Rating: 
Summary: Maeve Binchy's finale
Review: This was only the second book that I've read by Ms. Binchy, the first being Tara Road. This is the story of Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather who become catering partners and start their own business at the beginning of the book. The rest of the novel takes us through their trials and tribulations of making this business a top notch one. Around them are a long list of characters, some important and some not so important who have their own setbacks to overcome. My favorite characters and by far the funnier ones were Cathy's husband Neil's young cousins ~ Simon and Maud. They are two little imps who start out as impossible to handle and eventually become wise beyond their years. They made me laugh on several occasions throughout the book. I found Scarlet Feather to be a good read but some of the characters were underdeveloped...for instance Neil's sister Amanda who we kept hearing about but never factored into the story. Shona was an interesting character but it seems like her storyline was wrapped up a little too quickly. The other issue in the book that was never really examined was the mystery of the building that Cathy and Tom bought. Apparently it was all very hush hush and both Cathy and Tom tried to find out the circumstances surrounding it but when Tom does finally hear about it, that's the end of it. It's never mentioned again and to me it was never really necessary as part of the plot. In any case, I did enjoy the book and found the main characters to be very likable. Their ups and downs were believable and kept my interest. I am still inclined to hunt down some of Maeve Binchy's older novels and give them a try.
Rating: 
Summary: The best ever
Review: I loved this book from the moment I started. It's a book you can put down but when you pick it up again you're back with your friends. I hated ending it; it's so hard to find a good book from beginning to end.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointed...
Review: I never thought I'd see the day when I wouldn't enjoy a Binchy book! My opinion on Tara Road wasn't favourable, but hoped that it was a one-off. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Scarlet Feather is written in much the same way as Tara Road - he said, she said, he went, she went....ad nauseaum. What happened to the depth of character and storylines for which Binchy is so famous? I could never put her books down, now I can't put them down fast enough. I really, really tried to like this one - but after the first 100 or so pages, I just gave a big sigh and put it down for good! Is this what happens when a well-known author is held for ransom by their publisher to get something in print every year? Please Maeve - bring back the good old days!
Rating:
Summary: Maeve Binchy spins another interesting tale
Review: Maeve Binchy has another winner in this story of two young caterers trying to make a go of it by cooking for a string of temperamental clients. Tom Feather and Cathy Scarlet met each other in cooking school and they hold fast to their dream of creating a first-class catering business. Tom's girlfriend is a beautiful young woman determined to become a model and Cathy's husband is a lawyer who defends homeless people and anyone who is an underdog. Sometimes the ambitions of these young people clash and there seems to be little time to nourish the relationships they have. Added to Tom and Cathy, are a wonderful cast of supporting characters, many of them relatives, some of whom support the two and others who seem to always get in their way. Binchy's books are character-driven and this one is no exception with people the reader can love, hate, tolerate, or be amused by.
Rating:
Summary: Maeve,what happened to you?
Review: I was very excited to see Maeve's new novel in my local library! I always feel like reading a new novel by her is like getting a long, chatty letter from an old friend.
Little did I know how disappointed I was to be!
The character development that she has always been so brilliant at was not there, the plot moved ploddingly along and I felt she was just tired of her characters.........as I was after about 100 pages. Well, I got through 269 out of about 530 pages and decided to call my friend, Jean, who is also a huge Maeve fan to ask her if she had heard any rumors that maybe Maeve had a ghost writer for this one!
Sorry, fans, this one was not worth the time for me.........and I loved all of her previous novels!
Maeve, I love you.........please go back to fewer characters and deeper plots!
Rating:
Summary: Another nice book
Review: I really have to like a book or else I put it down and stop reading. This kept me interested. Very sweet story!
Rating: 
Summary: With faults, but still hard to put down
Review: This is one of those books which I don¡¦t really know the reason why it¡¦s impossible to put down once I started reading it. The story is about the struggles and triumphs of Tom Feather and Cathy Scarlett who pursued their dreams and started a catering business. They are complemented by a colourful and lively cast of characters, who add much dimension to the story. The story is sometimes heartbreaking and someimes innocent. This is one of her best books. However, the story made me strangely sad because it seems to say ¡V you win some, you lose some. In the pursuit of their dreams, Tom and Cathy seem to have also lost something, or rather, someone precious. They have both lost someone who share their passion to pursue their dreams, just because the dreams they are chasing are different. The other fault is that the ending is too fairy-tale for my liking and interesting characters such as June and Shona are not fully developed.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Reading Groups
Review: Maeve's Binchy's books are one of the best for reading groups. Lots of characters to chew over and juicy tidbits to discuss. Another of our favorites here in my little town is Hickam's memoir series of growing up in Coalwood - October Sky and The Coalwood Way. Like Maeve, Homer really brings to life his characters.
Rating:
Summary: My first Maeve Binchy book too...
Review: All I can say is what an incredible journey from the moment I started reading this book until I finished it. I was hesitant at first to buy the book - it didn't seem glamorous or exciting or suspenseful, it just seemed ordinary. Was I ever wrong! The characters were rich and real, their struggles were ones we could all relate to in some manner. This book was real - as one newspaper review commented, you have a hard time believing it when the characters simply disappear once you put down the book. In fact, I even missed my bus stop while reading the book - and I never do that!
Rating:
Summary: Every Small Business
Review: Every small business has its own story to tell and in Maeve Binchy's latest book fiction truly echoes reality as a couple trying to establish a small catering business find that they have much more in common than recipes and good manners. The book weaves a long and involved tale about the couple developing the business until the reader is able to believe that this story could be happening next door or down the street from them. As usual Maeve is able to cross national boundaries by focussing on emotions of the heart which know no cultural divides. Although the story might be predictable Maeve creates a few twists along the way. This book was a wonderful way to spend a long weekend. I recommend it to all die hard Maeve Binchy fans.
| 
