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One Glass Is Never Enough
Three women, one bar, and three different reasons for buying it. Single mother Sarah needs a home for her children, Claire's an ambitious business woman. For wealthy Gaynor, Greens Wine Bar is another amusement, or is it?
On the surface, Gaynor has it all - money, looks, a beautiful home in the picturesque seaside town of Broadstairs, and Victor - her generous, successful husband. But while Sarah longs for love and Claire is making money, Gaynor wants answers.
Why does Victor behave strangely and who does he see on his frequent trips away? Who makes threatening phone-calls? Sam - strong and silent with a hidden past - becomes an unlikely friend. But nobody is what they seem in this tale of love, loss and betrayal.
On the surface, Gaynor has it all - money, looks, a beautiful home in the picturesque seaside town of Broadstairs, and Victor - her generous, successful husband. But while Sarah longs for love and Claire is making money, Gaynor wants answers.
Why does Victor behave strangely and who does he see on his frequent trips away? Who makes threatening phone-calls? Sam - strong and silent with a hidden past - becomes an unlikely friend. But nobody is what they seem in this tale of love, loss and betrayal.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2005
About the author
Jane Wenham-Jones
32 books40 followersJane Wenham-Jones is the author of six novels – her latest is The Big Five O – and three non-fiction books. Wannabe a Writer? is a humorous look at the trials and tribulations of becoming a scribe and Wannabe a Writer We've Heard Of? is a how-to on PR and self-promotion. 100 Ways to Fight the Flab (and still have wine and chocolate) is full of useful tips to combat Writer's Bottom - an occupational hazard often encountered after reading the first two! Jane has also contributed to several short story anthologies and two cookery books, the latter being a particular achievement since she barely knows where the kitchen is. As a freelance journalist, she has had numerous short stories and articles published in women’s magazines and the national press and is the agony aunt for Writing Magazine. Jane has appeared on a variety of TV shows – from Ready, Steady, Cook to The Politics Show - and dozens of radio programmes. As an interviewer she has "been in conversation with" hundreds of big-name authors and celebrities, has presented the Romantic Novel of the Year awards for the past nine years and is regularly booked as an after-dinner speaker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 28, 2021
I loved reading this book, it’s so entertaining, with three women, and one bar and with three different reasons each woman has for wanting to buy a bar. The story has the real-life effect when we all want something for a particular reason, that may be a total different reason to someone else.
I loved how there is a new beginning of three women’s friendships, opening up a wine bar together.
Single mother Sarah needs a home for her children, then there is Claire who is a very ambitious Level headed business woman. For wealthy Gaynor the wine bar is just one more amusement. Or Is it?
This sets the scenes perfectly.
The three very different women with very different personalities needed to establish themselves, by opening, Greens wine bar. I could feel the excitement how the new decorating was shaping a new wine bar, with freshly stripped floor boards and newly freshly paint around the bar. Claire and Sarah spent hours looking through recipe books, like we all do! But Claire and Sarah were studying recipe books for maybe customers?
I was really please for the three women as the results of all their hard work designing the wine bar, paid off for them in a big way. On their first opening night they were rushed of their feet meeting and greeting people, which was for rewarding for them.
The big picture is what do Claire, Sarah and Gaynor do next? How does the Wine bar deliver after the first night from opening?
This is really relaxing women’s story, with characters that are relatable.
The author Jane Wenham-Jones is full of talent giving ambitious women a page-turning story.
The book One Glass Is Never Enough, by Jane Wenham- Jones, for all women, it is so worth buying, with characters that you will adapt to who are just ordinary women, with a goal in life.
I hope you all enjoy reading about Gaynor, Claire and Sarah as much as what I did.
I loved how there is a new beginning of three women’s friendships, opening up a wine bar together.
Single mother Sarah needs a home for her children, then there is Claire who is a very ambitious Level headed business woman. For wealthy Gaynor the wine bar is just one more amusement. Or Is it?
This sets the scenes perfectly.
