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The Best Thing I Never Had: A laugh out loud romantic comedy Kindle Edition
‘Funny and Addictive!’ Fabulous Magazine
Funny, sad and honest, if you loved Sophie Kinsella’s Wedding Night and Phaedra Patrick’s The Library of Lost and Found, this is the book for you.
Five years ago at university they had been seven friends who laughed hard and loved harder…
Nicky and Miles were the couple that were always meant to be. Leigha and Adam, not so much.
So when Adam and Harriet grow close during endless days in the library, they do the one thing that changes everything – they keep a secret. And when it comes out, it all falls apart.
As the day approaches for bridesmaids to be chosen and best men to fulfil drunken promises, Nicky and Miles realise their wedding isn’t just a wedding, it’s a reunion – loaded with past hurts, past regrets, and past loves…
What readers are saying about The Best Thing I Never Had
'One of the most engaging books I've read this year. I loved it' Books with Bunny
'A superb debut about complicated ties, betrayal and lies, and one of my favourite books of the year' ChickLit Club
'Friendships, trust, lies, deceit, love and so much more – a real page-turner for me' Cosmochicklitan
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherOne More Chapter
- Publication dateDecember 5, 2013
- File size1843 KB
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
I live a happy life full of wonderful friends, in love with a man who buys me books instead of flowers. To mix things up a little, I write books where friends and lovers hit obstacles and (usually) overcome them. When I’m not doing that I read absolutely everything I can get my hands on, spend an inordinate amount of time in pyjamas and run a fun-but-informative blog on British history.
Product details
- ASIN : B00GLGZUS4
- Publisher : One More Chapter (December 5, 2013)
- Publication date : December 5, 2013
- Language : English
- File size : 1843 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 309 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,571,622 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #8,533 in Mothers & Children Fiction
- #11,569 in Women's Friendship Fiction
- #29,190 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
You'd probably like Erin Lawless; she's quite nice.
She lives a happy life full of wonderful friends, in love with a man who buys her books instead of flowers. To mix things up a little, she write books where friends and lovers hit obstacles and (usually) overcome them. When she's not doing that she's reading absolutely everything she can get her hands on, spending an inordinate amount of time in pyjamas and running a fun-but-informative blog on British history.
www.erinlawless.co.uk
@rinylou
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book enjoyable and worth their time. They appreciate the interesting and amusing character development, finding it an easy read that is not simplistic. The storyline is described as rich and well-crafted, with interesting twists and turns. Readers mention the book provides a nice insight into college friendships and life. However, some feel the pacing is confusing in the beginning.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoyed the book. They found it a fun read with engaging characters and relationships. The story kept them interested and became addictive.
"...of view was well done and kept the story moving -- and the reader interested...." Read more
"...This book, like so many others I've enjoyed, is just a good book with its finger on the pulse of realistic fiction that appeals to women..." Read more
"...Don't get me wrong it's a good book but I just feel the author somehow cut the story." Read more
"Really enjoyed this book, the relationships between the characters were interesting a nice insight into college friendships and live...." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters interesting and touching, and watching them reestablish their relationships is rewarding. The emotional culture of fledgling adults is also appreciated.
"...friends and the development of their relationships and characters is interesting and amusing and touching all at the same time...." Read more
"...The highly charged and uber-emotional culture of fledgling adults with one foot in the door of adulthood was compelling to me...." Read more
"Really enjoyed this book, the relationships between the characters were interesting a nice insight into college friendships and live...." Read more
"...There were a lot of interesting characters, though I'd say the main focus is on Harriet and Adam, but the background I got on Leigha, Sukie, and..." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They appreciate the author's ability to capture the college experience well. The story is clever and well-crafted, making it one of the best books they have ever read.
