“An endearing tale of life’s ups and downs that your emotions will love to latch onto”

 

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

Adam And Beth’s marriage is crumbling. Adam has cheated on his wife twice and she has decided enough is enough and she can’t take the secrets and lies anymore. The trouble is, she doesn’t know the half of it.

Adam starts the book as a wretched excuse for a man. He keeps on hurting those closest to him and expects to be forgiven.

The author is very clever how she deals with Adam, showing us different sides but at the same time not telling us which side we should be on. And while it’s not easy to like him it’s still very hard not to feel some sympathy towards him despite the fact that he is the orchestrator of his own misfortune.

Beth on the other hand is very easy to like. Pretty, intelligent, kind, generous, someone you would be happy to call a friend. For all the times she gets knocked down she tries to come back stronger. Listening to her emotions is at times heartbreaking and you want only the very best for her.

Adam and Beth’s daughter, Meg, is nineteen years old and has been close to her father, so his behaviour has a deep impact on her and he lets her down time and again. Whilst her father behaves like a child, it is Meg who shows him how to behave like an adult.

I found out halfway through this book that it is Fionnuala Kearney’s debut novel and to say I was astonished is an understatement. It is so accomplished. The characterisation is brilliant and the dialogue flows so naturally you could be in the same room listening to them. I could not stop reading and loved every aspect and despite the sadness of the story there are some really humorous bits; the plane journey had me laughing like a drain.

Can’t recommend this book highly enough.

 

Reviewed by:

Sandra Foy

Added 8th July 2015

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Sandra Foy