What do You think about Staying At Daisy's (2002)?
Jill Mansell is the international bestselling women's fiction author of such titles as: Taking a Chance on Me, Miranda's Big Mistake, Perfect Timing, Rumor Has It, An Offer You Can't Refuse, Millie's Fling, Falling for You, Open House, Mixed Doubles, and Thinking of You. When she's not plotting her next book, Jill enjoys gumdrops, TV, and watching the rugby players train in the field behind her house. She writes full time and resides in Bristol with her partner and children.t"Life is easy, it's men she'll never figure out." Daisy MacLean has had a rough year. Her husband died in a car accident, and Daisy discovered he was not only a liar, but cheated on her as well. Finally at a stage where she could move past the betrayal, she focuses on her job-- managing a popular hotel owned by her quirky and eccentric father. And the guests are just as crazy. But when cocky sports hero Dev Tyzack books a reservation, Daisy's inner alarm goes off to steer clear. Dev may be as sexy as they come, but he's also arrogant, sarcastic, and seems to get his jollies on poking fun at her. Except some people aren't always who they seem to be, and Dev is the one guest that Daisy can't bear to see leave.tThough a very recognizable name, this is my first book by this author, but it won't be the last. It's been awhile since I read a book by a British author, so it took me a bit to acclimate to the jargon, but oh-- how I missed that dry, sarcastic humor! The other notable and lovable attribute to British authors is the reader is not only in the main character's head, but every secondary character as well. It really makes for a full and enjoyable experience. The only fault I had for the book was after the first chapter, two and three seemed a tad slow-paced, but did not give me the desire to put it down.tThis book had a lot going on. I don't want to issue a spoiler alert, so I'll just say that Daisy's husband's unexpected death left way more than her discovering he was a liar and cheat. The ramifications left ripples in the storyline that carried throughout the plot and into several secondary characters. It was interesting watching how decisions and actions can affect so many people. And speaking of secondary characters-- Daisy's father, Hector, and ex-boyfriend, Josh, were downright hilarious. If ever one wished for a character to be real, this was the instance. This book was not without it's heart-breaking moments, nor it's share of humor. Recommended!Kelly MoranAuthor and ReviewerBookpleasures
—Kelly Moran
I bought downloaded all of Jill Mansell’s book one day because she kept coming up in my Goodreads recommendation panel. And well, why not. I do love chick-lit books. They are the perfect easy read for the days where you want to read something but don’t want to think.Synopsis:Daisy manages the hotel in a small quaint village in England in which her exceedingly cool dad Hector owns, when a wedding comes into the hotel. This wedding is of Dominic, whose ex- Tara- just happens to work in the hotel and is Daisy’s best friend (oooh look at all the connections already!). Sparks reignite between Tara and Dominic. Daisy and Dev (Dominic’s best man) have some issues as well, but Daisy is also trying to start things up with her best friend Josh again. Confused yet? Staying at Daisy’s had a lot of sub-stories going on; while it wasn’t hard to follow each story line. But they all flowed into the bigger picture. It was easy to like the characters in this book. Jill Mansell developed them in a way that you felt connected to them. I love Hector. He seemed like the coolest dad. Josh was a great character to. What girl wouldn’t fall in love with him?I give it 3 stars, The typical British chick lit book. Nothing special but it filled my chick-lit quota for the week. I know this isn’t the best review, but with all the sub-stories going on I find it hard to give a good synopsis without spoiling anything and how they are interconnected.
—Kendra
This is a cute book! Very predictable chick lit type book (I could see it being made into a romantic comedy movie one day) but very enjoyable. The characters are cute and you feel like you really get to know them, very likeable. My only complaint, and it's not just with this book but with any book I've read by this author, is that the story just kind of wraps up really quickly at the end. You know the whole time who is going to get together, that much is obvious, but it all literally happens in the span of one chapter, just a few paragraphs. I feel like you don't get to enjoy the new couple/romance that you've been waiting for the whole time you've been reading the book! Kind of a dumb complaint, I know, but you've been cheering for them the whole time so I wish she would've maybe given us just a little bit more at the end.
—Talar
