Miracle on Regent Street

Jan 04, 2012 Blair rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Entry #145 in a series entitled 'I really need to look at what books actually are before I start reading them'. I knew this would be a very fluffy, guilty-pleasures sort of book, but because of the vintage-style cover and the blurb talking about the setting of a traditional London department store, I had the impression it was actually historical fiction. I was hoping for something like The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, which might be girly as hell but is also a truly great book. However, when I s...more Entry #145 in a series entitled 'I really need to look at what books actually are before I start reading them'. I knew this would be a very fluffy, guilty-pleasures sort of book, but because of the vintage-style cover and the blurb talking about the setting of a traditional London department store, I had the impression it was actually historical fiction. I was hoping for something like The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, which might be girly as hell but is also a truly great book. However, when I started reading it quickly became apparent that the setting is contemporary, and Miracle On Regent Street is chick-lit, through and through.

Evie Taylor is your typical chick-lit heroine: a 28-year-old single Londoner, average-looking, average-sized, working in an average job, had her heart broken by the love of her life a few years ago and has never quite recovered, etc. She's also surrounded by an entirely predictable and clichéd cast of characters, such as the overachieving sister whose life isn't as perfect as it seems, and the beautiful and glamorous 'friend' who turns out to be a bit of a bitch. The twist in this book's case is that Evie's life revolves around Hardy's, the department store where she works as a stockroom girl. Despite having an 'invisible' job and being constantly overlooked by most of her colleagues - who don't even know her name - she's passionate about the store (where her parents met and fell in love), which represents her reverence for both old-fashioned romance and vintage style. So when she accidentally overhears that Hardy's is in danger of being shut down if sales don't improve over Christmas, she sets about using her creative ambition to give the departments a series of secret makeovers, aided by an offbeat group of fellow 'invisible' staff.

Of course, there has to be a romance as well: one that's equal parts predictable and ridiculously improbable. The main male lead's interest in Evie is completely unbelievable and all his actions (including the unexpected twists) are so artificial I couldn't see him as anything more than a plot device. I could tell from the first chapter who Evie was going to end up with; I won't spoil it for anyone just in case, but I'll be amazed if anyone who reads the book is remotely surprised by this development.

By far my favourite parts of the book were those that involved Evie's mission to save Hardy's. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I loved this element of the plot and wished it could ALL have been about this, rather than getting bogged down in nonsense like the dull-as-dishwater subplot about whether Evie's brother-in-law is having an affair. The camaraderie between Evie and her mismatched team of 'Christmas elves' is beautifully depicted, and as cheesy as it all undoubtedly is, I found myself drawn in and moved by their mission to revitalise the store and turn its fortunes around. As an ex-retail worker myself, I liked that the story didn't patronise its characters for not having done anything 'better' with their lives than working in a shop. And the happy ending made me smile, despite myself.

This isn't anything more than a light, throwaway read, but it's sweet and heartwarming. It's definitely seasonal - the entire plot is structured around Christmas, and I'd probably have enjoyed it a little more if I'd got round to reading it a few weeks earlier. Complete fluff, but we all need a bit of something soft and sugary sometimes, don't we?(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I bought this book because I wanted to feel Christmassy (it was my first Christmas spent away from home). It was set in London, which is where I last lived before moving far away. It has a nice front cover, it was supposed to be lightweight chick lit.
Well, I have been in for a surprise.

On one hand, I found Evie sometimes irritating. The way she just takes it all in, whatever life throws at her, irritates me. She does not react, she loves being invisible. Then I realised that this annoys me in...more

like · see review

Dec 28, 2011 Rhi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 3-stars

This is pure chick-lit through and through.
Do I think it's great chick-lit? Not really. Do I want to write a full review on why I don't think it's great chick-lit? Not really?
I'm aware it's the author's first published novel, and I guess perhaps that best sums it up. It reads like a first published novel. And it's not a bad first (chick-lit) novel. Not at all. I have read far worse.

I do love that the author clearly loves London. It's a little frustrating that yet again it is that whole wealthy,...more This is pure chick-lit through and through.
Do I think it's great chick-lit? Not really. Do I want to write a full review on why I don't think it's great chick-lit? Not really?
I'm aware it's the author's first published novel, and I guess perhaps that best sums it up. It reads like a first published novel. And it's not a bad first (chick-lit) novel. Not at all. I have read far worse.

I do love that the author clearly loves London. It's a little frustrating that yet again it is that whole wealthy, middle class part of London that is depicted. Primrose Hill. West End.
Don't get me wrong. I too have sat on a bench on the top of Primrose Hill and shed solitary tears. But I guess I would really love to see some love for the nitty gritty bits of London depicted in a novel. Mile End station at midnight on a Saturday. Spitalfields Market on a Sunday afternoon. Not the beautiful, tourist trap places.

There was a lot of unnecessary detail in here. I understand it was kind of a novel about fashion, but did we really need to know what everyone was wearing at any given moment? Lot's of adverbs and description. It's like Ms Harris has sat in on one of my GCSE descriptive writing lessons and actually listened to me.

