Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Not Quite Nice

  • By: Celia Imrie
  • Narrated by: Celia Imrie
  • Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (2,577 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Not Quite Nice cover art

Not Quite Nice

By: Celia Imrie
Narrated by: Celia Imrie
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

A Winter Bride cover art
Sail Away cover art
The Happy Hoofer cover art
The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures cover art
Chickens Eat Pasta cover art
Paradise House cover art
Second Chances at Cherry Tree Cottage cover art
Mums on the Run cover art
Life's a Beach cover art
Sunshine over Wildflower Cottage cover art
Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café cover art
Sisters Behaving Badly cover art
The Dandelion Years cover art
The Best of Friends cover art
A Spring Affair cover art
Invisible Women cover art

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.

©2015 Celia Imrie (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about Not Quite Nice

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,346
  • 4 Stars
    642
  • 3 Stars
    356
  • 2 Stars
    124
  • 1 Stars
    109
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,586
  • 4 Stars
    479
  • 3 Stars
    206
  • 2 Stars
    67
  • 1 Stars
    65
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,143
  • 4 Stars
    618
  • 3 Stars
    361
  • 2 Stars
    134
  • 1 Stars
    135

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic

amazing,hilarious book! Didn't want it to end and I want to hear the next book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

What a shame

What would have made Not Quite Nice better?

I was looking forward to this book and after a few chapters was hooked. Unfortunately as the book went on, the language left a great deal to be desired. Maybe this is how some people speak but I'm afraid all the 60 year olds I know would never use the foul language that this bunch of retired ex-pats use. I struggled on through the language but I'm afraid it spoilt what would have been a good holiday read. Shame.

Would you recommend Not Quite Nice to your friends? Why or why not?

Not really unless they talked like a foul mouthed 60 year ex-pat

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Use a little less bad language

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It had a reasonable story line which would have made for a good holiday read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fabulous

A great listen. Nice light and fluffy with a few good twists at the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

Great story only wished it had lasted longer. Celia cant wait for your next book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful