I really enjoyed this book. Another winner culled from Nancy Pearl's Book Lust lists. ( )

Kind of Literature, kind of Romance... ?áI loved Julia, and the Patels, and Sylvester; I was interested in Rebecca, and Janet; I was appalled by Tim, Maurice, Giles, and Clodagh.., just as the author wanted me to be. ?áI guess I'd say it's a bit like a slightly darker, more spare, more ambitious Maeve Binchy? ?áAnyway, I enjoyed it, and have already ordered the only other by the author that is avl in my library system, A Sensible Life. ?áFrom there I'll see whether or not I want to keep tracking down more of Wesley's novels. ( )

Falling in love is, in A.N. Wilson's view, the most imaginative experience we can have.
This book lets us down because it is over-imagined; the malign characters are too much so, and the hero, Sylvester, is rendered more attractive than he is because of this. The plot is more far-fetched than is good for the story.
Nevertheless, this is a Mary Wesley novel, and it maintains her good reputation, but it is not the best of those novels of hers that I have read.

Sylvester, travelling on a train, is thrown into series of unexpected events. The lives of three people are thereafter bound up due to some rather unlikely circumtances and coincidences. Humorous misunderstandings and deep emotion in this fast-paced book. ( )

One of the best novels I've read; pretty certain I love it.

Wesley is a wizard in showing the gist and vulnerability of her characters; making them instantly real and either likeable or unlikeable.

I do hope Rebecca (I actually knew a Rebecca VERY like this one) gets her hands on Maurice. It'll do him good.

Wondrous, witty and joyful! ( )