Finding Colin Firth

4.25 Stars — Three women, Bea, Veronica, and Gemma, experience a life-changing summer when Colin Firth comes to town to film a movie. I wasn’t sure what to expect in this book, but what I found was a heartwarming story about motherhood, identity, loss, family, and magical elixir pies.

What’s really at the heart of this book is Hope Home, a refuge for pregnant teens near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, that’s approaching its 50-year anniversary. Veronica was a resident 22 years ago, and she gave up her baby for adoption, hoping for a better life for her daughter than she could give. Bea has just recently found out that Veronica is her birth mother, and she’s come to town to learn her history. Gemma is at a turning point in her life, show more newly unemployed and pregnant, and doing a freelance story on Hope Home. She’s conflicted about motherhood and at odds with her husband about how and where to raise their child.

I enjoyed and connected with all of the characters, and their conflicts were realistic and emotional ones. Lovely Maine setting too. FINDING COLIN FIRTH is a wonderful summer read with depth and heart. Enjoyed!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. show less

Told by alternating narrators, March's book touches on many facets of family, both lost and found, with a little romance for interest. This was a quick, light read and while none of the characters really popped for me individually, together, they made a good story.The path of the three main characters all lead to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Bea is a young woman searching for answers after a belated deathbed confession. Veronica has come home to Boothbay after years of living across the country. And Gemma seems to be both hiding and searching for meaning after downsizing leaves her without a job. Colin Firth is set to star in a movie filming in this Maine town and everyone wants to be a part of that magic.

When all you want is pleasant fluff after a heavier read, this is a refreshing easy piece of chick-lit.
Nope, that's not quite right. It's actually what I expected to read, but this has characters who are actually wrestling with some pretty heavy stuff. Gemma and Alexander's dilemma was interesting, and having Alex sound selfish is spot on in this kind of family argument. The fact that their disagreement refused to escalate into all out war is unusual.

Nice escapist novel at one level.

Another reviewer got it right: It's not super deep but it's not fluff either. I thought it struck a nice balance.

On another level, the themes and issues brought up resonated with me, so it wasn't just a chick lit book . I liked the way she handled these ideas.

The concept here was a good one, but I found the characters of Gemma and her husband Alex to be heavy-handed (possibly unnecessary) additions to the story, and the ultimate resolution of their issues did not seem believable.

A charming book intertwining the stories of a daughter seeking her adoptive mother, innocent and unexpected love, and a small Northeastern shore town caught up in the excitement that a film starring Colin Firth is being filmed in their midst (though Firth, it must be said, is the Godot of the tale). Recommended for light, pleasurable reading and for fans of the author's previous work. (63)

Not as light and frothy as the Ali McNamara chick lit novels that I've been reading recently, but it's an excellent read with some real depth and substance to it. I'd happily recommend it.