Angst angst angst angst angst angst angst angst happy.
Phew. I know some women enjoy a good bout of relentless unhappiness, insecurity and feelings of rejection in their books, before a glorious happy ending, but I don’t understand why, and it makes me sleep badly.
Woman A has upped and left town and become a reality TV star, with a monster of a mother, but an otherwise happy life. Woman B has stayed in town, handled the death of her uncle, the abandonment by Woman A (at the Prom!), and developed a successful, if eccentric, antique hardware store, while being the sexiest woman in the universe (albeit one unable to hold down a relationship).
Fifteen years after they last saw each other, Woman A comes back to town with her TV show and the fireworks are still there. Woman A reveals she’s actually gay to Woman B’s surprise. Sex occurs. But wait! What’s this? Is Woman A in the closet and has she been lying to the fans of her show about her relationship with her male co-host for 15 long years? Will A and B have a secret relationship? Will Woman A ever be able to prioritise a relationship? Will Woman B ever express her emotions?
Of course, it’s not all angst – there are some entertaining friends, who seem entirely angst free and provide some needed light relief. And then there are these incredibly formulaic scenes, which suddenly don’t turn out quite like you think the formula says they should, which was refreshingly good. These elements, and my desire to get to the happy, meant I found it was quite a page turner.
The mystery to me, though, is I don’t think there was anything to indicate why these two women might like each other after all this time. Is it really all built on a 15-year-old flame of love never extinguished? They magically ‘get’ each other, which is all great, but we don’t really experience any actual conversations that aren’t a bit angsty (we’re told it happens after their hot sex, but we don’t see it). That said, the sex scenes themselves are quite good and a bit unusual, and do add a bit to the narrative in terms of reflecting their emotional connection.
So, if you can sleep well after reading about miserable women you know will end up happy, this could be for you!
She Sighed! 