Perfect Timing | Jill Mansell | Book Review

Ok, so firstly I would like to say that I picked up ‘Perfect timing’ at a book fair and I am so glad I did. This book is so beautifully written and is like a breath of fresh air. This author is new to me but still I loved her work right from the very first page.

Storyline

Poppy has her wedding all planned the following day but then something happens which changes her plans instantly. She meets Mr. Perfect on the night of her hen’s party. Tom is a handsome young man who seems to have fallen for her right from the start. He asks her to come meet him in a café after the party. Poppy hesitates and although she sees him waiting for her, she cannot go to him. Now she can’t marry neither find the man she fell for because she didn’t even know his last name. At this point readers wonder if this was indeed ‘perfect timing’.

She turns up at her would be husband’s house at 7 am to break off the marriage. Courageously accepting all the insults and humiliation, she reasons with Rob. After knowing the truth about her always aloof and distant father, she sets off on a new journey in London.

Arriving in London, she is welcomed as a paying guest into Caspar’s house. Caspar is a cool and sexy artist whose style of living is rather casual. He is carefree and disorganized and is very famous with women. Throughout the book Caspar has broken so many hearts that I felt so bad for the women that fell for him.

Poppy shares the apartment with another woman, Claudia. Claudia is arrogant and dislikes Poppy from the start. It is later that we realize that she has a crush on Caspar and is quite insecure about her own appearance. It is not completely her fault. Her mother Angie, has left no stone unturned to make herself look much more desirable than Claudia. She remarked on Claudia’s height and even stole men from her own daughter to prove her own worthiness and beauty. No wonder her daughter grew up to be insecure.

Poppy works in an antique shop with Jake, her boss, who is handsome and yet not the best dressed. She befriends him and changes his attire for the best. Later in the book, Claudia starts liking Jake and tries her best to impress him.

Then there is Dina, who is Poppy’s friend. She comes over to Poppy’s house quite often. Dina seems to be bored with her life back in Bristol where she has a husband and a baby. She just wants to unwind and have fun. She tells Poppy that she is very lucky to be free from relatives and responsibilities. At some point you do sympathize with Dina but according to me she takes the ‘fun’ too far.

My thoughts on ‘Perfect Timing’

Sweet simple and quite direct, Perfect Timing did not really have too many twists and turns. However, the story was still exciting and interesting. With rich characters like Angie, Jake, Claudia and Dina, the story becomes more of a lovely read.

It is packed with humor in just the right amount. You will admire Poppy’s nerve just like how Caspar did. She seems to be confident and crazy at the same time and even when she has messed up, she had the courage to own her mistakes and learn from them.

Caspar’s character development is a noteworthy advancement. From a careless serial dater, he becomes much more emotionally intelligent. As he navigates through his countless affairs, his friends, Poppy and Claudia are there for him. The end sees him becoming much more responsible.

This story is lighthearted, and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.