Audio Book Review: A Risk Worth Taking by Robin Pilcher

ISBN: 978-0312945626
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (unabridged version)
Read By: John Lee
First Line: The alarm clock went off, as it had for the past fourteen months, at seven o'clock.
One Word Review: Vapid

Publisher's Summary:
After the dot-com bubble burst, Dan Porter is laid off from his job and must decide what is truly important. His wife of twenty years, Jackie, a beautiful and successful managing director at a clothing designer shop, no longer connects with him. His teenagers, Josh, Nina, and Millie, are distant and confusing. Jackie is tempted by the attentions of a younger man at her office, and thanks to an opportunity suggested by a magazine article, Dan finds himself contemplating a drastic change in his life.

If I'm being honest, I will say that I went into this book as one should never do - with expectations based on the work of another author. I have read and loved almost all of Rosamunde Pilcher's novels, and dearly wish she'd written more. When I discovered, several years back, that her son was also a writer, I was optimistic that perhaps he had inherited his mother's lovely style. Why did it take me so long to actually read one of his books, you may wonder. Well, it's mostly because I was afraid of this very thing - that I would, probably unfairly, compare his writing to his mother's and find it lacking.

Here's what I think. If you are looking for a substitute for Rosamunde Pilcher, this isn't it - not that it should be. An author should be allowed to stand on their own. I get that. But, I do miss her wonderful stories set in beautiful places and filled with endearing characters. Ok, so back to ROBIN (this is about him, after all, I should give him a fair shake). The thing is, though, I'm not sure I really got the story he was telling. It just didn't connect. I found the characters to be a little flat, the story to be largely unbelievable, and the setting to be fairly non-existent. Am I basing my opinion on an unflattering comparison to another's work? I don't know. Here's what I do know. I probably wouldn't have even picked the book up had it not had the name Pilcher attached. So, perhaps it's not so unfair.

If you think you might like the book, you can buy it on Amazon.
To hear a sample of the audiobook or purchase this book in audio format, you can do so on Audible.com

Rating on the book itself: 2 out of 5 stars
Rating on the audio aspect: 3 out of 5 stars

Booking Through Thursday: Questionnaire

Today's topic is actually a series of questions.

What was the last book you bought?
Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke. It's the third in the Inkheart series, and I am so looking forward to it. I'm contemplating going back and rereading the other two, though, because it's been a while in between books, and I know I've forgotten things.

Name a book you have read MORE than once
Well, I've read all of the Harry Potters more than once (all but Deathly Hallows more than twice, and some quite a bit more....). Discounting those, I've read The Stand by Stephen King four times.


Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
No Opportunity Wasted by Phil Keoghan sort of made me think about how much of my life I've spent waiting for the next thing to happen...waiting to get married (I was barely 22 when I married, so I didn't wait too long), waiting to get a bigger/better house, waiting to move out of Vermont (that was a long wait)....just waiting for things to get better in general, and really my life wasn't bad - I just wanted more. Though NOW is more about taking chances and doing things you think you can't afford (financially and time-wise), it still made me reevaluate my life a bit and see that this is the only one I'm going to get, and I should be proactive in either making it better or accepting and enjoying what I have right now. Now, I won't say that the book has made me a happier person (we moved from VT to a wonderful place in VA, and I love it here, so I'll credit that more than anything), but it has given me a bit of perspective.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
I have to admit that a pretty cover goes a long way with me. If a book has an ugly cover, I'm not picking it up, unless someone (someone I know or a review I read) specifically mentions how brilliant it is. If, on the other hand, the cover is really striking, I'll pick up the book and read the blurb. If it sounds like something I'd be interested in, I'll probably read it.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Fiction. The only non-fiction I really read are travel memoirs, and those are few and far between. I will occasionally read kid's non-fiction, but generally those are preparation for school.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
Gripping plot - I don't enjoy overly flowery writing. I want the writing to be good - even the best plot can be run aground through bad writing, but lovely writing with no plot is not something I want to read.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
Well, there is the obvious Harry Potter selection - I love so many of those characters, but aside from those, I think my favorite character is Odd Thomas (brought to life through Dean Koontz). I love Odd Thomas - he's so sweet and witty and lovable. I am not a fan of horror at all, so I'm not a big Koontz reader, but I adore the Odd Thomas books.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

• Nation, by Terry Pratchett (which has been there far too long because I'm not particularly enjoying it.)
• Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo (which is on my iPod, and I am thoroughly enjoying.)
• The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller (which I haven't gotten into enough to know if I'm enjoying it.)

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
I last finished A Risk Worth Taking by Robin Pilcher, which was an audiobook. I'm working on the review now, so I won't tell you whether I loved it or not. The last book I read that wasn't an audiobook was Hot Mess by Julie Kraut and Shallon Lester (see my review).

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
Sadly, yes. Crime and Punishment is one that springs to mind. I'm sure there were others, but not too many because I have this OCD need to finish the books I start. I very nearly gave up on The Hobbit, but I trudged through that one.