Originally when I finished Rachel's Holiday I thought I liked this story better, but now that I'm writing this I realized I liked the other a tad better. Although some of the side plots containing Helen were amusing. Overall I enjoyed this book, and originally, got the wrong idea of the story, but it was still a different surprise. You really do fall in love with the Walsh family with every book. They're a little odd and unique at times, but I think anyone could related them to their own family. Even the sisters with their vastly different personalities the reader can related to a different times. I think overall the story has two parts the main idea of Anna Walks and her abiltiy to move on, and this powerful family she has. It's a story that does address a difficult issue, and can be sad at times, but the reader goes through some of this emotional turmoil Anna goes through and you are easily able to connect with her.

Book Review also on blog: http://juliebooks.blogspot.com/2008/0... ( )

a woman tries to move on after tragedy. despite the heavy subject matter, a light summer read

I've read all of Marian Keye's previous novels, and it's a little ritual to buy anything new that comes out by her...this time I bought this newest book at the airport, & had a lovely, relaxing time reading it on the long plane-trip. First things first though: I feel it's kind of hard to review this book since the subject matter is initially hidden (quite well too, I must say) & revealed to the reader when you're well into the book, i.e. have read more than 1/3 of it. Therefore I'll be a bit cryptic about what the story actually involves, & will simply say it follows the life and days of Anna Walsh, one of the youngest sisters in the Irish Walsh family that Keyes has followed in previous books (Watermelon / Rachel's holiday). You don't need to have read the previous books to follow this one- but it might make the experience more enjoyable if you have. This is a fun, easy read, even though at times it's also sad and insightful. It's also a very funny book, as all of Keyes' previous books. Here, as in other of her books, she comes up with hilarious ideas such as 'jolly girls', 'labrodoodles', birthing-class descriptions etc. However true-to-life and insightful the book becomes at times, its main strenght is the laughs you'll get out of it. So it remains firmly and proudly in the easy-to-read 'chic-lit' genre- which is not a bad thing, since it doesn't pretend otherwise. I've given it 4 stars because I think Keyes remains one of the best writers in this genre. So, enjoy- and read this preferably on the beach or on a long plane ride... ( )

Well. I was really in the mood for a lighthearted chick lit book when I started this one, which was a huge mistake. Marian Keyes is talked about in any sort of chick lit conversation, and I had not read one of her books, so it was time... I picked this one at the library because the little synopsis I read inside the cover said she was in Public Relations, which I think is a fun career to read about. Little did I know I would be nearly in tears the entire book because of the way the events played out.

After the "worst" part of the book, I expected it to at least pick up a bit for a somewhat happy ending. It WAS happy... at least happier than the beginning, but still not enough to lift my spirits. If I had been in a different mood when I began the book, it's likely I would have enjoyed it (it was well written), but it just did not fit my mood at all. Some of my PaperBackSwap friends have told me I should read Sushi for Beginners next, so that will be the next Keyes I try. ( )

Oh what a book to read... I got this book on a vacation in 2006, in the middle of nowhere'land, that somebody had left behind and up until two months ago, it was collecting dust on the top shelf. I was just about to pack all my books and move again when this Anybody out there? cried out to be read. 4 days later and endless nights to read as much as I could, I could not put it away. What a great story and marian Keyes has a way to write the way it is, no softening of the edges here. A story that has grabed my heart and my soul. ( )