"The Finishing Touches" by Hester Browne


Twenty-seven years ago, a newborn baby was left on the steps of the esteemed Phillimore Academy for Young Ladies and taken in by the owners and staff, raised as their own daughter. Now, Betsy returns to the Academy on the sad occasion of the memorial of Lady Frances Phillimore.

Upon her return Betsy finds that the school is struggling and about to close. She is asked to use her business skills to help turn around the school and keep it open. Betsy views this as an opportunity to help save the legacy of the Phillimore's and also to do some snooping and discover who it was that left her on the doorstep all those years ago.

But turning the Academy into a modern Finishing School for the twenty first century girl isn't going to be easy. Throw in a couple of potential suitors, a scandal and a long list of girls who could possibly be her mother and Betsy wonders if she has gotten herself in over her head.

The Finishing Touches is a fun read with a unique setting - the Finishing School. Complete with etiquette tips, the book takes you into a world of fashion, entertaining, and good manners. There is a whole cast of well-written characters and personalities. This book is good, entertaining chick lit.

Comments

  1. Julie PMay 20, 2010 at 8:40 PM

    Thanks for sharing--I am checking into this and maybe adding it to my TBR list.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShanMay 21, 2010 at 6:17 AM

    You're welcome Julie, a lot of chick lit blogs had been talking about it which is why I decided to check it out, and I'm glad I did.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TammyMay 21, 2010 at 10:05 AM

    This looks good!

    Do you get the majority of books from your local library?

    ReplyDelete
  4. ShanMay 21, 2010 at 10:39 AM

    I do get most of them from the library Tammy. I'm so fortunate to have such a large library system.

    I wish I could purchase more books, but the amount I read, I definitely don't have the money for it. So I purchase my favourite authors, and get the rest from the library.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kelly May 21, 2010 at 3:27 PM

    I am going to put this book on my wish list.
    Kelly Bookend Diaries
    http://bookenddiaries.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the form...
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t...
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a t...
Read more