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meme_too2's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book.
One woman's life is falling apart and looks it because she's having a hard time holding it all together. Another woman's life appears to be perfect but is falling apart in secret until she can't hide it anymore. They learn to accept one another, help one another, and even be there for one another.
A very nice book about nice people.
One woman's life is falling apart and looks it because she's having a hard time holding it all together. Another woman's life appears to be perfect but is falling apart in secret until she can't hide it anymore. They learn to accept one another, help one another, and even be there for one another.
A very nice book about nice people.
rmarcin's review against another edition
3.0
There was a lot packed into this book - marriage issues, infidelity, dementia, caregivers, community outreach, friendships, and more. The book centers mainly around Nat who is told by her husband Dan that he doesn't love her anymore, and Caroline, PTA president, type-A personality, whose relationship with her mother is poor, and with her friends is superficial.
They come together to try to save Hope Street Community Hall and build a choir to bring publicity to their cause. Through this effort, Nat and Caroline learn about themselves, and what true love and friendship really are.
Sweet book, but I wanted something more.
They come together to try to save Hope Street Community Hall and build a choir to bring publicity to their cause. Through this effort, Nat and Caroline learn about themselves, and what true love and friendship really are.
Sweet book, but I wanted something more.
a_ab's review against another edition
4.0
Closer to 3.5*, but mostly enjoyable, solid British lit book. It's a book about different ways of dealing with life and the universal relatability of life being something you have to deal with. It's a little predictable and simplistic, but I did like the fact that the typical marriage and family issues turned out to be not so typical after all, and how constantly common platitudes and "helpful" suggestions were called out as judgemental nonsense.
allieblank's review against another edition
3.0
I know this was to be a “feel good” type read, but I wasn’t really connecting to the characters and found it a touch too syrupy sweet and unrealistic.
sleeson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I liked this book. Two different women. Both of them were funny. Lyons writes Nat and Caroline’s emotions in such a relatable way, I found myself actually feeling what each gal was going through. I said a few “oh heck knaws and no she didn’t.” I did think it was a little long. Moderate swearing. No sexual content.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Cursing, and Alcohol
bookfay's review against another edition
4.0
*I've got this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
When I requested this book from NetGalley, I thought, that it will be yet another eye-roll worthy chick-lit romance book. But actually it was much better, that I expected.
The story begins with to ladies Natalie and Caroline, whose world turns up upside down in an instant and they are forced to became frenemies at first and a real friends later. They both were so different, yet they found some common things to relate. And that is the beauty of this book, that it wasn't focused on the romance, instead it was about loosing old friends and gaining new ones, about finding who you are during tough times and learning to forgive.
I definitely recommend this book. I will for sure read more of Annie Lyons books.
When I requested this book from NetGalley, I thought, that it will be yet another eye-roll worthy chick-lit romance book. But actually it was much better, that I expected.
The story begins with to ladies Natalie and Caroline, whose world turns up upside down in an instant and they are forced to became frenemies at first and a real friends later. They both were so different, yet they found some common things to relate. And that is the beauty of this book, that it wasn't focused on the romance, instead it was about loosing old friends and gaining new ones, about finding who you are during tough times and learning to forgive.
I definitely recommend this book. I will for sure read more of Annie Lyons books.
lisadoeslife_'s review against another edition
5.0
Okay so to start with. From the get go I liked Nat. The story starts with a bang. The first sentence are those words Nat never wanted to hear from her husband and she doesn't handle it very well. You could tell she was a good wife and so the mystery begins.. What happened? why did he decided this?
I disliked Caroline and her pompous attitude straight away. You could tell she definitely has a high opinion of herself and comes across as one of those judgmental women you try to avoid at all costs. She is all about appearance and making sure everybody knows how perfect her life is.
When it comes to light that the Community Hall is due to close and Caroline finds out Nat is a famous children's author and she recruits her to help. In comes Guy, a mysterious newcomer and from the start it is obvious he is hiding a secret, which makes for some very interesting reading. Who is he? What is he up to ? Why has he turned up now?
