Nadia Knows Best

First of all, the blurb is very hinting that she is tempted and all that. But she is only looking and who would not. So no funny business, this is not a book about how the grass is greener in the other side.

As with other Mansell books this one is not only about Nadia. We have her sister Clare who is an artist and who dates this posh idiot and they are having issues. Then there is the father who has never really dated since their mum left them ages ago, and perhaps he should find love too. The grandmother Miriam is keeping secrets while the neighbor tries to make her fall for him. Clare was a bit of a bitch sometimes, Miriam was a very cool granny and their dad was sweet. It was nice reading about them all.

As for Nadia, honestly it feels show more I spoil things if I say what this book really is about. But I can talk about other thing, how she wants to do more than work at the boring place she works at. How Laurie is drop dead gorgeous, but that's it, he is a model and he is never home. And how things are not always what they seem to be. Nadia will have her own relationship troubles but as with all books like this she founds her way, and it's the right way for her. I liked her and how she helped take care of her family. They may not always be the best of friends but they all still love each other.

Mansell's books are like scones and tea (yes I had to go very British). The book is a nice mix of romance, family drama and real life troubles. Nothing is glossy and perfect, they all got issues of their own. And I enjoyed it for just that reason.

Conclusion:
It was just like how I like my Mansell books. Fun and it kept me guessing about what would happen to them all. show less

Oh my goodness! If I had to use one word to describe Nadia Knows Best it would be delightful. I settled in to read this book and I was instantly swept away.

First off, I enjoy a fun romance and it was delivered in spades in this book. Secondly, I'm generally fascinated by all things British, so this was a no brainer. I enjoyed the setting and reading the different turn of words and phrases.

The book blurb makes it seem like this book is just about Nadia and Jay, but it isn't. Also in the plot are Nadia's family members. As supporting characters, Nadia's grandmom Miriam, her sisters Clare and Tilly, and her father James all have a story to share.
This book reminded me a bit of the British romantic comedy Love Actually, where different sets show more of couples are showcased.

Author Jill Mansell writes a great mix of humor and romance and I read most of this book with a smile on my face. The characters are well developed, the story is well written and the plot is interesting. There's things going on with these characters that has you wondering as you read and keeps you eager to find out more.

Highly recommended if you enjoy British chic lit and romance. I think fans of Bridget Jones's Diary and Love Actually would enjoy this one.

Nadia Knows Best is just what I expect from good Chick lit; there's humor, insightful quotes and romance. What more can you want in a book? show less

I've now read all of Jill Mansell's novels that are available in the US and I've come to believe that they are the literary equivalent of The Love Boat. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The books are predictable, there are numerous subplots and secondary romances, and everything is tied up neatly in a bow by the end. The writing is lighthearted, the characters are at least semi-quirky, and even when someone's heart is broken it doesn't seem to be taken too seriously, because we know that a happy ending is around the corner. Even though the heroine is usually blind to the right guy until the end, she is at least competent in other areas of her life, and concerned with something other than shopping and fashion (unlike many American show more Chick Lit heroines). I probably won't remember the plot of Nadia Knows Best in a month or so, but like all of Mansell's other books I enjoyed it while I was reading it. show less

For pure reading pleasure, this novel did the trick - kept me up late because I just didn't want to stop! While there was humor, it was never farcical and the relationships were wonderfully real. I enjoyed the characters, especially because they were very human - even the "good guys" had flaws and the "bad guys" weren't completely bad (well - maybe Piers was all bad ...). Ms. Mansell is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

This book was all over the place. There is cheating, bigamy, sudden deaths, pregnancy, insta-love sort of, male models, art, fathers, daughters, sort of daughters. The whole thing made my head spin. I maybe needed a flow chart by the end of this book to figure out how the hell everyone knew each other since the book was not that clear on those points which was a bit frustrating.

To keep this short and sweet, the only people I could stand in this book was Nadia, her half sister and Nadia’s father James and his love interest Annie. I pretty much loathed or felt meh about everyone else in this book.

There was way too much going on, but the central premise is that Nadia deals with being dumped by her childhood friend and now boyfriend show more Laurie. Because somehow Laurie lucks into being a male model and then an actor and things are too hard for him since he can’t see Nadia anymore. I would have kicked the crap out of the guy, but that’s just me. Nadia has a meet cute with a guy named Jay after meeting him when she is stranded. I also felt towards Jay cause his whole lying to Nadia thing about being gay so she share a bed/room with him was gross.

When Nadia runs into Jay months later, she ends up working for him as a landscaper and she starts to find herself interested in him again. Too bad he’s acting like a jerk for no reason. And then when she thinks maybe her and Jay can work out, Laurie reappears wanting Nadia. I really wanted Laurie boiled in oil because we get a subplot with him that shows what kind of guy he is, but there’s no freaking follow up and I thought maybe I hallucinated the whole thing until I saw other reviewers lamenting that dropped plot-line too.

The POVs shift around in this one to Nadia, Nadia’s sister Claire, Nadia’s grandmother, her half sister whose name I am totally forgetting, her dad James and also her dad’s love interest Annie. I think there was even a plot line involving another girl but I don’t want to spoil that for potential readers. There were way too many cooks in the kitchen and nothing really works. I maybe wished a lot of people to die a slow boring death in this one. Maybe. I was shocked how unlikable everyone was throughout this book.

The ending was a bit meh for me. I guess people are happy? I don’t know. I just thought a lot of things were dropped and truly outrageous/terrible characters never get their comeuppance which ticks me off. show less

This is your typical 'girl meets two boys and has to choose one' stories. It doesn't contain anything particularly different than any other chick lit book and is predictable but still a good quick read, perfect for holidays around the pool. There are a couple of characters that you immediately dislike and some you love. Although the main character Nadia is likeable, she does dither about and do things that I wouldn't imagine happening in the real world (like going house hunting with an ex who broken your heart and just turned up on your doorstep after being abroad for months)! Worth a read but probably not worth buying.

I love Jill Mansell.

This is going to sound like a negative, but it is not: If you have read one Jill Mansell book, you have read them all.

Seriously, they are all well written, the sex is always behind the closed door, there is always a village of characters (in all senses of the world), and they are all just fun.

Her books are not romances per se, but more chick lit. They rarely have a HEA in the strictest sense of the word, but they definitely are HFN and the foreseeable future.

I will continue to read them as long as she continues to write them.