A good family saga from Joanna Trollope. Rose has met up again with a boy she knew years ago, Tyler. Both are in their sixties,divorced and Myles has spent much of his adult life in America. The relationship has developed to the point where they decide to marry. They bring their adult children together to meet everyone but not everyone is happy. This story looks at the relationships between the children, who are all adults, and the soon to be married couple.
I enjoyed looking at the whole story from Roses perspective, she proceeds with the plans even though she has doubts but are those doubts her own or her childrens? However there were a couple of characters that really annoyed me. Myles was constantly overly positive, maybe that was just his American way? And Roses daughter Emmie, although an adult, behaved throughout like a young child. Every move made by any other character she
took as a slight against her. Joanna Trollope writes very well about families and this book is no exception.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have read and enjoyed most of Joanne Trollope’s books. As always with Joanna's books, this is a well written story of family dynamics. It is a story of new relationships, acceptance and second chance romance. I enjoyed most of the characters but did find Rose's children spoilt and annoying. I liked the ending but found it surprising.

As with all of Joanna's books this is a perfect summer holiday read or for a wet afternoon on the sofa.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting and good read from Joanna Trollope, with a theme that many readers will identify with. Highly enjoyable, with well rounded characters and an engaging plot. Highly recommend.

Joanna Trollope is not as good as she used to be. This was disappointing and boring. Rich grown up children that had far too much involvement in their Mothers life. It just all seemed pointless.

An absolute delight to return to Joanna Trollope with this wonderful family drama. I remember thoroughly enjoying devouring all of her books as light relief when studying at university (many years ago!).
Joanna still manages to hit the spot even as such a prolific author and now into her 70’s.
This book follows the Woodrowe family. Following her divorce settlement, Rose (who is in her early 60s) is happily settled in her mews property situated near Harley Street, London, just off of Oxford Street (oh how lovely it would be to be that wealthy!😉). She then has a chance meeting with an old friend, Tyler, who is recently widowed. Will romance blossom? How will their respective grown up children feel about their relationship? Will love conquer all?
A wonderful light and very entertaining read. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Joanna Trollope novel and I just found it to be so so. Some of the characters (the grown up children) were really annoying at times and difficult to like. Also, I found the book to be quite slow and the ending to be overly abrupt. I may pick up another novel by this author at some stage, but this book hasn’t left me with any burning desire to rush out and buy her back catalogue. All in all, I found this book to be just okay but nothing special.

I have read many Joanna Trollope books and, like those, enjoyed this story. The characters were well established and I felt involved in watching the story unfold. It is an easy read, with some interesting plot developments but I felt a disappointing ending. The final parts of the story do not feel as believable as the rest of the book. I was left wondering why someone would act like they did.

Joanna Trollope can always be relied upon to write books that entice you in during the first couple of pages. I knew I was going to enjoy “An Unsuitable Match” right from the beginning, and I really didn’t want to put it down.

Rose finds herself single in her 50s after her cheating husband finally does the decent thing by owning up and asking for a divorce. An old acquaintance, Tyler, also finds himself single, in the USA, when his wife of 30 years dies. On a visit to the UK, Tyler bumps into Rose by chance, and they fall head-over-heels in love and plan to marry.

The flies in the ointment are some of their five offspring; particularly, Rose’s twins, Emmy and Nat.
A fabulous book, with insights into personalities, and some twists and turns. I loved every minute and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

A lovely marriage read no matter the age of you. This is my first read by this author and given to me by netgalley for a review.
I know Jane is a well accomplish3d and brilliant author and I believe this is another one to add to her fab collection.
It's about love and marriage and two older citizens get together.. in their 60s. A brilliant read

An Un suitable Match - Although I was eager to read the latest Joanna Trollope novel, I found it to be very slow at the start and it never really picked up. The two families of self-centred characters were hard to warm to and the unsuitable match was not enough to carry the novel along. It was so slow moving in parts that I was tempted to give up but I persevered in the hope that some of the characters would grow or show more depth. Reading on an e-reader gave no warning of the abrupt and unlikely end. Why end there? I won't publish my review anywhere else but this was certainly not for me.

DNF this book. Completely horrible from the beginning and refuse to finish this.

I am loathe to admit that Joanna Trollope has never been a big hit for me as I know she is a hugely successful author. I liked the idea of this book, a couple in their later years finding love again and all the problems that such a relationship can create; Families being forced into close proximity in unnatural surroundings.
I loved Rose's character, a quietly tough cookie who had been taken for granted for many years in her first marriage. I was her personal cheerleader when her children weren't the most supportive of her decision to try and make a life with Tyler, who I felt was just too good to be true after the pompous horror of her first husband. I found all her children to be rather spoilt in their own way and wanted to give them all a good shake. Tyler's family wasn't much better with both of his children being selfish in the extreme. Rose's spinster sister Prue I thought was a great character. A stereotypical school teacher in her dress sense and attitude, she was a no nonsense, down to earth straight talker with nothing but her family's well being at heart even if she had a strange way of showing it.
As much as I really wanted things to work out for Rose and Tyler I felt the author really portrayed well the sense of awkwardness which lurked in the background of every scene. The story could only pan out one way realistically and I was pleased that Rose had the courage to trust her gut instinct in the end. The author could easily have gone down the happily ever after route for all the characters but I feel she took the right option plot-wise rather than the easy one.
The self-centredness of the majority of the characters spoiled what was otherwise an enjoyable story.
My review will appear on my blog at www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

Home is at the heart of Joanna Trollope’s latest novel An Unsuitable Match. Having published novels in four decades now, Trollope’s latest offering brings us two modern issues — marriage second time around and a pervasive interest in property.
Rose and Tyler are in their early sixties and now both single after widowhood and divorce plan to marry, but their adult children have mixed feelings. The entangled relationships which ensue are very well described in Trollope’s inimitable style. There is a very readable security to her novels as all are set in the domestic noir of English middle classes.
Just as with Anne Tyler’s take on small time life in Baltimore both novelists have shown that the complexities of human interactions can be played out in small settings, and win legions of fans in the process.
Property is key to the action in this novel. Every character is defined by where they live, have lived or aspire to be and much of the action is played out through visits and parties. Characters view each other through windows and key moments are played out in various rooms, the decor of which are described in immense detail.
From a cramped bedsit in New York - but with a view of the Hudson to a picture perfect cottage in Jane Austen’s corner of Hampshire, the importance of place, and ownership of place subtly underlines this well told story. Trollope’s fiction has been described as ‘Aga Sagas’ and there is even one in the New Hampshire cottage the couple visits
For all the descriptive language, this is not a story ripe for screen adaptation. Much of the drama comes from characters thoughts rather than actions. Trollope’s skill lies in viewing the story from different angles, and across the generations.
The upset caused in the family is given from the viewpoint of three generations — from toddler Jack to the twenty somethings embarking on life and relationships and Rose’s wise sister Prue who is given some of the best observations such as Men are such romantics...what woman would ever have thought that founding an empire was a good notion
Toddler Jack observes ‘Mummies are just there — forever and ever’ more an observation on the reaction of his fragile aunt Emmy who is having trouble coming to terms with their mother’s new relationship and that of her twin brother Nat.
The emergence of this relationship between Nat and Jess a friend of Tyler’s daughter, creates a new layer to the story as the differing reactions to this relationship are compared.
The fact that Jess and Mallory - Tyler’s daughter — are actors who travel extensively with little sense of place they call home is the antithesis to the sense of place surrounding all the other characters. Their bohemian existence is a stark contrast and adds vibrancy to Trollope’s cast.
One of Trollope’s more recent offerings was a retelling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and the link to Rose and Tyler’s predicament is obvious. It is again Prue who summarises their situation as so — but suggests that most women grow out of sensibility.
For all these soul searching conversations, there is a good pace to the novel The characters are well drawn and cover a myriad of opinions and backgrounds although largely set in middle class London.
Although now 74, Trollope is writing for 2018 and brings a story to her self styled genre which is of its time and place
There is a ‘will they, won’t they’ aspect to the story which will keep the reader guessing to the end and when it comes, it is left to Rose - looking out a window — to deliver the ultimate line ‘family isn’t a finite thing’

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This is the first book by Joanna I've read, and absolutely loved it. Cannot wait to buy a copy for my mum! Although some of the characters may be a little too close to home..... utterly brilliant and believable characters; funny, sad and heartwarming all at the same time - highly recommended.

Excellent story line and great main characters. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend.

