Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson
| Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson | |
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| Category: Women's Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A feel-good and entertaining read with characters you'll really warm to. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 336 | Date: July 2011 |
| Publisher: Quercus | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0857383242 | |
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Gilly (that's with a 'G', you notice) was engaged to Ed, but a fortnight before their wedding and with the gifts piling up, he changed his mind. So Gilly was left on her own at the age of thirty-four with a mortgage to pay on her house in Hammersmith and only a shop job to support herself. She really didn't know what she wanted to do with her life but as a stop-gap, she decided to take in a Monday-to-Friday lodger. This would give her some income, company during the week and the house to herself at weekends. It seemed like an added bonus when the man she finally settled on was, well, rather tasty. Jack Baker seemed to have a lot going for him – and a job in reality television.
Gilly has a lot going for her – that's not surprising as she's that sort of person – in the form of good neighbours, a twin brother, a couple of close friends and her dog-walking group. They meet in the park each morning and probably know more about the dogs than they do about each other. Gilly always leaves with Guy and they go their separate ways at the zebra crossing. Don't be getting any ideas about romance, because Guy is engaged to Flora, who's away at the moment and he's only with the dog walkers because he's looking after Flora's dog.
Gilly's got quite a lot of personal baggage in her life. It's not just Ed's desertion. There was the loss of her disabled sister and the way that her mother upped and left the family, leaving the upbringing of the twins to their father. It looks as though Jack has some baggage too – he might travel very light, but what does he do at weekends and why doesn't he want to let Gilly any further into his life?
You know that point when you need a good, warm-hearted read? It hit me last week. The weather was more autumn than August and I wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere with a mug of coffee and a good story. I didn't want anything too literary – I wanted to be entertained and left feeling better at the end of it. Monday to Friday Man was exactly what I needed. There are some great characters including the awful Nancy who's so close to being a pantomime villain that I wanted to hiss when she appeared. I'd love to have seen more of her! You might have a pretty good idea of where the story is going from early on, but, trust me, it doesn't spoil the story at all.
I'd like to thank the author for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
Here at Bookbag, we've seen books by Alice Peterson before and hey don't disappoint. If they appeal then you might also enjoy The Way We Were by Elizabeth Noble and Lessons in Laughing Out Loud by Rowan Coleman. We also enjoyed By My Side by Alice Peterson.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson at Amazon.com.
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