Product Description

Marian Keyes' sixth novel is a truly captivating story about a marriage that's gone wrong and a sensible girl who suddenly just wants to let her hair down. "We will shortly be landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Please ensure your seat is in the upright position, that you weigh less than a hundred pounds and that you have excellent teeth." Maggie Walsh has always done everything right. Sensibly. By the book. Until the day she leaves her husband and runs away to Hollywood, that is. Follow her on a journey of discovery, from suburbia to a suntan - taking in some heartache and lots of martinis along the way - as she discovers what she really wants in life and why she really walked out of her marriage.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2589 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
A new Marian Keyes novel is always something to celebrate, and her sixth novel, Angels, will have you cheering. From the first couple of sentences: "I'd always lived a fairly blameless life. Up until the day I left my husband and ran away to Hollywood, I'd hardly ever put a foot wrong" to the hugely satisfying last page, you're immediately involved in the story of Maggie Walsh's life; of how it went wrong, and then went right again.

The Walshes starred in a previous Keyes novel, the delightful Rachel's Holiday; Maggie is Rachel's older sister, (one of five) and the only one who "never did any of that nasty sleeping around business". Instead she got married to her first boyfriend Paul Garvan and everything was fine, until they suffered a couple of "setbacks". Unable to face sorting out the difficulties, Maggie hightails it to Los Angeles to stay with her old pal Emily. Emily is a script writer, her short film A Perfect Day was a big hit in Ireland, but her working life is a little tougher in the land of sunshine and fat-free Pringles. The two girls, along with a supporting cast of wannabes, scary film studio folk and slacker next door neighbours, get on with sorting out their emotional issues in a stylishly witty, wonderfully warm fashion. Maggie's devilish ex-boyfriend and the commitment phobic Troy add in a delightful frisson of sexual tension.

Marian Keyes observations on the foibles of love and LA are laugh-out-loud funny, but there's a beguiling tenderness there too. By the time you reach the final full stop you'll be sighing with contentment, and just wishing that Marian would get a move on with the next book. --Eithne Farry

Review
This novel by Marian Keyes is cast firmly in the mould of her other bestsellers such as Sushi For Beginners and Last Chance Saloon. Maggie and Garv have split after nine years of marriage and to escape the debris of the break-up Maggie flies to LA to stay with her screen-writing friend Emily. The thrills and spills of Emily's and her friends' lives are more than enough to distract Maggie from her heartache and in the few weeks she spends with Emily her life takes on a technicolour hue. She experiences the cutthroat world of 'the movies' and ruthless agents, has flings with members of both sexes, endures a complete physical makeover and bumps into her first love, Shay. Her close and colourful Irish family visit, contrasting superbly with the outlandish Americans; Maggie's mother's drunken but stern interchange with student neighbour Ethan about his decision to become the New Messiah is pure comedy. The question of Garv and Maggie's ruptured marriage becomes increasingly tantalizing as her infidelities rapidly outnumber his and we begin to discover what their underlying problem really was. Keyes's use of her wonderfully refreshing humour as ballast to the darker and more serious aspects of the novel makes for a satisfying and involving read. Her material initially attracts the female 30-something market but her snappy, brisk style and wit are such that anyone could enjoy this. The novel is long but the plot is perfectly paced and the characterization brilliant. Fans and those new to Keyes's work will love it. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
Marian Keyes is the internationally bestselling author of WATERMELON, LUCY SULLIVAN IS GETTING MARRIED, RACHEL'S HOLIDAY, LAST CHANCE SALOON and, most recently, SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS, a Sunday Times Number One bestseller. She has also published a collection of journalism titled UNDER THE DUVET. Her books are published in seventeen different languages. Marian lives in Dublin with her husband.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic!!!
This is the story of Maggie Walsh, although she is not the most likable of the Walsh sisters this was a fantastic read, its hard not to fall in love with the whole walsh family! espically Mammy and Daddy Walsh : ) This was a fast read, prob because i couldnt put the book down! Fantastic read! Keep it up Marian Keyes!!!!

Slightly Disappointing
After just finishing 'Angels' I can't quite put my finger on what I thought of it. Although, at points, I found it hard to put down, overall this has been my least favourite of the Keyes' novels that I've read so far.

Many reviews have commented on the 'fake' views and stereotypes in Los Angeles but for me this was not a problem; whilst the ridiculous incidents unroll they create humour because they seem perfectly viable.

However the plot was way too scatty. The novel didn't really seem to have any direction and instead of following one path it seemed to come to dead ends with many different stories. As a result there are lots of different characters, but this doesn't cause too much of a problem. For me the highlights of this book are the supporting characters, in particular the Walsh family and the Goatee Boys.

Although I didn't enjoy this novel as much as the likes of 'The Other Side of the Story', 'Sushi for Beginners' and 'Last Chance Saloon' it has not put me off Keyes as an author and I will continue to read her brilliant work.

Like all of Marian Keyes's novels i couldn't put this down!
Like all of Marian Keyes's novels i couldn't put this down!I think this is my 2nd favourite Walsh sister book ( the first being the incredible Anybody out there).I would highly recommend anything by Marian Keyes but the books about the Walsh sisters have to be my favourites by her.The Walsh family are adorable and remind me of my relationship with my family.Plenty of laughs,lovable characters and a good plot make it classic Marian Keys.Fully recommend!