There’s something about summer that makes me want to read highly improbable and highly prosaic chick-lit. It’s comfortingly predictable and perfect for a bit of smoochy escapism. Written by old friends and brand new writing duo Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice, The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me is a tale of friendship, love and missed opportunities. That’s right people, we’re going down the rom-com/chick-lit route.
Fast-forward to the 2010’s and Holly isn’t globetrotting. Instead, she’s a PA in London conducting a secret relationship with her hot boss Richard; Alex on the other hand decides to leave the suffocating stagnation of life in Yorkshire and takes a teaching post in a tough London school. The pair meet up again but can things ever go back to the way they were?
This book is dual narration, with chapters alternating between Alex and Holly (Jimmy and Laura writing the viewpoints respectively). This can be a risky device but it worked really well, giving a thorough inside look at the two characters’ thoughts. That’s not to say that it feels like the book was written by two people, because it’s pretty seamless. The best thing about this narration was getting to read a male perspective from an actual male, which is an unsurprisingly rare feat in the chick-lit world. It’s generally the solo female authors who cover all bases.
The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me keeps you turning the pages, has good side characters who keep the story ticking along (especially Kev who is a bit of a loud-mouthed bastard but is nevertheless entertaining) and a nice level of humour which underpins everything.
A few little things niggled and puzzled me, such as Holly and Richard’s relationship which *potentially* felt more drawn out than it needed to be. Furthermore, the ending fell a tiny bit flat, purely because I’d built up an idea in my head of how it would be, i.e. sickeningly romantic and full of cheese that bears no resemblance to the reality of life - again, standard romance stuff - but instead it seemed to abruptly end with no real debrief. Not perfect then, but the good outweighs the slightly more dubious aspects.
I enjoyed the dynamics between the two main characters; you could tell that a real-life friendship between the authors helped them to craft an authentic relationship within the pages of the book. I really liked the fact that Alex wasn’t a stereotypical “fit” guy that usually graces the pages of romance books. He’s slim (not some ridiculously muscular Adonis), obsessed with germs and cleanliness, has a lot of self-doubt and is generally pretty anal. Am I selling him to you? Hopefully I am because he’s refreshingly different and has a warm, realistic depth.
Yes it’s predictable, yes there are clichés and yes the story isn’t anything new, but it’s an easy and fun summer read if you’re looking for something light and romantic. It’s got the pleasing twist of two authors and dual narration, it’s well written and it has interesting characters and interesting dynamics, so if chick-lit is your bag then give it a whirl.