Irresponsible Adult by Lucy Dillon

Robyn made a decent living as an estate agent and was fired suddenly for negligence. She was encouraged by her mother to work with her sister, Cleo at a cleaning service. Their relationship has evolved since their childhood. Cleo and Robyn missed out on getting to know each other as adults because of their divergent life paths.

Being short-staffed, Cleo assigned Robyn as a cleaner on her first day, which turned out to be a disaster due to her struggles with time management, lack of responsibility and disorganization. Jim, her supervisor, had strict expectations but was understanding and played a crucial role in helping her progress with a great piece of advice.

Lucy's writing style is charming, and witty, and never fails to bring a smile to my face with its clever punchlines. This novel offers deep insights into sisterhood drama, family secrets, and the challenges of creating a better future. With 400+ pages, it is quite a hefty read for a romcom. What do you think?

Ghosted by Rosie Mullender

Emily Blott had worked hard to form relationships with some glamorous friends and seek out a successful partner. She is determined to become a new Emily. During a dinner party she hosted for her new friends, she unexpectedly finds herself playing Ouija board with a message written: Andy. Andy Atkin was the only one she had known and dated, but he had suddenly vanished a year ago. She had a great time on their first date, but now it appeared she had misread the situation. Instead of ditching her, Andy had died in a mystery fall from a building according to an article she found. By using Ouija, Andy comes back from the dead. Yeah, right. There was a rational explanation for everything. Emily's mission is to bring him back to where he came from since he has no memory so the sensible way is for her to investigate Andy's death and achieve a sense of closure.

Even though it may be a cliché happy-ending love story, I can't help but adore this charming romantic comedy. The focus on the characters and their heartwarming friendship is what really makes it special.

This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud

What I am afraid of being old is not being capable of remembering my past, and my loved ones. It's our responsibility to know the history. This is a long journey of Cassar's spanning from 1940 to 2010. The story starts with Gaston Cassar, a native of Algeria, a former French colony. His family was compelled to flee their homeland around 1940 due to the German invasion of France, while he served as a naval officer defending the country. They lost the war. The new France is not the same. They struggled and never lived in Algeria again. The aftermath influenced his children, François and Denise. The scars of wartime displacement, both physical and emotional, continued to haunt them, leading to feelings of strangeness and isolation, a constant reminder of their humble origins and genteel poverty.

This book is an unmistakably resonant lesson for our times. Reflecting on their origin story at the end of the book evoked a variety of emotions. Moreover, it leaves some uncertainties. Worrying about seeing someone struggling as they get older and the thought of dementia or having a stroke scares me so much.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store