Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Thinking of You by Jill Mansell



Thinking of You by Jill Mansell
Copyright 2013 (orig. published by Headline in 2007)
Sourcebooks Landmark - Chick lit
424 pp.

Source:  ARC from Sourcebooks, a May 2013 release

What it's about:

I'm not sure how to describe what Thinking of You is about, because Jill Mansell's books always have so many strands but Ginny Holland is the main character.  She has just become an empty nester and is missing her daughter Jem's company so much that she decides to take on a renter.  She falls for a charming user (don't want to give too much away, here, so I won't go into detail about who she falls for) and so does her best friend, Carla. And, Ginny's renter is turns out to be a bit of a pain.  To get out of the house and away from her depressed renter, Ginny gets a job. Her new boss, Finn, just happens to be a man with whom she's had a bit of a nasty encounter, so she must win him over to keep her job.  Finn has recently had his heart broken and . . . I think he looks like George Clooney?  Or, maybe I just pictured him that way.  There's friendship and betrayal, misunderstanding that leads to a few slapstick scenes, romance and heartbreak and happily-ever-after for anyone deserving.

What I loved about Thinking of You:

Oh, sigh.  I just love Jill Mansell's books.  I started reading Thinking of You because the Boston bombing followed by the Texas explosion and idiocy in Congress started getting me down.  Jill Mansell's books are always uppers, so I knew reading one of her books would be the perfect remedy for a crappy week.  Thinking of You is no exception, although I found myself wanting to shout at Ginny and Gem and Carla, a few times.  Sometimes those plot twists and heartbreaks can be a little angst-inducing, but I closed the book with a smile on my face.  Ginny is a great heroine and I love the depth of the friendships in Thinking of You.  It's admirable the way they forgive and forget wounds inflicted upon each other and I love the reliability of those happily-ever-after endings.

Also, she used the word "malarkey" in there, somewhere.  You know how I love that word. 

What I disliked about Thinking of You:

The characters who are deceitful in Thinking of You are a little too obvious -- enough so that you want to reach in and shake the characters whom you know to be cruising toward disaster, but since everything turns out well in the end there is nothing at all worth complaining about.  

Recommendation:

Highly recommended, especially for escapist, beachy-type romantic reading.  I've been reading Jill Mansell's books since the 90's and they are reliably complex but light-hearted tales.  Her heroines tend to be very much alike in personality -- perky, witty, fun, sometimes clumsy or eccentric, always likable.  It never fails to surprise me how many twists Mansell throws into her books and how utterly she snookers me.  I had an idea who Ginny would end up with, but Jill Mansell is such a pro.  She always makes me doubt myself enough that I'm still pleasantly surprised at the end.  

Favorite photo of the day:

Sometimes you feel like a nut.

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

12 comments:

  1. I could use an upper type of book. I try to sneak those in once in a while. I don't know why but I tend to read dark, dreary, and depressing stuff. I think they make me feel better about my own life? I don't know and I don't know why I'm babbling about it here ;)

    On another note, I picked up Things We Couldn't Say from my library yesterday and I can't wait to dive in!

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    1. Jennifer, my eldest son went through a depressing lit phase and that is *exactly* why he said he read them. Of course, I protested that he had a cushy life and he should read happy books. :) But, I think that's one of the reasons I love reading about WWII. They remind me just how good we've got it. Plus, I am a huge admirer of that, "Just carry on," attitude that was so prevalent during the big wars.

      Yay! I hope you are as blown away as I was!

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  2. Those are the same little birds I have been seeing in my backyard all winter! They are adorable. I have a couple of Mansell's books, but haven't read them yet, and now I know that they would be really lighthearted and fun reads for when I am down. An excellent review and photo today! I'm looking forward to starting with this author!

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    1. Heather, that's a tufted titmouse. Aren't they darling? I love those little guys.

      I'm glad you've got some Mansell books on-hand! They are my go-to uppers. I've read most of her books and there was only one that I didn't love in the whole lot -- and I still enjoyed it, so that tells you how much I enjoy her books. Even her worst was still fun. :)

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  3. Light-hearted is good. :-) And I love that she uses the word "malarkey". I love that word too!

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    1. I think malarkey might be my current favorite word. :) Yes, light-hearted books are really helpful for getting one through a lousy week. I'm glad I had one of Jill Mansell's books sitting around, waiting to be read. Perfect timing!

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  4. Thanks so much for the fab review - thrilled you enjoyed the book! And I too love reading WWII books, so can I recommend a completely brilliant one - my favourite of last year? It's Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I've made so many people read it...and they've all loved it. And I'm not even on commission!

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    1. I always love your books, Jill. :) Thanks for another upbeat read! I really needed it.

      Code Name Verity is on my wish list! I'm happy to hear that you loved it. One can never get too many positive recommendations before a purchase, ya know.

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  5. OMG that birdie is ADORABLE :D We've had so many birds lately!!! They're all starting to come out more and more now with everything starting to bloom! Can't wait to see all the spring Bookfool photos :D

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    1. Isn't he the cutest? I think that's one of my favorite birds, although we have seen so many varieties that I had no idea were living in this state. Yesterday, we had two rose-breasted grosbeaks lolling in one of our trees. Seriously, lolling. I think one of them would have snored if he could make enough noise!! It was the funniest thing. And, they are gorgeous. Naturally, they lolled behind leaves.

      You will be seeing plenty more, of course! :)

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  6. I can't wait to read this one. Mansell's books always bring a smile to my face. :)

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    1. Same here! I'm glad you've got a copy to look forward to, Anna! :)

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