The Only Way Is Up. by Carole Matthews

Sep 13, 2010 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-fiction

This review originally appeared at readinasinglesitting.com

With their double-barrelled surname, their penchant for the organic and the seasonal, and their astonishing collection of all things black and glossy–Blackberry phones, thoroughbred horses, top of the range Mercedes, designer leather goods, and tinted windows to name just a few things that fit into this category–Lily and Laurence aren’t so much as keeping up with the Lamont-Joneses as they are the Lamont-Joneses (sorry, couldn’t resist)....more This review originally appeared at readinasinglesitting.com

With their double-barrelled surname, their penchant for the organic and the seasonal, and their astonishing collection of all things black and glossy–Blackberry phones, thoroughbred horses, top of the range Mercedes, designer leather goods, and tinted windows to name just a few things that fit into this category–Lily and Laurence aren’t so much as keeping up with the Lamont-Joneses as they are the Lamont-Joneses (sorry, couldn’t resist). Lily spends her days at charity luncheons, in search of the perfect truffle oil for her leafy, carb-free dinners, or inspecting her designer furniture, fearful that it might actually had been used for something other than display; Laurence, on the other hand, spends his days, by which I mean the entirety of his days, multitasking between the seductive demands of his Blackberry, his email, and his pager. The children? Well, no one is entirely sure, given that they spend the better part of the year being shunted off to a fashionably named boarding school for the fashionably named. However, as the above might suggest, despite being financially comfortable, the Lamont-Joneses are a strangely fractured family. Whilst each purports to have the others’ best interests at heart, this is more of a theoretical perspective than one that is ever put into practice: indeed, it seems that at times it’s only the hyphen between their names that is keeping them together. This is not necessarily for want of trying, but rather a byproduct of their lifestyle and the social groups they keep. It almost seems that the more distanced from one’s family one is, then the more successful. It’s a free-market, laissez-faire approach to family life.

But as the recent economic downturn has informed us, laissez-faire isn’t exactly risk-free, and sometimes there’s a need for the occasional bail-out. This certainly turns out to be the case for the Lamont-Joneses when they return home from a grotesquely decadent Tuscan holiday to find that they have only their (admittedly extensive) wardrobe of summer clothes, Laurence’s unused golf clubs, and some sun-dried porcini mushrooms to their name. As an aghast Lily stares at her boarded-up mansion, lamenting the loss of her Smeg appliances, Laurence at last comes clean, admitting that his incessant cradling of his beloved Blackberry is less due to surgical attachment than it is to the fact that he has been desperately trying to pull them out of financial ruin. (One can’t help but think that it might perhaps have been a good idea for him to have admitted this issue at the point when the books stopped balancing and he was canned for being embroiled in a pyramid scheme, but this point is rather wincingly put down to issues of male ego.)

Still, if it’s one thing that investment banker type chaps are good at, it’s finding a way of turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse, and the now homeless and penniless Lamont-Joneses, too humiliated to ask for help from their snooty friends (to be honest, given the way that their friends are depicted in this book, I can understand this one), or even their families (this one I don’t understand, but given that grandparents or other extended family members are given so much as a sentence of page time in this book, one can only assume that both Lily and Laurence are orphans, or are living under a witness protection programme), set off to the local community housing office in search of temporary accommodation whilst they try to sort things out. This, fortunately, does work out for them, although not entirely in the manner that Lily and Laurence might have hoped. Arriving at their flea-infested new abode, the Lamont-Joneses can’t help but feel that the word ‘temporary’ in the word temporary accommodation seems to refer not only to the length of time they plan to remain there, but also how long the house itself might. But despite themselves, Lily and Laurence soon find themselves becoming quite enamoured of chip-board laminate, and are soon firm besties with the local neighbourhood scruffs, all of whom apparently have hearts of gold, and can think of nothing better to do than spend their time and scant resources on their newly arrived neighbours. One has to admit that the ease with which this rather snooty family is integrated into local life (and indeed the fact that they want to be at all) is all rather odd given the fairly entrenched values regarding social status and class in England, and on a more pragmatic level, the extremely high mobility rates characterising these areas, but this is one of those pesky issues that you’ll find yourself setting aside as you find yourself being charmed by this book.

