Promises, Promises

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I didn't want to enjoy this as much as I did!! - Rated
I've only just discovered PS. Before I had children I used to read 'worthier' books, but I enjoyed this so much I went out and PAID for Mirror Mirror (half way through it already). It's rare for me to be able to face another book by the same author straight away.

Patricia is like an edgier Maeve Binchy. Obviously because the book was set in 1961, story lines like a character getting pregnant without being married can be milked for maximum emotional effect. I cried for Ellen. You really felt her pain, and I was so cross with her Mother for caring more about gossip than whether or not her daughter was miserable.

The only thing that annoyed me was the references to 'creme de societé etc.. She managed to make the characters who were supposed to be middle class sound very lower class but with money. Like Gillian and Frank. But that's a minor thing. Pamela did seem like a lady, in that she never said anything nasty about Ellen.

Absolutely Brilliant - Rated
A warming story filled with romance and heart break, it definitely kept me awake on the train into work! a must read

Excellent - Rated
This book is fantastic! This is the best Scanlan book I have read, although I hvaen't read them all, I've got that to look forward to! I would recommend this book to any one who has read a Scanlan book or one of that genre.
It follows the story of Ellen and her family in Glenree and we follow her journey of her romance with Chris. Fantastic narration which makes you consider other character's view not just Ellen's. It is indeed perfect for all those who have loved a rotter ,as the blurb on the back of book says.
It is perfect for all romantics and I actually found myself sympathising with Chris and wanting them to get back together, but I have not read Mirror Mirror yet so I don't know how the story ends, I will scout round tomorrow for it, I cannot wait to read it!

All in all an excellent read, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I could not put it down and when I did I couldn't wait to get back to it, so I recommend it to anybody!

Fantastic - Rated
I loved the city girls books and went on to read this. And it certainly lived up to their fantastic storylines. I couldn't put it down! As soon as I'd finished it i went straight out and bought the sequel Mirror Mirror! If you buy this book you must buy Mirror Mirror and what a fantastic ending! Patricia Scanlan is a wonderful author!

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ!!!!!!!!! - Rated
This is a two part story so it's really a must to read Mirror,Mirror also. I had not heard of Patricia Scanlan before and really bought the set of two books because they were on special offer but this author should be at the top of the bestseller lists because I was really pleasantly surprised at the quality of her writing. It's a family story where a girl falls for a rotter and, for a time, things seem to go his way and he comes up smelling of roses every time. In the second book his run of luck runs out and everything seems to go wrong for him at the same time. This is a wonderfully healing read if you have gone through a bad relationship and/or divorce and many things said and done in the book were uncannily similar to my own experience! The charaters are so lifelike, for example, the mother-in-law who is a big noise at the Townswomen's Guild who wonders how she will show her face there again after all the scandal that has befallen her family. It is such a heart-warming story with a few comic episodes,it really does make you look back at your own divorce/split and makes it easier to get through, the revenge episodes made me think YES! This story is so life-like and so enjoyable, I couldn't put it down, it's perfect holiday reading. Patricia Scanlan's writing is so clever because she does different scenes from different characters' point of view, for example one moment she would have me thinking, poor Ellen, Chris is such a rotter then in the following interlude she would write from Chris' point of view and describe his confusion about his feelings so next thing I would feel sympathy for Chris and be able to understand why he had been acting as he had. One of my all time great reads, a brilliant saga.