A number-one bestseller from one of Britain’s most popular novelists, Sheer Abandon is an all-consuming story revolving around the co...
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reviews
Jul 25, 2008
Susan
rated it: 
Why I didn't really like this book...
1. It could and should have been 300 pages. Instead, it dragged on for 627.
2. The author gives away important information early on in the book. Unless you are quite slow, you are going to know who the Mother and he Father of the abandoned baby are and you will be waiting rather impatiently for like 400 pages while the rest of the characters figure out what you already know.
3. I didn't like the writing style. The author More...
1. It could and should have been 300 pages. Instead, it dragged on for 627.
2. The author gives away important information early on in the book. Unless you are quite slow, you are going to know who the Mother and he Father of the abandoned baby are and you will be waiting rather impatiently for like 400 pages while the rest of the characters figure out what you already know.
3. I didn't like the writing style. The author More...
Jul 24, 2007
Dru
rated it: 
Simply amazing. The whole book was just one huge adventure, never quite sure of what was next. It was truly a heartfelt book, with human flaws so clearly decipted, but instead of feeling horrified, you cannot help but feel pity and love for them. Instead of wanting to strike out at them, I just wanted to protect them with a hug, telling them that it all will be okay. Especially Kate.
I loved this book, and it was definitely not what I expected. Not by far, and frankly that's a good th More...
I loved this book, and it was definitely not what I expected. Not by far, and frankly that's a good th More...
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Jul 27, 2008
Kathy
rated it: 
This novel was more difficult for me to get into (I probably would have given this a 2.5 star rating if possible). It could have been the political arena that it was based in as I have no interest in politics. The characters were difficult to grasp at first but once I figured out everyone's role in the story then I had begun to 'enjoy' it more. When he big secret is revealed (I was able to figure it out before hand), I began to wonder how the author would tie it all together for the ending. I wa
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Jul 29, 2008
Bianca
rated it:
This book should be retitled "The Never Ending Story"! Holy lord I thought it would never end. It wasn't necessarily BAD but it may have been a lot better as a movie. Lord knows it was long enough to be the actual script. In an approximately 620 page book, I didn't get into the story or anything that seemed fun to read until about page 420!!! Even the ending was disappointing. If I'm gonna read a book this long I want the ending to be wrapped up in a pretty little happy ending bow. No
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May 16, 2009
Heidi
rated it:
I gave this 2 stars not because it had 600+ pages (I love diving into epic stories); not because the characters gave me no real reason to identify with them in any way (shallow, under-developed wimpy female characters - the only one with any balls being teenage Kate); nor because the plot was handed to me on a platter in the first chapter (should have quit while I was ahead)...
I generally like Penny Vincenzi's novels as beach or vacation reads, or just fun escapes once in a while, More...
I generally like Penny Vincenzi's novels as beach or vacation reads, or just fun escapes once in a while, More...
Feb 21, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
Sex, politics and a devastating secret … Penny combines these elements with the search of a sixteen-year-old girl for her birth mother, resulting in a novel that is both intoxicating and deeply moving. This is the story of three very different women—prickly, independent Martha, impulsive, fun-loving Jocasta and sweet, self-effacing Clio—who meet by chance at eighteen as they’re about to embark on several months travelling, and how, seventeen years later, their paths cross under extraordinary cir
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Jul 07, 2009
Célia
rated it:
Cruel Abandono começa o seu enredo em 1986, quando uma jovem mulher chega ao aeroporto de Heathrow vinda de Banguecoque e dá à luz numa arrecadação, abandonando lá o bebé. Sabemos também que, no ano anterior, três jovens - Jocasta, Martha e Clio - tinham partido numa aventura pela Tailândia, pelo que o mistério relativamente à identidade da mãe é o motor que conduz a história, de volta ao presente.
Ao longo das páginas deste livro, vamos acompanhando a vida e a história destas três mu More...
Ao longo das páginas deste livro, vamos acompanhando a vida e a história destas três mu More...
Dec 05, 2009
Shezza
rated it: 
I throughly enjoyed this novel. I came upon Penny accidently last summer, started reading one of her novels and BAM! I was addicted.
