Needles and Pearls

Jo Mackenzie #2

by Gil McNeil, Martine Desoille (Translator)

The warm and witty sequel to The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club Slip one . . .
Two weddings and a year after her husband's funeral, Jo Mackenzie is finally starting to get the hang of being a single parent. The boys are thriving, the yarn shop is doing well--thanks to Jo's improvements--and she's just about keeping her head above water. Knit two together . . .
But a man from Jo's past and a new romance with the hunky local carpenter come along and make life a whole lot more interesting. Cast off . . .
Can Jo cope when things get really complicated? Because if knitting really does keep you sane when life starts to unravel, Jo's going to need much bigger needles.

Genres: Fiction, Knitting, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Crafts, Womens Fiction

371 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2008

About the author

Gil McNeil is the author of the bestselling The Only Boy for Me, Stand By Your Man, In The Wee Small Hours and most recently Divas Don’t Knit. The Only Boy For Me has been made into a major ITV prime-time drama starring Helen Baxendale and was broadcast in 2007. Gil McNeil has edited five collections of stories with Sarah Brown, and is Director of the charity PiggyBankKids, which supports projects that create opportunities for children. She lives in Kent with her son and comes from a long line of champion knitters.

Reviews

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was charmed by this book. I was worried when I picked it off the new releases shelf at the library because I've been burned by other knitting books that were really shallow romance novels with characters that happened to knit.

Gil McNeil's writing style is crisp, concise and oh so comical. I laughed out loud many times reading this book. The last time that happened was either Bridget Jones or The Ya-Yas. The characters are engaging, quirky and genuinely like each other.

Though this book was a sequel, I hadn't read the first book. It wasn't an issue. The author fills in enough of the gaps in the backstory to keep a new reader in the loop without making a returning reader roll her eyes from all the repetition.

I hope there is a third installment of this series. I want to know how Ellen manages motherhood, how the tea room does and whether the village wins a gold medal in the coming year's festival.

[Lydia Laceby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

I loved Divas Don’t Knit, finding Gil McNeil a fresh voice in chick lit and loved the premise and the story. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Needles and Pearls and I wasn’t as pleased with this sequel as I had hoped to be.

Divas Don’t Knit began with Jo, newly widowed, starting over in a new town with her two boys, making friends and taking over her Grandmothers’s knitting shop. Quite a lot to overcome! In this sequel though, things stayed pretty much the same including her friendships and fights with the PTA mom and her own mother. There was one small difference in that she was pregnant in this novel, but it didn`t become an issue and there wasn`t much else that was different. The novel even started right where we left off with Divas Don`t Knit with no time lapse and maybe that`s what was needed to change things up. I didn’t find much plot in this story and I already knew the characters, so was unable to find much to keep me entertained.

The tone of the story is the same and the kids gave me some laughs, but Jo`s continuing story just didn’t satisfy me. I wanted a little more to happen, but it didn't and even though Needles and Pearls wasn't terrible, it wasn't fantastic either, which leaves it as a 3 Star for me.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think what charms me about this series is the total and unapologetic flavor of life it brings. I love the discussions and grumbles about what the children want for tea time, a big galumphing dog, crusty old ladies, snooty "Better than they aught to be's", women with spirit, people with heart. That it's set around a wool shop in a British sea town, is just fine with me. It's got no major start or stop, though both this and the first book cycled through a number of daily life events. Everything's not tidy at the end, but it's not like you're left really hanging either.

This book picks up where The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club (aka Divas Don't Knit) left off and undoubtedly, there's room for another novel. But it was fun to bump into the same characters and to carry on.

[Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club, Gil McNeil introduced us to Jo Mackenzie. Having learned that her husband was cheating on her and was leaving her and their two sons, Jack and Archie, for his mistress was the first crushing blow of the night. The other? Having her husband die in a car accident within an hour after breaking the news and walking out on her. (We learn all of that on the back flap, so no need to throw rotten tomatoes at me for ruining the book.) What happens next is the heartwarming and surprisingly funny story that McNeil weaves for us throughout the rest of this alluring tale about a mother's love and the power of her relationship with her children. We meet back up with Jo, Jack, and Archie along with the other flavorful characters in Broadgate (a small seaside town in rural England) in Needles and Pearls.

