8 April 2015

Review #184: Thornton Hall by Lynn Marie Hulsman



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.”

----Janice Maeditere

Lynn Marie Hulsman, an American author, pens her debut heart-touching, warm, Christmassy story, called Thornton Hall , which revolves around a recently-single-chef cooking for a family at Thornton Hall.




Synopsis:

When Juliet Hill unwittingly discovers a most-definitely-not-hers-rhinestone-studded lace thong in her high-flying lawyer boyfriend’s apartment, this usually feisty chef is suddenly single and facing a very blue Christmas – with only a ready meal for one to keep her company!

So when she’s personally requested to cater for the family at Thornton Hall three days before Christmas, it’s not long before Juliet’s standing at the (back) door of the Earl of Gloucester’s impossibly grand ancestral pile.

The halls are decked, the guests are titled, those below the stairs are delightfully catty, and all-American Juliet sets to work cooking up a glorious British Christmas with all the trimmings.

But other flames are burning besides those on the stove… Sparks fly with Edward, the gorgeous ex-soldier turned resident chef, and are those sidelong looks Juliet’s getting from her boss, the American tycoon Jasper Roth?

As the snow starts to fall on the idyllic Cotswolds countryside, so does the veneer of genteel high society and there are more than a few ancient skeletons rattling out of the Hall’s numerous dark cupboards!



Juliet is a chef- a damn good cook who has cooked for Liz Hurley, yeah, she's that lucky, unfortunately, she is not lucky when it comes to matters like men. Catching her cheating long-time boyfriend Ben, she leaves everything behind and rushes up to take up an offer from her chef-agency- to cook meal during the Christmas time at Thornton Hall. Well, let me tell you, Juliet has some fond and not-so-fond memories on her previous employment at Thornton Hall. On the very first day of her work, she gets into an adult sleepover with the head-chef- Edward. But when Edward leaves the job all of a sudden, Juliet is caught between her romantic-and-lonely heart and her fear that if any guy looks at her twice he may end up proposing to her.

Well it's not Christmas and certainly it's not the perfect weather to enjoy reading this book, but anyhow, the book will be a perfect cure if you are feeling blue or recovering from a bad break-up. I call this book a no-fuss chick-lit with "DRAMA" in capital letters.

The only thing that kept me going through the story was the vibrant cast of funny, crazy and interesting characters, although their drama went on for a very long time. The myriad characters cracked me up with their craziness and some warmed me up with their cuteness and some simply made me hate them.

The primary character, Juliet is very romantic and bit immature when it is the crisis period. Romantic because she easily open up her heart and shamelessly fall for the trap. Her best friend, Posy is colorful character, even though she was not in this story in a greater/influential way, but I wished I could have got bit more of Posy drama. Juliet's hoards of admirers- Edward, Ben and her boss at the Thornton Hall- Jasper are equally adorable and bit nosy. The romantic aspect is nicely portrayed by the author with enough chemistry and passion. The food is the back-drop in this book which is strikingly portrayed by the author. All those delicious gourmet dishes prepared by Juliet will simply water your mouth.

The whole plot was layered with funny anecdotes and humorous moments that will make you go ROFL. The prose is fast enough and the narration is kept catchy and witty that will will keep you engrossed to the story. This book is absolutely a no-strings-attached kinda book that will make you laugh and happy with the colorful cast of characters, steamy make-outs, mystery and Christmas.

Verdict: A must-read for all chick-lit lovers!

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lynn Marie Hulsman, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book. 
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Author Info:

I’m a writer.
How did you come to be one, you ask? My mother died.
Yes, yes, very sad, thank you for your condolences.
With that came an epiphany.
“Life is short,” said my inner voice.
“Thanks, I.V.,” I replied. “I know what I have to do.
And in two and a half years, I’ve gotten an agent, co-written two books, ghost-written another, published an article, completed one novel, and started a second one.
Here’s my resume. On paper, it looks like I’ve never had a real job. In truth, all this experience adds up to make me an expert at storytelling. Malcolm Gladwell-style.
Acting (OK, not a living, but actual folding money. Studied with Meisner)
Ticket Services Manager at City Center Theater (Phones, headsets, getting yelled at)
Stand-Up Comedy and Comedy Show Host (See “Funny Stuff” page)
Cheese-Cube Sample Passer-Outer (A low point)
Focus Group Headhunter (Are you a 22- to 25-year old Latina who listens to public
radio?)
Wrote Copy and Proofread for Direct Marketing Firm (Big client: Casinos. Favorite
slogan: We’ve got LOOSE SLOTS!)
Ideation Agent (I didn’t make that up. Paid to brainstorm.)
Proofreader/Editor for Big Pharma (Brought in the Benjamins, sucked at my soul)
Artistic Director of an Improv Company (Hire, teach, coach, book)
Please enjoy this very old photo of me in role of Mother/Hooker in MY SOUL IS MINE when I was an ACT-OR!


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4 comments:

  1. I actually have been look for a Christmas themed read for my 2015 reading challenge which I need to keep on working on! I love a good chick-lit as well, which is why this one seems to be for me. It's interesting to read Christmas books out of season, right?

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  2. Thanks a lot for stopping by and I'm glad you liked the book:-)

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  3. Thank you for reading my book, and for your thoughtful review. I so appreciate bloggers. Authors depend on your involvement in the community! Olivia-Savannah… I LOVE reading holiday books out of season. That's how I first became hooked on Chick Lit legend Trisha Ashley.

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  4. Thanks and it was my pleasure :-)

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