Member Reviews

I had never read a Catherine Alliott book before, but I am aware she is a famed chic lit writer.

However, I was rather disappointed as I found it really hard getting into this book. Alliott spent quite a while setting out the background, and then too long building up a picture as to the dynamic between the characters. Eventually, the plot was steady enough to keep me reading, but by then I was just reading it to get to the end.

I’d summarise this as a fluffy holiday read and something that can be used to pass by the time, but wouldn’t go as far as to recommend it I’m afraid.

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I absolutely loved this book about a young widow who tries to continue living her late husband‘s dream of running a farm. Lovely plot, amusing writing style, likeable characters - will certainly read more by this author!
Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I really enjoyed the mix of rural and city life and the turmoil Molly faced when deciding on her future happiness.

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Last Night is a typical chicklit but I found it rather difficult to read and to be truly captivated by the story.

Molly Faulkner and her husband David leave their busy London lives behind in favour of a wholesome life in the country. Things may seem picture perfect but a secret affair is silently making waves in the marriage. Tragically, however, David dies and leaves Molly with a world of debt, farming and demanding children.

I honestly did not warm to the children at all but found Molly to be quite hilarious, especially in her money making bids of selling soaps and knickers. Things to take a drastic change however when Molly inherits money from a deceased uncle. It is then the story takes some twists and turns. Molly is hit by 3 different love interests but do they all truly have her best interests at heart? Who is the handsome stranger that seems to be living in the house she is set to inherit? Why does she keep disappointing her demanding children?

I did find this book an okay read but I did find it a bit of a chore to finish. Perhaps my tastes have moved on.

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This isn't usually the genre of book I like to read but it was a refreshing change. I found this book hilarious in parts and rather heartwarming. Molly is a great character and lives a life that sounds a lot of fun. It's my first book by this author and won't be the last

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This is a story about Molly, who is widowed, with 3 children, and a small holding inn the country, which she struggles to run. A will appears to gift her a house in London, from a distant relative of her husband, but there are several conplications. An old flame, from \France, reappears, and the local vet kisses her completely out of the blue.
This is a pacy novel, with very likeable characters, and a believable plot. The resolution too k me by surprise, and completed the story well. The author is to be congratulated on the style and elan of this story of modern love, and surprises. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this.

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An enjoyable, humorous and delightful read from Catherine Alliott, with some more serious asides, 'About Last Night' is a book about second chances, following dreams and not so much about 'having it all' but rather about making it work. Having lost her husband, David, Molly is now left living his dream (rather than hers) having moved from city to country along with their children. Will the country life suit and is it, eventually, to be her dream too? This is a Romcom with a great big heart. As a longstanding fan of the work of this Author, I was very much looking forward to this new offering - I wasn't disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed it and, although there are some earlier novels that I felt surpassed this one, it was certainly a pleasure to return to the comfort zone of her writing.

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I loved this book, Catherine Alliott always has me laughing out loud and this book was no different . I thoroughly enjoyed this book, light hearted and good for a holiday read or just to switch off before bed.

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Enjoyed the story would recommend to my friends and family

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Oh dear... I wanted so much to like this book. I have prevented myself from flinging it at the door 3 times today, I am half way through and think the next fling shall be into the bin. Not only is this not my style, but the IRRITATING idiocy of the heroine is putting me in a bad mood all day. Ah well. I'm sure a lot of people will like it. It is well written, and the characterisation is well made; after all it has made me hate her!
Too much: middle class, idiotic females, cookiecutter spoilt children, cliche men.
Too little; understanding of grief, depth of emotion, sheer NICENESS!

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When I started this I figured it'd be your average read, what I didn't expect was to be drawn into the lives of Molly and her family. All the way through I kept rooting for Molly, and what a well deserved ending! Great summer read!

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A good easy read light and fluffy chick lit. I've read other books by the author previously and honestly, I don't think this is one of the better ones. I found the characters really hard to follow and the messes the main character gets herself into over and over a little bit far fetched but overall, I enjoyed reading this and it would make a perfect beach / summer / airplane read.

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This book had me on stitches . I couldn't put the book down

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This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last. There is so much going on this book, it keeps you drawn into it all the way through. Molly has a good life in London with her husband David and their three children. Having been with David since they were young Molly surprised herself by falling for their friend and neighbour Henri with whom she was soon having an affair. After David found out Molly agreed to move far away to Herefordshire to a totally different type of life in a run down farmhouse. Tragically David dies leaving Molly to struggle on alone. As Molly gets to the end of her options of how to survive she is given a lifeline from David's Uncle leaving her his house in London. I don't want to give any spoilers but it isn't straightforward and things don't end up how Molly expected

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I read a lot. Obviously. Dancing between most genres as I aim to hit 100 books in a year. But sometimes only chick lit will fill the void in your reading calendar with any satisfaction and Catherine Alliot is in my opinion one of the best. This story is heartwarming, witty and entertaining if not on a few occasions faintly ridiculous. But that is coming from someone who lives in a village very similar to the one Alliot described and i couldn't even tell you the names of my neighbours, let alone the names of random inhabitants living across the other side, but thats be being picky and rather pedantic.

