Some dreams never die.
It's 1986 and eighteen-year-old Evie dreams of being an actress. Leaving her hometown of Eden, Ohio, for the first time, sh...
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reviews
Jan 13, 2011
Katie
rated it: 
I really enjoy Tessaro's clean story-telling and flow of words. I also have to say that although you "shouldn't judge a book by its cover", her covers are always simple yet intriguing.
This novel had an intricate time table, jumping between past and present from chapter to chapter. Even when you discovered a new secret from Evie's life, Tessaro was able to keep you hanging on until something new was discovered.
A delightful book about how the people in our liv More...
This novel had an intricate time table, jumping between past and present from chapter to chapter. Even when you discovered a new secret from Evie's life, Tessaro was able to keep you hanging on until something new was discovered.
A delightful book about how the people in our liv More...
Aug 26, 2011
Belle
rated it: 
This review originally appeared on my blog at http://bellesbookshelf.blogspot.com/
I was excited to read this book, but sadly it fell a little flat for me.
A friend lent it to me because we share a mutual love of love stories, and after I made her read If I Stay (and she adored it), she insisted I'd love this one. The story definitely intrigued me - switching between timelines, it tells the tale of Evie as she is at 18 and at 33. At 18, she dreams of being an actress, More...
I was excited to read this book, but sadly it fell a little flat for me.
A friend lent it to me because we share a mutual love of love stories, and after I made her read If I Stay (and she adored it), she insisted I'd love this one. The story definitely intrigued me - switching between timelines, it tells the tale of Evie as she is at 18 and at 33. At 18, she dreams of being an actress, More...
Mar 16, 2011
Tamara
rated it:
I really liked this author's first book, Elegance, because of the great setup (A book on elegance that all women must strive to emulate? I'd be all over that!). This one had a fairly decent setup, but that wasn't my main problem. I just didn't get the love story...either of them.
Evie, the main character, was supposed to have had this passionate, torrid love affair with a burgeoning rock star, but I never thought there was anything there other than one or two warm fuzzy feelings. And More...
Evie, the main character, was supposed to have had this passionate, torrid love affair with a burgeoning rock star, but I never thought there was anything there other than one or two warm fuzzy feelings. And More...
Jul 13, 2011
Susan
rated it: 
Small town Ohio girl goes to London to study acting. Sound formulaic, no? No.
When Evie opens the door to her flat-share and then to the Actors Drama Workshop Academy she will step into worlds she could hardly have imagined 6 weeks prior.
For anyone who has ever thought maybe they would run away to London, or to acting school, or to join a band, or follow one, this book rings with authenticity and quirkiness. I'd call it "summer reading" for it is exactly the righ More...
When Evie opens the door to her flat-share and then to the Actors Drama Workshop Academy she will step into worlds she could hardly have imagined 6 weeks prior.
For anyone who has ever thought maybe they would run away to London, or to acting school, or to join a band, or follow one, this book rings with authenticity and quirkiness. I'd call it "summer reading" for it is exactly the righ More...
Oct 09, 2010
Emilyandherlittlepinknotes
rated it:
Kathleen Tessaro writes what I refer to as chic-lit, so far she published three novels, I read the first two Elegance and Innocence, I liked them both. Innocence has one of my favourite cover in the whole chic-lit department.
The guardian refers to Innocence as ‘A wonderful tale of lust, love, life and redemption.‘
I enjoy romantic novels that keep me on the edge, Tessaro style is ultra smart and very edgy.
Narration is organized on a double level: it’s 1987 More...
The guardian refers to Innocence as ‘A wonderful tale of lust, love, life and redemption.‘
I enjoy romantic novels that keep me on the edge, Tessaro style is ultra smart and very edgy.
Narration is organized on a double level: it’s 1987 More...
