Rating: 
Summary: Ghost writer ????
Review: I am a huge Binchy fan and have read everything she has written. But she could NOT have written this book! Perhaps she did not come out of retirement and the publisher had someone else write this using a Binchy 'formula' (it would explain the resurrection of all the old characters)? The dialogue doesn't even seem like Binchy - I can't even hear the Irish 'brogue' in my head - it's all flat. The Ella character is 2-dimensional which is rare in a Binchy novel. And rarely is a Binchy heroine such a naive dope.If Ms Binchy truly wrote this book, then perhaps retirement is the way to go at this point in her life. Quentin's was a waste of my library privilege!
Rating: 
Summary: good, but relied a little too much on her past books
Review: Quentin's revolves mainly around Ella Brady, fresh from a scathing affair with a married man that left her abandoned, her friends and family broke, and the talk of scandal. She throws herself into helping with a documentary about local restaurant Quentin's and all the people and stories it contains. The book is a little disjointed as it skips around between Ella's story and all the rest. Some are contained in one little chapter, others are picked up later and it's very jarring to continually switch gears. Maud and Simon (from Scarlet Feather) remain annoying. There are very few charming and intrguing characters in this book, so fans of Binchy's previous works might be disappointed. It's not her best, but it's still a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Binchy keeps up with the times...
Review: As a big fan of Maeve Binchy, I was pleasantly surprised by her latest book. Quentins is skillful fiction; Binchy's changing Ireland is populated by characters facing modern dilemmas. The women of Binchy's earlier "village" novels have been supplanted by new heroines who recognize the importance of making one's own pedigree, to borrow the words of Cathy Scarlet. I really find the evolution of the film to be the most compelling part of the plot-- the anecdotes about everyone's lives as part of Quentins are tightly laced, as per classic Binchy, and the tension ratchets up as the stakes are raised in everyone's lives. The people of Quentins are various but remain very ordinary and human; their mistakes and pecadilloes are recognizable and smart. Keep writing, Binchy... we'll keep reading.
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Summary: Feel Good All Around
Review: Read this book when you're down or nursing a heartache. It brings you to a world where all the people (or almost all) are surrounded by a veil of sweetness and sensibility - such that when things go wrong (yes, things do go wrong, that's what makes the book good), they can be overcome. In this book, we are introduced to new character and we also run into people we are already familiar with. Read it to feel the warmth.
Rating: 
Summary: Not my favorite, but ...
Review: enjoyable. I guess that is the word I would use for this novel: enjoyable. This story revolves around Ella who finds herself feeling responsible for her parent's financial misfortunes. In order to replenish their savings, she takes on numerous odd jobs around the neighborhood, including assisting her friend Nick in setting up a documentary. The good thing about Maeve Binchy's writing is that her stories are about ordinary, believable people. This book is certainly no exception, especially since many of her previous characters have cameo roles. I did however find myself feeling I was reading a novel that was just three notches above a Harlequin at one point. The "it's too good to be true" adage does not surprise, and you do figure out very early on where the plot is headed. So if you feel like reading a nice, happy, very well written story about lovely people, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for something that will make you think, or that has a little bit of intrigue, stay away! This one is predictable.
Rating:
Summary: Pointless -- wasted my time!
Review: I'm not sure why I finished reading this book -- I guess I kept thinking it would improve! However, the main character Ella was just too dumb to believe. The plot never got off the ground, and then it was disintegrated with these little short stories about how people resolved their conflicts or fell in love, at meals in the restaurant -- nothing really seemed to fit together. The people weren't as real as in Scarlet Feather. I felt this book was a waste of my time, wish I'd spent the time reading a better book.
Rating:
Summary: Good Reading
Review: As always, Binchy takes out of our world into hers!!
Rating:
Summary: --Skip this and read THE GLASS LAKE--
Review: This story was a great disappointment and not up to the usual standards that Maeve Binchy has led us to expect from her novels. I guess I usually judge a book by how well I like the characters and how realistically they are portrayed. In this story, Ella Brady the main character is a complete dope and unbelievably naive. She gets involved with a married man and seems to think all will end well. When his true nature is revealed and shows him to be a completely dishonorable person, Ella still clings to some type of childish hope that things will work out at some time. Oh, please, he cheated her father out of his life's savings! This story was just depressing and I found myself telling Ella off on every page. Even though the author tried to take the storyline into other directions, I was never able to get involved or care about the characters. Maeve Binchy has written many great stories and I especially recommend THE GLASS LAKE, EVENING CLASS and SCARLET FEATHER. Don't waste your time reading QUENTINS the author wrote it on an off -day!
Rating:
Summary: She's Done it Again!
Review: Another stellar book by Ms. Binchy. I loved Scarlet Feather, but I think this book is much better. It's amazing how she ties in characters from past novels, and introduces new characters that we hope to meet again. There are not many authors who can make me laugh out loud, but Ms. Binchy is definitely one of them! Keep on writing, Ms. Binchy!
Rating:
Summary: Irish life in a small town....terrific!!
Review: Maeve Binchy's novel is a series of vignettes of different peoples' lives and somehow, all the pivotal points in their lives have a thread that runs through the restaurant called Quentins. This is a delightful tale, full of life, love, and hope. Betrayal, rejection and greed are also present. It is a story of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, wives and husbands,as well as friends and lovers . It is moreover a story of closed doors and open hearts. There is the betrayed lover, the greedy family, those with no hope, those with the courage to begin anew and those with only hidden promise. Somehow, Maeve Binchy draws them all together and tells a heart warming story of Irish life in a small town. This seemed a bit of a different take from Maeve Binchy from her previous novels, but no less enjoyable!
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