‘THE BEST OF TIMES’ BY PENNY VINCENZI

I was in the middle of Penny Vincenzi’s THE BEST OF TIMES (Headline, 2009) when my hubby phoned to say that he had had a major car accident on the freeway. He had lost control on the icy road and the vehicle rolled over twice. Fortunately and miraculously he was left with only a sprained shoulder besides having had the fright of his life. THE BEST OF TIMES deals with the same topic that unexpectedly hit close to home, the after-effect of a devastating car crash on a bunch of victims and rescuers. From the inspiring actress who yearns to forget she even was in the lorry that started it all to the kind-hearted married doctor who pays dearly for having had his mistress on sight, not to mention the star-crossed lovers who almost lost the chance or reuniting after 60 years—those are only some of the fascinating people highlighted in this doorstopper of a novel. 

Indeed, THE BEST OF TIMES reaches 880 pages and not once does it feel overwritten. It is an easy breezy read from cover to cover. The author is an ace at delivering multi-plotted situations. Her narrative, as well as her characterization, is fresh and oh so well-handled. I could go on and on praising the novel, just as I could go on and on talking about the plot and subplots but as always I prefer saying as little as possible so you can savor it just as I did. One thing I will admit, however, is that throughout my reading journey many a time I found myself smiling, cringing, and shedding a tear or two while hoping resolutions would eventually come for these lovable but flawed people. Many nights I stayed awake just to get to that finish line of a conclusion. I would have read hundreds of pages more, even, had it been the case.  

Those who religiously follow this blog may remember me stating that I intended to read Penny Vincenzi’s novels chronologically. I am of course aware that I skipped many titles to get to this one. The reason might be the parallel it has with the accident my hubby experienced on that faithful day. I believe nothing is left for chance. Color me gullible but THE BEST OF TIMES may have been right there just so I could cope better with the situation. When death is just around the corner, the perspective of mortality becomes a whole new ballgame. I believe that what these fictitious people went through gave me the leeway to a connection far beyond my imagination. Farfetched to some perhaps but to me it’s clear as daylight. And for that, Miss Vincenzi, I will always be grateful. 

 

 

You can still get this title wherever digital or conventional books are sold.

 

 

Until next post—Martin

US edition

 

 

PENNY VINCENZI’S 'WICKED PLEASURES'

WICKED PLEASURES, the second offering by the queen of big-ass books Penny Vincenzi, should have been this great love story between the novel and I. Yes, should have been. After the international success of her first oeuvre OLD SINS, which I loved, you’d think the author would deliver the same page-turning experience, with unforgettable characters in very opulent settings. Well think again. Though she tries her best reaching this enthralling plateau, the end result feels more like a damp squib. And it pains me to say so, for I really enjoy her rich but accessible narrative, not to mention her thorough character development and her keen eye for research. No, the novel main problem revolves around the plot itself; a plot that is fine for a few hundred pages but becomes redundant in the long run.

Virginia is a fortunate child. She has wealthy loving parents and a husband who worships the ground she walks on. The only problem is that she gives birth to three illegitimate children while being married. Why is that? Simple: you’ll just have to read the whole 900+ page novel to find out. What I can say is that around the heroine orbits a cast of colorful characters: from a slutty co-worker who only has her eyes for Virginia’s handsome married brother, to Virginia’s privileged children who yearn to know more about their “floozy” alcoholic mum. Because mom drinks. She drinks a lot. I guess I would too if I’d ever been stuck in a loveless marriage. Oops, did I say too much? Not really, for the reason of her unhappiness is much more than a difficult marriage. 

The story progresses slowly but surely to the many exchanges between the children and their fathers and to the many life-changing decisions made from those personal encounters.  The book also goes back and forth in time to give you a pretty good idea of why the main character does what she does, and in insight I guess I can’t blame her. It must not have been a cup of tea living in that chateau...  

 

Told this way, WICKED PLEASURES may sound peachy but trust me, the novel ends up suffering from an overstayed welcome. The thing I must insist upon, however, is that as much as disappointing WICKED PLEASURES ends up being it never made me want to quit. It just never really caught me like OLD SINS did. Maybe the third book will, for I plan on going through her backlist even if it kills me.  I heard good things about them, especially the Spoils of Time trilogy.  But to get there I’ll have to go over at least six other novels, I think,  which means if each of them is about 900 page long, the grand total of pages read will be around… 5 thous—  AHHHH! On second thought, I’d rather go with the flow and see what the next novel feels like instead. 

Until next post—Martin

US edition

 

MIXED BAG: VINCENZI, COLLINS, BRADFORD, LOKKO, MENSCH, HARPER

Rejoice, kiddies, the hardcover for the new Penny Vincenzi is hitting the shelves mid-June 2014 from Headline (UK and Canada), and it has a new title: A PERFECT HERITAGE. Pick it up. I know I will. Here’s the premise:

　

The House of Farrell - home of The Cream, an iconic face product that has seen women flocking to its bijoux flagship store in the Berkeley Arcade since 1953. At Farrell, you can rely on the personal touch. The legendary Athina Farrell remains the company's figurehead and in her kingdom at the Berkeley Arcade, Florence Hamilton plies their cosmetics with the utmost discretion. She is sales advisor - and holder of secrets - extraordinaire. But of course the world of cosmetics is changing and the once glorious House of Farrell is now in decline, its customers tempted away by more fashionable brands. Enter Bianca Bailey, formidable business woman, mother of three, and someone who always gets her way. Athina and Bianca lock horns over the future of the House of Farrell but it is the past that tells its devastating tale of ambition and ego, passion and wonder. Here is a tale of survival ...and a kind of promise.

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Jackie Collins is all set to promote her new novel, CONFESSION OF A WILD CHILD, out now digitally and in hardcover from St. Martin’s Press (and in the UK, from Simon and Schuster). Yes, it’s all about Lucky Santangelo as a teen, and it’s written in the first person, à la Carrie Bragshaw. But with Collins at the reign, it’ll be another super read:

 

 

Lucky Santangelo is a powerful and charismatic woman. But how did she become the woman she is today? Many people have asked, and in Confessions of a Wild Child we discover the teenage Lucky, and follow her on her trip to discover boys, love and how she fought her father, the infamous Gino Santangelo, to forge her own individual and strong road to success. Confessions of a Wild Child takes you on trip and navigates the teenage years of a wild child who will eventually rule an empire. Even at 15 Lucky follows her own path, and it's a crazy ride taking the reader from a strict girls school in Switzerland to an idyllic Greek island, a Bel Air estate, a New York penthouse, and a shuttered villa in the South of France. Nobody can control Lucky. She knows what she wants and she goes for it with no holds barred. Lucky at 15 - a true revelation.

 

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Mark your calendar, America. April 1st 2014 is when CAVENDON HALL, the new novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford (St. Martin’s Press), sees the light out day. Already released in the UK from HarperCollins Publishers, it centers around an aristocratic family and their servants during the early 20th century; sort of like a homage to TV's "Downton Abbey", if you will. Here’s what you can expect:

BTB at her superb best. A sweeping saga set around the aristocratic Ingham family of Cavendon Hall and the Swanns who serve them, set on the eve of World War 1. Two entwined families: the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. One stately home: Cavendon Hall, a grand imposing house nestled in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales A society beauty: Lady Daphne Ingham is the most beautiful of the Earl's daugthers. Being presented at Court and then a glittering marriage is her destiny. But in the summer of 1913, a devastating event changes her future forever, and puts the House of Ingham at risk. Life as the families of Cavendon Hall know it - Royal Ascot, supper dances, grouse season feasts - is about to alter beyond recognition as the storm clouds of war gather.

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Orion will once again publish the new hardback by Lesley Lokko due out early summer 2014. Tentatively entitled IN LOVE AND WAR, it is set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring and it’s the first time the author has "written about a place – and events – that are still in the process of evolving", according to Lokko. No cover yet to disclose but the premise sounds intriguing:

　

Lexi Sturgis is a woman in a man's world, a war correspondent whose life has taken her to some of the world's most troubled regions. Lexi is never happier than when she's dodging bullets, chasing down the leads that other reporters only dream of getting, or swapping stories with her rivals at the bar. She thrives on risk, danger and the thrill of the chase, while keeping everyone else at arm's length - colleagues, friends and lovers. TV executive Jane Marshall needs a Big Idea. With her career nose-diving and her colleagues circling for her job, she needs to pull something major out of the hat. And Lexi might just be what she needs. When a young British woman is kidnapped in Egypt, both Lexi and Jane are thrown together on a journey which will change their lives entirely. It will take them into a world where no one is quite what they seem and menace lurks in every corner. Sometimes, when your back's against the wall, the only thing to do is trust in the person closest to you...

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If you’re still wondering what the heck happened to Louise Bagshawe’s new novel BEAUTY, fret no more. It has been released by Headline since January of this year, using the nom de plume of Louise Mensch (her married name). The premise:

　

Blend it. Sculpt it. Shape it. Use it...There isn't a woman on earth who doesn't have her beauty secrets. But for Dina Kane, beauty is more than just business. It's power. And it is the secret. She's dragged herself up from poverty to Park Avenue. She's rolled with the punches. And she's learned how to win. Now someone is out to destroy her, and all she's built. They've underestimated Dina Kane. She's staying at the top - and she's happy to wait for the perfect moment to exact her revenge...

 

　

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Last but not least, Avon UK (a division of HarperCollins) will publish two novels by best-selling author Sasha Wagstaff (RECIPE FOR LOVE) using the pseudonym Ella Harper. The first one, entitled PIECES OF YOU, "calls into question the perfect relationship and how hidden truths can get in the way of the perfect picture". Expect it in September 2014.

 

#1 CONTEMPORARY FICTION BESTSELLER As compelling and powerful as Jojo Moyes and Liane Moriarty, PIECES OF YOU is a heart-rending, but ultimately life-affirming novel about a love tested to its limits. The perfect marriage. A devastating secret. An impossible choice. Lucy was always sure of one thing - her future with husband and soulmate Luke. But after eight long, heartbreaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes. When a terrible accident puts Luke into a coma, Lucy is forced to reassess everything she thought she wanted. Then Stella arrives. A woman Lucy's never met, but with a secret that will change her world forever ...

　
Until next post—Martin




　
　

PENNY VINCENZI AND HER 'OLD SINS'

I can confirm it: good things do come in threes. That’s how many tries it took me to read Penny Vincenzi’s first door stopper of a book called OLD SINS. Not that it wasn’t compelling the first time around. This multi-layered saga of a handsome tycoon and the many women that surround him is a page-turner from the get-go. The thing is, I rarely invest in lengthy novels these days, since I tend to get bored very easily. Ask the many novels in my house, and they’ll tell you: this guy has unfinished business with many of them. So imagine their surprised  when I decided to give Penny’s baby one last chance. I say last, because I figured it was then or never. If I couldn’t go all the way, I was definitely done for good.

At first I wanted to continue on where I left off (more than halfway through), but I said what the heck, I might as well start from the beginning again. However, something unexpected happened before venturing into it: I suddenly came across a copy of the hardcover edition while visiting my local used book shop; the US version, in near mint condition no less (as shown below). So the trooper that I am gave it a go. Bought the thing, sat in my reading room and plunged in—but not for long. Something else was bugging me. Color me delusional but it seemed that this American version was incomplete. And I’m not talking about missing pages. No, what I’m saying is that chunks of narration seemed to be omitted. Could this be an abridged version of the UK edition? Easy to check. I took out my Arrow original and did the comparing thingy, and, wouldn’t you know, I was right.

Of course there was no way I was about to choose this hardcover edition. Such an insult to the author and her work… Or was it? Suddenly it didn’t seem such a bad idea. It wouldn’t be like I was dissing the original since I had already read more than half of it—twice. But in the end the lengthy version won. A no brainer, really, since I truly wanted to honor the author’s novel. And do I regret my decision? Not at all. Because when it comes down to it, I had a ball making it to the very end. I admit, the temptation to toss it aside still kept beckoning me (such a bad habit), especially during the last 100 pages or so, but I stuck with it and was rewarded not only with a powerful and very realistic conclusion but also with a great sense of accomplishment. I’m so glad I revisited OLD SINS. It is truly a magnificent piece of commercial art, and I applaud Ms. Vincenzi for having written it. It must have been a strenuous job, I must admit. Now that I’m done, I kind of feel I should return to some unfinished novels of mine and give them their rightful attention. You never know, there might be some other mea culpa in the works.

Until next post—Martin



US hardcover edition