As previously stated ‘About last night…’ was primarily set in rural England. Where Molly and her husband David moved to in an attempt to make Davids countryside dreams a reality. Sadly, soon after moving Molly is widowed and is left trying to keep her farm aloft as well as three children. The ways she went about this did create some laugh out moments as her schemes (anything from underwear selling to horse trading) went horrendously wrong many a time. Molly was for the most part a likeable character and the story is pushed on by her sheer determination.

Parts of this book left me squirming in disbelief and sheer anger for our protagonist. I was sat in Starbucks biting nervously on the plastic lid of my coffee cup as i couldn't believe what she was doing, or more importantly how she’d let herself get into that situation. Then,after pausing book and taking a step back. I realised It is the same for all of us, usually with the same cause - Men. What chick lit would be compete with a few male characters to wish after. Saying that some of the ones in this were absolute gits.. there was also a few… not so gitty. Although i didn't agree with many of Mollys choices i liked her, i enjoyed the character although being critical she wasn't as strong as others i’ve met in Alliots books i still wanted to take her for a glass of wine wrap her in a blanket and just tell her that everything will be okay in the end.

Although I enjoyed it, it didn't feel quite finished. It filled a gap and did satisfy my need for chick lit for a wile, but? Thats it. I won’t be reading it again. But it is perfect for a summer read around the pool, or in the garden on a gorgeous summers evening.

With thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

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I love this author, and have read most of her books. This book was great, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Slightly more serious and a bit less frothy than some of her other books, due to situations within book, but such a great light read. If you're going away, pack it for the beach and devour in one sitting!

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There is so much that I can say about this book. It was that amazing and I wasn't' expecting it to be that funny. If anyone can remember a crazy lady on the bus trying to stifle her laughter unsuccessfully while reading her kindle... that was me.

Catherine Alliott is one of the few authors that can make me enter a bookshop and buy a book without reading the blurb. That is how powerful her writing is. I think I have read nearly every single book she has written because her stories are interesting and her style of writing is captivating. I would definitely recommend anyone and everyone to buy her books.

About Last Night is a story about a woman called Molly who has three children and is a widow. She has some financial difficulties and has. Few struggles operating her farm, however, her circumstances change when money is left to her after the death of her husband's uncle who she hardly knew. Having lived most of her life in London, she contemplates moving back and proceeds to sell the farm. After it is revealed that she has been left a substantial amount of money and property, a hilarious set of events follow.

Some parts of the story were obvious. I could tell straight away who was good and who was bad. I could also tell wha direction the story was going in but I did not anticipate the twists and turns. At times I wondered, how things will turn out but Catherine was able to link the characters and the story seamlessly. My favourite character was, by a long shot, Nico, Molly's son. Surrounded solely by females, he was delivered his wit, sarcasm and opinions in a funny and laid back way. Molly's daughter's Lucy and Minna reminded me of myself in some ways. I was willing Minna to grow stronger and ditch the guy that was wasting her time and side eyed Lucy for railroading someone who clearly loved her.

The character I disliked but not as much as I hate the usual story villain's was the obvious villain of the story. It irritated me when they had an opinion of Molly's daughter when they had no place to and they were dubious in character themself. It was clear to see how they were influencing and playing Molly. Catherine wrote the scenarios so well that I would get angry and frustrated with Molly for some of the decisions she made.

What I loved the most about this book was the funny situations that Molly got caught up in. They were literally laugh out loud moments for me. Due to misinterpretions, her children thought she was going through a crisis. She was caught kissing (though unplanned) a man by a local who spread the information, caught kissing another man in a club by her daughter, caught in a misunderstanding with a past lover, thought to be seducing a potential buyer and caught in the most embarrassing situation involving a horse and spectators. Thank you Catherine for making me laugh out loud on a packed bus. The horse scene was hilarious and genius. I don't want to go into Paddy too much but he was evil for causing that but I still had to laugh at the situation.

I would recommend everyone to read this book. Molly's backstory added depth to the book and gives the reader an understanding on why she thinks and behaves a certain way. Here's to patiently waiting for another great story but the wonderful Catherine Alliott.

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This is an entertaining, sometimes chaotic and shambolic story. I enjoyed it very much. Molly was widowed 5 years ago. She and her family had just moved from London to the countryside to live on a 90 acre small holding. It was her husband's dream. Molly has since managed and struggled single handed so when she inherits some money and a house in London, she longs to return there. Read on for a bumpy journey!

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Fairly run-of-the-mill romance from Alliott - does what it says on the tin. Warm, sweet, romantic, a bit funny, etc. Certainly an enjoyable read, but for me it was lacking something to set it above the rest. Good characters, a certain amount of gentle suspense to keep things interesting, entertaining writing, just missing that x-factor to push it up to 5 stars.

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It wouldn't be fair of me to write a full review as I actually didn't finish the book. Perhaps I am just getting old and cynical, but I couldn't face another embarrassingly gauche-and-silly-middle-aged-female-character (Molly) trying to live up to her perceived expectations of and throwing herself at a drop-dead-gorgeous-but-sensitive-male in a feeble attempt to impress him.
I have very much enjoyed Catherine Alliott books in the past, so please read other reviews before you make your decision on whether to read it or not!

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