City Lives by Patricia Scanlan

City Lives by Patricia Scanlan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 4 days

Pages - 484

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Blurb from Goodreads

Devlin, Caroline and Maggie. Women in their prime. They have it all. Careers. Success. Marriage. They are the envy of their peers. But at what price?

City Livesis the story of three women who have one great certainy in their lives: their friendship. The enduring bonds of loyalty and love will carry them through the toughest times towards a brighter future.

'A page-turner for romantics'Ireland on Sunday



My Review

This is book two of a trilogy, if you haven't read the first one I would recommend it however you could get away with reading this as a standalone. I think you would enjoy it more though having the background info.

Three very different women, Devlin is a successful business woman with her own chain of beauty salons, married and in love she has everything she could want from life. Caroline, married to a man with his own demons and over bearing mother. When they agree to divorce and pursue happiness, Caroline's Mother in Law has other plans. And Maggie, a now well known author, a husband with more than a roving eye, young babies and the struggle between her own happiness and that of her children. The trio have already overcome so much together, now taking scary steps in each of their own lives to achieve what we all want, happiness.

I do like Scanlan's writing, it is like slipping into an episode of one of your favourite sitcoms, the writing flows and you're quickly drawn into the world created and following the ladies recent adventures. I think within the characters there will be someone each reader can identify with, even though they have fame or money they still experience the same woes as everyone else. I will buy the third part of this series as I want to know what is next for the ladies, a perfect read for round the pool or just to switch off from your own every day, 3/5 for me this time.

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City Girl by Patricia Scanlan

City Girl by Patricia Scanlan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 484

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Blurb from Goodreads



Delivering stories that span generations, and offering warmth, wisdom and love on every page - if you treasured Maeve Binchy, read Patricia Scanlan

Three very different women face heartache, upheaval and reinvention in this romantic drama, which praises the power of friendship to pull you through when life gets tough.

At 21, Devlin is seduced by the suave, sophisticated Colin Cantrell-King, an older married man and her boss. But this affair will leave her with some tough decisions to make.

Caroline is afraid of being left on the shelf so jumps at the chance to marry the cool, detached and very attractive Richard. But, why does he never return her ardour with equal passion?

Married mother Maggie feels trapped in a loveless marriage until she discovers her husband's infidelity. What will she do with her new-found sense of liberation?


My Review

A story about three women, Devlin, Caroline & Maggie. All in very different circumstances and coming from different backgrounds the three form an unlikely friendship. The story goes over several years and looks at how life choices can have a massive impact on their whole lives and how they cope, survive and pull together to get through their experiences.

I have read Scanlan before and to be honest she is becoming an author I really like. I don't think you could call it chick lit because she hits some hard issues in a delicate and sensitive way. This book examines abuse, love, relationships, loss, parenthood, loneliness and hardship, to name a few of the topics covered.

The three main characters are very different, Devlin is beautiful, forceful and a force to be reckoned with but soon learns actions have long lasting consequences. Caroline is almost a slave to her own family looking after the boys, going from "an ugly duckling" to a beautiful young woman, Caroline fails to see her own beauty. Her lack of self worth follows her into adulthood and impacts on many aspects of her adult life. Maggie has always been spunky, never one to allow social attitudes, or her family, to dictate what she should do with her life Maggie makes her decisions to live her life as she wants. Soon realizing, as with her friends, actions have long lasting consequences she seeks solace with her old friends as they pull together to survive their demons.

A thought provoking tale of friendship and real life, I think many readers can identify with one or all of the characters at some point. The book packs some emotional punches as we follow three very different woman into adulthood and survival. How friendships can be broken and some can survive everything life has to throw at them. Carving out strong women who have weaknesses that shine through this is a story about life and the curve balls it throws you but more importantly, coping to get through it. 4/5 for me this time, there are I believe two more stories to follow this one with the same characters, I will be buying them for sure!

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