For Once In My Life

This was George. She recognised him, although she had never met him. All around were people pressing into him, shouting over him, jostling him, and he stood there, looking at her, completely and utterly familiar. She was shocked, because of that jolt of recognition. But at the same time she was reassured. He was exactly as she knew he would be. Tess and George are soul mates. They’ve just never met each other. They both live in London. They went to the same university. But throughout their twenties, despite their shared friends’ best efforts, they never come face to face. And now they’re stuck with partners who don’t understand them and jobs that make them unhappy, always settling for second best. Finally they meet at a friend’s thirtieth birthday party. Can they disentangle themselves from their former lives and grab hold of their one chance to be together? Or is it too late? For Once in My Life is a love story that teeters on the edge of disaster. It’s about whether it’s better to compromise—or to wait for your soul mate.

About the Author :
Marianne Kavanagh has worked on a number of UK magazines, including Woman, Tatler and the Telegraph’s Saturday magazine. She joined the launch team of Marie Claire, where she became deputy editor, before leaving to spend more time with her family. Since then, as a freelance editor and feature writer, Marianne has contributed to a wide variety of newspapers, magazines and websites, including the Telegraph, Mail, Guardian, Marie Claire, Easy Living, MyDaily and Red. She writes a weekly column, `Surviving Teenagers’, for the parenting site Parentdish. She lives in London.

Review :
'Funny and heart-warming, this is a superb debut novel and readers will, without doubt, look forward to more from Marianne Kavanagh.' 'Kavanagh’s novel is superior chick lit: beautifully written, enlivened by witty and wise observation.' `[A] witty, summer-fresh debut.’ 'This book is fantastic. It’s hilarious, poignant and profound by turns; most of all, it’s unpretentious. Unlike so many novels it just wants to tell you a lovely story. It’s not about how clever the author is nor is it all style over substance. But precisely because of that it’s both clever and stylish anyway... Adorable.' 'The charming and summery first novel from columnist Marianne Kavanagh. This human story of love’s near-misses centres around Tess and George, whose eventual (inevitable) meeting is cleverly delineated to call sentimental notions of soul mates into question.' 'Kavanagh keeps the reader guessing: will this quietly witty romp end in Brief Encounter style self-denial, or in self-indulgence in the manner of Anna Karenina (aka disaster)? The subject of soulmates is close to every woman’s heart and this author’s lightness of touch masks her skill at skewering appalling people. An enjoyable holiday read for all ages.' '[An] adorable, life-affirming romance...Satirical but sweet at the same time, it’s a dazzling debut.'