Thinking of You

by Jill Mansell

Are you in the midst of one of those "exciting" phases of life, like the eerily quiet empty nest...or the new job with the distractingly attractive, off-limits boss...or a wacky new roommate who isn't at all as advertised? What about all of those at once...

Is your life full of surprises? No? Well, what if it could be?

You may begin to think you're living someone else's reality. And maybe, that's not a bad thing...

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks, British Literature

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.

Jill Mansell's books have sold over ten million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.

Reviews

[Exina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable but not bad. Great dialogues, but it’s weird that every character is equally witty and funny…

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm finding Jill Mansell books ok for the times when your mind is busy and you don't have to fully engage in the content.

Two stars.

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in half a day, and it was SO worth the read. Jill Mansell does it again for me, and I am so glad I trusted my instincts with her and bought 6 more of her books all at once! This is only my second, and I'm so pleased.

It had just the right ingredients blended together perfectly, it was utterly delightful. It made me laugh in all the right places, cringe in all the right places, gasp in all the right places, and get mad in all the right places.

The characters were very well-rounded, and very close to heart and more importantly, very realistic. I could imagine them existing and imagine all the events happening like it were a film I was remembering. Yes, there were a few parts where I was like "come oooon", but looking at it from Mansell's point of view, I'm sure she thought it was a hoot to give it that twist. Like the time Finn gave the flowers sent to him by an admirer to a birthday girl, and she JUST happened to be the sister of said admirer!

That being said, everything about the book was enjoyable, and even though I expected Ginny to get slightly irritating at one point, that didn't happen at all. Looking at Ginny's relationship with her daughter Jem and how much she tried to hold herself back to give her daughter the independency she needed made me get irritated with Jem instead, and then it reminded me of my relationship with my own mum, and I instantly felt guilty for all the times I got annoyed when my mum visited too often or called too often when I was in uni!

I really enjoy Mansell's style of writing, and the humour and wit that fill the dialogues between characters. When Ginny was trying to act nonchalant about Finn getting back with his ex-fiancee and gave the sex vs. food analogy, I could not contain myself from laughing out loud, "Sleeping with someone doesn't have to mean anything. It doesn't automatically follow that you want to keep on seeing that person. Like last week I had a really great Chinese meal, king prawns, mushroom chop suey and a spring roll. But it didn't make me think I had to sell my house, jump on the next plane and go and live in China."

Or when Laurel finally gets over her ex and Ginny discovers that "love wasn't only blind. It had a peg-on-your-nose effect as well." And that's just to mention a couple of lines that were absolutely priceless.

Suffice it to say, I'm definitely on a roll here with Jill Mansell, and I'm very happy with my find.

[Jenny Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read plenty of good reviews by this author, and after the first disappointment I faced with another one of Jill Mansell's novels, I decided 'what the heck', and read another one.

There was no improvement. At all.

The story line just gets so boring and repetitive. The protagonist is always a gorgeous woman in her 30's who is head over heels for a guy she thinks she can't have. And the reason for this is always the same - she thinks that he's way out of her league, and that he doesn't like her in return. The man she falls for is ALWAYS dead gorgeous, and as the book drones on and on, lust turns into love, and the man is always the one to confess his feelings to the girl first. This always occurs at the final chapter or two of the entire novel. I mean, suspense is always a necessity in any novel, but dragging an already decided fate on and on for 58 chapters is just ... a little over the top.

The protagonist always has a best friend, who's love affair is just as repetitive as the main storyline. This best friend is always the mistress of a man who's already taken.

The list could go on forever, but the bottom line is this:

Don't read Jill Mansell novels unless you want to waste your time.

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I know. I usually give Mansell some grief, however, this one really works on all levels and I loved that Mansell didn't just give everyone a happy ending. She was quite realistic about some follow-ups with certain characters. I will say though, that this whole dude who didn't realize he wasn't the father of the child that was born plot reminded me a bit of one of her other books though.

