“How many seven-year-olds do you know who are friends with eighty-one-year-olds?” “It’s not ideal,” she agrees, after a moment’s consideration. “But beggars can’t be choosers.” I feel a rare moment of pity for the child. “You’re not a beggar, child.” She laughs. “I know that. You’re the beggar. I’m the chooser. Because I choose you!”
“What do you think happened to Ishaan, Ms. Fitzpatrick?” Baldy says, adopting a patronizing, kindly voice. It feels like a remarkably ridiculous question. “I think he got dicked by the dangling dong of destiny, that’s what I think.’
I guess I’m kind of a cheap date as far as books are concerned. If a book can make me laugh I’m in the author’s pocket. If a character can make me laugh, it’s hard for me not to like and care about what happens to them. If a book can both make me laugh, cry, and keep me on the edge of my seat…well. Elsie “Mad Mabel” Fitzpatrick’s acerbic wit kept me buoyed throughout. All of Sally Hepworth’s books that I have read, so far, are dual timeline. All of them have hooked me with the children in peril trope in “the past” of the story, and kept me hooked when that same child (or children) experience the fall out as adults. Mad Mabel is no different in that way from the three others by her I have read. I gave the previous book I read by this author, The Mother-in-Law5 stars, but I loved this one in a different way. I admired the character development in the former more than I liked the characters. Unlike that one, all of the protagonists in this were extremely likable and admirable, and there were many of them. I was cheering for them all the way, and their outcomes, with one exception, were very satisfactory. Well, two exceptions. One worthy character’s fate was a little over the top fortunate, but I generally don’t mind that at all. Usually, the happier the better for characters that deserve it.
81-year-old Elsie has lived on Kenny Lane in Melbourne for 60 years. Only she and her friend Daphne know her true identity: Mad Mabel, the youngest person ever to be convicted of murder in Australia. Soon though, her neighborhood, Melbourne, and the whole country (if not the world), will know her true identity. One of her neighbors whom she didn’t make any secret of being at odds with drops dead, and Elsie discovers the body. This sparks a chain of events which at first will cause her to be a target of public gossip, a witch hunt, and even a police investigation. It isn’t long though before Elsie, finally thrust out of her reclusive existence, decides to tell the world the real story of her life and how she became the notorious “Mad Mabel.” Thanks to a pair of small-time podcasters and her own actions and events, she gradually reveals her true self behind the prickly and intimidating exterior, and earns her neighbors’ good will, loyalty, and even love. And let’s not forget the influence of Persephone, a precocious 7-year-old whom Elsie describes as an “irritating little despot.” It is a story that is full of tragedy and injustice although there are some bright spots, so not unremitting. Elsie’s voice is so engaging and worldly-wise, I didn’t feel crushed by all that befell her. And of course, the knowledge that because she is finally telling her story, people will at last know the truth, was a lifeline. The book alternates between Then and Now. The Now parts, although there are some scary moments, provide a respite from her sad Then parts. Yet I was always OK with going back to Then because her story was so interesting and told with the wisdom of age. Plus, I wanted answers. (One of the answers I still want is who is that supposed to be on the cover of the book?)
The truths that are revealed by the podcast are pretty blockbuster, and one was a genuine shock. One reveal, I had guessed right away. In fact, I found it so obvious that I suspect Sally Hepworth never meant it to be a big secret from any careful readers. The fallout in the present time despite some devastatingly sad past occurrences, was overall good, if not great. I was perfectly fine that some of the outcomes turned out to be almost fairytale. I love that in all of Sally Hepworth’s books. She really puts you through the wringer, but, at least so far in the books I have read, it is all worth it. She is now in my tippy top echelon of favorite authors. I’ve loved all the books I’ve read by her and am grateful she still has some I have yet to read. I meant to stop at the 80% mark and leave the rest for another day. But I couldn’t put it down. I can’t remember the last time I was moved to tears at the close of a book.
One more quote: “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”— Albus Dumbledore
This was set on the beautiful Island of Corfu, Greece. There was not much of a plot because the gorgeous photography of not only the countryside, but the picturesque little seaside town held center stage. And The Food. Many scenes took place in a family restaurant or in the kitchen and the director and his crew took full advantage to make sure plenty of time was spent celebrating all manner of Greek cuisine. The only thing missing was the Baklava. Now usually the lack of action and tomfoolery might be considered a negative in a Hallmark movie, but in this case, I didn’t miss it. As I usually don’t. There were no silly and frustrating episodes of characters acting stupidly or unreasonably to create tension and stretch out 60 minutes of movie to fit 84 minutes of airtime. It was just a nice peaceful romance between two nice people in a beautiful setting.
Georgia, along with her partner and friend Rose, owns a small newly established marketing company which helps businesses with promoting and branding. A letter arrives and it turns out that our heroine is in danger of forfeiting her inheritance of a Greek property that she had used to secure a business loan. She’s had a year to go to Greece and sign the papers, never went, and this letter is her last warning. Now she has just 5 days to secure her assets. Her loan is coming due shortly and she needs to sell the property to pay it off, or else. Did I say there were no dumb plot devices to move the plot forward and create tension? I take that back. But after these first 5 minutes, we’re good. Her partner hustles her off to Greece and Georgia bravely chooses a pair of loose-knit white pants with horizontal red stripes for her traveling outfit. My alternate title for this review was “Pants of Courage.” She had spent a summer on Corfu with her late aunt and hung out in a little Greek taverna where she made friends with Elena, the owner, and her son, Alex. It is her first stop once she gets to her aunt’s seaside home town and she scores a feta salad and Moussaka. She quickly learns that Alex, now a police officer, is the co-inheritor of her aunt’s estate. Georgia must not only have ignored all the letters from her aunt’s lawyer, but not even opened them. But no squabbling, motive for murder, or enemies-to-lovers here. Even Alex’s jealous girlfriend, Cassandra, turns out to be his pet cat. Alex happily agrees to buy Georgia out of her share but first, to avoid the red tape of Greek laws against foreigners, they have to get married. The happy but (99% sure) platonic couple play out their romance against the stunning Corfiot landscape with a few little side plots to keep things interesting and the pace chugging along. Luckily, the 5 day trip is extended to a month and Alex’s police duties are extremely undemanding. Extremely.
In order to afford to buy out Georgia, Alex has to secure a position as a detective that he is being considered for. Alex is kind of endearingly shy and awkward and schmoozing to promote himself is not his thing. Luckily, it is Georgia’s thing, and she goes to town advancing Alex’s cause amusingly and sometimes cringingly (Whoo Hoo! my Husband is such a great cricket player and therefore what a great detective he would make!!). The couple needs to put up a good front so that the head of the detective agency (and the authorities) do not find out the marriage is fake. After a dinner that Georgia arranges at their beautiful home (I want it), Alex is offered the job. Being an honest guy, and against all of the usual Hallmark rules of communication, he puts everything out on Front Street and tells his new boss the whole truth. Also against all of the usual rules, his boss appreciates his honesty and Alex still gets the job. In a similar break from Hallmark business-as-usual, when the guy in charge of making sure Alex and Georgia are not trying to pull a fast one with their marriage shows up, all goes smoothly. Instead of having to jump through hoops and being put through the harsh interrogation they were expecting, the guy just gives them their papers and some Koufetas as a wedding gift. He explains that it has been obvious to the whole town that the marriage is loving and authentic. It was very sweet. Georgia also has some happy news from Rose about an important client, and even establishes a business opportunity on Corfu by helping Elena with a cooking school. And Rose was very understanding when Georgia decides to stay in Corfu and help run their business remotely in order to explore her relationship with Alex.
In short, the whole thing was very pleasant, nice, and just happy. Apostolis Totsikas, who played Alex was very appealing, Nikki Deloach was her usual likable (and very toned) self, and their romantic chemistry and kisses were on point. Andrew Walker, her usual co-star, should be jealous.
Layla, a doctor who has been divorced for a couple of years, accepts an invitation to the Paris wedding of her young ex-sister-in-law who was like a little sister to her. Paris is important to her whole ex-family, in fact, it is where Jamie and she spent a happy honeymoon. She is reluctant to attend but feels she must because she was close to the whole family once and especially to the sunshiney bride-to-be, Emily, to whom she had promised to remain close, but hasn’t. To make it worse, Jamie is bringing his new serious girlfriend, and though their divorce was “amicable”, and she is “fine,” Layla is concerned this will make her the object of speculation, worry, and “compassion.” Layla does not like to be spotlighted in any way, especially in these circumstances. On the plane over, while tending to an emergency medical situation, she meets a dark, intimidating, and strangely attractive man who looks at her with disapproval and dislike (for some reason.)Despite this, Layla is “electrically” drawn to him. To Layla’s dismay, it turns out he is the best friend of the groom and the Best Man. This is not a grumpy/sunshine romance. Layla is not particularly sunshiney, though she is selfless, good-humored, and kind. Griffin is not just grumpy. He is dark and brooding, surly and rude. Physically he is badly scarred and he obviously bears mental scars as well as physical. He is described throughout the book as a Fae Prince, a smokestack, and a column of smoke. Overused metaphors were sometimes a problem. Soon, trouble looms. After spending a night out on the town with Layla and her maid of honor, Emily starts to have doubts even to the point of possibly calling off the wedding. Michael the Groom is heartbroken and confused. Griffin is on the warpath because nothing must come between his friend and his happiness and he blames Layla. Layla is confused because she knows Emily loves Michael and that she didn’t do or say anything to make Emily change her mind. Can this wedding be saved?
While I liked the concept, the plot, and the care the author took with the development of her characters, her writing style was kind of a drag for me. It seemed very self-conscious like she was tying herself up in knots to express herself a certain way: a way in which clarity, straightforwardness, and effortlessness was something to be avoided. When she fashioned a metaphor or tried to convey a feeling or a thought, I often had to pause to re-read to fully grasp what she was trying to say. And usually what she was trying to convey was not as complex as the way she chose to say it. Please bear with me while I try to put into words why this good writer’s writing just did not work for me this time. Here’s one example, though it’s throughout the whole book all the time. Layla’s ex-husband has finally arrived in Paris with his fiancée and Layla is explaining to Griffin that she feels like everyone is watching her for signs of jealousy or heartbreak (which she honestly doesn’t feel-it’s complicated) “the Is Layla Looking at Jamie show” as she calls it. Somehow she thinks that her being this distraction is going to prevent them fixing Emily’s doubts about the marriage. Seems like a distraction might be a good thing, but whatever. And why should Layla even care about what these people who are not in her life think? Griffin’s solution is for Layla to “Look at me” instead. We learn Layla response, “Look at you how?” not until the next chapter and while Griffin is recalling this conversation of the night before. During this recollection, we have Griffin’s long contemplation about how he feels like he is Quasimodo in Notre Dame’s Bell Tower. (although he never says that in so many words-just talks all around it very metaphorically and elaborately.)
