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sterialm's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
frankiecat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fros86's review against another edition
3.0
l didn't enjoy this as much as the first Erica James I read, but I think that it because I got less convinced as the book went on. She had multiple stories happening throughout the book, which interlinked. I naturally found some much more compelling than others... A good beach/holiday read.
sarahallez's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
shelbyl's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it (3 stars), but I didn't love it (4 stars), and I'm not sure if I would recommend it (5 stars). It was long. 14 discs for chick lit is long! But it was a little more sophisticated than chick lit. The narrator did a great job with all the voices. It had a lot of internal dialog that really dragged on. I got a lot more interested when they finally got to Italy. Made me want to go on a Garden of Delights tour!
krisandburn's review against another edition
3.0
I think this is just what I needed at this time. I do not read a lot of this these type of chicklit romances, but actually, it did me the world of good to read.
This novel is certainly not without its flaws. The characters’ actions and decisions were iffy a bit too often and parts of it were very predictable. There were a few plot devices as well that I could have done without, but on the whole it did not bother me too much. It is what it is and I enjoyed the read.
There a couple of romantic story lines at the heart of this book; a younger couple and a more mature one, and I kind of liked that. It stopped it from getting boring. One of the romances went pretty much exactly as expected and the other took a turn I actually really appreciated.
It was a little long, but I sped through the second half. On a whole I enjoyed it and I would read something by this author again if I was in the mood for this type of story.
This novel is certainly not without its flaws. The characters’ actions and decisions were iffy a bit too often and parts of it were very predictable. There were a few plot devices as well that I could have done without, but on the whole it did not bother me too much. It is what it is and I enjoyed the read.
There a couple of romantic story lines at the heart of this book; a younger couple and a more mature one, and I kind of liked that. It stopped it from getting boring. One of the romances went pretty much exactly as expected and the other took a turn I actually really appreciated.
It was a little long, but I sped through the second half. On a whole I enjoyed it and I would read something by this author again if I was in the mood for this type of story.
a_robin_reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
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Information:
- Owned book
- TBR Purge Challenge: read a book from a genre you don't read often
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Review:
A very fun book, but too long for me and nothing special. Really liked the story and the romances and the characters were all lovely.
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Review previously placed on my blog:
Review previously placed on my blog:
I'm currently reading Gardens of delight by Erica James. I'm reading this for the TBR Purge Challenge for the prompt: read a book from a genre you don't read often.
It's pretty good so far, but what I almost always have with women's fiction is that it's too predictable and it drags on a bit. That is the case with this one as well. Would give it 3 or 4 stars I think.
This was a fun read, with good characters and nice romances. I gave it 3,5 stars.
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cancer, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Dementia
sophiebillekens's review against another edition
3.0
As expected, if you go by the cover, this falls firmly into the Katie Fforde and Jill Mansell category. A fun escapist read, with a large group of cozy and quirky main characters who all end up taking a tour of the gardens around Lake Como in Italy. I really enjoyed it, although this, too, falls a little flat at the end. Not every character gets a proper send-off, which you kind of expect with this kind of enjoyable light romance. Still, worthy enough of trying another title of hers!
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