Liv is a passionate aquarist (yes, that’s a word: she works in an aquarium) sharing her love of fish with the public. She has one good friend, goes out drinking and has brief flings with women. Life is ticking over just fine thank you very much.
Then along comes Mira. Mira is the mother of one of her favourite young students, and her arch-nemesis from college days. How could such a great kid have such an awful mother? Well, turns out Mira may not be so bad after all…
Told entirely from Liv’s point of view, this is a nice page turner with a few good twists and turns. Liv isn’t looking for a relationship, and certainly not with someone who once ruined her life. Mira is straight. So, will Liv cope with the idea of an actual committed relationship? Will Mira’s friends and family cope with a lesbian in their midst? Will Mira’s horrendous mother behave horrendously? Will Liv get her promotion? Etc.!
It some ways this is a very normal story about very normal people. There are no war heroes or sudden emergency room crises here. People behave badly and then other people behave like adults (gasp!). But both the main characters go on emotional journeys and the people around the edges are nicely drawn. For example Mira’s daughter is deaf and wildly into nature (hence her connection with Liv), and Liv’s friend is also trying out a long-term relationship for the first time. In short, people are changing and growing all around, in a pleasantly realistic, and suitably romantic way.
Sigh.
