Chick lit: July 17

Book cover of Spinning Out by Christine Darcas. Photo / Supplied

Spinning Out by Christine Darcas
Hachette, $38.99
Just when you think life is going to be lived happily ever after for 33-year-old American woman Ginny, her newfound happiness in Australia with new husband Lachlan comes crashing down when he is killed in a crash. Ginny is left with a new baby and her friend puts a call through to Ginny's estranged mum to come out from the US to help her grieving daughter pick up life's pieces. But that requires some soul searching from both mother and daughter, aided by some dance lessons, which offer an escape from memories and the pain. A bit slow at times but moving.

The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller
Bloomsbury, $35
A book about a play and its effect on four people involved with it, some directly and others on the periphery. All four carry life's weight on their shoulders, dealing with regret and guilt about choices. The play is written by Billy, whose boyfriend Gus died in one of the planes on 9/11. Then there is Gus' older sister Leslie, the lead actor Rafe, and Sam, who watches the play and falls for Billy. At times you feel, as a reader, that you too are watching the play through the book's many characters. Quite haunting.

In Office Hours by Lucy Kellaway
Fig Tree, $35
The message I get from Lucy Kellaway's "gripping unputdownable novel" (according to the cover) about oil company senior exec Stella and PA Bella is that it's okay to sleep with your married boss or your junior colleague, as long as you don't screw up at work while conducting your affairs. Maybe I'm not corporate-savvy enough, but I found these workplace affairs rather tedious. Plus I kept getting Stella and Bella mixed up â€" when I wasn't yawning.

Love & Other U-Turns by Louisa Deasey
Allen & Unwin, $38.99
Lou turns her back on Melbourne life to go bush with Australia's rudest, crudest comedian, Jimbo. Travelling in a dusty Mazda, they visit the Outback, pubs in the goldfields, go up north and to the eastern seaboard. Stick along for the ride as it's not only an entertaining trip through parts of Australia you'll never see in the travel ads, it's also a journey through Lou and Jimbo's relationship and how they can make do on next to nothing.

After the Party by Lisa Jewell
Century $38.99
Jem and Ralph have the kind of marriage their friends admire. And then they split up. Funny how a couple of kids, groceries, work, cooking and cleaning can take the gloss off a happy relationship. Why have they split â€" and can they get back together again? Do they actually want to? I won't ruin the ending, as the enjoyment is in living life through the pages with the once-happy couple's two halves. Very true to life.