Sam Baker (1)Critiques

This was a very nice, chic lit book.

It took a while to get into the flow of it, but once I did, it was easy to lose myself in it and it was an easy read. Not too thrilling, but I have other books that I can read for that.

Overall, 3 stars

Helen hat sich als Fotografin einen Namen gemacht, weil sie mit ihrer Arbeit gezeigt hat, was die Menschen in Kriegsgebieten ertragen müssen. Sie wirkt auf andere Menschen stark, die Wirklichkeit aber sieht anders aus. Helen hat Schlimmes erlebt und wäre beinahe zu Tode gekommen. Nun hat sie sich in ein ziemlich heruntergekommenes und einsames Anwesen in Nordengland zurückgezogen. Sie will nicht gefunden werden, vor allem nicht von dem Menschen, der ihr am vertrautesten war und ihr Vertrauen schändlich missbraucht hat. Aber auch vor ihren Erinnerungen ist sie auf der Flucht. Aber nichts lässt sich auf immer und ewig verdrängen. Sie wollte sich ganz zurückziehen, aber die Bewohner des kleinen Dorfes sind an allem interessiert und natürlich besonders an ihr.
Der Schreibstil ist recht nüchtern, aber flüssig zu lesen. Ich habe mich anfangs schwer getan mit diesem Buch, denn anfangs zog sich die Geschichte ziemlich zäh es hat sehr lange gebraucht, bis sie Fahrt aufnahm.
Zunächst lernen wir die beteiligten Personen kennen. Über Helen erfährt man, dass in ihrer Pariser Wohnung ein Brand ausgebrochen ist. Wie es den Anschein hat, kam jemand dabei zu Tode. Aber was genau geschehen ist, bleibt zunächst im Dunkeln. Helen hat Probleme mit dem, was in der Vergangenheit geschehen ist. Ich fand es bedauerlich, was mit ihr geschehen ist, aber dennoch konnte ich nicht mit ihr fühlen. Sie war mir einfach nicht sympathisch und kam mir daher nicht nahe. Auch die Dorfbewohner lernen wir kennen, vor allem Gil Markham. Inzwischen ist er im Ruhestand, aber dennoch kann er nicht verleugnen, dass er ein guter und engagierter Journalist gewesen ist. Langweile treibt ihn dazu, Recherchen anzustellen. Er erkennt sehr bald, was Helen so gerne unter der Decke halten möchte. Massiv wirkt er auf Helen ein, damit sie ihm ihre Geschichte erzählt. Auch über Helens Mann erfahren wir sehr viel. Erst war er Kollege, dann ihr Mann, der es nicht ertragen konnte, dass seine Karriere den Bach runter ging, während Helen erfolgreicher wurde. Er quält Helen, während er nach außen den liebevollen Ehemann gibt.
Helens Flashbacks bringen immer weitere Details aus ihrer Vergangenheit zum Vorschein und damit wurde klar, was geschehen ist und wohin es am Ende führen wird. Es muss Schreckliches geschehen sein, damit aus Helen eine schwer traumatisierte Frau wurde. Dann kam Spannung auf und endlich konnte mich die Geschichte packen. Während am Anfang alles ziemlich ruhig, manchmal sogar zäh, verlief, ging es am Ende ein wenig schnell.
Eine interessante psychologische Geschichte.

This fast-paced thriller includes a number of themes including the effects of war, domestic abuse, living in a small village, loneliness and internet security. Helen arrives as the new tenant at Wildfell Hall, yes this novel is inspired by Anne Brontes novel. She tells her story to Gil, a local retired journalist, trying to piece together the missing parts and her story is revealed to the reader. A gripping and interesting read.½

Loved it!

