Not Quite Nice
People who bought this also bought...
-
Nice Work (If You Can Get It)
- By: Celia Imrie
- Narrated by: Celia Imrie
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 9
Somewhere on the French Riviera, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and Cannes' red carpets, lies the sleepy town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer. Sheltered from the glittering melee, it is home to many an expat - although it hasn't proved as peaceful as expected. Now an enterprising band of retirees has resolved to show it's never too late to start afresh and open a restaurant.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful read
- By Toni on 09-18-18
-
Sail Away
- By: Celia Imrie
- Narrated by: Celia Imrie
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 6
The phone hasn't rung for months. Suzy Marshall is discovering that work can be sluggish for an actress over 60 - even for the former star of a 1980s TV series. So when she's offered the plum role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in Zurich, it seems like a godsend. Until, that is, the play is abruptly cancelled in suspicious circumstances, and Suzy is forced to take a job on a cruise ship to get home.
-
The Old Success
- By: Martha Grimes
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 156
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 137
When the body of a French woman washes up on a wild inlet off the Cornish coast, Brian Macalvie, the divisional commander with the Devon-Cornwall police, is called in. Who could have killed this beautiful tourist when the only visible footprints nearby belong to the two little girls who found her? While Macalvie stands stumped in the Scilly Islands, inspector Richard Jury - 20 miles away on Land’s End - is at the Old Success pub, sharing a drink with the legendary former CID detective Tom Brownell, a man renowned for solving every case he undertook - well, nearly every case....
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Definitely not her best
- By Super Sue on 01-11-20
-
Above the Bay of Angels
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,226
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,112
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,109
Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings. Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Sweet easy story
- By Nepal on 02-14-20
-
Murder at the Mousetrap
- Bunburry - A Cosy Mystery Series 1
- By: Helena Marchmont
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,667
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,485
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,474
Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the peace and quiet of the country to recover from a personal tragedy. But an accidental death - which may have been no accident - reveals that the heart of England is far from the tranquil backwater he imagined. After arriving in Bunburry, he is co-opted as an amateur detective by Liz and Marge, two elderly ladies who were best friends with Alfie's late Aunt Augusta. And it is not long before their investigations take an even more dramatic turn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
if you love the Cheeringham Series....
- By Mckai on 03-07-19
-
Murder in an Irish Cottage
- By: Carlene O'Connor
- Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 399
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 353
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 353
Family is everything to Siobhán: her five siblings; her dear departed mother for whom the family business, Naomi’s Bistro, is named; and now her fiancé, Macdara Flannery. So precious is her engagement that Siobhán wants to keep it just between the two of them for a little longer. But Macdara is her family, which is why when his cousin Jane frantically calls for his help, Siobhán rushes with him from Kilbane to the rural village where Jane and her mother have recently moved. In a cottage, Ellen Delaney lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Irish cozy
- By S. Honeycutt on 03-20-20
-
Nice Work (If You Can Get It)
- By: Celia Imrie
- Narrated by: Celia Imrie
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 9
Somewhere on the French Riviera, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and Cannes' red carpets, lies the sleepy town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer. Sheltered from the glittering melee, it is home to many an expat - although it hasn't proved as peaceful as expected. Now an enterprising band of retirees has resolved to show it's never too late to start afresh and open a restaurant.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful read
- By Toni on 09-18-18
-
Sail Away
- By: Celia Imrie
- Narrated by: Celia Imrie
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 6
The phone hasn't rung for months. Suzy Marshall is discovering that work can be sluggish for an actress over 60 - even for the former star of a 1980s TV series. So when she's offered the plum role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in Zurich, it seems like a godsend. Until, that is, the play is abruptly cancelled in suspicious circumstances, and Suzy is forced to take a job on a cruise ship to get home.
-
The Old Success
- By: Martha Grimes
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 156
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 137
When the body of a French woman washes up on a wild inlet off the Cornish coast, Brian Macalvie, the divisional commander with the Devon-Cornwall police, is called in. Who could have killed this beautiful tourist when the only visible footprints nearby belong to the two little girls who found her? While Macalvie stands stumped in the Scilly Islands, inspector Richard Jury - 20 miles away on Land’s End - is at the Old Success pub, sharing a drink with the legendary former CID detective Tom Brownell, a man renowned for solving every case he undertook - well, nearly every case....
