Yesterday's Friends (by Pamela Evans)

(Amazon UK link)

I don't know anything about Pamela Evans, but the book looked interesting and I found it on a discount stall, so I thought I'd try it.

'Yesterday's friends' is a gentle London saga revolving around Ruth. She had dreams of university as a teenager, but became pregnant after one night of passion with a boy who then moved to Australia.

Ruth's family look after her, and she manages to land a good job in a pharmacy. When the owner retires, she falls in love with the new owner and is happy and successful for a while.

Eventually, however, the new owner's true flighty character is revealed. Old friends rally round, and Ruth survives a series of difficult problems before emerging with her heart's desire.

A pleasant read, believable for the most part, although some of the minor characters (such as Ruth's thug-like twin brothers) are rather caricatured.