As Weekends Go (Choc Lit)

This is my second review of the book, as my first is not appearing in the website.
What a GREAT read and the author manages to hold my attention--I read the book in one sitting--while not getting anyone into bed with each other!!!

Great book! 5 stars all the way! It was pretty long but i really enjoyed it. Its different then any other romance novels i've read and that is a good thing. The cover is fantastic i absolutely loved it. I took graphic design in College and its fantastic it deff caught my eye [One of the reasons i requested it] But anywho on with the review :)
So first off Rebecca is a early 30s woman who is in a 4 year marriage but really isn't happy. She's married to a man named Greg. Well Greg has been, hmmm smart mouthing at the mouth per say?!, and it isn't going well with Rebecca. Rebeccas best friend Abi invites her to a weekend stay at this very upscale hotel that her boss is letting go in his place. And that morning when they get there after some activities Rebecca runs into ALEX HEATH which is a professional Football player and well they hit it off pretty well, but theres one problem. REBECCA IS MARRIED. So what comes of Rebecca and Gregs relationship? Does Alex have a chance at Rebecca or is the cards not in his favor for this one time chance. Read the book to find out :)

A very good book I knew british slang so I love this book

I enjoyed this book - it was different from many of the usual scenarios and made me laugh in places as well.

Rebecca is married to Greg - an ambitious sales exec, who has really been ruling the roost for the past year or so - he is about to go away to a very important sales conference.. Abi is seeing Nick and he is off on a stag weekend in Spain. Abi's boss gives her a weekend at a luxury hotel in York and Abi and Rebecca go for a weekend of pampering.

While there, they meet a couple of professional footballers and Rebecca is very affected by Alex Heath. He is equally smitten -but she is married.

How all the problems are resolved, both for Rebecca and Abi made for great reading and the ending is wonderful!

I would have given it 5*, but Greg bothered me slightly. I just cannot see how Rebecca would have ever married him. For me, there is insufficient background to make it believable that he was once a nice person.

But overall, it was a great read and I wish Jan luck with this, her debut novel.

 
 
As Weekends Go ,  Jan Brigden

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, Woman’s Fiction

This was a fun read. a new to me author so I didn’t really know what to expect but got a story that was fun and realistic.

I liked Rebecca, she’s a loyal friend and family member, married for 18 months to Greg. Somewhere along that time he’s changed though, and now work and promotion consumes him, leaving little time for anything else. Each time Rebecca tries to talk he’s too busy. When he started criticising her, her clothes and style, her creative job, her friends and family it was hard to hear. You can see how slowly, insidiously, he’s chipped at her confidence. He really is an arrogant bore. Then there’s her friend Abi, who Greg hates. She’s full of fun, very outgoing, in love with her boyfriend Nick and does her best to help Rebecca. She doesn’t like what Greg is doing to her, it’s always easier to see from the outside, but Rebecca has always excused his behaviour. The last few months have been tough though, and she’s just beginning to realise how much of herself she’s given up. 

Out of the blue Abi gets a weekend in a very elite and fabulous hotel. Her boss is unable to go and has asked Abi if she wants to take his and his wife's place, so she persuades Rebecca to come. Greg’s away yet again for the weekend so they decamp to York. Its a wonderful place and Rebecca begins to relax. Then coming downstairs she trips, and gets caught by non other than famous footballer Alex. Right off there’s a sizzle between them and Alex just can’t get her out of his head. He’s also staying in the hotel for the weekend with a friend, Kenny. Before she knows what’s happened somehow Abi and Kenny have got talking and the four are out together. Its all very above board between Alex and Rebecca, he knows she’s married, but the conversations between them flow easily. Abi and Kenny arrange a dinner the next night with with a relative of his. His uncle and girlfriend were a great pair, very stereotyped but so funny and I’ve seen couples just like them. They added a nice touch to the colour in the novel, and a way to get Rebecca to look at Alex from another view.

Its a kind of slow build, with the deterioration of Rebecca’s marriage and Greg’s bombastic attitude and reluctance to see anything wrong. He just talks over Rebecca, ignores what she says and dumps more arrangements on her. She misses Alex, the easy chats they had, the way he listened to her in contrast to Greg just ignoring her or talking over her,  the attraction they both felt that can’t be ignored and it makes her take a stronger look at home. Greg really was a dislikeable person, but I enjoy a character like him in a novel – and his ex Nina, another great bi tch character. As things slowly build up we can see how easy it is for a relationship to crumble if both people aren’t on the same wavelength, how people change over time, how important friends are. Without Abi Rebecca would have struggled so much, in an unhappy marriage, trying to sort it and missing Alex all at the same time. The story and characters felt so very real, showed how easy it is to stray if that extra step is taken. Both Abi and Nick come close to the edge too despite being in love, and I liked the way it made them assess what they had instead, and move forward. Rebecca didn’t get that chance with Greg, he put the blame all on her and his plans were just to kind of upgrade her like a Stepford wife till she fit the role he needed. Sadly that happens, there are people like that :-( husbands and wives.  
Its a really fun and interesting read with a HEA. I loved the way it was paced, loved Alex and Rebecca, hated Greg and Nina....I do so love some strong characters in a novel and these worked so perfectly.

Stars: Four, a lovely gentle paced romance that made me think about people and issues
 
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

 

As Weekends Go is a slice of life type of story. We get a peek into the lives of several people and how their lives are connected and how their perceptions of those lives will change over the course of one weekend.

Rebecca’s best friend Abi has been given the gift of a weekend away at a super posh hotel/resort – a gift since her boss and his wife cannot go themselves. Who better to share such an amazing windfall than with your best friend? Rebecca’s husband, Greg, will be away for business that weekend and Abi’s boyfriend, Nick, will be at a bachelor’s weekend with the guys. It’s the perfect time for some girlfriend time with a bit of pampering tossed in – best of all, it’s free.

When Rebecca accidentally stumbles on the grand stairway after realizing that a famous footballer, Alex Heath is staying at the hotel as well the changes in lives begins. Alex quickly rescues Rebecca from a serious fall and there is an instant awareness between them. More than simply a fan meeting a sports hero, but something clicks between them. For the rest of Rebecca and Abi’s stay at the hotel they will meet up with Alex and his friend often and a bit of harmless flirtation on Abi’s part seals the deal for them all to spend more time together.

Rebecca’s marriage is on shaky ground right now. Her friends and family are aware of what an absolute jerk Greg actually is. His professional climb up the corporate ladder is all that he can see, and he treats Rebecca very much as a servant, the woman with no life but to serve her husband’s every need. He has alienated most of her friends and family – pretty much trying to cut her off from her own support system. Greg has never physically abused her, but he certainly uses her for his own purposes on so many levels. He is a scumbag of the highest degree. Rebecca is not a doormat, she is aware of Greg’s actions and is trying to hold her marriage together in spite of what her instincts are attempting to tell her.

So while there is a strong attraction between Alex and Rebecca, she will not act on it and he will respect her wishes.

Upon returning home, Rebecca will be distraught at returning to her normal. She is honestly very attracted to Alex and knows that she should just walk away from her crumbling marriage but she won’t just yet. Greg’s actions will increase, especially when his plan to show off to a former flame, the woman who dumped him right before Rebecca brought him back from the edge of despair, is finally giving him the results he wants. Nina is a woman who has been in his blood for as long as Greg can remember and when they hook up again, beginning an affair that will benefit them both professionally and physically – then Greg’s true, ugly colors are out in the open for everyone to see… finally even Rebecca has to admit that their lives together are finished.

As Weekends Go is an intense look into the lives we have behind the scenes that everyone else is aware of. In many ways it reads like a night time television drama with scenes changing to the events in other couples/people’s lives happening at about the same time. While I enjoyed the story I also had some misgivings with it. But this is the author’s world, not mine so I can only judge the story by what I am presented with. Personally I felt that Rebecca’s suffering at Greg’s hands was drawn out too long. I get why it was written this way, but from a personal opinion I wanted Rebecca’s anguish to finally cease and move on to a happier ending for her. And, truthfully I really wanted Greg to suffer, I mean really suffer for his actions. Yet, again that reaction is on me and not the author.

If you enjoy a story with relatable characters that is emotionally intense, and draws you into the characters lives deeply then As Weekends Go is a story that you will want to pick up.

*I received an e-ARC of As Weekends Go from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Those lovely people at Choc Lit and their reading panel do have a bit of a talent for spotting something special that their readers will enjoy, and they've done it again with this lovely book. The story's partly the stuff of every girl's fantasies (and several rather older women's too...!) - meeting a famous footballer on a weekend break, living the high life for a while, and finding that he's not only gorgeous but also a really, really nice guy. But it's not just the stuff of fantasy - Rebecca's marriage is on the rocks, her plans for a family forgotten, while her husband Greg relentlessly pursues his career (and a few other things he really shouldn't be pursuing).

I really liked the way Rebecca's friendship with Abi was drawn - Abi's quite a character, but also one of the most genuine and supportive friends anyone could wish for. I also liked the twists and turns of Abi's own relationship with Nick, and the fallout from the stag do in Spain. Rebecca is a real well developed character - your heart aches for her, knowing what Greg is up to while she continues trying to discuss things with him. Jan's very good at depicting friendship actually - I also thought Alex's relationship with larger than life friend Kenny was really well handled. I do know some reviewers have felt that the portrayal of Greg left a little bit to be desired, but I don't really agree - people do change, particularly when circumstances change and a couple don't have anything in common any more. Thank goodness for Abi - but thank goodness for Alex Heath too.

This was a lovely story, really well told - just to be nitpicky, I did think the Hawksley Manor stay, particularly the night at the club, were maybe a little more drawn out than they could have been, but the scenes in the restaurant were extremely funny (what horrendous people!) and really well written. I really look forward to seeing what Jan does next. OK, I do look forward to getting to know Alex better too - but this is a really good read from a first-time author well worth watching.

This sounded like a fast-paced, exciting romance and I couldn’t wait to find out if my expectations would be met.

I was definitely right about the exciting romance – the weekend scenes were full of fantasy moments. I read this over a sunny weekend in the garden with the children splashing water everywhere and it gave me a real sense of escapism.

When the weekend was over, the heart-pounding revelations just kept on coming and that’s when Rebecca’s dilemma became more complicated. Certain characters never failed to annoy me (I’m pretty sure this was the author’s intention so it was definitely not a bad thing).

The author’s natural style of writing meant that I fell into the storyline effortlessly. It was almost as if I had known Rebecca for years! I also enjoyed switching perspectives throughout because it gave me a deeper understanding of each character.

The ending left me smiling but it also left me wanting more – I would love to know what the future holds for Rebecca!

An interesting mix of fun, frolics and life-changing decisions. As Weekends Go gets 5 stars from me.

I really enjoyed this book so much so I read it in one sitting. I thought the characters were great and loved the storyline.

We all know that when you escape reality for a weekend, it’s always hard to return. Jan Brigden turns a girly spa weekend into a couple of days that will change the lives of everyone involved, and I loved it!

Rebecca was a fantastically developed character, and throughout the novel we see her progress and grow from a shy, understated and downtrodden wife to a woman who refuses to let her worth go to waste. I loved her passion for life, her hopes and aims for the future, but felt for her when we learn that in her marriage, she struggles to make herself heard. I loved to hate her husband, and was so intrigued to read the scenes written from his point of view. They made me both pity him for the issues he’d obviously held onto for years, and loathe him for how genuinely uncaring he was to Rebecca and the little regard he had for her feelings.

When we are introduced to Alex Heath, I had to make a little happy sigh. It was great to see another side to a footballer being portrayed, and not just what the public are shown. His enthusiasm for his sport, and his dedication to his chosen career is clear and seeing how he worked so hard at helping Rebecca feel comfortable with him was swoonworthy. Together he and Rebecca grow as people and it was heartwarming to witness.

Jan Brigden did a really great job at showing us sides to the characters that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. We see Greg, Nick, Abi and Kenny’s from their own perspectives, and it made the characters more real to me.

Although quite a long book, ‘As Weekends Go’ didn’t drag. It was the perfect length and paced perfectly. I liked how Rebecca and Alex’s relationship wasn’t rushed and how Rebecca didn’t make any sudden decisions or changes when it came to her marriage. It made the pain they both felt at being separated, and Rebecca’s inner turmoil at whether or not her marriage was beyond saving, more realistic and all the more emotional to read.

5 Stars!

An interesting romantic read with twists and turns that keep the reader wanting more. Nice change to have a footballer as the romantic lead, even better that he is a genuinely nice person. I enjoyed the story although it felt too padded in places. Also, it seemed strange that the manager of a very posh hotel would say' 'owt' ; no cockney slang from the girls!

I really enjoyed the book. The feelings were described perfectly, almost as if you could feel them yourself. I sometimes wanted to slap Greg myself, I felt every emotion Rebecca went through. I wish there were more friends like Abi and Alex seemed like the perfect man.
One thing I felt was missing : a little epilogue. I wonder what happened next with the other major characters. 4,5 stars

My review

I’ve been reading out of my genre recently, don’t know why really but there’s so many good books out there and I needed a change so in downloading As Weekends Go was like wrapping myself up in a woolly throw with a mug of hot chocolate.

It has all the elements of a good romance. A quirky likeable female lead with supportive BF. Nasty controlling husband Greg is the man we love to hate and then finally handsome hero male lead in the guise of hunky out of type footballer Alex.

