After the Party: The page-turning sequel to Ralph’s Party from the bestselling author

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Ralph comes back from California determined to help Jem out more with the kids but Jem is pre-occupied with thoughts of Joel and it appears that Jem and Ralph, instead of becoming closer, are moving further and further apart. she says, waving the loaf of Warbutons Malted she took for him from her own kitchen cupboard that very morning. In fact she's one of those authors that I always felt I could rely on for an above average read, which makes me wish I hadn't read this book. Lisa's heartfelt writing and raw, honest storytelling makes for an emotional, funny and heartbreaking journey .

And in his absence, Jem gets cosy with Joel, a single man with a daughter, an older son, and a dark past. At 450 pages, it’s a fantastic book to sink your teeth into and it never gets dull, each page was not exactly a pleasure to read but it sure was addicting. I'd definitely recommend reading this, because it's compelling, and an interesting study of what happens when communication breaks down in a relationship.Firstly, I cannot believe that an author has finally made the fantastic move to revisit a previous `happy ending' story. A wonderful tale about marriage, parenthood and starting over, readers of chicklit will devour this one! The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. It’s a long way round the houses back to reconciliation, and the route can seem frustratingly obstacle-strewn, but Jewell’s easy prose and storytelling ability make for a pleasant enough trip.

Flipping between their perspectives and illuminating their desires, fears, and sometimes clumsy actions, [After the Party] entertainingly marches its characters along the path to finally growing up.I only want what’s best for you, and I think this,” she points at the sky-blue paper, “is what’s best for you. She wrote and I read Ralphs party (unbelievably) 11 years ago and even back then her writing was great.

She's got such a clear, relateable voice, and she really knows how to keep readers turning the page. I want her characters to interact with their south London streets a bit more, to engage with the plantain and nail salons that form a backdrop to the action; it's London, man, there ain't no backdrops in this city. As they try and muster the strength to work on finding their way back to each other, both find attractions elsewhere spelling possible disaster. The ending felt a little rushed to me, and I kind of wanted to see this couple figure out their communication problems a little more explicitly.Of course, anyone who read and enjoyed Ralph's Party will be reading this book as a priority, regardless of how I report back, but I would advise those who haven't yet tried Lisa Jewell to either go back to the beginning with Ralph's Party or pick up Vince and Joy, which is a gloriously joyful book. There are also some serious themes dealt with throughout which makes it all a bit depressing and sad at times but nevertheless real, which for me makes Lisa Jewell stand out from some of her contemporaries in the world of women's fiction. Did you know, for example, that it is precisely twelve years to the day since you beat up Siobhan’s boyfriend outside an art gallery? Not really one that I’d recommend but I would def recommend lisa as an author, just perhaps some of her more recent books.