Crossed Wires by Rosie Thornton

Crossed Wires by Rosie Thornton is a delightful book of families, relationships and… crossed wires!

My book review rating: 5 stars – unique, funny, enjoyable – the perfect way to while away a Sunday afternoon

When Crossed Wires by Rosie Thornton landed on my doormat I thought it looked like the perfect book to accompany me on my week at the beach – and I wasn’t wrong. Once I picked up this unique and funny novel I couldn’t put it down! The lighthearted tale of two strangers looking for love sums up the trials and tribulations of single parenthood and shows how easy it is to assume you know what someone is thinking when really you don’t have a clue!

Peter and Mina ‘meet’ when Peter manages to crash his car into a tree stump and calls the insurance company where Mina works to report the damage. Over a period of months they strike up a telephone relationship, sharing the details of their daily lives while never having met in person.

This novel is heartwarming and funny at the same time – I found myself sighing one minute and laughing out loud the next. One of my favourite scenes was where Peter’s children recount the tale of how they play table tennis with the baby sitter – but because she’s so much older than them she has to play with a saucepan instead of a bat

If you’re looking for a great novel to escape in, with believable and likable characters, a bit of romance and a not so predictable ending then you should definitely read Crossed Wires by Rosie Thornton.

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	Title: Publisher: Headline Review Average review rating:   List Price: $10.82 Sale Price: $4.68 Availability: View Product Availability
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Charming, Quick Read   Review Date: August 11, 2010 Reviewer: Samantha J, Des Moines, IA Mina is a single mom working at a car insurance call center. Peter is a widowed father of twin girls, who crashes his car into a tree stump trying to avoid a cat. When Peter calls the insurance center for help, Mina answers the phone. From that simple phone call, two complete strangers who live miles and miles apart begin a friendly relationship, each wondering if it is possible they found love. Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton is a charming love story. I enjoyed reading about not only Mina and Peter's relationship, but the lives the supporting characters lead. Peter's twin daughters struggle with growing apart, while Mina's daughter can't come out of her shell. There is also a little mystery played out with Mina's troublesome younger sister that kept my interest. Overall, I thought the over the phone love story was too drawn out, that it took too long for the characters to meet face to face. The sub plots almost held me over, but the last few chapters I found myself frustrated that Mina and Peter had yet to meet. I still enjoyed the read, and I would love to see sequel on how the merging families have turned out. A Romance without the usual mush   Review Date: February 20, 2010 Reviewer: VioletCrush, I picked it up thinking it was a romantic book. 2 single parents meet each other, fall in love and everything falls into place again. I love romantic books, books with a lot of mush and the works, so I am actually surprised that I liked this book. I expected the guy and the girl to meet and fall in love or at least fall in love because of incessant online chatting. That didn't happen and not once did I feel like abandoning the book because nothing was happening where their love life was concerned. They are busy with their own lives, they have friends and family to turn to during difficult times, but you can easily see why they are so perfect for each other even though they don't meet for more than half of the book. Peter, a college professor and Mina, a call center worker are the lead characters in this story. But more than that they are normal human beings, who make mistakes, who react the way you and I would. Peter has 9 year old twin girls Cassie and Kim and Mina has a 10 year old girl Sal. Not to forget the friends and family that comprise of Mina's straight forward mother and Peters friends Jeremy and Trish. They are all interesting in their own way. Mina's character reminded me so much of myself. I like to skirt around situations that are difficult to handle, I avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary and I too worked in a call center once. So I could, in a way, understand Mina really well, although I did feel like shaking her at times and asking her to do something. That's exactly what my boyfriend does, shakes me up when required :) This book has some of the best character descriptions I have read in a while. Very non-dramatic and real. If you are looking for a typical, stereotype love story, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a plot driven story, again this book is not for you. Don't be fooled by the pink cover, this book isn't all mush. Read it with absolutely no prejudice or strict expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised. A charming, cozy and gentle novel   Review Date: September 21, 2009 Reviewer: Redlady, http://redladysreadingroom-redlady.blogspot.com/ Crossed Wires is a charming, cozy and gentle novel about two single parents whose lives cross by fate through the phone lines of the call center at an auto insurance company. Mina is a single mom of one shy and isolated daughter Sal and works at the call center. Peter is a widow and single dad of twins Cassie and Kim who is struggling with his own loneliness. They live in different villages two hours away from each other and develop a friendship through their phone calls. They share their feelings and issues related to parenthood and support each other along the way, all at a distance. Their lives connect unexpectedly and it is enjoyable to watch their friendship develop along the way. Crossed Wires is a slow paced and delightful book to read with a cup of tea or coffee by your side as you discover the joys life can bring to two people whose lives cross by fate. Crossed Wires highlights those unexpected friendships that have the possibility to grow and change you as a person and bring joy to your life unexpectedly. A British "Sleepless In Seattle"?   Review Date: July 31, 2009 Reviewer: Megan Snider, Maryland Call center rep Mina and Cambridge professor Peter live in entirely different worlds and parts of England, but after a few silly collisions in Peter's Land Rover and the subsequent calls to Mina at the insurance company, the two are brought swiftly into each other's lives. CROSSED WIRES is described as an "old-fashioned fairytale" -- and, as in many great stories, we wonder if our two characters will ever meet. In this way, it had a very "Sleepless In Seattle" vibe! Peter and Mina are living out their own stories with friends and family, and we meet many well-drawn, interesting characters: Jess, Mina's wayward baby sister; Jeremy and Martin, Peter's good friends; Trish, a grad student who watches Peter's twin girls and serves as his personal assistant; Mina's mum and Dave, her boyfriend. As Peter is still trying to find the balance between being a single father following the death of his wife Bev, Mina is grappling with Sal's reticence and disinterest in anything other than her favorite books. Our romantic leads chat comfortably first about Peter's car, and later about everything else -- a phone relationship, of sorts, begins after Mina calls Peter at home. After their girls are all in bed, their Sunday night chats become a ritual . . . but chatting is as far as it goes. Until fate suddenly brings Peter to Mina. I really, really loved this book -- the push-and-pull of wondering how the story will play out; if Mina and Peter will ever stand before one another, face-to-face; the realistic, heart-wrenching descriptions of parenthood, friendship and sisterhood. I really related to Mina and Sal, and felt very close to them . . . and I adored the twins and their frantic, close relationship. Thornton deftly draws each character and fashions them into people we feel like we really know, or that we could sit beside in a coffeeshop (should I find myself in England!). I will say that as an American, I struggled with many of the British references and jargon -- calling dinner "tea," a flashlight being a "torch," etc. Though I'm an Anglophile beyond a doubt and could clearly hear the cadence of each character's vocal patterns, it was still a little jarring and hard to focus sometimes one what was going on. I almost felt like I was reading a foreign language! But that was part of the fun. Mid-way through the story, I'd gotten the hang of it . . . and can probably imitate some of sayings now! Overall, a really great, fun and moving novel -- and not just light and fluffy fare. After finishing it, I feel like I've really been on an emotional journey with Mina and Peter . . . and I love where Thornton leaves us. Great read! A lovely book   Review Date: July 13, 2009 Reviewer: bookfan-mary, United States Crossed Wires is a quiet story of people who are not that different from you and me. They've endured sorrows and have experienced joy. They not only survive their sorrows but seem to strive to find joy in everyday life. Not in big ways, but in the small things. It reminded me of how just being a friend can mean the world to someone. If you're looking for something a little different and uplifting, Crossed Wires could be the book for you. I'm so glad it "found" me.
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