The Singalong Society for Singletons
‘A joyful, funny, feel-good story, packed with showtunes, romance and a wonderfully warm cast’ – Sunday Times Bestselling author, Miranda DickinsonA charming, feel good novel about the healing powers of friendship…and Frozen!Monique and Issy are teachers, housemates and lovers of musicals! Their Friday night routine consists of snacks, wine and the Frozen DVD. So when Monique’s boyfriend moves to America for a year and her sister Hope moves in because of her own relationship woes, Friday nights get a new name… ‘The Singalong Society for Singletons’!It’s a chance to get together, sing along to their favourite tracks from the best-loved West End shows, and forget the worries of work, relationships and love (or lack of it). But when Issy shares the details of their little group further afield, they get some unexpected new members who might just change their opinions on singledom for good….What readers are saying about The Singalong Society for Singletons:'A warm and charming novel full of heartfelt friendship, romance and humour…the perfect book to escape into with a huge mug of coffee and a comfy sofa’ – Kat French, author of ‘One Hot Summer’‘This year’s most charming romance…it will make your heart sing!’ Erin Lawless, bestselling author of ‘The Best Thing I Never Had’‘An irresistible feel-good read, that will have you singing and smiling with each joyful turn of the page’ Irish Times Bestseller, Carmel Harrington
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‘Magical and sparkly short stories, highly recommended’
Sky’s Book Corner
‘I’m so glad I picked this up, it’s gorgeous’
Rather Too Fond of Books
‘Swooning all the way through’
Reviewed the Book
‘An absolutely wonderful debut’
Little Northern Soul
‘Quirky, cute and utterly romantic’
Bestselling author Rebecca Raisin
‘Sweet, romantic, perfectly formed coffee break reads. I loved them’
Bestselling author Carmel Harrington
The Singalong Society for Singletons
KATEY LOVELL
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers
HarperImpulse an imprint of
HarperCollinsPublishers
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2016
Copyright © Katey Lovell 2016
Cover images © Shutterstock.com
Cover design by Books Covered
Katey Lovell 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.
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and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
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Ebook Edition © October 2016 ISBN: 9780008195465
Version 2016-08-31
For my lovely Mum. Thank you for everything.
Table of Contents
The Singalong Society for Singletons
Hope Brown
Monique Brown
Liam Holly
Isadora Jackson
Ray North
Connie Williams
Supporting Roles
Justin Crowson
Amara Lin
Wicked
Frozen
The Lion King
The Sound of Music
Grease
Chicago
West Side Story
South Pacific
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Les Misérables
Singing in the Rain
Fame
Rent
Oliver!
Walking On Sunshine
Mamma Mia
Mary Poppins
White Christmas
Shrek – The Musical
The Wizard of Oz
Last December – The Friday before Christmas
*Wicked – My choice*
I’ve always considered myself a modern woman. That’s why I’d planned to ask Justin to marry me that night.
It would have been a risk, me being the one to do the asking, because in many ways he’s an old-fashioned guy. A traditionalist – well-mannered, sweet, polite. But I’d been so sure that the time was right for our relationship to shift up a gear that I’d been willing to take the chance.
After all, we’d been together since our last year of secondary school. We must have passed each other in the corridors hundreds of times before that and we’d even been in the same maths class for a while, but we hadn’t exchanged so much as a word until that fateful April day in Year 11 as we waited to audition for the annual summer show. That year it had been Guys and Dolls and I’d had my heart set on the role of Sarah. Miss Adelaide might get the show-stopping numbers, but Sarah was quieter, calmer. Prim and proper, but determined beneath the façade. Truth be told, she was a lot like me.
I’d been nervously wringing my hands together as I waited to sing the audition piece of ‘I’ve Never Been in Love Before’. I can still recall the twisting sensation in my stomach, churning like one of those Slush Puppy machines at the seaside.
Justin had been sitting next to me and he’d seen how worried I was, how badly I’d wanted the role. Musicals were my ‘thing’ and if I was cast in a minor role or – heaven forbid – not at all, my confidence would be severely knocked. Justin had spoken to me in a tone that was immediately soothing, telling me I’d shine as Sarah. He’d been the perfect distraction, listening intently as I waffled on anxiously about how I thought I might throw up on my shoes. He didn’t recoil at that frank revelation, instead smiling reassuringly until it was my turn to perform on the makeshift stage in the sports hall that reeked of floor polish and sweaty feet.
Thanks to Justin I’d kept my cool, holding myself together to pull out a performance to be proud of – one that got me the very role I’d been coveting. I’d been over the moon.
In contrast, he hadn’t gone through with his audition in the end. Being as tone deaf as he was, it was probably a blessing. I’d never been a Brando fan, but even his version of ‘Luck Be a Lady’ was far superior to the adaptation Justin had mumbled under his breath as he sat next to me that day. At least Marlon got the words in the right order.
