Having enjoyed Emma Gannon’s previous book Olive (which frighteningly was almost 5 years ago!) I request an advance review copy of her book ‘Table for One’ from Net Galley. Here’s the blurb:

“Willow has everything worked out.
*The steady partner
*The successful career
*The grown-up house
Until she doesn’t – and she’s cast adrift on the sea of heartbreak, grieving a future with no clear path.
With her life transformed beyond recognition, and her friends busy ‘moving forwards’, Willow has never felt more alone.
But she’s in good company.
And when inspiration arrives from an unlikely source, she rekindles the relationship she longs for – but has long neglected… The one with herself…“

At the start of the book Willow is living and working with her boyfriend Dom. I have to say he comes across as a complete dick from very early on – and Willow being dumped by him should (and eventually is) the making of her.

Willow doesn’t really seem to have a depth of friendships with people – even though she’s been friends with them a long time (weirdly I remember this from Olive too – which makes me wonder if the author has been burnt by ‘friends’ in the past?)

Then Willow is given a writing assignment by a previous employer – to write about her seemingly ‘smug married’ life (she has neglected to mention she’s single again) compared to Naz, an influencer who’s USP is that she’s happily single by choice. Willow and Naz do get to know each other – and Willow is let behind the social media curtain that Naz lives through.

The one constant in Willow’s life is her Aunt Carla, who has been a mother figure to her for a very long time. Their relationship was really lovely – and I think Carla was my favourite character in the whole book.

Overall the book shows that Willow needs to be happy and content in herself, not just with the expected accoutrements of a 30 something life. I though the ending was really clever – as if Willow was sitting down to write this exact book!

I enjoyed this – and thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.