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Book Review

Love Is A Four Letter Word by Claire Calman - Book Review

Title
Author
Publisher

Love Is A Four Letter Word
Claire Calman
Black Swan

Fiction-Net Rating 5 Star Rated Book

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Cover Story

Sex. Yes. She remembered that. