This is the latest novel from Cathy Bramley and is in fact a whole novel, not being released in parts as some of her previously novels have been. Cathy Bramley novels are for reading in one fell swoop, preferably in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and a biscuit to accompany you!
Jo, Sarah and Carrie meet at a funeral wake and form an unlikely bond. Jo is a strong single determined female who is trying to prove something to her father and herself by saving the families footwear business.
Carrie is bored. A housewife with a habit for the biscuit tin, the cake tin, the chocolate tin and with self-esteem issues she does not feel she fits in anywhere.
Sarah is trying to be the perfect mother, the perfect wife and the perfect accountant. Juggling all three is not going to work forever.
When they meet in rather humourous circumstances they form this bond where they share their wishes. Trouble is they are not sharing the truth as well. Jo needs to overcome her vertigo, Carrie wants to lose weight and Sarah wants to be made a partner in the accountancy firm.
However it seems that by not sharing the truth with each other and themselves, they will find themselves in a difficult position to achieve what they really want.
Whilst there is romance in this novel, this is really about forging friendships both new and old and overcoming many hang ups and worries and living life to the full. Of course there is a happy ending, but actually all the happy endings are not necessarily the ones that I as a reader was expecting or what the three women planned. That is what makes this a delightful book to read.
Cathy Bramley is fast becomingĀ one of my favourite authors up there with Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley. If you know these authors then you know what you are going to get from Bramley.
I look forward to more of her work.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC of this novel.
White Lies and Wishes is out on 27 Jan 2017.
The Book Jotter 