Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Oct 22, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

Actually 3.5 Stars
From my book review blog Rundpinne.
Filled with hope, forgiveness, and family, The Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry is an extraordinary story of love. The stories of the Sullivan brothers, Jimmy and Jack along with Kara Larson and Charlotte Carrington is lovingly woven together by Henry and narrated by Maeve Mahoney in a warm and homey manner which will make the reader think of home fires and hot cocoa. A story of hope and Christmas miracles, and the myt More...

0 comments like

Feb 07, 2012

Allie rated it:

This was such a sweet story. The Novella took place, primarily, over two holiday seasons, with the magical backdrop of the South and Ireland. I loved the characters and they seemed so familiar to me (and then discovered, in the author discussion, that they also appeared in an early book written by the author – I should have caught that!). I also loved reading about life of a singer-songwriter on the road (who hasn’t had a crush on one of these types). The theme, that nothing else matters More...

0 comments like

Dec 18, 2010

Staci rated it:

I started this book in November and felt very disconnected from the point-of-view so I put it back on the shelves to read later. I'm glad that I finally picked it up as it was an enjoyable light Christmas read. The story is very predictable once again and I absolutely knew how it was all going to end, but that was okay with me once I accepted this book for what it was. I liked the female characters in the book a lot, and I even enjoyed Jimmy's rise to fame and how singers are manipulated by thei More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 08, 2011

Ruth rated it:

This is a story that is not told from the main character's point of view but is told as someone telling a story about what happened. Two best friends have fallen in love with two brothers. Kara was lead to Jack by the story that Maeve Mahoney told her over the times when she visited her at the nursing home. Then through the love of the two of them Jack's brother Jimmy falls in love with Kara's best friend Charlotte. Jimmy writes a song about his love for Charlotte and the song ends up taking More...

0 comments like

May 15, 2011

Becca rated it:

I was drawn to read this book because it deals with injured souls who have faced abuse and loss of self-esteem, and recover their true, whole selves through the healing power of love. Callahan Henry explores the myriad ways love offers a creative and healing catalyst for the two brothers, partners in a band. It is written in a very sentimental style, with a narrator's voice inserting wisdom from Irish folklore and storytelling along the way. While it was a little saccharin for my taste, I liked More...

0 comments like

Dec 09, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Looking for a Christmas story to help celebrate the holiday season? Look no further than THE PERFECT LOVE SONG. Two of my favorite things about the holidays include the music and the stories. Well, THE PERFECT LOVE SONG combines both of those favorites.

In THE PERFECT LOVE SONG, we meet brothers Jack and Jimmy. They are members of a relatively unknown country band, Unknown Souls. They are on the road most of the time, but when they have f More...

0 comments like

Oct 22, 2010

colleen rated it:

This is a short, sweet story about Jimmy, a singer/songwriter who gets a bit caught up in success to the detriment of his relationship with his girlfriend Charlotte. Success means Jimmy is on the road singing while Charlotte stays back at home working as an interior designer. She's happy with her work and helping plan her best friend's wedding. Not being able to see Jimmy very often is just part of dating a musician, but when the phone calls become less frequent Charlotte isn't happy. Jimm More...

0 comments like

Nov 02, 2011

Connie rated it:

Jimmy Sullivan, a country singer, wrote a beautiful love song for Charlotte Carrington, his hometown sweetheart in South Carolina. When it is heard at a holiday concert, he gets invited on a tour with some big stars. There is a conflict between his brother's wedding in Ireland and the date for a Christmas Eve concert. He has to decide which he will put first--his career or his family. It will take a Christmas miracle to get to his brother's wedding--and Charlotte's side--on time.

More...

0 comments like

Jan 18, 2011

Clare rated it:

Gawd, I have diabetes now, because this was so sickeningly sweet. I like romance, I like a good story, but this was so cliched and saccharine, it was like the Hallmark Channel hired someone to write a novel. Let me give you an example of the writing style;
"Families had never been a safe place for Jimmy and he believed they never would be, like growing up in a war-torn country and then believing that all lands are the same. But here he was beginning to relax into the rhythm of a new pla More...

1 comment like

Feb 09, 2011

Ellie rated it:

When I started reading this book, I was in a reading slump and throughout the first chapter I kept thinking I may not finish the book. Sometimes your mood has more to do with whether you'll like a book, even more so than the plot etc. So I decided to wait a few days and try again. And boy am I glad I did. This was such a good book! I was transfixed by the story and didn't put it down until I had read the last word. I loved reading about Jimmy, Charlotte, Kara and Jack, and found myself feeling a More...

0 comments like

Nov 30, 2010

Amy rated it:

As much as I have enjoyed the author's other books, I was disappointed in this one. It was written as a story being told by the narrator and that made it hard for me to read. It did not seem original and all I could think of was "The Perfect Country and Western Song" by David Allan Coe as I read the book. I will keep this book in my collection, but I don't think I will be reading it each year like Mary Kay Andrews' "Blue Christmas". Now that is a fun Christmas read!

0 comments like

Dec 10, 2011

Shannon rated it:

Your feet will bring you to where your heart is. - Old Irish Proverb

What fills the eyes fills te heart. - Old Irish Proverb

I loved the quotes or sayings that were at the start of each chapter. I did not love the author's favorite character - the story teller. I prefer stories that are told in the first person, even better when chapters alternate perspectives each told from thir own point of view. So it took me longer to get into this short story, finally when ther More...

0 comments like

Oct 30, 2010

Charlotte rated it:

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot.com...

The Perfect Love Song is an enchanting novel that gets to the true spirit of Christmas. The fact that it has a little bit of Irish lore in it is just an added bonus . The book is a quick read at just a tidge over 200 pages, but the story will touch your heart & put you in the mood for the upcoming Holidays!

0 comments like

May 21, 2011

Sherry rated it:

I was very disappointed. I struggled through the first chapter, flipped through the rest of the book to see if the disjointed writing and over dramatic voice continues through the story - it does - so I dropped it. I don't even know how to clearly explain my aversion - maybe it was that the first two pages of the story throw twenty characters at you, and then you're supposed to keep who's who straight. Maybe it was the cheesy, melodramatic writing. Or maybe it was that the story wasn't making an More...

0 comments like

Dec 04, 2010

Kristen rated it:

I just didn't like it. It is a light romance, which I knew when I picked it up. I was hoping that since it was an Okra pick (written by a Southern author) it would be sweet, touching, maybe funny.

What it turned out to be was poorly written. It went from 3rd person to 1st person and back again, and I found it mostly irritating. I finished because it was short, and I was stuck at a debate meet with nothing else to read.

I don't suggest it.

0 comments like

Oct 28, 2011

Lee rated it:

Loved that it was told from a storyteller's point of view. Predictable holiday love story based on undeserved love. Liked the characters - especially the two female leads. Will try this author again on some of her other non holiday novels - think she has promise has a very good "Southern" author.

0 comments like

Dec 26, 2010

Kelly rated it:

This book was one of my number one pet peeves. It is a sequel, but that fact is not evident anywhere on the book cover or inside. As I was reading it I kept thinking it surely must be because it kept referring to another character's story. I finally found it was only by reading an interview with the author in the back.

0 comments like

Feb 02, 2011

Justin rated it:

A sweet if a bit predictable story. The characters were all very likeable, and had a very down to earth way about them, which I think was very much the authors intention. Although the story is set during the holidays it's a heart-warming story great for any time of year.

0 comments like

Dec 30, 2010

Sadie rated it:

This really wasn't a very good book. The narration was odd (which I know was on purpose but I didn't like it). The story lacked depth and it all just felt kind of random. The tension, the fame surrounding this one song, it was kind of a sweet story but really not very good.

0 comments like

Nov 29, 2010

Jenn rated it:

I had such a hard time with this book. The way the story is told is from a 3rd person narrative, which might work for the voiceover of a movie, but it didn't gel well for me and it took me forever to get into the story because I was so distracted by the writing.

0 comments like

Oct 21, 2011

Donna rated it:

My first Christmas read this season. Will he give up a dream of fame as a singer to be his brother's best man? The odds are against him making his brother's wedding on time but read how little miracles help him find his way to his family.

0 comments like

Mar 17, 2011

Danielle rated it:

This was a sweet, short, easy read. The story was definitely sappy, but wonderful. I really enjoyed the author's writing style with tended toward the poetic/lyrical. Definitely a good book!

0 comments like

Aug 04, 2011

Kimberly rated it:

It was a quick read. Very light and full of hope that true love actually exists. A couple of parts seemed unnecessary but like every good fairytale, it had a happy ending.

0 comments like

Nov 25, 2010

karen rated it:

Now I have to go back and re-read Jack and Kara's story. This one was enjoyable, but definitely more novella than novel -- not as much there-there.....

0 comments like

Feb 02, 2012

Shelley rated it:

Touching story line. Refreshing characters. I loved the narrator that speaks throughout the book. This is a wonderful book for anytime of the year, not just Christmas. I highly recommend taking time to read this one.

0 comments like

Dec 26, 2010

Amy rated it:

Utterly predictable, the charm in this one lies in the wise and delightful voice of the narrator.

0 comments like

Apr 09, 2011

Andrea rated it:

Another good quick read. Very predictable. The characters are a little overblown as well.

0 comments like

Jan 04, 2011

Jeanine rated it:

I thought the book started out a little slow. But as I got further into it I was hooked.

0 comments like

Dec 04, 2010

Virginia rated it:

Dorky love story. Pat Conroy had given it a good review. He was wrong.

0 comments like

Nov 23, 2010

Mary rated it:

I wanted to like it but it was too standard. Nothing was exciting, nothing new.

0 comments like

reviews