Guy offers to conduct the choir and the sign up for the national Choir Competition.
Nat and Caroline reluctantly become quite close in their own way and you do get to see a more vulnerable side to Caroline . Especially when it comes to her relationship with her mother but there is still something about her that I don't like. It is hard to put my finger on it.
Annie has a great ability to tell a story and evoke a reaction from her readers and I am looking forward to seeing what she brings out next.
I don't normally read Chick Lit because it never really appealed to me. I never understood how a book could be interesting without any sort of thriller, horror, crime or fantasy aspect but I really enjoyed this book. It is a different kind of intrigue and excited. What will Nat do? How will she handle her husband leaving? What was his reason for saying He didn't love her any more? Will Caroline ever stomp being a pompus stuck up old wench? What secrets will come out?
The Choir on Hope Street gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
I disliked Caroline and her pompous attitude straight away. You could tell she definitely has a high opinion of herself and comes across as one of those judgmental women you try to avoid at all costs. She is all about appearance and making sure everybody knows how perfect her life is.
When it comes to light that the Community Hall is due to close and Caroline finds out Nat is a famous children's author and she recruits her to help. In comes Guy, a mysterious newcomer and from the start it is obvious he is hiding a secret, which makes for some very interesting reading. Who is he? What is he up to ? Why has he turned up now?
Guy offers to conduct the choir and the sign up for the national Choir Competition.
Nat and Caroline reluctantly become quite close in their own way and you do get to see a more vulnerable side to Caroline . Especially when it comes to her relationship with her mother but there is still something about her that I don't like. It is hard to put my finger on it.
Annie has a great ability to tell a story and evoke a reaction from her readers and I am looking forward to seeing what she brings out next.
I don't normally read Chick Lit because it never really appealed to me. I never understood how a book could be interesting without any sort of thriller, horror, crime or fantasy aspect but I really enjoyed this book. It is a different kind of intrigue and excited. What will Nat do? How will she handle her husband leaving? What was his reason for saying He didn't love her any more? Will Caroline ever stomp being a pompus stuck up old wench? What secrets will come out?
The Choir on Hope Street gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
kathryn08's review
4.0
This is a sweet, but slightly soppy, book about a community trying to save their town hall from being torn down by developers by starting to use it for a community choir.
I am in a community choir myself, and I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone!! Therefore, I could relate to some of the sentiments the characters expressed about singing in the choir, and this made me give the book an extra star than I would otherwise have done!
But anything that gets the word out there about how much fun it is to sing in a choir is OK with me!
I am in a community choir myself, and I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone!! Therefore, I could relate to some of the sentiments the characters expressed about singing in the choir, and this made me give the book an extra star than I would otherwise have done!
But anything that gets the word out there about how much fun it is to sing in a choir is OK with me!
vicki_cosy_books's review
4.0
Oh my! This is just a lovely, lovely book! It made me laugh, smile, yearn to be part of a choir and yet at times it also made me struggle to swallow the lump forming in my throat and blink through blurring tears.
The Choir On Hope Street tells the story of two women, Nat and Caroline, in alternating chapters. Both women are going through a time of uncertainty and change, with their family dynamics shifting and the lives they'd grown comfortable with reshaping. Nat's husband has just dropped a bombshell - he doesn't love her anymore and is moving out. In emotional turmoil, she finds herself bumping, quite literally, into Caroline, and before she knows it she's agreed to join a choir in the hope of saving the community hall on the street. But despite her perfect image, Caroline's family is also under great strain, exasperated when her elderly mother's care home states they can no longer meet her needs due to her increasingly challenging behavior. Never a strong relationship, things are even more fraught. But her mum has a secret locked in her diminishing memory that will change everything, if only Caroline can find a way to unlock it.
