3.5 starsThe night before her wedding during her bachelorette party (or Hen night as the Brits call it), Poppy meets a man to whom she is incredibly attracted. Tom, a dark-haired, dark-eyed handsome doctor implores her to meet him after the party is over and not to go through with the wedding.While Poppy chooses not to meet Tom, she does indeed call off the wedding. She realizes that if she goes through with it, it would be a big mistake. Her groom and his large family do not let her off easily and as a parting shot, her now bitter ex-fiance drops a major bombshell on her.It propels her to leave Bristol and go to London. There she meets a great cast of characters including Caspar the sexy artist, Claudia the insecure daughter of two narcissists, Jake her shy boss for whom she itches to give a makeover, Rita and Alex a nouveau riche couple with tacky taste and big hearts, and, of all people, Tom who, as it turns out, isn't a doctor at all.I've been on a Jill Mansell glom because right now these are about the only books that seem to be holding my attention. These books are right up my alley. I adore books that are funny, romantic and a little soapy, with a big cast of characters all of whom have their own plots going that intersect with each other and peel off in other directions as well. Not all authors can juggle multiple stories and characters and make it all satisfying. Mansell does this and in grand fashion. Not all the stories are neatly tied up in a bow, some have dangly strings, there are parts where I wished I had seen the reaction of so-and-so to something. But that is ok. Everything works great in the end for everyone.I also think this author works well for me because even though this is chick lit, she doesn't give her heroines (and even some B & C plot characters) a HFN ending, which I believe is ultimately why some chick lit doesn't work for me. She give them true HEA endings. The are nicely romantic and you are completly on board with the pairings.And I love learning British slang. Gonna have to work 'naff' into a sentence at some point.
I'm now a Jill Mansell junkie! Perfect Timing is an ironic title for this British chicklit novel because nothing is perfectly timed in this novel, from Poppy's last minute decision to jilt her fiance hours before their wedding to finding her biological father after years of not knowing she wasn't living with him."'The thing is,' Poppy prevaricated, 'my room's only tiny.''And who am I, two-ton Tess? All I'm asking for is a bit of floor space.' Dina was wheedling now. 'I'll sleep under the bed if it makes you happier. In the bath, even.'" (Page 106 of ARC)Poppy Dunbar is a twenty-something mess of a girl, who thinks she has her life figured out until she meets Tom at a bar during her bachelorette party. After giving Rob the brush off, she packs up and moves from Bristol to London to start her life over and to find her biological father. She works two jobs, lands a room in a house with a famous painter Caspar French and a haughty socialite Claudia Slade-Welch, but seems content."'Try patches. They worked for my agent and he was a twenty-a-dayman.'Only a lifelong non-smoker, Rita thought affectionately, could think twenty-a-day was a lot.'I was a fifty-a-day woman.' She looked depressed. 'Anyway, why d'you suppose I'm wearing long sleeves? I've already got a week's supply slapped all over me. Underneath this dress I look like Mr. Blobby.'" (Page 391 of ARC)Mansell's writing style draws readers quickly into the drama as they watch Poppy grow, mature, and find her center. The dialogue between Poppy, Caspar, Claudia, and Poppy's boss, Jake, will have readers laughing out loud on their transit commutes, in their bedrooms, on their sofas, or wherever they happen to read.Poppy is a disaster, but so are Caspar, Claudia, and Jake. It's a wonder they ever get it together in this book. Some of the funniest scenes are when Jake leaves Poppy along to bid at auctions and estate sales. Readers will enjoy how easily Poppy takes leaps into the unknown and how blind she is to the love and family she has in front of her. Mansell has another winner with Perfect Timing.
What do You think about Perfect Timing (2006)?
This is the 2nd Mansell book I have read and I enjoyed this one as much as the first! This is light reading drama. Great beach read! I call this Brit Chick Lit. It is light and funny and full of surprises. A bit far fetched at times but nothing to take away from the fun! This one is about Poppy. While out on her “hen night”, Poppy bumps into a stranger named Tom and she hit with “love at first sight”. So much so, she calls off her wedding and moves to London. She moves in to an apartment owned by Caspar the artist. Thus begins a new life. As in “Thinking of You”, I really like the characters in this book. They are funny and imperfect. Lots of drama that takes the reader on a fast ride from beginning to end. I recommend this fun book and look forward to reading more from this author!
—Kellie
Acerca do Encontro Inesperado, adorei como já era de prever. Do início ao fim, foi delicioso.Ainda tenho dois livros dela por ler e mais um para comprar, mas ela diverte-me sempre.Adoro a escrita dela, as personagens que ela cria e os enredos. Adoro a forma como ela brinca com os acontecimentos e tem sempre alguma surpresa.Estou muito contente.Os livros da Jill deixam-me sempre super bem disposta. Este não foi excepção.Gostei muito da ideia dela e de brincar com o destino. Todas as reviravoltas foram interessantes e não consegui largar o livro. Li-o em menos de 24 horas.Espantoso, para mim. Só mesmo um livro bom me faz ter essa reacção.Adorei a Poppy. Tudo o que ela passou, bem...ela também acabou por crescer, a meu ver. Era apenas uma rapariga de 22 anos mas com pouca cabeça. Claro que não é fácil passar por aquilo que ela passou, mas todas as circunstâncias fizeram que ela se tornasse uma pessoa mais adulta. Devo confessar que ficava com vontade de lhe dar um abanão quando ela se armava em miúda estúpida, destravada. Mas redimiu-se.Ela acabou por ter um final à medida - gostei bastante.Já o Caspar, também gostei dele, apesar de ele ter uma tendência promiscua estúpida que odiei na altura. Curiosamente, mesmo com essa tendência nunca deixei de gostar dele. Ele acabou por se revelar uma surpresa constante em todo o livro.O Jake e a Claudia... só posso dizer que são os dois a alma da festa. Chorei a rir em cada uma das cenas dele. (view spoiler)[Quando a Claudia está no parapeito da janela dele, tive 5 minutos a rir... sabem aquela sensação de que não se conseguem rir mais, porque já vos dói tudo? Foi o que me aconteceu nesta cena. Jesus, só esta cena me animou a semana. (hide spoiler)]
—Filipa
I wasn't quite sure what to expect, having never read a Jill Mansell novel before. But a friend lent me this book and recommended it, so I started it a few days ago. It begins with Poppy, on the night before her wedding, meeting a rather attractive stranger after falling down some steps... I thought the characterisation was great. Caricatured in places, to be sure; but Poppy was a believable, untidy, disorganised romantic who I warmed to almost immediately. There was a large cast of characters, but they were different enough that I didn't get lost, and there were so many interesting subplots that I found myself reading it a great deal more quickly than I had intended to. There's a painter, an antique dealer, a frustrated young mother (one of the less attractive people in the book), and plenty of attraction, partying and couples getting together. Yet, happily, there was nothing sordid or explicit, very little bad language, and a light touch that made this surprisingly readable. Recommended to anyone who enjoys light women's fiction. Much better than the cover would suggest!
—Sue
