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Jill Mansell
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Perfect Timing: When you meet the man of your dreams on the night before your wedding, it's hardly... Kindle Edition

by Jill Mansell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,237 ratings
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When you meet the man of your dreams on girls night out, it's hardly...Perfect Timing

In this fresh and funny contemporary romance by bestselling author Jill Mansell, Poppy Dunbar's whole life gets turned upside down after a chance encounter with a handsome stranger...

Never a troublemaker, Poppy had always been content with the way things were supposed to be done—which included marrying predictable Rob McBride. But that was before she met Tom Kennedy the night before her wedding. Could she really be falling in love with a stranger?

Unable to forget Tom, or go through with the wedding, Poppy runs off to London. Her new life and colorful friends are anything but predictable. Misunderstandings, family secrets, and jealous quarrels ensue, but can Poppy stop running long enough to figure out what—or, rather, who—is in her heart?

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  1. Print length
    354 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Sourcebooks Landmark
  5. Publication date
    November 1, 2009
  6. File size
    1172 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mansell's Brit chick lit invasion continues with this enjoyable romp that begins with Poppy Dunbar meeting a charismatic stranger at her bachelorette party. Next thing you know, she's abandoning her intended at the altar and heading to London, but not before she learns that her dad isn't her biological father. In London, she shares a flat with spoiled but desperately insecure Claudia and roguish artist Caspar French, and sets out to find her mystery man and her real father. Soon, though, Poppy learns that getting what you want isn't the same as getting what you need. While undoubtedly by-the-numbers, the story is elevated by strong characters; Poppy and Caspar in particular, and even Claudia, who could so easily be a cliché, earn the reader's sympathy. The end result is thoroughly enjoyable. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Quintessential chick lit. (Amy Santos Park Avenue Princess 20091123)

If you enjoy the Sophie Kinsella type books I think you will enjoy this one. (Debbie Suzuki Debbie's World of Books 20091109)

If I lived in London and these characters were real, I would hang out with them... Ms. Mansell has just become my favorite British, romantic, comedic author. (Cheryl Koch Cheryl's Book Nook 20091113)

Move over Bridget Jones! (Jackie Lester My Ever Expanding Library 20091202)

Mansell is the queen of Brit chick lit... You're guaranteed a feel good read, without question. (Luanne Olliver A Bookworm's World 20091130)

Perfect Timing has just the right mix of interesting and likable characters, romantic leads, crazy plot twists, and satisfying moments (Gaby Lupus Starting Freshhttp://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/2009/11/book-review-of-jane-mansells-perfect.html 20091202)

This has been my fourth Jill Mansell book that I have read and I have enjoyed them all. (Cindy Smith Cindy's Love of Books 20091201)

All the characters you meet along the way are just so unique and quite special... This is chick lit at it's best! (Nely Sanchez All About the {n} 20091124)

[Jill Mansell] is one of the very best writers in the chick lit genre. (Julie Peterson Booking Mama 20091109)

Mansell has another winner with Perfect Timing. (Serena Cox-Agusto Savvy Verse & Wit 20091109)

Quirky chick-lit that you will breeze through in a flash. (Audrey Salick Drey's Library 20091105)

Perfect Timing is superb entertainment. Loved it! (Camellia The Long and Short of It 20091102)

Another winner... Mansell weaves an entertaining tale with rich, interesting characters. (Lanine Bradley Sacramento Book Review 20091218)

Chick lit done right! (Christine Zegelis Book Tumbling 20091104)

A fantastic, fun, fabulous book... Jill Mansell is swell. (Tea Kettle Read with Tea 20091026)

Reading Perfect Timing, I kept thinking how come this book wasn't available on the American market sooner! (Nikola Septic Nikola's Book Blog 20091124)

I was sorry to see this story end... a great read. (Jennifer Ritter Jenny Loves to Read 20091113)

If you like romantic comedies with a twist then I believe you will like this book. (Stormi Johnson Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! 20091130)

This is one of those books that can pick you up and inspire you to take some action.
(Katrina Hall Bloody Bad Books 20091102)

Jill's writing style and ability to tell a funny, romantic story, which is also tearful and dramatic at times, kept me reading well into the night. (Virginie Barbeau Virginie Barbeau 20091111)

Witty, entertaining, and romance set the tone for this fast-paced, hard-to-put down British Chic-lit. (Wendy Hines Wendy's Minding Spot 20091214)