He pretended it [Notre Dame] was still in ruins. That no one would ever come back to fix it. If that were true, he knew, he wouldn’t be able to stand this close to it; he knew it would be surrounded by barricades and warning signs and probably French policemen. But that little hurdle was no match for his apparently still-skilled pretending brain. …His eyes drifted to the other bell tower, the one he hadn’t been looking at, and he pictured his wiry, hardy mother, brown-gray braid down her back, scrubbing its walls clean. Shouting out of one of her stone arches a few times a day, asking whether the monster across the way was up yet.
The reader looking for a conclusion to this conversation and Layla’s “Okay” will have to wait 12 pages, Griffin having a long phone conversation with his mother, a lot of internal sturming and dranging, and a trip to Versailles the next day. The upshot is they will not only work together behind the scenes to help and support Michael and Emily, but pretend to be “friends” so Layla does not appear to the others to be lonely. When I read contemporary romance I do not want the kind of book where the plot and character come second to the author trying to impress with her thought provoking prose. I want my thoughts to be about the plot and characters, the drama, suspense, mystery, and humor. This book has all of that, but it’s buried under too many words and too much eloquence. Lots of which didn’t even make sense. In describing Griffin, Layla is thinking how complicated he was: A complicated man. Bold but cautious, demanding but flexible, stubborn but still curious. So of course, I had to stop and try to figure out how “curious” was somehow the opposite of “stubborn.” And for that matter, shouldn’t “stubborn” be paired with “flexible” instead of “demanding?” My reading was brought to a standstill constantly and it became tedious.
I liked the slow burn layered romance and the building of the tension. When they finally do come together it was shattering and very erotic. Griffin has nothing but contempt for Jamie for losing Layla. We feel that their one time love that Layla shrugs off pales in comparison with Griffin’s love for her:
He would say it close enough for her to hear it loud and clear. “There shouldn’t be anything amicable about losing you,” he said. There should be a war, he thought. An army of stone gargoyles, ordered to be alive. All to come get you. All to show you that you should never shrug like that again.
That’s good writing.
And I was also kept turning the pages by the questions and mysteries that arise. What were the circumstances of Jamie and Layla’s divorce? They both seem so nice. Why has Layla ghosted his family? Is Jamie over Layla? Why are Michael and Griffin so close? How did Griffin get burned? How bad is the pain? Can he ever get better? I really came to care about him. Why does Emily have doubts about Michael? What is the secret? What could Michael not tell Emily? Will they end up getting married? would that be a good thing? How can Griffin and Layla be happy when there is so much to overcome? Why do Michael’s parents, especially his father, hate Griffin?
Towards the last part of the book, story elements picked up and it got easier to read. I don’t think it’s because I became accepting of her style, but because the author herself got more concerned with the story and character and forgot about “writing” to within an inch of her life. That was my impression anyway. I also liked some of the choices she made with the characters. I thought that Griffin was going to do the martyr trope thing and leave Layla for her own good. They part temporarily, but it was good. The writing style was just so frustrating when I really loved almost everything else. 3 stars.
I did enjoy this long short story/novella. It is a pretty typical Milly Johnson novel only instead of 3 women sharing the spotlight, we have just one. I had just finished a reread of one of her older novels and went right into this one. So yes, although some of her characters do get on my last nerve, I am still a fan. In fact some of my disenchantment with some of Milly’s “ways” stem from the fact that I have re-read many of her books multiple times because I am such a fan. As with most of her books, it’s light on the romance, but a romance is included to provide our heroine a hopeful happy future.
Tamantha has been denigrated all of her life by her awful family and we see an example of this as she goes to the family dinner every Sunday. She is about to get married, and no surprise, she has picked a guy that is cut out of the same cloth. He has managed to influence her to change almost everything about herself to make her fit into his personal mold of how he wants a wife to be. Why she has put up with this treatment by her family and her fiancé is not very well established so I ceased having a lot of sympathy for her long before the novella/short story was finished. His sister is a bully and has taken over Tam’s wedding to the point that she is not allowed to even invite her best friend to her own reception. This initial weakness and oppression of her protagonists is a pattern with Milly that I am increasingly losing patience with. She makes her victimized characters so blind and self-deluded that it is positively painful. They all finally see the light and successfully rebel against the tide of abuse, but often it is too late to retain my good will and concern for their well being. And there is even less justification for this heroine to put up with the disrespect and contempt in her personal life. She is a successful business woman and who was once a vibrant unconventional woman despite her black sheep status in her family.
On the professional side, Tam is on her way to a big meeting with the board of directors where she assumes she is going to be fired. She gets stuck on the elevator with the wunderkind that the board brought in to head the company instead of promoting her. She is bitter about that and makes a lot of false assumptions, but it turns out that Jack, who is the love interest, thinks the world of her and what she has accomplished for the company. Though he is still the boss, she gets full credit for her work and a big promotion. This part was good. However, despite more red flags than a Chinese parade, Tam persists in going through with her wedding until she is standing with her fiancé in front of the altar and he says something mean to her (!). She was like a lemming jumping off a cliff, or a turkey drowning itself in the rain. It is strongly implied that she would still have married the dirtbag despite everything (including her growing love for Jack), if he had just kept his mouth shut. I would have been much better with the story had Tam come to her senses on her own steam with her very own brain. Despite Jack showing her everyday how she should be treated, and the concern expressed by others, her fiancé and family have to cross the line of agreed standards of decency before she’s had enough. The story happily comes full circle, ending, as it began, in an elevator, but I would have wished for more closure with her oppressors. There could have been more balance there even though, yes, I know I know this wasn’t a full length novel. No free passes on that front from me, because Milly is usually brilliant with comeuppances.
