Book review: A jilted girl, her ex, a lover and his ex

Sheila O'Flanagan's 'The Honeymoon Affair' is an entertaining novel and there are some humorous passages

Sheila O’Flanagan: New book details two broken couples and the world of publishing.

• The Honeymoon Affair 
• Sheila O’Flanagan 
• Headline Review, €14.99

Izzy is in the Caribbean with her cousin and best friend Celeste, when she meets Charles, a successful writer, and they are immediately attracted to each other. She is 29 and he’s 49. 

She wasn’t looking for someone new; she’s in the Caribbean because it was meant to be where she spent her honeymoon, hence the novel’s title, but fiancé Steve changed his mind.

Izzy reads thrillers, not the literary fiction for which Charles is so well-known, having won a Booker prize. He’s holidaying alone, to write his next novel, but is having difficulty. 

She suggests he write a crime novel and he discovers he has a talent for the genre and also enjoys himself attempting something new.

Back in Dublin is Ariel, Charles’s ex-wife and agent. She’s glamorous and very much enjoys her work in publishing, discovering new writers, negotiating their contracts, and looking after them as they pursue their careers. 

It was how she and Charles met, and they remain very close — indeed, her office is in the garden of their former home.

When Izzy returns to Ireland, the relationship with Charles, which she thought was just a holiday affair, continues and develops. 

She is a customs official, working at Dublin Port and later the airport, and there are interesting descriptions of what her role entails.

The narration alternates between the two women. This reader found Ariel far more interesting and likeable than Iseult (Izzy).

The novel is not only about Izzy rebuilding her life after being dumped by Steve, it also explores how — no matter how much you feel in control of your life — events can shock and surprise you.

This reader’s main criticism is that the relationship Izzy has with Charles is not convincing. You never get the feeling she really loves him. 

He appears to be attracted to her because she is never afraid to tell him how she feels, while it’s never clear why she falls for him. 

Also, there’s very little discussion of the huge age gap between them, which surely deserves more attention.

Charles is a fascinating character, utterly self-absorbed and childlike in his reactions.

Like many talented people, Charles hides his vulnerability behind bluster. When Izzy helps Steve after he’s injured in an accident, Charles throws a tantrum. 

He’s happy to have Ariel continue to help his career even though they’re no longer together, but he doesn’t understand why Izzy isn’t happy with Ariel continuing to work in the garden office — and regularly popping in to drink wine with him.

While Izzy starts to become more and more important to Charles, Ariel begins to realise that she has to disentangle her life from his. 

She is self-aware, at one stage describing her position as ‘half in and half out of our marriage’. She also starts to see that her work has dominated her life, with no friends outside publishing. 

She’s a well-rounded character and very likeable. Through her we get interesting glimpses into the world of books, authors, and agents.

It’s an entertaining novel, mainly because of the characters of Charles and Ariel and the relationship between them, and there are some humorous passages. 

Sheila O’Flanagan has written over 30 bestselling books.