Mansell brings such a vitality to all characters, main and supporting alike. The plot was interesting, and the interactions between the characters were downright hilarious. (Ashley Lee Bellas Novellas 20091209)

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00348UMR6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks Landmark; Reissue edition (November 1, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1172 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0755331664
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,237 ratings

About the author

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Jill Mansell

Jill Mansell

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'The queen of witty, heart-warming, feel-good love stories' Red

Jill Mansell’s books are full of love, life and friendship and have been bringing joy to readers for twenty-five years. She started writing fiction while working in the NHS, after joining a local creative writing class. She has since written over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers, including MAYBE THIS TIME, THIS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING and YOU AND ME, ALWAYS, and her books have sold over 11 million copies around the world.

Jill's hobbies include buying stationery, particularly magical new colours of ink for the fountain pen she uses to write all her books – Jill is one of the few authors who still write their books by hand. Jill also loves people-watching and finding new characters to put in her novels. So when you’re out, make sure to always be on your best behaviour. And beware of beady-eyed authors carrying notebooks . . .

Jill keeps in touch with her readers on Twitter - @JillMansell - and Facebook - /OfficialJillMansell.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,237 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Chubby Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites by Mansell
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2014
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Jill Mansell's books all pretty much have the same formula, they seem to anyway. Girl and guy can't get or won't get together, girl's best friend interested in someone that may or may not be in them, somebody's parent also has a love story going on.

Her secondary characters get just as much time in the spotlight as the main ones. In some of her books, it's tedious and makes the story drag on forever but not in this one. I really enjoyed all of the characters stories. I've read this one at least twice and loved it just as much the second time.

Poppy's story is very entertaining and heartwarming to read. The only side story I did not like was her almost sister-in-law Dina's. That being said she is not as prominent in the story as other secondary characters so I give this 5 stars.
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sue
4.0 out of 5 stars well written, so charming- it's a winner!
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2011
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this is the type of book i do not read. i tend to read literature. the closest i have come to reading a book similar to "perfect timing" is jennifer weiner's book "good in bed". that book had some very serious subject matter, as well as a story of a young girl's search for love. it wasn't just a romance book, and it was very well written (you didn't read this yet? you should).

"perfect timing" is somewhat the same. well written, about characters that feel "real", not fake, doing things that people in the real world would do. it's not strictly a romance. it's a page turner, and really so charming. it's well worth reading, for something light and fun. the main character can be silly but not entirely so- she has some serious issues.

i lost sleep reading it late into the night to see what would happen, an indication that i am really enjoying the book! it's not short either, there is alot to read, some very sweet characters to root for, and fun scenes.

one caution- it is completely in "brit" english, and the expressions used, the way the people speak, the products- it may not be an american's cup of tea. if you think this could be a problem, get the sample, and see if it is comprehensible to you.

i highly recommend this lovely, charming book. i will be buying more of this writer's books; i see only a few are on kindle as of now. give this one a try, i think you will be charmed as well.
3 people found this helpful
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LeleR
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this author
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2010
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I've been waiting for a long time to read Jill Mansell on my Kindle. In this novel her characters are charming, witty, and fun. Poppy gets cold feet the night before her wedding after meeting a random stranger. When she calls it her ex decides to spill the beans about a family secret. Poppy's search introduces us to some very witty characters that would seem mis-matvhed in the hands of any other author.

Will Poppy solve the mystery and what will happen along the way? download and find out.
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Honeydrops
5.0 out of 5 stars A realistic spin on a fantasy, loved it!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2014
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When I started the book and she didn't go see the guy but still broke up the wedding I thought 'Fair enough', but I always thought hormones weren't enough to go on and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't work out between her and Tom. All in all it was a fairly realistic book, even though it had a happy ending which is why we all love these books :).
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Ann Y. Byrne
4.0 out of 5 stars Great light, fun read
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2013
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I really enjoyed this story - it could have been quite predictable, but definitely wasn't! I found all the characters quite believeable - I'm sure I've met someone like each of them at some point in my life. Well, maybe not Caspar, but I know there are blokes like him, too.

When bride-to-be Poppy ditches her fiance at the last moment and then takes off for London, you have to admire her bravery. She could have easily settled for what seemed like it would be a decent life, with a decent man. But she got a glimpse of what life *could* be for her, through a very momentary meeting with a stranger, and that was enough to spur her on. (Later you see that her friend Dina, though probably a bit wilder than Poppy, had actually taken the path Poppy runs from. Now Dina burns to try Poppy's new life, despite having a young baby. The author doesn't judge either path, and Dina finds her true heart's place as well -- and it's not what you might guess.)