"...And that is a shame because this author can write...." Read more
"...She doesn't like to rock the boat or see it rocked. Johnny is a simple, sweet, lovestruck lad who falls for Leigha's practiced charm...." Read more
"...that had been woven through the bulk of the story was so clever and well done that I was excited to see how the Author would deal with the ending...." Read more
"...The author perfectly captured what it's like to be in college (at least what it was like for me) and it brought me back to my days at Suny Albany...." Read more
Customers enjoy the storyline with its interesting twists and turns. They find the plot engaging and relatable, following the friendships and love lives of seven friends. The story is poignant and easy to get caught up in the emotions.
"...The switch of points of view was well done and kept the story moving -- and the reader interested...." Read more
"...It was anything but simplistic. The story jumps forward to the present day (what one could call the 3rd section), and the reader has the..." Read more
"...My passion, what inspires me, are stories about personal evolution...." Read more
"...But I think most importantly, I loved how real it felt. The story follows seven friends – their friendships, their love lives; the bonds that held..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's friendship focus. They find it engaging and a nice look into college life. The book offers a good romance story while exploring themes of love and friendship.
"...between the characters were interesting a nice insight into college friendships and live. We'll worth the read" Read more
"...I read this hoping for some fun chick-lit and a good romance and that does transpire, but the actual heart of the book was the friendships...." Read more
"...So much more than chick lit. About friendship and when it crosses the line to romance. Jealousy, bitterness, fears, regret. It had it all...." Read more
"This was such a great story about love and friendship. I only wish the resolution went on for a few more chapters...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and realistic. They appreciate how it feels palpable throughout.
"...of their relationships and characters is interesting and amusing and touching all at the same time...." Read more
"...The tension, good AND bad kind, is palpable throughout...." Read more
"...But I think most importantly, I loved how real it felt...." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing confusing in the beginning. They say it's hard to follow along and introduce the characters.
"What a fun read! After a slightly confusing beginning..." Read more
"...I didn't like that it was hard to follow along, one minute your in Adam's perspective and the next in Johny. The transition could have been better." Read more
"...The first several pages are a bit confusing as we're introduced to the characters and there is a lot of British lingo I had trouble translating..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2016What a fun read! After a slightly confusing beginning (stick with it, it is worth it! The kindle Sample is NOT enough to show how good the book really is) the story of these university friends and the development of their relationships and characters is interesting and amusing and touching all at the same time. The switch of points of view was well done and kept the story moving -- and the reader interested. My only complaint is that there were a bunch of typos and grammatical mistakes (e.g. she was "loathed" to do something) which made me wish there had been better editing; these mistakes made the book less "professional" and unnecessarily lowered the level of the whole effort. And that is a shame because this author can write. It takes a lot of talent to keep a reader hooked right to the end and to create such a distinct set of characters. Very well done! There were a few unanswered questions -- for example, for days after I finished the book I found myself wondering about Harriet's current situation and what she did for a living and the meaning of the tattoo... My only other nitpick is the ending which I found a bit abrupt.
But when all was said and done, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2014From the first few pages, I was drawn into the world of this book. There's a brief prologue, then the reader is swept back into the past. The highly charged and uber-emotional culture of fledgling adults with one foot in the door of adulthood was compelling to me.
The Best Thing I Never Had features a "gang" of friends at university, tightly knit as a group but struggling to find individual identities. Most of the characters rely heavily on the safety of the home base, and face highly ambivalent feelings as they push out of the comfort zone of the group's approval. This set-up allows the author to draw the players well. As in a comedy of manners, they are bound by their culture but have their own motivations.
Before I comment on the plot, let me say that I was initially wary as multiple characters were introduced. I've recently had the experience of finishing a few books after which I couldn't delineate one character from another, or remember their names, or characteristics. Not so with this book, which to me is a triumph on the part of a debut author. I can recall physical traits, flaws, and backgrounds about the guys who room together in the boys' house and the girls who room together in the girls' house, down to what they drink and what they study.
