My first review of 2024, and I’ve started the year on a high! I loved this book, which was written from multiple points of view. We have Odette - a soap star nearing the end of her career, Keli - a nurse on an elderly care ward, Noah - a paediatric doctor, and Tress - a set designer on the soap that Odette stars in. They all live in Glasgow and are all linked in one way or another.
One Year After You is set over 24 hours and boy, a lot happens in those 24 hours. We have birthdays, scandals, break-ups and hook-ups. There are a few tear-jerking moments and a lot of comedy - mainly from Nancy and Val, two of the most delightful characters I’ve read about in a long time. They deserve their own story and if there was one, then I’m sure I’d be laughing out loud!
If you want a good old rom-com to start your year and block out the miserable January weather, then I’d recommend getting yourself a copy of One Year After You by Shari Low. She is fast becoming one of my must-buy authors.
Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review One Year After You by Shari Low.
About the Book
For forty years the fabulous Odette Devine has been a beloved matriarchal actress on Scotland’s longest-running TV show. Today she is broken, betrayed, and desperate to find out if this is her payback for a lie she told forty years ago.
A year ago today, Tress Walker’s husband was killed in a car accident, on the same day she gave birth to their baby. Reeling from the discovery that he was with his mistress, Tress has to choose whether to protect her fragile heart or open it to love again.
Noah Clark was devastated to discover his wife and his best friend were having an affair. Now the love of his life is asking for another chance to make their marriage work. But can there ever be a way back, once the trust is broken?
Noah’s sister Keli Clark has recently been ghosted by the man she loves. When a shocking message from a complete stranger reveals the reason why, Keli will have to decide whether to forgive, forget, or to make sure he pays.
Twenty-four hours. Four shocking secrets. One tumultuous tale of love, loss and second chances.
About Shari
Ok, so I’ll try to avoid that deluded state where I believe that everyone wants to hear my cute childhood stories, and keep to the important stuff.
I was born in a town near Glasgow, where I spent my teenage years dreaming of the day I’d follow in my beloved Jackie Collins’ footsteps all the way to a life of decadent glamour and a kidney shaped swimming pool in LA.
Alas, the combination of bills and a nocturnal predisposition changed my course, and I opted for a career in nightclub and hotel management in Scotland, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Sometime in the 90s, I was back in Glasgow, when a guy I hated on sight walked towards me. I changed my mind after thirty seconds. Seven days later, we moved in together and threw an engagement party. We’ve now been married for almost thirty years and thankfully he still hasn’t made a bid for escape.
I still harboured that dream of writing, and I eventually acted on it when I hit 30, had a mid-life crisis, and penned the first three chapters of my book What If?.
To my endless astonishment, more than thirty-five novels later, I’ve sold millions of books around the world, including translations in many countries including Italy, Poland, Indonesia, Estonia, Ukraine and Germany.
I’ve also released a non-fiction title, Because Mummy Said So, a collection of features I’ve written about all our family disasters, laughs and embarrassing moments over the years. I’m hoping my offspring don’t find out.
Oh, and my inner Jackie Collins still adores a bit of decadent glamour, so I also pen gritty, scandalous, Hollywood thrillers with TV presenter Ross King MBE, a pal since I was a teenager and still thought I’d marry George Michael.
So now we’re up to the present day. I still spend my days and nights writing in a very mature, professional manner which roughly translates to ‘type, panic, eat a biscuit, type, panic, eat a biscuit, type, panic…’, repeated for 90 000 words.
I’m beyond thrilled that three of my favourite people in publishing, the brilliant Caroline Ridding, Amanda Ridout and Nia Beynon, have founded Boldwood Books, and given my novels a home there.
As for my homelife, my two teenage sons have now flown the nest, so it’s just me, the husband, the labradoodle, my books and dozens of facetime calls to check my boys have done their washing.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I can’t believe I managed to fill a whole page and I haven’t even got around to those cute childhood stories yet…
Love,
Shari xx
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