nahyee's review against another edition
5.0
See my full review of this title on my blog: Books Under the Blanket (with a flashlight): https://booksundertheblanket.com/the-grass-is-almost-never-greener
Live on May 1
Live on May 1
katyw's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
risager's review against another edition
1.0
Jeg er allerede ved at kløjs i en ringe oversættelse og indtil videre ikke særligt spændende handling. #lydbog
kalkie's review
2.0
This isn't my usual kind of read at all. However I'm currently laid up with a broken ankle, and was looking for something easy to read through the drug and pain haze!
The most I can say about the book was it was OK. The main character, "Jacks" (urgh!) Morgan is a wife, mother and carer to her own elderly mother who is suffering from dementia. The relationship between "Jacks" (urgh!) and her mother was never on the best of terms even when she was little, so it's surprising that "Jacks" (urgh!) takes such close care of her as she does. She has a husband who seems to barely lift a finger, and two children (10 and 18) who expect every little thing handed to them. Then "Jacks" (urgh!) complains that she's tired and run down. I can't help but think if she wasn't such a doormat then things could be a whole lot better for her!
There's a very odd side-story about a childhood sweetheart who makes a reappearance, which didn't really add anything to the story. There were also a couple of "secrets" which became quite obvious as the book went on and which I was just relieved when they were revealed.
There really isn't a lot to this book. It's fine for what it is - but I don't think I'll be picking up any more in this series. Besides which, the name "Jacks" (urgh!) just grated every single time I read it!!
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
The most I can say about the book was it was OK. The main character, "Jacks" (urgh!) Morgan is a wife, mother and carer to her own elderly mother who is suffering from dementia. The relationship between "Jacks" (urgh!) and her mother was never on the best of terms even when she was little, so it's surprising that "Jacks" (urgh!) takes such close care of her as she does. She has a husband who seems to barely lift a finger, and two children (10 and 18) who expect every little thing handed to them. Then "Jacks" (urgh!) complains that she's tired and run down. I can't help but think if she wasn't such a doormat then things could be a whole lot better for her!
There's a very odd side-story about a childhood sweetheart who makes a reappearance, which didn't really add anything to the story. There were also a couple of "secrets" which became quite obvious as the book went on and which I was just relieved when they were revealed.
There really isn't a lot to this book. It's fine for what it is - but I don't think I'll be picking up any more in this series. Besides which, the name "Jacks" (urgh!) just grated every single time I read it!!
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
rogue_runner's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh, this was baaaad. I am so glad my reading rate is high at the moment, because I don't think I could stand more than two days of reading this one.
Thinking this was going to be a light chick-flick, I was sorely mistaken. Although, the little blurb on the front didn't have me particularly caught in the first place... it reminded me of one of [a:Cecelia Ahern|7116|Cecelia Ahern|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1414058421p2/7116.jpg]'s books. Dull and dreary, this plodded along, barely raising any hope throughout its 300-odd pages. And this was supposed to be a mood-lifter?! It was anything but, dragging just as much as Jacks' life.
I think the conclusion is exactly what I would loathe in life. Ugh. Give me high flying adventure any day. Jacks herself, I started off trying to sympathise with, but come the middle of the book and she was going off the rails, it was very difficult to find anything redeeming about her, and it continued to the end of the book for me. I hated how very saintlike she tried to make herself, trying to justify her unpleasant actions through "But I'm so tired" or "the world is all against meeeeee". By the end it was just annoying.
I guess the themes would appeal to some, although as a World Book Night read, I think overall I am unimpressed. It reads slowly, without much to keep the reader going if you were to stop and think about it- it's just fairly miserable the whole way through. Not my choice, if I were picking the lineup.
Thinking this was going to be a light chick-flick, I was sorely mistaken. Although, the little blurb on the front didn't have me particularly caught in the first place... it reminded me of one of [a:Cecelia Ahern|7116|Cecelia Ahern|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1414058421p2/7116.jpg]'s books. Dull and dreary, this plodded along, barely raising any hope throughout its 300-odd pages. And this was supposed to be a mood-lifter?! It was anything but, dragging just as much as Jacks' life.
I think the conclusion is exactly what I would loathe in life. Ugh. Give me high flying adventure any day. Jacks herself, I started off trying to sympathise with, but come the middle of the book and she was going off the rails, it was very difficult to find anything redeeming about her, and it continued to the end of the book for me. I hated how very saintlike she tried to make herself, trying to justify her unpleasant actions through "But I'm so tired" or "the world is all against meeeeee". By the end it was just annoying.
I guess the themes would appeal to some, although as a World Book Night read, I think overall I am unimpressed. It reads slowly, without much to keep the reader going if you were to stop and think about it- it's just fairly miserable the whole way through. Not my choice, if I were picking the lineup.
marjma2014's review against another edition
5.0
With a title like that I was bound to be drawn in! I'm a daughter, and have two daughters of my own.
This is an immersive story about Jacks and her family, her husband Pete, her mum Ida and her daughter Martha. It's also a story about regrets, the choices we make, the fears that we could have taken a different path and perhaps had a more exciting life. Perfect Daughter doesn't shy away from life's difficulties and real struggles: looking after an aging parent with Alzheimer and keeping the family on an even keel especially when life has a way of veering off course bringing more grief in its wake.
Perfect Daughter doesn't hide away from these issues, at times it's quite difficult reading and at other times it is heart warming and uplifting. It is a generational story focusing on three female family members: Jack's mother Ida, Jacks and Jack's daughter situation too.
There is a sense of history repeating itself. Can Jacks discover what really matters beyond material wealth and the freedoms it brings?