PS: Ich liebe euch

Nicci war schon immer für eine Überraschung gut. Doch nun sind selbst ihre Freundinnen sprachlos. Als Nicci den Kampf gegen ihre unheilbare Krankheit verliert, hinterlässt sie ihnen nicht nur Abschiedsbriefe. Sondern auch den Garten (für Lizzie), die bezaubernden Zwillingstöchter (für Jo) und den Ehemann (für Mona). Zu gern hätte Nicci auch das Chaos gemanagt, das mit diesem Vermächtnis im Leben ihrer Freundinnen ausbricht ...

„Nur selten hat mich ein Buch so berührt wie dieses. Sam Baker erzählt von der großen Liebe, von schmerzlichem Verlust und der Kraft der Freundschaft. Ein kluger Roman voller Menschlichkeit und Optimismus.“ JOJO MOYES

Read the first 27 pages and that was enough. An unsympathetic character feeling sorry for herself -- not my kind of mystery.

Inspired by Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, this novel is set in contemporary England. Photographer Helen Graham rents a run down house in a village where she hopes she can remain isolated and anonymous. Gilbert Markham, a recently retired journalist, is intrigued by the stranger in his village and begins to unravel her mysterious past.
As I hadn't previously read Bronte's novel, I would not have realised this book was a similar story retold for a different era. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall deals with the issues of alcoholism and abuse. Published in 1848, this novel was a remarkable achievement considering it addressed such taboo subjects. Long-winded, verbose and exceptionally long sentences- it was certainly a challenge to read. However, I'm glad that I made the effort and can now appreciate the cleverness of Baker's modern day spin on the tale.

The Woman Who Ran – A Psychological Thriller That Keeps You Guessing

Sam Baker’s The Woman Who Ran is a breathtaking psychological thriller that will keep you guessing from page one to the end. This is an excellent thriller about a woman with severe memory loss, who cannot remember much but knows that if she does not run something will happen to her. The story is about a woman who has to come to terms with her past, to be able to deal with her present and future situation.

Helen is unable to remember why she was in a burning apartment in Paris, who the body was, and how she ended up back in England. Everything is a blank, she is suffering from migraines and winds up on the Yorkshire Moors in Wildfell Hall all alone, and with a psychotic cat she calls Ghost. She does not know why but she knows she needs to keep quiet about who she is and if she could remember who she is running from.

Gil has been ‘retired’ from the newspaper where he has been a journalist for more years than he cares to remember. He lives in the country village where he grew up, where everybody knows your business, and he cannot really get in to the retired life, other than drinking, smoking and reading a book.

There is something about Helen that draws Gil in, his journalist instinct kicks in and he wants to know who she is and what she is hiding from. He slowly pieces together the who she is and with Helen’s own words why she is at Wildfell Hall. As they both dig deep, people are talking whether it is too much, who really knows? Helen cannot help feel that she is being watched not just by the village but someone else. Her only way to deal with things is to run over the moors, see if it clears her mind and can relax her.

The book has a fair pace about it as the story moves on and more of the story of Paris is recovered from Helen’s memory. The more of her past that comes back to her the more she realises that she could also be in a great deal of danger, which leads to the book’s shattering conclusion. It will take your breath away, as you see it all through the eyes of Helen and Gil.

The Woman Who Ran is an excellent psychological thriller that will grip you from the first page to the last, and will leave you breathless at the relentless pace. It is clear that a journalist has written this book as the journalist here is a kind, ‘honest’ guy, which would be a first, but he works well in the story. A great book for all those that a love Psychological Thriller.

Helen Graham has come to live at Wildfell House, a dilapidated and huge house in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales. She's seen as a mysterious person by gossips in the village and is keen to keep it that way but Gilbert Markham, a recently retired journalist, is very interested in her and her story.

There's a very clear nod to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall here, in both storyline and characters. I do wonder if trying to fit a story around another one actually hindered the author a little too much. Mostly this was a book that kept me turning the pages and it's an easy read in that respect, but it did lack something for me. There was very little suspense, yet there should have been quite a lot. There are a lot better psychological thrillers out there but nevertheless it was a reasonable read.

