Amazon Jean

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Imaginative Rom-Com

Reviewed in the United States on 30 May 2023

Verified Purchase

I’ve not read a rom-com in some time, and was expecting the usual formula, but this story went beyond my wildest imagination. It had everything you’d want in a farcical comedy—misunderstandings, quirky characters who felt very real considering the contemporary issues they faced, and a fast-moving plot with lots of twists and turns. The main character has been jilted by her lover. Then, there’s a priest who’s looking for love but hasn’t shed his cassock yet. There’s also a gay couple who want to have a baby…and that’s just to get the reader started. I was impressed with the “cute meet,” in a cupboard of all places. However when I got to the part about the hearse and the coffin, It was clear to me that this author’s imagination has no boundaries and I just had to keep on reading.

If you enjoy romantic comedies and are in the mood for a lighthearted and fun story, give this one a try. I promise you, it won’t disappoint.

Thomas Hillas Amazon 

5.0 out of 5 stars A chuckle a minute

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2023

I loved Love in the Cupboard, Mari Law's latest novel. It's funny, quirky, with a surprise and a chuckle on every page.

What a sparkling imagination Mari has! How did she think up that scene? That character? I kept asking myself. She covers serious issues such as a Catholic priest leaving the Church, a Bishop sexually exploiting his housekeeper, and a disabled young lady looking for romance with humour, understanding and kindness.

There are moments of pure farce none of which in Mari's hands is totally unbelievable.

I can see Love in the Cupboard brought to theatre. I can't recommend it enough.

Amazon R. L. Charlesworth

5.0 out of 5 stars What a lovely light hearted read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 March 2023

Oh what a lovely, light hearted read with quite a few chuckle moments to boot. I loved the storyline and how the characters and everyone’s bit of the story intertwined. A really enjoyable read I just so loved Tom and Faith and Luke and Gavin.

Amazon Mrs Judith Srivalsan

VINE VOICE

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 March 2023

Absolutely brilliant and very funny!! A wonderful concept of a priest with doubts!!

Great rapport between Faith and Tom and well developed characters. Overall a lovely read.

Amazon Dr. Lisaort

5.0 out of 5 stars An Upbeat, Fun Rom-Com Read!

Reviewed in the United States on 2 July 2023

Verified Purchase

If you're looking for that book that takes you out of the seriousness of everyday life and actually makes you laugh out loud, this is the book for you. Love in the Cupboard is one of those zany upbeat reads that pull you in from the beginning. As a cradle Catholic, I appreciated the quirky situation the two main characters find themselves.

Mari Jane Law hit this one out of the park as she webs and weaves two people who devoted their lives to another, causing a bondage blocking each to live a full life. She cleverly chooses names that make you smile and nod. This is one of those books you look forward to reading every chance you can to see what silly scrapes Father Tom and Faith Goddard will get into. Love this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to smile and laugh throughout the pages.

Amazon Kenneth Benn

5.0 out of 5 stars Rom Com Farce Well Worth the Read

Reviewed in Australia on 15 March 2023

Verified Purchase

This is not my genre. Uh-uh. I watched Bridget Jones diary simply because I didn't have control of the remote. So, reading Mari Jane Law's Love in the Cupboard was a leap of faith. It paid off. She kept my interest which is why I gave it five stars.

I had my doubts at the start, but in stepped Father Tom Sheridan, a disillusioned Catholic Priest wanting 'out' of the priesthood. He wants a wife, children, mortgage - the full catastrophe. His disillusionment and fear, starting up a photographic business, has him hiding in a cupboard. Now the recently dumped Faith is also in said cupboard, licking her wounds. Faith and Tom, masked from each other by the dark, well ... they kind of make out and leave the cupboard still having not seen each other's face. And it all spirals out of control from that point on.

Love in the Cupboard reminded me of the great Tom Sharpe. A well-handled narrative. Even though there is a large cast of characters, no chapter is ever over-crowded. And the characters are everything you'd expect of a farce. Faith's nemesis, Roxanne, is an old school friend marketing adult toys as if they were Tupperware. Roxanne is the reason Faith lost her first relationship and certainly complicates the chemistry around Father Tom. But Faith does have Gavin and Luke who listen to her woes sympathetically. However, they, as a gay couple not yet on the same page with regard to having children, also contribute to the complexities of Faith's rapidly spinning down the plughole life.

As I said, not my genre. And yet here I am, reviewing a highly entertaining novel with multiple good outcomes.