The Great Escape by Fiona Gibson

The Great Escape by Fiona Gibson
Buy The Great Escape by Fiona Gibson at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Women's Fiction
Reviewer: Jo Heffer
Summary: Hannah is getting married in two weeks and, although she knows it should be the happiest day of her life, she's starting to feel a bit wobbly. She needs to get away for a while and where better to head to than Glasgow, the scene of her happy student days, and with Sadie and Lou, her two oldest friends. They're all set for a weekend of partying, some honest talk and one or two surprises as well.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 400	Date: February 2012
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 9781847562609
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Hannah, Sadie and Lou have all known each other since their student days in Glasgow. That was thirteen years ago and since then, although they have kept in touch, they have not seen as much of each other as they would have liked. Sadie is married to Barney and is the mother of twin babies. She is trying to adjust to life in a country village and to fit in with all the other young mums who always appear to do things so much better than her. Lou lives in York with Spike, her boyfriend since college days. She has had to put her dreams of being a jewellery designer on hold while she supports herself and Spike (who does very little) by working in a soft play barn. She often thinks that there must be more to life but does not have the courage to break free. Hannah loves her fiancé, Ryan, but finds the open hostility from her future stepchildren hard to take and this is the reason why the imminent wedding is so daunting. They all need some time out which is why the others jump at Hannah's suggestion of a weekend away visiting their old student haunts.

What follows is a very enjoyable and fun weekend with lots of girlie chats, memories and soul searching. There's also a surprise meeting with a face from the past. The women are all surprised to learn that each others' lives are not quite as rosy as they might have believed but are also able to provide lots of advice. But, what about the men they have left at home? Is Barney coping with the babies? Is Ryan coping with his ex-wife? And what are Spike's ulterior motives for wanting Lou to be away this weekend? It's great the way the story moves between the girls' weekend away and what is happening in each of their respective homes.

This was the first of Fiona Gibson's book that I have read and I loved it. It has a lovely relaxed style that hooks you in and makes you want to read for. She has created some wonderful characters and I really enjoyed the bond between the three friends. They, and their respective partners, all felt very real to me and I liked them all which is an important aspect of my enjoyment. I could easily have joined them for their Glasgow weekend.

Each woman has her own fascinating story to follow and these were all interwoven perfectly. Although this is essentially a light read, there were some more thought-provoking themes such as trust in relationships, the demands of motherhood and the tricky territory of step parenting. Overall it is a book that is warm hearted and fun and immensely readable. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you like the sound of this, why not take a look at he Prodigal Sister by Laura Elliott

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