Mini Reviews #1: It Started With Paris & more Cathy Kelly!

For all that I keep claiming Cathy Kelly is one of my favourite authors, I haven’t ever really taken the time to review a book of hers. So in this first post of mini-reviews: here’s It Started With Paris & 2 more Cathy Kelly books!

It Started With Paris: 4/5

A post shared by Saar (@walkingthroughthepages) on Aug 25, 2018 at 1:20am PDT

When two people get married, everybody around them gets married too: the families, the friend groups, the entire wedding business! And it’s exactly those people It Started With Paris focuses on. From the groom’s mother, who is getting closer again with her ex-husband, via the wedding cake maker, to the bride’s bridesmaid who is only just getting over her own broken marriage, this mariage is changing lifes!

I loved the way the several stories intertwined, how each character went through such an empowering evolution and how, as you expect within this genre, everything ended so well for everybody. One of the things I especially appreciated, is that this story didn’t get stuck on the classic ‘everybody finds a partner and they all live happily ever after’-tune. Some of the characters didn’t find love – at least not for somebody else. But in many ways that is exactly what makes her books so good, so enjoyable and so re-read worthy… Definite recommendation! (Goodreads)

Rating: 4/5

Between Sisters: 3.5/5

A post shared by Saar (@walkingthroughthepages) on Apr 11, 2018 at 3:08am PDT

Sisters through it all, right? Even when one of you is running away from a past love and the other is being run down by her mother-in-law. Even when your grandmother feels guilty for your mother running away years ago?

I love that Cathy Kelly’s books tend to focus on family and sisterhood in various ways. This book adds an extra layer where their sister is all Cassie and Coco really have. While I feel that the “plot twist” is fairly clear from relatively early on, the “why” of motherhood for all of these characters was developped absolutely beautifully. I do think I liked Coco’s story line less than I might have, but that’s mainly just because I loved the slow derailment of Cassie’s life and the way that was brought into life. (Goodreads)

Rating: 4/5

Secrets of a Happy Marriage: 4.5/5

A post shared by Saar (@walkingthroughthepages) on Mar 20, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

One woman wants to celebrate her husband, three women find themselves faced with the difficulty of being part of a family. Whether that be because your stepdaughter won’t accept you, because the stepdaughter is struggling with becoming a mom, or whether the celebration will have their cousin facing her ex… Are there really any secrets to a happy marriage?

I’m convinced that no family has an “easy relationship”. This book, throughout its “study” of one single celebration, manages to map beautifully the way many little things can collaborate into one massive event – be it positive or negative, either bringing together or ripping apart a family entirely. This is definitely the kind of story that takes it time to reach a climax, and one of the best thing about reading this was the way I really got to take my time getting to know and understanding each character. Well, apart from Jojo, maybe. Someone needs to tell her to grow up in one aspect at least 😉 (Goodreads)

Rating: 3.75/5

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think of them? Be sure to let me know below!

-Saar