yinsie's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first novel I have read by joanna trollope, at first I found it interesting but it soon lost my interest, story seemed to drag abit, but I can't leave a book unfinished
wendoxford's review against another edition
2.0
Family business run by mum - Susie and her 3 daughters holding different role in the company. Marriages, relationships, family and business all strained. Then Susie's absent father is thrown into the mix...middle class combustion follows...
kchessrice's review against another edition
3.0
Balancing Act was included in my most recent delivery from Hand Me Down Book Club subscription, and never having read anything by Joanna Trollope before - and in a serious mood reading funk - I picked it up hoping that it would be a light, easy read to get me back to normal!
It was exactly that, nothing unexpected and a fairly routine family-drama: Susie Moran established her pottery business (Ms Trollope taking inspiration from Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston!) nearly three decades ago and her three daughters (Cara, Ashley and Grace) are now on the management team in various roles. Except Susie can't relinquish control to let them grow and develop the business as they would like, which causes friction. In addition, Susie's husband Jasper is becoming increasingly frustrated at being left on the periphery of her life and gets more conversation from Polynesia, the African Grey parrot. The daughters' various relationships are also under strain and add into the mix Susie's absent father reappearing at the age of 81 and asking to get to know her, it throws everything into disarray.
This was a compelling read and I did like the drama from the family tensions, however by halfway it felt like they were just going round in circles and having the same old fights a lot of the time, so that was a little boring. There were several phrasing repetitions that were a little irritating, e.g. the characters always "wait a beat" or "let a beat fall" before responding.
The process of making China clay and creating pottery has been very thoroughly researched and I enjoyed learning more about the factory process of making a mug etc. All in all, it was the easy read that I needed and I will pass it onto my mum, who I think it will suit much more than me! Recommend to fans of Marian Keyes, Deborah Moggach or Sarah Morgan.
It was exactly that, nothing unexpected and a fairly routine family-drama: Susie Moran established her pottery business (Ms Trollope taking inspiration from Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston!) nearly three decades ago and her three daughters (Cara, Ashley and Grace) are now on the management team in various roles. Except Susie can't relinquish control to let them grow and develop the business as they would like, which causes friction. In addition, Susie's husband Jasper is becoming increasingly frustrated at being left on the periphery of her life and gets more conversation from Polynesia, the African Grey parrot. The daughters' various relationships are also under strain and add into the mix Susie's absent father reappearing at the age of 81 and asking to get to know her, it throws everything into disarray.
This was a compelling read and I did like the drama from the family tensions, however by halfway it felt like they were just going round in circles and having the same old fights a lot of the time, so that was a little boring. There were several phrasing repetitions that were a little irritating, e.g. the characters always "wait a beat" or "let a beat fall" before responding.
The process of making China clay and creating pottery has been very thoroughly researched and I enjoyed learning more about the factory process of making a mug etc. All in all, it was the easy read that I needed and I will pass it onto my mum, who I think it will suit much more than me! Recommend to fans of Marian Keyes, Deborah Moggach or Sarah Morgan.
bookpossum's review against another edition
1.0
Abandoned about a third of the way through. Life’s too short to waste any more time on this one.
nocto's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was pretty decent. Revolving around a business woman, who runs a thinly veiled version of Emma Bridgewater pottery (at least that was what it seemed like to me) with her three grown up daughters. It ponders on the balancing acts of business life and family life; the balance of men and women's roles in relationships; parent and child relationships too. I did keep muddling up two of the daughters, admittedly they were both career minded, but one had children and the other didn't so that seemed a bit of a narrative problem at times. Joanna Trollope always writes good children, there were some very believable toddlers here, but I liked the men a lot in this book too which I've thought was a weaker point before. Writing house-husbands is probably better territory than career-men, I certainly liked them anyway. By the end of the book I really wanted to stay with the characters and find out what happened next.
krisz's review against another edition
2.0
It could have been good. The plot was promising – a long forgotten grandfather arriving into an established family like a bombshell. But the topic wasn't exploited, the potential never woke up from its Cinderella sleep, and if I search for only one word to desribe this book, that will be:
boring.
I speedread a good part of this book, amazed to find that there were whole scenes where the character didn't move nor develop, the beginning and end was the same state.
***
note: was mine, will give it away
boring.
I speedread a good part of this book, amazed to find that there were whole scenes where the character didn't move nor develop, the beginning and end was the same state.
***
note: was mine, will give it away
terryliz's review against another edition
4.0
Another solid contemporary domestic novel about a family involving three generations and a family business....really enjoyed it.
More...