A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE: REVIEW AND BONUS ENTRIES

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A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE

BY MADELEINE WICKHAM

ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK:

From the author of the sensational bestselling Sophie Kinsella novels and the New York Times bestsellers The Wedding Girl and Sleeping Arrangements, comes a wicked comedy of adultery, angst, and modern marriage.

MY REVIEW:
Madeleine Wickham’s A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE Audio Book was not the book I had expected. Having read several of the Sophie Kinsella (Madeleine Wickham) books, I was prepared for a little more chick-lit lightness. Instead, I found A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE composed of well-crafted character studies intertwined to create a sharp witted tale set in suburban London. With the characters all connected in some way, it made for an interesting, but also challenging story to follow at times. Here is where the audio book made the story so much more enjoyable! Kate Kellgren seems the ideal reader as she bring the characters to life  and makes it easy to distinguish one from another with her range of voices and wonderful timing. With the story told through the main characters' points of view, the switching from one to the other is not only easy to follow, but also enjoyable to listen to because of the superb writing of Madeleine Wickham and the entertaining reading of Kate Kellgren.

One very important “character” comes from the title itself and is basically what the story revolves around. This is the “desirable residence in Silchester”, once the home of Liz and Jonathan Chambers. The Chambers, meanwhile, have invested in the once prestigious Silchester Tutorial College. Hoping to bring the school back to its former glory, Liz and Jonathan move in to live above the college itself but things don’t go as they planned. They certainly aren’t planned the way their fourteen-year-old daughter, Alice, thinks they should be. Her best friend has moved away, she hates the shabby place they now live in, and misses her old home. 

The Chambers’ residence doesn’t sell and so they are now stuck with two mortgages and so many debts that things are getting quite serious. Their desperate situation leads self-centered Liz Chambers to their realtor to find out why their property hasn’t been sold. The gentleman is trying to explain about the down market, but Liz loses it when reducing the price is recommended again. She is, however, rescued as it may seem, by the head real estate mogul himself, one Marcus Witherstone, who suggests that rather than selling, they might rent to cover the mortgage for a while. He promises to not only speak to the bank for her but also has a renter in mind. Thus, the knight in shining armor, Marcus, comes to the aide of fair maiden Liz, who by now is quite taken by him.

Marcus, was really only doing this to show up his partner who was trying to work with Liz, but Marcus does at least follow through by bringing in some tenants further rising in the esteem, and the romantic appraisal, of Liz Chambers. With Marcus Witherspoon and his wife, Anthea, whose lot in life is to see that her young sons get into only the best schools, the cast widens and the plot, as they say, thickens. Anthea runs the family pretty much with her attitude and her fits of temper, which tend to create a husband who distances himself and finds amusement elsewhere. It also makes their two sons none too happy especially when Anthea realizes that the eldest just MUST win a prestigious scholarship, even though they have no need of it financially. Anthea bonds with Jonathan Chambers when she realizes he has connections with the headmaster of the school giving the scholarship, and also that he can tutor her son to help get him admitted. Jonathan becomes quite revered by Marcus's wife.

Last but not least are the tenants that Marcus brings in to round out the main cast. Ginny and Piers Prentice move into the rental and make it over only further depressing Alice who continues to go by the house out of loneliness. She does, however strangely, begin a surprising friendship with Ginny and is at first welcomed to their home quite often. With this comes Alice‘s crush on Piers, and Ginny‘s confidante about her marriage. You see, Piers is an actor and is up for a major role in a soap opera, one that Ginny really hopes he gets as she is tired of being the bread winner and would love to start a family. If this job comes through their lives will change forever.

The lives of these characters and the story itself comes to a surprising finale that Madeleine  Wickham creates with such clever nuances and insinuation, that the reader is really left with an ending that one can draw many conclusions about. This would make a fine and fun book to talk about with a book club. Great fun, sharp wit, an enjoyable time, and all at A DESIRABLE RESIDENCE!

SEE ABOUT THE BOOK AND AUTHOR IN FIRST POST HERE FOR MORE ENTRIES!

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