This book had everything, romance, drama, humour and danger. Her charcters are the type you HAVE to be sympthetic to, apart from one or two. On my days off I'd get up extra early and read.....I simply had to force myself to put the novel down.
At one point I was actually reading and screaming at a particular charcater....they did something w More...
This book had everything, romance, drama, humour and danger. Her charcters are the type you HAVE to be sympthetic to, apart from one or two. On my days off I'd get up extra early and read.....I simply had to force myself to put the novel down.
At one point I was actually reading and screaming at a particular charcater....they did something w More...
May 16, 2011
Alice
rated it:
A big, juicy women's blockbuster in the tradition of Judith Krantz or Lisa Jewell. I have a huge soft spot for books like this, with a zillion characters and plotlines and births, deaths, marriages, et. cetera. This isn't as glamorous as the Krantzes that I read by the bucketload in college, and it's not as sexy as Jilly Cooper, but neither is it maudlin and suburban like Jodi Picoult. If you're looking for a good beach read, this is definitely it. I'll be working my way through Vincenzi's consi
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May 24, 2009
Lanette
rated it:
Finally, I finished this book! Quite the soap-opera, roller-coaster. This story had a bit of everything thrown in, some of which I cared nothing about; probably because it had to do with the politics of British government. Still, I liked how there was quite a bit of substance to this family saga. I would have ended the story differently, but the ending left the reader with things to think about.
I wondered a lot about Martha's parents. To my mind, the book still ended with secrets and More...
I wondered a lot about Martha's parents. To my mind, the book still ended with secrets and More...
May 23, 2011
Abigail
rated it:
Holy mother of Moses, this book was too long. As I'm sure most people did, I figured out Kate's parentage in the first few chapters and spent the rest of the book feeling thoroughly annoyed at the fact that the author insults the intelligence of her readers by acting as though her plot isn't terribly transparent for another 500 pages.
I give this book more than just one star because I did appreciate her skills at developing characters that readers can identify with.
Other t More...
I give this book more than just one star because I did appreciate her skills at developing characters that readers can identify with.
Other t More...
Jan 11, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Sheer Abandon is a soap opera in print. The reader knows that the characters will all be tied together somehow by the baby abandoned in an airport in the first chapter. Tension is built throughout the story but many of the plot developments are unbelievable coincidence though not always predictable. Vincenzi creates a very British setting with tabloid journalists, a failing health care system, and a budding new political party to challenge the establishment. Very little sex and language for
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Sep 20, 2011
Jacqueline
rated it:
this is another penny vincenzi that i really enjoyed,i thought that although there was no mystery to the plot i do think that this was intended,i think that the reader was supposed to be all knowing and was supposed to read the book in a way where they waited for everyone else to realise who the mother and father! my only criticism of this book is that i really didnt like some of the characters and therefore almost skipped over paragraphs dealing with them,other than that this book was just what
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Mar 14, 2011
♥ Marlene♥
rated it:
Finished this book yesterday. At one time I was really wondering why I kept on reading but after posting that, 1 day ago, I knew why. This book has its very good phases and some very boring ones. I liked the last 3/4th of the book and there was one thing I did not see coming. I like to be surprised and she managed to do that after all. Of course I did figure out who the mom and dad of kate were, very soon as most of the readers did, so being surprised was a nice thing which I did not expect anym
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Jun 16, 2010
Alyson
rated it:
This was an excellent book! It took me a little time to get into it, but after the first bit I couldn't put it down. There are quite a few characters, and I admit I was referencing the character list at the begining of the book. But, Vincenzi brought all of the characters to life. The plot twists were great and usually unexpected. I really liked her overall approach and the way it as written, especially how the reader knew a baby was abandoned, but it was unclear which character had abandon
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Apr 23, 2009
Kristina
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 28, 2011
Kricket
rated it:
disappointing. this author was recommended to me by a library customer, but this epic soap opera was twice as long as it needed to be, and the characters were all self-destructive idiots. (don't want a divorce? try telling your boyfriend you can't have kids BEFORE you get married.) that said, it kept me riveted because i expected...well, i expected something out of the ending. i'm not sure what, but i never found it, and now i feel sheepish for wasting my time.
