Not Quite Perfect

Not Quite Perfect
Annie Lyons

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

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 sparkling, funny tale of two sisters and how often you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

Not Quite Perfect

Annie Lyons

After leaving university, ANNIE LYONS decided that she ‘rather liked books’ 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 ‘angels and tigers’ 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

Cover (#u3a85bb00-3004-5f8e-9542-3b8cab3e6233)

Blurb (#ua4425859-d4c9-5484-ab2e-9b4dedad8572)

Title Page (#u8afbffa6-e27a-508d-9a84-af9dfaacaf35)

Copyright (#ud5dde453-bf32-51f0-b264-defa08b67346)

Author Bio (#ub3a3703e-6934-5060-ade5-939bccd2b911)

Acknowledgements (#ua377170c-1890-5e8d-b2c3-67415ea7a286)

Dedication (#uf0bb3c42-687f-5df5-834b-99ba00923a66)

Chapter 1 (#u46a5e787-161a-5e4a-b954-75d8141745a3)

Chapter 2 (#uff786f44-b76a-54e8-bddb-8a44583f5330)

Chapter 3 (#u65651ec0-f717-5469-bdf5-4d954c8ae8a0)

Chapter 4 (#u3e0923ca-26b5-5734-af12-0b64700fffe5)

Chapter 5 (#u02c0a6f7-2881-5965-a0e7-fb1e3089a745)

Chapter 6 (#u17585bc4-a667-581b-a06a-acbec127096f)

Chapter 7 (#u11c0b6c1-12c9-53f9-b9ff-0768bd58744c)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 27 (#litres_trial_promo)