The three very different women with very different personalities needed to establish themselves, by opening, Greens wine bar. I could feel the excitement how the new decorating was shaping a new wine bar, with freshly stripped floor boards and newly freshly paint around the bar. Claire and Sarah spent hours looking through recipe books, like we all do! But Claire and Sarah were studying recipe books for maybe customers?
I was really please for the three women as the results of all their hard work designing the wine bar, paid off for them in a big way. On their first opening night they were rushed of their feet meeting and greeting people, which was for rewarding for them.
The big picture is what do Claire, Sarah and Gaynor do next? How does the Wine bar deliver after the first night from opening?
This is really relaxing women’s story, with characters that are relatable.
The author Jane Wenham-Jones is full of talent giving ambitious women a page-turning story.
The book One Glass Is Never Enough, by Jane Wenham- Jones, for all women, it is so worth buying, with characters that you will adapt to who are just ordinary women, with a goal in life.
I hope you all enjoy reading about Gaynor, Claire and Sarah as much as what I did.
September 3, 2013
I had to really sit down and take a deep breath before writing this review….
Maybe I needed a few drinks before reading this and I would have liked it more.
I honestly have to say that this book was seriously one of the worst books I have read in a very long time. I do not know where to start. First, the paragraphs had me so confused because one moment it would be talking about one character and the next here we were in conversation with two different characters.
This book is about three women who are very different and hardly know each other, but decide to open a wine bar together.
There is everything from a husband who likes to dress as a woman, a psychotic brother, a depressed man, a single mom with three bad kids, a woman who only cries for her dogs, a pill-popper, and a crazy ex-girlfriend. This book was way to left field for me. Now, the only reason I did give the book one star (besides the fact that I have to give it something) is Sam. I adored him but for real, he needed to grow up and be a man and say No! He needs to run very fast because who wants an egotistical winch like that. This book is in serious need of an editor because I do not know how it was published.
Maybe I needed a few drinks before reading this and I would have liked it more.
I honestly have to say that this book was seriously one of the worst books I have read in a very long time. I do not know where to start. First, the paragraphs had me so confused because one moment it would be talking about one character and the next here we were in conversation with two different characters.
This book is about three women who are very different and hardly know each other, but decide to open a wine bar together.
There is everything from a husband who likes to dress as a woman, a psychotic brother, a depressed man, a single mom with three bad kids, a woman who only cries for her dogs, a pill-popper, and a crazy ex-girlfriend. This book was way to left field for me. Now, the only reason I did give the book one star (besides the fact that I have to give it something) is Sam. I adored him but for real, he needed to grow up and be a man and say No! He needs to run very fast because who wants an egotistical winch like that. This book is in serious need of an editor because I do not know how it was published.
February 8, 2013
I found the story and characters to be relatively interesting. Unfortunately, it was in DIRE need of editing. I'm not sure if the issue was a formatting failure as it appeared on my Kindle, or if the problem was inherent in the book, but at points it was nearly impossible to follow because the point of view changed nearly every other paragraph at times with no indication that suddenly you were reading about someone else, somewhere else, somewhen else. It was confusing and broke up the flow of the plot. I think if the author were to segregate her stories a bit more and also either use a page break or another indication of switching between subplots then it would be a great improvement.
January 31, 2015
Sorry, it is just one star as I found this book very difficult to read because of the sudden switches of scenery and characters which were not marked in any way (i.e. as you are reading about one character the following sentence would be about someone else in a completely different scene). The story itself was not bad. Incidentally, I read the Kindle edition.
October 1, 2013
2.5 stars
I didn't really get this book. The editing wasn't great, misprints etc aplenty but the biggest issue for me was how the dialog switches all the time, I didn't know who was speaking a lot of the time, or where they were supposed to be.
It's not really my normal choice of genre but downloaded it to my kindle as it was free. I wouldn't be happy had I paid for this. It's about three women who buy a wine bar together. Claire runs the show basically, without her Greens would've gone bankrupt, Sarah spends most of her time in the kitchen and the rest of it shouting at her kids to 'get back up to the flat!'
And Gaynor, you have a drink problem love!
I didn't really get this book. The editing wasn't great, misprints etc aplenty but the biggest issue for me was how the dialog switches all the time, I didn't know who was speaking a lot of the time, or where they were supposed to be.
