Rating: 
Summary: Extremely Enjoyable, Fast, Original & Fresh
Review: This is a little gem of a book that the author wisely kept under 300 pages. I loved the story of Ralph and Jem, who find their way to one another through the trials and tribulations of her, first, being with his best friend and, then, Ralph's jump-starting himself as an artist with Jem as his inspiration. Another couple, a radio deejay and his live-in-girlfriend of fifteen years, come to a heads-on collision over his infidelity, which he shares with all of London on his radio show. I read this in one gulp. I found this novel more original than so many of these single people in present day London stories. It could be because this is the author's first novel and so her voice is very fresh. It may also be that she seems to have caught the males' points-of-view so well in the story. Women writers often have men behave as women would like men to behave but not as they really do. Jewell does not fall into that trap.
Rating: 
Summary: Suspenseful in a quirky sort of way
Review: This book was so much fun to read. It's not deep, it's not groundbreaking. Just fun. Jewel has created very real characters, each of which the reader can identify with in one way or another. The only criticism I would have is with regard to lack of attention Jewel gives to Cherie. Without giving it away, Cherie is perhaps the most intriguing character of all!The story gets a little slow towards the middle but it makes turn and doesn't stop. I read the second half in one sitting. Enjoy...
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable but alluring.
Review: I enjoyed this book, although it was a little slow in taking off. One romance was predictable although it was harder to work out what was going to happen with the other characters.It was intriguing to have a glimpse of the lives of 6 people and see what makes them tick.Was different to the rest of the twenty-something novels that are around at the minute.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, entertaining book!
Review: This book is a great, fast read and was sad when it was over. As others have said, don't let the initial introduction of 6 different characters keep you from continuing on. After the first couple of chapters you wonder how you even got any of them confused. The character development was excellent. What is great about each of the characters is that the reader will both love and hate them at different points in the book. The author easily flows between the lives of the six characters all living in the same flat building. I especially appreciated how in one chapter she (the author) descibed what was happening with one person, and then in the next chapeter she tells what was going on with another one of the characters at that same moment. In the end this proves to be critical to the story as all the character's lives become intertwined.
Rating:
Summary: Melrose Place meets Peyton Place
Review: This book was smashing, I truly adored it. It was a tad slow starting out but as soon as I truly progressed past the first chapter I was hooked. It is absolutely criminal if this book is not optioned into a film, it's perfectly suited for the big screen. I have to admit, I was casting the characters in my head from the outset. Ralph was Rupert Evertt, Jem: Minnie Driver, Claire (the upstairs Ice Princess): Gwen Paltrow, and the rest were being worked on... The book takes you into an apartment building and shows the reader how the tenants lives intersect in a very Six Degrees of Separation/MTV's Real World type of way. The book (in my opinion, clearly) is very true to life and indicative of how recent grads/Gen-Xers actually exist, think and interact. It was funny in an acerbic kind of way and Jem is a character you cannot help but root for (as is Siobahn). The characters are well fleshed out (except maybe Smith) and individual. There are scenes in the book that are very original and creative- all in all this book was anything but typical. I enjoyed this book immensely. I think you will too...
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Trip!
Review: A completely entertaing romp into the lives and loves a group of 20/30 something flatmates. The reader is allowed the rare glimpse into their lives and is awarded a front row seat. It's got that "Real World" home invasion quality to it and you almost feel like a peeping Tom. It's a true character driven novel that is delightful and very sweet. I I really enjoyed it's easy and breezy nature.
Rating:
Summary: A BOOK OF DESTINY!
Review: THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN, MAKES YOU BELEIVE ALL OVER AGAIN IN FATE AND DESTINY AND ONLY MAKES YOU HOPE THAT YOUR DESTINY WILL SOMEDAY BECOME LIKE JEM'S. ANOTHER BOOK PLACED IN LONDON AND FITTED YOU INTO EVERYONE LIVES AND MADE YOU FORGET YOUR OWN.
Rating:
Summary: So much fun!
Review: I have grown a little tired of the "Bridget Jones" type books and was really expecting "Ralph's Party" to be similar. It is not-it is truly exceptional! It follows the lives of several different characters and although at first it was a little hard to keep up with/care about all of the characters, by the end of the novel I cared about each one. The character development was fantastic and Jewell does an excellent job of establishing a storyline and developing characters. I was actually sad when the book ended!
Rating:
Summary: Oh, what a tangled web we weave!
Review: This was a thoroughly entertaining read . . . full of twists and turns and the intertwining lives of six people living in an apartment building in London. The reader is aware that they are all interconnected, but the characters themselves don't discover their similarities and shared experiences until an unforgetting party hosted by Ralph, one of the tenants. A delightful, funny tale . . . predictable, yes: boy loves girl who loves boy's best friend and roommate, thirty-something woman tired of 15-year relationship becomes a new, independent, adventurous dazzler, sexy young blonde is despised by all women and lusted after by all men . . . still, Ms. Jewell manages to bring an interesting and refreshing twist to a seemingly old story. The book is peppered with references to London and all things British, which your average American may not completely grasp (just as many Europeans may have trouble understanding some "typically New York" circumstances or descriptions) . . . but this merely brings more flavor to the book -- it is completely accessible to the average reader. All in all, the book only makes London more and more attractive and intriguing. "Ralph's Party" is a quick, light, "fluffy" read that does not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Irresistble
Review: There's something delightfully catchy about the characters, especially Ralph and Jem. I just cannot stop reading. As a foreigner, London seems much nicer to me when I think of them in it. I'd be so pleased to see the storyline taken to cinema. It's got such a great script! And it's different... What else can I say? Irresistible.
| 
