Emma BurstallRecensioni

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were well written and likeable and of course Cornwall is always a winner in my eyes. This book had a comfortable feel about it and, as I've never read any of this authors books before, I shall be keeping my eye out for her upcoming work.
I LOVED IT!!!

I absolutely loved my visit to Cornwall. This book really was a joy to listen to and the lady who read it had a lovely voice to listen to.
The characters were likeable, well most of them! And it really was so well written and read.

I adored this book even though I had actually read one of this series before as I hadn't realised it was a series. It was great to find out more about the villagers and I actually feel part of their lives now.
It's such a heartwarming book. Just what I needed in these current times.

A pleasant listen but I took none of it in to the point of remembering it now. One of those audiobooks one uses to take one through the night.

Sunny summer reading

Ok, but not memorable sequel to her earlier book. Quiet gentle read to while away the hours on the beach ( ideally a Cornish one)

This is a sequel to the author's Tremarnock, and again an enjoyable read while visiting this part of the world on holiday (we stayed in Penzance and toured around west Cornwall, though these novels are set in a fictional village in south east Cornwall). The plot this time revolves around the arrival in the village of a wealthy couple to run the guesthouse of the rather mundane title of this novel. The husband is super charming and seems to want to do everything to help the villagers, while his wife is aloof and cold; but, needless to say, all is not as it seems and a rather horrible criminal enterprise is revealed. The characters are colourful and interesting, though the Cornish setting - the reason why I read these novels in the first place - was less integral to the narrative than it was in the first novel.

This novel is about a divorced woman Liz and her ten year old daughter Rosie, who move to Cornwall to escape her ex-husband. I read it because of the Cornish location, though this is fairly incidental to the main plot, which concerns the daughter's life threatening illness, and Liz's relations with the locals. The characters are very three dimensional and believable; it is they that really make this novel work. Rosie is a wonderful child and Robert for me the standout adult character.

The Darling Girls is the poignant story about three women who are in love with the same man, who meet for the first time at his funeral. From that meeting, the women are left to pick up the pieces of their lives after his death. As they explore the time that they each had shared with him, they discover unanswered questions and secrets about him, only to learn to separate the lies from the truth and face the reality of what their relationships really had been with him, while an unlikely friendship blossoms between them.

Leo Bruck was a world famous music conductor who had orchestrated the juggling of his brilliant career with that of engaging in simultaneous relationships with three women. When he dies unexpectedly from a massive heart attack, he leaves a tangled web of deceit, secrets and unanswered questions for his "Darling Girls" to uncover.

Three very different women, three very different relationships, one same sentiment: Leo had called each one of them his "Darling Girl."

Victoria has been Leo's partner / wife-in-all-but name for the past twenty years. From their relationship came two children: seventeen year old Ralph and eight year old Salome. Victoria knew of the other two women, but had always considered herself the woman whom he had chosen first and loved the most. As Leo's secrets are revealed, she questions who Leo was and if she had ever really known him at all. All she can see is the trouble, pain and possible scandal that lies ahead.

Maddy has been Leo's mistress for the past eight years, and from their relationship came a daughter, seven year old Phoebe. Maddy has always been an independent career woman who was capable of taking care of herself, and didn't need to rely on money from Leo to live the lifestyle that she wanted. Maddy knew about Victoria and her children, but she did not know about the third woman. She has her memories and thinks she will be able to move on in her life until Victoria's son Ralph contacts her and she walks the fine line of deciding if it is appropriate to get involved with him.

Cat is the youngest of the three women, at twenty-four, she is struggling to make her way in the world. She had a troubled childhood, and is taking care of her ill mother. She has been Leo's second mistress for a little over a year. She had met Leo at a bookshop where she worked, he became a second father, a lover, and the man who educated her about music, encouraged her to write, and to learn to enjoy the fine things in life. She knew about Victoria, Maddy and their children. She believes that Leo loved her and only stayed with the other two women because of the children. Now feeling lost and alone, she worries about her future.

Leo's legacy of control over the three women's lives will be tested as they each come to terms with their grief, Leo's dishonesty, and the unfortunate reality of their individual relationships with him. An unlikely friendship blossoms among the three women as they provide mutual support and strength to each other, and learn to accept that life goes on.

Author Emma Burstall weaves a moving story of love, loss, heartbreak, and friendship. Set in London, England, the story is written in the third person narrative, alternating between the present time with flashbacks on each relationship. The reader follows along with the development of the Victoria, Maddy and Cat's unlikely friendship as they struggle to come to terms with the reality of their shared relationship and loss of one man that they each loved. This emotional story alternates between the three women and it thoughtfully describes how their lives are interwoven as they deal with their heartbreak and uncertain futures. The reader experiences the full gamut of emotions as the womens' stories unfold, it will pull at your heartstrings. I really enjoyed the differences in each of the women and their respective relationship with Leo, I was fascinated by the unique dynamic of each relationship, it was like Leo was three different men rolled into one. I really enjoyed the development of the women's blossoming friendship, their connection and ability to pull together and help one another was truly inspiring.

The Darling Girls is a riveting story of infidelity and the bond of friendship that is formed between three women through mutual kindness, strength, support and forgiveness borne out of an unfortunate and tragic circumstance.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-darling-girls-by-emma-burs...