Wedding nerves or a huge mistake?
BEFORE I DO by Sophie Cousens (Hodder €11.99, 400pp)
THE night before Audrey’s wedding to Josh she is confronted by a face she hasn’t seen in six years. It belongs to Fred — a man she spent only one day with but hasn’t stopped thinking about since.
Audrey has looked for him in countless crowds and the synchronicity of him turning up out of the blue like this seems beyond a coincidence.
What with Granny Parker’s constant referencing of bad omens and the fact that everything seems to be going wrong, not to mention Audrey’s own private doubts, she wonders if Fred’s arrival is a neon warning sign that she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life.
I’m a big fan of Cousens’s beautifully written, pacy stories and this one is especially good on relationships, expectations, second chances and how hard it can be to let go. I adored witnessing Audrey’s growth as she learns to trust herself and steps into her own power.
THIS IS US by Helen McGinn (Boldwood €16.99, 262pp)
THIS is McGinn’s third novel and it’s her best yet. Stella thinks her life with husband Simon, their three young children and successful family business is pretty perfect.
When he disappears without trace and barely any warning, Stella is forced to confront the idea that she doesn’t actually know anything about the man she’s been married to for so long.
Her fabulous best friends step in and step up, booking a girls’ weekend in Florence. Then Stella heads to the Isle of Mull to follow up on a clue about Simon’s mysterious past. As she uncovers yet more uncomfortable truths it becomes exponentially easier for her to move on.
It’s packed full of emotional wisdom, heartbreak and hope and is particularly brilliant on the importance of friendship and taking things one day at a time. Wonderful — I loved it.
THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT by Elena Armas (S&S €8.99, 416pp)
PROTAGONIST Rosie isn’t having the greatest time when the ceiling of her New York apartment falls down and she’s forced to flee in the middle of the night to her best friend’s vacant home.
What Rosie doesn’t know is that her friend’s ridiculously attractive cousin, Lucas, is also planning to stay there.
Rosie has lusted after Lucas online for months and can’t believe she finally gets to meet her crush in real life when she’s exhausted, stressed and looking her worst.
They end up living together with Lucas consistently providing fun solutions to Rosie’s many problems. Both characters are beautifully drawn and highly relatable and I rooted for them from the start.
The narrative alternates between their points of view, zipping along as they progress from acquaintances to roommates to friends to lovers. It’s great on crushes and longing and the deep satisfaction of a slow-burn romance eventually reaching boiling point. This romcom is fresh, funny and highly enjoyable.