As Lily and Laurence spend more time on the estate, however, and indeed more time with themselves and their, gasp, children, who actually spend the better part of the day at home now (or at least next door watching television and scoffing biscuits with their new friends, the timelessly named Keanu and Charlize), they begin to rethink their goals and values, reflecting on their previously achingly endless materialistic bent and the distance that has so long existed between them. With this in mind, Laurence takes a poorly paid job working on a hobby farm, to which he rides every day, the wind in hair and his cheeks ruddy from the autumnal crisp, autumnal air, and from which he brings home all manner of lovingly home-cooked goods, which the family uses to supplement their now ‘sturdy’ diet of bangers and mash and the occasional colourful vegie-type thing. Lily, on the other hand, is determined to make up for her previously slothful existence, and seeks out part-time work. She’s delighted to be offered a job as a sandwich hand, which she accepts, and then promptly turns down in preference of working as a jewellery shop assistant, largely so that she can be surrounded by pretty sparkly things–such as the shop’s handsome owner. However, when her boss starts courting her, offering her a glimpse of her old lifestyle, and when Laurence is offered back his old job as a stockbroker, both find themselves torn between their new life, that of being cash-poor and time-rich, and their previously well-to-do existence. Really, each finds themselves wondering, what’s a little bit of time or personal growth, anyway?

I have to admit that it took me some time to warm to The Only Way is Up. The book takes an extremely heavy-handed approach to its themes and the values is rather proselytisingly espouses, and it takes a little bit of determined teeth clenching to get through the first few chapters, in which Lily orates endlessly about brand names, her utter reliance on her husband as the financial provider, and doing the ‘right’ (ie, the wealthy person’s) thing by her family. This rather painful overemphasis does subside within a few chapters, but rather like a life-long myopic suddenly finding out that they’ve become long-sighted in their old age, the book swings too far the other way, and Lily suddenly begins to delight in having fake purple nails, getting inebriated on cask wine, and in the fact that her children’s vocabulary has shrunk by several orders of magnitude. Similarly, Laurence’s transformation from slave-driven workaholic to a farm-boy who delights in riding a fixed gear bicycle and growing organic produce on a council allotment simply feels too dramatic a change.

This all or nothing approach features throughout the book, with all of the lowly characters in the council estate being kind and lovely people who can think of nothing better to do than help out their down-trodden ex-millionaire friends out of nothing but altruistic intent, and all of those with whom Lily and Laurence used to be friends turning out to be nothing other than schadenfreudian nasty-pasties delighting in their friends’ financial ruin (some do get their comeuppance, so perhaps if there is a sequel or two to this book, they’ll eventually all be rehabilitated). I can’t help but feel that the very real and serpentine issues of social class and all of the many complexities that they entail have been swept into some very neat strata, and I think this is a pity, because this book has the potential to touch on some very rich and interesting themes: social mobility and fluidity, as well as ‘passing’, for example. A recent chick lit that I felt did this quite well indeed is Sheila O’Flanagan’s excellent Stand By Me (see our review).

That said (yes, there’s often a ‘that said’), this is generally quite a sweet and heart-warming read. It’s hard not to want to believe that people, despite their differences, are willing to help out another in need, and Matthews has created a cast of lovable ruffian style characters whom it’s difficult not to be charmed by. Len Eleven Dogs, the lonely man who has only his dogs for companionship; Skull, the tattooed gent who delights in organic micro-scale farming; and Tracey, the rough-as-guts neighbour of the Lamont-Jones who would do anything for her friends. It’s also quite enjoyable to watch the Lamont-Joneses work out their own personal issues, too, and their efforts to stick by each other as they seek out their new, improved selves. Whilst very little effort has been made to smudge the lines between the binaries that are evident all throughout this book, this book is smartly and snappily written, and will certainly have you turning the pages. If you can suspend your disbelief for long enough, you’ll find that there’s a surprising lot to like here.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Suad Shamma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2011

So, this is my first Carole Matthews book, and I bought it because the storyline seemed pretty interesting. However, I do have to say that I did not enjoy it as much as I thought or hoped I would. I did read the whole thing, and I'm not saying it's a bad book, but it just isn't what I'd call a good book either.

Lily for one, was not the most likeable character.

-- SPOILERS AHEAD --

Yes, I can understand Lily's anger and emotional confusion, however, I never condone adultery no matter how much your...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Amelia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's ok but I wouldn't rave about it. It was very predictable. Yes, I know it's chicklit but still.
Not very believable in parts. I mean, they come back from holiday and are locked out of their house, no possessions allowed!
What not even basics?
Ah, but she's got 20,000 grand worth of jewellery in her suitcase.
I was further thrown by the fact the story starts being narrated by the main character. Chapter 4 or something you're in for a change, it reverts to 3rd person. It happens a few more times...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Eustacia Tan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This could very nearly be classified as Chic-Lit, but I think it's in the realm of the "about-life" novels such as those written by Kristin Hannah, Eva Ibbotson, Lisa Genova and others. It's about a very dramatic fall for the Lamont-Jones family from riches to poverty, and looks at the topic of whether money is needed for happiness.

What this book has (and has been, I must admit, been noted by just about every other reviewer), is an extremely well-written bunch of secondary characters. Those lik...more This could very nearly be classified as Chic-Lit, but I think it's in the realm of the "about-life" novels such as those written by Kristin Hannah, Eva Ibbotson, Lisa Genova and others. It's about a very dramatic fall for the Lamont-Jones family from riches to poverty, and looks at the topic of whether money is needed for happiness.

What this book has (and has been, I must admit, been noted by just about every other reviewer), is an extremely well-written bunch of secondary characters. Those like Tracey, Len, and Skull, no matter how lengthy or brief their appearances, are really very engaging and well, they feel life-like.

And before you dismiss the plot as straightforward, well, it's not. Well, not really. While the happy ending seems guaranteed right from the blurb, there are a few twists and turns. Shall I give spoilers? Ok, I think I shall, so if you don't want to know, skip the rest of this paragraph. Lily (the main protagonist), somehow has a wealthy jeweller chasing after her, even though she's married and has two kids. If I were to quote Phua Chu Kang (one of Singapore's most famous TV characters), it would be "She's been married for XXX (forgot!) years, has two kids, you still want her?). And somehow, Carole Matthews manages to paint such a sympathetic portrait of Lily that I can almost forgive her for this lapse in judgement (and by the end of the book, I do).

This has me thinking of my EE (Extended Essay). I wrote an essay using the Christian Literary Theory, which postulates that every book has the fall, sacrifice and redemption motif/metanarrative inside. I suppose that if I wanted to fit it (you can twist almost anything to fit, some more plausibly than others), you could see it as their fall from riches, their sacrifices they have to make and their "redemption" in becoming a closer family. Or maybe this is just stretching it, but it's a thought.

Right now, I can understand Aunty Florence's reaction. She told me that when she read one Carole Matthews novel, she went out and got as many of her other novels as she could get her hands on. After reading this, I feel like doing the same.

(First published at http://allsortsofbooks.blogspot.com/2...)(less)

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May 31, 2011 Rea Sinfield rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read a few of Carole Matthews books before and have had mixed reviews about them. The Only Way Is Up is Carole Matthews new 2010 book release and was the only book shouting out to me from the shelves in WHSmiths this week!

At the start of this book we meet the Lamont-Jones family, who are on a very expensive holiday with their children and friends. Life couldn't be much more perfect a lovely holiday, beautiful house, cars, horses, money is just not an issue to this family, or so it seemed...more I have read a few of Carole Matthews books before and have had mixed reviews about them. The Only Way Is Up is Carole Matthews new 2010 book release and was the only book shouting out to me from the shelves in WHSmiths this week!

At the start of this book we meet the Lamont-Jones family, who are on a very expensive holiday with their children and friends. Life couldn't be much more perfect a lovely holiday, beautiful house, cars, horses, money is just not an issue to this family, or so it seemed!
When the Lamont-Jones family arrive back home it soon becomes clear that their lives are not perfect at all. Laurence Lamont-Jones has lost his job and has stuck his head in the sand hoping something would come up but it never did. The problem is he never told his wife Lily of the trouble they were in so this all came as a shock to her. They went from the family living the high life to the family with nothing but the clothes they were standing in, in only 4 chapters!
This book follows the Lamont Jones family trying to start from scratch, which means the children now go to the local school, both Lily and Laurence have to get out and find themselves work, and also trying to make the best of their new council hope with the help of their great neighbour Tracey.
Question is after losing everything and after the lies can Lily ever forgive her husband for all that has happened.

This is one of my favourite Carole Mathews books along with the Chocolate Lovers club. The story has you gripped the whole way through the book. I sometimes find that with some books that I read you always seem to find there is a part of the book that dips and becomes uninteresting but I can honestly say that this is not the case with this book.

I found that I connected really well with each of the characters. We were given enough information about the characters which made me feel like I actually knew them. The charcter Tracey who is the next door neighbour was my favourite character in this book as I think most people have got a Tracey near where they live! She brought an element of humour to the book which gave the story a nice touch.

I found the small snippet at the beginning of the book showing you an insight into the Laurent-Jones old lives was a great touch giving just the amount of information we needed to appreciate what a hit they had taken by losing everything.

I would highly recommend this book. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down as it was addictive to see how they are going to improve their lives in each chapter. I feel there was a hidden meaning to the book to try and tell us that there is more to life than money and that you get out of life as much as you put in.

This book is a must for your book list.
(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Agi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Another winner by Matthews. As always, this was a heart - warming book, full of laugh and charm, and have me hooked from the very first page. Totally down - to - earth, about real people and real life situations, I have just nodded knowingly and in agreement reading about those families problems and lives. all of the characters were just brilliant, I loved them all so much. Perhaps I don't agree with all of the decisions that Lily takes and I don't understand WHY but anyway, she is just so real,...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Karen Gooderham rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book - could not put it down once I got into it.

You follow the lifes of Lily and Laurence who are very wealthy, money gets them what ever they want. Holidays, weekends away, horses, big house, jewellery, etc. There children go to private schools, so Lily can have her own life with her friends.

When they return from there holiday Lily learns that her husband lost his job 3 months ago and did not tell her so the house and everything has gone and they have not a penny. All the ha...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Vicky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A bit of humorous, light-hearted fluff for Summer holiday reading. An extremely wealthy husband makes an amazingly bad investment decision which leaves he, his wife and two children under ten with nothing but two suitcases of clothes. After a visit to the Public Housing Department, they are allocated a barely livable, empty abode in a poor estate and must make their way up from there. When their rich friends desert them, the woman next door, along with an assortment of tattooed and pierced chara...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Marianne Frederiksen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I originally gave this book 3 stars, but i had to change it to 2, as this book has kept bothering me since I finished reading it. I usually love chic lits, and I don't mind that they're extremely predictable, as it is how the characters get there that's exciting. In this book even the journey is predictable, you know pretty much from page to page what's going to happen next.