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Definitely not her best
- By Super Sue on 01-11-20
-
Above the Bay of Angels
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,226
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,112
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,109
Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings. Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Sweet easy story
- By Nepal on 02-14-20
-
Murder at the Mousetrap
- Bunburry - A Cosy Mystery Series 1
- By: Helena Marchmont
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,667
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,485
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,474
Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the peace and quiet of the country to recover from a personal tragedy. But an accidental death - which may have been no accident - reveals that the heart of England is far from the tranquil backwater he imagined. After arriving in Bunburry, he is co-opted as an amateur detective by Liz and Marge, two elderly ladies who were best friends with Alfie's late Aunt Augusta. And it is not long before their investigations take an even more dramatic turn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
if you love the Cheeringham Series....
- By Mckai on 03-07-19
-
Murder in an Irish Cottage
- By: Carlene O'Connor
- Narrated by: Caroline Lennon
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 399
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 353
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 353
Family is everything to Siobhán: her five siblings; her dear departed mother for whom the family business, Naomi’s Bistro, is named; and now her fiancé, Macdara Flannery. So precious is her engagement that Siobhán wants to keep it just between the two of them for a little longer. But Macdara is her family, which is why when his cousin Jane frantically calls for his help, Siobhán rushes with him from Kilbane to the rural village where Jane and her mother have recently moved. In a cottage, Ellen Delaney lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Irish cozy
- By S. Honeycutt on 03-20-20
-
Murder on Thames
- Cherringham. A Cosy Crime Series - Mystery Shorts 1
- By: Neil Richards, Matthew Costello
- Narrated by: Neil Dudgeon
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 428
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 378
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 376
Cherringham - a quiet town in the Cotswolds. Nothing ever happens there, or so it seems - until one morning a woman's body is found in the river. A terrible accident, according to the police. But is this true? Sarah believes there must be more to it. In Jack, a former NYPD homicide detective, she finds a partner who is willing to start investigating with her. They soon find out that things are not as clear as the police want them to be ... This first - of many cases brings Sarah and Jack together in an unlikely partnership.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Niel Dudgeon 's performance is perfect<br />
- By Amazon Customer on 06-29-19
-
A Murderous Ride
- Bunburry - A Cosy Mystery Series 2
- By: Helena Marchmont
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 921
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 817
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 808
In "A Murderous Ride," the second Bunburry book, Alfie discovers that he has not only inherited a cottage from his late Aunt Augusta but also a 1950s Jaguar. He is dismayed: for reasons of his own, he no longer drives. Aunt Augusta's best friends, Liz and Marge, persuade him to get behind the wheel again - but that's just the start of his troubles. Alfie discovers it's a seriously bad idea to get on the wrong side of the local police sergeant. Especially when he finds himself at a murder scene and the sergeant decides Alfie's the murderer. There's only one thing to be done.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not as good as the first book by far, but not bad
- By FitMama on 03-15-19
-
The Peppermint Tea Chronicles
- 44 Scotland Street, Book 13
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 252
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 248
To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose; it is summer in Scotland Street (as it always is) and for the habitués of Edinburgh's favourite street, some extraordinary adventures lie in waiting. For the impossibly vain Bruce Anderson - he of the clove-scented hair gel - it may finally be time to settle down, and surely it can only be a question of picking the lucky winner from the hordes of his admirers. The Duke of Johannesburg is keen to take his flight of fancy, a microlite seaplane, from the drawing board to the skies.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
OK, maybe this series is getting old to me
- By Lynn on 12-10-19
-
In the Shadow of Vesuvius
- A Lady Emily Mystery
- By: Tasha Alexander
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have accompanied her dear friend Ivy Brandon on a trip to Pompeii. When they uncover a corpse and the police dismiss the murder as the work of local gangsters, Emily launches an investigation of her own. She seems to be aided by the archaeologists excavating the ruins, including a moody painter, the enigmatic site director, and a free-thinking American capable of sparring with even the Duke of Bainbridge. But each of them has secrets hiding among the ruins.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Too Long
- By joanna morse on 03-01-20
-
A Taste of Murder
- Bunburry - A Cosy Mystery Series 3
- By: Helena Marchmont
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 683
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 613
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 610
In "A Taste of Murder," the third Bunburry book, a local beef farmer is found dead and Betty Thorndike, vegetarian and Bunburry's only Green Party member, is in the frame. Despite what everyone thinks, Betty is absolutely not Alfie McAlister's girlfriend. But Alfie knows what it's like to be wrongly accused, and enlists the help of his fellow amateur detectives, Liz and Marge, to find out who's responsible. There's just one problem about a farm-based investigation - Alfie's scared of cows.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Too short! Want more!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-22-19