Will Poppy end up with the handsome stranger she felt that spark with? Or with her rich, handsome landlord? Or with her kind but daggy boss? Or - ? Add her flatmate Claudia into the mix and matching up pairs becomes a real puzzle. Whenever I thought I had it figured out, everything changed, and in a natural, believable way.

I also enjoyed the sub-plot of Poppy's finding her birth father, and the lifelong friend she makes in that pursuit. The intertwining relationships are a delight, and it's a fun book that keeps you guessing. Poppy is a character with, to use the old-fashioned term, gumption.
3 people found this helpful
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T. Tracy
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Timing
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2013
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Read I love finding more books by Jill that are not too expensive on my Kindle. I love the English setting in her books and the quirky characters. There was a lot of fun and entertainment in this book. I enjoyed it very much. All about timing in life.
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AmazonUser
3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better.
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2013
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I purchased this becasuse it was 2.99 on the Kindle and the reviews were pretty decent. The story started off well but as it drug on I found myself skipping around to get to the end. I found the characters unlikeable, boring, and pretty stupid. Usually when I read a book a connect and root for the main character. I could not do so in this case. First of all, the whole Poppy-Tom thing was ridiculous as was her friend Dina's behavior. Claudia was unlikeable as well. With that being said I did enjoy the ending and I found the beginning to be good too- it's just the middle of the book that seemed to drag on and on.
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Abbi
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, loving page turner
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2013
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I'm officially a Jill Mansell fan! This is only the 2nd book of hers that I've read and each time, I couldn't put the book down! Fun, loving page turner, is a great description! I love all the characters, all the twists & turns & how unpredictable the book is! Brilliant :)
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle-Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein echtes Lesevergnügen
Reviewed in Germany on April 15, 2024
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Dieses Buch enthält viele wunderbare Charaktere mit ihren ganz eigenen Geschichten, herrlich erzählt, gefühlvoll und witzig. Einzig mit Dana konnte ich nichts anfangen und sie nicht als Poppys Freundin unterbringen.
Bis zum Schluss war das Buch spannend und das Ende nicht abzusehen.
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Sofia O'Donoughue
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and romantic
Reviewed in Australia on March 16, 2021
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Enjoyed every moment of this book, waiting for the characters to choose their right mates. Love Jill’s books. Must read.
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Ritu kundu
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on March 28, 2015
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Perfect book with perfect timing.
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daisyduck1976
5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2010
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I so enjoyed reading this book. It caught me up and didn't let me go til I had finished it. The story revolves around Poppy who, after a brief conversation with a man (Tom) she meets on her hen night, realises that she can't marry her fiancee the next day. She does the decent and rather traumatic thing and tells Rob it's all off on the morning of the wedding, but misses her chance to find out if Tom could really be the one. In the ensuing uproar, Rob lets slip the family secret that Poppy's father is not the cold, unfeeling man that brought her up, instead she is the product of a summer fling that her mother had long ago with a man who fled back to his wife in London. With that, Poppy moves to London herself, with several motives: find Tom, find her real father, find herself a better life. She ends up living with gorgeous artist and total man-whore, Caspar and snobby, moody Claudia. If she finds her father, will he want to know her? If she finds Tom, will their relationship be what they both thought it could be? Can she resist Caspar's charms as he flirts and beds his way around London? And so the story begins...
The story was very involving. There are quite a lot of side characters as well as the main three; Claudia's selfish mother, Poppy's geeky boss, her almost sister-in-law, Dina, and Tom, the elusive man who so captured her heart that night. They are well-written characters that all have an important role to play in the story.
Jill Mansell writes the story in a way that keeps you informed of each character's thoughts but ups the suspense factor because so much is left unsaid to each other and so much is misunderstood. I was racing towards the end of the book (always a good sign!) to find out what was going to happen and there were several good twists along the way. I really enjoyed the fact that, at key points in the plot, the characters didn't react at all how I was expecting to some of the main events. It kept me on my toes and ensured that the book was not nearly as predictable as you might first think.
I highly recommend it. I found it very absorbing and I felt quite satisfied when i finished it.
9 people found this helpful
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Tejaswini
1.0 out of 5 stars Slow, random
Reviewed in India on March 20, 2022
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Random events unfolded leaving the book to not have any relatability
Other books are better and deliver a best experience
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