The Best Things
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- Create Date：2021-03-28 00:11:23
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Mel Giedroyc
- ISBN：1472256212
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Summary
Warm， funny， life-affirming and true， The Best Things is the joyous debut novel from much-loved comedian， writer， actor and presenter Mel Giedroyc。
It's the story of a family who lose everything， only to find themselves， and each other， along the way。
Sally and Frank Parker have it all。
Then one day， because of Frank， they don't。
As the bailiffs move in and the money runs out， Sally realises that she and her children don't have a clue about how to survive。
Or do they？
The Parkers are about to discover that the best things in life aren't things at all。
It's the story of a family who lose everything， only to find themselves， and each other， along the way。
Sally and Frank Parker have it all。
Then one day， because of Frank， they don't。
As the bailiffs move in and the money runs out， Sally realises that she and her children don't have a clue about how to survive。
Or do they？
The Parkers are about to discover that the best things in life aren't things at all。
Reviews
Sarah
，
**review to come **
Marie’s Book Boutique
，
Read my full review on: mariesbookboutique。wordpress。com/2021。。。Sally Parker， her husband Frank their three children and their niece live a life of luxury in a nice big house。 They have a housekeeper， gardener， cook， dogwalker， so no one has to lift a finger。 The children are running wild and doing their own thing。 Sally has nothing to do but be a lady of leisure， but she depends on prescriptions to keep her going。 Frank has make a mint but when he suddenly losses everything， their home， savings Read my full review on: mariesbookboutique。wordpress。com/2021。。。Sally Parker， her husband Frank their three children and their niece live a life of luxury in a nice big house。 They have a housekeeper， gardener， cook， dogwalker， so no one has to lift a finger。 The children are running wild and doing their own thing。 Sally has nothing to do but be a lady of leisure， but she depends on prescriptions to keep her going。 Frank has make a mint but when he suddenly losses everything， their home， savings and their belongings that are worth the bailiffs taking。Now Sally has been thrown into the deep-end having to take control of her family and try and make some money to put food on the table as her husband falls apart。 Sally soon finds out a few secrets her husband has been keeping from her and she puts her life before in question。 Can Sally keep her family together after being spoiled so much？ Will Frank pull himself together enough to keep his family？ How will the children react to the shock of their lives as their luxurys are taken away？ Will Sally take control of her life for the first time ever？The Best Things by Mel Giedroyc is her debut novel and what an entertaining read it was。 As well as finding the story funning their are some emotional and heart warming bit too， so I feel she has covered all bases for a good read。 I really found the children so funny to read about with their antics。 I loved seen seeing Sally's character grow; from a spoiled lady to trying to take control of the situation。 I found myself really egging her on through out the book！ Mel has also touched on mental health of Sally and her family; which I found interesting because each one is suffering in some way and has been written with care and shows a light at the end of the tunnel。 I think this show readers that no matter what life throws at you a） your not alone and B） you can get through it！The Best Things is a funny， heart-warming and intriguing read。 。。。more
Petrina Binney
，
The story follows Sally Parker。 Married early to Hayes， teenage wheeler-dealer， Frank， who could charm the birds from the trees even when they were kids， Sally is now the mother three children， and semi-adopted Mum to her teenage niece。 Sally， Frank and their family live in astonishing luxury。 Almost grotesque luxury。 Nothing is out of their price range and they do it in style， with their obsolete nanny （the youngest child is 11）， their sour-mouthed housekeeper， and Frank’s prized collection of The story follows Sally Parker。 Married early to Hayes， teenage wheeler-dealer， Frank， who could charm the birds from the trees even when they were kids， Sally is now the mother three children， and semi-adopted Mum to her teenage niece。 Sally， Frank and their family live in astonishing luxury。 Almost grotesque luxury。 Nothing is out of their price range and they do it in style， with their obsolete nanny （the youngest child is 11）， their sour-mouthed housekeeper， and Frank’s prized collection of thirty-two lawnmowers （which he and his buddies race at parties）。And Sally is falling apart。 She has no purpose。 She’s never really had a job。 Her children don’t need her because their every whim is catered to by the staff。 Her husband doesn’t need her input because he’s forever schmoozing in the City or lording it up at the golf club。 Sally makes little mental notes to herself about the conversations she should have， as she knocks back the valium。After making a bit of a scene at a garden party they were hosting， Sally soon finds herself in stormy waters when the financial crisis breaks and the family is soon drifting along with her - with no money and very quickly finding out who their friends are。“Randwyck Manor was hideous and uninhabitable; despite this， Sally knew that her mother wanted to reinvent herself as ’the lady of the Manor’。 