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One Day In May
Book by Catherine Alliot
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
97 people are currently reading
720 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Alliott
46 books547 followersCatherine has sold over 3 million bestselling novels worldwide and is translated into eighteen languages.
The first of these novels Catherine started under the desk when she worked as an advertising copywriter. She was duly fired. With time on her hands, she persevered with the novels, which happily flourished.
In the early days she produced a baby with each book - but after three - stuck to the writing as it was less painful.
She writes with her favorite pen in note books, either in the garden or on a sofa.
Home is a rural spot on the Hertfordshire border, which she shares with her family and a menagerie of horses, cows, chickens, and dogs, which at the last count totaled eighty-seven beating hearts, including her husband. Some of her household have walk-on parts in her novels, but only the chickens would probably recognize themselves.
All her novels are published by Penguin Random House internationally, and by No Shooz Publishing in America and will be available in the US in the Fall of 2017.
The first of these novels Catherine started under the desk when she worked as an advertising copywriter. She was duly fired. With time on her hands, she persevered with the novels, which happily flourished.
In the early days she produced a baby with each book - but after three - stuck to the writing as it was less painful.
She writes with her favorite pen in note books, either in the garden or on a sofa.
Home is a rural spot on the Hertfordshire border, which she shares with her family and a menagerie of horses, cows, chickens, and dogs, which at the last count totaled eighty-seven beating hearts, including her husband. Some of her household have walk-on parts in her novels, but only the chickens would probably recognize themselves.
All her novels are published by Penguin Random House internationally, and by No Shooz Publishing in America and will be available in the US in the Fall of 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
December 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this one and found it very engaging. I would check out other titles from her.
Four stars.
Four stars.
July 4, 2011
This is a story all about lies. Big lies, little lies. Lies to yourself and lies to your family. I first started this book some time ago, and I trundled along with it, but in the last two weeks I have seriously started to get back into it.
I have to admit, that I was bowled over by the shocking admission that happens towards the end of the story. I, as a reader, had been suckered into the lies that Hattie had managed to weave around her life, and when I read it, I was as shocked as the characters in the story.
And that is why I loved this story. It was gritty, it was life, it was fantastic, and was real. Hattie had spent a lifetime telling herself lies to make herself feel better, and while they didn’t unravel, it struck a chord, because often we tell ourselves lies in order to feel better about ourselves and our lives.
Hattie as a character was shallow to start with; a married man that she had left and mourned for the rest of her young life; with a younger man that she told herself she wasn’t serious about; an adopted son that she adored, a thriving business, but there was something missing. By the end of the story you knew what was missing. And so did Hattie. After years of lies, she finally found the truth.
I have to admit, that I was bowled over by the shocking admission that happens towards the end of the story. I, as a reader, had been suckered into the lies that Hattie had managed to weave around her life, and when I read it, I was as shocked as the characters in the story.
And that is why I loved this story. It was gritty, it was life, it was fantastic, and was real. Hattie had spent a lifetime telling herself lies to make herself feel better, and while they didn’t unravel, it struck a chord, because often we tell ourselves lies in order to feel better about ourselves and our lives.
Hattie as a character was shallow to start with; a married man that she had left and mourned for the rest of her young life; with a younger man that she told herself she wasn’t serious about; an adopted son that she adored, a thriving business, but there was something missing. By the end of the story you knew what was missing. And so did Hattie. After years of lies, she finally found the truth.
March 19, 2021
Hattie is a single mom with an antique business and a much younger lover. Things seem to be going well for her, until one day she bumps into someone in the village that starts to force Hattie to go down memory lane. The only problem is, Hattie's version of the past that she has shared with everyone, and the way she lives her life now, is not exactly truthful.
This isn't usually my go-to genre of books, but was asked by my sister-in-law to read it to tell her if she'd like it.
It is well-written, but much too long in my opinion. There were a lot of skimmable sections, specifically about interior design. But I did enjoy it, specifically that there were a few surprises and twists in the tale. An enjoyable easy read.
This isn't usually my go-to genre of books, but was asked by my sister-in-law to read it to tell her if she'd like it.
It is well-written, but much too long in my opinion. There were a lot of skimmable sections, specifically about interior design. But I did enjoy it, specifically that there were a few surprises and twists in the tale. An enjoyable easy read.
May 8, 2023
2020
Продължавам маратона наречен от мен :" По Катринелиътски"или "стари книги", които вдъхват живот .
2017
Това е най-тъжната книга на Катрин Елиът .
Явно темата за войните ме преследва отвсякъде.
Тук става дума за войната в Сараево.
Въпреки , че съм чела много пъти нейните книги, винаги намирам нещо ново, което да ме замисли.
Продължавам маратона наречен от мен :" По Катринелиътски"или "стари книги", които вдъхват живот .
2017
Това е най-тъжната книга на Катрин Елиът .
Явно темата за войните ме преследва отвсякъде.
Тук става дума за войната в Сараево.
Въпреки , че съм чела много пъти нейните книги, винаги намирам нещо ново, което да ме замисли.
February 23, 2020
3.5 zvaigznes
Sākumā meli tiek radīti, lai pasargātu citus un arī sevi, vēlāk tie kļūst par neatņemamu dzīves sastāvdaļu un pēcāk jau ir grūti agtzīt patiesību sev.
Hetijai gan viss atrisinās pārsteidzoši mierīgi, bez supedrāmām, bet stāsts ir interesants.
Sākumā meli tiek radīti, lai pasargātu citus un arī sevi, vēlāk tie kļūst par neatņemamu dzīves sastāvdaļu un pēcāk jau ir grūti agtzīt patiesību sev.
Hetijai gan viss atrisinās pārsteidzoši mierīgi, bez supedrāmām, bet stāsts ir interesants.
March 15, 2010
I absolutely love Catherine Alliott’s books and have read the majority of those she’s had published so far. She has a quirky kind of writing style and although some of her plots are a little bit odd (see Rosie Meadows Regrets to know what I mean), her books are ultimately enjoyable. Therefore I was thrilled to see Catherine was back after a two-year absence with a new book (The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton) and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The fact it’s still sitting on my shelf is irrelevant! I was then sent One Day In May to read and have only just gotten around to it as I knew it would take me a few days to read as it’s quite a large book!
The book, as I mentioned, is rather large and the trade paperback (the only version of the book available – the paperback is out in 2011) comes in at just over 450 pages. It makes a change to read something a bit meatier and I couldn’t wait to get sucked in. The book easily sucked me in, as I expected, and I managed to finish the book a mere 48 hours after starting it. For such a long book, I was incredibly worried that it might lag in places but it never really does. Catherine has always written relatively long books so I always know what to expect and I found One Day In May a very absorbing and fantastic tale.
While the main plot at the beginning of the review may well be about Hattie bumping into the widow of her first love, Dominic, there is actually so much more going on in the book. There’s the fact Hattie and her partner Maggie are co-re-decorating Laura and Hugh’s, Hattie’s sister and brother-in-law, house along with a completely different designer Ralph De Grandville which causes much consternation between all parties concerned. Hattie’s relationship with Ivan, her younger boyfriend, is also a bit of a talking point throughout the book. But my favourite sub-plot to the book was learning all about the younger Hattie and how she came to fall in love with Dominic, a married politician. I found that part of the book entirely absorbing although I was constantly telling Hattie not to go there or do that! Another fantastic part of the entire story was Hattie’s visit to Bosnia where she joins her brother Kit who was working with the International Red Cross during the war there. Catherine must have really had to do her research about that and it sounded like such terrible things happened there. The terror and sense of not knowing what may happen to you was palpable and it was really gripping.
As far as characters go, One Day In May had plenty of fantastic characters. I must of course mention Hattie first as she’s not only our main character but the book is also told entirely from her point of view. Hattie was immensely likeable and although some of her decisions may have been questionable, I could completely understand everything she did. I absolutely loved Seffy, Hattie’s son. He was a typical teenager but he definitely had some hidden depths which are revealed as the book progresses. I also really loved Maggie, Hattie’s best friend and business partner. She was very forthright and vocal and was completely unafraid to voice her opinion, no matter who it offended. The sparring between herself and Ralph De Grandville (the other interior designer) was legendary. The rest of Hattie’s family were great, too, and they sound like a family anyone would be proud to call family. I couldn’t mention the characters without mentioning Letty, Dominic’s widow, and Hal, Dominic’s brother. We didn’t really see much of Letty, though, but I really liked Hal. I also must mention Ivan, Hattie’s young boyfriend. We don’t actually see much of him but he is quite an important character. To be honest, we see so little of him that I still don’t really know what I thought of him!
Catherine’s writing is as fantastic as ever. She seems to have a similar writing style to Katie Fforde, whom I adore. I hate to tag the style as old-fashioned as it’s not really old-fashioned but it’s different to the younger chick lit generation. More mature, perhaps. It’s a hugely enjoyable writing style though and I hugely enjoy reading it. As it usual with a Catherine Alliott book there are plenty of twists and turns. I actually thought I had the ending all sussed out but no, Catherine came up with another twist! We also find out just why the book is titled One Day In May – I got about halfway through the book and I was wondering where the title had come from! I suppose the only downside for me was the ending. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good ending but I just wasn’t expecting it and it kind of felt a bit rushed.
Overall One Day In May is another fantastic read from Catherine Alliott. I, for one, am thrilled she’s back and I really missed her books in her two year absence. Here’s to many more fab Catherine Alliott books. One Day In May is a fine read and I look forward to getting stuck into The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton! Hugely recommended!
The book, as I mentioned, is rather large and the trade paperback (the only version of the book available – the paperback is out in 2011) comes in at just over 450 pages. It makes a change to read something a bit meatier and I couldn’t wait to get sucked in. The book easily sucked me in, as I expected, and I managed to finish the book a mere 48 hours after starting it. For such a long book, I was incredibly worried that it might lag in places but it never really does. Catherine has always written relatively long books so I always know what to expect and I found One Day In May a very absorbing and fantastic tale.
While the main plot at the beginning of the review may well be about Hattie bumping into the widow of her first love, Dominic, there is actually so much more going on in the book. There’s the fact Hattie and her partner Maggie are co-re-decorating Laura and Hugh’s, Hattie’s sister and brother-in-law, house along with a completely different designer Ralph De Grandville which causes much consternation between all parties concerned. Hattie’s relationship with Ivan, her younger boyfriend, is also a bit of a talking point throughout the book. But my favourite sub-plot to the book was learning all about the younger Hattie and how she came to fall in love with Dominic, a married politician. I found that part of the book entirely absorbing although I was constantly telling Hattie not to go there or do that! Another fantastic part of the entire story was Hattie’s visit to Bosnia where she joins her brother Kit who was working with the International Red Cross during the war there. Catherine must have really had to do her research about that and it sounded like such terrible things happened there. The terror and sense of not knowing what may happen to you was palpable and it was really gripping.
As far as characters go, One Day In May had plenty of fantastic characters. I must of course mention Hattie first as she’s not only our main character but the book is also told entirely from her point of view. Hattie was immensely likeable and although some of her decisions may have been questionable, I could completely understand everything she did. I absolutely loved Seffy, Hattie’s son. He was a typical teenager but he definitely had some hidden depths which are revealed as the book progresses. I also really loved Maggie, Hattie’s best friend and business partner. She was very forthright and vocal and was completely unafraid to voice her opinion, no matter who it offended. The sparring between herself and Ralph De Grandville (the other interior designer) was legendary. The rest of Hattie’s family were great, too, and they sound like a family anyone would be proud to call family. I couldn’t mention the characters without mentioning Letty, Dominic’s widow, and Hal, Dominic’s brother. We didn’t really see much of Letty, though, but I really liked Hal. I also must mention Ivan, Hattie’s young boyfriend. We don’t actually see much of him but he is quite an important character. To be honest, we see so little of him that I still don’t really know what I thought of him!
Catherine’s writing is as fantastic as ever. She seems to have a similar writing style to Katie Fforde, whom I adore. I hate to tag the style as old-fashioned as it’s not really old-fashioned but it’s different to the younger chick lit generation. More mature, perhaps. It’s a hugely enjoyable writing style though and I hugely enjoy reading it. As it usual with a Catherine Alliott book there are plenty of twists and turns. I actually thought I had the ending all sussed out but no, Catherine came up with another twist! We also find out just why the book is titled One Day In May – I got about halfway through the book and I was wondering where the title had come from! I suppose the only downside for me was the ending. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good ending but I just wasn’t expecting it and it kind of felt a bit rushed.
Overall One Day In May is another fantastic read from Catherine Alliott. I, for one, am thrilled she’s back and I really missed her books in her two year absence. Here’s to many more fab Catherine Alliott books. One Day In May is a fine read and I look forward to getting stuck into The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton! Hugely recommended!
May 5, 2020
3.5 stars single parenting
There’s a twist on story
Again peoples should learned from this book No right in any parts of the world to love someone which already committed to ( partner / wife / husband etc )
It’s not yours no matter how fault / toxic their relationship, you are no angel
Stay away because when you took things that wasn’t yours it will never end well
If it’s mean to be you - it will come back to you as your own , not a stolen thing
Well written book - why I don’t give it like 4 or 5 stars, despite the fault of Hal by sending h some short harsh letter , of all their interaction / attraction I hope h give him back his love and be happily together
Nope it’s end rather dry
There’s a twist on story
Again peoples should learned from this book No right in any parts of the world to love someone which already committed to ( partner / wife / husband etc )
It’s not yours no matter how fault / toxic their relationship, you are no angel
Stay away because when you took things that wasn’t yours it will never end well
If it’s mean to be you - it will come back to you as your own , not a stolen thing
Well written book - why I don’t give it like 4 or 5 stars, despite the fault of Hal by sending h some short harsh letter , of all their interaction / attraction I hope h give him back his love and be happily together
Nope it’s end rather dry
July 5, 2012
Where do I begin to express my dislike for this book? I'm not sure because anything I say might actually spoil the read for anyone who might want to (piece of advice: don't). The characters are really weak, and even after finishing the book I can't say that I know enough about the main character to think of her with anything but indifference; and as for the plot, that's another story (I crack myself up), it's totally non-existent. Based on the blurb, I got the impression going in that there would be some sort of romance and something interesting -- that was not the case. Absolutely nothing happened, in the first 3/4 of the book, and then in the last quarter things picked up but in a "Bobby in the shower", wishy-washy kinda way. I really didn't appreciate that. I love a good twist but I did not see the point of this last minute effort. Why all the seemingly significant events and developemtn in the lives of second and third string characters? How was this germane to the main character's development? And where the heck was the editor on this one?
Read
January 20, 2016Maybe I will read this book "One day in May"...
I gave up after a few pages. I can't understand for the life of me why it was so hard for me to get in to the flow of the book. I am rather gonna keep this one for a rainy day...
I gave up after a few pages. I can't understand for the life of me why it was so hard for me to get in to the flow of the book. I am rather gonna keep this one for a rainy day...
December 14, 2014
boring, predictable and cliche, with characters that are more like caricatures. the silver lining is the writing.
September 21, 2020
Single mum Hattie has built a life for her and her son through an antiques business she shares with her friend and has a relationship with a younger man. However there are secrets that threaten to tear this all apart.
The premise of the book centres around something that happened One Day in May which has sent Hattie on a road that she can’t get off of. The book moves between present and past slowly revealing the secrets that have built up over the years, leading Hattie to face some harsh realities and the feeling of disappointing those she cares about.
There are a number of things that meant this story is just not for me, firstly the writing tended to be hard going in places, whether that be due to a turn of phrase or just the sheer entitlement of the characters I found it tough to get into.
I found Hattie as a character, not particularly likeable. She is self deprecating, has a lack of faith in those who care for her, she lies to the extent that she almost believes those lies and she seems to have little remorse towards those she has hurt with her actions.
When the truth comes out I was amazed at how well everyone took it, almost like she had not been in her right mind and therefore allowances regarding her behaviour could be made. Whilst I am sure that most families, should this situation arise, would be understanding and forgiving eventually but I am also pretty sure there would have been hell to pay for a bit first.
I did wonder whether Hattie was actually delusional at times as she became so fixated on someone that, from what we know in the book had little more than a one night stand and working relationship with. I also didn’t like how Hattie justified cheating, in my mind there is no justification.
There are some who may love this book, after all we can’t all like the same thing, but this was not one that I enjoyed and based on this I will not be in a rush to read another book by this author.
The premise of the book centres around something that happened One Day in May which has sent Hattie on a road that she can’t get off of. The book moves between present and past slowly revealing the secrets that have built up over the years, leading Hattie to face some harsh realities and the feeling of disappointing those she cares about.
There are a number of things that meant this story is just not for me, firstly the writing tended to be hard going in places, whether that be due to a turn of phrase or just the sheer entitlement of the characters I found it tough to get into.
I found Hattie as a character, not particularly likeable. She is self deprecating, has a lack of faith in those who care for her, she lies to the extent that she almost believes those lies and she seems to have little remorse towards those she has hurt with her actions.
When the truth comes out I was amazed at how well everyone took it, almost like she had not been in her right mind and therefore allowances regarding her behaviour could be made. Whilst I am sure that most families, should this situation arise, would be understanding and forgiving eventually but I am also pretty sure there would have been hell to pay for a bit first.
I did wonder whether Hattie was actually delusional at times as she became so fixated on someone that, from what we know in the book had little more than a one night stand and working relationship with. I also didn’t like how Hattie justified cheating, in my mind there is no justification.
There are some who may love this book, after all we can’t all like the same thing, but this was not one that I enjoyed and based on this I will not be in a rush to read another book by this author.
July 12, 2021
Not a bad book, a bit slow to start with but then wanted to keep reading this nice little love story with twist and spice
August 21, 2023
Quite an interesting read with some funny moments ... not sure I really liked the plot though
January 7, 2024
*2.5 για την ακρίβεια
Ακόμη ένα συγγραφικό θαύμα της εποχής και του συρμού, γραμμένο με τις προσεκτικές συμβουλές των σεμιναρίων δημιουργικής γραφής περί επιτυχίας.
Διαβάζεται γρήγορα και με κάποιο ενδιαφέρον, παρά τις αδυναμίες του. Το όλο οικοδόμημα στηρίζεται στην οπτική της ηρωίδας για τη ζωή και τις επιλογές της και ο αναγνώστης συμβαδίζει αδιαμαρτύρητα με την ιστορία της, μέχρι που ... πουφ ... γκρεμίζονται όλα σαν χάρτινος πύργος.
Είναι αυτό που λένε : ο κόσμος το' χει τούμπανο κι εμείς κρυφό καμάρι ...
Διαβάζουμε διάφορες κουραστικές λεπτομέρειες που έχουν να κάνουν με τους προβληματισμούς της ηρωίδας και τις υπεκφυγές των γύρω της. Πράγματα που θα είχαν λυθεί στη σελίδα 35 και θα είχαν τακτοποιηθεί όλα ...
Το πρώτο που σοβαρά με ενόχλησε στο βιβλίο ήταν η εκμετάλλευση προς κατανάλωση, του πολέμου στη Βοσνία. Καθαρά επιδερμικά, χρησιμοποιείται ένας πόλεμος για να συγκινηθούμε με την αυτοθυσία της ηρωίδας και διαβάζουμε ξανά και ξανά για τις αγριότητες του πολέμου, λες και οι πόλεμοι είναι περίπατοι σε λουλουδιασμένους κήπους ...
Αμφιβάλλω αν η πλειοψηφία των αναγνωστών έχει ακούσει περί αυτού του πολέμου και αμφιβάλλω αν έχει ιδέα, έστω και χοντρικά, για την ιστορία του ... Και εννοείται ότι το βιβλίο δεν πρόκειται να διδάξει τίποτα το ιστορικά ουσιαστικό σε κανέναν ...
Το δεύτερο που με ενόχλησε ήταν η περιγραφή του αντίπαλου δέους - διακοσμητή της ιστορίας. Αφήνεται να εννοηθεί ότι επρόκειτο για έναν θορυβώδη και εριστικό θηλυπρεπή, επαγγελματικό ανταγωνιστή της ηρωίδας. Αποκαλύπτεται ωστόσο ότι ήταν βαρβάτος άντρας που έπρεπε να φαίνεται ακίνδυνος στο ανδρικό φύλο και ταυτόχρονα να αποφεύγει το καμάκι των βαριεστημένων πλούσιων πελατισσών του!!
Φαίνεται ότι η συγγραφέας είχε δει με κάποιο τρόπο, τη σκηνή της ελληνικής ταινίας που η Βλαχοπούλου νουθετεί το Χρόνη Εξαρχάκο πώς να σπάει το χέρι και να κουνά τη μέση, για τους ίδιους ακριβώς λόγους ...
Προηγούμεθα κατά πολλά έτη ... άστο, χρυσή μου, δεν πιανόμεθα ...
Μα η μεγάλη ανατροπή (αφού ο αναγνώστης έχει καταπιεί τα κλισέ της αρκούδας), η πραγματική ανατροπή έρχεται στο τέλος ...
Η ηρωίδα (που σχεδόν φυτοζωεί) δέχεται την πρόταση του φίλου τής φοιτητικής της ζωής, και νυν πάμπλουτου δικηγόρου, αιώνια ερωτευμένου μαζί της, να παντρευτούν ...
Διαβάζουμε περιγραφές για σπιτάρα στις ακριβές περιοχές του Λονδίνου, μονόπετρα εκθαμβωτικά, τσάντες επώνυμες, παπούτσια, ρούχα, νύχια, μαλλιά και όλα αυτά που απαρτίζουν τον ξέγνοιαστο βίο μιας γυναίκας, μακαρίζουμε την τύχη της ηρωίδας, ξεφυσάμε ανακουφισμένες ... ουφ ... την αποκαταστήσαμε κι αυτήν... πάει ... Αμ δε ... Εκεί να δεις ανατροπή ... που δεν κρατιέσαι ... γυρίζεις και φασκελώνεις το ζώον ...
Αυτή η ανατροπή χάρισε μισό αστέρι επιπλέον στο πόνημα ...
Ποιος ή μάλλον ποια (διότι αμφιβάλλω αν υπήρξε άνδρας αναγνώστης) θα περίμενε να πει όχι η πρωταγωνίστρια;
Και μόνο για αυτό που έκανε η συγγραφέας πριμοδοτήθηκε με μισό ολόκληρο αστέρι :)))
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2012
One Day in May by Catherine Alliott may be one of my favourite chick lit reads of the year so far! I decided to read it for this month's Chick Lit Plus Challenge read because it's May and since the book has "May" in the title I found it fitting. It's been sitting on my shelf for awhile but I'm glad I finally got around to reading it because I really enjoyed it!
I'm a huge fan of British/Irish chick lit. I have some favourites - Matthews, O'Flanagan, Ahern - and I think Alliott may end up on this list as well. I read A Crowded Marriage ages ago and liked it. I recently reviewed Rural Affair over at Novel Escapes but unfortunately that one didn't do much for me (you can read the review here). I still wanted to give One Day in May a try (it was waiting patiently on my shelf, after all) and I found it to be Brit chick lit at it's finest. I'm not sure why I love these kinds of books so much. It could be because the setting and language is just a little bit different from what I know here in Canada. Some chick lit books are just so generic in their location so it's nice to be plopped in the English countryside and be able to take a quick jaunt over to France for a few scenes. It's something different than NYC or LA and I really appreciate that.
There was a lot going on in this novel but I never felt lost or that there was too much happening. There's a flashback portion at the beginning as we learn about how Hattie came to adopt Seffy and go into business with Maggie. And of course, we also learn the details of the very brief affair with Dominic. Everything was woven together well and even though my co-worker (who had borrowed my copy last month to read on vacay and loved it too) warned me that it started slow, I didn't find that to be the case.
There are many delightful characters in this novel. Hattie has a large but lovely family - son, parents, brother, sister, brother-in-law, two nieces, and a nephew. She also has Maggie, her slightly abrasive but well meaning BFF, long time friend Christian, and boy toy Ivan. It is so clear that Hattie cares deeply for everyone in her life and they, in turn, care for her. The family dynamic is so great in this novel and is one of my favourite parts of the book.
I'm usually able to figure out the end result of most chick lit novels but One Day in May totally threw me for a loop. There were a couple of things that I did NOT see coming at all and I loved that. And that's all you'll get out of me on that. No spoilers here! :)
I always know a book is really good when I HAVE to pass along the book to my mom as soon as I'm finished. Catherine Alliot's One Day in May is one of those books and it will be heading home with me for the long weekend. It was a fun, sweet, and moving story and I definitely recommend it to all chick lit lovers!
Happy reading :)
I'm a huge fan of British/Irish chick lit. I have some favourites - Matthews, O'Flanagan, Ahern - and I think Alliott may end up on this list as well. I read A Crowded Marriage ages ago and liked it. I recently reviewed Rural Affair over at Novel Escapes but unfortunately that one didn't do much for me (you can read the review here). I still wanted to give One Day in May a try (it was waiting patiently on my shelf, after all) and I found it to be Brit chick lit at it's finest. I'm not sure why I love these kinds of books so much. It could be because the setting and language is just a little bit different from what I know here in Canada. Some chick lit books are just so generic in their location so it's nice to be plopped in the English countryside and be able to take a quick jaunt over to France for a few scenes. It's something different than NYC or LA and I really appreciate that.
There was a lot going on in this novel but I never felt lost or that there was too much happening. There's a flashback portion at the beginning as we learn about how Hattie came to adopt Seffy and go into business with Maggie. And of course, we also learn the details of the very brief affair with Dominic. Everything was woven together well and even though my co-worker (who had borrowed my copy last month to read on vacay and loved it too) warned me that it started slow, I didn't find that to be the case.
There are many delightful characters in this novel. Hattie has a large but lovely family - son, parents, brother, sister, brother-in-law, two nieces, and a nephew. She also has Maggie, her slightly abrasive but well meaning BFF, long time friend Christian, and boy toy Ivan. It is so clear that Hattie cares deeply for everyone in her life and they, in turn, care for her. The family dynamic is so great in this novel and is one of my favourite parts of the book.
I'm usually able to figure out the end result of most chick lit novels but One Day in May totally threw me for a loop. There were a couple of things that I did NOT see coming at all and I loved that. And that's all you'll get out of me on that. No spoilers here! :)
I always know a book is really good when I HAVE to pass along the book to my mom as soon as I'm finished. Catherine Alliot's One Day in May is one of those books and it will be heading home with me for the long weekend. It was a fun, sweet, and moving story and I definitely recommend it to all chick lit lovers!
Happy reading :)
December 11, 2011
This is the story of Hattie, an almost 40-year-old single mum with teenage son Seffen, who has a serious attitude problem (what teenager doesn't?). She runs a French antiques business with her friend Maggie, and has a secret toy-boy Ivan.
Her gorgeous sister Laura is married to an upper-crust rich man with a country manor in need of serious re-decorating, so Hattie is called in to oblige. This brings back memories of Hattie's first love Dominic, a married politician, as the manor is located in the village where he lived.
"One Day in May" has very well developed characters, who are quirky, funny, likeable, flawed, and they each have a back-story which explains why they are the way they are. I also enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and many of the scenes are funny and highly entertaining.
The main problem for me, however, was that I guessed the story's big "secret" before the end of chapter one, so felt the plot was a little on the thin side.
Hattie herself was also a bit of a puzzle. She suffers from low self-esteem (even hiding her face in the morning from her lover, lest he see her without make-up), but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. At times, I just wanted to slap her, as she didn't seem to have much to complain about. She had also wasted 15 years of her life mourning her married lover, who came across to me as a sleazy bastard, who cheated on his heavily pregnant wife with the intern!
Overall, however, the book had many moments of enjoyment, and it was an easy read.
Her gorgeous sister Laura is married to an upper-crust rich man with a country manor in need of serious re-decorating, so Hattie is called in to oblige. This brings back memories of Hattie's first love Dominic, a married politician, as the manor is located in the village where he lived.
"One Day in May" has very well developed characters, who are quirky, funny, likeable, flawed, and they each have a back-story which explains why they are the way they are. I also enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and many of the scenes are funny and highly entertaining.
The main problem for me, however, was that I guessed the story's big "secret" before the end of chapter one, so felt the plot was a little on the thin side.
Hattie herself was also a bit of a puzzle. She suffers from low self-esteem (even hiding her face in the morning from her lover, lest he see her without make-up), but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. At times, I just wanted to slap her, as she didn't seem to have much to complain about. She had also wasted 15 years of her life mourning her married lover, who came across to me as a sleazy bastard, who cheated on his heavily pregnant wife with the intern!
Overall, however, the book had many moments of enjoyment, and it was an easy read.
March 20, 2013
Second book I have read from this author. Enjoyed rural affair but this book annoyed me. I wont give it away but hate it when authors blatantly lie to you and mislead you. It is lazy writing. Not just the most obvious twist - but the way the author paints our leading ladies perception of different characters. Also I am not averse to a bit of artistic licence but there are some major inaccuracies in the book - the aristocracy don't put modern art all over their stately homes for a start - emails way before they existed!!
The lead didn't endear herself to me all. Bit of a weak character. What is it about chick lit and the leads always having to fall over with egg on their faces?
The lead didn't endear herself to me all. Bit of a weak character. What is it about chick lit and the leads always having to fall over with egg on their faces?
June 18, 2012
The author does a good job of making you like the characters in this book except for the main character, Hattie. From the beginning, she oscillates wildly between uninteresting and grating. The story moved along at a good pace and was organized in an interesting way, but the end felt rushed, sloppy and awkward. It is one of those books that you read KNOWING it is building to a big reveal, and once the "reveal" happens in this book, it renders everything you read previously pointless and makes you dislike the already unlikeable Hattie even more.
October 30, 2012
Catherine Alliot is on top form with this book. It's funny and the characters are engaging. I would have given it five stars except for one thing, I think the plot twist towards the end of the book is a bit of a cheat. The story is told in the first person by the heroine, Hattie, who is very open about her life, but Alliot deliberately misleads the reader about Hattie's son so that the plot twist can have the necessary impact, which struck me as a bit devious.
January 1, 2013
This was a four star read right up until the end - then it was ruined. I cannot remember the last time i was let down so badly by a story.
I don't want to ruin the story, but I cannot understand how she ended up with that guy. Perhaps the author did too good a job of persuading me that he was wrong and the other was right. Perhaps the author just changed her mind. Either way, it was ruined for me. Such a shame.
I don't want to ruin the story, but I cannot understand how she ended up with that guy. Perhaps the author did too good a job of persuading me that he was wrong and the other was right. Perhaps the author just changed her mind. Either way, it was ruined for me. Such a shame.
September 23, 2011
I thought I was going to love this book but I was dissapointed by its weak story line, and I really didn't like the end. I thought some parts were exagerated and some were boring. I don't think I will ever read it again.
August 2, 2019
Διάβασα την μετάφραση στα Ελληνικά απ' την εκδοτική Bell. Σαν ιστορία δε με ενθουσίασε ιδιαίτερα, απ' την περιγραφή περίμενα μια πιο ρομαντική ιστορία, ενώ στην πραγματικότητα η πρωταγωνίστρια ελάχιστη σχέση έχει με τον ρομαντισμό, άσχετα αν θέλει να μας αποδείξει το αντίθετο. Εξαλλου έχει γίνει αρκετά κακή δουλειά στην ανάπτυξη τόσο του χαρακτήρα και του ψυχισμού της πρωταγωνίστριας όσο και στην ανάπτυξη των υπολοίπων χαρακτήρων. Λίγα κίνητρα αποκαλύπτονται, και ακόμα λιγότερα έχουν κάποια δόση ρεαλισμού. Η συναισθηματική ωρίμανση/ανάπτυξη των χαρακτήρων είναι σχεδόν μηδαμινή με αποτέλεσμα να μην μπορείς να ταυτιστείς έστω και μόνο συναισθηματικά με κανέναν εξ αυτών και γενικά παρά το όποιο συνταρακτικό γεγονός και αν συμβαίνει στη ζωή της πρωταγωνίστριας, εμείς επιστρέφουμε μετά στο ίδιο "επίπεδο" συναίσθημα. Το μόνο που με ικανοποίησε στο βιβλίο είναι κάποιες από τις περιγραφές οι οποίες είναι αρκετά παραστατικές, ειδικά η φρίκη του πολέμου στις βαλκανικές χώρες έχουν γραφεί απίστευτα τόσο απ' τη σκοπιά κάποιων γεγονότων, όσο και από αυτή των ανθρώπων που τον ζούσαν στο επίκεντρό του (βέβαια προς το τέλος μαθαίνουμε ότι ένα κομμάτι των γεγονότων δεν αποτελεί την αλήθεια, και η πρωταγωνίστρια όχι απλά λέει ψέματα σε εμάς αλλά και στον ίδιο της τον εαυτό). Και αυτές βέβαια από ένα σημείο και μετά επαναλαμβάνονται και κουράζουν...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2019
Terrible book. I'm not even sure why I finished reading it. The end is about the only thing I like about this book.
I had no sympathy for the main character up until things became clearer close to the end and even then I was more like "a, that explains it a bit" than anything else.
The author seems to be stuck in a 50ies mindset and from the amount of times the main character thought about being too old for just about anything, one would think she was supposed to be about 60. And aaaaargh, the dreaming about a time in which her main occupation would be "wife of SOMEONE", seriously.... no.
Plus, the author put a plain lie in there. That's just lazy. I don't mind being led to false conclusions, I like that in a book, but actual lying? No, thanks.
I read another book by Alliott which I found pretty OK, so I'm thinking maybe it's just this one thats a bit on the weaker side. Maybe I'll try another some time.
I had no sympathy for the main character up until things became clearer close to the end and even then I was more like "a, that explains it a bit" than anything else.
The author seems to be stuck in a 50ies mindset and from the amount of times the main character thought about being too old for just about anything, one would think she was supposed to be about 60. And aaaaargh, the dreaming about a time in which her main occupation would be "wife of SOMEONE", seriously.... no.
Plus, the author put a plain lie in there. That's just lazy. I don't mind being led to false conclusions, I like that in a book, but actual lying? No, thanks.
I read another book by Alliott which I found pretty OK, so I'm thinking maybe it's just this one thats a bit on the weaker side. Maybe I'll try another some time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2023
Well I started reading this some time ago, definitely 2 months plus, it sat on my coffee table and I would pick it up and read another couple of pages. I couldn't get into it at all. Hattie was just a bit annoying with her dreams of all things wonderful.
But when I eventually decided a few days ago that I either finish it or forget it, I started to get drawn in. The twists and turns of Hatties life and that of her family. There were lots of little lies that lead to bigger lies, but none more so that the revelation about a hundred pages before the end , the big kiss where enormous, and she got me book line and sinker, I usually have an inkling where a story is going, oh back , not this time. Definitely worth the read as the research that's been done to give the back story has been extremely well done. That being said if you can get through the first 100 pages you will, like me finish it in 2 days 😊
But when I eventually decided a few days ago that I either finish it or forget it, I started to get drawn in. The twists and turns of Hatties life and that of her family. There were lots of little lies that lead to bigger lies, but none more so that the revelation about a hundred pages before the end , the big kiss where enormous, and she got me book line and sinker, I usually have an inkling where a story is going, oh back , not this time. Definitely worth the read as the research that's been done to give the back story has been extremely well done. That being said if you can get through the first 100 pages you will, like me finish it in 2 days 😊
October 29, 2017
Well I was disappointed in this. Normally I find Alliott's books good fun but from the start I had my doubts. I didn't warm to any of the characters & Hattie herself wasn't a particularly credible character - the whole adoption thing (which admittedly would be very admirable in real life) didn't ring true although the tale leading up to it was much more serious than is usual in this style of book, & indeed for this author. Otherwise, it was predictable (it was so, so obvious that a part received text was going to have some "vital" significance *yawn*), an unrealistic tale but neither out-&-out escapism. Not one of her best.....
August 25, 2025
I've had this one on my shelves for a very long time, probably the better part of 7 years, and for a trip abroad I finally decided to give it a go, since it was in paperback format and all. All I can say is that I'm rather disappointed with my choice.
I read about a hundred pages before I figured that I didn't really like any of the characters so far, and while I've previously enjoyed Alliott's character depth and writing style, this was dragging on for too long and not making any real sort of progress. No character was particularly likable, and I couldn't really see a reason to attempt to immerse myself in this world any longer.
I read about a hundred pages before I figured that I didn't really like any of the characters so far, and while I've previously enjoyed Alliott's character depth and writing style, this was dragging on for too long and not making any real sort of progress. No character was particularly likable, and I couldn't really see a reason to attempt to immerse myself in this world any longer.
May 21, 2017
Hattie a single parent prefers to complicate her life with secrets than put it out there. With a cast of characters that vary from the well drawn out to the cliched, Catherine Alliott displays glimmers of the style that has made her previous books so popular.
This book suffered from being about 100 pages too long without adding anything to the meandering storyline. Unfortunately the ending dragged and became tedious, proving that sometimes less is best.
This book suffered from being about 100 pages too long without adding anything to the meandering storyline. Unfortunately the ending dragged and became tedious, proving that sometimes less is best.
August 11, 2017
We all tell lies - some lies are just bigger than others. This book is all about that - but in a way that I did not always find convincing. I picked it up from a free library during the summer holiday - if I had picked it up when I had more books to read, I would not have finished it. Which would have been a shame, as the end was quite good. If you are looking for a simple read, pick up this book.
May 1, 2023
I got this book used at a second-hand bookshop with no real expectations. It looked like a Brit lit chick read, so I was expecting something silly and light. I was very surprised at the depth of the emotion in the adoption storyline, which was painfully poignant. There were light and silly parts, but the Croatia storyline and the parent relationship between Seffy and Hattie was totally worth reading.
November 22, 2017
Having read several Catherine Alliott books in the past, I was totally unprepared for the depth and grittiness of this book, and very pleasantly surprised by it. Yet it still had laugh out loud moments and grab a tissue moments which were more what I'd expected. Not a Great book, not a future award winner, but a bl**dy good read nevertheless
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