Finding Colin Firth by Mia March Book Review

Only an idiot would attempt to make a pie – a special-ordered chocolate caramel cream Amore Pie – while watching Pride and Prejudice. Had she put in the vanilla? What about the salt? Damn Colin Firth and his pond-soaked white shirt.

At home in Boothbay Harbour, Maine, Veronica Russo loves to lose herself in watching Colin Firth movies and baking pies filled with good thoughts. Pies that can bring you happiness, hope, even love (everything she feels when Colin Firth is on the screen, in fact). But Veronica is not so in touch with her own feelings and has deeply buried memories of that one heart-breaking summer, when she was just 16...

In Boston, college graduate Bea Crane has received an earth-shattering letter. A year after the death of her wonderful mum, she reads that she was adopted at birth and that her biological mother lives not that far away, in Boothbay. But is she brave enough to find out more?

Gemma Hendricks has come to Boothbay not to find something, but to run away. She’s accidentally pregnant, suddenly unemployed and under pressure from her husband to give up on her career and settle down, away from her beloved New York City. With all this on her shoulders, Gemma would rather watch Bridget Jones’ Diary with a bowl of popcorn rather than face the truth. But she can’t hide away for ever.

With Colin Firth in town to shoot a new movie, all three women find their lives become closely entwined. They might be looking out for Colin Firth at every turn, but they’ll also find new and important friendships along the way.

In the chapters of this book you will follow:

Bea - 22, with her whole world having just been tipped upside down. A year after her mothers death she receives a letter in her mothers handwriting. The letter explains the fact that Bea is actually adopted. Bea goes off on an adventure to Boothbay Harbor in Maine to find her birth mother... and herself...

Veronica - mid-thirties, a waitress and legendary pie maker who got pregnant as a teenager. Her parents sent her to a home throughout the course of her pregnancy and disowned her. She gave the baby up for adoption but even after twenty-two years she still updates her contact details just in case her daughter wants to get in touch with her one day.

Gemma - recently let go from her job, married and pregnant... but hubby doesn't know about the pregnancy and they aren't exactly seeing eye-to-eye at the moment. Gemma wants to stay in the city but hubby is pushing her to move to some tiny town and live next door to her in-laws. It isn't what she wants... so she heads off to Boothbay Harbor in Maine to take a breather - and to write an article about a home for pregnant teenagers.

When I found this book in the second-hand bookstore I was instantly attracted to it. All things Jane Austen fascinate me. A light, girly read was exactly what I was looking for after quite a gnarly Stephen King book, so after seeing all the gleaming book reviews on goodreads.com I was really excited......... but I need to say that it hasn't taken me this long to read a book in a long time! 

The writing style........ shudder! It annoys me to the extent that I actually just want to rip the book to shreds! I'm sorry.... but it really does! I don't think I've said that about a book EVER... toss it against a wall maybe, but rip it to shreds??? This book made my tolerance levels reach new heights.

I find the writing to be repetitive and incredibly over analytical. How my FATHER is currently working his way through it I have no idea.

The surroundings and features of every room and character was explained to perfection and to me that can get a bit much! I want to know about the STORY not about the sandy blonde hair or wooden floorboards.....

The writer, Mia March, was so hell-bent on trying to get us to understand what the characters were feeling and thinking while at the same time trying to pour in a hearty amount of mystery and intrigue that it ruined the book!

In a book, I think you need to give the reader the freedom to figure some of the things out for themselves... or at least try not to underestimate them. Seriously... a lot of what she wrote was so self-explanatory already that I felt it was wasted ink on paper!

I feel like the 'magical' pies (Special Elixir Pie, Hope Pie, Happiness Pie, Spirit Pie, Cast-Off Pie....blah blah blah...) were a bit lame.

The story-line is intriguing I guess. That's the only thing that kept pushing me to turn the pages.

If you're adopted or have adopted and perhaps if you like pie and have an unhealthy obsession with Colin Firth then it'll be your cup of tea... but if you're anything like me and ATTEMPTING to eat healthy due to *my wedding* (eeeek... still weird to say that out loud! It's my engagement party this weekend too!) coming up then reading this book where there is a constant mention of PIES will really test your self-discipline.

I don't know... this book just wasn't for me.

Have you read any good books lately? I'm always on the hunt for something new to devour (something that isn't pastry based.................).

*As a writer, I hate writing bad book reviews because I know how much it can sting... but a big part of my blog is based on book reviews and I have to be honest with my opinions.

This is just one point of view and there are MANY sterling reviews over at Goodreads so I guess you just need to read it and find out for yourself.