So in brief - I found the main character to be meh. Really I should have been enthralled and excited by her, she loves vintage clothes! She is relatively kind! She listens to others! But in reality, I just think her character was under-developed if anything.
Who works somewhere for two years and doesn't once correct people when they get your name wrong? Why did they even get her name wrong?? Sharon employed her, she knew the previous stockroom girl had left! Did she just think they coincidently had the same name?

But to add to that, you have a girl who really wouldn't say boo to a goose, who appears to have some serious self esteem issues and is also possibly a little insane, (hello? Pretending to be somebody else do get a date? Can I get a crazy up in here?) yet she has more than enough balls to immediately shut down said date when she believes he is trying to sleep with her on their first outing. It was a bit strange to me.

Whatever. I took a little issue with the representation of women in general. In order for her to fully become herself she ultimately just had a bit of a makeover.
Her ideal of romance was based on her parents relationship, which was actually sexist, controlling and unhealthy. Were we as readers supposed to think her parents meet-cute was romantic? I thought daddy was a douchey from the beginning!

Again. Whatever. It's chick lit. What am I expecting? (less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Sarah Broadhurst rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. A fantastic story, great to reminisce about how department stores used to be, full of history and family members. There is the old fashioned spirit of Christmas and all the magic of shopping in big stores at Christmas time with their special displays. A real nostalgic book that kick starts the Christmas reading for me.

This is the author's, Ali Harris, debut novel and after reading this book I can't wait for the next book!

The main character within the book is Evie,...more I absolutely loved this book. A fantastic story, great to reminisce about how department stores used to be, full of history and family members. There is the old fashioned spirit of Christmas and all the magic of shopping in big stores at Christmas time with their special displays. A real nostalgic book that kick starts the Christmas reading for me.

This is the author's, Ali Harris, debut novel and after reading this book I can't wait for the next book!

The main character within the book is Evie, a stockroom girl in Hardy's, one of the oldest department stores in London, a family run business which has been passed down the family, but is now feeling very dated and staff are despondent and down hearted as to the future of Hardy's. Evie, works all day in the stockroom, a job she got by accident, when she was confused for someone else, and accidentally started working at Hardy's. Hardy's was a shop that Evie grew up with, her parents used to work there and they got engaged there too. However, just about all staff call Evie, Sarah, because they didn't realise anyone new had started. However when Sarah unpacks a new box of stock for the designer section of the store, she finds a top she just has to try on and when she walks around the shop floor, a young, gorgeous man approaches her and they end up going up on a date, even though the man thinks Evie is someone else, Carly, the personal shopper manager who is later promoted to assistant manager of the store and tasked to make Hardy's more profitable.

The story does have romance in it, but the main story is about Evie and how she takes the future of Hardy's into her own hands, deciding to become Hardy's Secret Fairy who does makeovers of the departments in the early hours to help increase profits. After deciding to also get her true friends together for an evening, when she thinks she is getting the job promotion she deserves, she is disappointed to find out Carly gets it instead, however the get together goes ahead and Felix the aging, nighttime security guard, accidentally lets slip that it is Evie who is the secret fairy and the group of friends decide they want to be part of it too. What follows are more inspirational and nostalgic displays which brings more customers to Hardy's and profits rising.

There is a love story too - Evie, pretending to be Carly, with the mysterious American, who says he is over from US, where he is part of a family run department store, but Evie is not sure. There is also Sam, the delivery van driver who visits the store each week to deliver goods to Evie's stock room, however Evie thinks he has a girlfriend but does he?

It is a great book to read this winter time, full of nostalgia in a store full of old fashioned values and team spirit within the staff, especially those who work behind the scenes, who the customers and shop floor staff are unaware of. The book is written as a countdown to Christmas within the store and it added to the excitement, would Hardy's be saved, would Evie do what she has set out to achieve.

I loved Ali Harris's writing style and I devoured it quickly, easy to read but addictive and hard to put down. A great book for a lazy afternoon curled up in a chair!

I am already looking forward to the next book by Ali Harris and I will be recommending this to all my friends as the perfect book to read this winter.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me this book to review.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Ellie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: girlie

Hardy's is an ageing department store on the wrong side of Regent Street. The weeks before Christmas should be the busiest of the year but there's more staff than customers. It will need a miracle in order to survive. In the depths of the stockroom, Evie has a plan, if only her colleagues can remember her name.

It's certainly a contemporary tale. For many of us, the run up to Christmas is all about the shopping and the decorations. In the last few years hundred of stores similar to Hardy's have c...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

One word why I didn't give this book more than three stars: Irritating.
Yes, the whole concept of designing a failing department store was very original and a great idea, and a lot of the characters (mainly the male leads) were very likeable.. Just not the main one.
The way Evie moaned every time one of the staff got her name wrong, yet she NEVER enlightened them as to what it really was, was really the driving force of my annoyance. Her self inflicted 'fake' identity even extended to dates she...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Alejandra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: easy-reading

I don't really have much to say about this book, maybe that I should have read the reviews before I even bought it.

In short, the characters were flat, and Evie was really irritating. At some point at the beginning of the book she seems to be determined to be remembered. Yet, some pages later, she goes back to the 'poor me-but I'm so good' attitude that I found so annoying.

I like retro-vintage, but I got really tired of the detailed description of every character's clothes almost every single tim...more

like · see review

Dec 06, 2011 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, christmas-books, adult-fiction, chick-lit, read-in-2011, realistic-fiction, title-appeal

Miracle on Regent Street was a light, festive read. Straight from the beginning, we are introduced to London, where Evie works and resides. The story begins on the 1st December and the atmosphere that is created surrounding the festive holiday is almost magical. Harris manages to make London come alive with her vivid descriptions of the city. The Christmas feeling is very clear too, with the sights, sounds and smells being explored throughout the book. Evie is a likeable character, as are her fr...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 29, 2011 Sophie rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is a fine example of everything I find stomach-churning about 'chick lit'. Predictable, schmaltzy tripe. Yes great if you want something to get you into the Christmas spirit and don't want to be challenged at all. It's fluffy, festive fun, but the characters need more than descriptions of every stitch of clothing to become 3-dimensional. The main character Evie annoyed me so much - she may be mousey and lack in self-esteem, but would someone really not correct the people she works with for...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 31, 2011 Aileen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Evie Taylor is 28, single lives with her sister brother in law and
children. She loves her job she works in Hardy’s department store as a
Stock Room Manager, she knows all about the staff and their families
however hardly anyone seems to know her name or get her name right,
she’s disappointed she didn’t get the promotion she hoped for.Evie
hears Sharon talking to Rupert Hardy unless sales improve Hardy’s may
be sold. American retail consultant Joel Parker asks her out is it the
beginning of a successfu...more

like · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Danisternchen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Evie ist eine ziemlich unsichtbare Frau, die sich bisher eigentlich ihrer Rolle nicht bewusst war. Sie hört jedem immer zu uns ist immer für alle da... ein leichtes Helfersynsdrom ist ihr wohl zu unterstellen. Doch nun ist sie mit sich und ihrem Auftreten nicht mehr zufrieden und versucht sich zu verändern. Als sie dann auch noch ein Gespäch mithört, bei dem ihr Arbeitsplatz das Londoner Kaufhaus Hardys vor der Pleite steht, beschließt Evie die Arbeitsplätze ihrer Kollegen und ihren eigenen zu r...more

like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Karen Gooderham rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I loved this book right from the start.

Evie Taylor is the lead character and she works at Hardy's department store on Regent Street. She works in the stockroom department and everyone thinks she is the called 'Sarah' the girl who had the job before her. Evie lives with her sister Delilah and her husband Will and their two children (which she looks after aswell).

One day in the stockroom she overhears a conversation that Hardys could be closed down on Boxing Day as it is in bad trouble. Evie take...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2013 Coco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ich habe lange überlegt, ob ich mir das Buch wirklich kaufen soll. Schließlich habe ich es mir aber doch gekauft und es auch nicht bereut.
Die Geschichte fand ich wunderschön. Die Charakteren waren alle einzigartig und wunderbar beschrieben. Beim lesen konnte ich mich sehr gut in die Story hineinversetzen. Mit der Protagonistin habe ich richtig mitgefiebert, obwohl ich sie an einigen Stellen gerne gepackt und ihr gesagt hätte, dass sie endlich mit der Sprache rausrücken soll und den Leuten klar m...more

like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Luna rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like soaps/beauty or gossip magazines

Shelves: novels

I normally like fantasy, the darker kind, but I picked up this book cause I felt like a feel good chick book... and well... "meh" comes to mind...

The story was too predictable, the wrapping up at the ending too packed, it felt rushed, and frankly it was kind of dreadful.
The main character I found sometimes very unlikable even though she is supposed to be a sweet and lovely person. In fact most characters were hard to relate to, they had no soul.

The communication between characters in the book w...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2012 Cath rated it 5 of 5 stars

Evie works as stockroom girl in the once-famous store Hardy’s. Now, after hundred years nobody knows the department store anymore and sales numbers are decreasing every day.
Evie is so unnoticed that people don’t even know her real name, but when she overhears a conversation between her boss and the manager in which is said that the store will close soon, Evie comes out of her stockroom and starts changing the shop floor in order to attract new customers. It is nearly Christmas and Evie wants to...more Evie works as stockroom girl in the once-famous store Hardy’s. Now, after hundred years nobody knows the department store anymore and sales numbers are decreasing every day.
Evie is so unnoticed that people don’t even know her real name, but when she overhears a conversation between her boss and the manager in which is said that the store will close soon, Evie comes out of her stockroom and starts changing the shop floor in order to attract new customers. It is nearly Christmas and Evie wants to make the place a wonderful winter-wonderland.

There is Joel, a handsome American man, who helps her boss with the financial part of the store. By coincidence, Evie gets in touch with him and sparks start to fly… Is he the one she was always looking for and is she able to stay herself with him?

