Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The House on Olive Street
by
Robyn Carr
The loss of their close friend draws four women together. And a summer spent sorting through personal effects offers the perfect challenge—and the perfect escape.
Sable—her bestselling novels have made her a star, but the woman who has everything, in fact, has nothing but a past she is desperate to hide
Elly—the intellectual who has hidden herself within the walls of academi
...moreMass Market Paperback, 402 pages
Published
November 1st 1999
by Mira Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,270)
May not be exactly the same dramatic way as in this book, but many of us have a friend, who does not make it obvious or apparent but she in a way holds the group together. Those of us who have a friend like that will be able to relate to this story more easily.
The four friends of Gabriella move to her house after she dies suddenly, to organise her papers, manuscripts, books etc. It's the story of these four friends who have different problems of their own. Gabby though not there physically, is...more
The four friends of Gabriella move to her house after she dies suddenly, to organise her papers, manuscripts, books etc. It's the story of these four friends who have different problems of their own. Gabby though not there physically, is...more
3 STARS
Eleanor, Sable, Beth and Barbara try to surprise their fried, Gabby on her 50th birthday are in for a shock when they find her dead on her couch. Gabby's death effects each women as she was the glue that brought these writers together and kept them together. Beth's handsome pilot husband won't give her a baby or his affection and uses her disappointments and anger to write her mystery novels. Barbara wants to be a bestselling romance author really bad...not just for the fame but for her...more
Eleanor, Sable, Beth and Barbara try to surprise their fried, Gabby on her 50th birthday are in for a shock when they find her dead on her couch. Gabby's death effects each women as she was the glue that brought these writers together and kept them together. Beth's handsome pilot husband won't give her a baby or his affection and uses her disappointments and anger to write her mystery novels. Barbara wants to be a bestselling romance author really bad...not just for the fame but for her...more
the house on olive street by robyn carr
Friends who are authors are going to surprise one of their own and bring a catered dinner to her house as it's her birthday. Problem is Gabby's dead.
The friends take care of everything and the book continues on with each still writing and the problems each one of them has and what they are doing to
overcome them.
One is a heavy drinker, one is getting abused and another is starting an affair with her body guard.
Found a novel that had been started by their de...more
Friends who are authors are going to surprise one of their own and bring a catered dinner to her house as it's her birthday. Problem is Gabby's dead.
The friends take care of everything and the book continues on with each still writing and the problems each one of them has and what they are doing to
overcome them.
One is a heavy drinker, one is getting abused and another is starting an affair with her body guard.
Found a novel that had been started by their de...more
Jun 01, 2010
Mollie *scoutrmom*
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
any female reader
Shelves:
read-in-2010
Unlike the other sixteen (yes, sixteen) books I've read by author Robyn Carr, this one is not a romance, even though there are some happily matched couples at the end. This is a book about the strength four women authors find in friendships that enable them to set their own lives straight and move forward into relationships. In some ways it reminds me of Debbie Macomber's book, Thursdays At Eight, or her Blossom Street series, though I think this one is better.
The characters in The House On Oliv...more
The characters in The House On Oliv...more
Robyn Carr, a talented romance author, wrote this book back in 1999. Definitely not your classic romance, I believe the work would have gained much higher acclaim had it been marketed purely as "women's fiction" rather than romance. It is a hidden treasure.
A writer's group of five women gather at one member's house to find she has died - unexpectedly, on her fiftieth birthday. The surviving four women come from backgrounds so different, it seems the story will be over before it begins. But a let...more
A writer's group of five women gather at one member's house to find she has died - unexpectedly, on her fiftieth birthday. The surviving four women come from backgrounds so different, it seems the story will be over before it begins. But a let...more
This was my first Robyn Carr book, but it won't be my last.
This is grown up chick lit-- fiction that looks at four women, each at a crossroads in her life,drawn together by the unexpected death of the fifth member of their group.
Elly is a college professor. She's now involved in a relationship that she's not willing to share with the world (including her friends) because it doesn't fit with her image of herself.
Beth writes murder mysteries, but she is very shy in her everyday life. Part of this...more
This is grown up chick lit-- fiction that looks at four women, each at a crossroads in her life,drawn together by the unexpected death of the fifth member of their group.
Elly is a college professor. She's now involved in a relationship that she's not willing to share with the world (including her friends) because it doesn't fit with her image of herself.