Oct 09, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Wow. I just finished this, and just have to say wow. The description on the back of this book does not do it justice. And I don't get the cover, or the little line at the bottom. Ignore all that. This book is about growing up and maturing, but not in some trite way. It's the real, ugly, beautiful, wonderful, uncomfortable, happy, sad, story of growing up. The one we all go through. It ends with Evie making her happiness, but she had to learn how. It's about learning that happiness and r
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Jan 29, 2012
Pythia
rated it:
Della Tessaro ho adorato Elegance, al punto da ridurlo più volte ai minimi termini per tutte le volte che l'ho riletto...
Questo non ha niente a che vedere con l'ironia di "Zucchetta", anzi, è una storia triste e complessa. Anche qui, l'autrice alterna il racconto dal tempo dei ricordi ad un tempo presente dove questi stessi ricordi in qualche modo sono ancora vivi.
La ricerca della felicità e di un obiettivo da raggiungere è resa ancor più ardua dagli scherzi della vita: Evie More...
Questo non ha niente a che vedere con l'ironia di "Zucchetta", anzi, è una storia triste e complessa. Anche qui, l'autrice alterna il racconto dal tempo dei ricordi ad un tempo presente dove questi stessi ricordi in qualche modo sono ancora vivi.
La ricerca della felicità e di un obiettivo da raggiungere è resa ancor più ardua dagli scherzi della vita: Evie More...
Apr 20, 2011
Sydney
rated it:
What a surprise this novel was! I honestly didn't know what to expect, but this was certainly not fluffy chick lit. It's the story of one woman coming to terms with the fact that while the life she is leading my not be what she had planned, it may just be a wonderful life after all.
Evie leaves small town Ohio with dreams of becoming an actress. She moves to London for acting classes, leaving a boyfriend back home. She ends up in a cramped apartment with two other aspiring actresses wh More...
Evie leaves small town Ohio with dreams of becoming an actress. She moves to London for acting classes, leaving a boyfriend back home. She ends up in a cramped apartment with two other aspiring actresses wh More...
Oct 09, 2010
Krystal
rated it:
Laura's one request when she loaned me this book was to not give it a bad review, that if I didn't like it, don't tell her =) I thought I was in trouble when I first started reading this book, I just couldn't get into it, and out of fear for my life, cause Laura is fierce and reads these, I set it aside. I would come back to it read a page here and there, and finally something clicked in me or the book, and I have to say it was one of the pleasant surprises you sometimes find if you just truck
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Oct 09, 2010
Anika
rated it: 
Do you ever read a book and wish that the author had written down what she wanted the book to be about before she started, and then stuck to it? That's what I wish with this book. It starts out promisingly - a woman in her thirties is haunted by her exciting college friend, who seems to be there to tell her of something she has missed in her life, alternating with chapters about them in college. And yet, this becomes almost an afterthought. Is the book about Robbie, the friend, and their friends
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May 10, 2011
Emma
rated it:
Ok, so better than her first book which I found faintly annoying-or at least the protagonist was excruciating-any way perfect plane reading. It was also perfect for the post plane period when you are still recovering from Jet Lag.
Oct 09, 2010
Diane
rated it:
This book is fun! Evie Garlik comes to London at 18 to study drama.The book alternates between her arrival and fifteen years later when she is teaching evening classes. Tessaro's characters are just likeable. Robbie is the charming, self-destructive friend Evie meets on her arrival in London--one of those people whose vitality takes up all the emotional space in a room.
Talent and failure are not the sturdy concepts we assume. and can be re-imagined. Evie's audition for the deodorant More...
Talent and failure are not the sturdy concepts we assume. and can be re-imagined. Evie's audition for the deodorant More...
Nov 06, 2011
Lily
rated it:
There are some confusing sections of the book, but overall it is well written.
Nov 15, 2011
Irene
rated it:
This was a good and light read after reading a pretty intense piece of fiction. Or so I thought. It was an easy read only because it was told from the perspective of our head-case heroine, a single mother of an adorable tot.
Not Tolstoy, but not as bad as some other fluff marketed for women....Tessaro's heroines are fallen angels, broken down but beautiful, and waiting to wake up. I liked this one. More than I thought I would.
Not Tolstoy, but not as bad as some other fluff marketed for women....Tessaro's heroines are fallen angels, broken down but beautiful, and waiting to wake up. I liked this one. More than I thought I would.
