Synopsis
It was Patrick's idea that they should have the tennis party weekend. After all, he had the perfect setting - the White House. Bought out of his bonuses as an investment salesman, it was complete with stable, cocktail bar, jacuzzi, shell-shaped bedheads and, of course, the tennis court (towered over by an authentic Wimbledon-green umpire's chair). He hadn't actually told Caroline, his brash and beautiful wife, what the real reason for the party was. And if she suspected that he had a hidden agenda, she managed to hide it in a cloud of Pimm's-induced laughter. She was glad to welcome Stephen and Annie, their impoverished former neighbours, less glad to see newly wealthy Charles and his aristocratic wife Cressida, and barely able to tolerate the deadly competitive Don and Valerie. As the four couples gathered on the sunny terrace, it seemed obvious who was winning in life and who was losing. But by the end of the party, nothing would be certain. As the first ball is served over the net it signals the start of two days of tempers, shocks, revelations, the arrival of an uninvited guest, and the realisation that the weekend is about anything but tennis. A funny, cutting, penetrating and perceptive debut novel from a brilliant new writer to the contemporary scene.

WELCOME TO THE TENNIS PARTY BOOKRING:

I have decided to start a bookring for this book and the participants are:



katybean UK
chocdrop UK
janiemac75 UK
bokwormy Portugal
pepita-di-Corfu Greece
toxickittikiss US
aramena US
SueFitz US
collectorkerri US
silverstarry US
AuburnCaMom US
spiritinflight
honey1982 Can
bookwormess Fin
blaisezabini12 E

.....
You?
.....
then back to me

Rules:
1) Please can you journal when you receive the book and again when you send it on
2) There are no time limits - just read and forward :)
3) If you can, can you place a postcard of your town in with the book please. I'd love to know where the book has been!

Sent on the 15/4/06 to the first participant in the ring

Enjoy :)

I look forward to hearing what you think

Hiya,

Just to let you know that the book arrived safely this morning - many thanks!!

I have one to finish, and one to read before it - but shouldn't take long!

Katybean

PS. Have the bx'ers in the list before me asked to be skipped or is the order not correct?

I quite enjoyed this story, although it wasn't the 'chick lit' I was expecting - you'd hardly believe that Madeleine Wickham and Sophie Kinsella were the same writer!!

It was a nice story showing the grass isn't always greener on the other side - and I guessed the very end bit quite early on!

I have already pm'd chocdrop for their address - just waiting for a reply so I can get this in the post to them.

Thanks for sharing Angellica - look forward to the other Madeline Wickham rings you have started :o)

Katybean

Now have chocdrop's address so will mail out on Tuesday (BH Weekend LOL)

Katybean
x

This book arrived this morning - thanks, katybean.

I've got one more bookring to read before I get to this one, but it shouldn't take too long.

This was another quick and easy read from Madeleine Wickham. It's not your average chick-lit. It's a story about how friendships develop as people get older and circumstances change.

Thanks's for organising the ring, angellica. I'm looking forward to the other Madeleine Wickham books you've sent out.

I've got janiemac75's address and will get this in the post to her tomorrow.

Thank you chocdrop, the book arrived this morning.
I will get started on it as soon as I finish the book I'm reading. Probably in a day or two.
Thank you angellica for starting the ring.

Thank you angellica, I finished the book a few days ago.
I don't think its as good as some of the other Madeleine Wickham books, but I still enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing. :o)

I will be sending it to Bokwormy today.

Thanks janiemac75, just received it and can´t wait to read it, this is my second Madeleine Wickham and I´m really looking forward to it.

Once again many thanks to angellica for sharing all these great books with all of US.

X

On the way to Pepita-di-corfu *-)

Sent yesterday by post!

RELEASE NOTES:

On the way to Pepita-di-corfu !

the book has arrived safe and sound and i'm getting down to it straight away!
Thanks BOKWORMY once again!

i finished reading the book about a couple of days ago and i already have the next participant's address. I'll try and send the book within the next days, however keep in mind that i'm on holidays and away from a post office as well. :)
Thanks angellica for the bookring!

RELEASE NOTES:

i sent the book to the next participant a week ago, but just managed to have internet access, thus i'm making the release notes now. I hope you'll enjoy reading it!

Received today. Will read when I get a chance, since I have 2 other ring books with me. Looks like a quick read. Thanks!

Finally found the time to read this. Was interesting to read about the characters lives and how they changed from the beginning to the end. Will send to the next person when I receive an address.

Arrived yesterday - yay! I've gotten hooked on Wickham!

I have quickly become a big fan of Madeleine Wickham, but didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the others I've read. I think part of it was because of all the tennis play-by-play. I'm not into tennis and don't understand the terms and the rules, etc., so it was a bit over my head. And then for some reason I had trouble keeping the men straight. The all have common, generic names, and I would sometimes have to pause to remember which guy this was and who his wife was. Though I didn't have any trouble keeping the women straight! The end of the book was pretty satisfying and enjoyable, and was worth the wait.

Mailing to suefitz today!

Got the book - addint to Mt ever increasing TBR.