An amazing story which will make you happy and wanting to go to Hardy’s yourself!

Wow, I enjoyed this book so much! I love the cover and the characters and the setting and… I can go on for a while, so I have to admit that this was one of the best chick lits I have ever read! Some people may say that it is a Christmas book, but I don’t mind the time of the year and I think, as it is still Winter, it was a perfect read.

The descriptions of the shop were nice and cosy and I wanted to be there in real live. The whole old-fashioned style of a time where I didn’t live… it seems so nice to rediscover and apparently this is the perfect department store to do so. And the personal shoppers! That something I can only dream of her in Belgium!

Though some some things were not realistic (about changing names etc), it made the story funny and I couldn’t put this book down. When I neared the end, I was really surprised, because I had expected some totally different situation.
The whole guy-thing was really nice and I had a lot of respect for what Evie did. She was the perfect example of the 21st century independent woman.
The cover is also gorgeous and I think it perfectly matches the story.

This is a keeper and probably I will re-read it in a few years, maybe then I’ll do it around Christmas…

What can I give else than 5 stars? This was a very nice, entertaining story which I really enjoyed.(less)

like · see review

Nov 17, 2011 Book-shelf Shelf rated it 5 of 5 stars

This brings back the real meaning of Christmas, Yes we all want gifts, but a shopping experience to get all the gifts is sometimes the best bit. Here Ali Harris gives us a truly wonderful experience in a shop which has lasted years in the same family. I can picture the company in London which got burned down in the riots earlier this year and wonder if it was similar. I like to think that maybe this could have happened to it if the riots never happened... Bit of a romantic notion I know.
Ali cap...more

like · see review

Dec 17, 2011 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

“I gaze out of my bedroom window into the dark winter morning as the snowflakes fall softly outside. Is that it? I wonder. It’s not a sudden change in the wind, like the one that carried Mary Poppins to the Banks family, or the tornado that carried Dorothy to Oz, but maybe, just maybe, this downfall is the universe’s way of telling me that my life is about to change …”

That’s Evie Taylor, waking up on the first day of December.

She hasn’t quite got back on her feet since the first boyfriend, who s...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 14, 2011 Boof rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-and-review-copies, british-authors, chick-lit, christmas-reads, uk, read-in-2011, comfort-reading

What a wonderful book to read in the run up to Christmas. I have just been swept away on a tide of vintage clothes, soaps and old-school glamour.

Miracle on Regent Street is about Evie Taylor, the stockroom girl at Hardy’s – a 100 year old department store in London – and despite feeling that her talents should lie on the shop floor, she is completely invisible to anyone else who works there (OK, she’s not exactly invisble as oposed to blending into the background so much that the entire staff st...more What a wonderful book to read in the run up to Christmas. I have just been swept away on a tide of vintage clothes, soaps and old-school glamour.

Miracle on Regent Street is about Evie Taylor, the stockroom girl at Hardy’s – a 100 year old department store in London – and despite feeling that her talents should lie on the shop floor, she is completely invisible to anyone else who works there (OK, she’s not exactly invisble as oposed to blending into the background so much that the entire staff still call her Sarah which is the name of her predecessor of two years before). One day, right at the beginning of December, Evie overhears a conversation between the owner of Hardy’s and her manager, and it horrified to realise that if Hardy’s fortunes don’t turn around before Boxing Day they will all be out of jobs. What follows is Evie’s secret attempt to turn the shop around before Christmas, with a little help from some rather unexpected corners – Sam the delivery boy, Lily from the tea-shop who still dresses as though she’s going to a tea dance from the good old days, Felix the security guard and a couple of eastern european cleaners. I loved the whole cast of characters in this book, and despite wanting to shout at Evie for not standing up for herself (I’m not one for keeping my mouth shut if something bugs me at work ), I still found her engaging and routed for her and her friends throughout.

One of the things I loved about this book was the wonderful nostalgic trip through a long-ago age where shop assistants spent time with customers, women were made to feel like women and a trip to the department store was a special treat. The transformation of the store through Evie and her secret elves made me long to be part of that world and I could see this wonderful place so clearly in my mind that I wanted to wander round the stalls and browse through the gold compacts, crystal perfume bottles and vintage peep-toe shoes (and this from someone who is not remotely a girly girl!); I wanted to glide down the huge wooden staircase and pick up the handbags, trilbys and corsets and then pop into the tearoom for tea and cake, red lipstick and stockings firmly in place.

I do love a chicklit book now and then, but I have to say that this is one of the most sophisticated that I have read; it didn’t have the cheesiness or sickliness of some and instead it had old fashioned glamour, romance, wit and warmth and it was a delight to read.

Verdict: If you are looking for a christmassy feel-good read then please, please look no further than this book. It is a real treat.

(less)

like · see review

Nov 24, 2011 Sharon Goodwin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Evie really is invisible in the London she inhabits. She’s not called by her correct name at Hardy’s by the staff who visit her in the stockroom to tell her all their problems or by the yummy mummies at the nursery her niece and nephew attend. She also dresses in drab clothing. Evie has cultivated this ‘non identity’ for reasons that become clear to the reader as the story unfolds.

