Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable, non-stop read!
Review: This book is an enjoyable, non-stop read! It is NOT a book of sex, violence or corrupted values. It is a FUN book to read--and we don't get enough of that anymore. Robin Pilcher has continued his mother's moral values! I have read all of her books and hope that I will be reading more of his!
Rating:
Summary: Simple and Lovely
Review: This book was a joy to read. I found it heartwarming, simple and sweet, and although other readers objected to what they thought was a simplistic and cliched plot, I did not. The story concerns upper-class Scotsman David Inchelvie, who has lost his beloved wife Rachel to cancer. The untimely death of his life's partner has thrown David into a deep and dangerous depression, and forced his elderly father, Lord Inchelvie, to go back to work at the family's renowned distillery. For David, wallowing in his own grief, has brought his children back to his parents' estate, literally dropped them into his parents' care, and taken to the garden, where he is knee-deep in mud all day long. Yes, of course the mud is a metaphor for David's state of mind, and of course it is obvious. But it works. Although the estate has a perfectly good gardener, David is only sane when he can dig, weed, plant, and work with his hands, as hard as any laborer. Only when he is thoroughly exhausted can he get through his days. His parents are worried sick, and his children need him, but he cannot pull himself out of the mire, literally or figuratively. But things at the brewery are in sorry shape, as the unscrupulous general manager, who now has the sharp and heretofore cutting-edge boss's son out of the way, is planning nefarious deeds. Duncan Caple is not worried about the old man, as the Lord is easy to fool. But he wants David far away as he schemes to sell out the family's old and elegant business. Therefore, he sends David to America on a largely phony business pretext, and David, barely able to pull himself together, reluctantly agrees. America is where David starts to notice the sun again. In a lovely village on Cape Cod, he passes himself off as a day laborer, and gets a job with Jasmine, whose philandering husband is off doing what he does best. David finds a small cottage, a horribly smelly dog, an unpretentious seaside village quite unlike what he is used to in Scotland, and a small boy who needs a father figure. And so the plot winds along to its inevitable conclusion, predictable, but wonderful. What saves this book from banality is Pilcher's utterly ingenuous style, his obvious sincerity, his total honesty and the fact that he cares for his characters very much. In addition, he is a good writer who keeps the plot moving along with good descriptions, interesting plot twists, and a story that holds one's interest. Is the son as good as the mother? Probably not, but in my view, this first novel holds great promise, and I am anxious to begin his just-released new book!
Rating: 
Summary: An Ocean Apart
Review: This book was read on the strength of how much I enjoyed the stories of Rosamunde Pilcher; however, I found it contained a well-worn, rather boring plot, with a predictable ending. Suffice it to say, the kindest words I can think of would be to strongly suggest that Robin direct his energies elsewhere and leave writing to his mother.
Rating:
Summary: A refreshing story about beliveable people
Review: This first novel by Robin Pilcher reads like he has written many. The story about this wonderful Scot is very well written, the characters are very believeable and the plot has interesting twists. It is refreshing to read such a sensitive story from a man's point of view regarding the loss of his wife, the relationship he has with his children and parents, and his reemergence into the world after "falling apart." I hope that this is the first of many novels from Robin Pilcher.
Rating: 
Summary: Suspend belief and enjoy the read!
Review: This is a good escapist romantic story, but you must accept the contrivance of a grieving father who leaves his grieving children in the care of their schools and his elderly and frail parents to make his own escape in America. I do wish Robin Pilcher would do some research, or use his common sense - I know of no-one who would enter the jetway of an aircraft in New York in the summer and take a deep breath of "fresh" air. The business of taking the dog around in the car and leaving it parked with the windows cranked down an inch or so is just plain nonsense - safe perhaps for Scotland, but not for New York's summertime, where it would be dead in five minutes. There are many other such irritations, but I did find the book a good story and fun to read. There are characters who are pleasant to know, and others who are nasty, and the story rolls along at a good pace. Just give your common sense a break while you do it.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but with some irritating linguistic quirks
Review: This is the third review I've written for this book. Although I have carefully followed all the rules, neither of my reviews have been printed. I suspect you only print favorable reviews because your job is to sell books, not serve the public. How disappointing. I will never read or write a review of a book again. My time is too valuable, and I have lost my respect for your review process.
Rating: 
Summary: How disappointing
Review: This is the third review I've written for this book. Although I have carefully followed all the rules, neither of my reviews have been printed. I suspect you only print favorable reviews because your job is to sell books, not serve the public. How disappointing. I will never read or write a review of a book again. My time is too valuable, and I have lost my respect for your review process.
Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming
Review: This was a very heartwarming story told mostly from the man's point of view. The characters were real and the story drew me in and made me not want to put the book down. A great summer read.
Rating:
Summary: Snap out of it!
Review: While I enjoyed the book (Pilcher's descriptions and characters made it a great read) I found myself wanting to shake David and tell him to snap out if it. I am not a heartless person and understand the deep grief of losing a spouse, but I also understand the need to get on with life and be there for your children. Once I got over that large hurdle, I did like the book. Pilcher has his mother's gift for developing characters and making the reader care about them.
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