I was fortunate to win a signed copy of ‘Strictly Between Us’ by Jane Fallon from Curtis Brown Books. ‘Strictly Between Us’ is published by Penguin on 14th January 2016. It is available to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Tamsin has been best friends with Michelle since their school days and when she hears rumours that Michelle’s husband Patrick might be unfaithful to Michelle, she decides to see if these rumours are true. Unfortunately, Tamsin has just, somewhat accidentally, had a brief sexual encounter with Patrick herself. Asking her work assistant Bea to help find out what Patrick is up to is not necessarily Tamsin’s wisest move.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. There is a first person conversational tone that speaks directly to the reader as if the characters are friend sharing secrets so that I was engaged with the writing from the opening line. There’s also real humour  and I found myself smiling and laughing at many of the phrases. One element that is a triumph is the natural nature of the dialogue, especially that between Tamsin and Adam.

Divided into five parts like a traditional play, the first concentrates on Tasmin, but then Bea plays a wider role in the story and there are some unexpected and clever plot twists that are very entertaining. It kept making me think of Scott’s ‘What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive’. I kept telling myself I’d just read a couple of pages, only to find an hour had passed as I was engrossed in the narrative. I couldn’t wait to see how it would all end.

The author’s background in television lends an authenticity to the story that, whilst lighthearted, makes it totally credible. Indeed, I’d love to see ‘Strictly Between Us’ made into a rom-com film.

‘Strictly Between Us’ is a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable story. It’s the perfect read for a holiday, a wet winter’s afternoon and a duvet day.

You can read more about Jane Fallon on her web site, follow her on Twitter and on Facebook