Furthermore this book tries to be very realistic, but fails miserably. They get kicked out of their house, not allowed to g...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, books-read-2010

Lily and Laurence Lamont-Jones are used to having it all: flash holidays in exotic locations, the perfect family home in Buckinghamshire and two children who attend the best school in the UK. However, after they return home from a holiday, they find out that not only has Laurence lost his job, but the Lamont-Joneses have lost everything after it’s all repossessed by the bank. The entire family ends up in Netherslade Bridge, one of the roughest estates in Milton Keynes with nothing but the clothe...more Lily and Laurence Lamont-Jones are used to having it all: flash holidays in exotic locations, the perfect family home in Buckinghamshire and two children who attend the best school in the UK. However, after they return home from a holiday, they find out that not only has Laurence lost his job, but the Lamont-Joneses have lost everything after it’s all repossessed by the bank. The entire family ends up in Netherslade Bridge, one of the roughest estates in Milton Keynes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. As Lily tries to make do with her lot, she can’t help wondering if it might be possible to get back her plush life, but the Lamont-Joneses soon learn that money doesn’t buy happiness, and their fall from grace could teach them about what really matters in life.

I’m a huge fan of Carole Matthews and whenever a new book of hers comes out I’m the first to get excited about it. I’ve read the majority of her previous novels, enjoying some more than others and I’ve found that her books are getting better and better and she racks them up. Since Carole now brings out two books a year, it’s a great thing for her fans and I love knowing I’ll read two Carole books per year so I was really thrilled to receive her latest book The Only Way Is Up and I couldn’t wait to start it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t such a huge fan of the book.

When Carole Matthews decides on a plot for her books, she attacks the theme with gusto. It’s Now Or Never dealt with what it meant to turn 40, That Loving Feeling was about a couple trying to re-ignite their spark after being married many years and The Only Way Is Up is no different. Carole embraces the Lamont-Joneses fall from grace with the same gusto as her previous novels and, at times, it’s just a bit nonsensical; everything that happened was like one extreme to the next. First we have the Lamont-Joneses happily spending £20,000 on a two-week holiday (I am not kidding) and 10 pages later they’re slumming it in Netherslade Bridge in a council house. There was no middle ground for the family and they went from being insanely rich (or so they thought) to being dirt poor and it was a just a bit unbelievable and I don’t think that could realistically happen in real life (yes, I know the book is fiction but there’s usually a whisper of real life to books).

Don’t get me wrong, despite the unbelievability of the situation the Lamont-Joneses found themselves in, there was a lot good about the book. I absolutely loved the resolve Laurence showed to try and get his family back to some semblance of normality. Yes, it was his fault it had all caved in on them but he knew that and wanted to make it right and I admired that in him. I also found all of the myriad of characters at Netherslade Bridge really brought the book to life. Despite not knowing the Lamont-Joneses from Adam, everyone was eager to help them out and welcome them to the estate. It showed that despite what rich snobs like the Lamont-Joneses thought, people who live in council houses aren’t chavs and are actually decent people. I liked how being in the council house showed Lily and Laurence how normal people, without City jobs, cope with life.

My main problem with the book was Lily. I just didn’t really like her. She has a few good moments, and I liked her friendship with Tracey her next door neighbour, but she spent the majority of the novel wanting her big posh house back and it grated on me after a while. She wasn’t dying and she still had her family together, all that had happened was that they were a lot poorer yet it was as if it was the end of the world. She then does something totally appalling, of which I’ll discuss more later and that put me off her for good. Despite it being Laurence’s fault that the Lamont-Joneses were stuck in a council house, I actually liked him. He was in the wrong about a lot of things but as I said, he knew that, and tried his best to put it right. But my favourite characters were those who lived in Netherslade Bridge including Tracey the next door neighbour who bubbled with life along with Skull who despite his name was a very friendly man, and Len Eleven Dogs who, as you can probably tell, owns eleven dogs. They were a diverse bunch and they made the book for me.

