A Desirable Residence

By: Madeleine Wickham

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the sensational bestselling Sophie Kinsella novels and the New York Times bestsellers The Wedding Girl and Sleeping Arrangements, comes a wicked comedy of adultery, angst, and modern marriage

The asking price for this house includes a stunning renovation of hearts and dreams....Liz and Jonathan Chambers were stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts, and a miserable adolescent daughter. Then realtor Marcus Witherstone came into their lives—and it seemed he would solve all their problems. He knew the perfect tenants from London who would rent their old house: a glamorous PR girl, Ginny, and her almost-famous husband, Piers.

But soon Liz is lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan is left to run their business, and neither of them has time to notice that their teenage daughter is developing an unhealthy passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny. Everyone is tangled up with everyone else, and in the most awkward possible way. As events close in, they all begin to realize that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home.

A Desirable Residence is sure to continue the phenomenal success of the Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham franchise.

©1996 Madeleine Wickham (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Enjoyable listening.” —AudioFile magazine

“Madeleine Wickham, aka Sophie Kinsella, first published this chick-lit black comedy in 1998, but only now has it found a voice in Katherine Kellgren...Frightful types and good eggs alike are given their own voices, and the whole thing is generously wicked fun.” —The Washington Post on The Gatecrasher, Named one of Top Audio Books of '09

“Wickham is in stellar form in her latest…A well-executed and unexpected ending caps the dizzying action and demonstrates why Wickham is so deservedly on her genre's A-list.” —Publishers Weekly on The Gatecrasher

I usually love this writer and reader but...

I usually love this writer and reader but I felt as if I was waiting and waiting for the real story to begin.

Good one

A very good book, well narrated. I would recommend this. Thanks to Audible for having such great books in store

Disappointed

I have read all of Madeleine Wickham's other books (including those authored as Sophie Kinsella) and enjoyed them greatly. This book was disappointing because I found I could not sympathize in any way with the main character, Liz. Other lead characters in Wickham's books are quirky and unorthodox, yet you find a way to like them. That was not the case for me with this book. I have devoured other Wickham/Kinsella books, but this one kept getting put aside as it never hooked me.

A bit disappointed...

It took me a while to grasp all the characters and how they are intertwined. Not much happening in the storyline. Did not like how it ended as well...

Disappointing.

I really loved the "Shopaholic" series as the light-hearted fluff they are meant to be so expected "A Desirable Residence" to be more of the escapist genre I have come to expect from this author. Instead I was treated to a rather pointless story of a woman's rather sordid, very tasteless affair. Although the story ended on 1 upbeat note, most of it was dull and uninteresting. I listened to the end because I kept expecting SOMETHING to happen, but nothing ever did. I am sure I will read more of this author's work, but I will not buy it in audiobook form.
As for the reader, she did an excellent job of defining the various characters, I am sorry to say that she was wasted on this book.

Life of 6 revolving around a house

The house is the returning point for all the main characters. All their drama or happiness is connected in a way with those walls. It was somehow expected that the culmination point was placed in that house, as a mute witness.
The story seemed short and that it could be unfolded more. But it was concise about the fact that greed(in all its ways) might give you a lesson or two. It was the first time I was happy to see the main characters fail in order to get back on the track.
Loved the words of wisdom from one of the characters: sometimes is better to say nothing.

Not good

I'm quitting the story with 4 hours left, I just can't get into it. I keep repeating chapters and have no idea what's going on because it's not grabbing me and I end up thinking of something else.

Disappointing

I had great hopes for this book because of how much I have enjoyed Madeleine Wickham's books under the pen name of Sophie Kinsella, but I was sadly disappointed. The characters in the book were neither likable nor memorable, and the ending was highly anti-climactic. At the end of the book, nothing much had happened which made the reading of it seem like a waste of time.