Review: An epic, epic read - NOT TO BE MISSED
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 11, 2012
This is an epic, epic book. At 800 pages it's no mean feat to devour and it's an amazing read. I don't like spoiler reviews, I like to read a book, not read the whole story before I peruse the first page but here goes:India Steven is a normal girl, living in the UK and having fun with her best friend Charley, whittling her days away as a legal secretary. A chance meeting at a normally mundane, teeth gritting works do catapults India's life to LA, and a whole new glitzy direction. Charley is left behind, which in itself causes a set of devastating consequences to careen into their lives, as her jealousy sets her on a path to succeed too, No Matter What...Kenny, Michael, Reece, Vince, and Terry are all strong male characters in the book, all holding a special place in their hearts for India, in different ways. This book works. Sometimes, when you read a large book with a lot of characters, you get halfway through and suddenly think 'who? what?'No Matter What is not one of those books. It is brilliantly done, the characters are all realistic people with flaws and fears, aspirations and annoyances and I found myself totally immersed in the Hollywood world. Torn away from my Kindle cruelly by obligations such as children and sleep, my thoughts were often occupied by India's choices and next steps.Discussing book plots with your toaster at 6am is the sign that you are in the grip of a great read, and I kid you not, this happened. Twice.Betham's writing is well edited, well formed and flows easily. A book like this can 'drag on.' I myself have found this to be the case with Martina Cole's latest offering, and I feared that this book would be the same, but the author pulls off the numerous pages with aplomb.Covering three decades of India's life (with a fair bit of great sex in that time!) the twists and turns keep on coming, and the tingling sensation in my fingers arrived several times. Boy I wanted to slap India for the choices she made!This book is Martina Cole meets Dynasty meets Footballer's Wives (the good bits) and is a stonking book. If you are looking for a fast read, it's not for you, but it's a shame to miss it....I have Betham's other books in my Kindle, and I shall certainly be checking these out soon. My long suffering toaster had better be ready for a nice early morning chat....Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review