This movie received a lot of backlash after the promotional poster was revealed last month (see left). There are 5 main cast members and only ½ of one of them is of Chinese extraction (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, who is half Scottish and half Chinese). And non-traditional tiles. I will leave the outrage and accusations of cultural appropriation to others who have more of a dog in the hunt. But it was jarring to say the least. And premiering during Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month! Oooof, Hallmark. But I did read a little about it and this was inspired by the executive producer’s wife (white) and her path to becoming a well known and respected teacher of the American variant of the game. Frankly I’d always associated Mahjong with the Jewish community as much as the Chinese community. Didn’t appear to be any Jewish representation either, probably because it’s not Hanukkah time. It’s fair to note that there is a scene set in a Chinese cultural center where Yan-kay does give a talk about the Chinese origin of the game and it’s importance to the culture. I do fault Hallmark for the lack of diversity in general lately. To me they do seem to be dialing back on that front. Just for one example, after featuring some really great movies centered round Chinese families at the beginning of the 2020’s there was a big gap between 2022 and this year’s Two for Tee. Thank goodness, just in time.
The movie opens with Roni ( the ever lovely and ageless Fiona Gublemann), our main character, playing Mahjong with her friend group and seeing her daughter off to college. The cast in this one is strong. Her 3 friends are played by the previously mentioned Lowe, Melissa Peterman, and Tamera Mowry-Housley. Her love interest is one of my favorites, Paul Campbell, who has lost the Botox, as have others amongst his Hallmark colleagues, thank goodness. Although the script didn’t give him a whole lot of opportunities to use his rightly acclaimed comic timing, he was charming as always. Roni has been divorced for 5 years and her ex comes by to remind her of their agreement to sell the house after their daughter goes off to college. The house has to have some minor repairs and a refresh before it goes on the market and he tells her to take all the time she needs (within reason.) When Roni is prevailed upon to give a Mahjong lesson for the school’s end of year fundraiser, she meets Ben, a contractor and the uncle of one of the kids. Ben’s mother is in an assisted living community and is having trouble making friends. Ben thinks Mahjong is the answer and gets Roni to start a class there in exchange for him doing the repairs on Roni’s house. One thing leads to another and soon Roni has a fledgling side hustle being a Mahjong teacher. It’s timely because her job as a school nurse has been cut back to part time. Unfortunately Roni lives in the only community in the United States that has a glut of unemployed nurses because she can’t get a job elsewhere as any kind of nurse. At least we assume so, because we see her only unsuccessfully applying for one position in a hospital emergency room. Nevertheless, Roni, with Ben’s encouragement, has decided that she loves her house too much to move to a condo and is going to try to buy out her husband’s half despite her shaky financial status. After all, barring one disastrous experience with book club women, her mahjong classes are really taking off. She’s thinking maybe she can make a real career out of it. Unfortunately, her ex-husband’s loose goosey time line to get the house on the market changes to “You have 3 weeks!”, thanks to the house he and his new wife want finally coming up for sale. The change from reasonable ex-husband and co-parent to condescending stinker made me long for Roni to put him in his place by the end of the movie.
Overall, this was a good one despite a weak plot. A lot of time was taken up with “Adventures in Mahjong”. But at least it was something different after the last several trope-filled offerings. I had a few quibbles, as usual. When Ben made an appearance while Roni and her friends were playing their Mahjong game, the 3 women were very immature and obnoxious with the usual “ hello-o-o-o-o-o Roni’s got a boyfriend you’re hot” routine. They acted like 13-year-olds and it was embarrassing. Also after a night out Roni invites Ben in for a drink, and instead of romance, they end up playing Mahjong. I was rolling my eyes, but the situation was rescued by a kiss and a fade out. So who knows what ended up happening? Roni’s progress in her newfound possible career, securing a loan to buy her house, and romance was well paced, made sense, and overall engaging. Ben had some issues with his brother regarding his non-involvement in their mother’s life. Both Ben and Roni had to learn to ask for help, a frequent Hallmark roadblock to happiness and fulfillment. I liked that when Ben gave his brother a chance, he came through with flying colors and we have a nice clearing of the air scene between them with both apologizing to the other. Unfortunately the same closure can not be said between Roni and her ex, which was a disappointment and kind of a loose end in my book. I really needed an acknowledgement of Roni’s success from him at the end of the movie. A little less Mahjong and more groveling. He really got on my bad side. I almost knocked it down a notch for that, but I’ll be nice and give it a 7.
I’m not warm, I’m not especially kind. But I can be strong.
I believe this is the first book of Sally Hepworth’s that really made it big. It’s the one that brought her to my attention. Despite great reviews, I avoided it for a couple of years, reading instead 2 later books by her which I thoroughly enjoyed. I assumed that if the book was about a Mother-in-Law she had to be Evil. That’s what the synopsis seemed to suggest as well. And if the Mother-in-law was evil, that meant the husband had to be either complicit, stupid, or weak. Now that’s fine in romantic woman’s fiction as our heroine will suffer or be deceived by said hubby but dump him on the way to a better life with another man who is worthy of her.
