Playing James

Rating:
Summary: Superior chick lit!!!
Review: Funny, heart-warming, award-winning book. Won a British Romance Novel of the Year for 2003. Holly is a good-hearted, attractive British girl who has a loyal best friend, handsome rugby playing boyfriend, and ubiquitous eccentric parents. She writes for a newspaper and is paired with a handsome, sometimes surly Police Detective who's not keen on being shadowed by a newspaper person for publicity reasons. Needless to say, true love wins in the end. The characters in this book are delightful and even the "baddies" have some redeeming qualities. Got to love a book of this genre that has no profanity: Holly winsomely uses vegetable names instead of curse words. I know it sounds a little precious but it's cute! Holly is an endearingly clumsy and warm-hearted character who you definitely root for...and goodness prevails in her case! All in all, a quick delightful read...I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Funny English Book
Review: I didn't realize that this was a Brit book until I was already hooked. I usually don't get the off center sense of Brit humor, but this book was very cute and funny. I nice light book for a weekend read.

Rating:
Summary: Mildly amusing chic lit...
Review: I had a hard time getting into this book, the beginning was slow, it seemed like the author tried too hard to make the beginning light & funny. The middle of the book got interesting as the characters came out & situations arose. The end was almost cheezy predictable.

Overall I'd say read this book if you have nothing else to do, it's cute, but drags on a bit.

Rating:
Summary: Laughed Out Loud
Review: I laughed outloud on the plane, much to the bewilderment of my fellow passengers upon reading this book. Light and funny, this is a quick and enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT READ!!
Review: Playing James is a hilarious, romantic and suspensful novel all wrapped into one. I have friends that are in law enforcement and I can see them with some reporter tagging along behind them. I can definately relate to this book and the storyline. Right from the get-go the book moved right along and described the caracters right down to a tee. Like all books, you know who is going to end up with each other and I was so anxious to finish the book and find out what happened to Robin. I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Mason's first novel and will be looking for her next one!

Rating:
Summary: It's a quick jump from the cemetary to the station...
Review: Sarah Mason seems to have taken some cues from Janet Evananovich's light handling of the love interests in the Stephanie Plum adventures, and adopted a similarly light & whimsical touch.

It works very smoothly, easing us into the love story, whilst mostly being the story of one girls bumbling adventures.
And yes, also Bridget Jones overtones (Vol.1. not Vol 2!), as she is a bit clutzy and accident prone. But who doesn't do that, these days?

When reporter Holly Colshannon (!) gets an assignment to shadow a police detective, she goes to the job with a great deal of trepidation. It's a big chance for her to get some articles published, and leave off reporting pet deaths for the weekly column.

The supporting characters are all humorously drawn, and quite real, from her theatrical parents to her maritially inclined friend, Lizzie.

Holly's arch enemies were occasionally sketched in charcoal, not pencil (a little heavy handed) but for the most part, this book is a delight.

It was nice to get a little peak into the blues working day & I am partial to office scenes, particularly when they are as well written as this. Liked the jokes, liked the camaraderie.

The action moves along at a swift pace, preventing the reader from getting bored with the storylines or the characters, and Sarah Mason has a deft touch with the humour.

Of course, I didn't think so initially, one of the first "funny" drama's in the book relating to items lodged in a delicate spot - but the novel improves, drastically.

Being a gal who can never get her L's and R's straight, I was delighted to find a soulmate in Holly, who confesses to the same problemo! Now I wonder how she is with a compass?...

Kotori - [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Didn't want it to end...
Review: The characters were just adorable and I actually laughed out loud at times. Even though the ending was pretty predictable, it was so much fun getting there. I read this in one sitting, and it was one of those books where I wanted to get to the end because I knew it would be good, but I didn't want to have to leave the lives of these great characters. This is chick lit at its best!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!!!
Review: This has to be the best book that I have read in months. I was seriously laughing out loud when I was reading it. I recommend it to anyone who wants a laugh about finding that true loved one.

Rating:
Summary: A laugh out loud success!
Review: This is the author's first book and I have to say it is an successful one. It is definitely a laugh out loud adventure through the eyes of a young journalist. The love affair is gripping and real. Highly recommend this book!