Girl in a Spin by Clodagh Murphy

Girl in a Spin by Clodagh Murphy
Buy Girl in a Spin by Clodagh Murphy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Women's Fiction
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: The nanny and the politician fall in love, but is it going to be possible to spin her to the country?
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 400	Date: March 2011
Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1444705140
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Jenny Hannigan might look like the original good-time party girl but all she really wants out of life is a settled home and family – mainly because that's what she's never had. So when she begins a relationship with Richard Allam she dares to hope that the dreams might be coming true. Richard is young, good-looking and leader of Her Majesty's opposition. He has high hopes of becoming Prime Minister after the next election. Jenny isn't exactly the ideal mate for someone who expects to be the next Prime Minister and as Richard has only recently separated from his wife Jenny is going to take some selling to the country. Enter publicist Dev Tennant whose job is to make the country fall in love with Jenny.

OK – you're going to have to suspend disbelief for a little while. People do not get to be leader of the opposition unless they're totally manipulative, think of their image morning, noon and night and never breathe without first considering how it will affect their personal ratings. They're not human enough to get involved with anyone as genuine as Jenny. Right – you've put that out of your mind? Great - because now we're into a good story.

Jenny loves Richard to bits. She'd do anything for him and he does seem to be very fond of her. He still needs – and wants – to spend time with his sons, but that's understandable even if it wouldn't do his image any good to appear to abandon them. The election campaign takes quite a hefty slice of him too and Jenny understands that she can't see as much of him as she'd like. They're 'coming out' (think Charles and Camilla) as a couple and Jenny's happy to bide her time in the belief that they'll be together after the election. She doesn't want to appear clingy, either.

I loved Jenny. She has a following of stalkers who've formed a support group to get themselves over her. Some of the basic instincts learned as a child – always take advantage of free food – are still with her and surface at the most unfortunate moments. She's a genuine friend and her two (male) flat mates come high on her list of priorities – even if they're not likely to be number ten material either. Jenny's got no side to her. She's genuine and it's the contrast between the genuine woman who gets on well with the kids from the sink estates and the politicians you wouldn't trust as far as you could throw that makes for such a great story.

I read it over the course of a day. It's not great literature but it is an engaging story and I enjoyed it. I'd like to thank Clodagh Murphy for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then we think that you might enjoy This Charming Man by Marian Keyes.

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