Tara Road

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Summary: Tara Road
Review: This was the first Maeve Binchy book I have read and I was not impressed. The characters were undeveloped and the plot was totally unbelievable. If you like Danielle Steele, you'll probably enjoy this book.

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Summary: I loved this book, too
Review: I just finished reading this book in three days - I actually got up early on a Saturday morning to continue reading! Sure, it is light reading, and most of it is dialogue with little variation in phrasing or language usage from character to character. (Also, she uses UK terms of speech in the dialogue of the Americans, but I only noticed that because I am an American in a foreign country and am very aware of this difference.) However, with all that said, it is still a good story. I loved the descriptions of the homes and people's varied attachments to them, as well as the exploration of the paths, morals and variety of social relationships that these modern families experienced. The characters and situations are very real and believable - she has captured a good slice of life of women in the 90's. I am left with the inspiration to try an international house swap if the occasion should ever present itself...!

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Summary: I loved this book
Review: I just finished this book last night and loved it. I loved the relationships, they felt very real to me, not sugar-coated. I could not put this book down and am sad that it is over.

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Summary: Definitely different!
Review: "Tara Road" started out soooo slow and boring that I wondered if I'd be able to finish it at all. The one thing that saved the book was the house switching of Ria and Marilyn. Marilyn seemed to bring something good to the house and saw Danny for what he was: a snake. For the reviewer who wondered who was with Rosemary the day Annie spotted them? Her father, most likely. Seemed like Danny slept with anything with legs! OK book, I might read another of hers eventually.

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Summary: A great lazy day read
Review: I thought this book was a little slow at first but it picked up speed later so give it a chance. You won't regret it!

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Summary: Easy, rather dull, read
Review: I wasn't very impressed with this book. I felt that the first 200 pgs were quite boring. I wanted to shake Ria and wake her from her dream world. When she finally realizes her life isn't as wonderful as she thinks it is, things become a little more interesting. Ria's weak character annoyed me. I believe at the end of the story she still would have taken Danny back. I enjoyed how Marilyn's character grew and her interaction with Ria's friends was fun to read. I have 2 questions. 1) Who did Annie see Rosemarie with that afternoon? Did she recognize him or was she mainly shocked by the sexual scene? 2)Do you think Ria will end up with Colm? I do. Unless Danny were to show up at her doorstep.

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Summary: Maeve Binchey -- a delightful read!
Review: I am still reading this book and enjoy it more every time I turn a page. Her characters seem true to life and not the "make believe" people in so many modern books. The fact that she can make you feel a part of her books is, to my way of thinking, the mark of a truly good writer. I have read every book she has written and consider her right up there with Rosamunde Pilcher -- another of my favorites.

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Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: THIS WAS THE FIRST BINCHY BOOK I READ AND I WAS HOOKED, SINCE THEN I HAVE READ ABOUT EIGHT OTHERS INCLUDING CIRCLE OF FRIENDS WHICH IS ALSO EXCELLENT. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!

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Summary: Delete the first 400 pages.....
Review: I generally really like Oprah's picks. That's why I read them. This one was different. It was hard to read more than 30 pages at a time. The pace of the book all of a sudden greatly increased after about 400 pages - that's where I found the most compelling reading. To give credit to the author, the visualizations that the book invokes are wonderful and that was quite enjoyable as well. Read the book, but don't expect to fly through it. I think it would be more like a fine wine to be sipped and slowly enjoyed.

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Summary: A must read.
Review: I am only 16, but I enjoyed this book so much. It is one that you can't put down and you just have to keep reading on to see what happens to Ria and her family. A lot of twist and turns and the author really makes you feel involved and you start to like and dislike the characters as you get further into the novel. I work in a bookstore and all of the other girls there have read it and loved it. If you liked the movie "Circle of Friends" you are going to love this book.