Who Needs Men Anyway?: A perfect feel-good romantic comedy filled with sass
*The #1 Digital Bestseller!*‘Funny and poignant with a gloriously realistic cast of characters. I followed Charlotte's journey avidly, cheering her on all the way. An unputdownable read.’Rachel Burton, author of The Many Colours of UsDon’t get mad, get even…Thirty-something Charlotte’s Emsworth’s life is a sickeningly perfect round of charity events, hot yoga, and romantic gestures for sexy lawyer husband James. But, patiently waiting to get pregnant, Charlotte is bored. And when she’s bored, she has a tendency to meddle…First, it’s her personal trainer Megan’s cheating fiancé, then the gardener Sam’s wife’s ‘late nights at the office’. But soon the meddling, however well-intentioned, lands Charlotte in way over her head, and all the time spent ‘managing’ other people’s lives makes her blind to the cracks appearing in her own…Getting even is one thing, but what about getting happy?Perfect for fans of The First Wives Club…Readers love Victoria Cooke:“It had all the drama, laughs, twists, and touch of romance I love in a book”“Loved this book!”“Brilliant writing kept me enthralled to the end”“Loved this book , I could not put it down”“I think this is her best book yet!”“A fabulously fun and laugh out loud novel”
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Don’t get mad, get even . . .
Thirty-something Charlotte Emsworth’s life is a sickeningly perfect round of charity events, hot yoga, and romantic gestures for sexy lawyer husband James. But, patiently waiting to get pregnant, Charlotte is bored. And when she’s bored, she has a tendency to meddle . . .
First, it’s her personal trainer Megan’s cheating fiancé, then the gardener Sam’s wife’s ‘late nights at the office’. But soon the meddling, however well-intentioned, lands Charlotte in way over her head, and all the time spent ‘managing’ other people’s lives makes her blind to the cracks appearing in her own . . .
Getting even is one thing, but what about getting happy?
Perfect for fans of The First Wives Club . . .
Who Needs Men Anyway?
Victoria Cooke
ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018
Copyright © Victoria Cooke 2018
Victoria Cooke 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 © April 2018 ISBN: 9780008274580
Version: 2018-04-05
VICTORIA COOKE grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of her career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in hand, she loves working out in the gym and travelling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first novel in 2016.
This book is for my friends, my besties, my ‘Elmwood massive’ and my ‘club Oasis’ partners in crime. Cocktails are never the same without you.
Thank you for inspiring me with your crazy antics – your friendship rocks.
xxx
Contents
Valentine’s Day Last Year
I’m Charlotte, and I have a wonderful life.
The house, the cars, the clothes, and the man. What more could I want?
My husband, James, is quite the catch: successful, good-looking, and loved by everyone, he’s the type of man other women tell me they dream of marrying. James and I were university sweethearts and married at the tender age of twenty-four – ten years ago today, in a lavish ceremony on a frosty February the fourteenth, so Valentine’s Day has always been a day of celebration.
This morning, I woke up to find a single rose lying at the foot of the bed with a little note that read:
I love you more than life itself.
Happy anniversary, my darling valentine.
James
xxx
A smile spread across my face as I sniffed the rose. ‘James?’ I shouted, and he emerged from the steamy en suite with a white towel tied around his waist, showing off his toned stomach, still tanned from our recent trip to Mexico.
‘You’re awake?’ He pulled me into a hug.
‘I am, thank you for the rose,’ I said, kissing him. ‘And the note.’
‘You deserve it, Charlotte. I love you. Come here.’ He pulled me in tight once again, nibbling my lip. ‘I’ll see you tonight. I have a special dinner planned – at that new French restaurant on the high street – but I’ll be working late so meet me there at seven?’
‘Sounds perfect. Now sit down, I’ve got something for you.’
He sat waiting dutifully as I skipped into the walk-in wardrobe and opened my small, hidden drawer, sliding out the yellow box. It had challenged me to keep the gift a secret. The excited rush I’d felt when buying it two weeks ago was so strong it almost forced me to give it to him as soon as he’d walked in that day, especially since he’d looked so tired and in need of cheering up. I’d had to take myself off to hot yoga every night to avoid caving in to temptation and spoiling the surprise. But I’d triumphed! I made it to our anniversary, to Valentine’s Day morning, without spilling the beans.
