To the moon and back (by Jill Mansell)

(Amazon UK link)

I had read three of Jill Mansell’s novels, initially recommended by a friend, and was surprised to like them all better than I had expected to, despite unappealing covers. But not enough that I added more of her books to my wishlist, or went out of my way to look for them. However when I saw ‘To the moon and back’ at a church book sale, with a very appealing cover, it was not a difficult decision to spend fifty cents to buy it.

I’ve just finished it, rather more quickly than I intended to, having only started it on Friday night. It’s a bit depressing at first. We meet Ellie, happily married to the delightful Jamie, her soulmate who even does her ironing. I knew from the blurb on the back that tragedy was going to overtake them rather quickly - so I didn’t at all enjoy the first couple of chapters, which ended with a grieving Ellie, and her father-in-law Tony.

Tony is a famous actor who mostly lives in the United States, but Jamie was his only son and he’s very fond of Ellie. So their paths cross fairly regularly, and when he realises what a state her apartment building is in, he offers to buy himself a much nicer flat, for her to caretake.

As she moves slowly through the first stages of grief, she realises that she doesn’t like being treated like a widow, with people worried about what they can say. So she isn’t very forthcoming about the unhappy end to her marriage. She makes friends with a neighbour known as Roo who was once - briefly - a well-known singer, and is now involved in an adulterous relationship.

Ellie is also persuaded to apply for another job, nearer to her new home, where nobody knows her circumstances. What she doesn’t know is that her new boss, Zack, is excessively attracted to her. Zack is a very likeable young man, with a part share in a boisterous dog, and a great sense of humour. He’s a well-off and successful businessman, and his previous PAs have been middle-aged and comfortably built. So his girlfriend Louisa is suspicious of the younger and rather attractive Ellie… but Ellie is not interested in Zack.

There are some caricatured people in this book; I couldn’t believe in Roo, for instance, nor in the sudden transformation she goes through when she realises how much she has hurt other people. She doesn’t just make amends, she goes overboard into self-sacrifice and minimalism. I’m not sure if it was intended to be humorous; it felt more as if she were making a deliberate martyr of herself in an exaggerated way to make a point.

However, I liked Ellie very much, and Zack too. They feel realistic, and three-dimensional, not caught up in materialism and one-upmanship, but enjoying ordinary activities such as playing with children, and walking dogs. Ellie’s father-in-law Tony is a nice guy, as well, as is Todd, who was Jamie’s best friend, although Ellie does not want to see him at first after the accident.

In the first part of the book there was perhaps a tad too much introspection, but by the time I was half-way through it was difficult to put down. The main story works well, two people hiding their attraction to each other, regularly missing out on opportunities to get together, and the interaction with side stories and other characters is also skilfully done, weaving together an enjoyable ‘chick-lit’ novel.

Recommended if you like light women’s fiction. ‘To the moon and back’ would make a good holiday read.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews