Mel is a likeable, unambitious twenty-something who works for a stationary company, who's life has been slightly a mess since her commitment-phobic boyfriend upped and left for America a year ago.
She lives with a dumpy recluse called Linda who she knows nothing about, and her best friend ... Read review
90s girl-about-town Mel is adjusting to life without posh-boy Alex, whose attempts to make ... more
it big in the music biz have propelled him to the land of the free and Bruce Springsteen. Having omitted to mention his grand tour to Mel however, he has left ou...
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90s girl-about-town Mel is adjusting to life without posh-boy Alex, whose attempts to make ... more
it big in the music biz have propelled him to the land of the free and Bruce Springsteen. Having omitted to mention his grand tour to Mel however, he has left ou...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Frothy, light, funny, witty, easy to read Disadvantages: A bit too shallow for some?
Mel is a likeable, unambitious twenty-something who works for a stationary company, who's life has been slightly a mess since her commitment-phobic boyfriend upped and left for America a year ago.
She lives with a dumpy recluse called Linda who she knows nothing about, and her best friend is Fran, a sarcastic man-eater aspiring actress. The two of them have a vague 'friend' called Amanda, who announces she's getting married. To Mel's ... ...(unknown to Amanda, who is busily an at home feature deal with OK), inherited from his father.
Amanda is a petite blonde PR girl, all sports cars and leather trousers. She's snobby, gorgeous and all the men love her. She also happens to be filthy rich, thanks to her father who spoils her mercilessly. It is obvious that Amanda is marrying Fraser because he is a Scottish Laird, and she is desperate for a title, to be SOMEBODY, and well, ... more
Mel is a likeable, unambitious twenty-something who works for a stationary company, who's life has been slightly a mess since her commitment-phobic boyfriend upped and left for America a year ago.
She lives with a dumpy recluse called Linda who she knows nothing about, and her best friend is Fran, a sarcastic man-eater aspiring actress. The two of them have a vague 'friend' called Amanda, who announces she's getting married. To Mel's old university crush, Fraser, who owns a pile of rubble (unknown to Amanda, who is busily an at home feature deal with OK), inherited from his father.
Amanda is a petite blonde PR girl, all sports cars and leather trousers. She's snobby, gorgeous and all the men love her. She also happens to be filthy rich, thanks to her father who spoils her mercilessly. It is obvious that Amanda is marrying Fraser because he is a Scottish Laird, and she is desperate for a title, to be SOMEBODY, and well, also because she wants to appear in Hello magazine.
She despises Fraser, and sees him as a nobody who doesn't deserve her. However, he is completely blind to her hatred! Mel and Fran, spurred on by their bitter memories of the stuck-up bitch when they were at school, enlist the help of Fraser's brother and set out to sabotage Amanda and Fraser's wedding.
Along the way, she has to deal with aforementioned ex Alex turning up out of the blue, being demoted at work, finding out that her flatmate has a supposed illness, and also a few other nasty surprises.
She also begins to fall in love with Fraser, which is complicated enough as he is getting married (but she hopefully can stop) but she also has feelings for his younger brother, Angus, who is helping her wreck the wedding. Will she succeed in her plan? Will she chuck loser Alex? If she does, which lovely Scottish brother will she go for?
----
I love chick-lit. I love anything by Wendy Holden, Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and now, Jenny Colgan. The most intellectual book I have read is White Teeth by Zadie Smith! I know a lot of people turn their noses up at stuff like this, but at the very least, it makes a good beach-read, doesn't it?
My favourite chick-lit books are Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes and Simply Divine by Wendy Holden. Both of which I know have had slatings on Ciao, but I love them! This is that little bit different, however.
In some books, the main character's are glamorous size-eights who come out with the sort of quips we mere mortals think of hours after the chance we get to say it, but this isn't the case here. Mel is disorganised, messy and doesn't know what she wants from life, just like everyone else.
You learn pretty much everything you need to know about her, all the good parts as well as the terrible. She bites her nails. And has frizzy hair. And she's freckly! Perfectly normal and not at all intimidating, like all the usual blonde main characters without a hint of cellulite who complain and whinge all the time.
This is what makes the book work. You get right inside her head. Sometimes she makes stupid decisions, sometimes she makes the right one, but you can always empathise with her, and can imagine yourself doing the same thing!
It is an enjoyable read. Not the most deep, intellectual book you'll ever read that leaves an imprint on your life, but it really is enjoyable, and one of the best chick-lit books I've ever read!
It's light, frothy and sweet. I sound like I'm advertising sweets here or something, but honestly - dont't turn your nose up at it! Do give it a try, and don't dismiss it until you actually try reading it.
It's definitely a page-turner, but not horribly addictive so you can't put the book down! You'll be laughing and cringing until the very end of the book, and there are a few twists, although nothing spectacular, to keep you guessing.
I think anyone who likes chick-lit will like this book. It's quite witty and funny, and I laughed out loud at parts. It's a hell of a lot better than I expected - it was on the cover of my sister's magazine and she gave it to me, but I never read it until now, not expecting a book that comes free with a magazine to be any good!
It makes a perfect read on the beach, when you're travelling, when you have nothing better to do really, as it's very easy to read, easily understandable and requires minimum brain power!
Try it. What's the harm?