It's not really my normal choice of genre but downloaded it to my kindle as it was free. I wouldn't be happy had I paid for this. It's about three women who buy a wine bar together. Claire runs the show basically, without her Greens would've gone bankrupt, Sarah spends most of her time in the kitchen and the rest of it shouting at her kids to 'get back up to the flat!'
And Gaynor, you have a drink problem love!
October 7, 2018
I quite liked this book and am glad I stayed until the end. I came close to giving up a couple of times. Like a lot of others here, I found the plot shifts difficult to come to terms with, until I realised that there was a spare line between each. However, the formatting of the story, with its overly crowded pages and odd line breaks, meant that these extra lines were not always obvious. I don’t know enough about e-publishing to be aware of whether this is a problem with the author or with the platform on which it is uploaded. I suspect that if the formatting had not been an issue, I would have had no problems giving this four stars.
I loved the character development. All of these characters had some depth. However, I didn’t particularly identify with any of them. There were moments of clear understanding but then another chasm would yawn. When reading a book, sometimes it is nice to be able to substitute yourself into a character’s position, but you usually need, at least, to feel that you would like to be friends. Of these ladies, only Sara touched on that, but I felt that I would like to know her more before allying myself to her. Sam, I loved, but I am not sure that such a patient man exists. Lol.
What I did not appreciate was the bagging of Australian wines. The comments on wine were often pretentious and ill-informed. Funny how sometimes it is a little thing that works against an author. To be fair there is far too much about alcohol in the story (ok, it is set in a wine bar), and I think that that is why I did not identify with the characters. I feel that Wenham-Jones needs to put aside her glass and have a real look at the women around her. If they are mostly lushes or addicted to prescription drugs, she needs to make some changes to her own life rather than depressing her readers.
I loved the character development. All of these characters had some depth. However, I didn’t particularly identify with any of them. There were moments of clear understanding but then another chasm would yawn. When reading a book, sometimes it is nice to be able to substitute yourself into a character’s position, but you usually need, at least, to feel that you would like to be friends. Of these ladies, only Sara touched on that, but I felt that I would like to know her more before allying myself to her. Sam, I loved, but I am not sure that such a patient man exists. Lol.
What I did not appreciate was the bagging of Australian wines. The comments on wine were often pretentious and ill-informed. Funny how sometimes it is a little thing that works against an author. To be fair there is far too much about alcohol in the story (ok, it is set in a wine bar), and I think that that is why I did not identify with the characters. I feel that Wenham-Jones needs to put aside her glass and have a real look at the women around her. If they are mostly lushes or addicted to prescription drugs, she needs to make some changes to her own life rather than depressing her readers.
June 7, 2021
One Glass is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones
A story of three friends who become partners in a wine bar and the book follows the trials and tribulations of coping with running a new business and juggling with their home life.
A very good story which is ultimately about the friendship between them all when parts of their private lives start to unravel they are their for each other.
The characters are very loveable, it is humorous and is very descriptive you imagine yourself there.
However the down side is it is a very slow drawn-out read that leads to an ultimately predictable plot.
3.5/5
A story of three friends who become partners in a wine bar and the book follows the trials and tribulations of coping with running a new business and juggling with their home life.
A very good story which is ultimately about the friendship between them all when parts of their private lives start to unravel they are their for each other.
The characters are very loveable, it is humorous and is very descriptive you imagine yourself there.
However the down side is it is a very slow drawn-out read that leads to an ultimately predictable plot.
3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2018
A readable chick lit book about 3 girls running a bar. Not sure whether it was the digital copy or the actual book but it jumped around the place. Ie no lines between scene changes, confusing direct speech. Had to re read to see which character was doing the talking.
Predicted all the twists and a predictable ending. A harmless read. Did wonder about all the drinking by Gaynor. Seemed to be the answer to everything.
Predicted all the twists and a predictable ending. A harmless read. Did wonder about all the drinking by Gaynor. Seemed to be the answer to everything.
October 14, 2019
An unexpectedly good read!