As a woman who lived through this phase of life, I found the friendships of the girls (women, really, but barely) the most poignant. The central focus of all the emotion is the bond between Harriet and Leigha, best friends with wildly different styles who compete for the same guy. Each wants what she wants, each wants to retain the love of the other, and each is resolute in the feeling that she is right and morally justified in her actions and judgements. This makes for rich story fodder as the surrounding characters align and take sides, and hold the two accountable from the up-close sidelines. This is no simplistic YA or Chick Lit book. I even hesitate to categorize it as Women's Fiction or Romance. It's just fiction and good fiction at that.
Surrounding Harriet and Leigha are Nicky and Miles. They are the "adult" couple; Miles is slightly older than the rest, and has his eye on the prize of earning a PhD and having a real job. Nicky, his girlfriend, is a peacemaker. She doesn't like to rock the boat or see it rocked. Johnny is a simple, sweet, lovestruck lad who falls for Leigha's practiced charm. While I wanted to shake him and tell him to move on, I also pitied him. One's late teens and early twenties are a time for foolish love, and advising someone that he or she could do better is a useless pursuit. He finds his feet, but after considerable heartache. Next up: Sukie. She's sharp and no-nonsense with a strong tie to her family. She faces her own troubles, but I blame her because her alliance with one of the key girls heightens the tension and bad feelings in the group. She seems grounded, but she goes for the drama — like many young women of this age do without realizing the impact of their words and actions. Adam is the object of the main girls attention. He softens as the story progresses, and I remember the appeal of that type of casual and confident young man. Still, he is as laddish as they come, and doesn't think through the consequences of his choices.
Reading the first section of this book was like living it, and I felt all of the push and pull right along with the characters. I experienced all of it with a kind of dread. Like the young, inexperienced characters, I didn't know if things would work out of if anyone would find relief, freedom, and happiness. Again, well done on the part of the author. It was anything but simplistic.
The story jumps forward to the present day (what one could call the 3rd section), and the reader has the benefit of hindsight. The parts surrounding the wedding, and watching the characters reestablish their relationships was rewarding. I liked seeing their growth, and looking through their eyes once they'd had the benefit of some life experience. As with any good novel, I'm left wondering what the characters are up to now.
I think this book is part of a juicy new movement in the "ghetto" that used to be called various names such as Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, etc. This book, like so many others I've enjoyed, is just a good book with its finger on the pulse of realistic fiction that appeals to women (who are the biggest purchasers of books) but could be read and enjoyed by men.
This book is worth your time. Period.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2015I rarely write reviews. But I've just finished it and I'm so angry!
This book takes you in the whole Journey that is university in the perspective of a large group of friends. Love, hate, betrayals . It took me so much time to actually get into the story, I tried and tried and didn't give up, when it finally got a little faster and got me hooked it wasn't what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong it's a good book but I just feel the author somehow cut the story.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2014Really enjoyed this book, the relationships between the characters were interesting a nice insight into college friendships and live. We'll worth the read
- Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2014There is no way I would have read/purchased this book had it not been by recommendation. I am glad I soldiered on! At the beginning my head was spinning with the number of characters and amount of pieces I had to lay out to try and gather what was going on. Somewhere around 30% I was enjoying it and by 50 % I was commending the Authors talents. I was mentally popping this book on my 'top ten' for the year and my 'clever writing' shelves.
However... I have to retract both praises. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic, but I was so sure the ending would be dealt with well. The many threads (and a few timelines) that had been woven through the bulk of the story was so clever and well done that I was excited to see how the Author would deal with the ending. I don't need happy glossy endings, I don't do predictable. This was not predictable nor sad, but I felt it did not do the story justice. Such a phenomenal story deserved a better conclusion. I also felt there was some unresolved or unclear meanings. The three birds?
Would I recommend this story? For sure!
Do I like this Authors work? I would read ANYTHING by this Author!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2014I couldn't get into this book for the longest time. There were too many characters flipping back and forth between two different periods in their lives. Once it got going and clearer, it was I satisfying as I didn't feel I could relate to or liked any of the characters. I guess it seemed too "mean girls".
- Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2015This is one of the worst books I've ever bothered finishing. There are about 9 protagonists which makes it a nightmare to keep track of. There is not character development for a single character, no plot line, and dialogue that is clearly written by someone attempting to emulate youth. Horrendous writing!!!!!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2021This book is written in 6 different perspectives. I didn't like that it was hard to follow along, one minute your in Adam's perspective and the next in Johny. The transition could have been better.
Top reviews from other countries
- SamanthaReviewed in Mexico on December 22, 2014
4.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic to the core
"Such disparate personalities, how had these girls ever been such close friends? It seemed so unreal, so long ago, like a story she'd once been told, rather than something she had lived, back in that house of fairytale yellow"
I've wanted to read this book for a long time and I finally got the chance. And where do I begin? Once I started I really couldn't put it down, I just kept reading frantically just to see the outcome of things.
The book made me feel very nostalgic, it's about friends lost, life changing, growing up and the memories you left behind. It's a very powerful book that makes you feel a million different things while reading.
"Love is all about the two people that share it. Everything else...it's just context. It's just background noise"
Harriet, Adam, Niky and Miles were so easy to love, I liked their characters a lot. And the relationship between Adam and Harriet was amazing, they were best friends who fell in love and got caught up in a very difficult situation. And of course I understood Harriet, it wasn't an easy decision the one she had to make, but of course she reacted the wrong way and lost a lot of time because being scared.
I however hated Leigha, Sukie and Jonhy. The last one for being so incredible pathetic, I really tried to like him but him following Leigha around like puppy even five years later made it really hard for me. Sukie was such a bitch to Harriet without even giving her the benefit of the doubt and Leigha...well she deserved a big slap on the face. In fact the reason I don't give this book a five stars is because I would have liked to see her smacked on the face and humiliated in front of everyone for everything she had done.
A really good book, that lefts you with a nostalgic feeling in the heart, beautiful written and completely entertained. I did an amazing choice when I decided star reading it.
"Hi there" His smile became a grin "I'm Adam" -"I'm Harriet"
- Chick lit fanReviewed in Canada on April 29, 2014
4.0 out of 5 stars A read well worth your time
This book made me think, really think, about my past friendships and relationships. About the ones that were worth saving and the ones that were better left in the past. For some reason, this story really captured something about the strange nature of friendships. It is more about the friendships than the relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
- ilykbreathingReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant debut!
This book gave me three very late nights as I just couldn't stop reading it when I had a chance, so I was dog tired at work on Monday.
It's written with such uncomplicated grace, in short chapters, that it makes for pretty quick reading. The style, to me, also feels like you're snooping in someone's journal or a fly on the wall, so if like me you're a nosy parker, it'll pull you right in. It's gripping, and never dull. It's for the most part very realistic and it almost feels like I'm reading a true story! The ending was one of the more perfect endings I've ever read.
While for the most part I liked the characters, and could nearly always sympathise with all of them, they infuriated me sometimes, and the main conflict is (I thought) pretty petty to begin with. Miles pissed me off at first, with the whole secretly angling for Nicky to support him! But this was elaborated on later and I stopped hating on him. Adam and Harriet I couldn't really care for much until near the end of part 2, when especially Harriet, came into their own. Johnny was just some poor bloke who really fancied Leigha until the finale. I both could and couldn't believe how the characters just carried on with whole Harriet-Adam-Leigha drama after poor Sukie had the shock and grief of her mum's sudden death. Poor Sukie had a raw deal but I was made a lot happier by Demi and her ending. I really liked what I saw of the periphery characters especially Iona. She was really great and handled the dreaded ex situation really well. She was the youngest charcter but perhaps the most mature. And Leigha! Weirdly she was possibly my favourite character. I don't say that lightly either, as I've never liked a 'villain' so much (Except maybe Lord Shen, but that isn't even a book). She is certainly the most interesting to me. I think I've met plenty of Leighas in my life and have perhaps, maybe unfortunately, a little of her in myself.
