The Finer Things

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I thought that this was a great book. Some of the reviews I read said that the story was not realistic, but don't we read romance novels for the fantasy - not the realism?

Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best
Review: The Finer Things was deffinatly not one of Brenda Joyce's better books. But, I did read it front to back. I kept waiting for the two main characters to get together and it was a little frustrating. I would suggest you read any one of the many other Brenda Joyce books....she has so many good ones. I have read worse. Just not by Brenda Joyce.

Rating:
Summary: Passionate, emotional, poignant, romance at its best.
Review: There is a reason why Brenda Joyce is the newest star on the romance horizon--she writes with an unsurpassed emotional power that is real and breathtaking. If you want to experience a true Cinderella story, don't miss this rags to riches story about one woman becoming a true lady and finding love beyond her wildest dreams

Rating:
Summary: Lovely!
Review: This book has gotten a lot of slack but I found it very endearing. Yes, there are parts that were unrealistic but what romance book doesn't require some suspension of reality? There were scenes when the heroine's love as a mother were really touching. The tension between hero and rival for heroine's love is great. One of Joyce's better books.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent story
Review: This is the only Brenda Joyce book thus far that has made me cry.

I thought Violet Cooper was an endearing heroine. She never had opportunities for education and such, but when they were offered to her she didn't turn them down. Her goal throughout was to better herself. Some of the situations were implausible, yes, but isn't that why they call it fiction?

I was somewhat surprised by the ending although it was hinted at several times throughout the story.

I have enjoyed all of Brenda Joyce's books thus far, my favorite being "The Third Heiress," but I especially like the time and place of books like "The Finer Things."

Rating:
Summary: Good story idea, not enough character development.
Review: This was a good story idea, but it was not sufficiently developed to suit me, plus, there were problems with keeping details, and some important ones at that, straight. For example, in the prologue it was established that Violet was 10 years old, that her father was not yet 24 (hunh), and that her mother had died just 3 yrs earlier. Eight years later when the story takes place, she reminisces with Blake, telling him she was 8 when she saw him, so instead of being 18 which was hard enough to believe, she is 16. In a discussion about her mother, I think during the police interrogation, she said her mother died when she was 3. There are some other detail problems, in fact one takes place in two contiguous paragraphs, and it detracts from enjoying the story when you find yourself questioning your memory and having to go back and verify what you remember reading previously in the book. I would have liked to see more friendly interaction between the main characters, so that you could understand why they fell in love with each other. There is more to a relationship than looks and rescues.

Rating:
Summary: Finer Things
Review: Unfortunately this is the worst book of Brenda Joyce's I have read. You are more than half way through the book before the characters actually get together. Wouldn't recommend it to a friend.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best work
Review: When I picked up this book to read, I just finished reading "Loving Julia" by Karen Robards. The storyline is basically the same - about a girl growing up in the worst slums of the city, and eventually becoming a lady. I must say Robards work is much more vivid and beautifully written.

For someone who has lived a rough life as a child, I am rather surprised and irritated that Violet didn't learn a single thing from her life as a poor person. She doesn't even have any street smarts. Her character is very disappointing, especially the part where she continuously hope for Blake's love - it's a display of a rather 'immature' and naive attitude, considering the fact that she grew up in the worst parts of town. Surely she is tougher than that??? I don't know what Blake sees in her, coz Violet doesn't even have a distinct character. It's as if she wants to be a totally new person altogether, wiping clean her past history, and in doing that wiping clean her own individuality as well. Seriously, what does Blake sees in her??? Furthermore, the book's portray of British English is rather unrealistic. I got bored of Violet's petulance, and the slowness of the whole plot, and skipped the whole thing altogether. Seriously, if you want a similar story, go for Karen Robards' "Loving Julia". It's funny, heartwarming and beautiful.

Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best
Review: While I'm a fan of Brenda Joyce, this book was too drawn out with angst. I agree with everyone else that it took much too long for the characters to get together. By the end of the book, I was so worn out from the characters, that I finished the book with much relief. I was more interested though in the secondary story with Jon and Catherine. I like my characters to have a few bumps in their relationship, but Violette and Blake had a mountain and a half. I wouldn't recommend this one so quickly. Splendor is much better.