Rating: 
Summary: Cute first novel
Review: For some reason I feel badly knocking this book because it is her first novel and she did write it because her friends encouraged her to follow her dream. For a first novel, it ain't bad. It doesn't have the same depth as the Shannon Olsen/Suzanne Finnamore/Anne Maxted novels of the world, but then I don't think it's supposed to (although that was my impression when I ordered it). It's a cute little tale about 6 twenty-something people in London who live in the same building whose lives only finally all intersect at the very end. It's sorta like Melrose place but with only one bad person (okay, maybe two), and not six. It's a quick read, there are some funny lines, and there are some cute little romances. One of my biggest irritations in novels is characters who do stupid things for no apparent reason and there is a little of that in this book, but I tend to attribute that more to Jewell's early development as a writer more than to anything else. It is a cute little story, I did enjoy it, but it's sorta intellectual cotton candy, if that makes sense- is great going down, but not terribly filling (but that's okay- cotton candy is still popular). I do think Jewell has great potential, and this really is a great first start. Keep it up!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining male version of Bridget Jones
Review: "Ralph's Party" is very much in the style of the recent "Bridget Jones" school of contemporary British literature. Late twentyish-thirtyish singles coming to grips with their love lives, their careers, their friends. The twist is that in this book the focus is primarily on the male characters' early adulthood crisises, not the women's. This is an ensemble piece, and Lisa Jewell has created an interesting cast. There are two prinicipal story lines: Smith, Ralph and Jem, flatmates caught in an undeclared love triangle; and Karl and Siobhan, a long term couple struggling to discover if they have a future together. All the characters live in the same apartment building, and their lives become increasingly intertwined. Jewell has a wonderful command of both character development and plot, and this makes for a very entertaining, fast-paced read. It would be hard not to like this book.
Rating:
Summary: Ralph's Party
Review: I can't say this book was great, can't say it was bad either. It was just ok. This is the 2nd Lisa Jewell book I have read & I am not impressed. There are far better writers in this genre. This was a story about an apt building & the lives of several of the tenants. Nothing new here and quite predictable.
Rating:
Summary: It Ain't Peyton Place
Review: Lisa Jewell is getting to be one of my favorite authors (after Nick Hornby). What I like most about her is the very colorful and well defined characters she creates. I immediately got an image of each of the characters and this made the story more enjoyable.Ralph's Party is the story of several inhabitants of a London Apartment Building and the interwining stories they share. The story focuses on two friends - Ralph the eccentric artist and Smith the dour banker, and their flatmate Jem who is the object of desire of both of them. Who wins - you'll just have to read and find out. Not to be forgotten are Karl, the smooth-talking DJ and his overweight girlfriend Siobhan who is just discovering her inner beauty. And standing in the wings, is Cheri, the beautiful but evil upstairs home-wrecker who would destroy them all. Ralph's Party is the story of friendship, lost love, found love, inspiration, and being thankful and grateful for what you might have. Several of the characters are not, and thus lose something wonderful and beautiful in their lives. This is a book I could not put down. The story keeps taking countless plot twists and turns. Like a rollercoaster, moves fast and you never know what is waiting around the corner. I read the book in the airport, on the train, during lunch and whenver I could. It will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think. Ralph's Party is one party you'll thoroughly enjoy and one which you will stay to the end. I also loved Thirtynothing (see other review). Lisa Jewell is a product of this new wave of British writers (like Nick Hornby and Isabel Wolff) who know how to tell a story and how to create colorful yet believable characters. I can hardly wait for Ms. Jewell's next book "One Hit Wonder". I have aleady ordered it.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: The book Ralph's Party, by Lisa Jewell is a very well written book. If I had to rate this on a scale of 1-5 star rating, I would give it a 5. I say this because I really enjoyed her writing style. It was fun and readable. She made it so that the book was a fast read and always kept your interest. I also liked how it jumped to different plot lines between different characters between the chapters. I also liked how Lisa Jewell let us really get to know each character and how they act. Ralph's Party is a story mainly about 2 roommates who just found a new roommate, Jem. Jem is mysterious to them at first, but later on they become more comfortable around her and begin to like her. The two roommates names are Ralph and Smith. Another story in this story is the controversy between Cheri and whom she really wants to be with. She is dating Smith, but Cheri is falling in love with their downstairs neighbor Karl. The third story line in the book is between Siobhan and Karl. Siobhan is aging and not liking herself very much. She also is drifting away from Karl. She doesn't realize what is going on between Karl and Cheri, and also that Karl still loves her. Then it all comes down to quite a party.
Rating:
Summary: Ralph's Party
Review: I can't say this book was great, can't say it was bad either. It was just ok. This is the 2nd Lisa Jewell book I have read & I am not impressed. There are far better writers in this genre. This was a story about an apt building & the lives of several of the tenants. Nothing new here and quite predictable.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh, funny and a GREAT ending
Review: I picked up this book because it was on the discount rack at a bookstore in Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport, but soon I couldn't put it down. Between Phoenix and Boston I read most of it and stayed up the rest of the week to finish it. I've felt like Siobohn and Ralph many times- stuck in a rut- and enjoyed the really original plot and story. The very different characters weave together so well. I HIGHLY recommend this book and anything else Lisa writes.
Rating: 
Summary: The romantic adventures of an ensemble cast
Review: This book differs from other British "chick lit" type novels in that rather than the usual boy meets girl, it tells the story of girl meets boy meets other boy meets girl who lives with boy...you get the idea! The story does center around three main characters--flatmates Smith and Ralph, and Jem, their new roommate--but they share the spotlight with others in their apartment building, including Cheri, the girl of Smith's dreams; Karl, who Cheri entices into an affair; and Siobban, Karl's live-in girlfriend. Each character takes turns narrating the story, but the main focus is on Ralph's growing feelings for Jem, who began dating Smith almost immediately after moving in. What could have been a typical frustrating tale about repeated communications and misfires in the name of love turns to something more fresh and unique in Jewell's capable hands. Her next novel, Thirty Nothing, is a bit of a predictable disappointment, but by her third book, One Hit Wonder, Jewell really hits her stride. Ralph's Party is a debut novel worth reading in order to become familiar with this promising young author.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother...
Review: I love "chick lit" books. For some reason this was just painful to get through. I usually read a book in a few days and this one took me 2 months. I hated all the characters. They were just awful.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVED THIS STORY!!
Review: Sometimes when I read reviews here, I wonder if we're talking about the same book. The one I read was great. I enjoyed all the drama and I enjoyed how the story went back and forth among the tenants of one house, and tying them all together at the end. I was rooting for Jem and Ralph the whole way through! Lisa Jewell is a truly gifted writer. I usually like to read an author's book in order of publication, but have already read One Hit Wonder (which was great). She started out great and kept on going!
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