A fun little read.½

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Yes, it may have been predictable, but I wasn't reading it as a thriller. As a feel-good chick lit book, this hit the spot. As a stepmother myself, I identified with many if the events in the book. A great, fun read, with some heart-touching moments. I would like to read more by this author.

Eve has fallen in love with widower Ian, but his three children aren't as smitten as their father is. Navigating the hazards of stepparenting is an uncomfortable experience for Eve, particularly the outright hostility of 12 year old Hannah. Needing advice, Eve's best friend Clare suggests she meet with her younger sister Lily who's a part time stepmother to a three year old. Melanie has yet to meet her potential 10 year old stepdaughter but lonely and hoping for friendship, she joins the informal group, followed by Mandy who seems to have been successful in creating her blended family. The five women bond over their shared heartbreak, fears and joy.By bringing together Eve, Clare, Lily, Melanie and Mandy, Baker explores the modern minefield of relationships, parenthood and friendship and is able to provide multiple perspectives to the issues the characters face. Baker skilfully navigates the complex themes by creating a realistic cast.Eve and Clare are the dominant protagonists in the book, both facing very different challenges. Eve is the less sympathetic character, I felt she was quite self absorbed and there is a bitter edge to her that I never understood. I was more firmly on Hannah's side than hers, despite recognising that Eve was perhaps doing the best she could.I found Clare more likeable, I can empathise with her financial struggle and the difficulties of negotiating life with a teenage girl. I also find it much easier to understand Clare's fear of Will coming back into her daughters life. I think I might have been even less rational than Clare in the same situation.Despite my honest admiration for Baker's ability to develop sophisticated, multi faceted characters I just wasn't drawn in to the story the way I wanted to be. Partly I think because of my indifference towards Eve, and also because the issues don't relate to my experience. I think perhaps the story would be more appealing to someone who has been on either side of the stepparenting situation.

This book took me a while to get into. It just didn’t grab my attention. I felt the beginning was slow, moving back and forth between characters, not really going anywhere. But I decided to stick with it and I’m glad I did. Baker gave a great point of view of each of the main characters, step moms, who form a support group. My favorite character I think was Eve, and I really wanted things to work out for her in the end.½

When Eve falls in love with Ian, a widower, she understands he’s a package deal — but doesn’t quite realize what that means until three living, breathing, scowling children are before her, resolutely telling Eve she’s not their mum.

Not that she’s trying to be, mind you. She’s not quite sure what she’s doing — other than loving their father. It’s through these difficulties and reaching out to Clare, Eve’s best friend, that she begins to realize how common it is for women to be thrust into unconventional family situations, playing stepmother to children who may or may not be prepared to welcome them.

Clare herself is wrestling with the sudden reappearance of Will, her teen daughter’s father — a man who has been MIA for the past 14 years of Louisa’s life. Add to this mix Lily, Clare’s younger sister, dating a man with a daughter; Melanie, a successful business woman dating an IT professional with a child of his own; and Mandy, an overtaxed mother struggling to blend her teens with her boyfriend’s brood. Together, the ladies form an impromptu support group — and reach out to one another, especially when life gets tough . . . then tougher.

Samantha Baker’s The Other Mothers’ Club was an entertaining, often poignant look at what it means to form a family, create new friendships, become a parental figure (even when skeptical) and form attachments where you didn’t think possible. If you can get past the approximately 1,000 characters in this story — perhaps by drawing a map, as I contemplated — it’s an enjoyable read.

Set in present-day London, Baker’s characters are all incredibly different women with one thing in common: a stepmother link. Either they are one, want to be one, had one, will soon become one — whatever it is, that stepmother persona is lingering over them. Eve’s story kicks us off and, through the novel, is the plot we most return to — and the one in which I was most invested.

The thing holding me back from giving The Other Mothers’ Club a glowing review is, as I mentioned, all the people. Honestly, I think Melanie and Mandy’s storylines could have been cut completely and we wouldn’t have missed a thing. I guess it’s not much of a “club” if it only includes three members — two best friends and a sister — but hey, that would have cut down on the page count . . . and my confusion levels. No matter what they said or did, I never got close to Mandy or Melanie. They felt severely undeveloped as characters and only distracted me from the more interesting, compelling plotlines.

What kept me reading were the poignant moments, like when Clare realizes having her first love back in her life means actually having to share her daughter — their daughter, the one Will wanted nothing to do with, for the first time in her life. As the years have passed and Clare has thrown herself completely into motherhood, she realizes what’s given up in order to give Lou everything she needs, and without any help. And it’s a lot. That’s a familiar trope, sure, but Baker’s writing elevates it to a different level.

With so many families having stepdads and stepmoms, stepgrandparents and stepchildren, it’s amazing to me a book like this hasn’t already been written (or have I just missed it?). And by the close of it, I really cared about Eve, Clare, Lou and Lily — and was actually sorry to see it end. No need to be a stepmother to enjoy this story of friendship, change and love. Fans of women’s fiction, stories of motherhood and pregnancy and British chick lit will find plenty to enjoy in this one — just keep a homemade character map handy.

This chick lit novel focuses on young women navigating the rocky terrain of stepmotherhood. At the center is Eve, a magazine editor who has fallen in love with a widower. Her new boyfriend comes complete with three children and a family home replete with relics of the deceased and seemingly saintly first wife, Caroline. Through her best friend Eve discovers that plenty of other women share her situation, her fears, and her problems. Five of them form a support group, and the book chronicles their meetings and individual histories.

Generally, this is a well-written book, though the plot is quite predictable. It is unlikely that any reader will be surprised by the book's ending. I was quite sympathetic to Eve's plight, especially as I thought she was poorly treated, both by her best friend and her boyfriend, Ian. While Ian's devotion to his children is admirable, there is a crucial point in the story where his complete abrogation of responsibility to Eve was appalling. Likewise, Eve's best friend Clare is so bitter that she sometimes seems to be a caricature. Ultimately I'd classify this as summer beach reading. It's not deep, but it is well-written, and definitely one of the better books of its genre.

The Stepmothers' Support Group (originally called The Other Mother's Club) by Samantha Baker was a bit of a slog to read. It took me longer than usual to finish. The problem, too many stories, with several underdeveloped plots that were not very important to the novel, compared to the more fully developed stories that captured my interest. By the author's own admission in the "extras" at the end, she stated she had to cut a whole story thread because she was 80,000 words over and would have been 200,000 words over if she completed it. Clearly, she has editing problems. The back cover mentions four stories, but there are actually five.

The novel, which takes place in London, often uses English terminology the American reader may be unfamiliar with, but this doesn't detract from the overall read. Anyway, the characters all have some relationship with stepmotherhood and form a support group with this in mind. The principle and most interesting characters revolve around Eve and her widower boyfriend Ian and his three children. Eve moves in and the oldest, 13 year old Hannah, hates Eve from the start. A strong attachment however, develops with five year old Alfie and middle child Sophie seems to go with the flow. Meanwhile, Eve's long time best friend Clare is raising Lou, the 14 year old out-of wedlock daughter, whose father suddenly comes back into the picture after having virtually no involvement since he was told of the pregnancy. The stepmother link in this story is that Clare had a stepmother growing up and Lou ends up having one.

The novel makes some interesting points about the difficulties step mothers have, how different their roles may be - be it blending families together or taking on such a role after children lose a mom. It also makes some interesting points about what keeping secrets can do to a relationship regardless of whether the relationship is romantic or friendship.

The author ties everything up pretty neatly - perhaps too neatly, at the conclusion. I did end up liking it from middle on, far more than I did at the beginning.

A group of women...Eve, Clare, Lily, Melanie, and Mandy... form a group called "The Stepmothers' Support Group so they can discuss the issues they each face as stepmothers or soon to be stepmothers.

The story held my attention to the very last page. Each woman's story is different and will resonate with women facing some of the same problems. The setting is Great Britian and the author is British, so much of the vocabulary is British...occasionally, I wasn't sure what a character was referring to, but it was fun. A very readable and thought-provoking book.

Also published under the title: The Stepmothers' Support Group

This is a solid entry into the chick lit genre with a different topic than most; the trials & tribulations of being a stepmother yet not wanting to be the WICKED stepmother. A enjoyable read, the characters are appealing if not entirely life like and the plot is sufficient to keep you flipping pages. Reccomended as an enjoyable light read

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book. Baker didn't tiptoe around the issues, but she didn't turn the book into a dreary recitation of all the many wrongs (perceived and real) of blended families. The full gamut of human emotions encapsulated in a few hundred pages. Bravo, Baker. I'll be keeping an eye out for you in the future.

Received this through LT titled, "The stepmothers' support group".
Very enjoyable read. Samantha was able to bring both the step-parent and step-childs view into the story. I loved the the support group that was formed and the new friendships that were made. She accurately portrayed the doubts and insecurites that women feel when placed in situations.
I'm looking forward to reading any new title that she would come out with.

The Other Mothers Club focuses on five women in various stages of a stepmother’s life. The group of women form a support group to talk about their adventures and failures as they attempt to live with the step-children of their partner.

I enjoyed the complexity of the women's relationships with each other and their new families. I found the character interesting and found the book easy to read.

I adored this book. As someone who was lucky enough to win the stepmother lottery, I enjoyed reading a story from a perspective we rarely read about.

Eve falls in love with Ian, a widower, but is unprepared to cope with the challenges of living with his three children. She turns to her best friend Claire, a single mother with a teenager. Claire has Eve speak with her sister, Lily who is seeing someone with a young daughter. Next thing you know, the Stepmothers Support Group is formed and two additional members are added. The women met at Starbucks to discuss the challenges that they are facing being a stepmother. Eve struggles to get Ian’s oldest daughter Hannah to like her, or at the very least, not hate her. She is also coping with living in a house where another woman still has a very large presence. Claire struggles when her ex, Will, appears wanting to met the daughter he abandoned some 14 years ago. The other women have their own stories, but the plot revolving the characters of Eve and Claire was most defined.

Even though Baker’s book is about the challenges facing mothers/stepmothers, at its core it is really about women and friendship. You don’t need to be a stepmother or mom to appreciate this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good summer read.

I’ve been on somewhat of a trend lately - reading two books almost back to back about stepmothers. The latest, The Stepmothers Support Group (aka The Other Mothers Club), centered on five women, in various stages of a stepmother’s life (with the exception of one character, but that too winds up changing).

Each woman has their own complexities. Eve is trying hard to be a friend to her oldest (almost) step-daughter, to no avail. Clare (although not quite a stepmother) is trying to forgive a former boyfriend for deserting her during her pregnancy and trying to understand why he’s returned after 14 years. Mel is trying to have a relationship with her company’s web-master who is also the father of a little girl. Mandy, the oldest of the group, brings wisdom and experience, after tons of stepmother experience. And finally, Lilly (Clare’s sister) is a young comedian trying to have a relationship of her own. These women come together in friendship and coffee to understand how to be stepmothers.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were well developed. I developed strong opinions on each of them (which to me meant great writing). I can’t say I truly liked each of them, but I was able to see their point and empathize with their place in life. Though I’m not a stepmother, not even a mom – I enjoyed the perspectives in this book, and could have easily been in one or two of the characters’ shoes.½

The ins and outs of the fashion world in London, New York and Milan provide the background to this murder mystery featuring a new sleuth Annie Andersen, an investagative journalist. Kick off your Manolos, and put your feet up whilst you read this frothy crime novel.½