Rupert, the great grandson of the founder, now manages Hardy’s. We get to know Evie’s history with Hardy’s, which is...more Evie really is invisible in the London she inhabits. She’s not called by her correct name at Hardy’s by the staff who visit her in the stockroom to tell her all their problems or by the yummy mummies at the nursery her niece and nephew attend. She also dresses in drab clothing. Evie has cultivated this ‘non identity’ for reasons that become clear to the reader as the story unfolds.

Rupert, the great grandson of the founder, now manages Hardy’s. We get to know Evie’s history with Hardy’s, which is linked to the perfect relationship of her parents and the sparkle of her childhood. Evie has an idealised view of her parent’s love that’s been perpetuated by them. Falling into the job in the stockroom she is such a success at it that two years later she is still there. Her aspirations of promotion are denied and then she overhears the conversation that changes many things in not only her life but in her colleagues too.

Evie is living with her elder sister Delilah throughout the story. She’s always looked up to her and wanted to emulate her. Delilah is married with two children and Evie looks after the children before work and afterwards. The stresses on a relationship of family life with young children are portrayed very well. We also get to experience family life when Evie and her siblings go back to the family home for a meal – a tradition that is held once a month.

There are some brilliant characters in Miracle on Regent Street, not least of them Evie herself. Evie tells us the story and despite what she sees as herself failing, is such a warm and chatty person, asking rhetorical questions that pull the reader in, making them feel a part of the whole journey. She is a ‘fixer’ – listening to everyone’s problems and subtly making suggestions that help to make changes. Being invisible suits her for where she is in her life but we get to see her start believing in herself and blossoming. The characters of the store employees are also brilliant – especially the group who see Evie for who she really is.

The romance of the story is not just about Hardy’s trying to recover its former glory, but also about the two leading men … Sam, the down-to-earth delivery guy and Joel who is gorgeous and charismatic (and who is a friend of Rupert’s). I couldn’t make my mind up who was right and so wasn’t sure who I really wanted to ‘support’. These storylines were cleverly crafted!

I absolutely adored 'The Wardrobe' ... and the part it plays in Evie coming to life. The night in with sister Delilah left me wanting to know what other gems were hidden in there!

The plots of romance and family life are played out with the backdrop of Hardy’s there all the time. I loved the descriptions of the architecture of the store and of how it used to be. Once changes started happening, I loved the descriptions told through Evie’s eyes. There are some fabulous scenes in Hardy’s that made me laugh, made me cry and made me sigh with longing! The finale was just perfect (as was the epilogue).

There were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming. Not that I needed that as Miracle on Regent street had my full absorption from beginning to end. I don’t think my review has done it justice!

If there is one book that I thought would be fabulous as a movie it has to be this one. It would be an amazing chick flick and not just for Christmas. It would be one to watch again and again for that feel-good factor (and would knock my favourite, Pretty Woman, off the top spot).

You can also read my review on my book blog Jera's Jamboree http://shazjera.blogspot.com/(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Olive rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pop, shop

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ce livre est entre le 3 et le 4 étoiles.

Trois étoiles d'abord pour l'histoire d'amour qui m'a semblé non crédible mais surtout, un peu ennuyante tellement elle était prévisible. Dès le début j'avais vu venir la fin.

Or, sachant que ce type de livre ne prétend pas nécessairement à l'originalité littéraire ultime mais plutôt à divertir, cela permet de rectifier le tir. C'est pourquoi je donne 4 étoiles sur d'autres aspects.

Les personnages sont vrais, j'ai adoré la protagoniste et les employés du m...more

like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Els rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cute, light-hearted, quirky, romance, rom-com, sweet-book

Okay, I enjoyed this book but at the same time I didn't, it was quirky and fun with an edge that I didn't like. I felt sort of conflicted when I finished it but decided to give it a relatively good score instead of a bad one.
description

Yeah, I'm in a nice mood

So, what was wrong with this book? Well, as much as I love descriptive writing, I hated it in this book. Seriously Ali, I didn't need to know what everyone's outfits looked like down to the stitching work! Don't get me wrong, I love the scene being se...more

like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Agi rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

