Emily Barr: Plan B

Life is ticking along sweetly for Emma, mother of 2-year-old Alice, and partner of Matt. They live happily in Brighton and Matt commutes to his London job.

Then Matt decides they should move to a farmhouse in the south of France. Emily's not that keen — but she's so smitten with Matt, she'll do anything to keep him happy.

So France it is, and Matt continues commuting to his job in London, coming home for weekends.

The house needs a heap of work done. Still, Emma's prepared to nut it out. She's the obliging sort, not one to go making a fuss. Plus her daughter and the builders keep her busy.

It's just a shame that such a nice woman as Emma has shacked up with such a rotten scoundrel whose reason for commuting is to lead a double life with wife Jo and 2-year-old son Oliver. In London Matt is Hugh and he justifies his lying ways by telling himself he is not one of life's natural bastards, lamely setting himself a deadline of a year to sort his life out.

Using Emma as the narrator, and relating Hugh and Jo's life as a commentary person, Barr allows readers to make the same Channel commute between the two homes.

Of course, this cheating man gets tangled in his web of lies and Matt (or is it Hugh?) has to face the mess he has created for his extended but definitely not blended family.

Plan B is hatched as Barr sensitively addresses the issues facing Emma — being alone after a two-timing partner leaves, and the realities of the dream so many people have of moving to a foreign country. This lively, dark-humoured book will have you ensconsed on the couch as it delivers more twists of plot than any year in Provence.

* Donna McIntyre is a Herald sub-editor.
* Review, $36.99