I read every night in bed and the quality content of the book can always be judged by how long it takes me to read. If I am really engrossed in a book I will read to the early hours of the morning, a boring book will have me asleep in minutes and therefore takes months to read. During a stressful time in my life I read (or tried to read) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I never got past the third chapter in 3 months but had many a good night's sleep. A good Jodi Picoult will usually last me 3 to 4 nights.

Thinking of You, took me 2 weeks to read.

The story is of Ginny a divorcee, living in Cornwall, whose only child, Jem, flies the nest to go to university in Bristol. Ginny is left alone with her dog , her sex mad, toy boy loving best friend and neighbour Carla and hopeless, girl crazy friend and ex-husband, Gavin. Ginny misses her daughter dreadfully; the house is unbearably empty without her. Ginny realises that she will now have to make a life for herself and has to let her daughter go.

After a couple of disasters that rock Ginny's life she decides that she really does need to move on and embarks on an amusing quest to find a flat mate. Ginny also manages to secure herself a job which she adores but for more than one reason. We see Ginny's life change, not always for the better as she becomes emotionally involved and then single again with regularity. Ginny takes on a lodger Laurel, who predictably was another complicating and frustrating character in the storyline.

Ginny's emotional involvements are a ridiculous part of the story. I wondered, whilst reading this if Jill Mansell has ever been in love herself? I felt her characters lacked passion. Her portrayal of Ginny's daughter Jem and her relationship was more believable.

The story flits from Cornwall to Bristol and follows Ginny, her daughter and their abilities to sabotage their own lives and happiness. It is one of those frustrating reads that has the characters making ridiculous choices. Both mother and daughter mess up in different ways, we follow their journeys as they try and rectify their mistakes. I thought some of the story line was weak and not very realistic, I found it terribly frustrating to read and at certain points in the book I even felt like tossing it aside in disgust.

Entwined in this storyline is a celebrity encounter, neurotic parents, back stabbing friends, love triangles, matchmaking, betrayal, cheating, love matches and mismatches and misunderstandings galore. The book does transport you to an idyllic visualisation of Cornwall and a more sedate way of life. Jill Mansell does have the ability to bring her characters to life and you do feel part of this story as it unfolds. Ginny's ex-husband Gavin was an amusing addition to the story, he was tireless in his search for the perfect bimbo and his antics were sometimes quite entertaining.

I would only recommend this book if you have nothing better to read or if like me you need to catch up on some sleep. It is an easy simple read and quite witty in parts. Unfortunately whilst reading this book my mind drifted off elsewhere on a few occasions. It is very easy to get into and once you start you will definitely finish it but it is not the sort of story line that will impact your life or one that you will remember for a very long time.

I read the paperback version printed in 2007 by Headline Review and cost £7.99.