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    An Offer You Can't Refuse
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    An Offer You Can't Refuse
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    An Offer You Can't Refuse
    Ebook442 pages5 hours

    An Offer You Can't Refuse

    By Jill Mansell

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    What's a girl to do with An offer you can't refuse?

    A new bestseller from one of the UK's biggest authors!

    Nothing could tear Lola and Dougie apart, except his mother

    Seventeen-year-old Lola has no intention of accepting when her boyfriend's snobbish mother offers her a huge bribe to break up with him. Then Lola discovers a secret that makes her think again, and the only way she can help one of the people she loves most in the world is to take the money and break Dougie's heart.

    Ten years later, when Lola meets Dougie again, her feelings for him are as strong as ever. She'll do almost anything to get him back, but she can never tell him the truth. Can she overcome his bitterness and win his heart? She's attractive, persuasive, and endlessly optimistic, but even Lola's got her work cut out for her this time.

    PRAISE FOR AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE

    "You won't be disappointed in this gem."
    Hot Stars Magazine

    "Pick this up at your peril: you won't get a thing done till it's finished."
    Heat magazine

    "Witty and charming, this easygoing tale is full of twists that make it hard to put down."
    Woman

    "Classy chick-lit that appeals to women of all ages. She [Jill Mansell] has a fantastic ability to keep a number of storylines running at the same time without losing the reader in a labyrinth."
    Daily Express

    "Warm and funny."
    Heat magazine

    "A romantic romp full of larger-than-life characters."
    Express

    "Fast, furious and fabulous fun. To read it is to devour it."
    Company

    "A light-hearted and likeable tale."
    Prima

    "A jaunty summer read."
    Daily Mail

    "A great, comical read."
    Birmingham Post

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateApr 1, 2009
    ISBN9781402227127
    Unavailable
    An Offer You Can't Refuse
    Author

    Jill Mansell

    With over 10 million copies sold, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Mansell writes irresistible and funny, poignant and romantic tales for women in the tradition of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Jojo Moyes. She lives with her partner and their children in Bristol, England.

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    Reviews for An Offer You Can't Refuse

    3.5/5

    32 ratings14 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      I really hated the main character who was very shallow. She acted like a teenager throwing a temper tantrum even at age 27. I didn't much like the guy either. He was an asshole for 90% of the book.
    • 1/5
      Trite.
    • 3/5
      I am a big Jill Mansell fan, but this one was just off to me.

      Lola and Dougie are in "young love." Dougie's wealthy mom tries to buy Lola off. Lola steadfastly refuses...for about 12 hours.
      She finds out the family needs money, she sacrifices her happily ever after and takes the money, buys the family out of the problem and moves abroad.

      This is one of my least favorite tropes, so that was kind of an initial downer for me. I will say Ms. Mansell handled the setup very nicely and succinctly. There was not a lot of dragging on and woe is me-ing.

      I did feel that there was not enough interaction between Lola and Dougie to make for a believable HEA (and yeah, he drops the "Dougie" and becomes "Doug"). And that was one of the problems I had with the book. Lola seemed to not mature in the intervening years between when she accepted the offer and when she got back in the same world as Doug. Even though she gets a grown-up job, she buys her own apartment and pays her own way in the world (with the help of a convenient "gift"), she still acts in a way that feels immature for supposedly mature woman of 27.

      What I do love about the Mansell books was ever present. There are lots of strong secondary characters, just great people you get to know and like and wish you could hang out with.

      Ms. Mansell seems to always have a "celebrity" in the mix and there were a couple of really interesting "celebrities." She always seems to have a little twist that makes it fun (it is of course totally ridiculous, but you would miss it if she didn't add them).

      There is a twist on the baby daddy trope. This addition to the plot made for some nice scenes and interactions of all ages.

      More chick lit than romance. The romance(s) in the books for the most part seemed to just formulaically happen by a certain time in the book. But again, that's part of what you love about these books.
    • 3/5
      I am a big Jill Mansell fan, but this one was just off to me.

      Lola and Dougie are in "young love." Dougie's wealthy mom tries to buy Lola off. Lola steadfastly refuses...for about 12 hours.
      She finds out the family needs money, she sacrifices her happily ever after and takes the money, buys the family out of the problem and moves abroad.

      This is one of my least favorite tropes, so that was kind of an initial downer for me. I will say Ms. Mansell handled the setup very nicely and succinctly. There was not a lot of dragging on and woe is me-ing.

      I did feel that there was not enough interaction between Lola and Dougie to make for a believable HEA (and yeah, he drops the "Dougie" and becomes "Doug"). And that was one of the problems I had with the book. Lola seemed to not mature in the intervening years between when she accepted the offer and when she got back in the same world as Doug. Even though she gets a grown-up job, she buys her own apartment and pays her own way in the world (with the help of a convenient "gift"), she still acts in a way that feels immature for supposedly mature woman of 27.

      What I do love about the Mansell books was ever present. There are lots of strong secondary characters, just great people you get to know and like and wish you could hang out with.

      Ms. Mansell seems to always have a "celebrity" in the mix and there were a couple of really interesting "celebrities." She always seems to have a little twist that makes it fun (it is of course totally ridiculous, but you would miss it if she didn't add them).

      There is a twist on the baby daddy trope. This addition to the plot made for some nice scenes and interactions of all ages.

      More chick lit than romance. The romance(s) in the books for the most part seemed to just formulaically happen by a certain time in the book. But again, that's part of what you love about these books.
    • 3/5
      I work in a bookshop, and I sell lots of books by Jill Mansell. Which is why I tried one of her books for the second time. There must be something to her, why else does almost every girl my age collect her novels?Now that I've finished this one, I still don't get it. Kinsella, Kelly, Keyes, Fielding, Weiner - there are so many other chick lit and romance writers out there that are better than Mansell! It's not that Mansell's writing is poor, it's just not as good as novels by similar writers.The idea for the book is original: what would you do if someone offered to pay you a lot of money to break up with her son? And then, the story just drags on. I just know I'll try one of the Mansell books again, because it's perfect for a rainy day, but she will never be my favourite author.
    • 3/5
      The concept of this book is not particularly unique — mom paying off the destitute girlfriend who needs to save her family to leave the rich boy she loves behind. But still, I enjoyed it none the less.Most of Mansell’s characterizations (on an individual level) were wonderfully entertaining. Lola was funny and somewhat outlandish; she wasn’t afraid to be who she was despite leaving the man she loved behind to better the lives of her family. Gabe, her BFF, was a great counterpart with his dry-wit and sarcasm. He brought truth to Lola when she didn’t want to see it and helped her without fail when she set out to improve her situation. Sally, the former boyfriend’s sister was eccentric and quirky; delightfully clueless and quite careless with the feelings and preferences of those around her. But done so in the most endearing way.Dougie, the jilted boyfriend, on the other hand was a bit flat and boring. I think he was supposed to be stuffy and pompous as a result of having been left behind but that element of the story wasn’t particularly clear. In the end it just made him blah overall. His mother was also pretty cliched. A helicopter mom that had the ability to hover with the best of them she was the type of rich woman offering money that we always see in movies and television shows. There wasn’t anything innovative of different in her portrayal here.I didn’t particularly see any chemistry between Lola and Dougie after she left and came back. As a result I couldn’t quite get into their story and found myself wondering why she was so desperate to have him back. I frankly thought she was more fun with her BFF Gabe. Even more honestly, it’s the story about he and Sally that completely steal the show here.There was definitely a level of predictability in the story but it didn’t lack in fun and entertainment value. If I’m being honest I think I would have much preferred the novel switch primary and secondary stories. It would have been better for me if it centered on Gabe and Sally as compared to Lola and Dougie. So in the end it wasn’t the best chick-lit novel I’ve read but it wasn’t the worst by a long shot. It’s definitely worth your time if you’re looking for a read that doesn’t require a lot of heavy lifting but packs some good laughs.
    • 3/5
      It was pretty hard for me to actually like the main character, Lola. She frustrated me and she was incredibly needy wanting Doug so much it baffles me. But overall, the plot on its own was enjoyable. The characters unfolded nicely and it was quaint read. Gabe and Sally was particularly a nice addition to the storyline. While it didn't exactly left an imprint, it was definitely a nice read for anyone who wants a light chic lit.
    • 4/5
      Lola and Dougie fall in love in high school, much to Dougie's mother's dismay. He's from a rich family, Lola is working class. So, the summer between graduation and college, Dougie's mother offers Lola 10,000 pounds to break up with Dougie without telling him about the money. A horrifying offer that Lola wants to refuse, but at the same time her beloved father has gotten himself into money troubles that would break up her own family. She takes the deal. Flash forward 10 years and Lola and Dougie's paths cross once again. Stilldesperately in love with him, Lola begins a campaign to win him back without explaining what happened all those years ago. This makes for one heck of an interesting read!
    • 5/5
      Very enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      From the back of the book:"Young Lola, under duress, accepts a huge bribe to break up with her boyfriend. The worst part is, the bribe is from his mother. Ten years later, when they meet again, her feelings for him are as strong as ever-but how is she going to win him back without telling him why she broke his heart in the first place?"My thoughts:My thoughts on this book can be summed up in one sentence: "What a fun read!" Seriously, it really was a fun read and I ended up enjoying this book immensely. I can't say that I read a lot of chick lit. but this is an author that I will be looking for more of. The main character was hilarious...Lola is far from perfect and not worried about it. She is lovable, crass, crazy, and not quite realistic at times. But I couldn't help but like her and hope for the best for her. And I am going to have to repeat how hilarious she was. There were times that I was reading this book where I was shaking with laughter (this happened while I was reading on my break at work..they probably all think I'm nuts now :) My only qualm with the book was that the plot wasn't realistic at times....the tidy bow type of ending for example. But it really didn't detract from the book for me because I liked it so much. It was pure escapist reading and I was caught up in its' thrall. One of the quotes on the back of the book said it best when they said "you won't get a thing done till it's finished." I didn't want to put it down and was constantly wondering what Lola was going to do next. All in all, a fun read and I have found a new author that I will reading more of in the future!
    • 3/5
      At 17, Lola Malone was dating 18 year old Dougie Tennant. Dougie’s mother found Lola to be unsuitable and offered her £10,000 to break up with him. At first, Lola was insulted and refused the offer. When she later discovered her beloved stepfather needed the money to pay off a gambling debt she returned to accept the money. She gave her stepfather the money, vowing to never divulge his secret to anyone.Heartbroken, Lola wrote a letter to Dougie and moved to Majorca for three years. When she returned to London, her stepfather repaid her ten-fold with money he made from an internet business he had started. Lola found a job in a bookstore and bought a nice flat and settled into a pleasant life. Walking home one evening, she came to the aid of a woman being robbed. The woman turned out to be Mrs. Tennant, so Lola met Dougie again. When Lola saw Dougie again, all of her old feelings for him re-surfaced, but he had moved on with his life and didn’t want to have anything to do with her.An Offer You Can’t Refuse by Jill Mansell is the story of Lola and Dougie and their family and friends. There is a lot going on in this book, but the story lines are easy to follow. This book is pleasant and entertaining and the characters are quirky and likable. I loved the fact that Lola worked in a bookstore and loved to read. It is somewhat predictable, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. It’s a light, quick read and I found it delightful.
    • 4/5
      I admit it - I LOVE chick lit - and I think British chick lit is some of the best! I am so excited that Sourcebooks is bringing Jill Mansell's titles to North America! An Offer You Can't Refuse is being released today.Seventeen year old Lola Malone is madly in love with Dougie Tennant. But Dougie's mother Adele is less than enamoured with Lola - she wants her out of Dougie's life. She offers Lola a large sum of money to do just that. Lola is horrified, but when a family situation necessitates a large cash influx, she is reluctantly forced to accept Adele's offer.Fast forward ten years - Lola is back in Britain and the manager of a bookstore. I loved Mansell's choice of occupation for Lola."She craved a proper bookshop like an addict craves a fix. There wasn't much that could beat that gorgeous new-book smell, touching the covers and turning the pages of a book whose pages had, just possibly, never been turned before."Or the customer who wants a book about insects that might have a pig in it. (Keep guessing - I'll tell you the title at the end of this post)When Lola suddenly meets up with Dougie again and finds she is still madly attracted to him, she hopes that maybe, just maybe....it will work this time around. But when Dougie hears about the payoff, he wants nothing to do with her. She promised to never reveal the reason she needed the money, but how is she going to win Dougie back when he thinks she is nothing but money hungry?Lola is an absolutely endearing character - someone you wish you had as a friend. The supporting characters are just as captivating, as are their story lines. Gabe is the male neat freak best friend, who through circumstances ends up living with Dougie's sloppy sister Sally. Lola's mom Blythe is a free spirit in love with a rumpled bear of a man who adores Monopoly. What will happen when Lola's real dad shows up again after twenty something years? Will any of them find true love?An Offer You Can't Refuse is a fresh, funny, charming read that will have you rooting for Lola, her friends and family and love until you turn the last page. The writing is warm and witty. Mansell's About the Author end note gives you some idea..." Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually, that's not true; she watches TV, eat gum drops, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marveling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she's completely run out of ways to procrastinate does she write."An Offer You Can't Refuse was #4 on the London Sunday Times bestseller list in the summer of 2008. I'm sure it will be a hit here as well. I'm looking forward to reading Mansell's next title, Miranda's Big Mistake , when it releases in June of this year.Love the Shopaholic series? You'll love Mansell too!Oh - that book title - Lord of the Flies!
    • 4/5
      An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell is witty, charming, engaging, and Chicklit to the max.For a reviewer this was a treat to find in a book, this is definitely how many of us feel about books and reading, and reading these lines instantly cemented my attention to this book.Lola is a young girl in love with a boy, Dougie, whose family is wealthy and whose mother hates her guts. His mother makes her an offer that she can't refuse, so she takes it and says goodbye to the love of her life in a "Dear John" letter. Fast-forward to the present day and we find Lola has grown up physically, but still wears the same teenage, low-cut clothes and finds herself being mistaken for a prostitute when she walks into London bookstore after living in Majorca for about a decade. Eventually, Lola becomes more grounded and is the bookshop manager, but just as she thinks her life is stabilizing and in a good place, things get all topsy-turvy again.This novel starts off in Lola's past, but readers may find that more background is necessary, particularly where her relationship with Dougie is concerned. The only drawback of this novel, which really isn't one, is that Lola's story is pushed to the sidelines quite a bit as the Sally's story takes center stage. However, Mansell carefully weaves the narration back to Lola and the resolution of her story. Readers may want to see more of Dougie in this novel, since much of the novel shifts in point of view between Lola, Sally, and Lola's friend Gabe.Mansell's writing is engaging, and though some of her characters, like Lola and Dougie's sister Sally, are shallow at first, the complications in their lives force them to look beyond their own lives and come to terms with themselves, their families, and their love lives. Highly recommended for readers who love British humor, chicklit, and are in need of summer reading.
    • 2/5
      Hmm. I'm not really a great fan of chick lit, but, this storyline appealed to me. Very light reading, very funny in places, in others, not. A bit too lightweight for me