A review by sarathebibliophagist
Do Not Disturb by Tilly Bagshawe
3.0
I received Do Not Disturb for free from the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, the characters. And the POVs. There are an awful lot of characters. In addition to our two main characters, we have friends, lovers, relatives, rivals, co-workers, all playing equally important roles in the story. Each character is well-developed and has a significant plot line, but wow. There is a lot to remember. The POV switches constantly, which isn't much of a problem unless you have to stop mid-chapter to do something else.
Second, the timeline. The pacing of the book threw me off several times. We'll have six chapters dedicated to a week and then suddenly we'll jump forward three years. I get it, hotels aren't built overnight, relationships (usually) aren't torn apart in the course of five minutes, and you'd probably die of exhaustion if everything in the novel took place over a couple months. BUT it seems that the pacing of the book could have been improved a bit. It comes across as weird and disjointed at times.
Third, the plot. Now, I've read a lot of terrible books recently. Books where the author thought he'd show off his vocabulary more than his storytelling abilities. Books where I have no attachment to the characters because the author spends more time describing the trees in the backyard than describing what's happening to the characters. So I suppose reading a book like this, where the characters are the main focus, was a welcome change. The plot is simple yet interesting. I was never bored. It wasn't anything special and it was a bit formulaic, but what can I say? It's fluffy chick lit. I wasn't expecting huge plot twists. The book wraps up very neatly.
One thing I can say I was disappointed in was the relationship between Honor and Lucas. The description on the back of the book makes it sound like they have an angsty love affair, but the relationship is much more hatred than anything else. They're constantly battling each other in the press, making accusations, telling anyone who will listen how horrible the other is...
So all in all, Do Not Disturb is neither the best nor the worst I've read this year. I enjoyed it for what it was and it kept my attention, but I probably won't actively seek out additional books from this author. If I'd paid for the book, I probably would have been a little disappointed, but since I got it for free I can't complain too much.
Firstly, the characters. And the POVs. There are an awful lot of characters. In addition to our two main characters, we have friends, lovers, relatives, rivals, co-workers, all playing equally important roles in the story. Each character is well-developed and has a significant plot line, but wow. There is a lot to remember. The POV switches constantly, which isn't much of a problem unless you have to stop mid-chapter to do something else.
Second, the timeline. The pacing of the book threw me off several times. We'll have six chapters dedicated to a week and then suddenly we'll jump forward three years. I get it, hotels aren't built overnight, relationships (usually) aren't torn apart in the course of five minutes, and you'd probably die of exhaustion if everything in the novel took place over a couple months. BUT it seems that the pacing of the book could have been improved a bit. It comes across as weird and disjointed at times.
Third, the plot. Now, I've read a lot of terrible books recently. Books where the author thought he'd show off his vocabulary more than his storytelling abilities. Books where I have no attachment to the characters because the author spends more time describing the trees in the backyard than describing what's happening to the characters. So I suppose reading a book like this, where the characters are the main focus, was a welcome change. The plot is simple yet interesting. I was never bored. It wasn't anything special and it was a bit formulaic, but what can I say? It's fluffy chick lit. I wasn't expecting huge plot twists. The book wraps up very neatly.
One thing I can say I was disappointed in was the relationship between Honor and Lucas. The description on the back of the book makes it sound like they have an angsty love affair, but the relationship is much more hatred than anything else. They're constantly battling each other in the press, making accusations, telling anyone who will listen how horrible the other is...
Spoiler
When Honor and Lucas do finally get together, it's while drunk and they both deny any feelings afterward. It takes until just about the last page for them to admit there's something there.So all in all, Do Not Disturb is neither the best nor the worst I've read this year. I enjoyed it for what it was and it kept my attention, but I probably won't actively seek out additional books from this author. If I'd paid for the book, I probably would have been a little disappointed, but since I got it for free I can't complain too much.