This enchanting book is an international best-seller. City folk Rosie and her boyfriend have always dreamt of a countryside cottage. The nouveaux-riche Samantha and Guy are also seeking rural bliss: a mansion with a mile long drive and a team of gardeners. The village of Eight Mile Bottom seems the idyllic hide-away for them. But as dreams become reality, they soon realise that village life can be far from peaceful.
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"Complete fluff, but well written and funny. The heroine and her handsome but self-absorbed boyfriend move to a picturesque village whose other new occupants include a vacuous and grasping actress and her wealthy husband, and a reclusive rock star."
— Liz (4 out of 5 stars)
“Every character here is deliciously ridiculous, and every rustic detail a grand satirical opportunity.”
— Baltimore Sun“Well written, thoroughly entertaining, and not to be missed.”
— RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)“This lighthearted romp, surprisingly unpredictable, smart, and fun, is refreshing fare readers can turn to when they’re tired of lifeless Bridget clones.”
— Publishers Weekly“Phoebe James seems blissful in the roles of Grace and Belinda and does not take sides in her performance.”
— AudioFile“[A] sharp and witty romance.”
— Booklist“Wickedly funny.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Okay, so I read chick lit. I read this a long time ago and thought it was great fun. A perfect beach book. Why is British chick lit so much better than American chick lit anyway? "
— Mary, 2/19/2014" Cute and funny, a nice Brit Chick Wit Lit read. :) "
— Kirsten, 2/18/2014" ugh! Kept expecting it to get better, it didn't! not a single believable character. dissapointing "
— Dana, 2/18/2014" I usually really like British "chick lit" and was excited when I saw Ms. Holden's books. However, this one ended up disappointing me on several levels. The plot development took too long, the characters were either not developed enough, overdone, or seemed to be added for no apparent reason. Also, the ending seemed hurried and not entirely well thought out. Perhaps I've over-thought this, but I was left wanting more and somewhat annoyed. "
— Jennifer, 2/6/2014" Pretty funny! The start seemed pretty drawn out, but well worth the read. "
— Phil, 2/2/2014" UK edition: Pasteurs Noveau (2001) "
— Eli, 1/14/2014" This contains all the eccentric characters found in English country novels and is a good beach read. "
— Donna, 1/13/2014" Not horrible but not the best. I just picked up randomly off the shelf. I'm still deciding if I'm going to try another one of the authors books. "
— Elizabeth, 1/6/2014" I think my favorite by her. "
— Melissa, 12/13/2013" This was a cheesy girly read but good if that's what you are looking for. "
— Irene, 11/17/2013" I finished this book a few weeks ago - was hardly impressed. Too many characters to follow...would have been more interested in shorter books dealing with each character separately. There was just too much going on. It was enjoyable at times, but just not really impressive ever. "
— Victoria, 11/7/2013" Never finished it. It was boring. "
— Dora, 10/30/2013" Silly book about illustrator who moves to the country with her boyfriend. A whole alota craziness ensues. "
— Sarah, 10/26/2013" Ugh, just could not get into this story. "
— Jullie, 10/23/2013" You don't need a lot of oxygen getting to your brain to read this British chick-lit novel, but sometimes that's okay. "
— Kate, 10/23/2013" Farm Fatale was an enjoyable story. The main protagonist, Rosie, was a sympathetic character. I really wanted her life to turn out well. I did not like Samantha or the other posh characters. I found them dull. "
— Tressa, 10/19/2013" funny, very good summer read. not the next purlitzer obviously but pleasant enough. "
— Stella, 10/12/2013" breezy summer read... good for poolside or beach blankets! "
— Julie, 9/25/2013" Eeehhhh. Not horrible, but ok. The ending was thrown together and unenjoyable. "
— Jessica, 6/30/2013" Fun British Chick Lit "
— Maggiemountains, 6/20/2013" Excellent poolside read (especially if you've ever visited the UK). "
— Lacy, 5/17/2013" Just okay. Had a lot of potential though. "
— Jennifer, 5/10/2013" It took me a while to not be annoyed at the British humor and colloquialisms, but it made for some passable fluff reading. "
— Autumn, 4/15/2013" Had to stop mid-book. I've read too many Wendy Holden novels in a row. They were all starting to blur together. Taking a break to read something really different (Michael Crichton, anyone?) and then I'll finish this one, and enjoy it. "
— Tami, 12/19/2012" British chick lit. -- trying to copy Bridget Jones in some ways. It was okay for a rainy day. "
— Marlies, 10/9/2012" The best book to turn you into a cheerful mood :) "
— Aisulu, 8/27/2012" A bit predictable but entertaining nonetheless. It did drag a bit for me in the middle but picked up again. "
— Lisa, 8/5/2012" This is one of the few chick lit books I've ever liked. Fast read, I was able to identify with Mollie more than most chick lit characters, and I was satisfied enough with the book. Maybe I want to live in the English countryside and be my own boss. I think that has something to do with it. "
— Britta, 6/11/2012" A silly, British romantic comedy set in the Cotswolds. "
— Jennifer, 6/7/2012Wendy Holden is a successful journalist and fiction author. Born in Yorkshire, England, she studied English at Cambridge before becoming an editor for publications such as the Sunday Telegraph magazine, the Sunday Times style section, Apollo, and Tatler. She has written a number of books, including Gallery Girl, Marrying Up, Filthy Rich, Bad Heir Day, and others.
Gerri Halligan is the narrator of a number of audiobooks, including many by Lucinda Riley, Marian Keyes, and others, and was awarded an AudioFile Earphones Award for her reading of The Bird Table by Jonathan Davies.