Rating: 
Summary: Nothing to like . . .
Review: I enjoyed the first Marion Keyes book I read, "Last Chance Saloon," so I was really looking forward to this book. I have struggled through half of the book, however, will have to quit. The characters are so unlikeable including the main character, Lucy, that I can't identify with any of them. The plot (what there is of it) is slow and predictable to the point of inducing sleep. I will try another of Keyes' books, but this one was, like its characters, a loser.
Rating: 
Summary: Lucy Sullivan is...
Review: ...is not only extremely unlikable but she is also about the densest and most uninsightful character around. Most of her friends are pretty vile to each other as well. But Lucy blithely accepts their behavior knowing they, in turn, will silently put up with her behavior when it turns vile as well. I never got any inkling as to why stereotypical nice, rich, handsome but one dimensional Daniel is such good friends with Lucy in the first place, especially as she barely ever has a nice word for him or about him, plus they don't seem to have anything in common. Lucy's constant protests about how unattractive she finds him wear thin almost immediately. Well before the end of the book, I wanted to smack Lucy upside the head a few times for her immature stupidity, instead of rooting for her as the audience is expected to.I can enjoy a romance with a predictable outcome if everything along the way is done well. Here, it's not. All the storylines are predictable - from the issues with her parents, to interoffice socializing, and to the personal revelation you know she'll finally have. Many of the minor characters are nothing more than clichéd stereotypes. There's the ubiquitous flamingly gay male friend, the obese coworker who knocks over furniture and desk accessories with every move, the rowdy blunt talking Australian, a huge chested dumb blond, and so on. Most condemingly, the writing is just not funny. Granted there are two or three amusing passages scattered among the 600 pages, but there's no real wit or intelligence to be found throughout. Many of the attempts at humor are awkward and forced, others simply fall flat. When reading lines like "Christmas was horrible...everyone was putting on short, black, glittery dresses (and that was just the men)" you can hear a rimshot and groaning audience echoing in the back of your mind. I got the uncomfortable feeling Marian Keyes is one of those people who's really funny when out at a bar or party, so then everyone tells the person they should do stand up (or write books). Unfortunately they buy into it and, once they do try it, it becomes obvious just how limited their comedic talents are. All that aside, I probably would have still enjoyed the book, being the Anglophile I am, if it employed a lot of slangy British phrases, pop culture references, etc. But other than the occasional "I took the tube to work" or "we walked to Camden Town", the prose is disappointingly generic. Still, I'm giving it two stars because I was drawn to it enough to finish it quickly. But I wouldn't recommend it to a friend.
Rating: 
Summary: Laugh out loud fun
Review: I selected Lucy Sullivan for our bookclub this month since the reviews said "Bridget Jones meets Sex in the City". It sounded like fun! Keyes delivered with a funny, sad, and cute story about the 20-something lifestyle. Lucy is a single working girl adventuring through a boring job, happy hours, dating, and girlfriends. Many of her adventures hit close to home, though at times I wanted to shake her a bit to wake up and smell the coffee. This book is a great airplane, beach, or pure entertaining read. Don't let the pages fool you -- the book is a very quick read.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is fun and easy--just like Lucy Sullivan!
Review: When I was told that this month's book club selection was 624 pages long, I was a little bit daunted. Luckily, reading Marian Keyes' novel is just like gossiping with a girlfriend. I only wish I'd opened up a bottle of wine to enjoy while reading this fun, though slightly predictable, novel. From dealing silently with bouts of depression to the typical woes of a single 20-something to the drudgery of an entry-level position, any female reader is bound to identify in some way with Keyes' character Lucy Sullivan. Brain candy perfect for the bathtub, the beach, or reading in bed.
Rating:
Summary: Another Fun Read for all Marian Keyes Fans
Review: If you already know and enjoy Keyes books, this one will not let you down. Lucy Sullivan and her mixed bag of friends consult a rather dubious fortune teller in an even more dubious part of London which leads them all to believe that within a year and half Lucy will be married. Their exploits and adventures both in life and love are very entertaining and keep the reader immersed until the end - does Lucy get married? and if, so, to whom? A fun and entertaining novel.
Rating:
Summary: Such an easy read!
Review: I got this book on a Monday and finished on the following Thursday! All 440 pages are worth it! Lucy is such a realistic character. She is like alot of women I know. Hopelessly in denial and willing to help at any cost. I wanted her to find her love so badly that I struggled with putting the book down. At times I wanted to crawl into the book and shake some sense into her and other times I felt so sorry for her for the situations she was in.I truly wanted to be her friend. Marian Keyes writes a character that I grew to love. When I finally reached the end, I found myself wanting more!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story
Review: This was the first novel that i read by Marian Keyes and i believe that it was the right one to read. I wasn't too excited about the length of the book, but that didn't matter in the end, since i finished it the night i began it. I too am a fan of the wave of brit chick lit and Bridget Jones. But it isn't fair to relate Lucy Sullivan to Bridget. Sure they have things in common but in no way are they the same when it comes down to it.
She is able to prevail even though it seems that she has a disfunctional family and friends that she belives are kind and caring. Even though i thought that they were harsh cruel and uncaring. Lucy Sullivan is a shining light in her own right.
I did love the way that story evolved and by the end of the book i was cheering for lucy all the way because she finally gets the attention that she so desperatley deserved.
A delightful read for any fan of marian keyes or brit chick lit.
Rating:
Summary: I loved Daniel and Identified w/ Lucy
Review: This book was one of the LONGEST books that I have read in awhile (over 600 pages) but I read it in a day and a half! I was so smitten for Daniel! You could tell that he absolutely adored Lucy, and why shouldn't he? Lucy was a lovable gal who makes the mistakes that many of us do, falling for the wrong man! For those of you Jane Austen fans, didn't this book remind you a little of the love story in Jane Austen's "Emma"? This was a GREAT book! A must read for the romantically challenged!
Rating:
Summary: Er...
Review: I bought this book because I read "Rachel's Holiday" and really liked it.
I thought this book was O.K.
What annoyed me about reading this was the way the author had the characters talking. On every page there is a "Er...well..." and that bothered me after awhile. It was distracting to me and about 100 less "er"s would have been good.
Er..well..I guess that's all I have to say about this book.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable and Overdone.
Review: Okay, first things first. I read this book twice because the first time I wasn't quite sure what I thought of it and thought I'd give it another go (a complete waste of time). The characters in this book are sooooo unrealistic I laughed out loud. Karen, for instance. Throws a dinner party and makes her roomies pay? And they humbly agree? Somehow, that doesn't wash, nor does her nazi-esque control of her "friends". Completely unrealistic. A "friend" who carries on an affair with her co-worker's boyfriend? And Gus... don't get me started. I mean, how desperate is this woman, anyway? Ditto Daniel. As for Lucy herself, I found it very difficult to believe that she was compassionate enough to leave her "fast track" life in order to move in with her father. And why introduce the "depression" edge of her personality if it wasn't somehow going to come into play? Masochistic, perhaps... but depressed? Oh... and the ending? Riiiigggghhhhhttt... like we couldn't see THAT coming from the beginning. Completely predictable... skip this unrealistic melodrama. As an aside, though, I will admit that I was very amused by the characters' attitude about their place of employment. I'm sure a lot of us could relate to THAT, at least. : )
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