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Summary: Just the adventure I needed.
Review: Just what I needed!A bit of English, a bit of romance, just the right amount of sex. I've been starving for a book to take my mind off of my "troubles" and found it here. Didn't quite understand all the English jargon, but that's OK. There were moments I got annoyed with Hetty's evasiveness and indirectness, however. All in all, though, it felt SOOO GOOD to read a book so quickly. I followed it up with Richard Peck's London Holiday which read quickly also. thanks!
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Summary: A British bestseller comes to America!
Review: Katie Fforde's STATELY PURSUITS hit #7 on the London Times bestseller list and is now charming American readers with its warmth, wit, and endearing quirkiness. Fans of Nora Ephron, Anne Tyler, Hilary Norman, and Joanna Trollope will love this terrific author. A novel about a run-down old mansion and a young woman whose love life could use some restoring as well, STATELY PURSUITS has been described as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" meets "This Old House." An ensemble cast, plenty of witty British flair, and a heroine who could be your best friend make this a truly delightful read.
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Summary: not your average romance novel
Review: No one hates these "bodice rippers," whether modern or period, more than I do. But Fforde's "Stately Pursuits" didn't read like one. It was funny and a terribly fast read. The English country village sports the usual pack of eccentrics, but they were people you wish you knew.I couldn't put it down. I don't say that about many books, but, in this case, I just had to see how the novel would resolve itself. With stories like these, as Roger Ebert observed about a similar movie, you know where the stories going but, if it's done well, you enjoy the ride anyway. Here's one case where you'll enjoy the ride.
Rating: 
Summary: English writer Katie Fforde writes brilliantly!
Review: She comes up with the most enjoyable story lines, and then goes a step further, and keeps you in suspense quite to the end. I couldn't wait for the story to end, yet hated to have it end. I positively hate bodice ripper novels, and Ms.Fforde manages to move us through the necessary romance parts of the story with dignity and still, my heart went pitty-pat. The cast of characters are remarkable, yet it's your usual butinsky Mother, pushy know-it-all neighbor, brilliant, funny and slightly naughty new best friend and a couple of prospective guys all joining in to make our heroine, Hetty wish she NEVER agreed to "house-sit". So the old house gets a much needed polish, as does Hetty's heart. Excellent; I don't know if I enjoyed this or Fforde's "Wild Designs" as a favorite!
Rating:
Summary: English writer Katie Fforde writes brilliantly!
Review: She comes up with the most enjoyable story lines, and then goes a step further, and keeps you in suspense quite to the end. I couldn't wait for the story to end, yet hated to have it end. I positively hate bodice ripper novels, and Ms.Fforde manages to move us through the necessary romance parts of the story with dignity and still, my heart went pitty-pat. The cast of characters are remarkable, yet it's your usual butinsky Mother, pushy know-it-all neighbor, brilliant, funny and slightly naughty new best friend and a couple of prospective guys all joining in to make our heroine, Hetty wish she NEVER agreed to "house-sit". So the old house gets a much needed polish, as does Hetty's heart. Excellent; I don't know if I enjoyed this or Fforde's "Wild Designs" as a favorite!
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Summary: Positively endearing
Review: Stately Pursuits begins with Hetty's boyfriend dumping her in an excrutiatingly embarassing way and then Hetty's mother pushes her into housesitting for a distant relative. Hetty is starting from zero in a country town, and what a cast of characters! Eligible men, pushy (but well-meaning) neighbors and the cooler-than-cool Caroline. Once Hetty arrives, she realizes her uncle's house needs a lot of work before it is opened to the public a few months from her arrival. The house renovations are a nice and not heavyhanded counterpoint to the renovations which occur in Hetty's life as she starts over with a new job as housesitter/renovator, new friends, and possible new romance. As Hetty makes the house her project, she unknowingly becomes the project of her new best friend Caroline and ... The story has a hint of a fairy-tale quality, but Hetty is not the fairy-tale heroine who needs rescuing, thank you very much. There is just enough fairy-tale to lift this novel from being glum but still keep the story line believable in a 'this could really happen' way. This is a lovely story, and Fforde possesses an abundance of clear, insightful and snappy writing skills. Setting the story in the country is a nice change from the many other city-based Brit Chick novels. The sheer high quality of her writing reminds me of Marian Keyes. Stately Pursuits was a pleasure to read, and I've already ordered more of Fforde's novels. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Funny and endearing
Review: The Amazon search engine recommended this book to me, based on my previous purchases. I hate to give a compliment to a computer, but it was right on. Very cute book - not complex by any means, but a good story. The romance angle isn't sappy or unrealistically over the top, but you still find yourself liking all of the characters and caring about them. Hetty grows up and learns a lot about herself - as does Conner. He's so disagreeable, but you know that he's really a caring person. Ms Fforde has a way with humor and dialog. I'd recommend this book highly.
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Summary: A funny, light romantic comedy
Review: This and all of Katie Fforde's books make for perfect diversionary reading. They are wonderful, frothy romantic comedies. The people are real and I often found myself laughing out loud. They're great!
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Summary: A harlequin romance for British yuppies
Review: This book reads like a Harlequin romance novel, and uses some of the same plot devices. That is an observation, not a value judgment, however; the book was a quick, fun read that I enjoyed thoroughly. I found the sex scenes a little jarring and out of sync with the rest of the book's tone but that's a minor criticism.
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Summary: Delightful romp in a decaying English manor house
Review: This is a light and easy read that has a real feel good air to it. Fforde is entertaining and renders modern day romances without the sappiness man romances depend on. The characters are believable and real and the whole feel of the book is wonderful.
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