Published by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date 14th February 2023
My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this title via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Description:
They’ve been best friends forever. But sometimes life moves on—whether you’re ready or not.
Growing up in a small town on the Cornish coast, Natalie and Fiona have always been besties. Then roommates. But now, with thirty looming on the horizon, it all seems to be falling apart. Fiona’s decided it’s finally time to move in with her long-term boyfriend, leaving Natalie wondering how on earth to pay the rent.
Just as she’s on the brink of despair, Natalie somehow lands her dream job, and surviving solo suddenly doesn’t seem so bad. But Fiona had set her sights on that same role. With Natalie’s career gain being Fiona’s loss, and Fiona finding her supposedly loved-up life less than the domestic bliss she’d hoped for, tensions boil over into a massive—embarrassingly public—confrontation.
The crack that’s appeared between them is threatening to widen. But as life takes them in different directions, will they be able to adapt, or is it time to move on?
My Thoughts:
I read this shortly after watching the TV adaption of Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare and the two styles of writing felt very similar to me and I thoroughly enjoyed both. I've not read Nicola's previous book Happy Happy Happy so wasn't sure what to expect however I will be looking out for her on the library/bookshop shelves in future.
Natalie and Fiona have been friends for as long as they can remember but as it does, life is leading them off in different directions, especially since Fiona's boyfriend Matt has asked her to move in with him. Impulsive Fiona has jumped at the chance but once the packing boxes are all stacked up at the flat she's been sharing with Natalie, Fiona starts to get the wobbles. Is she doing the right thing? It's a heart versus head thing. Then when Natalie gets the job that Fiona also interviews for, things start heading spectacularly downhill.
I loved how we get to hear the two sides of the story from each of the girl's perspectives and in some ways I could see where they were each coming from. It's how relationships work - there are always different ways of viewing the same situations. But when you've been friends since childhood the disagreements you have 20 years later can no longer be settled by a playground game and it's no longer appropriate to ask your mum to sort things out. Whose side will you take - if indeed we need to take sides at all? Even though this is quite a light-hearted tale I still found myself considering what I would do in the girls' positions. And is Matt right in his reaction to things too?
I found this to be a nice easy read which was plenty of fun but with some points to ponder too. Certainly an author to watch as I think she has lots more stories to share with us.
About the Author:
Nicola Masters grew up on the outskirts of London and studied English and drama at Goldsmiths. She had several jobs before becoming a novelist, including as a receptionist, an HR adviser and an admin assistant. She now lives on the north coast of Cornwall, where she enjoys swimming in the sea and spending time at the beach. Her first novel, Happy Happy Happy, was published in 2021.
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