Women's fiction has gained with the reprint of a tale which was originally published in 2004. THE ONE YOU REALLY WANT starts at Christmas when Nancy Adams and her best friend Carmen, both comfortably off, are unhappy despite their means. Nancy's in Edinburgh where her husband Jonathan has just given her a different present to the jewellery she is sure he purchased. Is there another woman? Not wanting to ruin Christmas for her widowed mother Rose who is staying, Nancy bites her tongue.

Carmen Todd, in London, is widowed and leading a quiet life. Her brother in law Rennie Todd, a rock singer who likes to go around incognito, calls to keep her company. Instead of letting her volunteer at the homeless shelter two days running, he insists on bringing her up to Edinburgh after Nancy's panicky phone call. Carmen's friend needs support. Thanks to Rennie, Nancy is able to establish the truth. Now what?

Connor O'Shea lives next door to Carmen in Chelsea, a posh part of London. Although he's made a mint from a chain of gyms for people who would rather socialise than lift weights, he's alone too until his vivacious teen daughter Mia arrives from Donegal. Connor's never even spoken to Carmen, who doesn't mix with her neighbours. That's about to change.

One of my favourite characters is Rose, the resourceful, forceful lady who sees no reason for her life to cease being interesting because she is widowed. Her local library gets her on the internet and she copes wonderfully with navigating the Tube system. Rose has been knitting expertly for years, but only in London does she find someone who really appreciates her skill.

If you enjoy a multi-stranded story about life, love and second chances, Jill Mansell's tale will keep you reading. No easy answers are presented; nobody instantly finds the right person for them. THE ONE YOU REALLY WANT may be just around the corner. Jill Mansell who lives in the south of England has sold over ten million copies of her books, with sixteen previous titles. The best thing about discovering a new author is that you can read all their books and pick a favourite. THE ONE YOU REALLY WANT will make a lot of friends.

Book Summary

A funny, heartfelt novel about second chances at love from beloved bestseller Jill Mansell

When it comes to love, never say never

When Nancy discovers the expensive jewelry her husband's been buying isn't for her, she decamps from the Scottish countryside to her best friend Carmen's posh Chelsea town house to sort things out.

Nancy finds herself in a surprising new world, where rock stars are nicer than you thought, social workers are not necessarily to be trusted, and the filthy rich are folks with problems just like you. Everybody falls in love with the wrong people, and the path to true love twists and turns before you discover who you really want.