Rating: 
Summary: A great summer read!
Review: I enjoyed the mix of characters. Each woman was dealing with some very personal issues and I loved their grit. Yes they all had money to burn, but that doesn't mean that money can buy happiness and make everything all right. I loved the bonds of friendship that formed while at the spa. The fact that they all dressed alike, and they didn't know each others backgrounds or lifestyles, put them all on the same page for one week. I enjoyed their strength as women, no push-overs here!This is my first time reading this author and I did enjoy the book. It was easy to lose oneself in it, very entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I gave this book to my mother for mother's day and had 1/3 of it read before she left with it, it was so engrossing. The story was wonderful, made me want to go to the Cloisters which is the health spa/fat farm where the 5 main characters meet. It is a story of life and love, and overcoming things that occur in your life. Each character has to deal with a life altering occurence. They meet at the Cloisters, for one week, and then go their very separate ways. Each one finds a little something of herself while at the spa. The book follows them throughout the next year of their life. During this year, each woman seems to go through some sort of life altering experience, and through something they gained from their friendship at the spa they are able to face their experiences and triumph. THere are quite a few secondary characters, and about halfway through it made me wish I had written them down as a "scorecard" to keep track of who was whom. Had to page back from time to time to figure out some reference. Overall an extremely enjoyable read, one that would be a good book club book as it will generate great discussion. One pet peeve, they describe the 18 yr old as being enormous, and she is only 180lbs. I realize to some this is enormous, but to me it is not. To each his own, I guess.
Rating: 
Summary: Overwhelmingly Stereotypical
Review: I have read a couple of Beth Gutcheon's other books, and was pleasantly surprised to stumble across this one in the library. The plot is a nice idea. Other reviewers have objected to the predictability of it, but that didn't bother me. I don't mind a little comfortable predictability. What did bother me was the characterization. To read it, you would think that neither the authors nor the characters had ever stepped foot outside their houses before. An eighty year-old woman? Why, she's as old as Methuselah! A woman who is six feet tall? A giantess! Pants would only come to her knees! A woman who weighs 180 pounds? She's practically a hippopotamus! Etc, etc, etc. The endless references the characters make to each other (I'm being generous and presuming it's the characters, the 3rd person omniscient view makes it difficult to tell) left me stymied. Who would call an interesting elderly woman an old bag, or an overweight teenager an elephant, and if they did, why would I waste my time reading a book about such an unpleasant person? I can recommend Beth Gutcheon as a writer, I just can't recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Too Non-realistic.
Review: I immediately couldn't get into this book with its unrealistic characters. It seems like a made-for-tv movie or Danielle Steele novel. If you liked the Ya-Ya's, Pilot's Wife or Memoirs of a Geisha don't get this one.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: I loved this book, from the first page I was hooked. I didn't have a problem following the rich character development, and I think the author tied the women together with a rich mix of generational and social backgrounds. I recommend it to all my friends.
Rating:
Summary: What a delight!
Review: I took to this book after having read several of author Amy Tan's work. It was about five women who meet at a spa and how their lives became tangled. I laughed, cried, and was astonished at events and mysteries of these women while their friendships grew. This was a great little read during vacation!!
Rating:
Summary: People you want to know
Review: I was totally absorbed by this book, and actually learned something from it. These were all women who started out damaged or vulnerable who learned it was up to them to change their lives. It's been a while now, but I remember the section that affected me most was when Solange, the psychic, told the overweight daughter that she was "building a shrine" to the person who hurt her. That hit me where it hurts. These were all people you'd want to spend more time with, and I was sorry when the book was done. I love Gutcheon's style and can't wait for more. I've read most of her stuff, and this and Saying Grace are my favorites. These would make great screenplays!
Rating:
Summary: People you want to know
Review: I was totally absorbed by this book, and actually learned something from it. These were all women who started out damaged or vulnerable who learned it was up to them to change their lives. It's been a while now, but I remember the section that affected me most was when Solange, the psychic, told the overweight daughter that she was "building a shrine" to the person who hurt her. That hit me where it hurts. These were all people you'd want to spend more time with, and I was sorry when the book was done. I love Gutcheon's style and can't wait for more. I've read most of her stuff, and this and Saying Grace are my favorites. These would make great screenplays!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing - Very Topical
Review: I'm not a big romance reader, but this one seems like it would appeal to that crowd. Very fairy tale, even with author's attempts to set it in everyday society. The plot lines are pretty far-fetched and the Cinderella outcomes are just too unbelieveable. What world-famous movie star gives a darn about anyone they happen to meet at a spa? It was a tad embarassing as the trade paper look of the book fooled me and I was responsible for my book club considering it - then choosing it! This is far from being fiction worth discussing at a book club meeting - much more of a beach book.
Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed it so much, I didn't want it to end!
Review: If you are looking for a great book, read this. It appeals to any age and a delight to read. I can't wait to have all my friends read it. If you are tired of Oprah's depressing and dark books, try this one. It ranks up there with Patty Jane's House of Curl.
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