My first Fiona Valpy and it certainly won’t be my last – I’m so excited to have discovered this wonderful writer at last.

I love books about friendship, and this must be up there among the best. Although it took me a while to settle into it, once the cast of characters began to build around ‘Average Jo’ I was enthralled, and wanted to know more about them.

Where do I start with this wonderful novel? With the sense of place and time, I guess, because it was so brilliant and what drew me in.

Oh my, what a book. I felt that tingle almost straight away, the one only a really special book gives you.

I’m a big fan of Rosanna Ley’s books and this was no exception; in fact, it’s one of my favourites. The characters are instantly believable, the descriptions sumptuous and the whole story is perfectly tensioned.