Rating: 
Summary: Grand Avenue
Review: I would give Grand Avenue a 4 for being a page turner, but by the time I read the last page and had closure on the story, I can only give it a 3.5Fielding does a great job of painting the profiles of each of the "Grand Dames" Chris, Barbara, Susan & Vicki. We get to know each friend, her strengths and weaknesses, her role in the dynamics of this circle of friends. The first chapter of the novel sets the reader up for suspense, not letting us know who the narrator is, and blantantly telling us, that amongst this close-knit group of women, 2 will die-one horribly, and one will betray, is not really a friend at all. As the pages progress, Fielding takes the reader around many twists and turns, helping us to learn the characters even more and getting the mind reeling as to what will happen to fulfill the destiny we are told from the beginning. The character development is excellent, and the twists and turns highly entertaining, but I felt the ending was a let down and somewhat out of tune with most of the novel. The conclusions wrapped up a bit too quickly and were not quite convincing enough. It was a page turner, and a fun read-would make a great beach read.
Rating: 
Summary: You'll lose sleep reading this book!
Review: I did. I stayed up until 3 a.m. just so I could finish it. This is the second book I've read by Joy Fielding, with the first being See Jane Run. I liked that book, but I think Joy found her nitch here. Grand Avenue is the story of four women and their 20 year friendship. During that time, the women experience motherhood, troubled marriages, spousal abuse, aging, true friendship and the ultimate betrayal. You cheer on these woman because you feel like they are your friends -- you want them to succeed, you want them to remain friends forever, you want their daughters to realize how much they do for them. The story is beautifully written and the characters are so real that you empathize with them even when you disagree with them. A great summer read!
Rating:
Summary: A Novel of Four Women and the Friendship that Binds Them
Review: I loved this book and loved being part of the warm and cozy friendships developed among four women who lived on the same suburban street. They meet at a neighborhood park where each has brought her firstborn, a two-year old girl, to play. The chemistry amongst them is immediate and the reader is privvy to their darkest secrets as the book follows them over the course of the next 23 years. We are warned in the introduction that two will die, one violently, and one will turn out not to be a friend at all. Thus, the stage is set for suspense as we become involved in their lives. Chris is the abused wife who is beaten by her husband. Her bruises and broken ribs shame her and she hides her horrible secret behind the walls of her home. Barbara is the ex-beauty queen who never stops walking the runway and whose biggest decision is which plastic surgery to have next. Her greatest challenges, however, will come from her wandering professor husband, her inability to conceive again, and her relationship with her subdued daughter. Susan is the modern-day homemaker who goes back to school and finds a career as an editor, but also finds sexual tension and harrassment in the workplace as well as a rebellious teen at home. Vicki is the high-powered attorney who puts her marriage and family low on her list of priorities while concentrating on her career and sexual dalliances. The reader will be engrossed as the four bond and choose which secrets to share and which to hide. This is a can't-put-down novel that never lets up, gives you twists, turns, and unexpected surprises aplenty. So if you enjoy relationship dramas, uncovering the human qualities that bind us and the deep distress that tears us from our family and friends, you too will love this outstanding novel and long remember the four friends from Grand Avenue.
Rating:
Summary: Fielding takes a leap into literature
Review: and comes up with a winner. Spectacular character development is only part of the winning presence of this book. The reader becomes a part of a tight knit group of four women who laugh, love, and attempt to live life to the fullest, sometimes cloaked in secrecy. Through the ups and downs of marriage and the childbearing years they always know they have each other. Until something unspeakable happens, something so unthinkable they are not sure whether it is even possible. I climbed right into this novel and became one of the "Grand Dames" of Grand Avenue, as they were so richly known. Clever and sharply written, to the point that I even winced at some of the scenes. These women will stay with you long after you read the last page. Kudos go out to Fielding for making a marvelous contribution to her reading public. Kelsana 4/16/02
Rating:
Summary: A real page-turner!
Review: A group of reading buddies recommended this book in an online book club and since I was in the mood for something what I thought would be light and trivial ... I grabbed it at the library without a second thought. This book should have come with a warning. You cannot just put this book down to do chores or go to work. This book must be consumed in matter of hours because Fielding keeps you guessing throughout the whole book. Just when you think you have one of the characters figured out, you find another twist and turn. A group of four women who live on Grand Avenue in Cincinnati formed deep friendships with one another over the years as their daughters grew up. There is Barbara, a former beauty queen, intent on keeping her marriage with her professor husband. There is Susan who was juggling college and motherhood. There was Chris who sacrificed everything to keep her family together while bowing to her husband's whims and maniac jealousy. There was Vicki, the superwoman who is also a top lawyer in Cincinnati. These women are very different from one another but the bond of attachment they have for one another is deep and solid ~~ till circumstances changed their lives. This is a wonderful book about friendships between women and how despite everything it changes over the years. It is also a fast-paced novel ~~ best to be savored in one day. So I highly recommend you take the day off, turn the phone off the hook, lock the doors, send the kids to a babysitter ~~ and it'll be worth that couple of hours just to read this book. It is a fast-paced page-turner. One that I would read again! It's not a cheesy book either ~~ it is written with real emotion and passion. So what are you waiting for? I wouldn't hesitate to pick this book up! 3/22/02
Rating:
Summary: Grand Avenue
Review: I simple loved this book. I wasn't not able to put it down from the minute I started the novel. This is one of Joy Fielding's best books. I believie every woman should have a friendship like the Grand Avenue ladies.
Rating: 
Summary: Grand Dames
Review: If you are over thirty, and female, you will either recognise yourself in one of the characters of the Grand Dames, or you will recognise friends. Brilliant characterisations. I was hooked after 5 pages.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book of women's friendships
Review: This is the second book Joy Fielding has written that diverts from her usual suspense fare. The first, THE FIRST TIME was one of my favorite reads of 2000. With GRAND AVENUE she proves that her foray into women's fiction wasn't just a fluke. She joins the ranks of such authors as Barbara Delinsky, Kristin Hannah, Luanne Rice, and Patricia Gaffney as the one of the best the genre has to offer. Living on Grand Avenue in Cincinnati, Barbara, Susan, Chris, and Vicki met over 20 years ago when their daughters were just toddlers. Calling themselves "The Grand Dames," they became fast friends over the years despite their varied personalities and occupations. A number of social issues are addressed as housewife Chris deals with an abusive spouse, former beauty queen Barbara deals with infertility, magazine editor Susan deals with sexual harassment in the workplace, and attorney Vicki's drive for success affects her marriage and family. As the years go by, their friendship goes through changes as everyday life seems to get in the way. But when one of the four is threatened the other three are there for her. When tragedy strikes, friendship takes on a whole new meaning. I literally could not put this book down, devouring it in one sitting, and finishing at 3 AM in the morning! I've read quite a few wonderful "women's friendship" books in the last couple years (those by Patricia Gaffney, Robyn Carr, Mary Alice Monroe to name a few) and this one is definitely in the same caliber as these other fine books. If you like books dealing with families, women's issues, and friendship, don't miss GRAND AVENUE. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Reader from Tennessee
Review: I thought this was a great book. I like the way Joy Fielding gets to the point without a lot of unnessary words getting there. What an ending!!!! Don't want to give anything away, because if you haven't read it, you need to. I am looking forward to reading more books by her.
Rating:
Summary: Grand Avenue is Grand
Review: This was one of Joy Fieldings best books! It's definitely worth checking out! The ending will totally blow you away!
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