Product Description

Lola has just found out that her boyfriend – charismatic politician Paddy de Courcy – is getting married. To someone else. Heartbroken, Lola flees the city for a cottage by the sea. But will LolaÂ’s retreat prove as idyllic as she hopes? Journalist Grace wants the inside story on Paddy de CourcyÂ’s engagement and thinks Lola holds the key to it. Grace knew Paddy a long time ago. But why canÂ’t she forget him? GraceÂ’s sister, Marnie, might have the answer but she also has issues with the past. Her loving loving husband and beautiful daughters are wonderful, but they canÂ’t take away memories of her first love: a certain Paddy de Courcy. What will it take for Marnie to be able to move on? Alicia Thornton is PaddyÂ’s wife-to-be. Determined to be the perfect wife, Alicia would do anything for her fiancé. But does she know the real Paddy? Four very different women. One awfully charming man. And the dark secret that binds them all...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1203 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-05
• Released on: 2009-03-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 896 pages

About the Author
Marian Keyes' international bestselling novels include RachelÂ’s Holiday, Last Chance Saloon, Sushi for Beginners, Angels, The Other Side of the Story and Anybody Out There, a number one bestseller. Two collections of her journalism, Under the Duvet and Further Under the Duvet, are also available from Penguin. Marian lives in Dublin with her husband.

Customer Reviews

A charming book
As the synopsis says: "Four very different women. One awfully charming man. And the dark secret that binds them all . . " That pretty much sums up this page-turner by Marian Keyes, author of WATERMELON and SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS. Her latest novel is just as good--if not even better--than these previous efforts.

True, this novel has a gritter side and is more disturbing and deals with more "real life" issues than WATERMELON or some of her other efforts, but it's still packed with fun and frolic. There are moments that are hilarious paired with moments that will take your breath away. Such is as it should be with any good novel.

It would be virtually impossible to tell the story here without ruining it, but suffice it to say that Keyes is one of those writers (much like Kinsella) who knows how to craft a novel from start to finish. Unlike a lot of books that fall apart at the end, THIS CHARMING MAN goes straight for the finish line and then some.

My only complaint: I couldn't put it down and it TOTALLY disrupted my life. Would also recommmend the Kinsella novel REMEMBER ME? and the novel of great fun BARRING SOME UNFORESEEN ACCIDENT. Both are great, but THIS CHARMING MAN takes the cake.

Excellent novel
Synopsis:

Lola Daly has just found out that her boyfriend - gorgeous, charming and powerful politician Paddy de Courcy - is getting married. To someone else. Heartbroken, Lola flees Dublin to a cottage in the countryside. Can a new set of friends help her to get over him? Journalist Grace Gildee wants the inside story on Paddy de Courcy's engagement. Lola refuses to talk the press but Grace won't give up. She knew Paddy a long time ago and hasn't forgotten him ...Marnie Hunter is Grace's twin sister. With a loving husband and two gorgeous daughters, Marnie seems to have it all. But she's haunted by memories. Memories that began with her first love - Paddy de Courcy. Can Marnie leave the past behind once and for all and move on with her life? Alicia Thornton is Paddy's wife-to-be. Determined to be the perfect wife, Alicia would do anything for her fiance. But does she know the real Paddy? Four women. One man. And a secret that binds them all.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, however, I really enjoyed it. The novel follows four ladies as they struggle through life facing hardships such as break-ups, depression, alcoholism and domestic abuse. All linked to Paddy de Courcy, we see how he has effected their lives - and how they deal with that. I'll start this review with my criticism:

- I found Marnie's character tough to bear. A depressive alcoholic - yet I found her whinging too much - although, that is probably a sign that her character was written accurately

- There were many issues mentioned in the book, which meant not all of them were dealt with in a satisfying way, such as cancer, smoking and death.

They are my only complaints. The rest of the book I adored. I liked how different characters had different ways of telling the story, such as Lola using diary form. The issues Keyes did tackle in depth were done expertly. I felt the issues of domestic abuse, alcoholism and identity were brave topics to write about, and all were explored and resolved satisfactorily. I enjoyed how the story unfolded - with the flashes back and the odd memory to make you wonder where the narrative was going. There were twists and turns, and the way Keyes wrote made me guess and assume wrongly, create false ideas about characters and generally be surprised at the revelation! I found myself getting emotionally involved and willing the best outcome.

There were a lot of characters in the book, however I felt I had a grasp on all of them. I loved Bid best. A lot of her lines had me laughing out loud.

I only had a couple of problems with this book and none were drastic enough to ruin the book for me.

9/10

Loved this!
I'm a huge Marian Keyes fan and agree that this is a departure from her usual frothy style. But I loved the gritty subject matter and her refusal to shy away from tough issues. Let's face it, her previous books have also dealt with death, adultery and violence so this shouldn't be such a shock to the diehard froth fans. It's great to see a writer take a risk and extend her style instead of rehashing the same stuff (are you listening, Maeve Binchy?!). Really enjoyed this.