Angels All Over Town

by Luanne Rice

This appealing first novel explores the emotional growth of three sisters as they fall in love, marry, and struggle with changing loyalties. Una, the eldest, narrates the story. She is an actress in a popular daytime soap; the others are art history students. The youngest sister is first to marry. Her husband is a wealthy and possessive doctor, jealous of her affection for her sisters. The middle sister finds a mate also, and Una first experiences an unsatisfactory romance, then truly believes she has fallen in love. Her new love is tested by a promotional tour to Europe and a starring role in a movie. Occasional visits from their father's ghost provide a sort of moral commentary. This is a thoroughly modern romance, humorous and well written.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Ghosts, Sisters, Womens Fiction, Relationships

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.

Reviews

[Machel]

This is Luanne Rice's first novel. I have always wanted to read her first book and am thrilled to finally have read it. I have read mixed reviews from others, but from my perspective, I just thought it was a wonderful read regarding one period in three sister's lives. In the 80's I loved Soap Operas, ao I loved reading about Una. What I liked about this novel was the grittiness and the mistakes revealed in all of the characters, which kept me reading more. I liked how this was not a plot driven story but more driven by the Una's voice and the her life unfolding before her. The sister's lives all change, which of course had an effect on each other. My favorite aspect of this novel was the ghost of the father. I loved how he was weaved in and out of Una's story. The first person narrative hit home for me. I hated this one to end. If you are looking for a novel about love, desire, and dreams, Angels All Over Town will transport you back to the 80's and remind you of simple things that all women dream about.

[Jo-Ann Mapson]

It's informative and kind of spellbinding to read Luanne Rice's first book. All her emerging talents are present here, and I find all of her books a great read I can share with my mother and with friends.

[Victoria]

This was Luanne Rice's first novel and is the fourth book I've read of hers.

The first part when Una has just finished another cup of coffee, grabbs an old Redbook and heads for the bathroom. There she finds her father seated on the toilet, reading the New York Daily News. Her heart is racing from embarrassment, not shock. She did not ask herself how her father, a man who had died wearing two colostomy bags, could be taking a normal shit. Nor did she wonder why he was reading the Daily News, a tabloid he had considered vulgar in life, and which was not readily available in Newport.

Presently he flushed the toilet and opened the door. (At this point I literally laughed out loud and even tho I don't believe in ghosts I felt I had a good story to read)

And it was a very good story.

[Earla Quesenberry]

Loved this book. Una Cavan sees her father's ghost just when she needs him most. The Cavan women (sisters) are growing up and going their separate ways and Una falls in love and visits the beaches of Connecticut but almost loses her love due to her acting career. She is a soap actress that finally gets a big screen movie part but in the meantime the paparazzi are linking her to the movies producer and her man back home is tormented by the media coverage and pictures. Finally she goes back home and is reunited with her man and everything ends "happily ever after."

[Jen]

I would say this book is so-so. I kept waiting for a big conflict. The main character Una was kind of blah. She seemed to just pass over everything. OK pool book, but not one I could really get into.

[Amy Webster-Bo]

really great story left me wanting more of the charactures in the book and to finish their stories,

[Nettie]

It was a great book. I didn't like how it was always in past but it was still a good read

[Meghan]

So, this is Luanne Rice's first book. It's clear that her signature style of character-based stories was already in place when she began her career. Not as much tension between characters in this book but as always, the dynamic between the characters feels true-to-life and I think every one of us who have sisters understands it. As an aside, I'm starting to wonder how many of her books contain a somewhat sinister, controlling Dutch husband, and what the story is behind that dude, but for now I'll just say I enjoyed this outing as I've enjoyed so many others. I look forward to my next dish of Rice...

[Claudia Cheyne]

This was Luanne Rice's first novel. It took off in a few different directions at the beginning. The main character, Una Cavan, sees her deceased father and speaks with him. She seemed to wind up in bed with random men. She and her two sisters have a close relationship until Lily gets married. I almost stopped reading this book a few times but some of the characters were good enough to make me want to know more about them. Una studied acting at Julliard. Then she landed a job on a soap opera. I'm glad this was not the first Luanne Rice book that I read or it may have been my last.

[LInda L]

Kind of adorable, but I was not enthralled by the appearance of her father. Especially sitting on the potty. Yes, I realize that's where the title of the book came from -- her father, Black Ass, the angel. Her sister Margo was a great = Lily, not so much. It was good to see that Una's career was progressing, as well as her love life. Anyway, I enjoyed it, as I have most of Luanne Rice's books. Hope she's still writing.

[Eve]

I had not read any of Luanne Rice's books, so "Angels All Over Town" was my introduction to Rice's very easy, laid back reads. This is the story of three sisters who are inseparable until they must deal with an addition to their family who really doesn't fit in in the beginning, and causes changes that must be dealt with and accepted. All in all, an okay read...

[Patti]

I am not a fan of the genre, and had no idea who Luanne Rice was. But...I'll read almost anything during COVID-19 self quarantine.

I will give Ms. Rice her kudos. It made me cry honest tears because I was touched. Still not a fan though.

[Krista Norman]

3 sisters. Lots of casual sex. Writers 1st novel. Feels like a young persons idea of what the world might be like before having that lived experience.

Might be interested in this writer if she matures.

[Kristin]

Very slow book with not a lot of action.

[Karen]

I struggled reading this book. This is her first, and I believe she’s developed as a writer, but I’m glad I didn’t start with this one or I might not have picked up another.

[Meredith]

It was a nice read

[Dorothy Clark]

Rice has improved since she wrote this first book. This one is 300 pages with nothing happening.

[Sue Maryon]

This book was very disapointing

[Anita]

Read to page 30, to much of a chick flik for me..

[Barbara Cryer]

Enjoyable read on family ties

[Heidi]

A nice light read to end the year...

[Debbie Tanguay]

Cute story 2 very close sisters relationships change once they find husbands-

[Daniela Maldonado]

Loved it, made me want to travel

[Julie Barrett]

g read

[Angie]

No thank you. Characters all over the place, too much going on, thank goodness she got better as she published more.

[Eloise]

pretty good. the story was so complex and nice but i feel it just ended really abruptly and didn't resolve anything

[Mary]

I enjoyed this book because it ended well. I’m not sure how I felt about the relationship between the sisters. In the end they chose to give each other priority. I’m glad they all found love.

[Melanie Uggen]

This one took forever to finish because honestly I just didn’t like it. The story was drab and boring. I’ve liked other books of hers bur definitely not this one.

[Charlene]

Couldn’t finish this book…

[Sherry Merrill]

a good read