August Book Club - Spare Brides by Adele Parks

I haven't read any Adele Parks' books before (nor any mills and boon) but having read Spare Brides, I won't be seeking to read any more. I kept going in the hope the book would swing into action, thought there was an over focus on Lydia and possible leads involving the others such as Bea weren't followed up. The ending was very contrived and rushed, almost as if the author suddenly realised how many pages had already been written and she had to finish soon.

I was disappointed in Spare Brides. It seemed to take ages to get going and was fairly dull when it did. There was some much needed action at the end of the book but it seemed to have been thrown together in a hurry to finish the story.

There were also some irritating anachronisms (a bit like watching Downton Abbey) I'm sure they didn't have London postcodes in the 1920s and Inheritance Tax??

My question to Adele is:- How did you research the character of Sgt. Major Edgar Trent? Surely the social divide between officers and non commissioned officers which is still present today would have meant the Duchess of Feversham would have been highly unlikely to choose him as a 'cover' for her real affair or would have lied about his background. There might have been a shortage of available men but I think the only way he would have been welcomed in Peter Podson Callow's country estate would have been as a servant.

Why did you not make Edgar Trent a commissioned officer? He could still have risen through the ranks from a humble background and his entry into society would have been more believable.

The book started well giving a flavour of post WW1 England. I could not, however, find much sympathy for the main characters - Ava was rather unbelievable, Sara too good to be true and Lydia needed a good smack at times. I did feel some sympathy for Beatrice at. It rather ran out of steam for me.

I finished mine this morning. With the title 'Spare Brides', I was expecting the story to be about more ordinary women who were left on the shelf due to a lack of men after WW1, rather than rather spoilt socialites. It is really only Bea who is 'spare' and who I had any sympathy with. Also felt for Cecily but for different reasons.

I did find it a bit heavy going until Edgar turned up and then it was fairly obvious which way the story was going to go although I didn't expect them to sail off to Australia at the end!

I would like to ask Adele what made her chose the title 'Spare Brides' and also what research she did for Edgar's vivid memories of the war

Finished last night.
I have to confess that I wasn't much taken with it at all. The subject matter was a good idea but surely a better story could have been made from the experiences of 'normal' women rather than socialites. I did get bored with the constant description of their clothes.
I can't say I thought any of the characters had any depth with the exception of Bea & I really didn't like any of them.
I doubt Edgar would have been welcomed into their society even if he was dashing.
I found several errors in the book (the clattering of crochet needles??!!) but as I had an unchecked copy hopefully a good editor/proof reader ironed them out.
I would have liked to read about some of the women in more modest areas of society who would have found living without their men much more of a problem than these spoiled, silly girls.
Sorry- not for me at all but you can't please everyone.

I've just finished Spare Brides. I liked the seasonal sections way of writing, with the relevant weather providing an atmospheric background . Each of the 4 main characters were well drawn, I imagined Miranda Hart as Bea.
I didn't like Edgar and wish the ending was different, so I wasn't really convinced by the love affair.
Sarah and Lawrence made a good couple, and I enjoyed Ava's emancipated character.
The 1920s jazz period was evoked and I loved the description of the various dresses the girls wore; how shallow of me!
It was refreshing to read how women's lives were changed by the Great War and its aftermath.

I was thrilled to receive my copy of Spare Brides and am finding it an engaging read. the true test is whether you care about the characters, and I do.

I was thrilled to receive my copy and am finding it an engaging read.

Many thanks for this book. At present I am catering for ten family members who are holidaying at 'Our House'!! So I am looking forward to a good read next week when all have gone home.

Just got to finish current book then 'spare Brides' it is!

Thanks for the book which arrived, coincidentally, on my birthday!
I shall read it after a book I'm reading, at the mo', which was recommended by my GD ....... what goes around, comes around!

Loved this book. Historical novels are not my usual type and I approached this one with soft steps...it envelops you in the mindset of women just after the war and you become aware of what common traits women of today still feel and endure.Love,loneliness, embarrassment,fear of not belonging, disability, struggles within marriage, they all cross the boundries of class and time. This is a gripping book weaving the ups and downs of various characters without the sometimes confusing mesh that some authors use that just baffles me and loses my interest. I would recommend this highly.

Thank you for my copy. We have a house full of visitors for the next month so I'm afraid sitting down and reading is off the agenda at the moment.

I'm just about half way through Spare Brides and am enjoying it although it's not something I would have chosen myself. The characters are very well drawn (in that I want to know what happens to them.)
The manners and pretension remind me a bit of Jane Austen novels where the heroines have nothing to do except get themselves good husbands. The twist here is that there are so few eligible men and those that are are damaged by war. I am looking forward to finishing it to see how it turns out.

I loved this book thank you. It provided a captivating snapshot of life for women in the 1920's. Money could not always buy the choice we take for granted. It is a book about challenges expectations and having the courage to move forward. In there own way all the characters triumphed over stagnation and found their own path. Inspiring to read without being heavy going.

Have now finished my copy. Not my usual sort of read but made a pleasant change. A good holiday read. The back ground to how people ( better off people ) coped after WW1 was interesting and as others have mentioned it linked well with recent commemorations. The ending was rather contrived but then I hate reading books with sad endings ( and I am sure I am not the only one) so what is an author to do????
Were any of the characters, e.g. Ava based on any real person?
Does Adelehave as equal in mind?

Thank you for my copy, it arrived this morning. I too had forgotten about it. We have family arriving this week so I might not have time to read it for a while.

Just started to read it and fell over, breaking both wrists, so I can't hold it at the moment.

Thank you for the copy of Adele Parks "Spare Brides,"I am currently half way through it and will add my comments soon.

Loving this book so far, will definitely be finishing it and will read more of this author

I got my book and have read some of it but like some people I am finding it not living up to my exspectations this is just like any mills and boon book not what I thought it would be

I've received it but am just finishing Wolf Hall before starting it

I have thoroughly enjoyed Spare Brides. It portrays life in the 1920's so well. So different from to-day's modern women. How the poor men who fought in the Great War suffered so badly afterwards & had no councilling. It was all bottled up inside their heads. Hard for them & their women. A 'Generation changed by war' how true. Well done Adele.

Wow, I love this book so much, will take it on holiday and read it again!!! I love all the different characters and the era in which it is set. Well done Adele.

Really different to her previous books - but Im loving it all the same!