--- It's published by Harper Collins and the RRP is £5.99, but I've seen it a lot cheaper. Jenny Colgan has also written Looking For Andrew McCarthy (haven't read it) and Talking To Addison (just as good as this one).
Advantages: Easy to read Disadvantages: Not one of the best
Mel and Fran, who have been mates for years, find out that an old schoolfriend, Amanda (she of the title of the book), has got herself engaged to a Scottish laird, Fraser. They can't believe it. It doesn't matter to Amanda that Fraser's castle is a pile of rubble and he wears old clothes - she only cares about having a title. Fraser is ignorant to what Amanda is like, so Mel and Fran set out to sabotage the wedding, remembering how mean Amanda was ... ...their own love lifes to worry about and sort out, too.
This book is a very easy read, made me laugh out loud in a few places, but also cringe at some things, which generally means I can identify with the characters. It's not one of the best books I've read, but it is readable. ...
Sam-Hay 25.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Amanda's Wedding - Jenny Colgan
Advantages: Funny, witty Disadvantages: The ending
...gentle, is clearly ignorant of Amanda's wiles (aren't all males though). Mel, Fran, and Angus, Fraser's weird offbeat brother, join forces to try & stop the wedding & save Fraser from Amand, Satan's own PR agent. My thoughts I got this book free with the Cosmo about three years ago. It’s been sitting on my shelves until about a year ago and now I thought I would finally write a review about it and my thoughts about the book.
The story is very down ... ...a dinner party organised by Mel who’s all day preparing for it and then answers the door to the first guests in her pyjamas. I thought Mel was bit too much like Bridget Jones when I first started to read it but when I read more of the book, I soon found that Mel was much more than Bridget Jones could ever be. Amanda is the typical old school friend that you truly hated. I’m sure a lot of women would identify with Mel or with the ways of Amanda’s ...
galaxynicole 29.03.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Amanda's Wedding - Jenny Colgan
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Advantages: Book blurb reads well. Disadvantages: Disappointing, very forgettable storyline
♥Review of the novel 'Do You Remember the First Time?' By JennyColgan♥
This novel is the fifth by JennyColgan. Her previous novels, Amanda's Wedding, Talking to Addison, Looking for Andrew McCarthy and Working Wonders, have all been well received in the 'chick lit' genre market and achieved best selling status. Do You Remember the First Time? Has also been nominated a best seller. The book is a paperback and contains 306 pages.
The cover is attractive, modern and eye catching with an embossed finish.
**The plot**
Flora Scurrison is a thirty two year old single woman. She has a job that is not quite what she had envisaged for herself, her own home and Olly, her boyfriend. Flora also has a highly dependent mother who has relied on Flora for everything. Since finding her husband was having an affair ...
Advantages: Fun situations, witty dialogue and great memorable characters... Disadvantages: Thin plot.
you'll find out the ending!
It's a wonderful comedy with witty insight into the almost 30s misshapen lifestyles. Its guaranteed to make you laugh and nod in appreciation. Its not the most intricate of plots but the characters are very engaging and theres plenty of chuckle worthy situations. If you?re a Bridget Jones fan you?ll have fun with this. Holly gets in to all sorts of embarrassing situations and come to think of it doesn?t ever go on about her weight like Bridg! If you do enjoy this, follow up with JennyColgan?s other hits, Amanda?sWedding and Looking for Andrew McCarthy.
*******Buyer Information*********
If you like a bargain like me, visit: >>www.Amazon.co.uk>>> and you can buy it in paperback brand new from over 17 sellers for £0.01 + £2.75 p+p, so basically for only £2.76! Or:
<<>>: £5 ...
Advantages: Very easy to read Disadvantages: Can't put it down once you start!
JennyColgan is a great author and has written many novels and short stories, including Amanda?sWedding, Talking to Addison and Girl?s Night In.
Do You Remember The First Time? Is a very funny and charming story of a 32-year old woman called Flora who is living a pretty average mundane life. While things are not terrible in her world, she has settled down with a job and a man because they ?will do?. Her parents had split up when she was younger because her dad had had an affair and her mother leans on her heavily for support.
At Flora?s best friend Tashy?s wedding, she bumps into her ex-boyfriend, Clelland, from when she was sixteen and begins to question her life. Her boyfriend Olly suddenly gets down on one knee, much to Flora?s dismay, but she is rescued when it is time to cut the cake. Flora always mistakenly believed ...
Mel and Fran can't believe it when their old schoolfriend Amanda, Satan's very own PR girl, pulls off the ultimate publicity stunt in getting herself engaged to a Scottish laird. Who cares that Fraser McConnald has worn the same pair of Converse trainers for the last three years and that his castle is a pile of rubble with one Calor Gas heater - she'll be titled! Gentle, decent Fraser is clearly ignorant of her wiles, and Mel and Fran, still smarting from the memory of all the mean things Amanda put them through in their days at Portsmouth Comprehensive, set out to sabotage this mismatch of the century. So between fighting off the attentions of a love-crazed accountant, keeping Fran's deadly manoeuvres with the opposite sex under control and trying to win her own war of love with the elusive but gorgeous Alex, Mel finds herself attending a wild Scottish stag night, a hen night from hell, and preparing for a wedding that's everything you'd wish on your worst enemy. See all Product Description
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