Judging by the cover and title, u exoected this book to be completely light weight, vapid and with little substance - i was wrong! Although thoroughly entertaining throughout, it also has a serious side, addressing many life issues and not trying to pretend that everyones life is perfect!
Judging by the cover and title, u exoected this book to be completely light weight, vapid and with little substance - i was wrong! Although thoroughly entertaining throughout, it also has a serious side, addressing many life issues and not trying to pretend that everyones life is perfect!
April 1, 2018
The business of ownership of a bar brings three different women together. Set in a seaside town the story covers the trials and tribulations of their lives, work as well as those around them. A good companion to relax with. Enjoyable and amusing.
October 20, 2018
Pop the corks for this book
A clever story, who would have thought a wine bar/restaurant would be so interesting. Well it was, the characters came to life and the story blended beautifully. A really good read😊
A clever story, who would have thought a wine bar/restaurant would be so interesting. Well it was, the characters came to life and the story blended beautifully. A really good read😊
November 7, 2018
One glass is never enough by hand Denham-jones
I liked this book very much it has some twists,humour,romance,and it was fun really good light entertainment I think it will suit any age gap
I liked this book very much it has some twists,humour,romance,and it was fun really good light entertainment I think it will suit any age gap
June 27, 2019
When I started this book I wondered if I was going to finish it as I thought it was slow but I never like to give up on a book and I read it to the end. I did get better though U guessed most of the plot. A fair chick read though lacking in imagination.
October 18, 2018
Welk thought out tale of normality gone awry.
Nothing is as it seems which srems to be a pity but it all turns out right in the end. What more can you say.
Nothing is as it seems which srems to be a pity but it all turns out right in the end. What more can you say.
November 15, 2018
One glass
What a great book the story was good and intriguing so it kept you in the go to find the story out
What a great book the story was good and intriguing so it kept you in the go to find the story out
November 17, 2018
Good book
I enjoyed this book and will look out for more books written by this author loving reading on my kindle so much easier than a paperback
I enjoyed this book and will look out for more books written by this author loving reading on my kindle so much easier than a paperback
February 23, 2019
A fairly decent read
In parts great , in parts too complicated (I had no idea who Lizzie was when she appeared half way through) but the story ,ine is enjoyable to read.
In parts great , in parts too complicated (I had no idea who Lizzie was when she appeared half way through) but the story ,ine is enjoyable to read.
March 4, 2019
Good weekend break read.
A nice easy read. Pleasing story, but seem to end just as it got going. Need a follow up book.
A nice easy read. Pleasing story, but seem to end just as it got going. Need a follow up book.
March 9, 2021
Light hearted and funny
I enjoyed this book very much it was funny and a very easy read. The ending seemed a little cut short but other than that it was good
I enjoyed this book very much it was funny and a very easy read. The ending seemed a little cut short but other than that it was good
December 25, 2021
Nice easy storyline, able to dip in and out over busy Christmas time. Not the best but not the worst.
January 31, 2021
An endearing read full of fun and warmth.
The storyline was based around friends Sarah, Gaynor and Claire who run a wine bar together. The book alternates between the three women's perspectives and certainly adds a new layer to the plot.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read in which I would happily recommend to everyone who loves a good, well written, feel good story.
The storyline was based around friends Sarah, Gaynor and Claire who run a wine bar together. The book alternates between the three women's perspectives and certainly adds a new layer to the plot.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read in which I would happily recommend to everyone who loves a good, well written, feel good story.
November 28, 2015
I have read Jane Wenham-Jones before I found this little chick-lit book for free on Amazon. However, they were her how-to-write non-fiction books. While they gave me an idea of her writing style, they gave me no indication on she does fiction writing.
I mentioned this was a chick-lit book, and it is, but it's a very modern one.
The majority of the book is set in a wine bar owned by three ladies: Sarah (the head cook), Claire (the one with all the business sense), and Gaynor(the one with style and money). Claire and Sarah were friends before, and Sarah and Gaynor were friends, and that's how they ended up opening a wine bar together.
As the story goes along there are little bumps in their lives. It never amounts to anything life-threatening, but they are life-changing events.
I said modern and then never specified that did I? Well, I'll try to explain that without giving up too many spoilers. Gaynor's husband stays away from home longer and longer, and she obviously doesn't like it. While I was able to guess what was going on about halfway through...Gaynor was completely clueless.
Same thing with Sarah. She has a love interest, but two minor bumps happen to her as well. One that is never apparent until the end of the book. Claire, by far, has the easiest time of things, because her boyfriend basically gets in her face and talks sense into her.
While the book is supposed to be about all three women, Gaynor steals the spotlight and is what I would call the main character. All the storylines are tied up nicely at the end, and while I do like Jane Wenham-Jones writing style and the story was modern (which I like), chick-lit is not my favorite genre so I probably won't seek out more by her...unless I find them free on Amazon again.
I mentioned this was a chick-lit book, and it is, but it's a very modern one.
The majority of the book is set in a wine bar owned by three ladies: Sarah (the head cook), Claire (the one with all the business sense), and Gaynor(the one with style and money). Claire and Sarah were friends before, and Sarah and Gaynor were friends, and that's how they ended up opening a wine bar together.
As the story goes along there are little bumps in their lives. It never amounts to anything life-threatening, but they are life-changing events.
I said modern and then never specified that did I? Well, I'll try to explain that without giving up too many spoilers. Gaynor's husband stays away from home longer and longer, and she obviously doesn't like it. While I was able to guess what was going on about halfway through...Gaynor was completely clueless.
Same thing with Sarah. She has a love interest, but two minor bumps happen to her as well. One that is never apparent until the end of the book. Claire, by far, has the easiest time of things, because her boyfriend basically gets in her face and talks sense into her.
While the book is supposed to be about all three women, Gaynor steals the spotlight and is what I would call the main character. All the storylines are tied up nicely at the end, and while I do like Jane Wenham-Jones writing style and the story was modern (which I like), chick-lit is not my favorite genre so I probably won't seek out more by her...unless I find them free on Amazon again.
April 26, 2022
In all honesty, I didn’t enjoy this at all.
I adore Broadstairs (where this book takes place), so the scenes described were a lot of fun, particularly folk week, and the book gains a few nostalgia points for the true Noughties outfits described throughout. Tans, perfectly flat stomachs and belly bars abound.
What I really could not stand was the lead character. She was just bloody awful and selfish, with no character development to redeem her. The attitudes toward the husband were backwards, but that is certainly accurate for the time it’s set/was written. The love interest was so one dimensional and bland I’ve forgotten his name. Classic stoic nice-guy there to reel in the wild woman. It annoys me because I liked him! He was the only character I really cared about at first, but his whole personality took a u-turn as soon as Gaynor (our protagonist) decided she needed him. Suddenly he was then a shoulder to cry on who was inexplicably attracted to her. It made no sense when he seemed repulsed by her from the get-go.
Everything that happened in this book seemed very predictable and convenient to me. Everything seemed to go the main character’s way, even if she absolutely did not deserve it. It was a quick read, though.
I adore Broadstairs (where this book takes place), so the scenes described were a lot of fun, particularly folk week, and the book gains a few nostalgia points for the true Noughties outfits described throughout. Tans, perfectly flat stomachs and belly bars abound.
What I really could not stand was the lead character. She was just bloody awful and selfish, with no character development to redeem her. The attitudes toward the husband were backwards, but that is certainly accurate for the time it’s set/was written. The love interest was so one dimensional and bland I’ve forgotten his name. Classic stoic nice-guy there to reel in the wild woman. It annoys me because I liked him! He was the only character I really cared about at first, but his whole personality took a u-turn as soon as Gaynor (our protagonist) decided she needed him. Suddenly he was then a shoulder to cry on who was inexplicably attracted to her. It made no sense when he seemed repulsed by her from the get-go.
Everything that happened in this book seemed very predictable and convenient to me. Everything seemed to go the main character’s way, even if she absolutely did not deserve it. It was a quick read, though.
