O que eu me ri com mais esta história de Jill Mansell, inacreditável.Após o último livro que li desta autora, excelente, pensei que tão depressa não passaria os olhos por algo seu tão divertido, mas eis Acasos Felizes para me surpreender, e de que maneira!Depois de dez livros lidos e nove opinados desta escritora aqui no blogue, confesso-vos que começo a ficar com a sensação, quase certeza, de que os meus comentários às suas narrativas são repetitivos. Afinal de contas, Jill cativa-me pelas suas singularidades que não variam muito de livro para livro – o que para quem gosta como eu é uma mais-valia – e que mais voltam a encontrar-se expostas no seu melhor. Dito isto, cheguei a um momento em que avalio as suas histórias com base nas personagens principais, no estilo de abordagem às problemáticas e romance comuns e, mais importante, em relação às peripécias, reviravoltas e humor – tudo o resto nestas páginas é trapalhada habitual de ler e chorar por mais.Como tão bem elucida a sinopse, a questão central do texto gira torno da dificuldade de Lottie em ser feliz com o homem de quem gosta devido aos seus pestinhas, que o vêm como um monstro. A somar a este problema simples, existe o ex. marido de Lottie sempre colado à porta de sua casa, a boa amiga com teias de aranha, o seu antigo patrão e grande amigo envolvido numa fatalidade e um homem lindo, rico e sedutor que afinal pode não ser um partido assim tão bom, mas que os pestinhas adoram.Resumindo, a vida amorosa da protagonista tem tudo para correr mal, e corre realmente mal, mas é maravilhoso vê-la assim como a Tyler sofrerem – muito bem, é horrível o que eu acabei de dizer, mas é uma das maravilhas da ficção.Gostei imenso de Lottie. Esta protagonista vai da irascibilidade à doçura em segundos com o seu feitio peculiar, já para não falar do seu sentido de humor, do seu grande coração de mãe e de se revelar uma amiga que dá o sangue por aqueles que estima. É, claro está, do género que se coloca nas situações mais impossíveis, que não sabe o significado da palavra descrição e que se mete onde não é chamada, ou não fosse ela louca por um segredo ou coscuvilhice. Gostei igualmente dos seus filhos, Nat e Ruby, muito irritantes, embirrentos e teimosos, algo que eu deduzo ser próprio dos seus sete e dez anos de idade, mas por outro lado também têm momentos em que são os anjos, como qualquer criança.No que respeita aos machos de Lottie, o ex. marido Mario caracteriza-se por ser um mulherengo que se vai moderando ao longo do texto, cumprindo bem o seu papel de pai e redimindo-se na segunda metade do livro. Já Tyler, que está igualmente bem enquanto patrão fatal, surpreendeu-me muito no final embora, desde o início, fosse possível antever a sua boa índole e me tenha logo conquistado pela sua eterna paciência. Por fim, Seb, é do género que nos deixa a pulga atrás da orelha mas o que vamos seguindo para ver até onde vai, bem ele vai longe, isso é certo. São todos previsíveis, essa é que é essa, mas são o protótipo de personagem Jill a que não resisto.Ainda em relação a intervenientes, quero citar Cress e Jojo, tia e sobrinha. A primeira é uma grande amiga de Lottie e juntamente com a sua menina acabam por protagonizar uma temática bastante interessante, assim como Freddie o ex. patrão da protagonista que permite a introdução de algo incomum nos livros desta autora, passagens temporais no passado e que dão ênfase ao presente desta personagem com questões importantes.Personagens, imensas como sempre, à parte, adorei os momentos altos do livro. As caricatas situações com uma Nana, um lagarto, com cinzas e uma crise de soluços ficam para a história de tão divertidas que foram – gargalhei! As reviravoltas, por vezes surpreendentes, foram mais um ponto positivo, embora o final tenha continuado a ser imaginável. E gostei, também, de todo o ambiente criado em torno da aldeia, onde não faltam os cromos e as fofocas que animam o dia de qualquer habitante de um local pequeno e idílico.No que respeita a questões pertinentes, Jill volta a satirizar vários clichés e vários traços característicos de indivíduos comuns, mais ou menos bons, que de uma forma ou de outra encontramos no nosso dia-a-dia. Os snobes, os fúteis e os interesseiros estão presentes, assim como os tímidos, os mulherengos e os excêntricos. Igualmente abordadas são questões como a morte e as drogas, e, num campo mais afectivo, o divórcio, a adopção, as relações passageiras e todo o que se encontra associado a novos relacionamentos de pais solteiros.Numa vertente mais animadora e emotiva, esta é também uma história de segundas oportunidades, de evolução individual e sobre o amor leve mas intenso pois, embora nem sempre pareça, esta autora é uma romântica.Opinião completa em: http://historiasdeelphaba.blogspot.pt...
The first I have read by Jill Mansell, Making Your Mind Up is a re-release of a book initially published in 2006. I’ve heard wonderful things about this UK author’s writing, so I couldn’t wait to dive in. Lottie is a single/divorced mother of two, living in one of the more picturesque areas of England, the Cotswolds. Mansell uses that sense of place and the uniqueness of life to ground the story in a way that is both familiar and different. With Lottie’s job comes a new opportunity in the form of her boss, Tyler. He’s a wonderfully well-developed character and the potential for an epic love story is established. But then, Lottie did what so many people do: she allowed her children (who aren’t particularly attractive in behavior or approach) to dictate her life, far above and beyond their purview. They HATE Tyler, with few good reasons, and their constant sniping, sass and whinging have her capitulating to their desires in lieu of her own happiness. I was so frustrated with her behavior, the bad example set for the kids by not requiring their atitudes adjust and they behave with proper manners, no matter their thoughts, that I was ready to strangle her. And OH – I’ve been there – as a single mother you have to make relationship choices for you, while the kids are considered, it wasn’t as if Lottie was bringing in a string of men. Then, not surprisingly, along comes another option in the form of Sebastian, and everything is wonderful and glorious. The kids love him and would sing songs and dedicate days in his honor if they could. But things aren’t quite right – in fact I found him a little “too” perfect, and that tiny voice deep down in Lottie’s head thinks it too. She still pines for Tyler and the fit that was their relationship, but doesn’t see a way to make it work. Starting out with a bang, the story built a wonderful premise with characters that were complete and complex with faults and fears mixed in with their good qualities. But somewhere in the late mid-point of the story, the characters started to behave in ways that were more exaggerated and caricature, less grounded in reality than I would have hoped for. The funny thing is, that people DO often exaggerate qualities, or behave ridiculously, and there was a tenuous tether that kept me in the story as I needed to know just what Sebastian’s major malfunction was. With the addition of children, a series of mix-ups and a love that is not to be denied, this was an interesting introduction to this author’s work and will have me adding more of her titles to my ever-growing TBR pile.I received an eBook copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
What do You think about Making Your Mind Up (2006)?
Mijn derde van deze auteur op rij en ik moet zeggen het ging van goed naar beter naar best. Zoals elke chicklit is het einde voorspelbaar maar in dit genre vind ik dat helemaal niet erg. De weg loopt immers niet over rozen. De schrijfster voegde heel wat komisch situaties toe voor alles uiteindelijk in kannen en kruiken is. Maar tussen al die hilariteit door, word je toch ook wel af en toe met de neus op de realiteit gedrukt. De titel is goed gekozen. Voor welke man moet Lottie gaan? Degene waar ze het meeste voor voelt, maar die totaal geen connectie heeft met haar kinderen of degene op wie haar zoon en dochter dol zijn, maar die haar hart niet echt sneller doet slaan? Terwijl Lottie nog twijfelt, helpt het lot haar een handje. smile-emoticonDe vlinders en de duiven op de cover geven aan dat liefde hoogtij viert en door enkel de voeten en een deel van de benen van het paar te tonen, wordt duidelijk gemaakt dat er misschien wel meerdere mensen door cupido's pijl getroffen werden. Dat ga ik hier echter niet prijsgeven.Vlot geschreven, geen overbodige beschrijvingen, dus zeker een aanrader.ConclusieJe mag fan zijn van een auteur maar af en toe gebeurt het toch dat je teleurgesteld wordt. Jill Mansell heeft echter,tot hiertoe, steeds aan mijn verwachtingen voldaan. Daarom val ik in herhaling en geef alweer 4 sterren.
—Els
There is something behind Jill Mansell's writing style that just makes me enjoy her stories. This book was highly enjoyable and I found myself not wanting to put it down, I really wanted to know what was going to happen with these characters and if any of them were going to get a happily ever after. Although multiple views can sometimes be hard to pull off Jilly Mansell manages to do it effortlessly; the way the stories slowly mold together is perfectly timed so there is no chance of confusion in the multiple points of views. There are small issues that I have in parts of the story line but they are pretty minor. Cressida's happy ever after is a little too convenient and easy; at least half of it. A lot of scenes regarding Mario's love story were a little unbelievable as well.
—Jessica
This was a good read and once I'd started I was reluctant to put down but it only receives 3.5 stars because of the utter ridiculousness of the people and plots in it.The most absurd part was Lottie's kids hatred of her love interest/boss Tyler, yes being a single parent her kids must come first and you have to take their feelings into account but she basically let them control her life, they were allowed to be horribly rude to his face and she never even once pulled them up on it or apologise for being spoilt wee brats. She never even sat them down to discuss it and the whole episode of the school teacher having a go at Lottie for being a bad parent for liking this man over her poor children( yes she had been fed some lies by the kids) but what the hell business was it of hers and Lottie just sat there and agreed with her,grow a f**king spine you stupid woman..I totally went off her at this point.Cressida was another spineless woman who let her ex husband and his new wife control her life again and again all because she considers their daughter to be her own surrogate child,like give me strength and grow a pair. She meets a man but time and again their plans get interrupted but when JoJo gets I'll and Ted just turns up and says you have to take her and Cressida just stands there and says ok, I will cancel my life for you, I hated her at this point.I quite liked Mario, Lottie's ex husband though j really disliked his girlfriend Amber, he actually was better off without her and her double standards, two faced cow, I went off her at that point.I liked Tyler and Seb and couldn't really pick an outright winner who I thought Lottie should have been with though obv you could see she felt more for Tyler but then her kids loved Seb, go figure.I never really thought much of Freddie though his final days were quite poignant and his reminiscing was interesting but his part in the actual story is questionable, like what connection does he have with everything, yes he's Lottie's friend and sells his business to Tyler and that ultimately brings them together but other than that he was more of a side story to the whole story.I am normally a big fan of Jill Mansell and her way of writing but there was quite a bit of cringe worthy writing in this, Lottie and Seb spend their first night together and they 'make love' like pass me the sick bucket, it just was a bit over the top and especially for this pair, it's not flipping Mills and Boon I'm reading is it!
—Steph Dinning