It mattered not that the place was crumbling around her ears and stinking of mouse wee， every one of its foundations and timbers corroding with damp or dry-rot， Lucinda still had the satisfaction of looking at the map and seeing it written there: ‘Randwyck Manor’。 It was a place of historical significance; some minor baron had parked a mistress there back in the nineteenth century， and these things mattered。”Pages 210-211， Chapter 14， The Best Things by Mel GiedroycI have loved Mel and Sue， individually or together， for twenty-odd years， and in this novel， there was everything I was hoping for， and more。 There was talk of food， a lot of punning， some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments， and I could hear Ms Giedroyc’s voice， clear as a bell， throughout。 Delightful。The characters were fully-formed and well-written。 The dialogue was snappy and the action of the piece， very well-paced。 There was some strong language， but I felt it was all justified， and overall， what I was left with was a lovely， warm cuddle of a book。 A very assured debut， I’ll look forward to reading more。 。。。more
Sarah Lee
，
I was really looking forward to reading The Best Things by Mel Giedroyc。 I love watching her on TV and so was excited to see what she would be like as an author。 The book follows the story of Sally and her husband Frank and their family， as they go from riches to rags as Frank loses his business。 Unfortunately I am afraid that I really didn’t enjoy this book。 I found the characters really unlikeable， including the main characters and supporting friends and family。 I couldn’t find any empathy wit I was really looking forward to reading The Best Things by Mel Giedroyc。 I love watching her on TV and so was excited to see what she would be like as an author。 The book follows the story of Sally and her husband Frank and their family， as they go from riches to rags as Frank loses his business。 Unfortunately I am afraid that I really didn’t enjoy this book。 I found the characters really unlikeable， including the main characters and supporting friends and family。 I couldn’t find any empathy with them and really didn’t care what happened to them。 Poor little rich kids springs to mind， including both Sally and Frank。 Mel just didn’t generate enough sympathy towards them and it left me feeling that I didn’t care what happened to them。 The bankruptcy needed to come much sooner in the book， then at least it could have dealt with the aftermath better。I really struggled to finish this， it was a hard slog。 Just not for me I am afraid。 。。。more
Caroline Kerdouci
，
Actual rating 4。5 stars。🎶Money money money must be funny in a rich man’s world。🎶The perfect soundtrack to accompany this rib tickling， riotous romp through one family’s dramatic downturn in fortune as financial fiasco sees them swapping their lavish lifestyle for a more pared down， less materialistic existence。 Sally and Frank Parker and their four children enjoy a luxurious five star life in Cedar Vale， part of the monied Surrey set for whom housekeepers， nannies and owning thirty two John Deer Actual rating 4。5 stars。🎶Money money money must be funny in a rich man’s world。🎶The perfect soundtrack to accompany this rib tickling， riotous romp through one family’s dramatic downturn in fortune as financial fiasco sees them swapping their lavish lifestyle for a more pared down， less materialistic existence。 Sally and Frank Parker and their four children enjoy a luxurious five star life in Cedar Vale， part of the monied Surrey set for whom housekeepers， nannies and owning thirty two John Deere lawnmowers are considered de rigueur。 But are they happy？Frank is out of his depth heading up HNB （Hayes naughty boys） hedge fund， a far cry from his humble beginnings selling brussel sprouts on his uncle’s market stall。Sally is totally redundant in a household ruled by Spanish housekeeper Paloma and Australian nanny Colette。 Having never done an honest day’s work in her life， Frank’s money means she never has to lift a finger and she has no grasp on her children’s lives， although she really does keep meaning to have heart to hearts with all four of her precious poppets。 But she just needs one more Valium to help her through her empty days before she resumes control of the parenting reins！！ Stephen is overweight， addicted to his Xbox and PS4 and Oreo filled sandwiches， unable even to walk the 800 metres from his front door to his private school St Bede’s。Cleo is a typical reality TV junkie， Instagram obsessed and not to put it too unkindly， a sandwich short of a picnic！Emily， who is actually Sally and Frank’s niece has more brains than the whole Parker clan put together， outshining her cousins much to her uncle’s dismay。 Mikey， the youngest is following in her father’s footsteps， albeit more successfully， as a school ground budding entrepreneur。 Look out Alan Sugar， she might just be your best apprentice yet！ However， aged 11 going on 21， no one really wants to listen to what she has to say， but that could prove very short sighted indeed！Hanger on， globe trotting Kyle， Frank’s brother and nonagenarian granny Bronwen more or less complete the Parker clan apart from one more wickedly funny surprise Mel has waiting in the wings for her readers further down the line。As the bailiffs come knocking join in the uproarious fun as this family battle recriminations and moments of self awakening。 Stripped of their wealth， unfettered by the loss of their middle class accoutrements and fripperies， this family is rudely waking up to the not always pleasant smell of reality。 The smell of the proverbial shit hitting the fan is wafting right under their noses and no amount of expensive cologne can mask it’s unpleasant odour。 