August 26, 2013
I've heard mention of Jane Wenham-Jones' name a lot recently - I know she does a lot of workshops and writing holidays etc. SO I thought it was time I read some of her work - and sadly I wasn't impressed. This book is about three very different women who buy into a bar. Each has their own reason for wanting to be involved with the business, but it seemed to me that one person got landed with all the work while the other two spent their time swanning round drinking the profits! Very annoying ... Anyway, I didn't really take to any of the characters and did consider giving up fairly early on. I stuck with it to the end, and it did get a bit better as the characters developed - I liked the man that Gaynor (the drun) took up with (bu felt rather sorry for him for ending up with her!) I finished the book about a month ago and actually can't remember enough of it to write a proper review ... obviously didn't make a huge impression on me, and I won't be rushing out to read more by this author either.
June 27, 2014
I was on the verge of giving up on this book at about 10%. My mum, who recommended it to me, told me to wait till 25% to make my mind up, and I'm very glad I did.
There are a lot of characters at first but the important ones have taken centre stage by the end of the first quarter. I don't see why so many names were dropped in the opening chapter when some characters are mentioned only in passing after that but that could just be me.
I enjoyed Gaynor and Sarah's stories; Claire was a little neglected/pushed to the sidelines but that's understandable given everything else going on and the book didn't suffer as a result. I'd recommend the novel and echo my mum's advice - read the guest quarter before deciding whether to continue. You'll be glad you did.
There are a lot of characters at first but the important ones have taken centre stage by the end of the first quarter. I don't see why so many names were dropped in the opening chapter when some characters are mentioned only in passing after that but that could just be me.
I enjoyed Gaynor and Sarah's stories; Claire was a little neglected/pushed to the sidelines but that's understandable given everything else going on and the book didn't suffer as a result. I'd recommend the novel and echo my mum's advice - read the guest quarter before deciding whether to continue. You'll be glad you did.
June 8, 2014
I had read some reviews on this book before I started reading and noticed some other reviewers had commented on the editing. I didn't think it could be that bad but I was wrong! Unfortunately I found it difficult to read as I was getting very confused.
I did however enjoy the fact this book was set it in Broadstairs. Being from Kent and the fact Broadstairs is my favourite seaside town made the book more interesting to me and I found it easy to imagine all the places the author described.
I liked the characters and the storyline however if it had been edited a little better I think I would have enjoyed it all the more.
I did however enjoy the fact this book was set it in Broadstairs. Being from Kent and the fact Broadstairs is my favourite seaside town made the book more interesting to me and I found it easy to imagine all the places the author described.
I liked the characters and the storyline however if it had been edited a little better I think I would have enjoyed it all the more.
October 10, 2012
This book was soooo slow to get going, far too much detail & background for me, especially as there was the sudden surprise part way through about "Gabrielle" which I had guessed from early on, perhaps that is a reflection on the company I keep rather than the book though. It was probabl;y too long a story to fit into a magazine story, but I felt there wasn't enough to warrant a novel of this length. It could have been about half the size & still told the story. Good tale though with an imaginative storyline.
July 24, 2014
I enjoyed this, and it was a cute story... however the author didn't seem to know where her focus was. Although there were vague snippets of Sarah's life, and even smaller snippets of Claire's life, the author seemed to favour Gaynor's story. This could have been written in a much more mature manner, focussing equally on all three and intertwining them cleverly. Potential stories were hinted at - Sarah's possible drug problem and Claire's issues with her father, however these were very hastily tied up at the end of the book without much elaboration. A good chick book.
October 4, 2012
Three quite different friends open a wine bar together so plenty of scope for delving into each of the characters’ lives. Claire is the business brains. Cook and single mother, Sarah, has a difficult ex and finds it increasingly hard to cope with life. Gaynor is the novel’s central player who, on the surface, appears to have a perfect life, but everything is about to turn on its head when her marriage is in question and she meets up with the cheerless Sam.
October 4, 2013
Love JWJ's accessible style. A real page-turner. She addresses the characters' problems with warmth, insight and humour. Part of the plot was predictable but this didn't stop me racing towards the finish-line, to find out exactly how it would end. Plus i would have liked to know more about Claire, but again, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the complete story. Sorry when i reached the last page and am holding out for a sequel!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews