This May’s all mothers and mistakes. Music and murder. And a bottle of Moscato.
Florence doesn’t particularly like Alfie. Loads of reasons … but mostly because he bullies her son, Dylan. But when Alfie disappears on a school trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect, this former 2000s girlband member, who’s been moping around West London broke, single, and unfulfilled, needs to get her act together, find the missing boy and clear her son’s name. Not that she has any detective skills. All The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman swings from hysterically funny to nail-biting suspenseful to heartbreaking … with a great twist, and a flawed heroine you can’t help but loving. Harper Collins UK
Temz has bags of confidence. She embraces her size 26 body, her marketing career is on fire, and she has a thriving plantfluencer side hustle. But her love life? Not so great. So when a sexy tech entrepreneur slides into her DMs looking for plant care advice, she doesn’t waste any time … and soon there’s a sizzling long-distance digital flirtation growing roots. But … she commits the cardinal online sin, tells a fib in a bout of self-doubt, and when she’s offered an opportunity to visit her hot digital flirts stomping ground, there’s going to be total chaos! Stephanie Yeboah’s romantic comedy Chaotic Energy is fabulously funny. Orion
Irresistibly fruity, all mouth-watering flavours of raspberry and strawberry with abundant notes of rose petal, this fruity, crisp, semi-sweet wine had soft bubbles and delicate effervescence. The Van Loveren Moscato Perlé Rosé is just perfect with salads, cold meats, or dishes with a hint of spice. It’s also wonderful on its own … sipped at sunset with a good book! Jolly well priced at around R56 or R335 a case from vanloveren.co.za
The first time Joe plays Percy one of his songs, she instantly realises three things. She’s with a star in the making. She can shape his music into something extraordinary. She’ll always be on the sidelines. Swallowing her jealousy, she throws herself into collaboration, transforming Joe’s songs into indie hits. There’s an undercurrent to the music they’re making … something electric. There’s love, and then almost inevitably, heartbreak. As Joe steps into the spotlight, can Percy bear to watch on in silence? And can he exist there without her? Talent, obsession, belonging … Holly Brickley’s Deep Cuts is tender and heartbreaking and uplifting. Harper Collins UK
Anna has lived in New York, had a long-term boyfriend, and had The Best Job In The World – working as a highly successful beauty PR. The dream life. According to everyone else. So why, then, is she back in Dublin, living with her parents. She’s 48, with no partner, no job, no direction. She’s lost her purpose and needs a new challenge to help her fall back in love with life again. When an opportunity arises to solve a PR crisis in the tiny town of Maumtully, Anna leaps at the chance. But will the appearance of an old love interest derail her plans? Marian Keyes is one of fave authors … My Favourite Mistake is such a fab read. Penguin
Annie is 37 weeks pregnant, shopping for a crib. She’s not having a good day. In fact, she’s not having a brilliant life. She was meant to be the next Tennessee Williams, not staring at spreadsheets on a computer screen. She and her husband sleep on a mattress on the floor and she’ll probably die before paying off the credit card she’s about to use, again, to pay for the crib. Mid-argument with a sales assistant, an earthquake hits, devastating half of the West Coast. Tilt by Emma Pattee is the funny, terrifying story of Annie, trying to walk back to her husband … the story of putting off dreams and about what makes us keep moving forward. Harper Collins UK
Ali isn’t having a brilliant 40th birthday. She’s had a run-in with the wife of the colleague she’s been sleeping with, and been brushed off by the celeb comedian she’s supposed to recruit to host a new radio show. Set in the world of comedy in London, Julia Raeside’s debut novel Don’t Make Me Laugh is about power, control, manipulation and gendered roles in the workplace and private lives. Balancing anger and humour, It’s about how women are set up in competition with each other … and it’s a story about fighting back. Bedford Square
More book club reads to look out for …
The Ex Effect by Jo Watson – An unsexy first time with her first boyfriend. Sexually cursed. Disastrous dating. Now a second chance with a hot location agent. Could Ash’s life – well, her sex life – about to improve dramatically. Loads of fun. Headline
Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch – A scholarship kid with straight As and big dreams, Evie Gordon always thought she’d be someone. But being someone at the heart of a nationwide manhunt wasn’t what she had in mind. Which is where she finds herself after walking into a murder scene, and finding herself a suspect and fugitive. Orion
For these and more brilliant book club reads, visit exclusivebooks.co.za