All elements converge and sparks start to fly when accident prone Rebecca trips over Alex at some up-market swanky resort in York. There’s no real plot surprises here, it’s all very upfront and gives the reader exactly what it says on the tin – an enjoyable light read that you’ll fly through with a Smile on your face

chick lit at its best, easy to read, hard to put down . An unusual story of a forbidden love, with characters other than the main ones, also telling their story .A brilliant book.

Rebecca Stafford’s best friend, Abi, persuades her to have a respite from her unhappy marriage and enjoy a girlie weekend of pampering in an upmarket hotel. There they share girlie chats, make fond memories and rub shoulders with the odd famous football star, such as the handsome Alex Heath. Only the fond memories Rebecca makes are hard to forget, particularly when they have shone a light on just how unhappy her marriage really is. And then Alex and Rebecca meet again. This is a story about forbidden love that cannot be denied.

I loved Abi and Rebecca’s friendship. Their dialogue, and Abi’s habit of egging Rebecca to step outside her comfort zone, was realistic, entertaining and makes you wish you had a best friend like that.

I loved Alex too and witnessing Rebecca and Alex’s romance gently build from an innocent foundation to something that plagues their minds when they are apart. However this story is also about a crumbling relationship that many readers will recognise and the novel does not shy away from these issues. This is gentle, adorable romance.

Now I’m off to book a weekend away to get some pamper time like Rebecca and Abi.

I really enjoyed this book. I was surprised that I was behind the main characters given that the storyline has one of the leads married. But the author did an excellent job in emotionally attaching me to Rebecca. Abi is another amazing realistic character in the book. You could also tell that Alex had morals. I really enjoyed this book.

This was a lovely story, beautifully told. The romance between the main characters was a slow build, but a very pleasurable one. There's also other storylines to keep the reader interested and the pages turning quickly; the fabulous best friend (who wouldn't want like Abi?) and the husband who, quite frankly, I wanted to throttle! I can thoroughly recommend.

A little something different to my usual reading kicked off September's reading...and it did exactly what I was hoping for.
Greg, Rebecca's husband, is suitably vile in the way he is portrayed - so I felt much better about rooting for Rebecca to come to her senses and give in to her feelings for Alex.
An entertaining romance, with a great cast of characters.

This ARC tells the tale of how strong forceful men and weak gullible women usually is not a good combination.Rebecca is married to Greg who has been recently promoted and is feeling that his star is now shining bright and the world is his to use at will.Rebecca was recently made jobless and had decided to concentrate on her creative side.She is feeling neglected and is trying to make changes to revive her marriage while engaging her husband,who is not a willing participant.He connives,belittles and totally disregards her in the name of love.Opportunities arise for both of them to spend some time apart and on one occasion, Rebecca meets and feels a spark for another man, but valiantly fights it because her marriage is important to her.Rebecca's admirer Alex was a rare human, he was so unassuming, kind, understanding and patient,all wrapped up in a sexy body.Several scenarios show us Greg's true character and it is only the relationship Rebecca has with her friends Abi and Nick that sustain her.Throughout the first three-fourths of the book I was constantly exasperated at Rebecca's naivety and obtuseness in recognizing the real issues in her marriage and in letting Greg treat her condescendingly and disdainfully.I felt a gamut of emotions reading this story -hatred,disgust,thankfulness, admiration and resignation,I seriously felt that I could not read much more of Rebecca's subservience and eagerness to accept whatever little attention Greg deigns to dole out to further his cause.The author was brilliant in her portrayal of Rebecca, as it drew such strong reactions from me and had me begging for Rebecca to get a clue, or two and strengthen her backbone.The final scene between Rebecca and Alex was a little anti -climatic, though the journey there wasn't. This book exposes us to the realness of karma,and duplicity disguised as love, as well as how the actions and words of others can either build you up or completely destroy you if given free rein.

Loved this book - a perfect holiday read! Characters came to life and I really wanted to respond to them. Looking forward to the sequel.

This was a lovely, light-hearted story of instant attraction. The story line was managed well with tension, fear, guilt an the release and the ability to move forward. Some great characters and well described interactions. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book although I did almost shout at the main character, Rebecca for putting up with her husband! The book takes you away for a weekend in York, you can imagine you are shopping in the Shambles as well... In a world of WAGS, this is a good read.

A good book examining relationships and loyalty, mutual attraction in the wrong circumstances. The story kept you gripped as to what would happen next, will they, won't they? Read to the end!

This was another book I couldn't put down and more in my usual genre of reading. The story is based around the central character, her life and how a weekend can change everything. Or actually, how events can make you reevaluate your life in the way that people around you can already see. The author says she's working on a sequel and I for one will be looking out to see how the next chapter in these lives pan out.