But this wasn’t so simple or predictable. First and foremost it is a study of characters. Not just one. In the first chapter we learn that Diana, the Mother-in-Law, is dead. At first it looks like suicide, and then it looks like murder. There are many confusing things about it which will not be answered until the last pages. The past is told in flashbacks by Diana and Lucy, the Daughter-in-law, in first person. They are joint protagonists even though Lucy is the only one still alive in the present and dealing with what turns out to be a murder mystery and investigation. At about a quarter in, I liked both of the two women who didn’t understand each other because they didn’t know what I, the reader, was learning. And as I learned more and more, I felt saddened by their adversarial relationship when they could have been allies and even friends. Such waste! Diana, Lucy’s mother-in-law, is not warm or kind, but she is a good woman who wants the best for those close to her. She just goes at it in a way that most people would disagree with. She adores her husband Tom and he adores her. She has founded a charity, and works very hard at it, to help down-on-their-luck pregnant immigrant women get the supplies and care they need. I interpreted Diana as having a borderline personality disorder perhaps partially caused by her difficult past. She seems to have developed an inability to feel or show empathy for those close to her. She is very complicated, confusing and mysterious. Lucy has married Ollie, Diana’s son. Lucy is also a good person: a bit of a free spirit, very nice, and with a strong moral center. She and Ollie love each other very much. Lucy’s wonderful mother died when she was only 13 and she meets her fiancé’s mother hoping that she and Diana will become close friends or even have a loving mother-daughter relationship. That hope does not last long. Their first meeting sets the pattern which is repeated over and over until near the end. Diana is very reserved and formal at their first meeting. Ollie asks his mother what she thinks about Lucy, and Lucy overhears Diana say “I think she’s fine.” She is very hurt by this “damning with faint praise” assessment. When Diana’s society friends explain that “Nothing good ever started from fine”, she doesn’t get it. To Diana,
“fine is an appropriate seal of approval for the son’s new girlfriend. Love is obviously too strong a word, and even like would be overstating after a mere evening together-Heaven forbid I be one of those overbearing women that fawned all over the new girlfriend begging to be best friends…. As far as I am concerned, If Lucy loved my son and he loved her she was fine by me. Absolutely fine“.
And of course she doesn’t know that Lucy overheard her comment. Not that she would really try to explain herself. Diana’s first impression of Lucy is that she has been spoiled and adored her whole life and so is rather weak. But Lucy is actually very strong, as Diana learns. And Lucy is not faultless in the rocky relationship. Diana makes such an unpleasant scene over the price of the wedding gown Lucy loves at the bridal shop, that she walks out embarrassed and hurt. But later, she realizes later that Diana did her a huge favor. Lucy never talks to Diana about it. Diana never tells Lucy that she didn’t like the dress not only because of the price, but because the dress did not reflect Lucy’s off beat fashion style and made her look “generic.” There were so many times a heart to heart between the two would have healed the breach. But Diana does not do heart to hearts. Only the reader is allowed to see Diana’s side of things, and even then she does things that are really inexcusable. Even when she becomes aware of her mis-steps she never goes back to set things straight. “She’s a good mother, I have to admit. It occurs to me that I’ve never told her that.” And she never does.
As the story goes on, Lucy and Ollie have children, and the breach between them grows very wide. Even, we are told, to the point of physical violence though we do not know the circumstances right away. So when Diana’s death looks like murder, all eyes turn to Lucy. Our suspicions turn to Ollie. Because though Ollie is a good person, he is weak and not all that bright. Diana recalls an incident involving Ollie and his sister Nettie in their pool when Nettie almost drowns trying to save her little brother:
That’s when I realized. Some people jumped in and tried to save someone who was in trouble; others did anything they could to save themselves. Ollie hadn’t meant to drown Nettie, he was simply following his instincts, just as she was following hers. My children had just shown me who they were.
By the end, I was desperate for Diana to see the light and for the two women to come to an understanding. I was intrigued by the mystery of Diana’s death and the fates of everyone in the family. I won’t say anymore but I found the ending more satisfying and hopeful than it had any right to be.
What we have here is somewhat of a dual time line plot, but not really. The main event is definitely the present day story set around the Kentucky Derby. Certainly one of the most timely Hallmark movies ever. I mean, day of, and only an hour later than the actual event. Hallmark movies always premiere on Saturday which is always the day The Run for the Roses is held. The upset winner of the real race this year, Golden Tempo, was the first horse trained by a woman to win the Derby. In a remarkable coincidence, the secondary story line in this one involved our heroine’s best friend, a woman who is training one of the contenders, also an over 20 to 1 long shot. No spoilers here. Back to the movie.
The movie opens in muted colors because this is the part that is set back in the olden days of the 1930s. It is the story of the present day couple’s forebears: a great grandmother and a great uncle, Gloria (Gigi) and Charlie (Lefty). This is a little mixed up generation-wise and I was confused. He is the son of the rich owners of a horse farm near Louisville and she is a greenhouse worker. He wants to be a builder and go to New York to build skyscrapers and she also wants to pursue her dreams there. He gives her an expensive necklace and proposes marriage with his grandmother’s wedding ring. She accepts the ring, and reluctantly accepts the expensive necklace. Predictably and unfortunately, his parents oppose the match and “force” him to take another girl of his own class to a fancy ball. Gloria reads about it in the paper and she breaks up with him, returning his ring, but he refuses to take the necklace back. He is also forced to give up his dream of being a builder in NYC and has to take over the horse farm and somehow is instrumental in establishing “Churchill Downs.” Lots of spurious history in this one, and I admit I was a little fuzzy about some points. The story passed down in his family is how poor Charlie almost got caught by a gold digger who all but stole an expensive necklace and other gifts and money from the family. Great grandmother Gloria goes on to help establish the big important greenhouse at Churchill Downs. And you can bet the vicious lies about her being a greedy seductress are going to figure pretty heavily in the inevitable “Big Misunderstanding” between Ash and Sadie.