Beth writes murder mysteries, but she is very shy in her everyday life. Part of this...more
This one started out slow for me, but some all of a sudden as I was reading I realize that I had fallen for this book, these women, and the very idea of the house as their safe haven.
All of these women are so very different, and some are hard to like at the start, but as the story goes on you realize they are just like you. Hiding things that they are ashamed of both in their past and in their current life, they are both jealous of their friends success and happy for them, and all of them need t...more
All of these women are so very different, and some are hard to like at the start, but as the story goes on you realize they are just like you. Hiding things that they are ashamed of both in their past and in their current life, they are both jealous of their friends success and happy for them, and all of them need t...more
I understand that Robyn Carr wrote this book in 1999. Well, it’s certainly telling that this author delivered much better work before she started on the too-long standing Virgin River books, of which only the 1st book was excellent and had certain gravitas and depth. All the other Virgin River books after that 1st one are lacking in character-depth and a good supporting cast – in my opinion. On the other hand, I thought Robyn Carr’s Grace Valley trilogy was simply outstanding.
Here in THE HOUSE O...more
Here in THE HOUSE O...more
This is closer to 4 and a half stars. A friend told me it was one of her favorite Carrs, and I agree. There is plenty of depth as four women deal with the death of a friend.
The worst problems in their own lives are brought out into the open, and they find they can deal with them because they are together. These problems range from a buried past to a dangerous marriage to a humorous situation in which five big men are oblivious to the pressures they are placing on the woman in their life.
This is...more
The worst problems in their own lives are brought out into the open, and they find they can deal with them because they are together. These problems range from a buried past to a dangerous marriage to a humorous situation in which five big men are oblivious to the pressures they are placing on the woman in their life.
This is...more
2 likes · like · see review
My sister-in-law had commented that this book was one of her least favorites from Robyn Carr. If that's the case, then I have a LOT of books to add to my TBR pile!! I really, really liked this book, so can't imagine how much I'll love the Virgin River series.
Honestly, the book did start off a little slow and I wasn't enthusiastic about the characters. Moving from Part I to Part II, things started picking up and I started to get really interested in Sable, Elly, Beth, and Barbara Ann. Somewhere...more
Honestly, the book did start off a little slow and I wasn't enthusiastic about the characters. Moving from Part I to Part II, things started picking up and I started to get really interested in Sable, Elly, Beth, and Barbara Ann. Somewhere...more
This isn't great literature/writing...but it's a good beach/summer book that I read for a small book club with close friends, and I enjoyed it. Sable, Elly, Barbara Ann, and Beth, come together in one home for a summer, to get their separate lives together, heal themselves after the death of their 50 year old friend, Gabby, and go through Gabby's memoirs, writings, etc. All writers, their friendship challenges them and helps heal their life challenges and hurts, while healing their pain of losin...more
When the book started with the death of a woman on her 50th birthday, I thought this was going to be a murder mystery. But it turned out to be a wonderful chick-lit story about 4 women and their relationships, following them as they dealt with their friend's death. Very diverse group of people with the common theme of being writers. But they all have different problems to face in their personal lives and need each other's friendships at this time in their lives to deal with their issues. Very fe...more
What a departure from Carr's Virgin River series. In this book, the theme of coming together in a crisis as in the VR books prevails. This is the story of four women who come together after the tragic death of their friend. All of the women are writers and/or educators and they have formed a club and all meet at Gabby's house.
There is Elly, who is the matriarch. She is a spinster who has made a life for herself within the walls of her own little home. She is a recovering alcoholic.
Sable, who is...more
There is Elly, who is the matriarch. She is a spinster who has made a life for herself within the walls of her own little home. She is a recovering alcoholic.
Sable, who is...more
This story focuses on 5 women writers who gather together as a group to focus on their writing. When coming together for a surprise birthday brunch for Gabby, they find tragedy as she has died in her home. Although the women are quite different in temperaments, life styles and writing genres, they have been bound together by Gabby and her death devastates them but also makes them reevaluate their own lives. Sable has a tarnished past that has come back to haunt her, Beth has an abusive husband,...more
Apr 20, 2013
Suzanne
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romance,
suzanne-s-2013-reading-challenge
I do believe this is the first book I have ever wanted to give more than 5 stars to! This was the most fabulous book! I loved the story and I loved the characters! These are the most amazing women...even with their trials and tribulations and problems. It all just made them come to life even more. And Robyn Carr wrote them so beautifully, it is hard to believe that they aren't real people!
I was a fan of this author before, from reading her Virgin River series, but I am even more of a fan now af...more
I was a fan of this author before, from reading her Virgin River series, but I am even more of a fan now af...more
Jan 21, 2013
penelopewanders
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary
The story begins with the unexpected death of one of a group of friends and writers who have supported each other in their lives and work for the last several years. It starts by revealing the special link because each character and the deceased,and then their own issues come to the fore. Having been given the task of clearing out and sorting the papers left behind,they end up moving in together. A moving story which touches on darkness while remaining light.
My favorite kind of story - woman coming together to help each other to be better! Gabby Marshall an author brought together a very diverse group of 4 women and when she dies they are so distraught the decide to move into her house for the summer to give each other support and help. Each of the four has ways they need to grow and change if they are going to be successful. And each finds what she needs as they find out about Gabby's life before she knew them.
This is a wonderful book about the friendship of women.
Four women, all authors and members of a small writers critique group, come together one summer to sort through the papers of another member of their writer's group after the woman unexpectedly and suddenly dies. This is the story of their summer and how they all come to terms with who they are, where they are and what they truly want out of life.
Four women, all authors and members of a small writers critique group, come together one summer to sort through the papers of another member of their writer's group after the woman unexpectedly and suddenly dies. This is the story of their summer and how they all come to terms with who they are, where they are and what they truly want out of life.
I enjoyed reading about Gabby's love life with John Shelby and I felt that the love was not lost at all even though they didn't end up being together eventually.
I liked how the 4 friends came together and became closer friends after the death of Gabby. How they brought out the courage to face their own fears and accepted each other for who they really were.
I liked how the 4 friends came together and became closer friends after the death of Gabby. How they brought out the courage to face their own fears and accepted each other for who they really were.
More an older chick lit than romance but I so enjoy this author and was totally engaged in this story with all its many events and emotional issues. Four authors sort through their mentors personal effects: Sable with a hidden past, Elly a spinster professor, Barbara Ann with husband and 4 sons - all slobs, and Beth with abusive husband.
I love the way that Robyn Carr weaves her stories. I thought she did a very good job of drawing the disparate characters so completely that you could know each one. In the meantime, she is weaving the life story of the lady who died before the story even began. There are romantic elements in this book but first and foremost I'd categorize it as women's fiction. Very good women's fiction.
This book revolves around the lives of 5 women that are all authors of various genre's: struggling mystery novelist, successful romance novelist, journalist, etc. They are such a diverse group, but they "click." They meet regularly and share their friendship, offer guidance to the younger ones, but all have secrets.
This book starts off with the death of one in the group. For various reasons, they each move into the house and become roommates for a summer. Per the will, they sort through the dec...more
This book starts off with the death of one in the group. For various reasons, they each move into the house and become roommates for a summer. Per the will, they sort through the dec...more
Normally I enjoy Carr's books. I absolutely love her Virgin River series. This one is about four older women who are drawn together after their dear friend dies. They find her dead on the day they were going to give her a surprise birthday party. However, I just wasn't connecting to the characters in this one.
The story of a small writing group, who pull closer together when one of their members -their anchor- dies unexpectedly.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely check out her other books. Great characters!
This is the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely check out her other books. Great characters!
Warning spoiler! With a main character dieing on her birthday to start the book I wasn't sure I would like this book. As with other Carr books however I warmed up to almost every character. I really enjoyed it to the end.
I normally really enjoy Robyn's writing, but I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt that the ending was rushed and that some of the characters weren't as well developed as I would have liked them to be.
If this was my first book by this author, I wouldn't have read another. That being said, it was an ok chick-lit novel about a group of women writers. Thank goodness I've read other, better ones by this author
I enjoyed Carr's Virgin River series for entertainment and expected this one to fit into that category. It's more complex and more interesting that the others. Friendship, writers, death, and discovery--liked it.
Five women meet monthly for a book club of sorts. They are five very different personalities. One dies and what happens to the other women is an interesting tale. Their lives are very changed by this death.
Four women are pulled together to go through the papers of their friend; it's a life-changing summer for them. Women's fiction/friendship story, like some of Debbie Macomber's. A good one!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
A RITA award-winning author of 25 novels, Robyn Carr has found a whole new following with her stories about the independent women and former marines of Virgin River."
RT's Career Achievement Best Author Award winner (2010) for Contemporary Romance.
More about Robyn Carr...
RT's Career Achievement Best Author Award winner (2010) for Contemporary Romance.
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jun 28, 2010 02:55pm