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Overview
Nothing scares Tessa King more than the thought she will never have children. It doesn't matter how good her life is, and it is, it never feels good enough. She has four godchildren and dozens of friends, yet love eludes her. She knows how good a mother she could be, if only she had the chance. And then one terrible day she does, and Tessa learns firsthand that life on the other side of that white picket fence is more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
Heartwarming, funny, and genuine, The Godmother speaks to anyone who has wondered about the next step and reminds us that happily-ever-after is just the beginning of the story.
Synopsis
Tessa King is the perpetual Godmother: Godmother to six of her friends' children, but no children of her own. While she had always been content with her role as uber-Godmother, she's now ready for a family of her own. There's only one problem: the man she's in love with is married to someone else. As Tessa becomes more involved in her godchildren's lives, she quickly realizes that parenting isn't always giggles and cuddling: it's a life-long contract and you never get to read the small print. She witnesses first-hand that babies can drive their parents apart, children can be very sick, and seemingly overnight a loving little boy can turn into a dope-smoking, foul-mouthed truant. Is Tessa really ready to become a mother—to give up a life that her friends truly envy?
Publishers Weekly
While 30-something Londoner Tessa King questions her no-strings-attached lifestyle, she also witnesses her friends' difficulties in marriage and parenthood while playing godmother to their broods. Nick and Francesca battle to keep their sullen teenager out of serious trouble; Billy, a single mom, can't break ties to her now remarried ex-; Helen and Neil, fairy tale parents to twin boys, are hiding something; successful Claudia and Al struggle to conceive; and Ben and Sasha have no plans to have children. But Ben also happens to be Tessa's best friend, and perhaps the love of her life. When tragedy eventually strikes the group, bonds are tested, and Tessa is forced to re-examine what she thinks will really make her happy. A painful look into the fears, doubts and desires that make and break marriages, this debut novel from Londoner Adams is notches up from the usual chick and mom lit fare. (Sept.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Adriana Trigiani
"Book clubs rejoice! We’ve got a winner! ...brilliant, funny, and human ...I loved it."In Style UK
"Carrie Adams eschews the traditional happy-ever-after in this witty and realistic take on modern life."Marie Claire (UK)
"A lively fusion of chick lit and mummy lit . . . great."Good Housekeeping
"A punchily written page-turner."Publishers Weekly
While 30-something Londoner Tessa King questions her no-strings-attached lifestyle, she also witnesses her friends' difficulties in marriage and parenthood while playing godmother to their broods. Nick and Francesca battle to keep their sullen teenager out of serious trouble; Billy, a single mom, can't break ties to her now remarried ex-; Helen and Neil, fairy tale parents to twin boys, are hiding something; successful Claudia and Al struggle to conceive; and Ben and Sasha have no plans to have children. But Ben also happens to be Tessa's best friend, and perhaps the love of her life. When tragedy eventually strikes the group, bonds are tested, and Tessa is forced to re-examine what she thinks will really make her happy. A painful look into the fears, doubts and desires that make and break marriages, this debut novel from Londoner Adams is notches up from the usual chick and mom lit fare. (Sept.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationLibrary Journal
Tessa King is godmother to four children but desperately wants to be married and have her own family. At least she thinks she does. She's really not sure whether she's ready to give up a swinging London social life full of one-night stands, and, anyway, the man she's been in love with since they were teens is already married. And when she takes a careful look around at her married friends, Tessa begins to see that they aren't living such perfect lives: Neil cheats on Helen, who is exhausted from having twins; Fran and Nick's teenage son is doing drugs; Claudia and Al have lost another pregnancy; and single mom Billy struggles desperately to make ends meet. But when tragedy strikes the group of friends, Tessa gets the chance at what she might want most. This heavy-handed British soap opera is overstuffed with too many characters and overdramatic subplots yet remains unsatisfying. For larger public libraries where British women's fiction is popular.
—Rebecca Vnuk