Not Quite Perfect
Sometimes having it all isn’t enough…Emma has everything she’s ever wanted. Her boyfriend’s just proposed and her career has finally taken off. And so what if her latest client just happens to be downright gorgeous? She’s getting married. Isn’t she?Rachel’s married with 2.4 children (well, actually, 3) and life is all about trying to leave the house in a non-stained top. Once it was about skinny cappuccinos, cocktails and dynamic ad agency meetings. She wants her old life back, but can it ever be the same?A gripping and laugh out loud story of two sisters and how often you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.Don't miss Annie Lyons' new novel: Life or Something Like It out now!What readers are saying about Not Quite Perfect'a humorous, lighthearted read' - Fiona's Book Reviews'A great holiday read!' - Jill Steeples, author of Let's Call the Whole Thing Off'Not Quite Perfect is such a page turner… I couldn’t put this book down and found myself crying with both laughter and sadness at this touching and thought-provoking story.' - Bookaholic Confessions'Not Quite Perfect is a mixture of heart warming situations and light comedy. I found myself having a giggle and thinking ‘that’s so like my family’, on several occasions and that was nice and refreshing. Also, I will admit that I even cried in a few places because it pulled on my heart strings so much.' - A Book and a Tea'Not Quite Perfect is a great title for this book. The writing is bubbly and vivid and very entertaining. It’s a story about trying to find out what is important in life and also that live can’t be perfect all the time.' - Sky's Book Corner
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Sometimes having it all isnât enoughâ¦
Emma has everything sheâs ever wanted. Her boyfriendâs just proposed and her career has finally taken off. And so what if her latest client just happens to be downright gorgeous? Sheâs getting married. Isnât she?
Rachelâs married with 2.4 children (well, actually, 3) and life is all about trying to leave the house in a non-stained top. Once it was about skinny cappuccinos, cocktails and dynamic ad agency meetings. She wants her old life back, but can it ever be the same?
A sparkling, funny tale of two sisters and how often you donât know what youâve got until itâs gone.
Not Quite Perfect
Annie Lyons
After leaving university, ANNIE LYONS decided that she ârather liked booksâ and got a job as a bookseller on Charing Cross Road, London. Two years later she left the retail world and continued rather liking books during an eleven-year career in publishing. Following redundancy in 2009 she realised that she would rather like to write books and having undertaken a creative writing course, lots of reading and a bit of practice she produced Not Quite Perfect. She now realises that she loves writing as much as coffee, not as much as her children and a bit more than gardening. She has since written another novel and is about to start work on her third. She lives in a house in south-east London with her husband and two children. The garden is somewhat overgrown. One day she hopes to own a chocolate-brown Labrador named John and have tea with Mary Berry.
Big thanks to my early readers for their insightful comments and huge encouragement: Gill Mclay, Viv Peters, Heather Williams, Fiona Veacock, Sarah Livingston, Jenice Collins, Jane Clements, Mary Vacher and Lisa Stevens.
Thanks to Sally Williamson, Nicky Lovick and all at Carina for their support and enthusiasm, and to Jenny Hutton for putting me in touch with them. Thanks also to Charlotte Robertson.
Many thanks to Chris Cleave for allowing me to use the phrase âangels and tigersâ from his brilliant novel, Incendiary.
Heartfelt thanks to my mum and dad for instilling in me a great love of books.
Finally, special thanks to Lily and Alfie for being a daily source of inspiration and to Rich for never allowing me to give up.
For Rich
Contents
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2013
Copyright © Annie Peters 2013
Annie Peters asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © June 2013 ISBN: 9781472017123
Version date: 2018-06-20
Chapter 1
Emma Darcy wakes to the brain-imploding sensation of another hangover and wishes she had more self-control. She opens one eye and, finding the prospect of daylight nauseating, closes it again and rolls over with a groan. She wants the duvet to comfort her, to wrap its arms around her and cure her but all it is doing is making her feel sweaty and restless. She glances at the empty space next to her and moves into it, breathing in the musty aroma of man. She can already hear said man, also known as her fiancé Martin, in the shower, cheerfully murdering a Stevie Wonder song. She pulls the pillow over her head and prays for sleep or death or both.
The volume of the singing gets louder as Martin makes his way back into the bedroom and flings open the curtains. Ignoring her protests, he pries the pillow from her face and kisses her forehead. She opens one eye and attempts a weak smile. It doesnât feel good.
âWake up, Bungle Bonce. Itâs gone eleven and weâve got to be at your parentsâ in an hour.â
âNnnnnnnngâ is the only sound Emma can make.
âSomeone should have stopped after that first bottle of champagne, shouldnât they?â grins Martin, running a hand through his dark brown hair, still wet from the shower.
