At last Alliott returns to form - Rated 
As I re-read "The Old Girl Network" and "Going Too Far" every year or so, I have persevered with Catherine Alliott's subsequent offerings, only to finish them feeling a little cheated. However, with "A Crowded Marriage", she is definitely returning to the feel-good factor so apparent in her earlier work. There are some good characterisations, a number of laugh-out-loud moments, and yes, as with all chick-lit, Imogen, (the main character), gets her happy ending, which you can't really deny her. This is one book I shan't be re-selling on Amazon!
Easy read - Rated 
An easy read, enjoyable but as with other Alliot books I have read continuity leaves a bit to be desired! We had one occasion where a child was starting school the "next", hubby not at work that day which resulted in a row. Next thing we are starting school but there is reference to hubby having had a 2 hour commute from work to get home the previous day! More care perhaps by both author and publisher. As I said not the first time this sort of thing has happened. However, I am reading this type of book after a bereavement and I wanted something light and easy to read so I am getting what I paid for.
Disappointing - a writer on auto-pilot - Rated 
I was really looking forward to this book as I have enjoyed all the other books by Catherine Alliot that I have read. With this one, I had the impression that she was writing on auto-pilot and has started to take her readers for granted. There were too many editorial slip-ups as well - in one scene Imogen is loading the dishwasher, but about 50 pages later we're told the kitchen is too small for a dishwasher.
All in all, very disappointing. The plotting was far too contrived - even for chick lit - and the ending far too pat.
Good but.. - Rated
I don't know...I found this book good and not so good. First of all and I've got to say this. ...the constant and repetitive references - and not just in this book but in other CA books as well - to 'chewing a thumbnail' and 'wetting/licking their lips' is incredibly irritating. Once ok, twice maybe, three times at a push but a dozen or more times??? Right...now that's out of the way...
The book itself is ok, but there is too much background waffle (I ended up skimmimg over whole sections). The main character is limp in too many places causing the reader to inwardly cringe. While there are one or two twists and turns, the story does seem to drag on a bit.
Overall I would say CA has a wonderful way with words and is an excellent writer, but she detracts from this with endless waffle, irritatingly weak characters and constant references to the same bodyily habits in each and every book.
Great fun! - Rated 
I have always really enjoyed Catherine Alliott's books and bought this one for my holiday, precisely because I knew it would be easy, fun reading. As always, it didn't let me down.
The central character was a bit dizzy and fluffy as they often are but you can't help but identify with her cringeworthy gaffs! Within a few pages I got to know her and was interested in what was going to happen.
Great fun, often laugh-out-loud, read this and her others too.
|
