Good structure, viewing recommended

Quercus, £19.99 Reviewed by Sarah Ebner

ADÈLE GERAS is the author of many stories for children as well as five adult novels. Her latest, Love or Nearest Offer, is fun, enjoyable to read and shows an insight that is unsurprising from the writer of nearly 100 books (more than 90 for children).

It is the story of Iris Atkins, who appears to be the most remarkably dedicatedestateagentof alltime(thoseinthe profession will love this story). However, Iris’s devotion to duty (mainly in the Barnet area), means that she has neglected her own love life. Or so it seems…

It is refreshing to read about a woman who doesn’t want children (and sticks to her guns), an older couple who find love, rather joyfully, for the second time, and a woman who wants her husband to have a job he enjoys — rather than one that earns him huge amounts of money Adèle Geras: moves easily from children’s to adult fiction (although, of course, that does help her to purchase her dream home).

The connections with Iris are not forced and the characterisation, particularly of the older duo, Vina and Aidan, rather beautiful. The character of Iris is delightful, and it is easy to identity with her, and will her on to dump the awful Neil and enjoy her realisation that another, far more suitable, man is waiting for her. I did have my reservations about how quickly some of the characters fall in love, but that might just be the cynic within me.

I also appreciated some of the more realistic relationships set out by Geras, such as an imperfect one between a mother and her child, which is not entirely sorted out by the end, and the tricky nature of dealing with in-laws.

All the action occurs over a year and, although there are few major surprises, the writing is good enough to make you suspend your cynicism. Take it on holiday and lose yourself. Sarah Ebner is the JC deputy editor