I Give It A Year

Helen Whitaker Trapeze, £8.99

On New Year’s Eve, Iris is shocked to discover that her husband Adam has been having an affair. So her new year’s resolution is to “give it a year” to see if the couple’s marriage can be salvaged.

However, after a few sessions of counselling, Iris realises that she too has to take some responsibility for the broken marriage.

What’s more, she recently lost her beloved mother and her father suffers from dementia. Her job as a fundraiser for the National Trust is jeopardised by time spent caring for him. Movingly, she also discovers that her parents’ marriage wasn’t entirely what it seemed.

Then, through her job courting wealthy donors, she meets gorgeous multi-millionaire Lucas Caulfield. Could she live with the hypocrisy if she succumbed to temptation? And when the year is up, will Iris declare her marriage is over or won’t she?

Helen Whitaker captures the pressures on modern marriages and ends with a surprising conclusion in a thoroughly satisfying read.