Aphrodites Workshop for Reluctant Lovers

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Or so she thinks.

Of course behind the fun lie serious concerns. Like Eros, we too are going through a difficult phase. Whereas for earlier generations passion might have kicked the relationship off, marriage itself was very much about duty, religious belief and financial and social concerns. If you had money and time and social position you frequently found your pleasure outside the marriage. If you were poor, you were a lot more worried about putting food on the table for your family then about whether your husband had affirmed your needs that week.

Divorce was not really an option and if it were, women in particular ended up greatly disadvantaged both socially and financially.

Critic Reviews

Nowadays we all have options and opportunities like never before and with these come much higher expectations, not least of what constitutes a fulfilling relationship. We stay because we wish to, not because society tells us we have to. Equally, leaving has never been easier. But, we say, life is more than just a stretch of transport between the cradle and the grave.

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We have a right to be happy, do we not? In our defence we say that by highlighting the issues, examining the questions with honesty and, we hope, some insight, we help in the quest for answers. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem?

Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers by Marika Cobbold

Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers 2. A thoroughly modern tale of love, angst and divine intervention. Paperback , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers , please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers. Lists with This Book. Dec 06, Kay rated it really liked it Shelves: I love this book! It's just so funny. Here are some of my favourite bits: Words were dangerous things. Once let out they took on a life of their own, pulling consequences along with them, reproducing, prompting reactions, making solid that which had been shadowy and only partially formed.

Words, once spoken or written, chased your illusions away. Yes it is delicious, a delicious madness that cannot, indeed should not, last. Yet people enter into lifelong commitments like marriage and co-parenting on the basis of it, which is about as sensible as buying a house because you liked the pretty flowers in the hall. Oct 07, Josa Young rated it it was amazing. Rather gentle story of a woman who writes romance but has lost faith in it herself due to meeting the wrong people.

Which is where the Olympic gods move in to help. She should have met and married someone quite else years ago, and the gods or fate conspire somewhat haphazardly to right this wrong turning in her life. Moving, funny and warm, with compelling characters, both real and godly, Aphrodite's Workshop is romance for grown ups. Mar 09, Magill rated it liked it Shelves: This was kind of cute. I thought it was a bit of a throwback to some of the author's earlier work, with more whimsy than Frozen Music or Shooting Butterflies, which are my favourite books by her.

This was probably a bit too quirky, actually, for me, what with Aphrodite and Eros actively entering the fray, but the marriage stories that she included as Rebecca searched for tales of happy marriages, actually help anchor the story down as they were quite realistic and, I think, showed some of the co This was kind of cute.

This was probably a bit too quirky, actually, for me, what with Aphrodite and Eros actively entering the fray, but the marriage stories that she included as Rebecca searched for tales of happy marriages, actually help anchor the story down as they were quite realistic and, I think, showed some of the common relationship problems like taking a partner for granted, lack of respect sometimes mutual , and failure to value and cherish the person since living side-by-side, even with a common cause, is not enough to keep love alive in any form, let alone a romantic one.

Some great observations and well-written. The story wrapped up quickly, as now seems typical for the author and I wish she would stop as I enjoy her writing style and don't appreciate the rushed feeling and rapid endings. This is probably not a keeper for me and maybe a part of that is that I have been waiting for such a long time since and this was a bit light and brief.

Sep 29, Vivienne rated it really liked it Shelves: I am not someone who reads much romantic fiction or chic-lit but I am always drawn to novels that feature gods and goddesses. While I wasn't wowed by this novel it did have its moments and as Marika indicates on her website serious issues are explored "behind the fun". In many ways I'd rather read this kind of light fiction with hidden depths than some depressing drama about relationships that pounds the message home. Plus, here there were the gods and goddess of ancient Greece reflecting on the I am not someone who reads much romantic fiction or chic-lit but I am always drawn to novels that feature gods and goddesses.

Plus, here there were the gods and goddess of ancient Greece reflecting on the mortal condition. Many of the best moments in the novel were provided by Eros, the only character who seemed to realise they were in a comedy. He was rather like Puck in A Midsummer's Night Dream , with his arrows causing the same kind of confusion as Oberon's potion. Aphrodite's attempt to pass herself off as a mortal also was very amusing.

Both protagonists had mental health issues and I felt that these were dealt with in a down-to-earth and non-judgemental manner. However, one manifestation of Rebecca's breakdown was the appearance of Coco, the bi-polar clown.

Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers

I have a fear of clowns and so was a little freaked out whenever Coco popped up. Oct 19, James Rhodes rated it it was ok. I tried to go into this with an open mind. I thought, don't be judgemental about subject matter or presentational style. Judge the book on its own merits. What I discovered was a level of prose suitable for an eight year old, an uninspiring story and characterisation that just never really takes off. I think the appeal of a story like this must be that the reader can project their own life into pages and treat it like an assisted daydream.

Having absolutely nothing in common with the protagonist, I tried to go into this with an open mind. Having absolutely nothing in common with the protagonist, I found that impossible to manage. I know I am the wrong audience for this novel but I didn't think a lot of it. I gave it two stars because I liked the idea of the Greek God's intervening in such a mundane issue. If Cobbold had done a bit more reading on the actual personalities of the God's this could potentially have been brilliant.

May 06, Clare rated it did not like it. Another one from my Shelf of Shame, possibly one of the worst books from it, definitely in the top 5 worst books I have ever read. I didn't have high expectations to begin with, but having read similar books in this genre from my "hate it but love ridiculing it" shelf, I wasn't expecting it to be this terrible.

It got sad bad, it wasn't fun taking the piss out of it anymore and instead I just felt sorry for it. Like watching someone take too many punches to the stomach, over and over and over an Another one from my Shelf of Shame, possibly one of the worst books from it, definitely in the top 5 worst books I have ever read. Like watching someone take too many punches to the stomach, over and over and over and over again. I had to skim so much to the point I barely read it, the storyline and writing were so terrible.

When a character is referred to a pet name so often you forget what they're actually called, a good writer should know it's time to stop. Don't even get me started on the Mount Olympus bollocks! Rebecca Finch is an author famous for romantic novels, and then somehow she loses faith in love.

The book starts off really well, with a hilarious scene that had me laughing out loud - she accidentally loses her boyfriend on the way to a romantic trip to Paris by leaving him around on the platform. After this scene I was expecting a witty, but light read. And yet it all goes downhill after that. The concept is really good, where Aphrodite herself is tearing her hair out over this author while at Rebecca Finch is an author famous for romantic novels, and then somehow she loses faith in love.

The concept is really good, where Aphrodite herself is tearing her hair out over this author while attempting to make her believe in love again, while the author is hallucinating a judgmental clown. The story was fairly slow with very forgettable side characters to the point where I didn't really care about what happens, even halfway through.

I pushed myself to finish it, but in the end it wasn't worth it for me.

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Feb 05, Emilie added it. Read in Swedish I guess this was supposed to be a funny and easy book that should make the reader feel better. As for me, I did enjoy the book, the greek gods and godesses trying to cope with modern people, an author Rebecca of romantic books looses faith in love altogether.

Aphrodite herself must intervene in her life. This is, however, not really my type of book genre, but for not being that - it was pretty good. What I didn't like was that there are points w Read in Swedish I guess this was supposed to be a funny and easy book that should make the reader feel better.

Marika Cobbold: Aphrodite’s Workshop For Reluctant Lovers

What I didn't like was that there are points when things just gets messier and messier. It has now been over a year since I read the book. My goal was to finish it before college in New York started I was home in Stockholm over christmas and so I did. Sep 15, Sherry Ramsey rated it really liked it Shelves: I downloaded this audiobook on a whim, mainly because it was available and sounded fun.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was well-written, quirky, and clever. It also turned out to be a book that really had a lot to say about relationships, and I found myself mulling over much of the content for days after finishing the actual book. So it had a deeper side that I was not expecting. I was a little disappointed in the ending, which seemed very abrupt and rushed, as if someone had told the I downloaded this audiobook on a whim, mainly because it was available and sounded fun.

I was a little disappointed in the ending, which seemed very abrupt and rushed, as if someone had told the author she should wind things up now. However, it still ended the way I hoped it would, so I can't complain too much.

Jan 28, Leonie rated it liked it. Nothing I've read with Greek gods comes off as anything more than a clumsy, hackneyed joke. It's an appealing idea, and part of why I read this anyway, but it fails here too.

I was annoyed by Aphrodite's overdone behaviour as a therapist. No one would have sat there for that. I thought the point of the book was going to be the solution to the problem of the dissolution of romantic love. It was a little more interesting than that, only offering the foolishness of hope and persistence as a solutio Nothing I've read with Greek gods comes off as anything more than a clumsy, hackneyed joke.

It was a little more interesting than that, only offering the foolishness of hope and persistence as a solution, but it could have been made more powerfully.

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