I Give It A Year: A moving and emotional story about love and second chances...

A timely novel; a lot of relationships face difficulties at this time of year so it's very easy to empathise. Iris and Adam work as a team at parenting; with both holding down full time jobs it takes two to organise the kids and their activities but when Iris discovers Adam has been cheating on her she immediately kicks him out. With no way of covering the kids on her own, she asks her Dad to help out. He does the best he can but when he shows signs of Alzheimer's, Iris is aware that she's going to have to care for him too. When she begins to understand that perhaps Adam wasn't the only one who taking things for granted, she wonders if they can make amends? So far this year I've read mostly thrillers so this was like a breath of fresh air. Not only a good story - but a very realistic one too. Most of us are so busy taking care of everything we need to keep the ball rolling that it's not a case of forgetting to put the effort into our relationship but more a matter of being too shattered at the end of the day. This is a very touching tale, and one which will resonate with a lot of readers. As someone who has been a single parent, I really identified with Iris and all she had to deal with on a daily basis. Helen Whitaker has her finger on the pulse and I think this will be a popular novel as it is one full of honest, unpredictable scenarios all of which are dealt with in a sensible and straightforward way. Well written and skilfully crafted, this has made me aware of the author's work and I shall be keeping an eye out for future novels. Recommended to those who appreciate honest, original writing and one I'm very happy to give four stars.