The eternal search for the One

Have you ever wondered why your life is such a mess and going nowhere, while your friends seem to have got it all together, living in beautiful houses with their wonderful children and hot and sexy and caring husbands?

Meet Cat. A former stand-up comedian, she is funny, intelligent, efficient at work, reliable, and an amazingly loyal friend. And yet, at the age of thirty, she is still living in a shared flat with nightmare roomies, her love life is non-existent, and the highlight of her week is taking her best friend’s son to see Santa’s grotto in a shopping centre. One day, she is reading a newspaper over a stranger’s shoulder on the Tube and sees that her ex, who left for Australia five years ago) is going to have a gig in London. Cat suspects parts of his routine might be about her, so how can she not go? During the gig she sees Harvey, her ex’s brother. Are relationships with your exes’ siblings always off-bounds? What if he is the One? Cat needs to sort her life and understand why the most important people in her life seem to leave her and go away.

What I liked about the book is how realistic it felt at times. The setting and practicalities of life (the nightmares of looking for a room in shared accommodation somewhere you can barely afford, packing your life in a few boxes and discarding the rest), the relationships, the Tube (yes, snow is magical). I loved the way the description of a stand-up venue was so vivid and full of sounds, smells and visual details, while Cat’s office remained uncharted territory (her heart and mind were not there, despite Cat being good at her job). Kelly, Cat’s BFF, is given such a prominent place in this book, that we almost fall in love with this no-nonsense-voice-of-reason-and-eternal-support girl.

It was a fast and enjoyable read. Highly recommended for somebody who likes comedy, banter, family relationships and thinks London is a fantastic setting for a light-hearted romantic book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by Bookouture