Take a Chance on Me

The problem - a cold wet rainy day and no urge to do chores...

The solution - a pot of tea, a warm quilt, a comfy couch and....the latest North American release by Jill Mansell - Take a Chance on Me!

Cleo has lived in the small town of Channings Hill her entire life. She works as a chauffeur for a local limo company, spends her spare time with her friends and family and hangs out in her local - The Hollybush Inn. She hopes she's found the love of her life in Will - he just seems to be everything she has ever wished for.

Or is he? And what about Johnny - a now well known sculptor who teased Cleo mercilessly when they were youngsters in school. He's back in town and has charm galore and every woman in town seems to be drawn towards it, show more except Cleo - or is she?

Yet again, Jill Mansell has created a fantastic fictional world populated with lovable, quirky characters. Cleo is incredibly good hearted and fun, but has no confidence that true love will come her way. The supporting cast is just as fun - her neighbour Ash is incredibly suave when he's doing his radio programme, but tongue tied when in the same room with Fia - the woman of his dreams, but Cleo's nightmare. The subplot involving Cleo's sister Abbie, her husband Tom and their past intruding on their present goes a little deeper. I'm sure it's a situation that has played out in many marriages and Mansell handles it with both pathos and humour.

Why do I enjoy Mansell's books so much? Well, I love chick lit - especially Brit chick lit and Jill is one of the best! I always feel like I come to know her characters so well. They're people you'd like to have in your circle (okay - except for Will) and I could see myself happily sitting in the pub on karaoke night eating a hot pot. The plots are fun, lots of wrong turns and miscommunications. Her writing style is clever, humourous, breezy and addictive.

You're not taking a chance if you pick up Jill Mansell's latest. You're guaranteed a warm, witty good time read! show less

This was my 2nd Jill Mansell book, and now it did make me read more. There was drama, romance, and nothing was rushed. I liked that.

The story is about Cleo who works as a chauffeur. All is well, and she has a great boyfriend, until the day Johnny LaVenture comes back. And she hates him, and with reason since he gave her this nickname that ruined her schoolyears, among other things. But he is so hot and hard to resist. Then there is the story about Cleo's sister Abby who is older and in a happy marriage, but they never got any kids and this saddens her. And soon things start to happen in this sleepy English village.

There is much drama, I can't go into details, but secrets are revealed, foundations are shaken, and perfect boyfriends are show more not so perfect after all. Abby and Cleo are the main characters, but we also get to follow Cleo's friend Ash, who is really shy around women he likes, but on the air, he is mr perfect. So there is a lot of things happening, and a lot of relationships that comes together or needs to be fixed.

Like I mentioned, I enjoyed that there was no rush. No one fell madly in love and married the next day. No things took their time, it felt very real. Some were stubborn, and some just hoped for things to come. A truthful tale about romance, and everyday life.

This book did make me want to go to this English village and drink some tea. This is a great book to read this fall, perhaps while drinking some tea ;)


Final thoughts: It was sweet, and I could not put it down. I just wanted to know. show less

What a perfect book to kick off 2011! I really enjoyed Mansell's newest novel about the goings on in Channing's Hill. The story revovles around Cleo and her sister Abbie, each at different stages in their lives, but what sets this going are the great characters who live and interact with them in this English town. From the goings on at the pub, the death of a nearby mansion owner and the return of a grade school nemesis, each additional character shines with purpose. This was the first novel I read by Jill Mansell but it sure won't be my last!

Jill Mansell‘s Take a Chance on Me is another romp in England with some outrageous characters from the chauffeur Cleo Quinn to teenager Georgia Summers. Set in Channings Hill, Cleo has been unlucky in love for a long time, but she’s had dreams of meeting Mr. Right for a long time, so long as he meets her expectations set by her sister Abbie’s marriage to Tom. Johnny LaVenture, a former classmate and now famous sculpture, was the closest to her dream boy until he asked her out on a bet in high school and ruined her impressions of him forever.

The drama in this novel is over the top, but engaging. Each character is quirkier than the last, but each is endearing to readers in their own special way. Cleo is often helping her friends show more find their true love while sitting on the sidelines, and for too much of the book, she seems to be the supporting character. However, readers soon discover that she is the glue that holds this madcap bunch together and keeps them rolling.

Please Read Full Review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2010/10/take-a-chance-on-me-by-jill-mansell.html show less

This was my 2nd Jill Mansell book, and now it did make me read more. There was drama, romance, and nothing was rushed. I liked that.

The story is about Cleo who works as a chauffeur. All is well, and she has a great boyfriend, until the day Johnny LaVenture comes back. And she hates him, and with reason since he gave her this nickname that ruined her schoolyears, among other things. But he is so hot and hard to resist. Then there is the story about Cleo's sister Abby who is older and in a happy marriage, but they never got any kids and this saddens her. And soon things start to happen in this sleepy English village.

There is much drama, I can't go into details, but secrets are revealed, foundations are shaken, and perfect boyfriends are show more not so perfect after all. Abby and Cleo are the main characters, but we also get to follow Cleo's friend Ash, who is really shy around women he likes, but on the air, he is mr perfect. So there is a lot of things happening, and a lot of relationships that comes together or needs to be fixed.

Like I mentioned, I enjoyed that there was no rush. No one fell madly in love and married the next day. No things took their time, it felt very real. Some were stubborn, and some just hoped for things to come. A truthful tale about romance, and everyday life.

This book did make me want to go to this English village and drink some tea. This is a great book to read this fall, perhaps while drinking some tea ;)

Final thoughts: It was sweet, and I could not put it down. I just wanted to know. show less

Love always involves an element of risk and that is maybe the take away from this light hearted story. You'll probably get your heart broken once in awhile, but you'll also maybe discover love along the way. As always, Ms. Mansell's characters are real but ultimately likable.

A great fun read. The characters in Take A chance on Me are what make this book so great. They feel real, and are fun. You wish these people were your friends.

The only problem with Take A Chance On Me is that the ending is predicable, and typical chick lit. BUT if you prefer great characters over plot than I truly believe that you will love Take A Chance on Me, and by plot I mean a predictable one, not a bad one.