For my sixteenth book in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, I chose to read Fiona Collins A Year of Being Single.

‘Best friends Imogen, Frankie and Grace decide to test whether the grass really is greener on the single side of the fence…

Imogen is supposed to be on the most romantic weekend of her life and instead she’s quickly realised that her current boyfriend definitely isn’t ‘The One’ and actually One Big Mistake.

Frankie is fed up. Fed up of her good-for-nothing husband and her four, unappreciative children. Well, they hardly notice her anyway, maybe it’s time to shake it up a little…

Grace thought she had the perfect life. Gorgeous little boy and perfect, hardworking husband. Or rather, she did, until she realised her husband was shagging his ‘work’.

It’s time for a change – and to ditch the men who are dragging them down! It’s time for a year of being single. Swearing off men, these single ladies don’t need to put a ring on it…right?’ (Thanks Amazon for that synopsis!)

This is the story of how when you’re not looking for something, it will find you.

Imogen, Frankie and Grace are three women, each of whom have their own problems with men.  Single life draws these already best friends together, as they swear off men for a year to become the independent women they know they can be.  As can be expected however, once they choose not to find men those men come looking for them.  The story follows these three women as they explore their relationships and find out what they want from life.

There are no surprises here – everything you would expect to happen in a novel like this, does.  However the characters are well-rounded and endearing, particularly Grace who finds herself thrown into single life completely against her will.  Frankie is a put upon wife that all wives and mothers will be able to relate to at some point, who just gets fed up of being the family slave.  Finally Imogen is the typical career driven woman, who has been hurt in the past and so has never been able to settle down.  You will laugh and cry along with these women as they fail miserably at remaining single whilst desperately ensuring neither of the others find out about their indiscretions.  Despite the predictability of the story, this is a sweet chick-lit novel that is perfect for the beach or just a cozy Sunday afternoon on the sofa.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5