1.5 stars.
I have bought this book because I'd read many wonderful reviews and hoped it will be the next jackpot on my list.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. It took ma a lot of time to read this book because in between I have read every other book that I got/bought. Everything other was much more interested.
First of all, one can't like a book when one doesn't like the main hero, no? I think I have not met a girl with such a low - esteem as Evie, Sarah or whatever her name Many times I wanted to stop rea...more 1.5 stars.
I have bought this book because I'd read many wonderful reviews and hoped it will be the next jackpot on my list.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. It took ma a lot of time to read this book because in between I have read every other book that I got/bought. Everything other was much more interested.
First of all, one can't like a book when one doesn't like the main hero, no? I think I have not met a girl with such a low - esteem as Evie, Sarah or whatever her name Many times I wanted to stop reading this book, especially after the words "why can't they remember my name?". The whole idea of pretending to be someone else, or wanting to be someone else was totally not my pair of shoes, I couldn't understand how someone can think so bad about herself and feel so low in her skin.
Then I had some issues with the family of Evie. She thought her parents had the best marriage ever, but I have never met such a sexist man as her father. Just typical: a man hunts, a woman takes care about children and home and the man is allowed to have fun and other women. If it is the vision of perfect marriage than I'd say, thanks but no thanks. And the way he treated Evie, totally no go.I understand also that Evie wanted to repay her sister for her hospitality but on the other hand how old was she to call and ask her if she can go on a date???
Then the idea of friendship with Carly. How naive must one be to think that this what they had was friendship???
Then the stereotypes: cleaners from Poland, a gay in menswear...
Then the idea of the shop makeover itself. Sorry, but totally out of place for me, no offence but Cinderella comes to my mind immediately, although I think Cinderella had more gut than Evie. Hocus - pocus and the shop is saved because of some makeovers. Yeah.
Then the long, long descriptions of everything, vintage clothes, shop, makeovers, meetings... I skipped a lot of them and didn't feel that I lost something.
The cover promises that I'll fall head over heels for Ali Harris. Not with this book, sorry.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 06, 2012 Jennifer Joyce rated it 5 of 5 stars

Evie Taylor feels invisible; she's been working at Hardy's for two years yet nobody knows her real name. Instead, they call her Sarah, who was the previous stockroom girl she replaced. But when Evie overhears a conversation between the store's management, revealing the threat of closure of the hundred year old store, Evie knows she must do something to save all their jobs.

First of all the cover (because they are important, despite what we are told about not judging). I loved the cover of this bo...more

like · see review

May 06, 2012 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars

• Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Miracle on Regent Street?

"J'ai rencontré cet ouvrage à Gatwick, alors que je cherchais desespérement des oeuvres de littérature para-austenienne pour l'avion, sans grand succès! Celui-ci figurait dans les meilleurs ventes et avait une jolie couverture, et comme je suis très faible..."

• Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...

"Evie Taylor est une jeune fille discrète qui travaille dans la réserve d'un grand magasin londonien vie...more • Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Miracle on Regent Street?

"J'ai rencontré cet ouvrage à Gatwick, alors que je cherchais desespérement des oeuvres de littérature para-austenienne pour l'avion, sans grand succès! Celui-ci figurait dans les meilleurs ventes et avait une jolie couverture, et comme je suis très faible..."

• Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...

"Evie Taylor est une jeune fille discrète qui travaille dans la réserve d'un grand magasin londonien vieillissant. Alors qu'elle pense enfin que l'on va lui donner sa chance, elle apprend qu'Hardy's est en fait à deux doigts de la fermeture et elle décide qu'il est grand temps qu'elle fasse quelque chose!"

• Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?

"Si je repense au sentiment général que m'a laissé ce livre, c'est sans conteste positif. D'abord le contexte qui rassemble Londres, Mode et Grand Magasin ne pouvait que me séduire et les passages qui décrivent les changements qu'Evie effectue dans les rayons m'ont passionés, pas moins. En revanche, Evie s'embourbe dans des situations ridicules et complètement improbables qui m'ont un peu agacées au départ, puis beaucoup lorsque je me suis rendue compte qu'il faudrait attendre les dernières pages pour que, par exemple, elle dise enfin son vrai prénom à ses collègues! Si, si, c'est aussi bête que ça, et je ne vous ai même pas parlé de sa vie amoureuse! De plus, c'est une jeune fille peu sûre d'elle et qui se pose souvent des questions. Au début, c'est normal mais lorsqu'ensuite elle réalise des exploits qu'il faudrait être stupide pour ne pas remarquer et qu'elle se pose toujours les mêmes questions, on en vient à se dire qu'elle ne manque pas seulement de confiance en soi mais qu'elle est sûrement un peu idiote aussi, non?"

• Et comment cela s'est-il fini?

"Au final, le héros de ce livre pour moi sera Hardy's, le grand magasin, et j'ai adoré son histoire! Quant à Evie, elle devient plus supportable lorsqu'on la met au second plan, mais c'est tout de même dommage!"

http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...(less)

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Chanpreet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Evie Taylor is hiding her light under a bushel. She's invisible to almost everyone in her life, and especially at work. She's living with her beloved older sister and being an unpaid nanny for her two children in lieu of rent, while she works during the day in the stock room of Hardy's, the department store that has played a very prominent part of her life. When she overhears at the beginning of December, that Hardy's may soon be closing its doors for good after Christmas, she decides to do some...more

like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Ann rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not really anyone...

Shelves: chick-lit, christmas

I was so excited for this book – I loved the concept and the cover. But, it became clear about a third of the way through that the book was not what I had hoped it would be…

First things first -- Things I loved:

The premise:
---A throw-back girl with a throw-back style, eager to advance her career and save her beloved store (of which she's currently the stockroom girl) by reviving the store, via its decor, to what it was in its prime.
I LOVE this! I love the era our protagonist, Evie, is trying to r...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2012 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: christmas, british, chick-lit, new-books, annie-and-katie-bookclub

I'm wavering between two and three stars on this one

4 stars for the beginning
3 stars for the end
1 star for the (way too long) middle

SPOILERS AHEAD (though, since I don't really recommend this book, my friends should feel welcome to go ahead and read my review!)

Although this might win my "Favorite Book Cover of 2011" Award, there is no way it will win any awards for the book itself. Unless, perhaps, it is the "Why did I bother finishing this book!?" Award. Then again, I do know why I finished it....more I'm wavering between two and three stars on this one

4 stars for the beginning
3 stars for the end
1 star for the (way too long) middle

SPOILERS AHEAD (though, since I don't really recommend this book, my friends should feel welcome to go ahead and read my review!)

Although this might win my "Favorite Book Cover of 2011" Award, there is no way it will win any awards for the book itself. Unless, perhaps, it is the "Why did I bother finishing this book!?" Award. Then again, I do know why I finished it. I loved the beginning. I was lured in by the many four and five star reviews and wondered if maybe I was missing something and the end would redeem the mess made in the middle. And it was a buddy read with my sister and it's so much more fun to read a dreadful book when you have someone to complain about it with! ;-p

I should preface my review by saying that I'm major into vintage these days. And, I'm a huge Anglophile. So, I loved the idea of this book, transforming a has-been London department store to its former glory days with a vintage make-over. Oooh, yes! I thought maybe it would be a bit of a modern "Shop Around the Corner" or something like that. Well, I have to say that I did love Hardy's department store. It sounded just wonderful. I so wanted to be there and see all the made-over departments, to shop amidst the vintage fashion displays, to see the vintage Christmas decorations. Swoon! And a few of the characters there were very sweet, like the vivacious and warmhearted retired dancer-turned-store-teashop-proprietor Lily and the sweet elderly night guard Felix, trying to get over the loss of his wife. Sam the big-hearted and hunky delivery guy was certainly pleasant enough, too.

However, my biggest gripe with the novel is that the protagonist, Evie Taylor, was a rubbish human being for most of the book. She has such little self-esteem that when she is hired on for a job as the store room girl and the store staff mistake her for the old girl (they looked something alike), she doesn't have the gumption to correct them. Two years later, she is secretly angry with all of them for still calling her Sarah. Um, hello? How were they supposed to know!? She is upset that they dump on her with their problems and don't help her with her own, yet she never asks them to stop, and never shares any of her own life with them! Frustrating, but I know every protagonist must have a problem to overcome so I was content to see how it played out...

For awhile! You see, Evie knows that Hardy's is in great financial trouble. So, she decides that maybe what it needs is a return to the old glory days, especially the 1940s. So, she begins to secretlly make over each department with vintage flare, using the vintage things she finds in the stock room. Nevermind that she must have a fairy godmother or something because there is no way one human being could transform an entire menswear department in two hours, nor that all the things she would need to do so are magically found in the storeroom. When the customers start flocking in and the management is impressed, does Evie step forward and reveal that she is the one behind the improvement? No! Instead, she lets the (hugely stereotypical) gay man who works menswear take the credit to help him save his job. Now, this could be seen as very generous on Evie's part. Except that she then continues to be upset that people don't give her the time of day, so it's not really that altruistic. This continues with numerous department makeovers. I did love reading about the style ideas and the displays sound just divine, but it got a bit tedious.

Now, this might be bad enough but it gets worse... In order to make herself feel better, Evie poses as Carly, the hip, exciting personal assistant who recently snagged the promotion to manager that Evie wanted for herself. You see, this sexy American gentleman mistakes Evie for Carly, whom he saw at Hardy's one day, and asks her out. Evie thinks, what the heck, and even though she knows Carly is interested in the guy, she goes out with him anyway. Worse, she lies to Joel, telling him all the things she thinks Carly would say (like how Hardy's should be madeover like the hip new department store Rumors), not being herself at all. While perhaps one moment of weakness could be excused, Evie goes out on more dates with him, sleeps with him (and the sex scene SO did not belong in this otherwise PG book) and continues to lie to him even when he makes his feelings pretty clear and even calls her his girlfriend. Oh, and did I mention that while this is happening, Evie begins to feel a stirring of special feelings for Sam, the delivery guy who has been her friend for two years? Only after she completely, unwittingly crushes his heart by inviting a bunch of people on the date that he thought was just going to be the two of them. Oh, and also Evie ditches her sister (and heretofore best friend) when the sister is going through a major crisis thinking her husband is having an affair. Evie justifies her actions by thinking that she has been helpful to other people all this time and now she just wants to have fun. (Fun that involves lying to another human being who is falling for you? Wow, real mature!)

Evie somewhat redeems herself at the end but not to the extent I would have liked to see. I do think the author's heart was in the right place, but it just didn't play out well. Evie's immature behavior continues when she constantly runs out on the men in her life, prejudging them for being untruthful to her, not bothering to hear their side of things or admit that she has been living a lie herself. She comes to realize some of her mistakes, but I still think she mistreated Joel terribly and doesn't really apologize for it.