"Thinking of You" has Ginny Holland dealing with her empty nest after her daughter goes off to university. Ginny had her daughter Jem are very close. Ginny doesn't see how she is going to get through her days without her daughter coming home to her. After visiting Jem and meeting her new flatmates, Ginny realizes she is going to need something to do so that she doesn't ruin Jem's independence. Ginny takes on a new job waitressing and also rents a room out at her place.

Due to the room renting and new job, Ginny meets new people, Finn (her boss), Evie (runs the restaurant portion of the antiques store he runs), Laurel (her new lodger), and Perry (Laurel's brother). Up until now most of Ginny's life has revolved around Jem, her best friend Carla and her ex-husband Gavin.

Mansell manages to juggle several story-lines throughout the book.

Ginny tries to start dating again and thinks that Perry would be the perfect guy. Though he has lying tosser written all over him, I did shake my head at how Perry was able to get women to do what he wanted. Ginny also finds her thoughts shifting to Finn and I liked how these two interacted together after their terrible meet-cute where Finn accuses her of being a shoplifter (I cracked up).

Ginny's ex-husband Gavin sounds like a total pain, but I laughed at all of his get your life together pep talks to Laurel (Ginny's lodger). Laurel was a hot mess though I laughed at her and her constant bringing up of her ex.

I also really like that Mansell included Jem's third person POV. We do get to see how badly she is with things while she is away from home (falling for someone totally unsuitable) and how she starts to act towards her friends like Davy and Lucy.

The writing was really good and at times very funny. I laughed out loud a few times with the banter between Gavin and Laurel as well as between Ginny and anyone else.

“But you were the one who came to see it! You said it was just what you were looking for!” Her voice rising—and not in an I-fancy-you way—Ginny said, “You said it was perfect!”

He blinked, nonplussed. “It is perfect. For Laurel.”

Frantically, Ginny ran back through everything he’d told her. “No, hang on, you said your flat was too small…”

"For ninety minutes now she had been listening to the Story of Kevin. Ninety minutes was the length of an entire film. She could have watched Anna Karenina and been less depressed."

I thought the ending was quite sweet, but was happy to see some foreshadowing that some relationships which were said to be fine, came to an end or almost an end by the epilogue. And I was very happy we didn't see Jem or Lucy thinking of their friend Davy beyond being friends. Most romances would have had one of the girls fall for him or something.

[İlkim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okuduğum en salak ergen karakterlerden biri bu kitaptaydı heralde.

[Tempo de Ler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não me apercebi das saudades que tinha de Jill Mansell até ter pegado neste livro – a narrativa pode ser pouco original e relativamente previsível (especialmente se já lemos alguns livros da autora), mas a forma como Jill nos conta as suas histórias nunca me cansa e, no final, fico sempre com pena por ter que abandonar os personagens à sua sorte.

A Pensar em Ti é um livro cómico e divertido em que há sempre qualquer coisa a acontecer e, na maior parte das vezes, qualquer coisa hilariante! Jill não se inibe de envergonhar os seus personagens e acabamos por dar com eles em situações tão ridiculamente comprometedoras que até nós coramos de vergonha.

Ginny sente-se sozinha com a saída de casa da filha que parte para a universidade. Numa nova fase da sua vida, Ginny acaba por arranjar um novo emprego, uma nova (e indesejada) inquilina e um novo namorado, aliando todas estas novidades à presença constante da sua melhor amiga e do ex-marido. Mas nada disto está realmente sob o controlo de Ginny, que se encontra sempre em situações indesejadas apenas porque prefere ficar calada a magoar a sensibilidade de alguém.

Alegrias, desilusões, muitas peripécias hilariantes e diálogos afiados… qualquer tempo com Jill Mansell é tempo bem passado!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, easy, and funny read. Adorable love story.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the variety and complexity of the characters, you have Ginny as the protagonist, but the author explores and makes a role for all the surrounding people in her life. Assigning them bigger chunk of the book, as for her daughter Jem or best friend Carla, or just a bit of a story here and there as for depressed-tenant Laurel and womanizer ex-husband Gavin.
Plus you have a litter of kittens… made me crave one!!!