Also I found a few of the tense changes hard to grasp.
In the end it did however bring back far too many memories, regrets and what - ifs? And I'm still hopelessly lost in the world of the book and the world of my uni experience's, which in some cases are startlingly close. But if you're not one to take a book too deeply, then you'll really enjoy this.
EDIT: Re-read as E-Book in December 2013
Not much has changed, just a few scenes cut and the time-skipping at the beginning removed. It makes for a smoother read. I actually sympathised with Harriet & Adam a bit more this time around as well. Still feel like Sukie got a raw deal and still amazed at what is essentially quite a petty argument becoming so toxic, but I guess that's pretty true in some cases! More a 4.5 now rounded up.
- AlllyboReviewed in Canada on July 18, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
i loved this
- little bookwormReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2014
4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging read
In 2012, long term sweethearts Nicky and Miles get engaged. They started dating at Uni, and their wedding proves to be rather a reunion of all their old friends; some of whom for reasons that enfold haven't spoken to each other since their Uni days. Flashback to 2006 and we meet Nicky, Miles, Harriet, Leigha, Suki, Adam and Johnny in their final year of Uni, where we follow them through highs and lows, and watch relationships blossom and wither, friendships tried and tested. As this former close knit group of friends all meet again, old feelings and jealousies soon drift to the surface; however, can past mistakes and misunderstandings be finally put behind?
We are introduced initially to all the main characters in the prologue set in 2012, after which the book delves back into the past; and it is only after we are acquainted with the whole backstory to this group that we pick up on the present day story which is all centred around the wedding. I felt that this format worked well, as coming up to speed with everything that happened in the past between these characters, it is intriguing to know how they will react to each other in the present day; and as a reader you feel invested in some of the key relationships. Initially it takes a chapter or two to get your head around all the central characters, as there are various viewpoints throughout all the chapters; however, I thought that the different personalities were very quickly established and clear to follow.
The chapters set in 2006 perfectly capture student life and were a wonderful nostalgic nod to Uni days; the parties and drinking games, the crammed revision and sessions in the library. Furthermore, Lawless really succeeds in bringing the friendships between these seven individuals to life; in particular the friendship between the girls, both the highs and lows. She highlights the complexities of friendships, tested loyalties, jealousies and betrayals, as well as the nastiness and viciousness that can occur.
As we get all the characters points of view, to some extent you can understand where all of them are coming from; though certainly some characters come across much more sympathetically than others, Leigha for me the least likable. My favourites were definitely Harriet and Adam, and I loved watching their relationship blossom; they simply seemed so right together, Adam, I thought in particular very sweet to her. It was obvious that things were going to go wrong for them; and the main attraction to the present story for me was seeing if things resolved between them. I have to say that I do think Harriet rather took things out on Adam, when he only ever tried to help, and she should perhaps have also been more trusting of him; however, other than that I really liked her character, and she reminded a little of Hermione Granger. Johnny I really liked too, and felt really sorry for him, just wishing he would stop pining over a certain someone; and Suki whilst she was harder to relate to at the start, I actually found myself liking more in the second half of the story. Miles and Nicky were actually probably the least interesting, however, the fact that they were the more grown up, sensible couple balanced things out well I thought.
I thought that in general Lawless handled the reunion at the wedding well; it was probably far less dramatic than I was expecting, but felt more realistic as a result, after all the characters are more mature when we meet them again and given the time that has elapsed their reactions to each other seem appropriate. Perhaps the very ending seemed a bit too much of an anti-climax, everything just fizzling out almost, such that I might have liked something a bit more.
There were definitely some similarities to Mcfarlane's You Had Me At Hello; though different enough to enjoy in its own right. Overall there was a good balance between humour and capturing the highs of student life, with more angsty and emotional scenes; and unlike a lot in the genre this wasn't just a love story, but a realistic story about friendships and growing up.