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The Finishing Touches
by
Hester Browne (Goodreads Author)
In New York Times bestselling author Hester Browne's delightful new novel, a fading English finishing school is about to get a twenty-first-century makeover. Out with white gloves and flower arranging, in with managing mortgagesand do-it-yourself manicures! Behind this remarkable transformation is business-savvy Betsy Phillimore, with her own unique connection to London's...more
Paperback, 373 pages
Published
2010
by Hodder
(first published May 21st 2009)
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The Finishing Touches was a perfectly enjoyable read, even if it did seem formulaic in its execution. We've got our down and out heroine, a handsome but flirtatious friend that she's trying to keep herself from falling for (we all know how well that will work out in chick-lit land), her best friend and a potential love interest. Throw together birth secrets, a finishing school to save, bratty students and voila, this book is formed.
Betsy returns from Scotland to attend her adoptive mother's fune...more
Betsy returns from Scotland to attend her adoptive mother's fune...more
One of the things I love about Hester Browne's books is that her her heroines are smart. Her stories don't rely on the sorts of silly misunderstandings that could be cleared up in moments if everybody just sat down and talked it through. Betsy Tallimore (I assume it's changed in the US version, as some reviews refer to Betsy Phillimore) was dropped on the doorstep of the Tallimore Academy, London's finest finishing school, 27 years ago. Now her beloved adoptive mother has died, and it's up to Be...more
Betsy was left on the doorstep of the Academy 27 years ago. The Academy is a finishing school for girls in London. Betsy is raised by the Philimore's and the Academy staff, surrounded by the Academy and all it stood for and taught the girls. When she was old enough to attend the Academy herself Lord Philimore sent her off to college instead. Betsy leaves and doesn't return to the Academy until Franny Philimore's death and memorial service. Now, back Betsy finds the school in disrepair, enrollmen...more
I always like the heroine in Hester Browne's books. They are smart and capable and not silly, which I like since senseless heroines tend to bug me quite a bit.
Infant Betsy was left on the doorstep of a London finishing school on the day of the 1981 Royal Wedding. The story picks up 27 years later as Betsy's adoptive mother who ran the school has recently died and the school is in serious financial trouble.
Betsy, who always wanted to attend the school but wasn't allowed, steps in to try to help s...more
Infant Betsy was left on the doorstep of a London finishing school on the day of the 1981 Royal Wedding. The story picks up 27 years later as Betsy's adoptive mother who ran the school has recently died and the school is in serious financial trouble.
Betsy, who always wanted to attend the school but wasn't allowed, steps in to try to help s...more
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If you liked Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro, then you will love this story about English manners in the modern world. A little bit fantasy, a little bit real-life that, in the end, folds into a modern fairytale.
I loved Hester Browne's first book The Little Lady Agency though the follow-ups didn't seem to be able to maintain the magic of the first book. The Finishing Touches was a chance for Hester Browne to cover similar ground in a different way.
I loved Hester Browne's first book The Little Lady Agency though the follow-ups didn't seem to be able to maintain the magic of the first book. The Finishing Touches was a chance for Hester Browne to cover similar ground in a different way.
The Finishes Touches tells the story of Betsy Phillimore, who was left on the steps the Phillimore Academy, a finishing school for girls as an infant and taken in by the owners, Lady Frances and Lord P. The story itself begins twenty seven years later when she returns to the academy for Lady Frances memorial service, the only mother she ever knew. Quickly she is drawn into taking on the task of saving the school her mother so dearly loved, from its current state of disrepair.
The story itself wa...more
The story itself wa...more
Women used to go to London's Phillimore Academy to learn how to become proper, well-bred wives. But in the 21st century, the Academy's lessons are more than a little outdated -- girls are more interested in texting their friends or in gossip about the hottest parties than in learning how to make swans out of meringue or how to balance books on their heads. Enter Betsy Phillimore, the adopted daughter of the Academy's owner, hired by her father to try and save the Academy from financial ruin. Wit...more
I wish I had a chance to receive instruction from Betsy. She has a wonderful mix of traditional and current skills that women should learn. Some skills make life more pleasant (good manners, how to dress appropriately for any occasion, how to uncork champagne, etc.) while others are more survival oriented (parallel parking, walking/running in high heels, budget management).
This book is also a tale of self-discovery, learning the meaning of family, and of a young woman who uses her strengths to b...more
This book is also a tale of self-discovery, learning the meaning of family, and of a young woman who uses her strengths to b...more
Reason for Book Selection: I selected this book at the same time that I selected the last two books in the Little Lady Agency Series.
Plot: In the 1980s, Baby “Betsy” Philmore was left on the doorstep of London’s last finishing school, and in the late 2000s, she returns for her adopted mother's funeral and stays to save the school from almost certain failure.
Characterization: The protagonist remains consistently emotional but not overly whiny throughout, and most of the other characters are als...more
I have to say, I was a little disappointed with this book. Maybe I expected too much from it because of how much I adore the Little Lady Agency books. Maybe I just missed Honey. Maybe I shouldn't have read it in snippets on vacation. Maybe I shouldn't have read it after finishing Fablehaven and loving it. I don't know what it was but this was okay for me. I think I would really give it 3.5 stars.
