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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i would have really liked it if the final resolve didn't include the men...
funny
medium-paced
Well, it's official. I have found my least favorite read of 2024.
This started out promisingly. It seemed to be shaping up to be a story about four women, from very different classes and backgrounds, who rent a villa in Italy together in order to have an actual honest to goodness vacation for once in their miserable lives.
I was delighted by this premise. I was delighted at the decent ratings and all of the glowing reviews. I was delighted at the thought of the fulfillment and joy I would feel while witnessing these women, who otherwise wouldn't cross paths because of their class differences, become friends. And I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen when two of the women get to have a nice, temporary break from their odious husbands, and breathe the sweet, fresh air of freedom for a month in the villa. Everything about the beginning of the book was leading me to believe that this would be my reading experience.
That is NOT what happened.
Spoilers ahead: For starters, for nearly half of the book, Lady Caroline and Mrs. Fisher are awful to the other women. Truly insufferable. Which I would have been fine with, given the thought of them bonding by the end of the book. But what ultimately brings this group of ladies together isn't their relationships with one another as they bond gradually over time. No, what REALLY brings them together is THE MEN in their lives! Two of the women's husbands show up, both invited to Italy by their wives. And the one wife cannot even wait a whole DAY without needing to write to her husband to invite him to come to the villa post haste. Girl, you just escaped for some R&R with these women! Enjoy your freedom from your misery before you have to go back to England and continue to be married to him.
And don't get me wrong, I DID assume that everyone would still be married by the end of the book. After all, this was written in 1922. I just thought they would gain some independence and a stronger sense of identity. Then they might derive strength and support from their friendships with the other women, before returning to their husbands, better equipped to face the misery of their marital woes. I didn't think the husbands would be literally interrupting their girl time, though!
Now, you may be thinking, oh man, this book about four women's unlikely relationships got hijacked by the men in their lives? That's kind of a bummer. But it's not THAT bad.
Well, let me tell you, it gets worse.....
Because we find out that one of the husbands has been attempting to have an affair with Lady Caroline, not realizing that she is staying at the villa with his wife! So he goes to the villa to find Caroline and pursue her. NOT TO SEE HIS ACTUAL WIFE WHO INVITED HIM, JUST TO VISIT CAROLINE and convince her to carry on an affair with him, because she's super hot and he just can't help himself. When he realizes that his wife is there, their marriage problems magically disappear and he decides he wants to be married to his wife after all, or whatever, I guess. He is super nervous that Caroline will out him for his horrendous unfaithful behavior. Not because he’s feeling guilty for his behavior, noooo. Just worried that CAROLINE might decide to open her mouth and screw this new marital bliss up for him. When Caroline realizes what's going on, she decides to pretend that everything is fine and NOT tell his wife! He is so grateful to Caroline for being soooooo cool about things, and at one point he says something along the lines of her having "the loyalty of a man," like that's some sort of compliment. Just congratulating her on how cool she was being about this whole thing, while he DECEIVED HIS WIFE ABOUT WHY HE WAS EVEN AT THE VILLA IN THE FIRST PLACE.
This final event locked my hatred firmly in place, and solidified the 1 star rating, as well as the honor of worst read of 2024. The year isn’t even over yet, but this book is so awful that I am 100 percent certain that there isn’t a book that could possibly best its ability to be the worst.
This started out promisingly. It seemed to be shaping up to be a story about four women, from very different classes and backgrounds, who rent a villa in Italy together in order to have an actual honest to goodness vacation for once in their miserable lives.
I was delighted by this premise. I was delighted at the decent ratings and all of the glowing reviews. I was delighted at the thought of the fulfillment and joy I would feel while witnessing these women, who otherwise wouldn't cross paths because of their class differences, become friends. And I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen when two of the women get to have a nice, temporary break from their odious husbands, and breathe the sweet, fresh air of freedom for a month in the villa. Everything about the beginning of the book was leading me to believe that this would be my reading experience.
That is NOT what happened.
Spoilers ahead:
And don't get me wrong, I DID assume that everyone would still be married by the end of the book. After all, this was written in 1922. I just thought they would gain some independence and a stronger sense of identity. Then they might derive strength and support from their friendships with the other women, before returning to their husbands, better equipped to face the misery of their marital woes. I didn't think the husbands would be literally interrupting their girl time, though!
Now, you may be thinking, oh man, this book about four women's unlikely relationships got hijacked by the men in their lives? That's kind of a bummer. But it's not THAT bad.
Well, let me tell you, it gets worse.....
Because we find out that one of the husbands has been attempting to have an affair with Lady Caroline, not realizing that she is staying at the villa with his wife! So he goes to the villa to find Caroline and pursue her. NOT TO SEE HIS ACTUAL WIFE WHO INVITED HIM, JUST TO VISIT CAROLINE and convince her to carry on an affair with him, because she's super hot and he just can't help himself. When he realizes that his wife is there, their marriage problems magically disappear and he decides he wants to be married to his wife after all, or whatever, I guess. He is super nervous that Caroline will out him for his horrendous unfaithful behavior. Not because he’s feeling guilty for his behavior, noooo. Just worried that CAROLINE might decide to open her mouth and screw this new marital bliss up for him. When Caroline realizes what's going on, she decides to pretend that everything is fine and NOT tell his wife! He is so grateful to Caroline for being soooooo cool about things, and at one point he says something along the lines of her having "the loyalty of a man," like that's some sort of compliment. Just congratulating her on how cool she was being about this whole thing, while he DECEIVED HIS WIFE ABOUT WHY HE WAS EVEN AT THE VILLA IN THE FIRST PLACE.
This final event locked my hatred firmly in place, and solidified the 1 star rating, as well as the honor of worst read of 2024. The year isn’t even over yet, but this book is so awful that I am 100 percent certain that there isn’t a book that could possibly best its ability to be the worst.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a well written book. It was set in a beautiful backdrop a castle on the coast of Italy in spring with stunning gardens. It was an unusual story as there was no climax just people’s lives intertwining but they were worldly people with sin. Husband and wife relationships were repaired which was sweet but no repentance or anything foundational. The descriptions and calm dream like storyline was lovely
Second time reading- the relationships of the woman stood out to me more and there genuine care for each other. I enjoyed it even more the second reading.
Second time reading- the relationships of the woman stood out to me more and there genuine care for each other. I enjoyed it even more the second reading.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this was delightful. Very fun, very enchanting. Wanted the one guy to be murdered but I guess you can’t have everything.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated