The joy of a brief encounter
CHICK LIT SARA LAWRENCE 31 DAYS OF WONDER
(Corsair £14.99) ALICE hates her job and colleagues and Ben is not exactly enamoured with his either.
So when Ben spots Alice sitting in the park one lunchtime, thinks she’s the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen and goes over to say hello, the instant connection between them marks a bright spot in both their dreary lives.
Neither had a standard upbringing or family and even though their meeting was a one-off, they can’t stop thinking about each other.
The narrative alternates between them over the next 31 days as their lives change in significant ways they couldn’t have foreseen that day.
Their meeting sparks the urge to do things differently, to be the drivers in their lives, rather than the passengers.
This is a poignant, bittersweet and heart-warming story about expectations, social pressure and how difficult it can be to live on the edge of ‘normal’. I loved it.
KILLER AFFAIR by Rebecca Chance (Pan £7.99) RUDE, crude, absolutely gorgeous and in possession of
killer ambition, Lexy O’Brien is the undisputed queen of British reality TV.
To the chagrin of her hunky footballer husband Frank, who prizes a quiet life, Lexy will do anything for ratings.
Plain-Jane Caroline Evans writes erotic fiction in her spare time and dreams of a career as a writer. She is thrilled when she is asked to ghost-write Lexy’s memoirs, but the more time she spends with the star, the more dazzled she becomes by Lexy’s high-octane, no-expensespared lifestyle.
More disturbingly, she also becomes fixated on Frank and sees herself as a more suitable partner for him than his wife.
This gripping, easy-to-read romp would be perfect for a sun lounger, but be warned that it’s stuffed full of saucy sex and not suitable for prudes.
THIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Katie Marsh (Hodder £7.99) ABI is in remission from the aggressive cancer that made her doubt she would survive.
While she was ill, Abi’s husband John refused to let her worry about anything except getting well. He kept his concerns about his business and their son Sam’s behaviour to
himself, but now she’s better it’s as if he’s forgotten how to talk to her.
This was supposed to be their happy ending but John and Sam are hiding big secrets and it’s clear that, especially in Sam’s case, Abi has to find a way to get through to him before things get worse.
And if she and John can’t find a way back to their previous, pre-cancer intimacy, then it looks like the end of their relationship, too.
This is a beautifully written book about unforeseen changes and managing disappointment. I couldn’t put it down.