My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes:

It was my wife who introduced me to Marian Keyes.  Not literally, but that would be nice.  She is a better novelist than anyone gives her credit for.  I mean, she is already a worldwide success.  But when Grown Ups hits Netflix with a mighty TU-DUM in 2026; some of us we can say we read it in six years ago before the world got weird.  

Like her previous novel, Again Rachel, she’s returned to The Walsh family.  Like most families, a wonderful ball of tension.  Anna pivots from a swanky job in New York and a broken relationship, to overseeing a wellness retreat in the rural Irish town of Maumtully.  Assisting her, is Joey -possibly, the great unspoken love of her life.  Can they build happiness as much as keep small town gossip at bay?

You’re in for a treat, whether you’re a newbie.  Keyes is brilliant with language, as deft as she is Rabelaisian.  So, we get a full description of what a ‘feathery stroker’ is a much as we get a new phrase, beardy glarer.  She’s also brilliant with set pieces - so here, we get a party (that almost develops into a threesome), a karaoke evening, a gallery opening and a family party. 

Above all though, there is the genuine craft of a novelist whose books are funny, warm, good natured and are given the space to breathe. She writes excellent sex scenes too!

I can’t recommend this enough.  It’s published on 11th April by Michael Joseph and I thank them for a preview copy.  #myfavouritemistake.