Airs & Graces

By Erica James

Book Overview

A wonderfully fresh novel about love and life from the bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick AN IDEAL HUSBAND

Ellen has been living on her own in a picturesque if damp cottage in Cheshire since her husband abandoned her to go and live with another woman in Provence. Having married once for love, she is now determined that the second time around it will be for money. Close at hand is Duncan, her not unattractive, and enticingly single, divorce lawyer...

But then two new people enter her life: Jo-Jo, a homeless girl several months pregnant, and Matthew, an artist who paints murals in country houses and who, on first meeting Ellen, openly criticises her for being mercenary and devious. But, as hostility gives way to friendship, Ellen realises that she has wavered off course from her original plan and has to remind herself very strongly indeed that Duncan is the man for her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0752883526
• ISBN13: 9780752883526
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Orion
• Length: 405 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Engaging

When Ellen's husband leaves her for a younger woman after twenty years of marriage, she is at first quite shattered, even though her marriage was far from perfect with a husband who needed kinky sex. Soon however, she becomes reconciled to leaving her large, comfortable home and settles into a tiny cottage where she sets up a dried flower business which is a bit slow to get going. The attendant money worries make her dtermined to remarry for money and security, so when the local solicitor, wealthy and eligible Duncan, who took care of her divorce, shows an interest in her, she dismisses some niggling doubts and agrees to marry him. Hermione, her friend and neighbour, has grave doubts about such a marriage, hoping that her godson Matthew and Ellen might be right for each other. The two women befriend JoJo, a pregnant, teenaged runaway who proves to be a catalyst in both their lives and, along with various other characters, both amusing and dark, unfolds a pleasant and readable tale of village life.

Airs & Graces

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It reminded me of a Rosamunde Pilcher book. Thumbs up!

Airs & Graces

Enjoyable read. Hermione, Ellen's qirky neighbor was thehighlight of the novel and was the most developed character. However,James could have done so much more with the teenage mother and Mattthew character. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel tremendously!

Elegantly written novel

I enjoyed James' style of writing although it could be plain sometimes. The plot is very interesting, something that could happen to anyone (divorce, teenage mother, snobbish neighbors). It is one of those books you smile after you're done w/ the book. Definetely a good read!

a delightful story set in rural England

An absorbing story about country fol