There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

It is different, when I think of what to write for this book that is the only thing that comes to mind. There is very little of "surprising" story, all is very anticipated from the reader, but still I am drawn into the book and kept reading. The character Ezra is for me a different character from whom's perspective the chapter is written. It is a real world like approach, the character we are differs from ones own perspective to the ones around us.

Still both the story and character is at a standstill till the very last chapters, were you might see a change in Sybil, but then she goes back.

It was an ok read, and I think the book was lucky that I had the flu while reading it.

Ezra is the Hudson's groundskeeper. He still struggles dealing with being raised by a mother who was both a religious Prophetess but would also drink, smoke, and sleep around. This results in Ezra not comfortable with creating close relationships and somewhat isolating himself as a groundskeeper with his main interest being the photography of hummingbirds. This history makes Ezra the perfect pawn in the Hudson's strained relationship. Sybil is an aging movie star best known for more adult type roles but striving to find that one role that shows she is a serious actress. Her husband, Grant, is a condescending movie producer. I struggled connecting with Ezra or finding any redeeming characteristics in Sybil or Grant which made this book difficult to really enjoy. They came across as somewhat flat caricatures but I feel Mr. McMeekin was trying to show the reader the angst each character had deep within them. While I think he did do that to a certain extent, overall I think he didn't manage to be truly successful at this endeavor. Thankfully, the story ended with a bit more introspection, or implied introspection, on the part of the characters that somewhat redeemed the book for me.

I had trouble finding much to like about the main character, he just wasn't engaging. The plotline seemed like it has been overused - wealthy young woman married to an older man has an affair with the gardener. I didn't have any connection with the characters. The characteristic of a noble protagonist living in a corrupt world didn't hold true for this story.

Novel, quick read. Hollywood setting with three main characters; the pool boy, the starlet and her husband director. Love sex, affairs. But, with a twist - the hummingbirds.

I almost did not finish this book. I really didn't enjoy it at all. It is a story of a groundskeeper on the grounds of a wealthy movie producer and his wife, an actress. Each of these people are flawed, as you find out in the novel. It was tedious, and didn't give a lot of details before it jumped to the next chapter. I didn't find any of the characters to be likable or someone I wanted to invest in emotionally.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by netgalley.com

This is a story about manipulation and the lies people tell to get what they want. It is the ugly side of Hollywood. It is an easy short read that is just the right length. Affairs and betrayal are part of the Hollywood life depicted here. Ezra's childhood tells of the difficult topic of religious cults. There is a lot happening in this book and it has been brought to life very well.

Wow. What to say about this gem of a novel? Originally I just expected a fun noir book as the plot involves an aging starlet seduced by the groundskeeper whose mother was a cult leader. Trouble ensues when her arrogant producer husband discovers the affair--a trite little plot, right? Absolutely not! I sometimes do myself a disservice and read too quickly but I soon realized I needed to slow down as this writing was lovely! And while I enjoy flawed characters immensely, I found myself seeing them as people instead of characters so I could appreciate even the most shallow of thoughts from women who were drawn to be examples of this. Nuanced and poignant, the dialogue is witty and often tender; underneath the plot lurks a story that addresses wealth and poverty, beauty and inferiority, betrayal and redemption. This is a book to savor; I often found myself having to put the book down after a beautifully written passage-- just to contemplate and re-read (which I usually never do). It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. McMeekin clearly has a gift not only for a great story but also for some deep analysis that will touch your heart but not leave things tied up in a neat little bow. Because really, isn't that what life is all about?

This is a story about a celebrity couple, (Sybil a beautiful actress and her husband Grant who is a producer) who are renting a somewhat isolated estate and the groundskeeper Ezra. Ezra is fascinated by hummingbirds and has developed the gardens in an attempt to attract these beautiful birds so that he can capture them on film. Each of the characters are somewhat self-absorbed and they are certainly flawed and damaged by their past.

Whilst beautifully written I found this book to be somewhat suffocating, undoubtedly well-constructed but ultimately quite bleak. Slowly we learn of Ezra’s history and what he underwent through the hands of his mother. The villain of the piece is Grant who manipulates his wife and Ezra but even then is Sybil also a victim?

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

The Hummingbirds is a hauntingly powerful, evocative piece of fiction that explores in a dream-like fashion a twisted love triangle between an aging Hollywood starlet -Sybil, her cunning producer husband - Grant, and the groundskeeper, Ezra. But this isn't just a soap opera. It explores these three people, all of whom are damaged inside by twisted pasts. Ezra's mother was a prophetess whose visions launched a church. At home, she would drink till she passed out sans clothing. What makes this novel explode though is how focused these characters are on their own little world and how nothing exists for them outside their world. The almost dream-like quality of the lazy affair by the pool reminds me of Newton Thornburgh's work.