Product Description

A hilarious and romantic thirty-something novel about a women who leaves her philandering husband to embark on a very alternative voyage of self-discovery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #447917 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-17
• Binding: Paperback
• 317 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
When Julia's husband has an affair with local siren Rhiannon de Laney, she feels as if her world is falling apart. Once the arguments have abated, and her husband has moved out, Julia realises she's well and truly on her own, a single parent with two teenage children, a bad haircut and no idea of what to do or where to go next. Gradually, however, Julia begins to recognise the benefits of being single: it's the chance to meet new people and make new friends, change her hairstyle, throw out her old clothes, experiment with a new image, resurrect her photography career, travel the country with a boy band and, in short, rediscover herself outside the context of loyal wife and dutiful mother. She also rediscovers the joys of dating. After a few false starts, she finds herself learning more about the talents, musical and otherwise, of the lead singer of Britain's most famous band. Julia's certainly got herself a life you wonder whether it is the kind of existence she wants to live permanently, or whether her ailing marriage is worth saving. Light-hearted, humorous and at times surprising, Julia's battles with this age-old dilemma prove instantly recognisable yet highly entertaining, with a twist in the tale that may surprise or perplex. --Emily Lowson

Synopsis
It's sexual healing Julia Potter is after when husband Richard strays from the marital bed. The one he's been playing in belongs to Rhiannon (North Cardiff single mum, siren and witch). He's sorry, but Julia's not ready to forgive or take up handicrafts quite yet.

From the Back Cover
Forget all that stuff about finding the inner child; it's sexual healing Julia Potter is after when husband Richard strays from the marital bed. The one he's been playing in belongs to Rhiannon (North Cardiff single mum, siren and witch). He's sorry, or so reads his Post-it apology, but, as he says, 'It's so hard being a man...'

But Julia's not ready to forgive or take up handicrafts quite yet. Re-styled, re-vamped and re-acquainted with hair gel, her new mission statement is 'Up'. Unfortunate, then, that where sex is concerned, the only 'up' she can manage is up the wrong tree.

But at least Julia's photographic career is back in focus. And it isn't long before she's swapping her Teletubbies and tripod at Cardiff's Time of Your Life Photo Studio for the slinkier lines of a low-slung black Pentax - the better to zoom in on the more mature torsos of Kite, Britain's megastar number one band. But while Julia's finding out who put the 'Mmm...' into mega, has her marriage to Richard gone into freefall?

Customer Reviews

Pacy, insightful and hilarious
I almost decided against this based on the last review posted, but the earlier ones proved to be the correct ones! I loved this book. It was fast-paced,warm-hearted and laugh-out-loud funny, and Julia was a heroine I could really identify with. The sort of book you pick up and just can't put back down, so ideal for a long journey or a rainy afternoon. Am definitely a new Lynne Barrett-Lee fan!

One very long monologue!
if you like Jasper Carrot and his style, then you'll probably enjoy this book - as it really is more like a one woman stand up comedy show than a novel in that there is little 'action', even less dialogue and little to recommend the book in terms of plot, protagonists, antagonists or simply storyline.

With all due respect to the reviewers here who raved about this book and gave it 5 stars (one of the reasons I bought it!), I found it both tedious and a disappointment

Marvelous
Finally! A book about the perils, trials, tribulations and eventual success of a single women - one with a heroine who is intelligent, and not some lost petite thing in a nothing job in London. I loved Bridget Jones and similar, but liked Julia more: she's gutsy, honest and a "pull your socks up and get on with it even though life can suck" kind of woman. She's not invincible, but then none of us are, and that's what I loved. Definately a laugh out loud read. At one point others requested I leave the room while I was reading the book! Can't wait for more.