When Nadia Kinsella’s car slid off the road in a snow storm, she ended up spending the night, talking about everything with Jay Tiernan, whose car had also run off the road. Somehow, Nadia assumed that Jay was gay and thus didn’t worry about impressions and relationship issues but just enjoyed the company — after all she had a boyfriend, Laurie Welsh, who worked as a fashion model.Nadia lived with her father and two sisters in the home of her grandmother, Miriam Kinsella. Clare was slightly younger than Nadia and an artist. Tilly was 13 and still in school. Somehow everything worked out. Nadia was cautious, Clare a bit wild, and Tilly was quiet and studious. They even got along with Miriam’s loudmouthed parrot — Harpo. (I mean how can you resist a book where the loudmouth parrot is named after the silent Marx brother?)Having read a previous book by Jill Mansell, I knew things were probably going to go wrong for our main character, Nadia — maybe even horribly wrong. But since these are considered chick lit romances, you can pretty well rest assured that the ending will be happy for our main character. Well, you’d be mostly right.In point of fact things go horribly wrong for just about everyone — Miriam, Nadia, Clare, and even for their father, James. Mansell doesn’t necessarily follow the expectations of her readers — for the betterment of the book, if you ask me.Nadia Knows Best as a title does imply that Nadia believes she knows what’s best for herself and others. Thinking you know what is in your own best interest, as well as that of those you love, is a sure fire way to find out just how little you know about your best interest, and that of your loved ones. While you may have the issues down solid — love, happiness, support — how those things are to be achieved is essentially a moving target with no single answer for anyone.Nadia has her heart broken and her confidence shattered. But, she comes out swinging and when she runs into an opportunity to do the kind of work she’s always dreamed of doing, she takes a chance. Of course, that’s when everything goes pear-shaped and the family seems to be falling apart at the seams. Not because they don’t care for each other, but because they care too much.In many books the family the characters are born into isn’t necessarily the family the stories are about. In Nadia Knows Best, a close loving family nearly loses each other because they care too much to put their feelings first. They fear that if they say what they want, that they’ll be influencing the other person and thus forcing them into something they don’t want to do.As a reader, we’re glued to the pages, hoping that they’ll realize that talking things out with each other is how we not only communicate information, but how we feel, what we want out of live, and how we appreciate and love those around us. Mansell’s goal I’m sure was to tell as good story. That the story she told resonates with the reader would be an added benefit. The characters have real-life problems, maybe on a level that many of us don’t have, but none the less ones that real people deal with each day — dashed hopes, ex-spouses and all the baggage that entails: spite, love, loss, longing, caring, and hard choices. That’s what makes us human and what makes readers connect to a story.Chick Lit is considered by many to be light and fluffy — but many of the authors write stories that have depth and deal with issues that readers deal with in their own lives. Enjoy Nadia Knows Best, it will entertain you and it just may get you to think outside the box.
Oh my goodness! If I had to use one word to describe Nadia Knows Best it would be delightful. I settled in to read this book and I was instantly swept away.First off, I enjoy a fun romance and it was delivered in spades in this book. Secondly, I'm generally fascinated by all things British, so this was a no brainer. I enjoyed the setting and reading the different turn of words and phrases.Crikey. I enjoyed reading about this funky lot. <- Is that British slang? Or just nonsense from a Jersey girl? lol The book blurb makes it seem like this book is just about Nadia and Jay, but it isn't. Also in the plot are Nadia's family members. As supporting characters, Nadia's grandmom Miriam, her sisters Clare and Tilly, and her father James all have a story to share.This book reminded me a bit of the British romantic comedy Love Actually, where different sets of couples are showcased.Author Jill Mansell writes a great mix of humor and romance and I read most of this book with a smile on my face. The characters are well developed, the story is well written and the plot is interesting. There's things going on with these characters that has you wondering as you read and keeps you eager to find out more. Highly recommended if you enjoy British chic lit and romance. I think fans of Bridget Jones's Diary and Love Actually would enjoy this one. Nadia Knows Best is just what I expect from good Chick lit; there's humor, insightful quotes and romance. What more can you want in a book?read my full review herehttp://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/201...
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Jill Mansell is the author I turn to for comfit reading, when I’m sick, when I’m going through a break-up, or whenever I just need cheering up. She’s honed a style so that you know you’re reading one of her books. There are multiple characters with subplots, the heroine is often dumped at the beginning. The stories definitely focus on the female and are probably closer to checklist than standard romance. In Nadia knows best, our heroine Nadia meets Jay when they are caught together overnight in a snow storm. She is attracted to him but does not act on hit because of her supermodel boyfriend. Maybe she should have because the boyfriend breaks up with her the next day. Nadia reconnects with Jay months later and ends up taking a job with him. Nadia’s family is challenging to say the least. Her mother left her and her younger sisters to be raised by grandma and dad, who’s father to only 2/3rds of the crew bus it a great guy. Dad is trying to date and Grandma has a deep secret that is coming back to haunt her. Never thought I’d say this about a Mansell book, but it was too much! A few less subplots please. Part of me wondered why Jay waited around to romance Nadia, but perhaps he was playing his options. I wish we had known more about why the man all fancied Nadia. The Miriam bigamy storyline (one of the subplots) also didn’t work well for me. I didn’t understand Charles’ motivation. Why would she want to be with someone who threatens her? Filing for divorce would have been an easier course of action. overall I enjoyed it, but not one of my more favorite Mansell books. 3/5 on my Romance Novel Scale.
—Elizabeth
In Nadia Knows Best by Jill Mansell, the Kinsella family is far from conventional with a mother, Leonie who skips out on her husband and two daughters, Nadia and Clare, and drops another daughter, Tilly, off with her former husband James years later. Living with their high-brow grandmother, Miriam, Nadia and Clare are mostly well-adjusted young women sorting out their own lives, while their youngest sister, Tilly, is just 13 and still looking for her place in the family.With Mansell readers know their will be misunderstandings, false-starts, romance, and comedy, but as with the last few books, there are moments of seriousness as well. Nadia and Laurie have known each other for years and become a couple just as his career as a model begins to take off, prompting Laurie to sever ties and branch out to America and leave Nadia devastated. Her chance meeting with Jay Tiernan, a hot man in the real-estate biz, a year ago still gets her heart beating fast, but it’s unlikely that they will meet again . . . until they do. If that weren’t enough fodder for romance and mishap, Mansell introduces Clare and her shockingly narcissistic boy toy Piers, plus James, their father, finds himself popping into the same newsstand not just to pick up Tilly after work but to see Annie every day without saying a word.Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/05/n...
—Serena
This is a definite low-point in Jill Mansell's work. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her other books that I've read but this one just left me feeling blah. It started with a lot of promise, a quirky family of interesting characters in addition to the typical heroine of chick-lit. But the main plot line, "will Nadia choose Jay or Laurie" dragged while all the other family shenanigans took place. And there were shenanigans. The sister Claire was just plain mean and her possibly redeeming moment fell flat. The strong glamorous grandmother was suddenly revealed to be cowardly, impetuous, and wishy-washy. I enjoyed the younger sister, and the budding relationship between James and Annie, but they did not make up for the other relationship weaknesses. In addition to the problematic characters there were parts of the plot that went nowhere, like Laurie's possible infidelity with Suzie, merely confused things rather than adding any true depth to the story. I've loved Mansell's other books so much I hate to give this one such a low rating, but it just did not live up to expectations.
—Elizabeth