[Monique Takens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik kan niet precies uitleggen waarom ik dit boek zo leuk vond , de romantiek is eigenlijk behoorlijk onromantisch , het zal wel de schrijfstijl zijn waardoor je toch meegezogen wordt in het verhaal . Ook fijn dat de knappe en stijlvolle bitches het altijd afleggen bij de "gewone vrouwen " in J.M's verhalen .

[Thera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill Mansell is meer dan leuk voor als je even geen zware kost wilt. Leest heerlijk weg, grappige scènes, een feel good verhaal: van genoten dus. Ik heb wat zitten twijfelen, maar bewaar de vier sterren toch voor meer diepgang en echt bijzondere boeken. Drie en half, mag dat ook?

[Zel Polev · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh for fuck's sake. This book features two of the most clueless lead characters I have ever read. It actually is insufferable to continue. I've read a little over half of the book already so I may just be reading the worst of the book has to offer. Who knows, maybe it is resolved satisfactorily but honestly, the lead characters are so painful to read. Like mother, like daughter, and both get cheated on. There is nothing endearing about stupidity. Jem rationalizes how Rupert prefers her over her friend. For fuck's sake, he had been cheating on you. Why would you take his sweet talk at face value. She went to her room to think, but her thoughts are so excruciatingly dumb and so painful to read. I think this will be the last Mansell book I will pick up. I guess the first book I read of hers was a fluke because the ones that I pick up gradually get worse. Honestly, how many clues do you need to pick up until you can piece the situation together. How clear can you make it that the boy your going out with is shagging your best friend. Putting aside the fact that he is your lover, what kind of person does that and is it someone you want to continue seeing? it is infuriating to watch these women jump through hoops to justify their lover's actions. It isn't until it is spelled out for them that they finally get it and not a moment sooner. They are just another breed of dumbness and I'm having a really hard time reading it because it so infuriating. Her best friend was right, she was a sad cow and stupid to boot. She actually bought the idea that he preferred her over her best friend. There shouldn't have been a comparison shag to begin with!

[Aeron Trahaearn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I bought this book for my bestest friend/cousin in the whole wide world (I know I am being cliche) and Of course I had to read it before I gave it to her!!
I really liked the cover of this book. It was the reason why I bought the book. I thought it was a bit on the subdued cute side you know?
The character were really cool in an old fashioned way? I mean I didn't like Jem. One. freaking. bit. But her mom was okay. I mean look at her relationship with her ex-husband!! It was damned awesome! hehe Loved it! I really liked Gavin but I wish he would have stayed with Bev in the end. I liked Davy as well but I would never wish Jem on him! he is much better of being with Lucy or something. Jem is a total airhead and quite frankly, a bit stupid. I liked Finn but I feel like Jill could have put in more about him in the book. but never mind.
All in all a great read I didnt sleep tonight because of this so *yawn*
Aaaaaaaaaaaand I am off to read some thing else...What? you thought I was going to sleep??

[Filipa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Já li este livro! Lindo!

Absolutamente fantástico. Adorei. Ao contrário do outro que eu tinha lido dela, não me fez desesperar por ter um final desadequado. Este final foi lindo e não poderia ser melhor.

É um livro delicioso ! Devora-se num instante!
Decididamente, esta é uma autora para seguir. Estou rendida aos encantos dela.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, typical Mansell. Entertaining for a sunny day with nothing else to do.

[Lisa Whittaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always really enjoy Jill Mansell’s books and this one was no exception.

Loved Ginny. She had me laughing out loud at times. Loved the ending too. It was all wrapped up perfectly.

[Nava · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the mother daughter relationship in this story. I loved hearing the viewpoints of the different characters.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cobweb looked at the clock. Oh my god, just twenty four hours before she would be in Trafalgar Square, queuing up to have her copy of ‘Thinking of You’ signed by the one and only Jill Mansell.

