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annebrooke's review
2.0
This is very much a disappointment - I think the set up is probably quite good, but the whole thing is so fast paced and off-the-wall that it's frankly exhausting. Lots of things happen at breakneck speed for no apparent purpose, but I remain unconvinced of the point of it all. I think it would be better with a lot fewer characters and if there was just the immediate family to focus on. This might have been a much better book if written by a far more skilled novelist but, sadly, that wasn't to be.
cleg11's review
3.0
Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Everything is going well for Sally, Frank and their children when the stock market crashes. Frank and Sally lose everything, Frank can’t cope and leaves Sally to deal with the fallout. At first she buries her head in her sand and thinks it will sort itself out until she realises Frank isn’t going to of any use as her starts to suffer from narcolepsy. Sally takes the bull by the horns and with the help of their children takes matters into her own hands, holds her head up high and deals with the fallout.
Took a long time for me to get into the book but the ending was better than expected.
Everything is going well for Sally, Frank and their children when the stock market crashes. Frank and Sally lose everything, Frank can’t cope and leaves Sally to deal with the fallout. At first she buries her head in her sand and thinks it will sort itself out until she realises Frank isn’t going to of any use as her starts to suffer from narcolepsy. Sally takes the bull by the horns and with the help of their children takes matters into her own hands, holds her head up high and deals with the fallout.
Took a long time for me to get into the book but the ending was better than expected.
geeniebean29's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jmatkinson1's review
3.0
Thirty years ago Sally fell in love with Frank, a wide boy entrepreneur, now she is married to multimillionaire hedgefund head, on valium and feeling out of control with her life, her children, her friends and her staff in her Leatherhead McMansion. Then overnight everything falls apart and Sally realises that things will never be the same again.
Celebrity novels go one of two ways, either they are wonderful (eg. Graham Norton) or they are like this one. My expectations were high, Giedroyc is a funny woman and her non-fiction articles in magazines have been supremely entertaining, but this was such a disappointment, it felt like a story 'phoned in' using every cliche of the genre. There are a funny episodes but overall I couldn't wait to reach the (predictable) end.
Celebrity novels go one of two ways, either they are wonderful (eg. Graham Norton) or they are like this one. My expectations were high, Giedroyc is a funny woman and her non-fiction articles in magazines have been supremely entertaining, but this was such a disappointment, it felt like a story 'phoned in' using every cliche of the genre. There are a funny episodes but overall I couldn't wait to reach the (predictable) end.
ecclescake's review
3.0
The Parker family members are all a bit of a nightmare. They’ve surrounded themselves with nightmare staff, too – at least from Sally’s point of view. The poor woman has surrendered control of her home and family to their housekeeper and nanny, who have no respect for her and take advantage of her ineffectuality. Or rather she has had control taken from her hands by her well-meaning husband, who wants her to be a cossetted wife who need only concern herself with being the perfect hostess of the extravagant social/business events he loves to hold in their stunning Surrey home. I became a little irritated by all the “Sally made a mental note to…” which came fast and furious, but I feel this was intentional to emphasise Sally’s desire to get to grips with the issues in her home and family while never actually getting round to following up on her mental notes.
Despite their “nightmarey-ness”, I became rather fond of Frank and Sally, the turning point coming when we were told the back story of when they met and fell in love as teenagers. In fact, I became fond of all the family, despite their infuriating characteristics. The catastrophe that befalls the family offers a re-set for them all and I was cheering them on for a better future.
As for the humour, there are some cracking lines, although I chuckled, rather than LOL’d.
Despite their “nightmarey-ness”, I became rather fond of Frank and Sally, the turning point coming when we were told the back story of when they met and fell in love as teenagers. In fact, I became fond of all the family, despite their infuriating characteristics. The catastrophe that befalls the family offers a re-set for them all and I was cheering them on for a better future.
As for the humour, there are some cracking lines, although I chuckled, rather than LOL’d.
alixv's review
No spoilers… I just really didn’t like the characters. Maybe they would have got better but 🤷♀️…
pam_sartain's review
3.0
The Best Things by Mel Giedroyc has Sally Parker, a wife and mother, and also a woman struggling to see where she fits in life. Her husband, Frank, has always provided well, and so there is a nanny, housekeeper, driver for Frank and so on.
When Frank's business goes belly up, life changes suddenly and dramatically, and Sally has to see if she too can change
I found this book to be quite slow in pace, I liked the ending, but found the story to be very full of characters and story arcs that didn't need to be there.
You might know Mel Giedroyc a little better as Mel from Mel and Sue on Bake Off.
The Best Things was published on 1st April 2021, and is available from Amazon , Waterstones (signed edition) and Bookshop.org .
I'm afraid I couldn't find anywhere where you can follow Mel Giedroyc.
I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Headline
When Frank's business goes belly up, life changes suddenly and dramatically, and Sally has to see if she too can change
I found this book to be quite slow in pace, I liked the ending, but found the story to be very full of characters and story arcs that didn't need to be there.
You might know Mel Giedroyc a little better as Mel from Mel and Sue on Bake Off.
The Best Things was published on 1st April 2021, and is available from Amazon , Waterstones (signed edition) and Bookshop.org .
I'm afraid I couldn't find anywhere where you can follow Mel Giedroyc.
I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Headline
theresey01's review
The book just didn't hook me in and I found it rather boring, even though reviews said it was engaging and funny.
lisaconn's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0