OK, so it had been a few years since I read my last chick-lit book (been there, done it, got over it .............) and I was frustrated that there were few books featuring sexy, grownup women. Women over 40 in popular fiction seem to be either chasing their youth or fighting to save their marriage from a younger version. Or they are divorced, finding themselves in gardening, letting their hair go grey and taking up creative crafts. Know what I mean?

Kate Benedict is in her 40s. Beautiful, successful and sexy. Her life isn't perfect - she's bringing up her brother's twins and love has not been a success story but she is focused on what she loves. Writing and the twins are her priorities and she fits everything else in around those. Her comfortable world is turned upside down by the arrival of Daniel, a young actor chosen to bring her most famous character to life.

And so the story begins ................


"He was quite simply the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Daniel Stanforth: actor, age 27, 6 feet tall, dark blue/grey eyes, thick dark brown curly hair. Fair skin, almost as smooth as a boy’s, high cheekbones and a gently curving mouth would have given him rather pretty look if it had not been for the eyes, which while almost perfectly shaped, held a powerful male sensuality. He could have been French or Italian, thought Kate with pleasure but the vowels were pure English public school though its dark tones reminded her of a Georgian baritone she had once dated. She wondered briefly if he could sing. It would be a fabulous voice. The contradictions were interesting, thought Kate. George Guest, sitting next to her, heard her sharp intake of breath as Daniel walked into the room and smiled. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, ‘I thought you would be impressed. Emma had done a really fabulous job on the casting – all the actors are an almost perfect fit – and to find this man at this late stage is nothing short of miraculous"