Perfect Daughter whizzes back and forward giving us a taste of life when Jacks was younger to the present day difficulties. Should she stay with dependable Pete, (who was there for her through thick and thin,) or should she risk throwing it all away for a promise of rekindled love with someone who could give supposedly give her everything?
Thank you to the author for kindly gifting a hardback copy. My review is freely given and without bias.
Highly recommended.
This is an immersive story about Jacks and her family, her husband Pete, her mum Ida and her daughter Martha. It's also a story about regrets, the choices we make, the fears that we could have taken a different path and perhaps had a more exciting life. Perfect Daughter doesn't shy away from life's difficulties and real struggles: looking after an aging parent with Alzheimer and keeping the family on an even keel especially when life has a way of veering off course bringing more grief in its wake.
Perfect Daughter doesn't hide away from these issues, at times it's quite difficult reading and at other times it is heart warming and uplifting. It is a generational story focusing on three female family members: Jack's mother Ida, Jacks and Jack's daughter situation too.
There is a sense of history repeating itself. Can Jacks discover what really matters beyond material wealth and the freedoms it brings?
Perfect Daughter whizzes back and forward giving us a taste of life when Jacks was younger to the present day difficulties. Should she stay with dependable Pete, (who was there for her through thick and thin,) or should she risk throwing it all away for a promise of rekindled love with someone who could give supposedly give her everything?
Thank you to the author for kindly gifting a hardback copy. My review is freely given and without bias.
Highly recommended.
emilyshuttleworth05's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
uptoolatereading's review against another edition
5.0
Review on www.novelicious.com
She’s a wife, mother and daughter, but somewhere over the years Jacks Morgan has lost herself. Each day is jam-packed with fulfilling the needs of her family and she barely has time to have a cup of tea let alone dwell of what might have been. Her husband Pete may have been there through thick and thin, but he is not much help when it comes to the everyday struggles of having a stroppy teenager and a mother with Alzheimer’s under the same roof.
Jacks may not be living the life she always dreamed of but she is determined that her eldest daughter Martha will reach her full potential. However, when a new boyfriend pops up out of the blue, Jacks is terrified of history repeating itself and the last thing she wants is Martha’s ambition to be sidetracked.
Amanda Prowse’s books allow an insight into ordinary people dealing with difficult situations and in Perfect Daughter we step right into the shoes of Jacks Morgan, who is drowning under her family’s demands. I really felt as though I was in amongst the unpacked boxes and half-finished cups of tea described in this novel. A mother with Alzheimer's is hard for anyone to handle, but even more so for Jacks as the flashbacks to her past show that their mother/daughter relationship was strained even before the illness struck. The chapters alternating between time periods worked extremely well and showed just how much her original life plan differed from the actuality. Both past and present were equally riveting.
Interspersed with the mundane day-to-day caring responsibilities, Jacks also has her daughter Martha to contend with. Martha is on the cusp of adulthood and preparing for university (she has even bought a toastie machine). Jacks has high hopes for her daughter and is living vicariously through her, which is a lot of pressure to place on a child, but understandable as history is gradually revealed.
Perfect Daughter is an absorbing read with a character that most women will identify with in some way. With this book Amanda Prowse has scored a hat trick of 10/10 scores meaning she is now firmly amongst my all-time favourite women writers. She is also a reader’s dream in that she writes faster than I can read and still manages to maintain her high standards. Nobody's perfect but Amanda Prowse’s writing is pretty close!
She’s a wife, mother and daughter, but somewhere over the years Jacks Morgan has lost herself. Each day is jam-packed with fulfilling the needs of her family and she barely has time to have a cup of tea let alone dwell of what might have been. Her husband Pete may have been there through thick and thin, but he is not much help when it comes to the everyday struggles of having a stroppy teenager and a mother with Alzheimer’s under the same roof.
Jacks may not be living the life she always dreamed of but she is determined that her eldest daughter Martha will reach her full potential. However, when a new boyfriend pops up out of the blue, Jacks is terrified of history repeating itself and the last thing she wants is Martha’s ambition to be sidetracked.
Amanda Prowse’s books allow an insight into ordinary people dealing with difficult situations and in Perfect Daughter we step right into the shoes of Jacks Morgan, who is drowning under her family’s demands. I really felt as though I was in amongst the unpacked boxes and half-finished cups of tea described in this novel. A mother with Alzheimer's is hard for anyone to handle, but even more so for Jacks as the flashbacks to her past show that their mother/daughter relationship was strained even before the illness struck. The chapters alternating between time periods worked extremely well and showed just how much her original life plan differed from the actuality. Both past and present were equally riveting.
Interspersed with the mundane day-to-day caring responsibilities, Jacks also has her daughter Martha to contend with. Martha is on the cusp of adulthood and preparing for university (she has even bought a toastie machine). Jacks has high hopes for her daughter and is living vicariously through her, which is a lot of pressure to place on a child, but understandable as history is gradually revealed.
Perfect Daughter is an absorbing read with a character that most women will identify with in some way. With this book Amanda Prowse has scored a hat trick of 10/10 scores meaning she is now firmly amongst my all-time favourite women writers. She is also a reader’s dream in that she writes faster than I can read and still manages to maintain her high standards. Nobody's perfect but Amanda Prowse’s writing is pretty close!
kime's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 star read for me. I enjoyed this book however it's not generally the type of genre I would read. It turned out to be a bit too "lovely" and "innocent" for me with plenty of characters that were really good people. But it was well written and I did get through it easily which meant it held my interest.
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