“ Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter. I loved it. ”
Jojo Moyes
“ This is the funniest book Sophie Kinsella has ever written ”
Jenny Colgan
“ This is Sophie Kinsella at her heart-warming and hilarious best ”
Cosmopolitan on Surprise Me
“ In a month when romance takes centre stage, Sophie Kinsella can always be relied upon to deliver a story that will warm the cockles of any tired old heart but never lapses into saccharine sweet sentiment. ”
Red magazine
“ Kinsella at her put-a-smile-on-your-face best ”
Good Housekeeping
“ I'm a huge fan of Kinsella . . . Highly enjoyable ”
Sara Lawrence, Daily Mail
“ A hilariously funny, yet emotionally deep, novel ”
Sunday Express
“ Enchanting and clever . . . whip-smart and brilliantly done, with a lightness of touch that disguises a lot of real wisdom. ”
Amanda Craig
“ Sophie Kinsella writes with a warm wit and this clever, funny and emotional novel will make you laugh and cry. ***** ”
Daily Express
“ A funny, addictive story that shines with real emotion ”
Fabulous Magazine
“ A delight . . . Joyful, great fun and with quite a few twists along the way ”
Catherine Alliott
“ This book . . . has a touch of real wisdom [and] will satisfy Kinsella diehards as well as new readers. ”
Washington Post
“ Fizzingly fresh and can't fail to lift your spirits ”
Sunday Post
“ What an absolute treat – sheer joy from start to finish. ”
Lucy Diamond
“ Fast, furious and fabulous fun ”
Woman & Home
“ Another heart-warming story from the Queen of feel-good fiction ”
The Lady
“ A joy to read ”
USA Today
“ This fun, super-readable breath of fresh air had us completely hooked ”
Fabulous magazine, Sun on Sunday
“ An enjoyable read, funny and moving ”
Sunday Post
“ A fun, frothy good-hearted read ”
Sunday Mirror
“ A tale of long-term love and friendship told with Sophie’s blend of warmth and humour ”
Sun
Paperback
9781784160432
July 2, 2018
Black Swan
400 pages
PROLOGUE
I have this secret little vocabulary for my husband. Words I’ve invented, just to describe him. I’ve never even told him about them: they just pop into my head, now and then. Like …
Scrubcious: the adorable way he scrunches up his face when he’s confused, his eyebrows akimbo, his gaze imploring, as if to say: ‘Explain!’ Dan doesn’t like to be confused. He likes everything straight. Clear. Out in the open.
Tentery: that taut, defensive way he behaves whenever the subject of my father comes up in conversation. (He thinks I don’t notice.)
Shoffed: when life has turned round and punched him in the face so hard, his breath is literally taken away for a moment.
Actually, that’s more of an all-purpose word. It can apply to anyone. It can apply to me. Right now, it does apply to me. Because guess what? I’m shoffed. My lungs have frozen. My cheeks are tingling. I feel like an actor in a daytime soap, and here’s why: 1. I’m prowling around Dan’s office, when 2. he’s out at work, oblivious to what I’m doing, and 3. I’ve opened a secret locked drawer in his desk, and 4. I can’t believe what I’ve found; what I’m holding; what I’m seeing.
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