While I did enjoy the beginning of the book, and found myself smiling a bit at some of the sweet moments at the end, by and large this book was a huge disappointment. I did love the vintage makeover bits, but Evie bothered me so much, and most of the book was soooo predictable, the big reveals were no surprise, and the book could use some major editing as it was so overlong and rambling in places. Not to mention the terrible typos by the editing staff. Sadly, I would not recommend this book to anyone and the best thing about it really was the cover. If you want a vintage charm Christmas story about a shop making good at Christmas, go watch Jimmy Stewart in "Shop Around the Corner"!
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2011 Hannah (Jaedia) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction, received-for-review, adult, christmas, favourites

From the gorgeously elegant cover art to the utterly cheerful atmosphere of the entire novel, Miracle on Regent Street is a book that I will definitely be rereading and recommending for years to come and it has got me into the Christmas spirit more than any tinsel or music ever could without needing to vomit Christmas. The entire novel is split into chapters and then days as it counts down the time Hardy's has until store closure and the time Evie has to secretly transform the store and hopefull...more From the gorgeously elegant cover art to the utterly cheerful atmosphere of the entire novel, Miracle on Regent Street is a book that I will definitely be rereading and recommending for years to come and it has got me into the Christmas spirit more than any tinsel or music ever could without needing to vomit Christmas. The entire novel is split into chapters and then days as it counts down the time Hardy's has until store closure and the time Evie has to secretly transform the store and hopefully draw in enough customers to vastly increase profit takings in that time.

It is written in the present tense which usually throws me off for a little while when I first pick up a novel but not this time. The beauty of Ali's gorgeous descriptive imagery drew me in so quickly that I didn't even notice the tense. If anything, it added more to the novel as you feel just as if you are there watching over Evie's shoulder. "It feels as if I have been magically transported back in time as I cycle into Portland Place. No vehicles are on the streets and I can't help but imagine them when they were cobbled and filled with horses and carriages." Evie herself is quite the dreamer and the descriptive passages reflect greatly on this as she imagines how things could be and might have been, and the writing style is just so warm and delightful, the only thing that was missing was a big mug of hot chocolate. I read most of this book with a smile on my face and when I wasn't smiling I was either frowning at a nasty character or trying to ignore the tears in my eyes when the big emotional scenes happened near the end. Miracle on Regent Street is a book that just makes me happy and it's extremely hard to put down. Seriously, if this book isn't made into a movie one day I will be sorely disappointed!

But the thing that really made the novel for me was the amazingly diverse characters. Evie, for starters, is such a kind-hearted individual who just wants to be noticed. She's let herself fall into obscurity and nobody she works with on the shop floor even knows her real name. However, underneath her mask of plain, invisibility she has this creative flair and very chic retro style that is so perfect for her task at Hardy's to secretly transform the store into a great place to shop once more. She is just so easy to love with all of her self-doubt, I think we've all been there at some point. It does bother me, however, when characters overhear part of a conversation, jump to conclusions and run off crying without even attempting to confront anybody about what they have heard. Evie does this a lot and I just wished she would go to the person and say, "Excuse me, are you doing x?" Because then they could have chance to explain themselves! Perhaps it's just me. The drama as a result does bring about a gripping story after all. As for everybody else, every single character is so different from the next with different looks, styles and personalities that you really believe they could exist, and alongside all of the Christmas cheer there is also the bitter drama of real life from all angles. It's very real and I like that, but it is by all means a highly animated story.

I knew I would love this book before I even started it because it just sounds so wonderful, doesn't it? As such I have already recommended it to several people and I will continue to do so but now with more knowledge of just how wonderful it is. With all of its' cheer and sparkle, Miracle on Regent Street is a fantastic book to beat the Winter blues and I can't praise it enough. I love it!(less)

like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, favorites, ebook

I've given this novel five stars as I absolutely loved the story, it was heart-warming and a perfect Christmas read. However, my copy (which wasn't a proof copy) contained too many errors. There were grammatical errors, words used incorrectly (our instead of are is one example) and details about characters changed halfway through the book. It's a real shame because the story itself is fabulous but the editor and proof readers have let this author down.

like · see review

Dec 07, 2011 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It's not a genre I read masses of, so I found it a real treat. I loved the seasonal theme, and the fact that it's set in London, a place I adore.
I thought the classic theme of the book, drawing on the flavour of bygone eras to revitalise the faililng department store, was lovely.

Have already passed this one on to a friend and implored her to get reading, I enjoyed it so much.

like · see review

title link	preview: Miracle on Regent Street
avg rating	preview: Miracle on Regent Street Goodreads rating: 3.74 (379 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11521295-miracle-on-regent-street?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1314533374l/11521295.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11521295-miracle-on-regent-street?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Miracle on Regent Street by Ali Harris[/url]

Miracle on Regent Street

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Ali Harris

Books by Ali Harris

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Miracle on Regent...