Ditching her botoxed， bosom enhanced，hair flicking yummy mummy fake friends for more solid friendships， Sally emerges from her self induced Valium haze， a metamorphosis that （almost） made me wet my knickers with laughter！ Forget the constant games of competitive one upmanship with neighbours the Daly-Joneses it’s time to turn their attention to more worthwhile pursuits such as how to survive their immediate cash flow problem。 While the head of the family dozes his way through their comic catastrophic fall from riches to rags it’s left up to Sally and the rest of the Parker tribe to save the day。 But can their combined efforts to glue themselves back together in time to discover the true meaning of family be enough or is it a case of too little too late？ Written in a tongue-in-cheek style，Mel mocks and pokes fun at these middle class characters with their 4x4 Range Rovers， exclusive gym/spa and golf memberships and their precocious privately educated little darlings。 Her sardonic yet good humoured ridiculing of these characters will have you raising an eyebrow in wry recognition at this cliched perspective of middle class wealth and all its trappings。 Bestowing the reader with ample opportunity to chuckle， giggle， titter， snigger and guffaw at how easily fools are parted from their money such as paying £8 for a packet of biscuits （？！？）for me it is Amerjit and Laura’s experience dining in a top class restaurant that possibly trumps them all in terms of sheer absurdity and gullibility。 In truth it’s impossible to single out just one prize winning comic scene from so many as it’s more or less relentless back to back humour from start to finish。These characters may be overblown caricatures， exaggerated cliches of the type of individuals with more money than they know what to do with but what’s wrong with that？ They are a loveable irresistible bunch， none more so than Frank himself who hogs the limelight， dominating every social occasion in his own inimitable style。 Think of him as a combination of the likes of TV’s Del Boy and King Gary and you’ll be along the right tracks but I’d dearly love to know exactly who Frank is modelled on！ When the going gets tough there’s a resourcefulness to Sally （who’s definitely no shrinking Violet） and some of her offspring that is both highly amusing and heart warming at the same time。 Mikey， a real chip off the old block deserves a standing ovation of her own。For the majority of this gloriously big hearted novel，it is one continuous laugh after another with scenes of side splitting hilarity。 But somewhere along the road between financial ruin and enlightenment， from deepest Surrey to a tiny Welsh village， Mel’s tongue in cheek writing loses some of its oomph， its sparkle and pizzazz spluttering and fizzling away to a rather predictable climax。 The sentiment is simple and the message is clear but the abruptness of the ending caught me by surprise。 In my head I’d imagined my own version of how the author would bring proceedings to a halt so I was strangely disappointed and not fully prepared to say au revoir to the Parkers at the moment when Mel decided it was time for the reader and this family to part company。The Best Things is amongst one of the best pieces of escapist fiction you may read in 2021 and I for one can’t wait for another helping！ My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read。 。。。more
Clare Moore
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Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book。Everything is going well for Sally， Frank and their children when the stock market crashes。 Frank and Sally lose everything， Frank can’t cope and leaves Sally to deal with the fallout。 At first she buries her head in her sand and thinks it will sort itself out until she realises Frank isn’t going to of any use as her starts to suffer from narcolepsy。 Sally takes the bull by the horns and with the help of their children takes matters into her o Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book。Everything is going well for Sally， Frank and their children when the stock market crashes。 Frank and Sally lose everything， Frank can’t cope and leaves Sally to deal with the fallout。 At first she buries her head in her sand and thinks it will sort itself out until she realises Frank isn’t going to of any use as her starts to suffer from narcolepsy。 Sally takes the bull by the horns and with the help of their children takes matters into her own hands， holds her head up high and deals with the fallout。 Took a long time for me to get into the book but the ending was better than expected。 。。。more
Frances
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Sadly this book did not live up to my expectations。 I didn't feel any empathy with the main characters and found myself not really caring what befell them。 I did really want to like it as I think Mel Giedroyc is a wonderful tv presenter。So sorry， but this was not the book for me。Thank you to Netgalley， the author and the publisher for an arc of this book。 Sadly this book did not live up to my expectations。 I didn't feel any empathy with the main characters and found myself not really caring what befell them。 I did really want to like it as I think Mel Giedroyc is a wonderful tv presenter。So sorry， but this was not the book for me。Thank you to Netgalley， the author and the publisher for an arc of this book。 。。。more
Susan
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I struggled with this initially and found it a bit clumsy。 I didn't care for the characters and thought the story was not that amusing。I persevered and it did grow on me。 It is described as funny but it is that black humour at times as one disaster after the other befalls the characters。In the end， I did quite enjoy it。 It was a light read and once I was into the story it was an easy read。 Initially， there were just too many characters to work out I think。 I struggled with this initially and found it a bit clumsy。 I didn't care for the characters and thought the story was not that amusing。I persevered and it did grow on me。 It is described as funny but it is that black humour at times as one disaster after the other befalls the characters。In the end， I did quite enjoy it。 It was a light read and once I was into the story it was an easy read。 Initially， there were just too many characters to work out I think。 。。。more
Karen Mace
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As a big fan of Mel from TV， I was eager to read her debut novel and that sense of humour and take on real life situations comes across so well with these characters and the story she chooses to tell！Sally Parker is the main character - married young to a man her family disapproved of， but he made a success of life and their lives together was going swimmingly！ WAS being the operative world！ With their world crashing down around them after her husbands business goes bust， she is facing a totally As a big fan of Mel from TV， I was eager to read her debut novel and that sense of humour and take on real life situations comes across so well with these characters and the story she chooses to tell！Sally Parker is the main character - married young to a man her family disapproved of， but he made a success of life and their lives together was going swimmingly！ WAS being the operative world！ With their world crashing down around them after her husbands business goes bust， she is facing a totally different way of life and it's all getting too much for her！ Valium to the rescue！！We get to see how they took their lives for granted， not having to worry about money and satisfying every whim that took their fancy。 But she starts to see her husband in a different light as the truth comes out around the house， and he seems to be sleeping his way through the crisis they are facing。 I loved the different viewpoints - we see the story from Sally's point of view with her mind overthinking very situation and issue facing them， we see her husband Frank and how his life and work was all running so smoothly until the economy crashed， and how he's left facing ruin and the dodgy 'handshakes' he's been involved with coming back to bite him。And we also get the added storylines of their children and the issues facing them at school which were really well constructed and measured - there are plenty of funny moments and many we can relate to with desperate times leading to desperate measures！ There is a lot going on at times which does get a little overwhelming， but there's always that anchor of Sally to bring it all back in focus and I just enjoyed the subtle messages that I found throughout of not taking things for granted， and finding happiness away from the extravagances of life！A fun and engaging story and I can't wait to see what Mel writes next！！ 。。。more
Mabel
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A novel full of charm- just like Mel herself。 A good entertaining story about a family and how their lives were turned upside down。 The Parkers are a strong family led by Sarah and Frank， with Sarah eventually taking the helm。
Lorraine Woodall
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I wanted to like this book and had looked forward to reading it but I struggled with it。I found it hard to get into and disliked the characters， which didn't help。 Not engaging with the characters meant that I didn't engage with the storyline either and found myself flicking through the pages more and more。Sadly this book was not for me。 I wanted to like this book and had looked forward to reading it but I struggled with it。I found it hard to get into and disliked the characters， which didn't help。 Not engaging with the characters meant that I didn't engage with the storyline either and found myself flicking through the pages more and more。Sadly this book was not for me。 。。。more
Helen
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Written by comedian Mel Giedroyc， of Mel & Sue fame， I was expecting more from this book。 It’s OK。 Honestly， that’s the best way I can describe it。 It’s an easy pick up and throw away read。 It pains me to write all this because I think Giedroyc is wonderful， but this book does not do her comedic mind justice。The plot relies on a well known story: a very wealthy woman finds herself rather bored and without purpose。 She has a superficial relationship with her husband and children who are all cocoo Written by comedian Mel Giedroyc， of Mel & Sue fame， I was expecting more from this book。 It’s OK。 Honestly， that’s the best way I can describe it。 It’s an easy pick up and throw away read。 It pains me to write all this because I think Giedroyc is wonderful， but this book does not do her comedic mind justice。The plot relies on a well known story: a very wealthy woman finds herself rather bored and without purpose。 She has a superficial relationship with her husband and children who are all cocooned in their own comfortable worlds。 They then lose everything， but in turn find themselves。You will recognise all the characters。 You’ll find them amongst your family， friends and on TV。 The characters and the plot， although well written， leave you feeling like you’ve read this somewhere before。“Are we all right， Sal？ asked Frank。 Sally didn’t answer for a bit。 ‘Who knows， Frank？’ she replied after a while’I think if it wasn’t written by a ‘celebrity’ I’d properly have given it 4 stars。 Writing a novel as a big name， you REALLY need to make a splash。 I didn’t even find it particularly funny， and I honestly thought I would be howling。 。。。more
Audrey Haylins
，
Based on the blurb， the gushing quotes from other authors， and of course the fact that this is written by the lovely， funny， warm Mel Giedroyc， my expectations for this debut novel were sky high。 Sadly， it didn’t take long for them to be shattered。 The Best Things is the literary equivalent of sitting down to a feast， only to discover that the chef has forgotten the seasoning。 There is no enticing aroma， no delightful bursts of flavor。 As John Torode would say， this is a bland and confused plate Based on the blurb， the gushing quotes from other authors， and of course the fact that this is written by the lovely， funny， warm Mel Giedroyc， my expectations for this debut novel were sky high。 Sadly， it didn’t take long for them to be shattered。 The Best Things is the literary equivalent of sitting down to a feast， only to discover that the chef has forgotten the seasoning。 There is no enticing aroma， no delightful bursts of flavor。 As John Torode would say， this is a bland and confused plate of food。 I sent it back to the kitchen half eaten。 The premise was sound — a rags to riches story in reverse。 But everything about the execution was off。 The pace was agonizingly slow， the laborious scene-setting mind-numbingly dull， and the structure chaotic。 It could have been saved by a cast of sparkling， engaging characters， but the Parkers and their acolytes （with the rare exception of granny Bronwyn） were the least likable bunch I’ve ever come across。 Almost all attempts at humor were facile and cringeworthy。 The story needed to be more focused， the characters more sympathetic， less stereotypical。 And the bankruptcy — the trigger to the Parkers’ downfall — needed to happen far， far sooner。 I really， truly hate to write a negative review， as I have enormous respect for the effort that goes into writing a novel， and I do love Mel and her TV persona。 I rarely DNF a book， but by the time I’d waded my way through the first third of this， I’d completely lost interest and really didn’t give a hoot about what happened to the Parker family。 So， sorry， but this one just wasn’t for me。 My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the digital ARC。 。。。more
Chrys
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Not what I expected but very entertaining none the less。It took me a little while to warm to the characters but they soon found a place in my heart， especially Mikey and Sally。 I'd love to see a follow up book with the family's progress。 Not what I expected but very entertaining none the less。It took me a little while to warm to the characters but they soon found a place in my heart， especially Mikey and Sally。 I'd love to see a follow up book with the family's progress。 。。。more
Tracey
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I've always been a fan of Mel Giedroyc so when I saw this book I just had to read it。I found the pace very slow to begin with and it didn't really pick up until the halfway through。 The characters started out to be very unlikeable， the kind of people you would avoid。 There are also lots of characters to get to know which was a little confusing to begin with。 However as the story developed I found I began to warm to some of them。 I particularly like the character of Bronwen。 She is only a side ch I've always been a fan of Mel Giedroyc so when I saw this book I just had to read it。I found the pace very slow to begin with and it didn't really pick up until the halfway through。 The characters started out to be very unlikeable， the kind of people you would avoid。 There are also lots of characters to get to know which was a little confusing to begin with。 However as the story developed I found I began to warm to some of them。 I particularly like the character of Bronwen。 She is only a side character but provided a lot of comedy。 This book is filled with the wit and humour you would expect from Mel with some fantastic one liners。 Although I did find at times some of the situations the family got into were completely ludicrous to the point of being unbelievable and sometimes a little pointless as it didn't move the story forwards。 I was entertained throughout the book but was hoping for a little more。 。。。more
The Cookster
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Rating: 2。0/5With "The Best Things"， Mel Giedroyc， the popular tv presenter， comedian and actress， becomes the latest celebrity trying her hand at breaking into the world of literary fiction。 Some make a decent stab at it， while others are less adept at making a successful transition。 This falls into the latter category。In order for this type of novel to work it is essential that the writer creates a real feeling of empathy with the central character（s）， so that the reader is carried along with Rating: 2。0/5With "The Best Things"， Mel Giedroyc， the popular tv presenter， comedian and actress， becomes the latest celebrity trying her hand at breaking into the world of literary fiction。 Some make a decent stab at it， while others are less adept at making a successful transition。 This falls into the latter category。In order for this type of novel to work it is essential that the writer creates a real feeling of empathy with the central character（s）， so that the reader is carried along with the story and shares any joy， pain or other emotions with the protagonists。 Mel Giedroyc never manages to achieve that in this book。 I never found myself caring one jot what happened to any of them and I just wanted to make it through to the end。 There are some clever， witty moments， but in 415 pages they are far too few and far between and cannot save this from being a pretty uninspiring read overall。 I am sure that having Mel Giedroyc's name on the cover will ensure that a good number of people buy this。 Sadly， I suspect that many of them will end up disappointed。 。。。more
Nick Brett
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Mel is a bit of a national treasure and immensely engaging。 So I was very much looking forward to this， especially after the justified success of Richard Osman’s first book。In my humble opinion this tries to be a blend of chick lit with the sort of characters you would have found in a Tom Sharpe novel。Sally is the somewhat feckless wife of a very rich hedge fund manager。 Life drifts by in the comfort of wealthy privilege。 But when the market crashes， the world falls apart for Sally and her famil Mel is a bit of a national treasure and immensely engaging。 So I was very much looking forward to this， especially after the justified success of Richard Osman’s first book。In my humble opinion this tries to be a blend of chick lit with the sort of characters you would have found in a Tom Sharpe novel。Sally is the somewhat feckless wife of a very rich hedge fund manager。 Life drifts by in the comfort of wealthy privilege。 But when the market crashes， the world falls apart for Sally and her family。 Can the docile Sally stand up and be counted and actually make a difference？Described as “life affirming”， funny and charming， I was disappointed to find that it wasn’t。 It’s okay， a slow first half and then a better second， it was hard to overly like any of the characters or be amused by the situations they find themselves in。 There are some nice lines and mildly amusing situations， but not enough of them to carry the story。 Have to say it didn’t deliver in the way I really hoped it would。 。。。more
jean
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I found this a very average book， peopled with unsympathetic characters whose lives， whether rich or poor， I cared very little about。 I also felt the author's desire to try and be very contemporary in some of the dialogue will date very quickly and become even more cringeworthy。 2。5 starsThank you to netgalley and headline for an advance copy of this book I found this a very average book， peopled with unsympathetic characters whose lives， whether rich or poor， I cared very little about。 I also felt the author's desire to try and be very contemporary in some of the dialogue will date very quickly and become even more cringeworthy。 2。5 starsThank you to netgalley and headline for an advance copy of this book 。。。more
Jo
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The Parkers have it all - big house in a prosperous area， staff within the home， expensive cars and wardrobes and bling。 But then the bubble bursts and as they lose their luxurious lifestyle， can they keep their sanity and family？I wanted to like this story， I love the author and find her hilarious。 However， this book just seemed to lack direction and finesse and originality。 I didn’t like the characters and， whilst that felt to be deliberate， I feel that there usually needs to be some connectio The Parkers have it all - big house in a prosperous area， staff within the home， expensive cars and wardrobes and bling。 But then the bubble bursts and as they lose their luxurious lifestyle， can they keep their sanity and family？I wanted to like this story， I love the author and find her hilarious。 However， this book just seemed to lack direction and finesse and originality。 I didn’t like the characters and， whilst that felt to be deliberate， I feel that there usually needs to be some connection with at least one character， especially with a comedy， but I didn’t like any of them。 In fact， I would go as far to say that each character annoyed me， which meant that it was difficult to finish the book。 I almost gave up on a number of occasions， and part of me wished I had， but I persevered。I wouldn’t recommend it。Thank you to Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gem ~ Bee
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I really couldn't get in to this one at all。 I had zero relatable experience with the characters， they were chaotic， selfish braggarts and I couldn't care less how much their designer underwear cost。 I was hoping for a light hearted， relatable， humourous story from this author but this wasn't it。 I really couldn't get in to this one at all。 I had zero relatable experience with the characters， they were chaotic， selfish braggarts and I couldn't care less how much their designer underwear cost。 I was hoping for a light hearted， relatable， humourous story from this author but this wasn't it。 。。。more
Jenny
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I had such high hopes for this book， and was really looking forward to reading it - after the past year I have looked forward to light hearted， funny books to cheer me up。 but this one didn't cheer me up - how can a book about people losing their livelihoods and savings be funny？ The start was good， and I liked the way the personalities were drawn in an area I know well。 But， Chobham？ Really？ Not Cobham？As things in the story started to fall apart， I hoped that the Welsh great-grandmother would I had such high hopes for this book， and was really looking forward to reading it - after the past year I have looked forward to light hearted， funny books to cheer me up。 but this one didn't cheer me up - how can a book about people losing their livelihoods and savings be funny？ The start was good， and I liked the way the personalities were drawn in an area I know well。 But， Chobham？ Really？ Not Cobham？As things in the story started to fall apart， I hoped that the Welsh great-grandmother would save the day， but the ending was rather weak - in one way there was a solution， but in so many ways there were not。 And an education was given up， as of no consequence， when actually it was a disastrous decision。So in the end there was disappointment for me， and this made me rather sad。 。。。more
Anne
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Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and author for this ARC。 I felt this book was very much a slow burner and one I really struggled to get into。 I didn’t really like Sally or Frank， the way they were portrayed and just didn’t take to or feel I could relate to them。 For me， there were far too many characters in the story line which made the story at times a very chaotic and confusing read。 The authors writing style was ok， although it didn’t really have me hooked or wanting more。 I don’t think Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and author for this ARC。 I felt this book was very much a slow burner and one I really struggled to get into。 I didn’t really like Sally or Frank， the way they were portrayed and just didn’t take to or feel I could relate to them。 For me， there were far too many characters in the story line which made the story at times a very chaotic and confusing read。 The authors writing style was ok， although it didn’t really have me hooked or wanting more。 I don’t think this book was for me， it didn’t really live up to my expectations from the premise and I was glad when I reached the end。 。。。more
Helen
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A bit of a slow start but sets things up for later in the story。 I became invested in the characters and loved the family dynamics。 A relaxing read to leave the world behind。Enjoy， I did。
Emer （A Little Haze）
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DNF 14/2/2021 （20%）I’ve always liked the TV duo Mel and Sue; so much that a few years ago I read Sue’s memoir ‘Spectacles’ and really enjoyed it。 So when Mel’s first foray into adult fiction appeared on NetGalley it was a no-brainer to hit that request button。 Therefore I had such high hopes for this。。。 especially when I’ve enjoyed Graham Norton’s （another BBC TV presenter） fiction too。 I thought that the warmth I always felt from Mel on screen would translate to a great read。Sadly it did not。 T DNF 14/2/2021 （20%）I’ve always liked the TV duo Mel and Sue; so much that a few years ago I read Sue’s memoir ‘Spectacles’ and really enjoyed it。 So when Mel’s first foray into adult fiction appeared on NetGalley it was a no-brainer to hit that request button。 Therefore I had such high hopes for this。。。 especially when I’ve enjoyed Graham Norton’s （another BBC TV presenter） fiction too。 I thought that the warmth I always felt from Mel on screen would translate to a great read。Sadly it did not。 The book opened with a very odd passage about manure。。。 honestly I’m still scratching my head as to what the heck was the point of that。 It was one of the poorest openings to a novel I’ve ever read。 I think it was meant to be some sort of metaphor for life？ Who knows！ Then at least the book got properly underway。。。。 but at breakneck speed！ It was like there were too many plates spinning in the air all at once with the writing constantly trying to keep up to each plate。 By that I mean the plot was frequently incoherent with strange time jumps and changes in character perspective。 There were far too many cliches when it came to creating the cast of characters and the book relied far too heavily on sticking rigidly to tropes rather than bringing a freshness to them。 It was just exhausting to read。 I also disliked the feel of the narrative of the book; the writing never flowed naturally and was frequently rather crass in tone。 It just felt like a writer that didn’t know her own style; to me it seemed as if the author was trying to cater to her perceived audience rather than write the book in an authentic fashion。 Ultimately I began to feel that the book was suffering from a case of attempting to cater to many but pleasing none。 I therefore decided to DNF after five chapters （20%） as I just could not see myself enjoying this novel at all。I’m so disappointed by this novel。 I was really excited to read something by one of my favourite TV personalities but sadly this was a let down for me。 *An e-copy was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley for honest review* Publishing 1st April 2021， Headline For more reviews and book related chat check out my blogFollow me on TwitterFriend me on Goodreads 。。。more
Joanne Mcwilliam
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book。 I love Mel Giedroyc ， have done for a long time， so when I saw there was a chance to review her new book， I jumped at the chance。 However- it just didn’t grab me。 Sally is married to Frank， a high flyer in the City， and they live in a massive house with their children， staff and various hangers-on。 I didn’t like any of the characters， they all seemed a bit flat and characterless。 The story I guess was Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book。 I love Mel Giedroyc ， have done for a long time， so when I saw there was a chance to review her new book， I jumped at the chance。 However- it just didn’t grab me。 Sally is married to Frank， a high flyer in the City， and they live in a massive house with their children， staff and various hangers-on。 I didn’t like any of the characters， they all seemed a bit flat and characterless。 The story I guess was plausible， but with no-one to root for， I wasn’t really interested in how it panned out and it was， unfortunately， an effort to finish。 Apologies for the poor but honest review。 。。。more
Kate Malham-Wallis
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This story was fun， pacey， witty and everything you would expect from the author。 Humorous and sometimes silly situations and characters tumble from one disaster to another， a messy， complicated family all trying to work through a huge financial disaster which pulls the rug from each of them differently， and examines what keep each character moving forwards。 Each of the characters was wildly different， sometimes extreme in type but warm and believable。 This was a really lovely story， lighthearte This story was fun， pacey， witty and everything you would expect from the author。 Humorous and sometimes silly situations and characters tumble from one disaster to another， a messy， complicated family all trying to work through a huge financial disaster which pulls the rug from each of them differently， and examines what keep each character moving forwards。 Each of the characters was wildly different， sometimes extreme in type but warm and believable。 This was a really lovely story， lighthearted and never boring。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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Just what I needed right now， a book with meaning and with humour。 I was fascinated in the story also because of the setting in Leatherhead， Surrey。 It tells about a family about to loose everything， a family who were hard to like， they had so much and they gloated about it。 As the book progressed the family showed themselves as living a life that had made them unhappy， things had to change。 There was no real plan and what happened was entertaining and engaging。 It's not a conventional story and Just what I needed right now， a book with meaning and with humour。 I was fascinated in the story also because of the setting in Leatherhead， Surrey。 It tells about a family about to loose everything， a family who were hard to like， they had so much and they gloated about it。 As the book progressed the family showed themselves as living a life that had made them unhappy， things had to change。 There was no real plan and what happened was entertaining and engaging。 It's not a conventional story and not really likely to happen but it was a fun book。 Hope Mel Giedroyc writes some more， there is always a place for these novels， the world needs more。 。。。more
Lisa
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This is the debut novel of Mel， from Mel and Sue of The Great British Bake Off fame。 It follows a couple of weeks in the life of Sally Parker， whose life is turned upside down when her husband has large financial losses on the stock market。 It’s a light and entertaining read， which after a few serious books in a row was just what I needed。 I could imagine it more as a TV show and the ending felt like it had left the door open for the second series。 I had expected the story to have Sally become a This is the debut novel of Mel， from Mel and Sue of The Great British Bake Off fame。 It follows a couple of weeks in the life of Sally Parker， whose life is turned upside down when her husband has large financial losses on the stock market。 It’s a light and entertaining read， which after a few serious books in a row was just what I needed。 I could imagine it more as a TV show and the ending felt like it had left the door open for the second series。 I had expected the story to have Sally become a bit braver and more in control by the end of the novel。 I didn’t really like any of the adult characters apart from Sally’s grandmother-in-law， and they all seemed to rely on stereotypical comedy characters rather than being well rounded。 I did enjoy the teenage characters more and they seemed to carry most of the real heart of the novel。 The humour in the book is very visual so do make the book a ‘movie in your head’ to get the most enjoyment out of it。 Thank you to Headline Books for gifting me advance ebook access to the title。 。。。more
Fiona Mccormick
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I really wanted to love this book！ I am a huge fan of the author and I like her sense of humour， this book was an enjoyable read with some really funny situations。 However I felt it was a bit disjointed with too many characters， as if too much was going on which disrupted the flow of the story。 On the whole though I did enjoy it， and I liked the characterisation of the family especially the children。
Bri
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What a shame！ Reasonable plot， but so side tracked in what is supposed to be witty analogies and metaphors that the plot gets lost in near slap stick situations that are just not funny。 I didn't like any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them in the end。 The nicest part of the book was Steven finding his love of food actually translated to cooking。 Tried too hard What a shame！ Reasonable plot， but so side tracked in what is supposed to be witty analogies and metaphors that the plot gets lost in near slap stick situations that are just not funny。 I didn't like any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them in the end。 The nicest part of the book was Steven finding his love of food actually translated to cooking。 Tried too hard 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Best Things
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Best Things&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Best Things&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0