Rating: 
Summary: B-O-R-I-N-G
Review: I almost purchased Quentins because I have enjoyed Maeve Binchy's books in the past, but her last few books have lacked the energy her earlier books had. Quentins is boring, tedious to read & has way too many story lines going at once. If you really want to read it, go to the library.
Rating: 
Summary: I am going to read her other books now!!
Review: This was the first book by Maeve Binchy I have read. I really enjoyed this book so much. I probably would have given it 4.5 rating instead of 5, but since I don't have that option I rounded up.It is really beautifully written. I loved the characters. You may read a little snippet about a character, only to have them reappear with much more depth later in the book. The first 100 pages or so were wonderful to read, but it was at that point I was especially hooked. The storyline took a nice suspenseful turn. There were so many wonderful stories within stories that were told between the main story which I so enjoyed. The only reason I was slightly disappointed (and it was just slightly) was that I was expecting a more complete ending. The ending was wonderful, but, for example, I wish I had known more about Margery. Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I am definately going to find Maeve Binchy's other works.
Rating:
Summary: A BIT OF A BROGUE MAKES LISTENING BETTER
Review: That quintessential Irish charmer Maeve Binchy weaves another heartwarming tale of friendship, family and love. Fans of the Scarlet Feather and Tara Road will be delighted with the return of this warmhearted author, and new readers will be enthralled by Binchy's storytelling skills. A voice performer with numerous audio books to her credit, Jennifer Wiltsie offers an accomplished reading on both abridged versions. Terry Donnelly, with stage credits stretching from New York to Dublin, gave a memorable performance of Tara Road and outdoes herself with the unabridged version of Quentins. On the rebound from an unhappy relationship with a married man, Ella Brady signs on to assist in the making of a documentary about Quentins, a landmark Dublin restaurant. Once a rather run-of-the-mill eatery, Quentins has flourished over the past several decades, and as it has changed so has the city. It is this flowering, this renewed vigor and polish that Ella hopes to capture in the film. To this end, Ella begins interviewing those who have dined at Quentins, noting their personal foibles, failures, and achievements. As she listens to the stories of others Ella looks inward and learns a great deal about herself. Quentins is pure Binchy. Her countless fans couldn't ask for more. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I have always enjoyed reading Maeve Binchy books and I looked forward to reading Quentins. I feel compelled to write to encourage other readers to save your money. The underlying story here is not only unbelieveable, it's rediculous. Ella has an affair with a married man who runs out on her, ruins her father's professional reputation, his health and causes her parents to have to move out of their beloved home. They convert the home into apartments and live in a remodeled shed in the garden. Wait that's not all, the married man leaves his lap-top computer at her apartment before he takes off with his loot. She finds all of the information needed to catch this crook and she doesn't do a thing with it. I guess I am angry because so many authors begin as talented writers, become best seller's and their publisher's think that the reader will continue to buy books solely on their name. Here is one reader who has learned a lesson.
Rating:
Summary: This was NOT Maeve Binchy at her best
Review: I really looked forward to getting this book and I was terribly terribly disappointed. The "new" characters were tired and stale and the dialogue didn't add any value to the book either. Maeve Binchy's other books, like Circle of Friends, or Echoes, or Copper Beech, did a much better job of drawing the reader in. For me, it wasn't so much a matter of too many things going on - but the only character really developed was Brenda. I am sorry that I cannot recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Story-Teller
Review: Maeve Binchy is a wonderful story-teller who can sketch out characters' lives in a few short sentences which cause the reader to really care about them. She does not disappoint in her latest novel, centered around the restaurant Quentins. Her heroine is Ella Brady, a woman who has been the delight of her parents in her early years. Later, however, they become concerned about her when she begins an affair with a married man. He charms everyone around him, and Ella decides that a part-time relationship with him is better than none at all. Later in the book, Ellas decides to make a documentary film which centers around Quentins and which will describe the changes in Irish society which have occurred over the years. Several characters from Binchy's previous books, such as Tom and Cathy Feather, and Nora, reappear to delight faithful readers. Short stories of Quentins' patrons are interspersed with the main story and each is a little Binchy masterpiece. There is love, betrayal, suspense, and drama, and it all adds up to a pleasing package for readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Expertly Woven Plots Entertain
Review: Maeve Binchy takes on a nearly impossible task when she begins to weave together the stories of not only several generations but what seems like the whole of Dublin.
The stories in "Quentins" are entwined around the history of a lovely Irish restaurant from which the book takes its title. Its proprietress reads lips. She is rather like an all-seeing stage-manager in "Our Town" excepting that her life is intricately plaited with those of her customers and relatives. Ella Brady is young and so impressionable she lets her hormones make decisions about love and life just as many of us have. She falls for a loveable cad. She has a gaggle of friends and they have loves (or not). Throw in the unlikely story of Quentin who gave his name but little else to the restaurant that he owns and a wealthy New Yorker who also happens to be Irish and, er, well, you get the idea. My advice is to forget trying to make all the fine connections and just go along for the ride. Maeve Binchy is a superlative plotter who knows how to braid and knit intricate plots and how to write characters as well. This bunch of mad Irish men and women are well worth following. Pretend you are in a restaurant-much like Quentins-and are watching the people at the other tables and those passing by outside the window near your table. You'd be entertained, right? "Quentins" is the same way. It's a little like eating a holiday dinner peopled by a huge, talkative Irish family. It's not necessary to get every link, every association, when you're having so much fun.
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place" --This text refers to the Hardcover edition
Rating:
Summary: Binchy, Always a Great Read
Review: I was shocked and pleased when I realized the Maeve Bichy had indeed written another great book. This one is a much quicker read than her previous books. A bit of a disappointment only because I never want the stories to end. It was wonderful to see that the characters that we have met in past books are alive and thriving in Dublin. I would recommend any book by Maeve Binchy. They are all wonderful journeys into the lives of people that you wish you could sit and have a cup of tea with.
Rating: 
Summary: Writing on autopilot
Review: Overall I was very disappointed with Quentins - it felt a bit like warmed up leftovers - the characters weren't as fully rounded as those in her earlier books and their motivations were hard to fathom. Surely an intelligent well-broughtup girl like Ella wouldn't fall for the 'my wife and I live separate lives' line? Whereas I really empathised with Ria in 'Tara Road', Ella just irritated me by being totally stupid - especially the business with the laptop. The worst thing about this book however is the format - Ms Binchy doesn't seem to be able to decide whether she is writing a novel or a collection of short stories. The book isn't all bad - it has many of the usual Binchy touches - but my overall feeling is that if she is this tired of writing, maybe she should take a long break until she comes up with some original ideas ...
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and Quickly Consumed, But Easily Forgotten
Review: In Quentins, three of the characters set out to make a documentary about the quickly changing face and character of Dublin. They decide to focus on Quentins, a restaurant which is a Dublin institution and has been around for ages. A present-day plot line about one of those three characters meshes with vignettes of the past. As a novel, however, Quentins lacks some of the character that the documentary might have had. Although one gets a glimpse of the old Ireland and the new in the vignettes, something is missing. Quentins is one of those Maeve Binchy novels composed of vignettes, short stories, and pieces one suspects may be the most attractive leftovers of previous books. Although sweet and deliciously escapist, the book as a whole doesn't hang together very well. Still, Binchy fans will love reading more about characters they've met in Tara Road and Scarlet Feathers. Particularly amusing is the reappearance of the twins from Scarlet Feathers and their everlasting and almost-certain-to-embarrass questions. Quentins has a lot of good and poignant moments. Binchy is at her best at capturing the daily lives of ordinary people. As a single overarching story, however, the sweetness threatens to overshadow anything more lasting. Unlike many of Binchy's earlier works, Quentins is a read quickly consumed and easily forgotten.
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