Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson
Published by: Quercus (21st July 2011)
Received a copy for review from the publisher, thank you.
The blurb:
What do you do if
you’re 34, single and recovering from being jilted two weeks before your
wedding day? This is the dilemma Gilly Brown finds herself in. While
friends are marrying, having children and moving into the depths of the
countryside, Gilly finds herself alone in London and holding on to her
fractured family with their tragic past.
It’s time to meet new people. So, she decides to get a Monday to
Friday lodger, and after a succession of alarming interviews finally
finds the perfect one in the shape of handsome reality television
producer Jack Baker. Gilly falls for Jack’s charm and is transported
into an exciting social whirlwind of parties, dining out and glamour.
When Jack is introduced to Gilly’s family and friends, it’s only the
attractive and eccentric Guy, the newest recruit to her dog-walking
group, who isn’t quite so convinced about Jack’s intentions. As Guy
watches them grow closer, his suspicions of Jack and his feelings for
Gilly deepen. Is Jack so perfect after all… and what exactly does he get
up to at the weekends?
Why you would love this:
Introducing, my new favourite author, Alice Peterson! Whooooo! I adored By My Side so I knew I had to read Alice's previous ones. So I was really lucky to be given the chance to review her previous books, which were published by Alice, Monday to Friday Man and Ten Years On (review to come!).
Monday to Friday Man follows the story of Gilly Brown, a thirty-four year old Londoner whose fiancé dumped her two weeks before her wedding. Single and unsure of what to do, she is torn between moving to the country to have a peaceful life, or staying put in London, with her dog Ruskin and her dog-walking friends. Upon hearing about the "Monday to Friday" lodger, she gives it a go and handsome television producer, Jack Baker comes knocking on her door. But the question that bothers Gilly is: What does he get up to on weekends?
I hope you don't mind if I gush because I would. I seriously would love to gush about Monday to Friday Man. Please? Yep. You MUST read Monday to Friday Man. Don't let the cover fool you, my friend. It might look like a light, fluffy feel-good book, but no. It isn't. It's much deeper than that. You know why? Because the story is divided into two parts, pinging back and forth, one, written from Gilly's perspective in the present and the other is written from Gilly's perspective as a child, growing up at home, having to deal with the fall out between her family after the death of her young sister, who was gone too soon.
Right from the beginning, I was already rooting for Gilly, mainly because Alice has a knack for creating heroines who you will grow to adore and possibly want to befriend them. Well, in case you're wondering, I've got loads of fictional best friends. I felt like I understood Gilly because she has gone through so much and yet she has so much to live for, sans her pathetic ex-fiancé. My favourite character aside from Gilly has to be Gloria, her neighbour with a sassy, full of life attitude. Think Julie Walters.
I loved Monday to Friday Man. It was a perfect blend between a light-hearted plot and an emotional one. I really enjoyed reading about Gilly's blossoming friendship with one of her friends, Guy. I was also intrigued by Jack's mysterious disappearance on weekends and Monday to Friday Man was such a fabulous book to read over the weekend. I was torn between reading it and watching Andy Murray's match, so you had to understand my dilemma.
Verdict:
The moment of truth. I absolutely adored it. It was purely enjoyable from the start and I was hooked the minute I flipped the first page. It might be a bit heartbreaking, especially when you read about Gilly's past, but it only made me want to reach out to her more. Incredibly well-written with little bursts of poignancy which will compel you to keep flipping the pages till the very end!
Monday to Friday Man definitely deserves a spot in my special cabinet next to my bed. I can't recommend it highly enough and it was such a privilege to have read it. I guess after reading this and Ten Years On, it was evident that I will be looking forward to read Alice Peterson's upcoming books.
Rating: 5/5
JENNIFER GARNER as Gilly
Ooh, I had the strongest feeling that Jennifer would be the perfect Gilly!
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