The book is written in both first- and third-person, as is the way with Carole’s novels. Lily narrates in first-person whereas the third-person narrative is told from husband Laurence’s point of view. I liked the alternating points of view and found the book easy to motor through. My only annoyance with the writing was Lily’s constant need to be reassured that it would all be OK. I assume it was meant to be a reassurance, that she was needing that ‘yes’ answer but I found it annoying to see her repeat herself constantly. There was a minor plot twist as the book came into its final quarter, featuring Lily and her boss at the jewellers and I found it completely unnecessary which was the final nail in the coffin of me ever liking Lily. There was no rhyme or reason for what she did, except her own greediness, and no matter how many times she tries to justify it, it didn’t sit with me at all and is why I’m only rating the book 3/5. It was a solid 4 stars until that ridiculous plot device and the book could have done well to have had it removed. Overall The Only Way Is Up is another solid Matthews novel, and her fans will devour it, but there were a few things I didn’t really agree with. It’s worth reading just to meet the council estate characters though, they’re legendary!(less)

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Jan 05, 2013 chippyvale rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 23, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a 2/3 star borderline. It was one of the more readable Matthew's books that I have had, but at the same time I didn't warm to any of the lead characters and found it really repetative from about half way.

The 'Lamont-Jones' family were really snobby and stuck up, though they were supposed to have grown by the end of the novel into relatable and friendly common folk. I really hated Matthews stereotypical enforcements of the class divides in this book. Anyone from the wealthy world ha...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Lyndsey Plitt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The supporting characters are charming and likeable and its a good girly novel to take to the beach. Personally though I found the main characters obnoxious and difficult to sympathise with which is what I think the author is trying to do here. The situation they are faced with seems unlikely and the ending to the book is unsatisfactory...I felt these people got out of the problems they were dealing with far too easily and learned NOTHING.

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Jul 12, 2012 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-books, women-s-fiction

It's actually closer to 3.75 stars...I loved a lot about this book, but did find one decision by the heroine to be a little distasteful. I think the author could have made her point without this plot development. It just didn't really ring true for me. That said, I enjoyed the rest of the book - especially the secondary character, Tracey. She was a gem!

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Apr 29, 2012 Liz Balaam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As usual, Ms Matthews excels. Its nice to read how "normal" people live - there are so many who live this way. I get tired of reading about rich people, fancy houses and cars, with every second paragraph describing the designer clothes they are wearing. This book was reality - thoroughly enjoyable and one can really relate to the characters.

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Mar 12, 2013 Eveie Hickman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, there were aspects that I could relate to and others that I observe in everyday life. But the essence of it all is that money dosen't buy happiness but we create our own from our surroundings with humility and caring .

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Oct 19, 2011 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

The two girls from totally different lives...brilliant how they hit it off and were there for one another-felt so sad for the family who lost everything....but they survived & were all happy...great book-a sure sign of the current hard times.

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Oct 29, 2012 Gudrun Lillekroken rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book, gave me a lot to think about, and a renewed perspective on what is truly important in life: family, friendship, solidarity and loyalty!

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Jun 24, 2011 Dereka rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Utterly predictable and idiotic. The only reason I read it is that it was lying about in our B & B in Montorosso. I did finish it, however.

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Jun 10, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is quite a good book, however I think the plot was a little too convenient and unbelievable. I'd have liked a little more realism.

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May 27, 2011 Penny Little rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Light-hearted read. Riches to rags story with lots of cliches about how you should be happy as you are and not keep striving to be happier 'if only'.

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May 19, 2011 Marcia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic read. I liked the characters very much and it was good to get into their minds and see their different situations.

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May 31, 2011 Louise H rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a gift. The sentiment was nice but it was far too stereotypical for my liking.

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May 08, 2012 Bettina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really enjoyed this book until Lily hooked up with Seymour. I just wanted to scream 'NO NO you stupid woman'! But still, one of Carole Matthews better books.

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May 08, 2012 Sharmini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Loved it!!

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Mar 10, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a big Carole Matthews fan, her books always warm, my heart :)

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Jan 27, 2013 Berry added it · review of another edition

Makes you wonder but then becomes predictable.

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Jan 03, 2013 Mircats rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not the best I've ever read, but also not the worst.

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Mar 12, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, carole-matthews

I did enjoy the book, it was a bit of light holiday reading. But the book was not one of the cannot put down books. Felt at times the plot was a bit unrealistic, but was perfect for some light reading on the sun lounger!

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Jun 04, 2011 Jill Pillans rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Enjoyed this book. Characters were likeable.

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