Review: 121. To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell...

Jill Mansell must be the Queen of British chick-lit! Her books are always just the right balance of funny and romantic, and I'd watch any (all!) of 'em if converted to the big screen...

Title: To the Moon and Back
Author: Jill Mansell
ISBN-13: 9781402243851
ARC: 433 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks

drey's thoughts:
While reading To the Moon and Back, I kept thinking in the back of my mind how I was going to classify it--was it a contemporary romance? Or chick-lit? I finally settled on both, because while this is quite the romantic read, it's not just about the boy and the girl.

In addition to being about a boy and a girl, To the Moon and Back also deals with loss and grief, allowing yourself to move on, and the wonderful bonds of friendship. All wrapped up in Mansell's trademark humor. How could I not have liked it?

As I read, I could also see the story playing out in my head. You know how there are books you absorb, and books you imagine? Well, I vividly imagined the story playing out. I could see Ellie, Jamie, Roo, Tony, Todd, and Zack in my head--just as if I had a movie reel flickering away... And maybe I'm in a sappy mood, but I loved all the characters--even as I wanted to thunk Zack upside the head for being just a tad too good. You don't get the girl by wishing on a star, buddy!

Make this a movie, and I'll be there with my box of Kleenex... And my girlfriends, of course!

drey's rating: Outstanding! I loved it so much I read it twice, back-to-back, because I just couldn't get enough of Ellie and Zack.

Have you read To the Moon and Back? What did you think?

33. Review: Staying at Daisy's by Jill Mansell...

I have Jill Mansell firmly entrenched on my list of authors I have to read, and couldn't wait to crack open the pages of Staying at Daisy's!

Title: Staying at Daisy's
Author: Jill Mansell
ISBN-13: 9781402243844
ARC: 501 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011 (reprint)
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks

drey's thoughts:
I love Jill Mansell's characters--they are absolutely lovable. And Daisy is no exception. Single by decision since she found about that her husband was cheating on her when he died in a car accident, she has a difficult time flipping between wanting to hang with Dev Tyzack and staying as far away as she can get. After all, he's famous (former rugby star) and totally hot. Can't be good, right? So when her old college flame shows up, she falls into a relationship with him instead, because he's not quite as dangerous to her heart...

In addition to this lovely triangle, there's Daisy's father, who's a flamboyant widower, her BFF Tara, who's the good-time girl, Tara's mom, and a surprising pair who turn Daisy's life upside-down. Or, more upside-down. And as we go with Daisy on her journey to self-discovery, she comes to accept that the past is past, and she can decide how to move forward--and whether her heart moves with her or not.

Jill's writing creates characters you care about, and her humor shines through in the characters' quirkiness and personalities. Entertaining through and through.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent! Jill should be at the top of any chick-lit fans' list!

Have you read Staying at Daisy's? What did you think?

120. Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell...

Title: Take a Chance on Me
Author: Jill Mansell
ISBN-13: 9781402237515
ARC: 412 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc., 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Take a Chance on Me was provided by the publisher for this blog tour. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Jill Mansell's Take a Chance on Me is a quirky and warm story about a girl--Cleo--who's still living with the embarrassment of being humiliated by her high-school crush, and a boy--Johnny--who's taking his time to figure out what he really wants. True to form, her characters are larger-than-life and definitely not perfect, yet you find yourself rooting for them to get their happily-ever-after.

And it's not just Cleo and Johnny you feel for, the accompanying cast of characters are pretty entertaining, too. Not that everything's hunky-dory for everyone else. Oh, no... As the romantic webs start entangling everyone in the town of Channings Hill, you wonder if it's going to end up more like a daytime soap than a rom-com. But no worries, everything works out in the end, even if the ending was just a teensy bit rushed.

The humor shines through brightly, and the characters are so vivid that you can imagine this on film. This is another must-read from Jill Mansell--add it to your fall list!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

196. Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell...

About the book:

The timing couldn’t be worse…

Sparks flying between Poppy Dunbar and a handsome stranger the night before her wedding set Poppy on a wild and wacky journey of self-discovery. She flees the sweet, boring, predictable life she could have had in search of a mysterious stranger and a fresh start in London.

But there, her life is complicated by Caspar, her gorgeous flatmate, who has big plans for her. Now if only the two of them can get their timing right…

drey's thoughts:
Oh, Poppy. Such a well-meaning girl. Such a silly girl. Walking away from tying the knot because you think you’re marrying the wrong man, even though you know nothing at all about the guy you’d just met. In any case, she walks. And finds herself in London, alone, with the newfound knowledge that her father, really isn’t. Now, her mission is two-fold: find the stranger that she only knows as Tom, and find her father.

Poppy is a funny, warm, sympathetic character. She is lucky, too—-finding herself a room while working at an event, getting a job with a boss who puts up with her flightiness… Her roommates are quirky and amusing-—Caspar more than Claudia, who can be just a witch. As time goes by, and Poppy achieves some of her goals, she learns that you don't always want what you thought you did, once you get it. And that some things are best left unsaid.

Perfect Timing is quirky chick-lit that you will breeze through in a flash.

Title: Perfect Timing
Author: Jill Mansell
ISBN-10: 1402226748
ISBN-13: 9781402226748
ARC: 431 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2009

Disclosure: My copy of Perfect Timing was an ARC provided by Sourcebooks for this review.