Miranda's Big Mistake

( 447 )

Overview

Now a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

Miranda's track record with men is horrible.

Her most recent catastrophe is Greg. He seems perfect—gorgeous, witty, exciting. And he and Miranda are in love… until Miranda discovers he left his wife when he found out she was pregnant.

With the help of her friends, Miranda plans the sweetest and most public revenge a heartbroken ...

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Miranda's Big Mistake

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More About This Book

Overview

Now a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

Miranda's track record with men is horrible.

Her most recent catastrophe is Greg. He seems perfect—gorgeous, witty, exciting. And he and Miranda are in love… until Miranda discovers he left his wife when he found out she was pregnant.

With the help of her friends, Miranda plans the sweetest and most public revenge a heartbroken girl can get. But will Miranda learn from her mistake, or move on to the next "perfect" man and ignore the love of her life waiting in the wings…

Even the worst mistake of your life can lead to true love in the end…

See what people are saying about this irresistible summer read from international bestselling author Jill Mansell:

"An exciting read about love, friendship and sweet revenge - fabulously fun."
Home and Life

"Both laugh-out-loud funny and tear-jerkingly sad…You won't put it down."
New Woman

"Watch and learn as Miranda wreaks her sweet revenge—and memorize her sharp one-liners."
Cosmopolitan (UK)

"A jaunty summer read."
Daily Mail

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

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

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
" Lots of situational humor, tragedy, and foresight that you wish the characters could see. Mansell does a wonderful job of keeping me reading the book." - Love Romance Passion

"With a full cast of entertaining characters, interesting secondary storylines, a few tears and more than a few smiles and laugh out loud moments, this is definitely a book that I would recommend to anyone who likes chick lit, or who just wants a fun beach read." - Reading Adventures

"If you are on your way to the beach, Mirandas Big Mistake is a must-bring and will keep you reading long after the sun goes down. " - ForeWord

" Ms. Mansell's books are easy reading books, that pull you in to the lives of the characters and don't let go until you finish the story... Jill Mansell's books will turn you in to a chick -lit reader!!" - Allison's Attic of Books

"These characters live and breath and you can hear them and imagine them sitting next to you." - Dad of Divas

Publishers Weekly
Taking a position as a trainee in a posh London hair salon may not seem the ideal situation for finding Mr. Right, but this breezy, whimsical novel from best-selling British chick-lit author Mansell (An Offer You Can't Refuse) introduces just such a heroine, Miranda, to a wide range of men, from panhandler to racecar driver, on her way to true love (and true retaliation). In a series of escapades too over-the-top even for Bridget Jones, feisty but accident-prone Miranda joins forces with other unlucky-in-love ladies, including a pregnant woman abandoned by her no-good husband and an aging but still-game landlady with a terminally greedy son. Plotlines and characters interweave with unexpected but satisfying results, including delicious comeuppance for the offending males. Summarizing the girl-power revenge plot, however, fails to do justice to the shenanigans that fill it out, making this a winning read. While Mansell's British humor doesn't always translate, Miranda's got more than enough irresistible transoceanic charm to promise that this, the first of several Mansell novels Sourcebooks is introducing to the U.S., should net a passionate new audience eager for the more.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781402218323
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 6/1/2009
  • Pages: 488
  • Sales rank: 527,904
  • Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 7.90 (h) x 1.40 (d)

Meet the Author

Jill Mansell is a UK bestselling author, with over 4 million copies sold. She has written nearly 20 romances with multi-generational appeal. She worked for many years at the Burden Neurological Hospital, Bristol, and now writes full time. She lives with her partner and their children in Bristol, England.
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Read an Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1

It was the first day of April. Seeing the reception desk temporarily unmanned, Miranda snatched up the ringing phone.

'Fenn Lomax salon, how can I help you?'
'Hello.' It was a male voice. 'I need a complete restyle.'
'We do have a long waiting list,' Miranda warned, uncapping a pen with her teeth. 'Could I have your name, please?'
'Bruce Willis.'
Over the phone, she heard gales of background laughter.
'Oh ha ha, well done, very good,' Miranda recited dutifully. 'If only Eddie Izzard was as witty as you.' She rolled her eyes at Bev, the salon's glamorous receptionist, now racing back from the loo.
'Who was that?' said Bev as Miranda hung up.
'An imbecile. April Fools' Day, don't you just love it?'
Grabbing her coat and rummaging in the pockets, Miranda dragged out one green woollen glove and one pink leather one. Well, imitation leather.
Bev's manicured blonde eyebrows went up.
'Lunch break already? It's only half past eleven.'
'Indentured servitude.' Making sure she wasn't being watched, Miranda pulled a face. 'Cigarettes for Alice Tavistock. And a box of herbal tea bags. And half a dozen first-class stamps. That woman, honestly, I don't know why she doesn't write out her whole week's shopping list, pack me off to Sainsbury's and be done with it.'

'And when you've finished that,' Bev suggested helpfully, 'you could valet her car.'
'Pop her washing round to the launderette.'
'Mow her lawn.'
'Fill out her tax return.'
'Clean her loos,' Bev blinked innocently, 'with her own toothbrush.'
'Miranda, are you still here?' Fenn Lomax, emerging from the VIP room, shot her a look of disbelief.
'Sorry, Fenn, no, Fenn, I'm gone.' Miranda jammed her gloves on, getting three fingers stuck in one thumb-hole. She grinned at Bev and made a dash for the door. 'Back in ten minutes, okay?'
Fenn called after her, 'Make that five.'
Since Fenn Lomax had landed himself a regular slot on the hugely popular TV show It's Morning! his client list had blossomed beyond recognition.

As the show's producer had pointed out, he was a seriously attractive heterosexual hairdresser. How could he fail?
The female producer had been right.
With his streaky-blond shoulder-length hair, thickly fringed hazel eyes and come-to-bed smile, Fenn had a way with women and scissors that had done his business no harm at all. No longer buried in the back streets of Bermondsey (special rates for pensioners on Mondays and Wednesdays), he had been catapulted upmarket to the altogether glossier pavements of Knightsbridge's Brompton Road (special rates never). Celebrities queued up, for months sometimes,for the privilege of shelling out two hundred and fifty pounds and being able to boast to friends, journalists…well, anyone who'd listen, basically, that theirs was a Fenn Lomax cut.

Nowadays you could spot his clients a mile off, thought Miranda, teetering on the edge of the curb as a chauffeur-driven limo pulled up inches from her toes. The snow had all but melted now, leaving only squelchy dregs, but the woman emerging from the back of the limousine was kitted out in enough fur to see her through a hike across the Antarctic. Gingerly, in her fur-lined boots, she picked her way through the slush.

Well, it was an awfully wide pavement. All of six feet from the car to the apricot-tinted-glass and brass doors of the salon.

And if you were going to pay a chauffeur to run you around town, it made sense to economize in other areas, Miranda acknowledged, recognizing the famous romance novelist as she removed her dark glasses. That must be why the stingy, face-lifted old hag had only tipped her thirty pence last week.

The stamps and cigarettes weren't a problem, but the Grapefruit Zing herbal tea bags with extra ginseng took longer to track down. By the time she'd bought everything, Miranda was already fifteen minutes late.

He was there, sitting in his usual spot outside the shoe shop. Experiencing a horrid qualm of guilt, Miranda wondered if she could cross the road so he wouldn't catch sight of her, or simply rush past pretending she hadn't seen him.

Then again, perhaps she should just explain that she was in a tearing hurry and didn't have her purse on her right now, but if he hung around for another hour or so, she'd see him later. Hung around for another hour or so, Miranda thought with a shudder. Crikey, patronizing or what?
Poor chap, as if he had anywhere else to go.
Oh, but he looked so cold, so utterly miserable and chilled to the bone.
Too late to try and avoid him now anyway, she realized. He'd spotted her.
'Hi,' said Miranda, feeling rotten already. His blanket was damp, soaked through with slush. 'Look, this isn't my lunch break, I'm just picking up a few things for a client, but I'll definitely be back before two.' Inwardly, she cringed. Oh, help, why did a perfectly good reason have to come out sounding like a feeble excuse? He didn't want one of her sandwiches in two hours' time, he needed something to warm him up now.
'Okay.' The man, who was probably in his early thirties, nodded and managed a faint smile. 'Thanks.'

He never begged, never asked for anything. Just sat there, with his greasy black hair falling over his face and his dark eyelashes half shielding his eyes, as he watched the rest of the world march on by. Miranda had never given him money in case he was a drug addict. The thought of her spare cash being injected into the nearest collapsed vein made her shudder. At least he couldn't fit a prawn sandwich into a syringe.

But today the circumstances were different. And there was a Burger King just across the road, selling hot drinks. What's more, Miranda remembered, Alice Tavistock had given her a ten-pound note to go shopping with…

'Here.' Hurriedly she fumbled in her coat pocket for change and thrust seventy pence into his hand. 'Buy yourself a cup of tea. Thaw out a bit.'
'That's very kind.'
Heroin cost more than seventy pence, didn't it?
Worried, needing to check, Miranda said, 'You don't do drugs?'
Another fleeting smile, accompanied this time by a shake of the head.
'No, I don't do drugs.'
Except…well, he would say that, wouldn't he?
Miranda gave up; she had to get back. Ugh, this weather, her feet were going numb.
'Okay, see you later.' She flexed her icy toes. 'Ham and tomato or prawn with mayonnaise?'
The man on the pavement shrugged.
'I don't mind. You choose.'

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 447 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(151)

4 Star

(181)

3 Star

(76)

2 Star

(23)

1 Star

(16)

Your Rating:

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 447 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 27, 2011

    Painful Read

    After reading the reviews I was really looking forward to my first Mansell read. Boy, was I disappointed. Although I did laugh out loud on a few occasions, I found the writing rather amateurish. The storylines were quite disjointed and often times hard to follow. There were way too many stories going on and not enough time to flesh many of them out properly. On the flip side, the writer often povided detailed explanation of things that should have been left to the readers' imagination/interpretation.

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted June 29, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends Book 1)

    Excellent Read

    I loved reading this wonderful book! It has a story that keeps you entertained for hours.

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 2, 2012

    PG49er

    this book is a "Big Mistake" to read. Boring & stupid!

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 12, 2011

    Disjointed

    Story+was+choppy+and+jumped+around.++I+only+read+the+sample+but+didn%27t+even+finish+that.++Not+even+worth+.99+cents

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 13, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld Series #1)
    The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld Series #2)
    Acheron (Dark-Hunter Series #11)
    The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld Series #3)

    Wonderful!!!

    This is the first book by Ms.Mansell that I picked up on my Nook and I was immediately drawn into the story. I usually only read horror or paranormal romance but the characters in this story have a way of grabbing you and not letting you go. I went through an emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end. I laughed out loud, gasped with shock,cried and laughed again. I have to commend the writer on actually allowing the reader to be so drawn in that they experience the emotions along with the heroine. It was very nice to have an "average" leading lady instead of the super perfect heroines that grace most books these days. It has been a long time since I have read a book that actually kept me reading well into the night. Thank you!!! I hope to pick up more books by Ms. Mansell and I highly recommend this book for any avid reader.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 3, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Add this one to your beach bag!

    Alright! The summer chick lit list just gets better and better. Make sure you add Miranda's Big Mistake!

    Miranda is a hair salon trainee. She's constantly late, funny, kind to everyone - even that homeless guy who turns out to not be homeless... But I digress. She has great friends and loves her life, but is missing one thing - someone to love. When she meets Greg, she believes she's found The One.

    Now Greg just happens to be the husband, yes husband, of Chloe. Chloe, who told Greg they were going to have a baby. Chloe, who Greg, upon hearing this wonderful news, promptly left.

    Greg hasn't bothered to mention this little fact to Miranda. What would happen if fate intervened and Miranda and Chloe's lives crossed paths??? And that's as much as I'm going to give you!

    Jill Mansell has penned yet another fresh, funny, warm story populated with people you really wish you had in your circle of friends. (Except for that Greg!) Miranda and Chloe are engaging protagonists, but the supporting characters are just as wonderful. I especially enjoyed Florence, the landlady who does her best to nudge things to go a certain way. Miranda's gorgeous boss Fenn, who surprises everyone, including himself. Danny the documentary maker, who captures Miranda on film in all her glory. Bev, her best friend constantly on the prowl for a husband.

