New York Time Book Review
Marian Keyes's first novel introduces its heroine shortly after she has given birth to a robust baby girl. But 29-year-old Claire finds she has more to contend with than the arrival of a wailing infant:
"February the 15th is a very special day for me. It is the day I gave birth to my first child. It is also the day my husband left me. As he was present at the birth I can only assume the two events weren't entirely unrelated."Despite her bitter disappointment, Claire's humour rarely flags as Keyes develops her situation into an eccentric romantic comedy. Returning from London to her family home in Dublin, Claire is soon distracted by a handsome younger man who attends college with one of her sisters. Predictable misunderstandings follow, but they are also predictably sorted out, Keyes's habit of having Claire earnestly address the reader can get a bit tiresome, but is also allows her wicked humour to be fully displayed - particularly when she deflects her husband's attempts to slide back into her life.