The Next Best Thing

Description

The irresistible new novel from the author of And What Do You Do? At thirty-five, Jane realises something rather disturbing. She thought she had her life perfectly balanced- working from home as a a freelance translator allows her to keep her financial independence, spend time with her daughter and escape office politics. But somehow, instead of combining a rewarding career with a satisfying mother-daughter relationship, she's become an all-purpose dogsbody, rushing from crisis to crisis and combining missing deadlines with repairing the dishwasher. Rupert is also leading the life he planned- a job in the city, glamorous girlfriend, plenty of money. But he's beginning to have doubts about the dull-but-sensible route he's chosen - and to realise it's just possible he wants more out of life. So when he and Jane meet, each escaping their day-to-day life with a stolen afternoon in the peace of the cinema, they both start to wonder whether it's really enough to settle for the next best thing ...

Sarah Long worked in publishing before giving it all up to move to Paris with her husband and three children. She is the author of And What Do You Do? and, following several years of the Parisian experience, she now lives in London.

A grass-is-greener comedy about the quagmire of female choices * Woman's Own * Funny and intelligently written * Family Circle * One to get your teeth -- or claws -- into * Daily Mirror * A 21st century Brief Encounter * Choice Magazine *