McKnits, the yarn store that Jo has been given by her lovable and spunky grandmother, is starting to grow with the help of sweet local carpenter, Martin and the publicity given to it (and Jo) through a friendship started with top actress Grace Harrison, who has commissioned Jo to be her personal knit instructor. Jo and her boys are settling in well to their new community as they near their one year anniversary of moving there, when life sends them some unexpected surprises. In true McNeil fashion, these bumps in the road are quickly made into endearing episodes and plot twists that make her characters more real and layered. She takes the chance to explore some topics that are not traditionally found in the lighter side of literature; pregnancy, divorce, death, dysfunctional families. Yet she is able to come at the subject with the warmth and hindsight of someone who convinces the reader she knows what she's writing about.

Though this heartwarmer doesn't keep us at the edge of our seats and can sometimes be a bit hard to follow as to who is speaking (it is strongly dialogue driven without always noting who the speaker is), we can count on McNeil to make us laugh while wrapping up loose ends somewhat tidily. While the adults are the crux of the novel, McNeil writes children in a vividly accurate portrayal adding extra charm and humor to her work.

Though knitting is certainly a presence in these novels, it is mostly because these books are set partly in Jo's yarn shop. McNeil herself comes from a line of champion knitters, and is able to seamlessly interweave this passion into a much bigger story. Those looking for a novel about knitting might be disappointed when they find that these stories have about as much to do with the actual practice of knitting as the movie Beaches did with the beach. It's more of a catapult for story lines rather than the overall theme of the book.

Enjoy this book over a lazy weekend when you could use a good laugh and a bit of relaxation.

[Sara Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light easy read with likeable, well-written characters and a plot that is straightforward and fun.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to be back in Broadgate. Seaside settings are wonderful. There are several beach scenes, which were delightful. Also, there were two weddings and a birth. I enjoyed the weddings, especially Ellen's. It was fun to read about but not what I want. Grace is also around quite a bit, and her scenes were as enjoyable in this book as they were in the previous book. Martin was helpful and charming. His barn renovation is intriguing. Also, he's got a dog now. That was a funny story. There was a lot of humor in this book. Knitting and yarn, too. The shop is getting renovated, too. That wasn't a funny story.

[Caroline Prange · Rating 4 out of 5]

It´s a nice read. Sometimes a little boring but all in all good entertainment for knitters and woolaholics.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous!

[Chris Vaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down, tied everything together.
Can’t wait for the last book to arrive

[Regina Spiker · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd in this series, Needles and Pearls is a light, comical read that I needed coming off some heavy, WWII non-fiction reads. Jo's knitting shop is going well and her two boys still miss their Daddy, lost to a car accident. But living near the seaside and her beloved grandma close by, has helped healed all three. Just when Jo thinks things are working more smoothly and she can relax a bit more - along comes a giant bump and a hurdle.

Quotes:
“She did, she really told her. She was pretty scary, actually,"

"The best women always are, love; you don't get to my age without realizing that.”

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Le Petit Magasin des Tricoteuses ?
"J'avais vraiment apprécié le premier tome et envisageais depuis un moment de lire la suite. D'ailleurs, il n'est même pas resté un seul jour dans ma PAL."

Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Jo continue son petit bout de chemin dans sa nouvelle vie depuis la mort de son mari et commence à trouver ses marques. Mais un évènement inattendu va venir bouleverser tous ses plans..."

Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"J'ai préféré celui-ci au précédent mais malgré tout, on retrouve à peu près les mêmes qualités et les mêmes défauts. Pour les mauvais côtés, j'avais oublié à quel point ses gosses sont insupportables et font ce qu'ils veulent de leur mère. Alors forcément, l'élément principal de l'histoire, que je préfère ne pas vous révéler, ne m'a pas vraiment emballé. Et comme dans le premier, j'aurais également aimé que le club "tricot et ragots" prennent plus de place et que différentes histoires et destins de femmes se croisent. Malgré ces petits bémols, c'est un livre doudou qui nous emmène dans un petit village au bord de mer où tout le monde se connaît et presque tout le monde s'entraide. On parle laine, soie, star de cinéma et pimbêche de l'école. On irait bien passer nos vacances là-bas nous aussi."