These two women endeared themselves to me thoroughly, so that I became fully immersed in their stories, feeling as if I knew them myself. I loved Nat - she reminded me of myself in some ways. Chaotic, emotional and a little bit sarcastic. But there's something really likeable about her too, and when she's at her lowest I felt like I just wanted to give her a hug. At other times, I wanted to sit down to a bottle of wine with her, her quick wittedness and outlook making me smile.
Yet it was Caroline's story which I felt most connected to. Caroline is the opposite of Nat - she's the PTA mum, the perfect wife and host, aiming for the higher social circles and everything done in capable and organised precision. At first, I didn't particularly like her but as her story unfolded, it brought tears of understanding to my eyes. Like Caroline's mother, my grandmother had dementia and Annie Lyons perfectly captured this terrible and heartbreaking disease. I saw my own Grandmother when I read her descriptions of the small, unrecognisable lady Caroline saw and recalled the feelings of frustration and grief, at having lost someone who is still there. There's a particularly touching scene that made me choke up completely, and I think Annie Lyons tackled a difficult and emotional subject with true tenderness, understanding and care.
The Choir On Hope Street surprised me by being not as light as I first imagined it would be. Yes there are funny, laugh out loud moments but there's also depth to this story - one of facing change, the real ups and downs of family life and how when what you know and think you want shifts and life takes you in a different direction, it can turn out for the best. I really loved the importance the community held for these two women, and it made me both smile and a little sad and wistful to be part of such a wonderful community myself. But the overall feeling of this book is hope...and that's how I finished it. Smiling, comforted and hopeful, and like I'd just spent a few hours with old friends. An absolute gem of a book.
The Choir On Hope Street tells the story of two women, Nat and Caroline, in alternating chapters. Both women are going through a time of uncertainty and change, with their family dynamics shifting and the lives they'd grown comfortable with reshaping. Nat's husband has just dropped a bombshell - he doesn't love her anymore and is moving out. In emotional turmoil, she finds herself bumping, quite literally, into Caroline, and before she knows it she's agreed to join a choir in the hope of saving the community hall on the street. But despite her perfect image, Caroline's family is also under great strain, exasperated when her elderly mother's care home states they can no longer meet her needs due to her increasingly challenging behavior. Never a strong relationship, things are even more fraught. But her mum has a secret locked in her diminishing memory that will change everything, if only Caroline can find a way to unlock it.
These two women endeared themselves to me thoroughly, so that I became fully immersed in their stories, feeling as if I knew them myself. I loved Nat - she reminded me of myself in some ways. Chaotic, emotional and a little bit sarcastic. But there's something really likeable about her too, and when she's at her lowest I felt like I just wanted to give her a hug. At other times, I wanted to sit down to a bottle of wine with her, her quick wittedness and outlook making me smile.
Yet it was Caroline's story which I felt most connected to. Caroline is the opposite of Nat - she's the PTA mum, the perfect wife and host, aiming for the higher social circles and everything done in capable and organised precision. At first, I didn't particularly like her but as her story unfolded, it brought tears of understanding to my eyes. Like Caroline's mother, my grandmother had dementia and Annie Lyons perfectly captured this terrible and heartbreaking disease. I saw my own Grandmother when I read her descriptions of the small, unrecognisable lady Caroline saw and recalled the feelings of frustration and grief, at having lost someone who is still there. There's a particularly touching scene that made me choke up completely, and I think Annie Lyons tackled a difficult and emotional subject with true tenderness, understanding and care.
The Choir On Hope Street surprised me by being not as light as I first imagined it would be. Yes there are funny, laugh out loud moments but there's also depth to this story - one of facing change, the real ups and downs of family life and how when what you know and think you want shifts and life takes you in a different direction, it can turn out for the best. I really loved the importance the community held for these two women, and it made me both smile and a little sad and wistful to be part of such a wonderful community myself. But the overall feeling of this book is hope...and that's how I finished it. Smiling, comforted and hopeful, and like I'd just spent a few hours with old friends. An absolute gem of a book.
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