I really enjoyed this novel and raced my way through it wanting to know how it would end!!
I have read other Joanna Trollope novels and am amazed how she can portray various relationships and people with such understanding. This book explores many issues. I love that the characters are finding love in their sixties and that with that many different complexities are involved.

Rose has fallen in love at 64 much to the dismay of her three adult children who have been used to having their mothers full attention since their father left her fior his work colleague.
Tyler is a widower who has returned from America to London to support his actress daughter when he meets Rose who he has known since childhood.

All the characters are brilliantly written and observed. The complex issues of family, relationships, trust, independence, people pleasing,stepchildren , finance and love are all explored beautifully.

As an older woman I resounded that sometimes relationships may not work out even if you love someone and would throughly recommend this fantastic book. Great writing Joanna Trollope.

Joanna Trollope is my guilty reading pleasure but then again i ask myself why "guilty". I think it is because she has been saddled with the description of an "aga saga" writer. It is true that she writes abut the middle classes, but whatever class you write about the dynamics of human relationships are often similar.

Rose's husband has left some time before to set up a new life in Australia. with his mistress of many years. Rose has managed to establish an independent life in a mews house which she loves, when there is a bolt from the blue. She meets up with a face from her past and falls in love.with British-born Tyler over from the States. Her children are very wary that he will "take over" and they may lose out on any inheritance. They also worry about the speed with which the relationship has moved.

The story moves between the different characters within both families with various options for Rose being explored. Trollope's ending is maybe unexpected.

So I return to why she is a guilty pleasure. Well Trollope writes with great intelligence and introspection into people's motivations and ambiguities. For example Rose's daughter Emmy is portrayed initially as being spoilt and selfish. However she changes and grows as her reactions to her mother's situation make her look at herself more closely. Laura the "saintly" doctor daughter is also shown as sometimes taking for granted her husband and children.

Jealousy and suspicion would play their part in anyone taking on a new partner, as far as their children are concerned. It's brave of Trollope to explore the fact that money is always a feature/ potential sticking point in any relationship , because it can represent power and possibly control.

Here is an equivalent to Elizabeth Strout in some ways, so let's acknowledge Trollope's skill and intelligence. She has transcended the aga saga label .

Another excellent book from Joanna Trollope. It addresses the issues that face women today. It is a story about family relationships and tensions. An easy to read feelgood book

It’s years since I’ve read a Joanna Trollope novel, but as soon as I started reading this I’d have recognised it as such even if I hadn’t known who the author was - there’s something very distinctive about her style of writing.

As a chronicler of the lives and loves of the educated, affluent middle classes, Joanna Trollope is second to none - I think the term “Aga saga” might have been coined specifically for her novels (and yes, an Aga gets a mention here too).

Anyway here we have Rose, who has fallen in love at the age of sixty-four, much to the dismay of at least two of her three children - particularly when marriage plans are announced. She’s fallen in love with Tyler, a man she knew many years ago, now widowed and recently returned to London (from a life in the USA) in order to support his actress daughter who is appearing in a play.

Neither Rose nor Tyler’s first marriages were, for various reasons, particularly successful - can it work for them second time around, especially with obstacles of money, property and family to be negotiated?

I’ll admit the behaviour of Rose’s two younger children, twins Nat and Emmy, had me fuming at times as they seemed completely inconsiderate of their mother’s feelings. Elder daughter Laura, a GP, was a bit more reasonable. Then there’s Tyler’s daughter Mallory, who has her own issues about what family means to her.

All the characters are well drawn and easy to visualise, even the bit part players - like Rose’s forceful sister Prue, and Tyler’s son Seth who runs a trendy bakery and thinks about nothing but bread.

An enjoyable relationship-focused read which had a few twists and turns - I really wasn’t sure how it was all going to work out and the ending, when it came, was unexpected.

Joanna Trollope is a great chronicler of the British middle-class zeitgeist and here she explores the over-sixties marriage phenomenon in her usual highly readable style. This novel tackles the thorny ramifications of re-marrying later in life, when there are financial implications and adult offspring with their own concerns to take into account.
Anyone who has been involved in a situation like this will relate to the couple at the heart of the story and I am pleased to find the author still on form after so many enjoyable bestsellers. (I have marked it as 'women's fiction' but as my husband enjoys all this author's output, this may be misleading).