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I must say that the whole supporting cast in this lovely book is wonderfully drawn too – the staff at the spa, the guests they get along with and who enhance their stay, and the miserable or antagonistic ones who feel that women of their age should be confined to a nursing home – every one of them a distinctly drawn individual playing their part in the story. Genres covered in this novel include Cruises, Romantic Comedy, Food & Travel Writing, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Aging Parents & Eldercare, Women's Friendship Fiction, Senior Travel, Women's Literary Fiction, Aging, Women's Contemporary Fiction, Love & Relationships, Women's Romance Fiction, Contemporary Lifestyle Fiction, Romance Novel, Travel Guides: Cruises, Contemporary Fiction, Romance Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Literary Fiction and Domestic Fiction amongst others. love the journey these four women go on, they arrive at the spa all set for a weekend of pampering and being away from their claustrophobic lives, away from the control freaks of relatives, a weekend of ‘me time’ with friends and a few glasses of prosecco. It did get me wondering if such a normal and pretty simple plot if it could keep me hooked throughout a full-length book, but then things start happening and I will hold my hands up and admit I was wrong it did keep my attention
The Cruise by Caroline James - The Grey Brunette BOOK REVIEW: The Cruise by Caroline James - The Grey Brunette
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Jane Bellwood, Anne Amberley and Kath Taylor. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. The beginning was a bit slow, with a bunch of info dumps. However, Carolina is extremely talented in setting the scene and creating really beautiful visualizations. You could really build a mental image of Sparadise and what each of the characters looked like and how they acted. I was also super confused why this entire book is set in 2018, it seems weird since it's being published in 2022, and I feel like a simple ctrl-f could've replaced the 2-3 references when they say "yay it's 2018" or something and replace it with either 2022 or just take it out of the story because it really adds nothing?Best friends Bridgette, Emily, Serena and Marjory are on a weekend away to celebrate Bridgette’s seventieth birthday. The spa retreat they are on promises relaxation and tranquility and the ladies are definitely feeling ready for the time away from home. Caroline writes quite beautifully - great descriptions, vividly drawn characters, sparkling humour, a touch of real sadness - this book was the perfect escape."
The Cruise | Caroline James | 9780008611750 | NetGalley The Cruise | Caroline James | 9780008611750 | NetGalley
The characters are all relatable and recognizable. I felt like I knew each one of these lovely ladies. They are the women I volunteer with, attend church with, and enjoy as neighbors. They each have hit a point in their lives when they realize that they aren’t happy with the status quo. But change takes courage. Change takes finding a new direction. Change takes admitting the truth and embracing their needs. Do they have what it takes to find happiness? All they need is a weekend at the spa to show them the way. A really fun read, I enjoyed reading about this fun group of friends! Some of the things that occurred in this book were very concerning/unrealistic to me, but overall, I loved reading about these ladies re-discovering their passions and inner-selves. Things don’t start well for Bridgette herself – she’d treated herself to a stay in the penthouse suite, but as other regular guests took it at short notice, she’s been relegated to a tent in the gardens (not a bivouac – she’s “glamping”!). And she eventually resigns herself to her lot, until she notices the naked man in the next tent – things were never like this when showing guests around her pristine gardens at Flaxby Manor. Marjory’s life revolves around her pigeon-fancying husband (sadly, he doesn’t seem to fancy her as much any more) – she’s looking to let her (cornflower blue) hair down a little (and my goodness, she most certainly does). Emily’s life is centred on her two adult sponging sons, and she’s become largely invisible (and, if truth be told, a little boring) – there really must be more to life that that. Perhaps the most exotic of the four is Serena – but she’s been supplanted as the nation’s favourite TV cook by a younger model, and she’s desperate to use all the social media tools at her disposal to draw herself to public attention again. In Caroline James’s fabulous new novel, The Cruise, Jane, Kath, and Anne are three single women in their sixties who decide to ditch the winter weather in the UK and go on a Caribbean cruise for singles over fifty.Four completely different women all go on a spa break to celebrate Bridgette's 70th birthday. From the moment of arrival things don't quite go as the friends planned. Each needs a form of escapism from their own life and a little adventure at the age of sixty-three. I haven’t read any of Caroline James’ books before (why ever not???) I fell instantly in love with her incredibly easy to read and delightfully amusing writing, I will certainly be reading more from her.,
The Cruise – HarperCollins The Cruise – HarperCollins
I was drawn by this lovely cover, to be honest, it felt as if it was promising fun and mischief. But this fun and mischief simply felt so surrealistic and I've read this book all the time having this feeling of disbelief and rolling my eyes. Some of the situations were SO overdone that I just couldn't. It felt as if the author thought, oh hell, let's add some ridiculous scene, no matter what it is. My new book is THE CRUISE,and there are many onboard shenanigans for a group of friends celebrating singledom in their sixties. Thank you to all who have read The Cruise and left a review. Praise for Caroline James: ‘Fabulous to read…It’s about a girls’ weekend with characters in their 60s and determined to have a good time ’ Woman & Home I loved the theme of your never to old to start a fresh chapter in your life. This is something I believe strongly in. After all, age is just a number and we all deserve happiness at any and all ages. I loved watching these four women realize that and grab on to the changes needed to make happiness a reality.Marjory has an empty nest and very little in common with her husband. Sex is a thing of the past and she feels trapped in her marriage. Fans of Grace and Frankie and The Golden Girls are going to love Caroline James’ fun, irreverent and immensely entertaining new novel, The Spa Break. This is the first Caroline James book that I’ve read and I really enjoyed her writing style. She was witty and was able to write the characters in such a way that had me rooting for them all by the end. There were some really funny moments in this book and I liked the way that the author weaved those in without making the characters or the story feel at all cheesy. The Spa Break’ is well written. Caroline has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading this book felt more like a chat between friends rather than reading an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Caroline clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes the characters seem just as real as you and I. I began to think of the four main ladies as friends rather than characters in a book. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt anyway. In summary, “The Cruise” is a fantastic novel full of girl power for the over sixties. It is a perfect reminder that we can live our lives to the fullest, regardless of our age. So, if you are looking for a fun, light-hearted read that will leave you feeling uplifted, then I highly recommend this book.
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