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  • The Queen of New Beginnings

  • By: Erica James
  • Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
  • Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (273 ratings)
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The Queen of New Beginnings

By: Erica James
Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
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Summary

Clayton Miller's life is a mess. His career as one of the country's best comedy script writers has stalled, and his long term girlfriend has left him for his ex best friend and ex writing partner. Just when he thinks his life couldn't get any worse, he commits a spectacularly public fall from grace, and with the press hounding him, his agent banishes him to the middle of nowhere until the dust has settled.

At a remote country house he meets Alice. Alice Shoemaker is a voiceover artist who habitually goes to great lengths to avoid telling the truth. After agreeing to help out a friend, by shopping and cleaning for the unknown man staying at Cuckoo House, she soon becomes suspicious that her strange and obnoxiously rude client has something to hide. But equally so does she. When they discover the truth about each other they form an unlikely friendship, but then Alice discovers Clayton has betrayed her in the worst possible way.

©2009 Erica James (P)2010 WF Howes Ltd

What listeners say about The Queen of New Beginnings

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Queen of New Beginnings

This book is like a very gentle, English-village-with-duck-pond version (without any murders though) of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', and with a whole lot of poetic licence, in that you just have no idea what is around the next corner! It really is a book full of surprises that keeps you listening and wanting to know the next part, but feeling great loss when it all ends.

I love Erica James' descriptions of characters, beautifully written so that you can imagine them clearly and I almost found myself seeing them for real! It was as if I was part of the story and cringing with the rest of them at the sometimes cruel and at other times hilarious twists of events.

If you are looking for an easy read that will see your emotions fluctuating, then give this one a go. I am looking for another book of Erica's to follow this one...

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

I found this book so enjoyable that I am listening to it again. The narration was fastasic. Its a book of sadness and happiness a good mix and I found myself laughing out loud especially at George with her gun.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Queen of New Beginnings

What an enjoyable example of so-called chick lit. As more of an old boiler than a chick, I enjoyed the poignancy, humour and modernity of the tale of cause, effect and satisfactory conclusion.
With interestingly flawed characters and a good story line (brilliantly narrated) it was a pleasure from the first sentence to the last!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Is it a man's book?

I enjoyed the first part of this book very much. However, sadly, this enjoyment did not last as I found the flashback stories of both main characters rather long-winded and slightly irritating - a good editor would have helped.

While the two main characters (Clayton and Alice) are fairly believable and likeable, 'George' is far too stereotyped and unlikely. Also, the story of Alice's family really does stretch credibility to the limit.

Having said all that, the story moves along at a good pace and, although two or three times I felt like giving up on it, eventually I listened to the end - hence the three stars. Incidentally, I found the narrator very good throughout.

But I do think it is probably a book that women would enjoy more.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Erica James always pleases

This story written by Erica James is well up to her usual standard. Beautifully read by Juanita McMahon it held my interest throughout. I laughed out loud several times but the overall effect is of quiet humour wrapped around a heartwarming story with a happy outcome.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Easy Listening

It is a well read, entertaining novel. Easy to listen.
Maybe it is not very high in literature value, but definitely a good choice for a long daily commute.
The story line is growing expectedly but the characters and dialogues are quite entertaining.
I enjoyed it very much, it was fun altogether.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Weakly plotted and characterised

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I find Erica James novels a bit hit and miss - The Hidden Cottage is one of my favourite chick lit listens but others have failed to grab my attention. This definitely falls into the latter category. The characters seem flat and not particularly likeable and the plot is pretty thin. If you have loved Erica James' other novels you might like this one but don't listen expecting another Hidden Cottage.

Has The Queen of New Beginnings put you off other books in this genre?

Definitely not. When it's well done chick lit can be a really uplifting listen but there are a lot of very poorly written and thinly plotted chick lit novels out there.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Juanita McMahon?

Clare Corbett - her narration makes almost any book listenable.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The narrator was listenable but there are other narrators I would have chosen instead.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Cheery Chick Lit

A voice-over artist has returned to her childhood home town where she meets an author hiding out from some media scandal. They gradually get to know each other, and why they are both hiding out. Nice, wee, pick me up kind of book!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

loved this,

Enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Well read and paced, Definitely would recommend to friends.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable, easy listen

I listened to this in the car, whilst cleaning and cooking and it definitely made the chores much easier! Well-paced, good, entertaining listen. Often had to sit in the drive when I got back from work just to listen to a bit more!

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3 people found this helpful