    A story of love lost and found, lost again and found again. Of friendships and the warmth of those relationships. You'll get a warm feeling from Miranda's Big Mistake. (especially if you're reading on the beach.) But seriously, an absolute romp of a read! Definitely recommended for those who love this genre. Or anyone else looking for a really great read!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 24, 2013

    Like most women in chick-lit books, Miranda has a horrible recor

    Like most women in chick-lit books, Miranda has a horrible record with men.  I mean she really has some bad luck.  Never one to give up, she hopes to find Mr. Right.  Clare finds out she is pregnant and her wonderful husband decides to leave her, citing the pregnancy as a deal breaker.  Left alone, pregnant, working for a horrible boss, and without a home Clare is fairly discouraged about her future.  Bev is the type of girl that every guy seems to avoid.  She has dreams of a husband and kids and she wants them now.  Unfortunately, everyone seems to sense this and run for the hills.  Can these three women find love?  Of course they can, this is chick-lit.




    I know it seems like I've been in a chick-lit kind of mood and I really can't explain it.  This story is a loveable story filled with quirky fun and a bit of humor.  It's fluff but it's fun. There are seriously moments where I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for disaster or some confrontation to happen and it really kept me turning the page.  I will say that there seemed to be more emphasis on humor than really relationship/plot development.  I felt there could have been fewer skips in time and a little more development in the relationship the girls actually ended up in.  There were lots of failed relationships that were interesting and fun but when it came to the "good" guy, we jumped straight to the happily ever after with no real explanation.  This wasn't just insta-love, this one insta-marriage.  First date, then thinking of marriage?  Ummm..not sure about that.  How about NO date and planning a marriage.  I know it is chick-lit but hmmm...




    It was cute and quirky but I did find myself laughing at the oddity of the plot and not just humorous situations that the characters found themselves in.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 11, 2012

    Not one of Jill's best

    I am a huge fan of Jill Mansell but this book has been my least favorite so far. The writing was not great. The story jumped all over the place, it was not cohesive. I was disappointed.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 2, 2012

    Fun reading

    I enjoyed how the characters all intertwined. This is a good beach book. Although it was 494 pages, it was a quick read. Everyone has their own opinion of what constitutes a good book. Saying that i found it relaxing to read and a nice story.

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  • Posted May 16, 2012

    The Book Was Not A Mistake!

    I loved it and it was the first book from this author. Cute, funny, playful and right down my alley. I believe there is a series and I will continue to read Mansell's books for it was a satisfying read with a series of twists and turns in the plot.

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  • Posted April 24, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Had potential

    I really thought this book would be great but the main character managed to go through so many different men in a short period of time. It got out of control and I found myself rolling my eyes like a stuck up teenager. This was my first Mansell book but I'm willing to give her another shot.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 13, 2012

    bi

    mistake

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  • Posted March 12, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Too many characters - hard to follow

    I was hoping Jill Mansell would be a new Author for me to check out but after reading Miranda's Big Mistake, I'm not sure if I will even bother reading her other books. This book was very hard to read because the characters' stories were ridiculous. You'll be making a "Big Mistake" if you buy this book.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 26, 2012

    interesting story

    If you like romance with substance, then you will love this book. You must pay attention to the story line because she introduces several characters with interconnecting storylines and each one is unique.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 20, 2012

    Good read

    Book was vey good,kept you interested-wish it would have ended better though

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  • Posted January 17, 2012

    Good but not great

    Although this book is light and fun while dealing with less than ideal real life situations, I felt that the main character is a little bit to fleeting in her her affections. That made me not like her as much as I would liked to have. She starts out thoughtful and unselfish and then takes a downward spiral of self pity in the midst of others suffering around her.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 8, 2012

    A must read

    Love it! Love it! Love it! A must read in my book!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 30, 2011

    Good story

    Another good story. Enjoyed all the characters, liked how all their stories unfolded.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 29, 2011

    great read

    absolutely loved it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 9, 2011

    Love this author

    You fall in love with all the characters

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