonahriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised the reviews for this book were so bad! It was a sweet read, and I thought the writer did a great job showing four different girls and their reactions – totally believable. Not every book needs perfect characters; this one's sweet and bitter, realistic, and I enjoyed it. One character's annoying, but the others are great.

[nadia c · Rating 3 out of 5]

an engaging holiday read, just too incesty (in the sense that everyone ends up with each others friends or relatives!) and there is a huge double standard in the treatment of sexual assault against men and women, which was uncomfortable. ending was a bit slap-dash - while it promised the book was about 4 women, we only got a conclusion about two i would say!