Oct 09, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I enjoyed this a lot more the second time round than tte first time round. I like the characters, and I thought the polst was mostly good. The only thing I didn't like (and I remember not being keen first time either) was the ending. It was all left a bit up in the air for me, mainly in regards to what happened between Jake and Aex.
Oct 09, 2010
Lannylee
rated it:
The 2nd novel is always difficult, and can sometime succumb to being the difficult middle child, unwilling to live up to the hype.
This book isn't as good as Elegance, but is a perfect 'holiday' book, read it on the beach with a cocktail or 3 and it will make you laugh and enjoy your holiday all the better for it.
This book isn't as good as Elegance, but is a perfect 'holiday' book, read it on the beach with a cocktail or 3 and it will make you laugh and enjoy your holiday all the better for it.
Oct 09, 2010
Anna
rated it:
An interesting and fun story about a woman who learns how to actually LIVE life, instead of just surviving. Tessaro is great at developing characters that you feel like you know, and really want to understand.
THIS is what chick lit should be - well written, with solid character development and a good story.
THIS is what chick lit should be - well written, with solid character development and a good story.
Oct 09, 2010
Fawn
rated it:
I found this book much more interesting than most "chick lit" books. I liked the characters, and felt like I could relate to Evie. Robbie was my favorite character, by far! I'd say I liked the characters much more than the book itself. The ending was very disappointing, I felt cheated.
Oct 09, 2010
Katie
rated it:
I wish I could write a meaningful review of this book, but what I'm writing is pretty much how I felt about the book.
Eh.
It was not the worst book I've read, nor was it one of the best. I wasn't captivated by the characters and was more annoyed by the plot lines and the ending.
Eh.
It was not the worst book I've read, nor was it one of the best. I wasn't captivated by the characters and was more annoyed by the plot lines and the ending.
Feb 03, 2012
Jaime
rated it:
One of my all time favourite books.It has two of my favourite combination the 80's and music.I've re-read it so many times its nearly falling apart.
<spoiler> I just ignore the horrible ending what happened about Jake & Alex? I always wonder what happened. <spoiler>
<spoiler> I just ignore the horrible ending what happened about Jake & Alex? I always wonder what happened. <spoiler>
Oct 09, 2010
Allie
rated it:
This book was incredibly depressing. It was well-written and the story flowed forth naturally, but the story itself was heavy.
That said, I still enjoyed it. Just be sure this isn't something you pick up when you're in search of girlie fluff.
That said, I still enjoyed it. Just be sure this isn't something you pick up when you're in search of girlie fluff.
Oct 09, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
Tessaro definitely has a way of describing charming, homey, British details in her prose, and her characters were compelling. I would have loved to hear more about Imogene, and I loved the character of Piotr. Definitely a nice, relaxing read.
Oct 29, 2010
Miss Tuesday
rated it:
Honestly, i just gave up with Evie Garlick, very boring character. At first I enjoyed her naive innocence but halfway into it she became so silly and stupid. My expectations were set high for this book, a bit too high....
Oct 09, 2010
Joy
rated it:
I didn't give up on this one but the plot was WEAK and unless you are stuck on a 7 hour layover and cannot find a seat next to a CNN flat screen i do not recommend. This is a book i would love to rewrite.
Oct 29, 2011
Jo
rated it:
I enjoyed this more than expected, about a young woman who moves to London at age 18 to become an actress, and what happens to her 15 years later. Not as silly as the usual chick-lit in this genre.
Oct 09, 2010
Kristigpaul
rated it:
I wanted a quick chick-lit read for a rainy afternoon and this fit the bill...nothing spectacular...but light reading and entertaining. A stand-in for a couple of episodes of sex and the city.
Oct 09, 2010
J
rated it:
Found and read while traveling around Australia last spring. Total chick lit.
Drugs, alchol-abuse and wild sex glamorized to an uncomfortable level.
Addictive reading.
Drugs, alchol-abuse and wild sex glamorized to an uncomfortable level.
Addictive reading.
