CONTEMPORARY

JADED by Ela Lee (Harvill Secker £14.99, 384pp)

THE daughter of mixed-heritage immigrants, Jade has spent her life working hard to fit in. she’s a talented lawyer working for a big London firm, has had the same gorgeous boyfriend since university and is also a dutiful daughter who delights in making her parents proud.

Jade feels like she has everything. however, when she belatedly realises she’s been the victim of a brutal sexual assault by a colleague after a work party it’s not long before she starts to feel like she’s got nothing.

as rumours begin to fly around the office, Jade’s carefully constructed façade starts to crumble and she is worried she will lose her job as well as her relationship.

The author once worked as a city lawyer herself, which lends the corporate bits a pleasing authenticity.

JONATHAN ABERNATHY YOU ARE KIND by Molly McGhee (4th Estate £16.99, 368pp)

DROWNING in debt but unable to get a job, Jonathan is a desperate man who thinks he is utterly worthless. he’s so desperate he regularly tells himself lies to get through the day.

he always tells himself the same things — that he is kind, competent, respected by his community and loved by his family.

eventually, Jonathan gets an offer from a government loan forgiveness programme to work as he sleeps, auditing the dreams of people just like him and reducing his debt as he does so. it seems fine if a bit weird at first. as he gets used to it, however, he realises he’s involved in a deeply sinister occupation and is losing more than he is gaining.

This is a quirky, original story and so is our protagonist, an anxious people-pleaser who often makes bad decisions and is riddled with fear. i still rooted for him from the start. Brilliantly different.

OPEN MINDED by Chloe Seager (HQ £9.99, 384pp)

WHEN holly’s boyfriend, Will, books them dinner at a swanky restaurant they’ve never been to before, she is convinced he’s going to propose. after all, they’ve been together for nine years and most of their friends are engaged or married already.

But instead of proposing, he suggests they open up their relationship from its current monogamous status and both start seeing other people. she’s totally blindsided. Meanwhile, Fliss has been in an open relationship with andy for the last five years.

she wouldn’t want to live any other way, so is staggered when he says he now wants to make it just the two of them. Fliss isn’t sure she can make monogamy work and holly will try anything to keep Will, so they resolve to help each other get what they want. Compelling complications ensue.