The story is about Betsy and her desire to find her real mother (she was left in a crate on a finish...more
The story is about Betsy and her desire to find her real mother (she was left in a crate on a finish...more
Young, plucky Betsy inherits a London finishing school on it's last legs. The current class consists of a small group of bored young women who've already been expelled from all the good schools and whose wealthy parents are hoping they will learn some manners and stay out of trouble for at least one year of their lives.
Armed with a business degree, Betsy goes toe to toe with the dragon lady in the front office. Changing the curriculum from how to entertain the Queen to how to get a good mortgage...more
Armed with a business degree, Betsy goes toe to toe with the dragon lady in the front office. Changing the curriculum from how to entertain the Queen to how to get a good mortgage...more
Cute, fluffier than fluff book about a twenty-something woman who returns to the London finishing school she grew up in to save it from certain ruin. The setting is unique and the helpful hints sprinkled throughout are good fun. The writing is crisp and fast-paced. I found the four current students annoying but that is clearly the point. Unfortunately, it just meant that all four blended together and not a one stood out. I did not enjoy any scene where they were displayed prominently and wish th...more
I'll admit that I didn't expect to like this book as much as i did. I'm unfamiliar with the author but it peaked my interest after having gone to a finishing school myself. Needless to say, my experience was nothing like the service Betsey provided in The Finishing Touches. I'd have loved to take some of the classes she offered. The story was easy to read and enjoyable without being cliche. I loved Betsey and Olivia and Jamie but it had wonderful supporting characters as well, Anastasia being my...more
Abandoned on the doorstep of the Phillimore Academy in London some twenty-seven years earlier and raised as a daughter by the academy owners, Lord Pelham and Lady Frances Phillimore, Elizabeth (Betsy) Phillimore has returned to the Academy due to the death of Lady Frances. Never an “academy girl” Betsy received her education elsewhere, sharpening her math and survival skills, and has been laboring as a clerk/bookkeeper in a shoe store in Scotland. She has never corrected her family’s mistaken as...more
I am a little torn. It was not a bad book, just it was not my type of book at all. The theme didn't interest me, the searching for the mother was lacking in action for me, the narration was maybe nice but didn't awoke any interest. I was not curious what is going to happen next. I felt there is nothing going to happen, and actually that's true. I was ecxpecting a little more, a little drama perhaps, what with the mistress of the school planning something or stealing money...OK, I guess it is not...more
Sophie Kinsella picks The Finishing Touches by Hester Browne
The Finishing Touches is a charming and funny novel about Betsy Phillimore, who was found as a baby on the steps of an English finishing school. Now that she's grown up, she comes back to save it and give it a 21st century revamp. Out with white gloves and fish knives; in with snappy, savvy essentials for modern girls. I loved all the pieces of advice and scribbled a few down! There are some great characters, and the story is entertaini...more
The Finishing Touches is a charming and funny novel about Betsy Phillimore, who was found as a baby on the steps of an English finishing school. Now that she's grown up, she comes back to save it and give it a 21st century revamp. Out with white gloves and fish knives; in with snappy, savvy essentials for modern girls. I loved all the pieces of advice and scribbled a few down! There are some great characters, and the story is entertaini...more
I really enjoyed this book about a girl named Betsy who returns to the finishing school that she was raised in with the job of overhauling the school. Everyone believes that she is a management consultant and hopes that she can bring clients back to the school. Betsy also has two potential love interests. Mark is the accountant type in a Clark Kent type of manner. The other is Jamie, her best friend's brother. Betsy has another task that she has to deal with as well. She was left on the doorstep...more
Betsy was left on the doorstep as a baby of a Finishing School in
Mayfair, the owners adopted her.
27 years later, Betsy attends her stepmothers Funeral so she returns to
the Finishing School (which she was never as pupil of). Lord Phillmore
asks her to help put the School back on the road to being a profitable
business she agrees to do what she can to make The Finishing School a
successful business.
I loved this book from start to finish; I also liked the tips before
each chapter.
It’s the first s...more
Mayfair, the owners adopted her.
27 years later, Betsy attends her stepmothers Funeral so she returns to
the Finishing School (which she was never as pupil of). Lord Phillmore
asks her to help put the School back on the road to being a profitable
business she agrees to do what she can to make The Finishing School a
successful business.
I loved this book from start to finish; I also liked the tips before
each chapter.
It’s the first s...more
Sep 05, 2011
Heather
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
general-fiction,
new-reads-2011
This book was a delightful surprise. I really enjoyed it -- it's kind of like a celebration of gracious, competent living. I enjoyed the story, but I also read it as an advice book. I feel so... so... empowered. And I now know the proper way to exit a car.
Minor quibbles: the great source of angst and pain for our heroine is ultimately a misunderstanding. It was always *clearly* a misunderstanding. It was never believeable as a problem. And the hero, who is delightful in every other way, goes ab...more
Minor quibbles: the great source of angst and pain for our heroine is ultimately a misunderstanding. It was always *clearly* a misunderstanding. It was never believeable as a problem. And the hero, who is delightful in every other way, goes ab...more
The fun begins when no-nonsense Besty Phillimore returns to the Phillimore Academy for Young Ladies and is asked to help save the school. In her crisp British style. Betsy steps up to try and modernize the school, developing a curriculum that will give the students the skills they need to live in today's world, instead of the old fashioned curriculum that no longer applies. She also has a secret agenda, to discover the identity of her real mother, the one who left her on the school's doorstep 27...more
This isn't a bad book but it's not an outstanding book either. I don't read a lot of British chick-lit and I didn't know anything about finishing schools. I found the characters very immature and shallow and felt they really didn't grow as the book went on. It was interesting to see how the old school manners classes could turn into the tech age manners school. I didn't enjoy the ending at all. It is the kind that just leaves you hanging. You don't truly find out what happened. I'm assuming ther...more
This book tells the story of Betsy who takes on the challenge of bringing an English finishing school into the 21st century. At the same time she is coping with the death of her adoptive mother who ran the school and attempting to find her birth mother. In between all of this, Betsy is coming more fully into her own person. It is a fairly predictable story, with some unexpected twists. I found it to be a quick read and the characters were likeable enough to pull you in and want to see the next t...more
So after two beautifully written, tragic romances by Jojo Moyes, I decided I needed to read something lighter. This book by British author Hester Browne fit the bill perfectly. In this novel, a young woman comes back to London to save her family's finishing school after the death of her adopted mother. In the process, she searches for her biological parents as she sorts out what she really wants to be when she grows up and also what she wants from life. Of course, she finds true love on the way...more
I had been delighted to spot this Hester Browne book on the shelf since I had loved The Little Lady Agency series and despaired that it had ended a few years ago! While The Finishing Touches holds a completely different story with new characters, Ms. Browne's writing still sparkles with the same delightful fun I have come to adore! I enjoyed Betsy and many Franny-isms that she shared and tweaked to fit the modern times! Manners, once learned and mastered, are definitely timeless - and I would ha...more
Hester Browne is so much fun. I enjoyed her Little Lady series so I thought I'd give her new novel a try and I wasn't disappointed. Betsy was left at the doorstep of a London finishing school when she was an infant. Thus begins her life with the school's owners, her curiosity of her real parents, and trying to find her place in the world. Told with humor and some realism, Browne makes her characters interesting, sympathetic, frustrating, and likeable. It seems the door may have been left open fo...more
Fun chick-lit read about a woman who grew up at a London finishing school after being adopted by the owners. Now an adult, she is roped into offering business advice for the now sadly out-of-date and out-of-money school. She suggests a new, updated curriculum with things that modern women are expected to know but are rarely taught, like "how to eat sushi without embarrassing yourself," "how to look good while being photographed in public," "how to walk in high heels," "what to carry in your purs...more
I really liked The Little Lady Agency series, so I was quite excited to read a new book by Hester Browne.
The story starts out quite similarly to TLLA, a girl from a noble family has had a traditional upbringing, that she hasn't really make use of. Until now, when she needs to remember all her skills ASAP, to save her home, the finishing school. As a bonus feature: our heroine was adopted, and clues point to her mother having been a student at the school. So obviously this "helping out" business...more
The story starts out quite similarly to TLLA, a girl from a noble family has had a traditional upbringing, that she hasn't really make use of. Until now, when she needs to remember all her skills ASAP, to save her home, the finishing school. As a bonus feature: our heroine was adopted, and clues point to her mother having been a student at the school. So obviously this "helping out" business...more
Dropped off as a baby at the Phillimore Academy, one of Britain's finest finishing schools, Betsy spent the first eighteen years of her life aspiring to the social graces of her adoptive mother, Franny Phillimore. When, at the age of eighteen, she was pushed in to the world on her own, she turned away from etiquette and manners, focusing instead on her degree and career. However, when Franny's death brings Betsy back to London, she discovers the Academy near financial ruin. At the request of Lor...more
If you like the Bridget Jones books, you'll like Hester Browne's books. However, Ms. Browne's heroines are a bit more together than Bridget Jones. While it seems like a finishing school is completely old world, Betsy Phillimore manages to turn things around, update the curriculum and turn it into a school that is relevant in this century. But this book is about Betsy's search for herself as much as about saving the family business. It's light and entertaining especially if you're in the mood for...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Can NOT WAIT!!!!! | 1 | 21 | Mar 20, 2009 10:50pm |
Hester Browne was born in England's Lake District, read English at Trinity College, Cambridge, and worked as a fiction editor before leaving publishing to write full time. She enjoys Scottish reeling, driving, baking, and trawling eBay for estate sale bargains. She doesn't enjoy hot weather, tax returns, or any talent programme where people have to plead to be allowed to juggle flaming chainsaws o...more
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