Feb 20, 2009
Ellen
rated it: 
The book was initially intriguing. It had a good assortment of characters, and a mystery. It would have been good beach reading, but lacked character development for a serious read. Also the "young woman/older wealthy man" trope does not appeal to me and did not add anything to the story.
Jul 30, 2009
Henni
rated it:
Egentlig en god hovedhistorie, men der er alt for mange side-historier og udnødvendige bipersoner til at bogen fanger.
De første par kapitler er rigtigt godt skrevet, de ender så man hver gang tror at NU ved man ved hvem der er mor til den lille pige der blev fundet i et kosteskab i Heathrow, men så er det ligesom Penny Vincenzi mister taget i plottet, der intoduceres underlige sidehistorier og ikke relevante personer, der kun er med til at gøre bogen lang (610 sider). det er ærgeligt for d More...
De første par kapitler er rigtigt godt skrevet, de ender så man hver gang tror at NU ved man ved hvem der er mor til den lille pige der blev fundet i et kosteskab i Heathrow, men så er det ligesom Penny Vincenzi mister taget i plottet, der intoduceres underlige sidehistorier og ikke relevante personer, der kun er med til at gøre bogen lang (610 sider). det er ærgeligt for d More...
Apr 23, 2009
Diane
rated it:
Though this book did drag in parts and the child parentage was strongly hinted at early in the book, I did for the most part enjoy the story. The author could have cut out about 100 pages of stuff and the story line would have been much more easy read.
I have The Spoils of Time Trilogy by Vincenzi, but will give myself a rest before delving into it.
I have The Spoils of Time Trilogy by Vincenzi, but will give myself a rest before delving into it.
Feb 11, 2009
Geraldine
rated it:
It is wonderful to read a novel by a writer who is extremely gifted in character development. It is a realy long novel but I hated to put it down and I was sorry there was not more to read when I finished it.
Mysteries about the complexities of life-- What a great read.
Mysteries about the complexities of life-- What a great read.
Jan 10, 2011
Penny
rated it:
I had a harder time getting into this novel and recognizing just who the characters were and what their relationships were. Once I was halfway through the book, I was ok. I just didn't enjoy this story as much as the 1st by this author. It must be an identity thing again.
Jun 14, 2010
Laura
rated it:
A long and easy to read story with great characters, I loved it. Not too deep or complex, perfect to pick up and put down. Took a while to finish and there were moments where I wanted to fast forward but overall was a good satisfying read.
Dec 27, 2008
Ellie
rated it:
This was quite a voyage of a book! As I am an Anglophile, her writings intrique me because I can picture so many of the places she mentions. It was a great beach read---while being snowbound at Christmastime in Seattle.
Sep 24, 2010
Jody
rated it:
This book started off with promise. I expected it to be a breezy book that would be good to read at the beach or on a lazy vacation. But it was about 300 pages too long and very soap opera like with a predictable plot line.
Jul 11, 2010
eb
rated it:
Two people who make life worth living: Nette and Penny Vincenzi. The former introduced me to the latter, and thank God, because a beach isn't a beach unless you're sitting on it with a deliriously trashy PV tome in hand.
Jan 12, 2010
Fulu
rated it:
its too long and the politics stuff does not help the plot along that much. She tries to be too clever with ending and leaves the reader with too many questions...and regrets. i only liked the Martha and toyboy relationship.
Sep 13, 2009
Karla
rated it:
I had high hopes for this book. I really enjoyed the author's Lytton family trilogy. I found most of the characters in this book both unbelievable and unlikeable and the plot was disappointingly predictable.
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Aug 28, 2009
Lianne
rated it:
I liked this book. I enjoyed the characters. The secret of who gave birth to the baby at Heathrow was discovered quite early in the book and then, unfortunately, it dragged on a bit. I would have enjoyed it more if it had not been so long.
Jul 17, 2009
Kyra
rated it:
The book unfortunately doesn't really get going until the last quarter or so. I'm also not sure whey the author is obsessed with ruminating over every luminescent detail of the without-fail gorgeous bodies of her characters. It's pretty dime-a-dozen women's fiction, but I enjoyed reading it by the pool.
