Ms. West moves from romcom to crime-com (that is a thing) with this rather over-the-top
but entirely entertaining book.
Sophie Hart has had enough of trying to find a decent date
and is ready to give up on women when she meets April. April is in a hurry to
find a place to rent and is willing to take the ‘shithole’ Sophie shows her,
but Sophie refuses to let April do that and fixes her up with a much better
place. To show her appreciation, April invites Sophie for a meal. The meal is a
turning point for both of them and they fall into a blissful relationship. Things
are going swimmingly well and April asks to meet Sophie’s parents – except that
April disappears right after that conversation smashing Sophie’s heart into smithereens.
Two years later, Sophie’s friend Becky sees April in a town a few miles away
and shares the information with Sophie who drives over to get an explanation and
maybe closure. What Sophie doesn’t expect is to discover that April is in a
witness protection programme for having dished the dirt on her family and said
family is pursuing her relentlessly. By a concatenation of circumstance, during
that face-off with April, willy-nilly Sophie becomes a part of the witness
protection programme too. Now they only have each other and time to see if
their relationship has a chance while worrying about their lives.
This is not exactly a believable plot but it’s entertaining
as hell. April and Sophie are just so likeable as individuals and perfect as a
couple. We liked the way their relationship made each one stronger and the way
their seamlessly traded roles in keeping themselves (and the other) safe. The
almost caricaturised crime ‘family’ is the perfect fit for this escapist
entertainer.
This is the perfect read for byte-sized breaks during a
workday or while travelling.
⭐⭐⭐☆