It wasn’t as if Mansell was her favourite author in the world, not by a long shot, but there was always something special about going to a book signing whether you were meeting J.K Rowling or Tim Bowler. The excitement was really starting to tug at her now, and a whole army of butterflies had gathered in her stomach.

But there were still the last couple of chapters to finish. Cobweb grabbed the book from her desk and scurried down the stairs to the sofa. There was no way she could meet Mansell without finishing the whole book. Not a chance.

Having sifted through the majority of the book already, it had come to her attention that just about every character described was staggeringly attractive. A strange phenomenon indeed. Cobweb wondered what the chances were of meeting quite so many people described as ‘dazzling.’ There was in fact a forty year old man so aesthetically pleasing that he was eyed up by an eighteen year old.

Cobweb continued, entranced by the book which was never the less a very enjoyable story. Apart from a few unbelievable and highly unlikely incidents – not mentioning the whole book signing shenanigans – it was a funny, quirky and very sexual read. Cobweb was a little appalled at the how quickly characters were jumping between beds.

By the time she had finished each page, Cobweb was satisfied with the outcome. The baddies had been unveiled and cast aside, the goodies had acquired all that they desired, and all loose ends were thoroughly tied up. What more could one ask for?

A sharp wrap on the front door made Cobweb jump from her seat. But before she reached the porch, Spider, Cobweb’s best friend had stomped straight into the room with a scowl pulling down every feature of her face. ‘Men!’ Spider shrieked. ‘Who needs them?’ Spider’s recent splitting with her now ex, Mad Mike (an outcome Cobweb had been particularly pleased about), had planted her in a constant fit of rage, blurting out sweeping statements where ever she went.

‘Good day to you too,’ Cobweb retorted, perhaps a little smug. She was sure she had been reading about just this kind of situation in ‘Thinking of you.’ The whole scenario seemed rather familiar and Cobweb could predict how it would pan out. There would be intense gossiping between her and spider, Mad Mike would be cast aside after having been unveiled as having been sleeping around, and who knows, Cobweb might even hook up with her boss – shame about the age gap, and the fact that he was bald and grotesquely overweight.

***
Cobweb and Spider returned from London and were back home by eleven O’ Clock that night. It had been an interesting affair to say the least. Cobweb had saved Jill Mansell from an otherwise inevitable death by a man with a knife and had subsequently obtained an injury to her thigh. Both Cobweb and Spider had been invited to stay at Mansell’s mansion in LA whenever they wanted, and after visiting Cobweb in A and E, her bald, overweight boss was beginning to look more and more attractive.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mansell brings us many HEAs and personal growth.

First we have Ginny, divorced, working here and there and about to be home alone as her daughter Jem is leaving for uni. She is not happy and there will be a few mistakes on the way. But as this is a Mansell book there will also be happiness and hers will be in the form of love.

Jem, her 18 year old daughter will also find herself during this year and make her own mistakes. But some mistakes have to be made.

Then we also have Ginny's best friend Clara, and Laurel who I will not say more about now. Clara is forward, and Laurel is sad. Ginny's ex husband also makes an appearance, yes they were clearly not suited together and there is a man hiding in the shadows for Ginny. I was happy about that.

There is romance, friendship, personal growth and the search for happiness. It's a feelgood book, but then it's a Mansell book and I would have been surprised if it had not ended with a smile on my face.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thinking of You by Jill Mansell is another romp in the English countryside. Ginny Holland has a problem when she’s in emotional turmoil — her mind wanders and the tasks at hand just disappear from her consciousness. Even when she’s worried about her daughter’s first year at college in Bristol and away from home, Ginny is still not immune to the charms of a hot-looking man in an antique shop. But while she’s browsing and happily daydreaming about the man in the shop, he catches her red-handed with a shoplifted item. Mansell has an uncanny way of bringing together the most divergent plots, weaving in secondary characters that are just as fun and hopeless as the main character. While her books generally have happy endings and wrap-up relationships pretty neatly, they still provide a few hours of escape that can lift any mood.

Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2013/05/t...

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best chik-lit novels I have ever read. This is loaded with plenty of drama and humor and it kept me wanting more and was very hard to put down. The story is about Ginny. Her daughter has left for college and she is alone. She misses her daughter terrible and doesn’t think she can cope. But she picks herself up and decides to do something about it. She rents a room in her house to a woman suffering from a broken heart. Her name is Laurel and her brother, Perry, is to die for. This is a light, funny and enjoyable read. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this popular British author. An opportunity I may not have had if it wasn’t for book-crossing. I am going to join another ring and this author will be added to my “favorites” list.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quality fluff from the queen of chicklit.

Jill Mansells books are one of my guilty pleasures in life. Her characters are well drawn if in places a little overblown (where does all the money come from?!) but I always have a lovely sense of satisfaction when I've read one of her books. A roaring read - plenty of laughs and farcical moments and in this one, a deceptively easy looking plot. I was impressed with the amounts of twists and turns this one took, and enjoyed it all the more for it.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mais um grande enredo desta autora fantástica... Simplesmente adoro. É sem dúvida uma das autoras em que compro os livros e sei que não me vou arrepender sem dúvida alguma. Ginny vê-se num enredo quase sem fim, mas vai decidida para conhecer pessoas novas, e conhece o seu novo patrão mas será que vai existir algo mais do que uma relação de trabalho?? É um livro bastante romântico com algumas personagens bastante intrigantes e que nos dá vontade de rir com algumas peripécias, adorei!!

http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[Demi’s bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 33%. The book had a bit of a Bridget Jones vibe, which I usually enjoy, but somehow the story just didn’t draw me in this time. The writing style wasn’t really for me either.

I also didn’t quite feel the chemistry between the characters, it just didn’t come across as very convincing. After about a third of the book, I decided to set it aside.

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, enjoyable. I liked it explored both mother and daughter lives...

However, the best-friend bit was a bit far-fetched.

[Laeba Haider | Readgret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill Mansel is a woman who knows exactly what sort of noises a cat makes during parturition. Better than that, her writing will make you believe that those are exactly the noises a cat makes during parturition. And humans when they're in love, when they've done something silly and cruel and what not. Simply saying, her writing makes you thoroughly enjoy the story. She knows how to crack you up will the simplest of incidences and words and she knows how to make you long for more.
Thinking of You is a story about Ginny, a woman in her late thirties who is dealing with separation from her daughter, her new tenant, her not-so-nice nicest boyfriend and her irrevocable crush for her boss, Finn. Who knew her simple life could turn so Hollywood-ly in a matter of months?
I'd give this book a 4/5 because Jill's writing really made me close the book and laugh out loud more than once. And because it left me craving for more and more. The story didn't seem like a bore even once and it was, undoubtedly, a delight to read.

[Ashley Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a great deal, as I always do with Jill Mansell. Her stories follow a similar trend but they’re always fresh enough to make them interesting and captivating, with an ensemble cast of interesting characters.
The majority of the characters were really great to read about, the odd one making you want to scream at the book and of corse the odd villain who inevitably gets their comeuppance for being just vile!
I also just love a romance that takes a while to develop and Jill delivers it perfectly. A second chance at love, fun chemistry, unspoken feelings, ‘will they won’t they’, moments of passion and all the rest. Love it.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill Mansell is altijd goed voor een paar uurtjes romantiek en humor. Ik vond de hoofdpersonages iets minder inleefbaar dan ik van haar gewend bent, maar het was een fijne leeservaring. Ik had één moment waarop ik mezelf niet kon bedwingen om hardop te lachen - heerlijk.

[Alex Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been years since I read this author and had forgotten how good a writer she is. Supporting characters really made this one 'pop'. I enjoyed this back catalogue entry so much I have treated myself to her latest.

[Lauren Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love every book I read by Jill Mansell.. she had me laughing throughout this book. A really great read by a fabulous author! Pure escapism!

[Damelapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story and characters were nice, not the best of books but a nice story