A Desirable Residence: A Novel of Love and Real Estate

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A Desirable Residence: A Novel of Love and Real Estate

2.79 of 5 stars 2.79 · rating details · 2,269 ratings · 313 reviews

From the author of the sensational bestselling Sophie Kinsella novels and the New York Times bestsellers The Wedding Girl and Sleeping Arrangements, comes a wicked comedy of adultery, angst, and modern marriage

The asking price for this house includes a stunning renovation of hearts and dreams....Liz and Jonathan Chambers were stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts, and...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published June 22nd 2010 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published August 1st 1996)

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A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham

What's a Ghoul to Do? by Victoria Laurie

Purchased June 2012

1st out of 49 books — 3 voters

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Jul 28, 2011 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bubblegum-book, reviewed, to-have-and-to-hate, owned-copy, standalone, 2011-reads, 2011-reviews, contemporary-fiction, bring-on-the-cliche-parade

What an utter waste of time. The consolidated three hours it took for me to complete this tome of one-dimensional, unlikeable characters is 180 minutes I'd like back.

There are seven characters; none of which seemed remotely convincing or valid. Most were vapid and so distasteful I wanted them to be caught out on their nefarious deeds. One character, Liz, was especially heinous and off-putting. I loathed that character. Any time the narrative was about Liz was a nadir for the book; just unrepenta...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Kathy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, this is actually Sophie Kinsella however since Sophie Kinsella is her writer name, it really is Madeleine Wickham. Confused? No worries, this whole book is confusing. This book was written way before the popularity of the Confession of a Shopoholic Series. Elements of the Shopoholic series are evident everywhere throughout the book and all I can say is that she definitely pulled the best of this book and tightened up her writing in order to create a mass sensation with that series.

The plot:...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I’m glad that I discovered Madeleine Wickham. She’s one of the few writers I’ve encountered who can write a short, clever, funny book. That’s unusual in a world full of long books. Now, I love a long book, but hurray to the writer who has the ability to write a good tale that is under three hundred pages.

This book’s clever, first, because of what remains unsaid. Wickham creates one character (I won’t give away who he/she is) who is aware of everything, but says very little. The reader isn’t inv...more I’m glad that I discovered Madeleine Wickham. She’s one of the few writers I’ve encountered who can write a short, clever, funny book. That’s unusual in a world full of long books. Now, I love a long book, but hurray to the writer who has the ability to write a good tale that is under three hundred pages.

This book’s clever, first, because of what remains unsaid. Wickham creates one character (I won’t give away who he/she is) who is aware of everything, but says very little. The reader isn’t invited to identify with this character. In fact, we might feel disdain or little interest in this character. But he/she has the final word, and that word speaks volume about the behaviour of everyone in the book.

As in “The Tennis Party,” Wickham’s debut novel, the characters don’t behave well at all. “A Desirable Residence” is part satire, depicting selfishness, meanness and unkindness. It also deals with the human love of self-delusion.

I felt as if many of the characters mirrored each other in their inability to see the real world and their tendency to live in a world of dreams. The most obviously dreamy character is Alice, a teenager, who is attracted to a young couple, Ginny and Piers, the actor. Piers is trying out for a long-time British soap opera called “Summer Street” that reminds me of “Coronation Street” or “East-Enders.” The director is replacing one of the characters with a new actor, and Piers hopes to get the part.

Alice, like any teenager, is terribly embarrassed of her own parents and has an enormous respect for Ginny, Piers and their live-in actor-friend, Duncan. They are tremendous party people who drink a lot, joke a lot and have a lot of fun. To Alice, they epitomize everything she wants to be part of – and this makes her look at her parents in a disparaging way.

Wickham describes a priceless couple of contrasting scenes: first, Alice playing scrabble with Ginny and Piers - the drinks flow, play is light-hearted, there is giggling and fun; second, Alice playing scrabble with her parents - her father sticks to the rules; the play is serious, points are meticulously counted.

Great writing. Great satire. Great fun! Where can I find more of Madeleine Wickham?(less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Tamara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

This was an Audio Book for me that I have been listening to for awhile. I am so sorry that I am now done with it because I absolutely loved it. I have always been a huge fan of the Sophie Kinsella novels by Madeline Wickham and this book definitely did not disappoint me. I love books that bring me into the story so much that I feel as if I am a part of it and am friends with the characters and that is exactly what A Desirable Residence did for me.

Liz and Jonathan Chambers start out the story wi...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicklit

All the Wickham books are blending together. When I remember an authors name, I reserve all the books by them at the library and at this time, they all came in at the same time. Goody! Eh. Anyway, as with all Wickham books of late (meaning her earlier titles) they all have to do with finance troubles. Do I see a theme here? A family decides to go into their own business of owning a school or tutor centre or something, so they have to sell their house and live at the school to afford it, but it i...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Ciara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

another terrible madeleine wickham book. i don't know if i even have the energy to go into it. but i'll try.

so, liz is married to jonathan. they own a home in silchester. liz convinces jonathan to put the home on the market in the hopes of using the proceeds to pay down the mortgage on the "tutorial college" they just purchased. it took me forever to figure out what a tutorial college is. i guess it's like an american SAT prep company, sort of. liz & jonathan have a disaffected teenage daugh...more another terrible madeleine wickham book. i don't know if i even have the energy to go into it. but i'll try.

so, liz is married to jonathan. they own a home in silchester. liz convinces jonathan to put the home on the market in the hopes of using the proceeds to pay down the mortgage on the "tutorial college" they just purchased. it took me forever to figure out what a tutorial college is. i guess it's like an american SAT prep company, sort of. liz & jonathan have a disaffected teenage daughter named alice. alice is sad about her parents selling the house, so she spends a lot of time sneaking into the garage of her old house to chain-smoke.

marcus whitherstone is one of the owners of the realty company liz & jonathan are using to sell their house. he is married to some uptight supermom whose name i forget. they have two sons. the older one is about to sit the scholarship exams for a prestigious high school. supermom enrolls him in extra class at the tutorial school to help him prepare. marcus happens to be in the office one day when liz has to take a meeting regarding the fact that the silchester house hasn't sold yet. he offers to pull some strings at the bank so she can carry two mortgages, & also find her a tenant.

the tenants he finds are ginny, a PR agent who does a lot of work for the realty company, & her husband piers. piers is an actor who has fallen on hard times, but he has an audition for a popular soap opera coming up. both he & ginny are hopeful that he'll get it.

while marcus & liz are waiting for ginny & piers to come see the house, they end up kissing, & it soon blossoms into a full-fledged affair. liz is over the moon about it. marcus takes her to posh hotels & lets her raid the mini-bar & buys her expensive jewelry. she begins to fantasize about him declaring his love for her & asking her to run away & get married. she mostly seems excited about marcus solving all her money problems for her. she daydreams about being his wife, going to fancy parties, & wearing designer clothes. she seems totally oblivious to the fact that marcus is quickly running out of patience with her & isn't that interested in continuing the affair.

marcus is also distracted by how he did some appraisal work on a fancy estate for a big-time banker named leo. leo asked marcus to under-value to estate so that leo could flip it & make a huge profit. marcus does as asked & is paid handsomely for it, but then people start asking questions & he kind of freaks.

alice makes the acquaintance of piers & ginny after they move into the rental home & they kind of take her under their wings, even though she's just 14 years old. alice has a little crush on piers, which everyone seems to find cute. alice goes over to hang out with them pretty much every single day.

blah blah. this all goes on for like 200 pages. finally ginny & piers decide to have a big party to celebrate...something. i don't know what. they invite alice & her parents, as well as marcus & his family (they rent from one couple & ginny works for marcus, remember). liz is thrilled to see marcus again. she thinks the party might be the setting for the marriage proposal she's been dreaming about. marcus pulls liz into the garage to break things off & liz makes an ass of herself. & it turns out that alice is in there smoking (marcus & liz didn't see her). so now she knows that her mom has been having an affair & she kind of freaks. meanwhile, piers just got the call about the soap opera gig. he was rejected. he & ginny are crying hysterically in their bedroom while everyone else parties. when alice tries to tell ginny about liz's affair, ginny screams at her & tells her to go away.

jonathan talks alice down & alice decides not to tell him about liz's perfidy. marcus has clearly decided to re-dedicate himself to his family after his brush with danger, engaging in fraud for leo. liz is chastened & ashamed. marcus's son did great on his scholarship tests & word is spreading, bringing tons of new business to the tutorial college, so jonathan is pleased. at the end of the book, there's some hint that maybe jonathan knows that liz was cheating on him but chose to turn a blind eye. & marcus uses the proceeds of the fraud he committed to buy the silchester house & invites jonathan & liz to move back in for a reasonable rent. of course, he doesn't tell them he's the owner.

basically, this book is boring & manages to make no sense at the same time. skip it!(less)

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Nov 22, 2010 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Despite being a big fan of Sophie Kinsella’s writing, I’ve only just got around to reading the books that she wrote before she took on that name. ‘A Desirable Residence’ is Wickham’s second novel and was described by the Telegraph as ‘Witty and wise’ – I couldn’t wait to get stuck into it!

The story begins with middle-aged married couple Liz and Jonathan Chambers in a bit of a mess financially. They’ve bought a tutorial college to run together, but in order to afford the mortgage on the building...more Despite being a big fan of Sophie Kinsella’s writing, I’ve only just got around to reading the books that she wrote before she took on that name. ‘A Desirable Residence’ is Wickham’s second novel and was described by the Telegraph as ‘Witty and wise’ – I couldn’t wait to get stuck into it!

The story begins with middle-aged married couple Liz and Jonathan Chambers in a bit of a mess financially. They’ve bought a tutorial college to run together, but in order to afford the mortgage on the building they were supposed to have sold their home [something that their teenage daughter, Alice, is very unhappy about]. When estate agent Marcus Witherstone finds them tenants for their old house to help them make ends meet, Liz thinks she’s met her very own knight in shining armour [or at least in a better suit than her husband can afford]. Alice becomes friends with the new tenants – the impossibly cool and sophisticated Ginny and Piers: Piers is a struggling actor who’s up for a part in a major soap, whilst Ginny, his wife, dreams of her husband becoming rich and famous. As Alice struggles to keep her crush on Piers a secret, will she discover that the couple aren’t quite as fabulous as she first thinks? Meanwhile, Marcus involves himself in some dodgy dealings and embarks on an affair with Liz whilst his wife employs Jonathan to tutor her son – it all becomes a big tangled mess which takes some sorting out at the end!

Whilst the majority of characters in this novel are a pretty unpleasant lot, I liked the fact that they got their just desserts, and Wickham seems to have the ability to write about any character convincingly: the thoughts and feelings of Marcus’ little boys are just as well portrayed as those of their father for example. The character of Alice is particularly well written: plenty of teenage angst that can be got over quickly enough if her mates want to go to the cinema. I do however, prefer the character development in the books written as Sophie Kinsella; I’m not sure whether this is just because the books are longer with more space for the characters to grow, or whether you get to know the main characters more in the Kinsella books, as they focus on one character whereas here we closely follow several.

Madeleine Wickham’s writing style is very different to when she writes as Sophie Kinsella. ‘A Desirable Residence’ is a much more ‘grown-up’ sort of book. It’s not full of frivolity like the Shopaholic series for instance and it deals with much ‘deeper’ issues. I loved the way that Wickham’s writing really allowed you to see how the characters came across to the others in the story; co-stars who didn’t know as much about the main characters as the reader!

I did enjoy this book, and I was very impressed by how capable Madeleine/Sophie is at writing her two very different styles. The characters were convincing and true to life, and you were kept guessing until the last page as to what was actually going to happen to them. It didn’t have the same hold over me as when I’m reading one of Sophie Kinsella’s books – the Shopaholic series in particular – but it was a good read and I’ll definitely be trying some of her other novels.
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Sep 14, 2010 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

A Desirable Residence was originally published in 1996, the second novel by Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella). It's easy to see why Wickham's novels have bloomed over the years into the successful Shopaholic series under the Kinsella moniker; as this particular novel really reads more like a debut or starter. Although A Desirable Residence is a quick read, it just isn't as satisfying as I had originally hoped it would be.

The book centers around three main families: the Chambers', the Witherstones, a...more A Desirable Residence was originally published in 1996, the second novel by Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella). It's easy to see why Wickham's novels have bloomed over the years into the successful Shopaholic series under the Kinsella moniker; as this particular novel really reads more like a debut or starter. Although A Desirable Residence is a quick read, it just isn't as satisfying as I had originally hoped it would be.

The book centers around three main families: the Chambers', the Witherstones, and the Prentices. The Chambers' family is comprised of Liz, Jonathan, and their teenage daughter Alice. While the adults deal with two mortgages, debt, and running a newly acquired tutorial school, Alice finds herself trying to fit in with the grown-ups in the Prentice household. Ginny Prentice is a PR and Piers is an almost-famous actor who move into Alice's old house. Lastly, the Witherstones are comprised of businessman and broker Marcus, spindly and irritable wife Anthea, and their two brilliant sons, Daniel and Andrew. Marcus and Liz fall into a whirlwind affair while Jonathan is dedicated to tutoring young Daniel to help generate a boom in business.

As you can see, all the characters intertwine into a big ball of messy mayhem that just gets worse until it implodes at the end.

A Desirable Residence is very dark and full of black-humor. The characters are depressed, nasty, weary, and wayward at a minimum, and I didn't find myself sympathizing with any of them! In the midst of reading this novel I finally came to realize and accept that all these characters are simply pathetic; then I was able to enjoy the novel for what it was -- a train-wreck only slightly entertaining.

My favorite character in the end was Jonathan. Within the last few pages of the book, Jonathan subtly lets on that he was one-hundred percent aware with all that was going on with everyone throughout A Desirable Residence, which isn't surprising given his intellect. I think this factor alone made the novel more likable upon finishing it. If only we had been made privy to Jonathan's acute ways earlier on!

Although I'll be treading cautiously on other novels by Wickham, I remain a dedicated, hard-core fan of Sophie Kinsella nevertheless. Sophie Kinsella novels are to Madeleine Wickham novels just as Janet Evanovich's stellar Stephanie Plum series is to her early-on quickie romances written in the late 1980s-early 1990s, which simply aren't that great.

Other Madeleine Wickham novels include The Wedding Girl (1999), Cocktails for Three (2000), and Sleeping Arrangements (2001).

Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.(less)

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Jul 05, 2010 Gail Cooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Those who enjoyed the over-the-top popular Shopaholic series will be delighted to find that Madeline Wickham (who wrote the Shopaholics as Sophie Kinsella) has returned with her trademark tart wit, unerring eye, and imagination to introduce us to Liz and Jonathan Chambers who find themselves thigh-high in debt thanks to two mortgages, sky rocketing bills and an unknowable, impossible young daughter, Alice.

Set in suburban London Liz and Jonathan see no way out of their financial troubles until M...more

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May 20, 2013 Bethany rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Disappointment, all around. This is my first 1 star rating, but I think this book deserves it. I was just depressed while I was reading this...the topics just kept getting worse and worse, ranging from a teenager hating her parents, wives cheating on their husbands, mothers placing high expectations on their children, people reaching for the stars...and failing again and again. Like her last book, "40 Love," the underlying theme of the book was that money will make you happy and solve all your p...more

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Apr 28, 2011 Liz rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished this book, and I'm so glad to be done. I can honestly say that I detested every single character, including the heroine, which the reader is presumably supposed to be sympathizing with. Everyone in the book is either lying to someone or cheating on someone, and with absolutely no remorse. Now, don't get me wrong - some of my favorite books have infidelity as a central theme, but it works because there's a good reason for it (and that's understandably hard to do), and of course th...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Meg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, sent-for-review, women-s-fiction

As much as I became initially engaged in Madeleine Wickham's A Desirable Residence, all the attraction here is centered on unlikeable, misanthropic people finally getting their just desserts in the end. From scheming, bored Marcus to ungrateful, uncharitable Liz, I struggled to find one character with whom connect in this British novel.

Bratty Alice couldn't have been more unjust to Jonathan, her bumbling but sweet father, and more than once in the book I found myself wanting to reach in and slap...more As much as I became initially engaged in Madeleine Wickham's A Desirable Residence, all the attraction here is centered on unlikeable, misanthropic people finally getting their just desserts in the end. From scheming, bored Marcus to ungrateful, uncharitable Liz, I struggled to find one character with whom connect in this British novel.

Bratty Alice couldn't have been more unjust to Jonathan, her bumbling but sweet father, and more than once in the book I found myself wanting to reach in and slap her. She's a self-absorbed teenager, yes, and I could respect the fact that her behavior was realistic, but who wants to spend 293 pages reading about a rude, deluded 14-year-old? As she began forcing her presence on Ginny, Piers and Duncan, I became more and more agitated. Couldn't she see she wasn't wanted? That she was intruding? That she was annoying? Even if the new residents of her old house didn't feel that way, I certainly did.

What could have saved this book from becoming a soulless mess was a dash of humor, warmth or humanity. Demonstrating some growth. Some maturity. Some sincerity. And though I did find myself smiling inwardly toward the end at an unexpected turn of events, for the most part? The bad people stayed bad. The selfish people stayed selfish. Marcus redeemed himself slightly in my eyes, but Liz -- Liz, one of our central characters -- didn't get what she deserved. I wanted a blow-out, a reckoning . . . I wanted an epic battle complete with tears and divulsions. But I was disappointed.

Wickham is better known to most of us as Sophie Kinsella, the nom de plume under which she wrote the best-selling Shopaholic series. While her writing is fluid and enjoyable, her characters -- the anchors of any story -- were terrible. You won't find me complaining about any "distance" between myself and these people, because I definitely felt like I got to know them through the course of A Desirable Residence. The real question is would I actually want to know them?

And the answer to that is, of course, a resounding no.

With so much great women's fiction and chick lit out there just waiting to be devoured, I can't recommend this one. It was boring, lifeless and grating -- though I did manage to finish it, so I guess that says something . . . mostly about the quality of Wickham's writing, which was fast-paced and readable. I didn't hate it -- but didn't love it, either. For good British chick lit, look no further than Jill Mansell -- and don't waste your time reading mediocre books.(less)

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Jul 02, 2010 Tonya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads

Things come full circle in A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham. A family of three purchases a tutorial college and moves into the flat above it, hoping to sell their house -- What ends up happening is the married woman falls in love with the real estate agent, has an affair and falls deeply in love with the idea of having money and no worries that he does. However, the real estate agent is married as well. Their lives end up entertwining and coming to a climax in the end.

Meanwhile, the r...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Clare rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Sophie Kinsella Fans, Emily Giffin fans,

In direct contrast to the decadence of the Shopaholic series, author Madeleine Wickham (who also writes as Sophie Kinsella) has written a surprisingly deep and relevant book about finances, love and marriage, struggles and pride.

The pride aspect of this book is important, because I think pride (or image) must be even more important to the British than it is to Americans.

Pride keeps Liz from selling her house, even at a loss. Jonathan and Liz had one buyer interested, but delayed and lost their o...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was actually compelled to stay up and finish this book last night. I have never read this author and though it was very different I was surprised to have read it so quickly. Most of the characters do appear to be dreaming of better things; Liz, married to Jonathon, has an affair with Marcus, dreams of not having money problems, Marcus, who is married to Anthea dreams of more success. Marcus rents out Liz and Jonathon's house to his friends, Ginny and Piers, who actually seem to be dreaming of...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book, though not what I expected, was quite a good read. Despite the fluffy description on the flap, this book is actually a very frank and serious look at relationships, love, and betrayal. Wickham does a marvelous job with these characters, though it is upsetting how very irresponsible almost all of the adults are throughout the novel. Fourteen year-old Alice was particularly well-drawn; the pain of her adolescent experience reached off the page to grab me. Her conflicted feelings about t...more

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Mar 23, 2009 Melita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Through this book I learnt that Sophie Kinsella's real name is Madeleine Wickham. All is well, I thought. This one looks good.
I read the book by borrowing it from my friend when we're on a class trip. We were on a bus, and I am dead bored. I dont want to sleep, so I asked her whether I can read her book. She said yes and I am so grateful for that! Finished half of the book by the time we ended the bus trip. Finished the rest of it during the week end. Found this to be a page turner. All of the...more

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Oct 13, 2010 J.Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoy reading most of what Sophie Kinsella writes. It's just really great, entertaining chick-lit. This did not fall into that category. This story just dragged down. Liz and Jonathan are financially over-extended (aren't we all). Liz ends up having an affair with the man who starts solving some of their money problems, but things quickly go south when everyone involved starts running in the same circles. Frankly, I read this over a month ago and any significant details escape me. I'm j...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't like any of the characters in this book, so there is no one to root for. It's a depressing slice-of-life book, reminds me tangentially of JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy - probably because I just read it. It ends abruptly and without tying up all the loose ends, showcasing everyone in the book as self-absorbed and materialistic.

However, this author is extremely talented. While this book is a miss, I highly recommend The Wedding Girl, and ALL of her books that she has authored as Sophie...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Maryann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Madeline Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella) writes British chick lit well. This book follows a house and all the lives it touches and how they intersect. There was better character development in this novel than in some of Wickham's other work. One character stood out above the rest as the quiet hero and I found myself rooting for him through the second half of the book.

Food: those mini beef wellington appetizers, the kind that you have at weddings during cocktail hour when they pass around the hot...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Clare rated it 2 of 5 stars

As a huge Sophie Kinsella fan, I was curious to read something by her alter ego, Madeleine Wickham. (Incidentally, I'm having a hard time getting over the fact that Sophie Kinsella is a pseudonym. Did everyone know this but me? It feels like the time I discovered that Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley was the same girl who played Hannah Neffler in Troop Beverly Hills, and everyone was like, "How did you not know this already?!") Anyway. I'm not sure why Wickham felt she had to adopt a pseudonym, but her...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Cathy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why do I love Sophie Kinsella, but hate Madeleine Wickham? They're the same person, but their characterizations are apples and oranges. Wickham's main characters have such horrible moral judgment, and are so generally unlikable. The secondary characters are so put upon by the main characters that you want to say, "Pay attention. She's getting away with murder!" Figuratively, of course. While Wickham's characters are more sophisticated, I prefer the charming naivete that causes Kinsella's main gi...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the kind of book that makes me realize I'm a bit of snob when it comes to books. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I read this kind of fiction too. :) So I'm throwing snobbery to the wind and reviewing the book instead.
The premise, setting and writing style reminds me of Joanna Trollope, but I have to say that this book doesn't quite reach the mark. The characters fall a bit too easily into predictable stereotypes and the plot doesn't have a lot going on to move propel things forward.
In s...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Be careful what you wish for, if you get it you could find yourself right where Liz Chambers found herself. With two mortgages , two relationships and out of touch with her daughter who finds herself drawn to the family that moves into their old house.
A desirable residence by Madeleine Wickham pulls you into the lives of two women and the breakdown of their relationships with their husbands and their children without trying to excuse them or make them more lovable like many of today’s authors w...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Amanda rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: garbage

Another horrible novel full of detestable characters!

I will never understand why Madeleine chose to write novels like this. I can't see the attraction in writing about one dimensional characters who never develop over the course of the story. It just makes the whole thing so utterly pointless and easily forgettable.

The chick-lit genre is clearly more suited to her. The shopaholic novels are fluffy, yes but they are also full of memorable characters that the reader can relate to.

I just felt ro...more

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May 25, 2010 Sandie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-books, contemporary-lit, cozy

What we have here is a failure to communicate". That line from the old Paul Newman movie Cool Hand Luke could just as easily apply to the characters in Madeline Wickham's A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE. Although this book was published in the UK several years ago, it is just now making its way into the US marketplace.

Ms. Wickham's book addresses several issues. We have overbearing, social climbing mothers, hen-pecked, wimpy fathers, underemployed actors, children seeking acceptance and friendship from t...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Amy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one.

Terrible. Just terrible. There seems to be a big market for these sort of books (and the author) but I just can't enjoy a book where most, if not all, of the characters are fundamentally flawed and...well, just plain annoying.
And why does Madeleine Wickham aka Sophie Kinsella insist on creating female characters who are cows!!! I can't stand them!!

I also found the ending horribly disappointing, unsatisfying, with a lot of loose ends & unanswered questions. Frankly if the story line is poor t...more

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May 10, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finished in a couple days. A quick read with a few different plots. The characters were likeable, but easy to figure out. The "twist" was figured out ahead of time, but it was still worth finishing and making sure my predictions were accurate. I felt bad for Jonathan; stuck with a miserable, untrustworthy wife and a fairly self-centered brat for a daughter. Thank God his tutorial business is so successful. And, I liked Ginny for the first half of the book, but she's shallow and only daydreams of...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Chloe rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Sophie Kinsella and expected to love this story written by her under her actual name of Madeleine Wickham (I know, a little confusing). But ... I didn't. I kept reading, convinced it just might get better but I was sadly disappointed. I finished reading it only to see how the story ended - I guess I need some sort of closure!

There was none of Sophie Kinsella's trademark humour and romance, just a rather boring story full of unlikeable characters who are caught up in an UNdesirable situati...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, a word of warning...A Desirable Residence is NOT a new book. It was originally published in 1996, so I am confused as to why it has been reissued in hardcover. The only information I could find is from "The Daily Beast" website, which calls the novel "a reissued classic on 90s suburbia by Sophie Kinsella (AKA Madeleine Wickham) just in time for the beach." I think it is a little much calling this book "a classic", especially with To Kill a Mockingbird's 50th Anniversary this year, but so...more

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About Madeleine Wickham

Madeleine Wickham (born 12 December 1969) is a bestselling British author under her pseudonym, Sophie Kinsella. Educated at New College, Oxford, she worked as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. She is best known for writing a popular series of chick-lit novels. The Shopaholic novels series focuses on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her...more

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title link	preview: A Desirable Residence: A Novel of Love and Real Estate
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A Desirable Residence: A Novel of Love and Real Estate

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