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Crossed Wires

by Rosy Thornton (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 75 ratings · 22 reviews

This is the story of Mina, a girl at a Sheffield call centre whose next customer in the queue is Peter, a Cambridge geography don who has crashed his car into a tree stump when swerving to avoid a cat. Despite their obvious differences, they've got a lot in common -- both single, both parents, both looking for love. Could it be that they've just found it? CROSSED WIRES is...more

309 pages

Published 2008 by Headline Review

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Feb 20, 2009 Violet Crush rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

I picked it up thinking it was a romantic book. 2 single parents meet each other, fall in love and everything falls into place again. I love romantic books, books with a lot of mush and the works, so I am actually surprised that I liked this book. I expected the guy and the girl to meet and fall in love or at least fall in love because of incessant online chatting. That didn’t happen and not once did I feel like abandoning the book because nothing was happening where their love life was concerne...more I picked it up thinking it was a romantic book. 2 single parents meet each other, fall in love and everything falls into place again. I love romantic books, books with a lot of mush and the works, so I am actually surprised that I liked this book. I expected the guy and the girl to meet and fall in love or at least fall in love because of incessant online chatting. That didn’t happen and not once did I feel like abandoning the book because nothing was happening where their love life was concerned. They are busy with their own lives, they have friends and family to turn to during difficult times, but you can easily see why they are so perfect for each other even though they don’t meet for more than half of the book.

Peter, a college professor and Mina, a call center worker are the lead characters in this story. But more than that they are normal human beings, who make mistakes, who react the way you and I would. Peter has 9 year old twin girls Cassie and Kim and Mina has a 10 year old girl Sal. Not to forget the friends and family that comprise of Mina’s straight forward mother and Peters friends Jeremy and Trish. They are all interesting in their own way.

Mina’s character reminded me so much of myself. I like to skirt around situations that are difficult to handle, I avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary and I too worked in a call center once. So I could, in a way, understand Mina really well, although I did feel like shaking her at times and asking her to do something. That’s exactly what my boyfriend does, shakes me up when required :)

This book has some of the best character descriptions I have read in a while. Very non-dramatic and real.

If you are looking for a typical, stereotype love story, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a plot driven story, again this book is not for you. Don’t be fooled by the pink cover, this book isn’t all mush. Read it with absolutely no prejudice or strict expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Review originally posted at http://violetcrush.wordpress.com (less)

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Sep 27, 2010 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crossed Wires is a light romance that isn� t quite chick lit. It has a lot of what I want in chick lit and none of what annoys me. It� s easy to read and has a straightforward plot that you pretty much know is going to end well. It has characters who would obviously be good for each other if they could just find a way to get together. There� s just enough dramatic tension to keep you reading and wondering what� s going to happen. It� s a lovely comfort read. There are perhaps not as many laughs...more Crossed Wires is a light romance that isn� t quite chick lit. It has a lot of what I want in chick lit and none of what annoys me. It� s easy to read and has a straightforward plot that you pretty much know is going to end well. It has characters who would obviously be good for each other if they could just find a way to get together. There� s just enough dramatic tension to keep you reading and wondering what� s going to happen. It� s a lovely comfort read. There are perhaps not as many laughs as I� d expect when reading chick lit, but there are plenty of smiles� and frankly, I� d rather the characters keep their dignity than become slapsticky messes just to elicit a laugh.[return][return]Thornton manages to entertain while avoiding the familiar, obnoxious tropes of so much chick lit. The leading characters are not overly neurotic, although they do have problems and worries. When they go into crisis mode, they have a good reason to. The main characters, Mina and Peter, are depicted as equals� not in social status but certainly in desire for a partner. And they get roughly the same amount of � page time,� which keeps this from being a book about the needy woman finding her prince (or � earning� her prince by finding herself or some such nonsense). Peter and Mina� s friends and family members feel like authentic people with inner lives of their own. I liked them.[return][return]So what� s the story? Well, it begins with Peter, a Cambridge geography professor, calling his insurance company to file a claim for a car accident in which he hit the stump of a tree while swerving to avoid the neighbors� cat. Mina takes the call. She appreciates his self-deprecating sense of humor, even if his jokes aren� t very good. He appreciates her reassuring tone, so much so that when he gets into another accident not long after, he asks for her when filing his claim. Before long, they� re exchanging calls regularly� a ritual that gives them each a brief respite from the stresses of their daily lives that comprise most of the book. They commiserate about being single parents and share what� s going on, never talking about what� s happening between them and where these conversations might lead. There are other threads involving Peter and Mina� s friends and family that explore the connections we make and the ones we sever, whether we choose to travel as ones or twos or threes or in a pack. And it� s all very well done.[return][return]See my complete review at my blog.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Best Books To Read rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rosy Thornton has written 4 books, and the first of her books I read was the most recent, Tapestry of Love. Having loved that, I went on and brought her other three. This one is very different to the other two I have read so far and is more of your typical ‘chick lit’ with a dash of real life thrown in for good measure. The book introduces us to Mina who is working at the call centre that she doesn’t particularly like, but it pays the bills. Her next caller happens to be Peter who has
had an acc...more Rosy Thornton has written 4 books, and the first of her books I read was the most recent, Tapestry of Love. Having loved that, I went on and brought her other three. This one is very different to the other two I have read so far and is more of your typical ‘chick lit’ with a dash of real life thrown in for good measure. The book introduces us to Mina who is working at the call centre that she doesn’t particularly like, but it pays the bills. Her next caller happens to be Peter who has
had an accident in his car. For some reason the two of them click and they are eventually
drawn into each others lives despite the geographical difference.

We get to see a bigger portion of Peter’s life that we do Mina’s but as the story progresses this makes sense. The two of them share common ground in that they are both single parents. The element of real life I mentioned in the story is that of the parent role of these two people. It is written really well and we get to see the trials and tribulations their kids put them through, which I am sure many parents could relate to.

Peter and Mina find themselves drawn over experience and as a reader we get to see how things pan out, and how mistakes can be made when you only have one version of events. The thing that really struck me is the fact that there is no real storyline that is the major thread of this book. I know that sounds strange, but that is what makes it so special. This is about two people facing every day things that many people will understand. We meet their children, friends and family who also made the book even better. Peter has twin girls and Mina has a daughter and they are very close in age making the subtle link and bond between Peter and Mina very real.

The children in this book, Cassie and Kim the twins and Sal, Mina’s daughter, all played a part in the story in their own way. We get to see their lives and how things affect them and how this in turn affects their parents.

We also see Mina’s mum and stepdad Dave as they tackle the issues surrounding Mina’s younger sister Jess. On the other side of the fence we see Peter’s friends and neighbours Jeremy and Martin (who I adored as characters) as well as Trish who occasionally babysits for him.

I can honestly say that I really, really enjoyed this. I was so shocked that such ordinary events could be structured into such a lovely book, as normally we have a main story to entertain us. In my opinion this just goes to show how good a writer Rosy Thornton is, a woman that can take every day, mundane stuff and turn it into a story. My only gripe was that I wanted it to last a little longer.

Don’t be put off if you read the back and think it’s a typical story revolving around a single parent woman who wants to be rescued. It’s truly the opposite and was an absolute pleasure to read.(less)

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Oct 15, 2010 Goddess Of Blah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is NOT a mushy romance. There is NO pathetic clichéd fairytale (Mills & Boon) dashing romance content in this whatsoever. Do not read this if you're looking for dramatic passionate or pathetic romance with beautiful women and dashing men.

This book is much more real. I usually avoid books based on single mums as the women seem so needy or its unrealistic with the new man in their life immediately falling in love with her child/ren as well as her. Its hard enough for single women (sa...more This book is NOT a mushy romance. There is NO pathetic clichéd fairytale (Mills & Boon) dashing romance content in this whatsoever. Do not read this if you're looking for dramatic passionate or pathetic romance with beautiful women and dashing men.

This book is much more real. I usually avoid books based on single mums as the women seem so needy or its unrealistic with the new man in their life immediately falling in love with her child/ren as well as her. Its hard enough for single women (sans stretch marks caused by giving birth) obtaining a goodlooking, nice stable secure guy, so its silly when you read about single-mothers with “baggage” being able to conduct a passionate love affair with a chick lit clichéd debonair guy who not only accepts the single-mum's kid as their own but readily agrees to working around a mum's schedule. And it also amazes me how some authors write how casually these single mum's allow the new men in their life to become chummy with their kids – I'd think most mum's would be more protective and weary.

However, in this book – both characters have a child and need to work around their children's timetable and their own work schedule, which is why its more realistic. They're priority is their children – not their love life. The female protagonist Mina, isn't looking for a rich “daddy” to take care of her daughter. While Peter (the male protagonist) isn't a clichéd tall, dark handsome super stud Knight in Shining Armour. Peter is a mature, understanding guy with kids of his own, so you can see the connection between them is instantaneous. You wouldn't think to begin with that they'd have anything in common due to their vastly differing background but when you read the book, the author has managed to create a connection that's convincing and endearing.

The only thing about the book that I would have preferred was if it were longer so that we could see how the adults and the kids manage to interact. However, I suppose that might spoil the books attempt at creating a realistic undramatic book.

“More Than Love Letters” so far is my favourite book from Rosy Thornton's books which I rated 5 out of 5. But this book is also well worth reading. (less)

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Sep 17, 2009 Aerin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-literature, romance

First Line: "Autocare Direct Motor Insurance."

Mina - Wilhemina - is a young, single mother who works at the Sheffield call center for car insurance. Peter is a Cambridge geography professor who's just crashed his car into a tree stump. They're both single, both parents. In America, this would be a definite One Fine Day type of hit. But they're not in America; they're in England. And the class difference between them is palpable, pronounced. Throw in Peter's colorful next door neighbors, Mina's d...more

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May 06, 2009 Holly (2 Kids and Tired) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A real story, about real people. People with families you could understand. People you could possibly know, and certainly, people you would like.

Mina, a young single mother, works each day at a call center for an auto insurance company. Peter, a widowed, single father with twin daughters, teaches at Cambridge University. Their worlds are miles apart, literally and figuratively, but when Peter calls one day with an accident claim, something clicks. The phone wires cross in such a way that two peo...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Rebecca Reid rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-fic-modern

Crossed Wires is so much deeper than a stereotypical romance novel. I probably wouldn’t have picked it up on the cover alone. But there are so many other issues addressed in the midst of a gentle romance that it doesn’t feel unrealistic. You don’t know how the main characters will get to the happily ever after (and, in fact, the ending is not completely that either).

This modern-day romance is a delightful and a realistic ride. Given that Mina and Peter live more than two hours away from each oth...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Crossed Wires is a charming, cozy and gentle novel about two single parents whose lives cross by fate through the phone lines of the call center at an auto insurance company. Mina is a single mom of one shy and isolated daughter Sal and works at the call center. Peter is a widow and single dad of twins Cassie and Kim who is struggling with his own loneliness. They live in different villages two hours away from each other and develop a friendship through their phone calls. They share their feelin...more

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Jul 25, 2009 Harvee rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://bookbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/...
A book about how a romance slowly develops between Mina, a woman who works at an insurance company call center, and Peter, a Cambridge professor and a widower with two children. In between their finally getting together in person and meeting each other's children, we have detailed accounts of their separate lives.

From the publisher's description: " This is a story about the small joys and tribulations of parenthood, about one-ness and two-ness, about symm...more

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May 06, 2009 mari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romance

This is the story of Peter, a geography professor in Cambridge and Mina, the insurance agent in Sheffield that handles his claims. They discover a connection between each other that is unexpected that leads to friendship and companionship over the phone with hopes that it will develop into something more.

I am so glad I agreed to read this book. My first by Rosy Thornton but will definitely not be my last. It is such a sweet, quiet romance between two single parents who have never met but over th...more

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Jan 17, 2010 Chloe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mina and Peter don’t know each other, but they’re about to strike up an unusual friendship. Mina works in a call centre for a car insurance company and happens to take Peter’s call when he calls to report an accident.

Mina is struck by Peter, and he by her, so when he has to call the centre again and asks for Mina, she starts to think more about Cambridge Don Peter. The pair strike up a telephone friendship, finding out they have more in common than they originally thought and getting closer with...more Mina and Peter don’t know each other, but they’re about to strike up an unusual friendship. Mina works in a call centre for a car insurance company and happens to take Peter’s call when he calls to report an accident.

Mina is struck by Peter, and he by her, so when he has to call the centre again and asks for Mina, she starts to think more about Cambridge Don Peter. The pair strike up a telephone friendship, finding out they have more in common than they originally thought and getting closer with each conversation.

But their distance, lives and other things get in the way of something more… can Mina and Peter put themselves first for once or will they forever be just Crossed Wires?

I made sure not to seek out any reviews on this book or the author so that I wouldn’t have any preconceptions about whether it’d be any good. I wanted to go into it with an open mind and I’m glad I did because I absolutely adored this book. I started it one evening and within around 10 minutes, I was completely hooked. My other half kept talking to me but I kept shushing him as I was desperate to read on and find out how things were going to unfold! I must say Thornton has a real talent for throwing her readers right into the crux of the story and absorbing them immediately rather than a long winded introduction. This definitely worked for me, because I just couldn’t put it down, although I obviously had to because I needed sleep!

I don’t know exactly what it is that had me so absorbed into it, perhaps it was a mix of factors that just made the book irresistible reading for me. The idea of the story sounds a bit like a fairytale to be honest, with single mum Mina in a call centre meeting, by chance (albeit on the phone!) a Cambridge Don who happens to be a single dad. However, that is what I felt really added to its charm, it was a real escapist book and you can really sit back, relax and just let the charming narrative, lovely and likeable characters wash over you with a strong and interesting plot unfolding as well. The ways things happened didn’t seem unrealistic, and Thornton really delves in the lives of single parents and their struggles in this book, featuring any parents worst nightmares as well as the magical moments too. Emotion is present throughout and is a big part of the story

In order for me to really get into a book, I have to genuinely like the characters and want to find out whats going to happen with them. This was never a worry with this book for me because I instantly liked both Peter and Mina, and my like for them just grew as the pages were turning! The book is written in the third person which allows the reader to see plenty of both Peter and Mina, indeed more than they get to see of each other which I think makes for much more interesting reading. For example, Peter makes an assumption about Mina which he is surprised to see he has gotten wrong, and despite the fact we knew he had it wrong from the beginning, it was great reading and I loved how these things were subtly done throughout the book, a great addition to the story and kept my attention.

I hope you can tell from my review that I really loved this book and that I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone who loves either the chick lit genre or indeed just a really good story! The way Thorton writes draws you straight into the characters, their lives and the unfolding story and you can’t help but be fully absorbed by it. The writing style is very easy to read, and the third person narrative makes following the two main characters lives easy to follow and enjoy. I am really eager to look out for Thornton’s previous 2 books now as I hope they are as good as this which is her latest release but if you haven’t read her before like me, I’d really recommend you start with this fantasic book. A wonderful fairytale of a story, and a joy to read. (less)

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Feb 28, 2011 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is yet another lovely book by Rosy Thornton, a simple little tale, beautifully told, of two struggling single parents who strike up an unexpected long-distance friendship. She writes really gently and beautifully, giving you an overall sense of comfort and domesticity while handling some quite difficult issues like those faced by the traveller community, and loneliness and companionship in its many guises (Peter has a lovely gay pair of male friends that I'd rather like for my friends too.....more

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Mar 31, 2009 Phillipa rated it 5 of 5 stars

My favourite of Rosy Thornton's three novels so far. This warm and engaging story focuses on the unfolding of an unusual 'romance. As ever, the nuances of character and the interplay of relationships between the characters are delicately and subtly handled. The story is totally believable - these people must surely, really exist... The cast of supporting characters is beautifully realised. A book to read many times and savour.

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Feb 02, 2012 Melanie Leger rated it 2 of 5 stars

A bit bland, no real connection between the two main characters. Slightly dissapointed with it, the ending was abrupt, felt as if the author just got fed up and decided to tie up all the loose ends in a messy way and then sign off.

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Nov 28, 2009 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this to be an entertaining story that progressed in an unexpected manner. I love Brit Lit. It's always interesting to me just how different our "cousins across the pond" really are.

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Aug 02, 2009 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: relationships

It’s a romance and I’m always a sap for a romance. It’s an unlikely romance. How many people meet when one calls into the insurance helpline?

Nice plot. Nice characters. Nice dialogue.

A nice summer read.

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Jun 01, 2009 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

http://booksandmovies.colvilleblogger...

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Jul 21, 2010 Stephanie Marshall Ward marked it as to-read

recommended by Amanda at Zen Leaf

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Oct 24, 2010 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, adult-fiction

Smart, sweet romance. Very nice.

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Jul 04, 2011 Dee rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book intrigued me (and I needed a book with the word Crossed in the title) but I just couldn't get into it...I started it over a week ago and still sitting at 50% read, so its going on the started not finished shelf for now

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May 11, 2012 Clare Coffey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought that for romantic fiction, this was well written. It is a genre that I do not normally read but I did enjoy it. I would definitely recommend this book to friends.

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Feb 05, 2009 Debra rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

See www.bookishlyattentive.wordpress.com for a complete review.

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May 21, 2013 Donna added it · review of another edition

May 16, 2013 Pebbletope rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 12, 2013 Irina M rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 06, 2013 Melissa Bolin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 30, 2013 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-read-in-2013

May 06, 2013 Robyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 27, 2013 Brittanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 30, 2013 Maryannmc marked it as to-read

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About Rosy Thornton

My first novel, 'More Than Love Letters' was published in paperback 2007, my second, 'Hearts and Minds', came out in 2008, my third, 'Crossed Wires', in 2009, and my fourth, entitled 'The Tapestry of Love', was published in paperback in October 2010.

My fifth novel, 'Ninepins', is due for release in the spring of 2012.

I write fiction which might be described as romantic comedy with a hint of satire...more

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