Et comment cela s'est-il fini?
"La fin est assez prévisible mais donne tout de suite envie de se lancer dans le troisième et dernier tome même si la scène que l'on attend depuis si longtemps est assez décevante. Mais il y a pire niveau frustration, le dernier volet de l'histoire n'a jamais été publié en France. Je ne remercie pas l'éditeur.


http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

From time to time, I need to take a break from my usual murder/suspense/thriller books and visit the calmer sides of life. I cannot say that Jo Mackenzie's life of running a knitting shop in the seaside village of Broadgate and raising two bickering boys is calm, but it is definitely a break that I enjoy.

Jo’s philandering husband was killed in an accident right after he admitted to an affair and wanting a divorce. With the world, and his mother, not knowing the truth and thinking that he was a saint - Jo must carry on with her boys, her stitch and bitch group, a life in need of repair, and a little gift that is the result of a very brief tryst with photographer Daniel Fitzgerald.

Jo needs nothing from the father, she may not be wealthy, but she had decided to take life on on her own terms, which do not involve tracking down Daniel, or asking for money. Her life is too busy with knitting clubs and school projects, two weddings to plan, and a shop that needs to be rebuilt. The baby on the way is just another thing in her life that she will get to, and what she does not yet know, is that this unexpected arrival maybe be the one thing that will bring her life full circle.

Of course, Gil McNeil adds in a new love interest that started out as a friendship and after a bumpy start, Jo can see the chance of a do-over. Her grandmother was given a second chance and her anxiety ridden best friend is about to partake in her own adventure, so why shouldn’t Jo have another shot at her happily ever after.

Granted, this is only book number two in the series and with Jo’s chaotic life, anything can go wrong, but for now, she is definitely allowed the hope that she is feeling with her little family.

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads wouldn't work properly when I tried to add my review for this book a few weeks ago, so here it is. I sauntered into my local library to browse for a non-annoying chick lit book. These are hard to find, as chick lit heroines are usually either so dense or so truth-telling-challenged that I want to pull my hair out. On the other hand, once in a while, I really appreciate a book that I can just read without thinking a single serious thought, for pure relaxation. I was looking for something that was simply about the everyday life of some young-ish woman, without a lot of crazy plot twists and idiotic complications caused by the heroine lying (usually to someone she loves). This novel was a pretty good match for what I needed. The story is pretty simple and the main events of the entire novel are all revealed by chapter 2, and the whole thing unwinds relatively satisfactorily. Plus, the main character owns a yarn shop and it's in England, so those tidbits made the reading even more fun. A solid choice for some mindless Sunday night reading, particularly if you're a knitter. As an aside, this is actually a sequel to the author's first novel, but I didn't feel like I missed anything by just reading this one.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. It is the 2nd book in the Jo Mackenzie series. I read the first one, "The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club," & it was so enjoyable. I couldn't wait to read the next couple books in the series.

The first book begins with Jo Mackenzie, on moving day, after becoming a widow. She & her 2 young sons, Archie & Jack, ages 5 & 6, move close to her grandmother; & Jo takes ownership of the yarn store that had belonged to her grandmother. We met many lovely people who live in the area, as well as Jo's family & friends. Well, this 2nd book continues Jo's story, with all of the characters we met in the first book. Her 2 sons, Archie & Jack are now a year older, ages 6 & 7, & they bring much amusement to the story. I don't want to say much more, so as to not give anything away.

I loved this book as much as the first, & it made me laugh a lot, too. And, for those who might have been bothered by the somewhat frequent swearing in the first novel, there is not as much in this one. I am so happy that I already have a copy of the third book, "Knit One Pearl One." I can't wait to continue the story of Jo & her family & friends, and the yarn shop, too.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

didn't feel like paying for the kindle version of this, but liked this second book in the series just as much as the first one (although why the first one is titled, "Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club" when a)there is no "Beach Street" mentioned in the book and b)NOWHERE does it say anything about a "Knitting Society and Yarn Club" is a bit beyond me. But I suppose "The Stitch and Bitch at McKnits" probably wouldn't sell as many copies??), anyway, despite that one niggling complaint, I just love these characters and I found myself getting pulled back toward the book anytime I had a free moment. It's light enough that even reading just a few pages was satisfying if that's all I had time for. I will mention that if readers are bothered by characters taking the Lord's name in vain, they will likely NOT like this book. Seriously. It's like this (non-church-going) character uses the words "Christ" and "God" as much as some people say "Um..." But then she also uses the word "Lovely" a lot and so that's snuck into my own lexicon and that's kind of a cute one.

[Myndi Shafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

BASIC PLOT: Heroine (Jo) is a single parent (from some seriously screwy circumstances). She's had one hot fling since the break (break really isn't the right word, but anything else will SPOIL IT), and an awkward date with a cute carpenter. Things get complicated with a movie-star sort-of friend, a handful of well-meaning old ladies, and one seriously (and hilariously) bitchy carpool mom.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: The cover caught my eye.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT: It's a quirky story and I love me some quirk. It made me giggle. It made me cringe. And I really liked Jo. I feel like we could have been friends.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT: I wish that the relationship between her and awkward-but-cute carpenter-guy would have had a little more...oomph. Not sexy oomph, per se, but just more. I wanted to fall in love with him more than I ended up doing.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally like the characters in this series (wish I had a Gran like that), but the kids sound like the worlds most spoiled and absolute brats. I sort of skim over those parts to get on with the story because it makes me want to cringe that a Mom would let her kids run over her like that. I have to agree with other reviewers, these books go nowhere very slowly, but it's knitting chick-lit so I bear with it and get it read. What can I say? I love knitting.

[Janet Camilleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in a series, though it doesn't indicate that anywhere on the covers or end papers. I thought I recognised the setting and characters and sure enough, discovered that I've actually read number 3 in the series - Knit One Pearl One. However it was such a long time ago I don't really remember what happened. I found this book a little frustrating as it would have been better if I had read the books in order.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The coziness of the knitting shop in the seaside town continues. A fun drinking game would be to have a drink every time someone has a cup of tea or puts the kettle on. You'd be drunk within a chapter. Again, it was just as charming as the first one.
https://sarahsbookjournal.wordpress.c...

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I had no idea there was a whole sub-genre of “knitting” novels. I find this fact as baffling as it is amusing, but I’m not too proud to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment about Jo Mackenzie’s yarn shop. It’s a light, easy read and truly made me laugh out loud more than once. And also made me want to finish knitting up that scarf I started back in June...

[KarenLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a light, fast read with lovely characters. The same characters and town as in Diva's Don't Knit (aka The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club) with a few new characters, weddings, babies and relationships.

[Alesha Hubbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful time in Jo's life of knitting, raising kids, and coping with the death of her husband. I very much enojoyed this book and look forward to the next installment. It has a very good balance of humor and drama and touching moments.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

BK 2. Jo Mackenzie, is getting the hang of being a single Mom of two young sons, Archie and Jack and their nightmares, whinging and rivalries, after the death of her cheating, divorce wanting, Foreign Correspondent husband. She’s left her London journalist job and is running her Gran’s knitting shop in a seaside village. As if coping with the first anniversary of her husband’s death, her snobby artist socialite mother in law and family, two weddings, her grandmother’s, and her best friend, Ellen Malone, Britain’s favorite tv broadcaster, Jo discovers she’s pregnant! The condoms must not have worked last Christmas in a “So There” brief affair with jet-setting society photographer Daniel, while visiting her own selfish, snobby, flamboyant mother, living in a French villa. Add in the joys of working as knitting coach to movie star new mom, Grace, a neighbor’s unruly lurcher, a fire, are balanced by attentions of handyman Martin, newly divorced, whose mom Elise works in Gran’s shop.
A British beach read, with Jo’s hilarious, under her breath humor and commentary on life. But she is making friends, and becoming a part of the community with no desire to return to London.

[Gwendolyn Broadmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needles and Pearls, by Gill McNeil invites you to cosy up with a blanket. Be prepared (alternatively) to have your heart-strings pulled, and your cheek muscles stretched. Jo Mackenzie, a recent widow, is an engaging and courageous main character. Her cheating husband dies in a violent car crash, after asking for a divorce, and wracking up the bills. Only Jo's Gran, and close friends know this. Nick's family think of him as an award winning father and husband. Our heroine eventually rallies; after all, she has two small grief-stricken boys to comfort and support. Jo ends up taking over her grandmother's knitting store, and struggles hard to keep "everything" together. One of the parts I truly love are the asides: when Jo says the "right" thing, but you're allowed to listen to what she really thinks . . . it always cracks me up. There's enough of everything to keep you engaged. Really, is there anything better than a smile, especially when it blind-sides you? Treat yourself! Gwendolyn Broadmore, author of Life Came to a Standstill.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read when I couldn't decide what I wanted to read.

Part of what I enjoyed about the first book in this series is that it wasn't a story about a woman whose husband had died, and her goal in life was to find love again. It wasn't sappy, and the main character was not perfect and lovely.

That continues in this book, when the main character, Jo, finds herself in a situation she never imagined, while life in the small town where she has moved with her young sons goes on. This book could have jumped the shark and become really sweet and sappy, but instead it just continued the story in the way a life continues.

It's not the best series out there, but it's a nice break from a lot of the other types of books that would be in the same kind of category.

[Cameron Toney · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read the first book in this series I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. It had a sense of humor about it that I really appreciated, and was pleased to learn there were two more books to read.
I'm getting a little suspicious here. The first book had a quiet, lazy sort of path to it. This one has one of my least favorite plot devices, and then the rest of the book is largely about everyones feelings about that.
(Also some of the knitting stuff has me going ack- Jo keeps bringing Grace silk and cashmere blends for baby things. Of course people do knit with silk and cashmere for babies, but still, even for a movie star.... that seems a bit much?)
I'll finish this out, but I wonder if anything will actually happen here.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. I didn't find any real substance to it. It was interesting to read something set near London, but some of it annoyed me. Do the British really start sentences with "Only.."? For example, "Only so and so is coming by to..." And there was SO much tea! Seemed like every page or every other page had someone asking someone if they wanted tea or what they'd like to have with tea! And for some reason the author seemed to have a strange aversion to using exclamation points. Even with situations that would call for it, there was none. Only periods and question marks. Made the characters seem rather monotone and dull, except the kids, who were rather bratty and selfish.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story set in England about a new start in a new community . Jo takes over in her grandmother’s knitting shop. Her friendships and ability to manage is part of the plot. I like the knitting group in the store. Not sure how they knit the items mentioned so quickly. Funny that she is a knitting coach to a diva. Her fling in Venice finds her pregnant while also raising two young boys . Realistic squabbles of the brothers are portrayed, her energy level to do so much seems unbelievable however she has much support from her gran and friends. Cute ending now to see what the next book in the series is.

[Emily Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it was a corny so-bad-it's-great romance novel based on the summary and by golly I wish it was.

For all the things that Happen to our heroine that could be opportunities for Character Development, or perhaps Relationship Building, or even Emotional Introspection we instead have someone making a pot of tea. It's wild that there are some 47 different tantalizing plot points that could each have a narrative arc that all just blow past you and nothing seems to come of any of them. On one hand, that is how Life(TM) goes sometimes, but on the other hand this isn't Life, this is supposed to be a Novel with a point to the story- where was their editor?

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a good summer non-romance. I didn't read the first one, maybe that introduced the main character more. I didn't learn her name in this one until around page 30. there was a lot to relate to - feeling inadequate, worries about motherhood, hesitancy in the face of disasters - but the difference in the narration internally for Jo, and the way other people talk and think about her was so big it made it tough to figure her out. looking back I'd say she was a strong woman, but it didn't feel that way while reading it. overall good story, good writing, and a bit of (British) fun.