Reliable Andrew Walker plays Ash, the son of the CEO of Churchill Downs, who unlike his great uncle, had the backbone to defy his father and become an architect and builder specializing in helping Non-Profit community projects. Or, as his father calls them, “do-gooders” with a sniff and a sneer. Newcomer Odette Annable plays Sadie who works part time for her mother, who runs the aforementioned greenhouse, while pursuing her dream of being a florist by working in an elite flower shop owned by a really difficult woman. A storm has damaged one of the spires of Churchill Downs, and dear old dad calls his son to come fix it. Ash is not inclined to accept the job because he is really busy and important in his own right. But his nice mother wants him to because it is an opportunity to ease the estrangement between her husband and her son. Sadie and Ash, both tending to their individual projects, meet on the grounds of Churchill Downs at night and the romance begins. Meanwhile, Sadie, who is struggling under the thumb of her terrifying boss, agrees to provide the flower arrangements for her pregnant best friend/horse trainer’s baby shower. Ash’s mother sees her work and, impressed, asks her to step in to provide the emergency arrangements for a prestigious fundraiser she is holding and, flattered, Sadie agrees. Ash’s mom then specifies that red roses must be present, which is impossible because, Hello!, all of the red roses have already been spoken for because of the Derby. Sadie’s boss is irate and wants nothing to do with getting mixed up with such a high profile affair that is sure to fail, and threatens to fire Sadie. Sadie is on her own and Ash offers to help because his family’s land has a lot of wildflowers including some kind of rare red climbing Prairie Roses. Score! It is at this point that Sadie finds out that Ash, who goes by another name, is the scion of the famous and important Reed family. This leads to a big fight because he wasn’t honest about his identity and it’s inappropriate for her to make flower arrangements with flowers that were picked from the client’s own field. I could see how that would be a little awkward, but the crisis is averted to make way for the big crisis: The red roses for the famous Garland of Roses that is draped over the Kentucky Derby winner are stuck in South America!
Needless to say, Sadie and social media save the day. It’s a Hallmark, so I won’t be spoiling things by divulging that the reputation of Sadie’s great grandmother is restored, the spire is fixed with tiles that will pass inspection with the historical committee, Ash and his Dad repair their relationship, Sadie is well on her way to being a florist under her own banner, and a certain horse wins The Kentucky Derby. This was all pretty standard stuff, plot wise and romance wise. I will say that Odette Annable, as Sadie, was a find, and I hope to see more of her. She and Andrew certainly got the memo about making the final Hallmark kisses more…”interesting.” The behind the scenes peeks of the Derby Week celebrations were nice if probably mostly fictional, going by the fast and loose treatment of the historical facts regarding the race track and The Garland of Roses. At least the setting was authentic, filmed right there at Churchill Downs. It was certainly much better then last years Kentucky Derby movie which was really really phony. It also managed to avoid my least favorite bone-tired Hallmark paradigms. And that was a welcome relief after many of the recent movies.
When I started my reread on Audible of this old favorite, (one of the few Georgette Heyers I have an actual visual memory of myself opening it for the first time) I was reminded that it is not a favorite of many Heyer devotees whose opinions I not only respect, but usually agree with. With this in mind, I decided I would try to understand that opinion, which seems to mostly stem from a dislike and disapproval of Horatia (Horry) Winwood, our heroine. Besides that, many object to the age gap between Horry and Lord Rule (17 v. 35), her husband, and the fact that he has a few assignations with his mistress, after they are married, before he cuts ties with her.
The story opens with the happy news that the impoverished Winwood family is about to be rescued from, if not ruin, then very much financial discomfort. The very very wealthy Marcus Drelincourt, the Earl of Rule, has offered for the beauty of the family, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, “Lizzy” is in love with Edward, a lowly-by-comparison lieutenant in the Army and younger son she has known all her life. Its in the late 1770s and he is just back from fighting the war in America. Horatia, the youngest of the three Winwood girls, is not about to see her beloved sister marry against her wishes even to save the family. But saved the family must be. In a classic and favorite Heyer scene, She goes to Rule and offers herself up as a substitute. Rule was about to offer for Elizabeth due to her beauty, docility, and suitability. He is 35, his sister has been on his case, and she’s right, it’s time for an heir. That’s all. But when he is ambushed by the unconventional Horry, he sees something special in her. She certainly does not act like a typical demure schoolroom miss. She is straightforward, audacious, and obviously good-hearted. He is amused and rather captivated, especially when in the interest of fair play, she starts to point out her own flaws compared with the divine “Lizzie.” Maybe it would be good not to be bored all of the time. Yes, she is very young and society will be, if not scandalized, at least taken aback. But Rule goes his own way, and he accepts her proposal. His sister is frustrated by his whim, but when she meets Horry, she approves. She loves her brother and realizes that this girl has the potential to touch his formerly untouchable heart.
Miss Horatia, the youngest of the three, had nothing to declare her lineage except her nose. Her hair was dark, her eyes a profound grey, and her brows, nearly black and rather thick were quite straight, and gave her a serious, almost frowning expression. No amount of careful training would induce an arch in them.
After the newlyweds return to London, Horry unexpectedly becomes the rage. She goes about thoroughly enjoying her new found status as a darling of The Ton, rather than the underappreciated and troublesome “other” Winwood. She is no longer the outsider in unfashionable clothes, not very promising looks, and an unconventional manner. She revels in the freedom afforded by not having to worry about money and spends accordingly. And she unfortunately appears to have inherited the Winwood “Fatal Tendency” for a predilection for gambling like her brother Pelham. I think part of this behavior, that many readers don’t like, including me TBH, is a desire to just fit in. And she is carried away by her own unlikely success. Not surprisingly, Rule knows how to handle Horry, and Horry likes and respects Rule. If fact, she is well on her way to falling in love with him, and he with her. But danger looms. There are three people, including Lord Rule’s ex-mistress, who do not have the best interests of him or his young wife at heart. There are plots.
I understand those who prefer Georgette Heyer’s more mature and levelheaded heroines. But after listening to the book with an open mind, I confess I’m still at a loss as to why some feel so much hostility towards our stuttering heroine. Some found reading her stuttering annoying. I just didn’t. It was an interesting quirk to add to the characterization of a girl who is spirited and forthright, albeit with rebellious tendencies. I also did not mind the age-gap, and not only because it was common for the times in which they lived. This time around I was reminded of the very successful marriage of Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline which makes me vicariously happy. Also the age difference is not treated lightly or brushed aside, but is fully acknowledged as a concern from the beginning and throughout the novel. Rule’s own self-doubts over the difference and Horry’s and his sister’s reassurances somehow put aside any concerns I might have had. But it is a reason for their rocky progression towards mutual understanding. AKA, the plot. That said, Horry needs a strong, wise, and mature hand. Someone she can respect and admire. I can’t imagine such a girl marrying a callow 22 year old. Most would be under her thumb from the jump. As for the mistress situation, the two went into the marriage thinking in terms of non-interference and going their own way. A marriage of convenience only. Even though they obviously started falling in love on their honeymoon (which occurs “off stage”), they either didn’t realize it or were afraid to acknowledge it. Rule would have gone back to his normal life out of habit and, reading between the lines, perhaps in denial (or alarm?) over his emerging feelings for Horry. It starts the progression of their relationship from the beginning. Whatever the reason, he cut ties with his mistress very soon. As completely opposite as the two women were, I suspect that once he had one or two encounters with “The Massey” he saw her in a new light and it only cemented his commitment to and feelings for Horry. As far as Horry herself, her detractors call her immature, too frivolous, silly, and even imbecilic. To that, to quote Horry, I say “Stuff!”. Yes, she is immature and frivolous at the beginning. But she does learn and grow. She is genuinely shocked when Rule kindly and calmly confronts her with her bills. When she is manipulated into a compromising position that might cause a scandal, she comes to Rule (sensibly and maturely) with the truth. She cuts ties with Lord Lethbridge (one of the villains) very effectively, despite his cleverness, with subtlety and no attention-getting dramatics. She is so effective that he is forced into desperation. Which she also deals with handily with a poker across the back of the head. Keep in mind she is 17 years old and he is a cunning and ruthless manipulator. Yes, she has a tendency to jump from the frying pan into the fire, but it’s out of fear that she will lose Rule’s trust and good opinion along with the mistaken idea that he still might prefer his mistress. She is unsure of herself and kind of desperate. Of course she is. And from her perspective, she wasn’t wrong to be. And really there are very few heroines (including in Heyer) who never put a foot wrong and always take the wise and sensible path. The defense rests. Ha Ha.
And I loved Rule. Behind his languor and insouciance he was a man of action who was always on top of the situation. He was very acute. Very Scarlett Pimpernel. He never doubts Horry for an instant. I loved his loyalty, the slow build of their romance, and the very sweet and satisfying final scene. I loved the descriptions of the rich Georgian lifestyle for all of its sins. Add in 2 duels, a missing jewel, a highwayman, and the funny antics of Pelham and his cohorts in their mission to rescue Horry, and, for me, this Heyer had it all.
Despite including S’mores, the phrases, “It’s Complicated,” and “ You’ve got this”, I enjoyed this script’s overall intelligent dialogue and sparky banter between the four main characters. The plot as a whole was the usual, unfortunately. Over-planner and career oriented Amy ( check) goes on her journey to work/life balance (check) while communing with her grandmother (check) and falling in love on an actual journey (check). Needless to say she has to simultaneously get a contract signed upon which a greatly desired promotion and her whole career rests (check). The love interest is Mark, the activity director at her grandmother’s assisted living facility and he is, of course, a stop and smell the flowers, live in for the moment, breezing along with the breeze, tumblin’ tumbleweed type (check). While Mark and her grandmother are showing Amy that there is more to life than her career, he has to learn to stop going from pillar to post, forge a lasting relationship and put down roots (check). Fan Favorite Tyler Hynes (Mark) and and the lovely and charming Stacy Farber (Amy) lead a foursome which include the Tony Award-winning actress and singer Christine Ebersole as Amy’s grandmother, and Hallmark frequent flyer BJ Harrison in her usual role as a warm and wise elderly friend. Both of the older actresses were sheer delights. The casting in this was great. I even liked Tyler Hynes’ character for most of the movie which is not usually the case. He does play a version of his usual charming misfit role, but in this one he is responsible, not weak, and good-humored rather than tortured. He had a natural and easy rapport with Stacy Farber which made for a good romance. The whole foursome worked very well together which made for an enjoyable and engaging 84 minutes.
**Spoiler Alert**
Hard-working and ambitious Amy, her grandmother Vivien, and Vivien’s best friend Sue, have decided to spend their weekend together going on a 9-hour road trip down the Pacific coastline. Vivien wants to visit the charming town she has fond memories of where she met her first love, Teddy, in her youth. As they are ready to depart, Amy gets a call from her high-strung boss. She must, simply must, get a prospective client’s signature on a contract in person before Monday or no promotion. Luckily, the town that he lives in is in the general vicinity of their destination. On the way they get a flat tire and the seniors call their good friend Mark to come to the rescue and also to promote a match between him and Amy. The Three Musketeers become a quartet and, along with Mable, his VW micro-bus, they continue on their adventure. With no seatbelts, I might add. The usual ensues including a horoscope reading in which Sue is advised to “follow the leaves” which indeed do pop up from time to time to guide them on their way. In the town, a leaf guides them to look in a hole in a tree in which they find a message in a bottle left by her lost love Teddy. What. Are. The. Odds. This part could have been set-up much much more credibly. The message “It’s in Teddy’s handwriting!!!” is for Vivien(!!) and tells her to come find him if she ever comes back to the town and finds the bottle. I mean…. Anyway, the road trip becomes a mission to find Teddy as well as get that contract signed.
Throughout the journey, Tyler (Mark) pretty much behaves himself being a good friend and support to the two seniors and falling in love with Amy (and vice versa). Their relationship and personal growth and journeys are believable and just nice. However, after some set-backs in both the Teddy and contract-signing fronts, Amy finally meets the client with contract in hand. He wants her to spend the afternoon with him walking him through the agreement and answering his questions. In other words, doing the job that she is being paid for. He hints that there are other parties interested in his invention. (She’s in Patent Acquisitions, which is a new one.) This presents a dilemma as this means Amy will miss Vivien’s big reunion with Teddy. She goes outside to explain to Mark who advises her to ditch her job responsibilities and leave with him right now (for no real reason other than his guilty conscience. No spoilers, but we get a bit of “Tortured Tyler” here) Thankfully, she does not, and Mark leaves her stranded with apparently no way back to Grandma in time for her big moment. So after an hour and 15 minutes of Tyler playing a character that I liked and had no beef with, he disappointed me once again. Mark and Amy get their heads on straight and It all turns out OK for all, including the inventor. But no apology from Mark. 🙁
Still, thanks to everything else good about this movie, and mostly due to the performances of all 4 actors and the characters of Vivian and Sue, this one is very well done. It even includes good scenery which is almost a necessity on a road-trip romance. **7 1/2 stars**
I hope I have this right, but I listened to this on Audible so there is no way I can realistically check my facts. Our narrator, Jonquil, “Jonny” and Phyl grew up together in the same home headed by Aunt Flora along with Phyl’s brothers, George and Hugh. Flora was Jonny’s mother’s best friend and was taken in by her when her parents died. Jonny ended up marrying Hugh, and Phyl married Hugh’s best friend, Tom. Phyl and Jonny both were widowed at the same time due to an automobile wreck, and Jonny was left with two young children. Phyl and Jonny live together and the book begins when they decide to escape their dreary cramped apartment and move to “Rushing” a large but old and dilapidated cottage (it doesn’t even have an indoor toilet!) in the middle of nowhere.
This is what is known as a “slice-of-life” novel, which is a type of novel I read a lot of. It focuses on the largely unremarkable happenings and relationships of everyday life. Gentle humor, unusual characters, and the joy of living are key. At least in the novels of this type that I read. Needless to say, there is usually a satisfactory if understated romance which provides closure and a happy prospect for the characters we have come to feel invested in. Atmosphere and ambiance are key. The ones I read are usually set in the English or Scottish countryside and set at least 50 years ago. True to form, nothing much happens in this one until the previously mentioned George comes to stay at Rushing Farm. It’s not specifically stated what’s wrong with him, but he has been ordered by his doctor to “rest.” So I’m guessing nervous breakdown. George is a famous actor and something of a babe magnet. He is also spoiled, entitled, and a prima donna. The family loves George, but they don’t like him very much. They are confident that as soon as he gets a load of Rushing’s primitive conditions, he will quickly leave for less spartan accommodations far far away.
At first I was somewhat entertained by George and his angry incredulity over what he was asked to put up with at Rushing Farm. The women pretty much just take him in stride. They don’t know how to “just say no” but they are not complete doormats either. They know that George will not be able to stand being in the middle of nowhere for long and are not majorly inconvenienced by George’s whims and megrims. The stage is set on the first day when George confiscates Jonny’s son Paul’s bedroom for his own. To meet his standards, he then hijacks various pieces of furniture and decor from Phyl, Jonny, and Flora’s rooms. When they object, he bosses them and manipulates them into agreeing. But the more George complains, the happier the family is because the sooner he will leave. That is, until Angela ,the aunt of a summer guest of Jonnie’s daughter, comes to visit. She is gorgeous, sweet, down-to-earth and couldn’t be less interested in George, despite his glamor and fame. George, on the other hand, falls head over heels for the first time in his life.
All of the main characters were likable but boring. There are two romances involved, one was a foregone conclusion with no “will they or won’t they” tension to be had. George and Angela’s story had a little more suspense, but Angela deserved better even if the reader comes to understand and be reconciled to George a little more by the end. Jonnie, who I guess is our main character because everything is seen through her eyes, is the most boring of all. Her primary personality traits are competence, quietude, and inarticulateness. Phyl is charmingly lazy and Aunt Flora is wise, no-nonsense, and caring. A romance for Jonnie is threatened but is nipped in the bud by her disinterest. The book just kind of ends with the wedding of one of the characters which is a hair’s breath from ending in disaster. Or what would pass for disaster in this gentle world. There were some unanswered questions which are not my favorite. Why was Flora’s cousin so anxious to talk to her, what secret will he impart that threatens the family’s equanimity? We never know. If there ever was one. There were some amusing bits where I kind of chuckled. The most exciting and funniest part was near the end where Jonnie finally loses her temper. It was all very low-stakes. The quirky characters were not quirky enough. After I read this, I found out this was Cadell’s first book and I readily believed it. It explained a lot. Still it was lovely and charming enough to earn 3 stars from me.
