Chris Manby

I have discovered that I really enjoy books about feisty older people, especially older women. I don't know if it's because I myself am getting older or if there's some less obvious reason, but I do delight in the way that women who are looked over, underestimated, and treated as harmless manage to be expansive and wickedly intelligent and, by the end of their novels, the undisputed heros of their worlds. In short, they are just being the same women they were when they were younger, only show more sporting wrinkles and grey hair now. Getting old doesn't mean turning into a sweet old lady, not in books, and not in real life either. The two nonagenarian main characters in CJ Wray's delightful novel, The Excitements, prove that in spades.

Penny and Josephine Williamson are in their nineties. The sisters served their country during WWII and are about to go to Paris with their much beloved great-nephew Archie to be awarded the Legion d'honneur for their wartime efforts. This trip is not just a trip to France for any of the three as all of them have other connections to and memories of Paris that make the trip a fraught one.

The narrative swings back and forth from Penny and Josephine's time in the FANYs (Penny) and WRENS (Josephine) during the war, the post-war years, and the present. The story centers on the women but great-nephew Archie's past and how he came to be so connected to his aunts is also covered. Archie adores Penny and Josephine, devising "excitements" to keep their days entertaining, worrying about perceived cognitive declines, exasperated by the trouble that seems to follow the sweet, little old ladies, and dreading the day that these much loved women won't be there anymore. The aunts took Archie under their wings when he was young and have doted on him forever. But that doesn't mean that they have told him their many secrets. He has no idea what their wartime service included, no ideas about their most important loves and losses, and not a full picture of their current day activities either. All three characters are charming and as each of their backstories unfold, the various plot threads thicken deliciously and havoc ensues.

The novel starts off as pure entertainment but turns out to be filled with joy and great sorrow, touching on heavier topics than the reader might suspect. Despite that, it still maintains a madcap, caper-like feel. There's a supporting cast of irrascible elderly women veterans, shenanigans, love lost, DNA testing, social justice, the mores of the war years, especially as applied to women, and the occasional shoplifting and jewel theivery. The ending is a bit chaotic but fun, as is the spirit of the book as a whole. Reading about the Williamson sisters and their adventures is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. show less

This was a well-written and quick-moving book. I sped through it and I enjoyed it somewhat. However, the main character is just SO obsessive and excessive, it stops being funny and just becomes cringe-inducing. I happen to love bizarre characters, but Ashleigh just left me feeling depressed and disturbed, and I don't think was the author's intention. I understand what the author is trying to do, I think, but I just don't think this book works as a satire of women going crazy over men (who show more aren't worth it at all), but it didn't strike me as funny so much as pathetic. Perhaps Manby intended to go the social critique route and was told to change it into standard chick lit by her editor? Or vice versa? It doesn't work as either. show less

There isn’t a woman who hasn’t been dumped by her boyfriend that wouldn’t like to do some of the things Ashleigh does in this book. Fortunately, for most of us common sense prevails and we settle for wine or chocolate. Ashleigh has no such scruples. After a two and a half year relationship with Michael, she discovers that her Mr. Right has other ideas and finds out the relationship is over via a Facebook status change. When she finally corners Michael and he drops the bad news on her, show more Ashleigh turns into the crazy ex-girlfriend and embarks on a campaign to win him back that would make Lucy Riccardo look like a sedate person.
Ashleigh pretty much ruins her life in her pursuit of reclaiming Michael and ends up temporarily at home with her parents and annoying younger brother. Said younger brother does something to Ashleigh that ultimately is her redemption but starts off as utter humiliation. Ashleigh learns to survive and aside from one incredibly stupid lapse, moves on with her life.
I enjoyed this book even though parts of it made me want to cringe with embarrassment for the heroine. I would like to believe that a modern woman would never behave like Ashleigh does but I know it happens. Although she is sympathetic for the most part, there are a couple of times when she crosses a line and it’s hard to feel empathy with the character. I feel like Ashleigh really doesn’t learn to live her life without Michael because she matures, but rather that she has one last stupid moment and gets hit in the face with the truth.
All in all it is a cute book about dealing or not dealing with heartache and the creative ways to try and get over the loss. show less

I have mixed feelings about Getting Over Mr. Right. Unfortunately I have been dumped before and I thought that this tale would be quite entertaining in how Ashleigh fights for revenge... However, I found that as I continued to read, Asheigh doesn't really fight for revenge -- she turns into a pathetic mess bordering on psychotic. As the poor girl continues to spiral ever downward, I literally cringed when I read each successive blunder. I wanted to yell at the book at times and yank Ashleigh show more by her hair!

There are moments of humor in the book -- I did laugh out loud a few times. But more than that, I felt like this was a story in which the main character falls totally to pieces in a very sad way. Admittedly, we all can fall to pieces when our hearts are broken, but I felt Manby overdid the 'crazy stalker girl' angle. Ashleigh grows in the end, but not nearly enough to make up for all the crap she pulled throughout the book. I was totally mortified by how she treated her best friend ~ and I found the reunion between the two unbelievable considering what happened to cause the fall out. (trying to avoid spoilers).

I received this book for Early Reviewers. show less