This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Kelly Allen
Charlotte lives in London with her husband Will and two children, Rosie and Ollie. Although Rosie has a different biological father, Will has been her dad since she was 18 months old. Now, nearly 14 years later, they are a normal, dysfunctional and happy family, living the highs and lows of a normal life. However, since Will joined the world of unemployment, things have been slightly tense between himself and Charlotte.
When new neighbours move in across the road, the families become friends and Charlotte begins comparing her relationship to theirs, questioning her relationship with Will and daydreaming about Rosie’s biological father, Fraser.
Charlotte’s parents show her an email from Fraser asking her to get in touch, so Charlotte meets with him – unbeknownst to the rest of her family. When Will leaves for Scotland for a job interview, old feelings stir between Fraser and Charlotte, but will Charlotte see where her true love really lies before it is too late?
This book was a dream to read. Fiona Gibson’s writing is witty, quirky and she grasps the voice of motherhood with ease. I adored Charlotte and her internal voice, panicking and overthinking, whilst externally keeping it all together. She was such a quirky character and her boundless energy and charm flooded the pages.
The family dynamics are fantastically played out within the book, and the teenagers are perfectly portrayed. I really loved the dialogue throughout, and Ollie, the intelligent and slightly geeky child, reminded me of my own son. Ollie and Rosie were both well written and the drastic changes teenagers go through were perfectly evoked with simple scenes and encounters with other characters.
From funny scenes involving Will’s leather trousers to more serious, ‘Are we getting divorced?’ moments, the story never once felt flat and I literally sped through the pages, desperate to find out how Charlotte’s story would end.I loved the real-life storyline, the comedic voice of Charlotte as the family’s tale unfolded chapter after chapter. I loved the fact that the storyline, with regards to Will and Fraser, felt really unpredictable. I didn’t once feel as though I knew how the book would end, it kept me guessing all the way through. I really liked the unpredictability of the storyline, the vagueness surrounding Will and his odd behaviour alongside Charlotte’s own insecurities, concerns and actions were enough to keep me guessing.
I think this book would certainly appeal to lovers of Marian Keyes and Helen Fielding and also reminded me of one of my favourite real-feel books, Learn Love in a Week.
8/10