-
Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop
- By: Rebecca Raisin
- Narrated by: Charlie Sanderson
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 227
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 206
The trip of a lifetime! Rosie Lewis has her life together. A swanky job as a Michelin-starred sous chef, a loving husband and future children scheduled for exactly January 2021. That’s until she comes home one day to find her husband’s prepacked bag and a confession that he's had an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, Rosie drowns her sorrows in a glass (or three) of wine, only to discover the following morning that she has spontaneously invested in a bright pink campervan to facilitate her grand plans to travel the country.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
fantastic
- By Amazon Customer on 04-16-19
-
Murder Flies the Coop
- By: Jessica Ellicott
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,129
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,944
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,935
Sharing lodging in the sleepy English village of Walmsley Parva has eased some of the financial strain on the two old school chums, but money is still tight in these years following the Great War. So when the local vicar - and pigeon-racing club president - approaches them with a private inquiry opportunity, the ladies accept. There's been a spot of bother: The treasurer has absconded with the club's funds and several prized birds. But when they visit the man's loft, they find their elusive quarry lying in white feathers and a pool of crimson blood - the only witnesses cooing mournfully.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I Do So Love This Pair Of Sleuths..!!..Hilarious Highbrow Hijinks..!!
- By John on 10-22-18
-
Murder at Melrose Court
- Heathcliff Lennox Series, Book 1
- By: Karen Menuhin
- Narrated by: Sam Dewhurst-Phillips
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,012
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,659
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,642
It's 1920, and Christmas is coming. Major Lennox finds a body on his doorstep - why on his doorstep? Was it to do with the Countess? Was it about the ruby necklace? Lennox goes to Melrose Court, home to his uncle, Lord Melrose, to uncover the mystery. But then, the murders begin, and it snows, and it all becomes very complicated.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Cozy, but not too sweet
- By Amazon Customer on 10-18-19
-
The Mitford Murders
- By: Jessica Fellowes
- Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 194
Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nursemaid, chaperone, and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially 16-year-old Nancy, an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories. But then a nurse - Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake - is killed on a train in broad daylight, and Louisa and Nancy find themselves entangled in the crimes of a murderer who will do anything to hide their secret....
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Very Mundane Whodunit
- By Dylan on 11-21-19
-
Seventh Heaven
- By: Alice Hoffman
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 85
Nora Silk doesn't really fit in on Hemlock Street, where every house looks the same. She's divorced. She wears a charm bracelet and high heels and red toreador pants. And the way she raises her kids is a scandal. But as time passes, the neighbors start having second thoughts about Nora. The women's apprehension evolves into admiration. The men's lust evolves into awe. The children are drawn to her in ways they can't explain.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Changing Times
- By RueRue on 02-05-15
-
A Bitter Feast
- Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Novels, Book 18
- By: Deborah Crombie
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 366
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 329
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 325
Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the tranquil Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most beautiful and historic regions. A centerpiece of this glorious fall getaway is a posh charity luncheon catered by up-and-coming chef Viv Holland. But a tragic car accident followed by a series of mysterious deaths could ruin her ascent. Each piece of information that surfaces makes it clear that the killer had a connection with Viv’s pub - and perhaps with Beck House itself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The best!
- By Sharon on 10-24-19
-
The King's Justice
- A Maggie Hope Mystery
- By: Susan Elia MacNeal
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 193
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 191
London, December 1943. As the Russian army repels German forces from Stalingrad, Maggie Hope takes a much-needed break from spying to defuse bombs in London. But Maggie herself is an explosion waiting to happen. Traumatized by her past, she finds herself living dangerously - taking huge risks, smoking, drinking, and speeding through the city streets on a motorbike. The last thing she wants is to get entangled in another crime.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Very disappointing!
- By Dr Dina on 03-23-20
Publisher's Summary
Theresa is desperate for a change. Forced into early retirement, fed up with babysitting her bossy daughter's obnoxious children, she sells her Highgate house and moves to the picture-perfect town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, just outside Nice.
With its beautiful villas, bustling cafes and shimmering cerulean sea, the village sparkles like a diamond on the French Mediterranean coast. Once the hideaway of artists and writers, it is now home to the odd rock icon and Hollywood movie star, and, as Theresa soon discovers, a close-knit set of expats.
There's Carol, the infinitely glamorous American and her doting husband, David; the erstwhile British TV star, Sally; the ferocious Sian and her wayward Australian poet husband; the sharply witty Zoe with her strangely youthful face and penchant for white wine; and the suave Brian, who catches Theresa's eye.
As Theresa settles in to the gentle rhythm of seaside life, she embraces her newfound friendships and freedom. However, life is never quite as simple as it seems, and as skeletons start to fall out of several closets, Theresa begins to wonder if life on the French Riviera is quite as nice as it first appeared.
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars6
-
4 Stars7
-
3 Stars8
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars1
Performance
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars10
-
4 Stars6
-
3 Stars4
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars1
Story
-
3.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars4
-
4 Stars5
-
3 Stars9
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars1
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- jacqui
- 12-30-15
fun and unexpected turns
Once I started reading this could not put it down. Started out feeling very frustrated with first character 's relationship with her daughter and the initial switch of Theresa 's decision was a little quick. However, it then became more interesting, with lots of twists and turns and humerous characters. A. fun read.
Celia Imrie, as always, was wonderful as the narrator.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shirley M Day
- 01-07-16
A joyful entertainment
What made the experience of listening to Not Quite Nice the most enjoyable?
This is a fascinating and joyful book. The characters are keenly observed and most are larger than life . Nevertheles,s the incredible twists and turns of the plot make for good entertainment
What does Celia Imrie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Celia Imrie gives a spirited reading and lends credence to all her characters. She is a versatile actress and is more than able to hold her listener enthralled and wanting more.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
My reaction to Ms Imrie's drawing of the younger generation's attitudes certainly touched a chord making me angry yet very amused.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Denise
- 03-21-16
Please stick to the day job Celia
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Better writing
What was most disappointing about Celia Imrie’s story?
Thin storyline and clunky writing
Would you listen to another book narrated by Celia Imrie?
Narrated by - yes, written by - no
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Brought back nice memories of NICE
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Grandi
- 03-31-16
Not quite good
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
What a waste of a credit. Stick to acting, Celia! The storyline is highly questionable; the main character, a woman who gets to retirement age and still thinks everyone is nice and helpful, is as wet as a weekend in Wales and the characters she meets are mainly caricatures of rather ghastly people. She has a peculiar and very old-fashioned impression of men and lets herself be walked all over by her dreadful daughter and granddaughters. If you want to read about a drippy posh woman who goes to live in France and never meets a French native this is the book for you.
What will your next listen be?
Something with more teeth, maybe the book about the Salem witches.
What three words best describe Celia Imrie’s voice?
No.
What character would you cut from Not Quite Nice?
The performance was fine as the author is an actress.
Any additional comments?
Stick to books written by people with writing talent.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- sara
- 04-02-16
loved it
Great story only wished it had lasted longer. Celia cant wait for your next book
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Marina Elaine Richards
- 03-22-16
Relaxing listening
Characters described well, which you endear to as the book progresses. Well read by Celia.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mrs Smith
- 05-21-16
Sunny escapism
I listened to this book over a weekend whilst decorating. It was light, funny and refreshing, with very good characters. The story had many twists and turns and it was a good job I listened, rather than read it, otherwise the decorating would not have been done!
Celia Imrie's narration was first class.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- PurpleVelvetElf
- 02-22-16
Disappointing
I love Celia and will want him this fantastic actress in anything.
But I'm afraid it's not the same with this book. The story just didn't flow and was a bit tedious in places. Neither the plot or characters worked for me.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hannah
- 01-06-16
fantastic
amazing,hilarious book! Didn't want it to end and I want to hear the next book
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- April Axton
- 03-08-18
So Dull
This is the perfect book for those suffering from insomnia ...you will be so bored sleep will come
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- vanda
- 01-12-16
Very nice Nice
Great reading voice, expressions done very well. Great story line, good funny spots. I'd definitely listen to the same author.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Aussielee
- 12-22-19
Not quite nice at all
Well, it’s an apt title. Or an alternate could be Not Quite Good.
Ugh. I’m so disappointed. I was so looking forward to reading this book, the first by Celia Imrie, one of my favourite actresses. I assumed it would be funny and feature older characters finding love. Older character romance is my favourite and so rarely done. There was also the promise of the French riviera and some feminist empowerment.
And cue the ‘fantasy vs reality’ meme… Ugh.
The book has two female leads. Theresa, a divorcee, is fired from her administrative position in a solicitor’s office and, faced with a retirement of babysitting her bratty granddaughters, packs up and moves to a seaside town just near Nice in France. There, Sally, an ex-game show hostess, resides with the dream of returning to serious acting and buying a bigger home.
Their ‘friends’ include an obligatory gay couple, a stylish American couple, an older botoxed-to-the-hilt loudmouth drunk, the mousy nondescript newbie, a corporate highflyer (whose first scene involving her slapping Theresa like some sort of trashy Dr Phil guest is too ridiculous for words) and her philandering poet of a husband.
One thing many of the characters have in common is their children are horrid. And I mean horrid. I can’t quite fathom that a/ children would treat their parents like they do in this book or b/ anyone would let their children treat them like they do in this book. I’m sorry, it’s unbelievable. Okay, so there might be people out there with awful children but I would assume they were horrible parents in the first place. These middle aged horrors seem to have all been hatched from hell with no help from their mother or father. One bad apple might be understandable but for these characters to *all* have such demon children is weird.
The main plot of the book is not these parents sorting out their middle aged evil spawn, or them finding some sweet romance, or them having any sort of life affirming epiphanies. No, it’s them being victims of a conman thief. The conman’s identity isn’t even made a secret, so the only mystery you have to solve is why these grown ass women are so naive and pathetic.
I want to go on and on about these English characters going to another country and only mingling with other English people when they get there but to point out how blatantly racist this is would just get me cranky again… I really feel for the poor locals.
Actually they aren’t only English, there’s a couple of Americans and even an Australian (just don’t even get me started on this, I mean it's like Imrie decided to cast Paul Hogan or Bryan Brown's evil twin from the 80s into the role and we're supposed to think he's what? cute? funny? quirky? I can't even...) but they’re all white (diversity is merely the token gay couple) and all extremely non-French. So much for immersing yourself in the place.
The weak plot and horrible characters are not even saved by any sort of flowery pretty descriptive passages. There’s water and sunshine and restaurants and… Oh, there’s random foodporn which is also strictly non-French. I was so utterly confused about this. Again, way to immerse yourself in the setting…
I glanced at the other reviews for this book and a couple mentioned the book might have worked better for them if they’d listened via Audible as Imrie narrates. I’m here to tell you, this is not the case. I listened and swapped over to reading often as Imrie’s slow drawn out narration of most of the scenes increased my impatience with the novel. The sad thing here is that her voice was how, I would assume, she imagined the characters to sound/act as she read and some of her choices for their tone made me hate these people even more, if possible.
I’m so sad (mad?) that the only reason this was published was because it was written by a well known actress. Surely no publisher would have snapped up this mess on its own merits.
Plus I’m horrified that I’d already purchased the sequel to this mess, Nice Work. My only question is, will I embark on some sort of social experiment and read it. Maybe. One day. Not quite now.
1 out of 5
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer jo
- 02-24-18
Mixed reaction
I am a big fan of Celia Imrie but I was shocked by the violence and foul language. I think the reading should be prefaced with a warning. The excerable Australian accent was like something from a 1950s movie (I live in Oz so I know). The story was gripping but I had trouble keeping up with who was who in the cast of characters. In future I will read her books instead of listening to them.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Fern
- 01-14-17
not quite nice
loved it😊beautifully narrated and I really enjoyed the insites into human relationships in this book.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- ValleyGirl
- 07-17-16
Don't bother
Disappointed with this book since previous reviews made it sound good. Story finally got a little bit interesting at the end. Character development was lacking, I didn't really care about any of them particularly.
Narration: possibly the worst attempt at an Aussie accent I have ever heard. Cringeworthy.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- sailing_with_mrs_scott
- 05-24-16
A Lightweight Listen
What did you like most about Not Quite Nice?
Perfect background noise, it didn't matter that I missed bits while turning kitchen appliances on and off ;) There were a couple of twists which were very funny (and quite unexpected)...
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
At the risk of sounding harsh maybe inflict a little more suffering on the main characters, add depth and provide opportunity to demonstrate meaningful problem solving.
Have you listened to any of Celia Imrie’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No, but she is an accomplished actress!
Any additional comments?
Very lightweight escapism.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- davkat
- 04-29-16
A bit predictable
the story started off so well but ended up being a bit long and drawn out and the ending predictable.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lyn
- 04-08-16
could not stop listening
loved it, unexpected twists and turns, but all will be revealed! Celia's narration draws you in and you don’t want to stop listening.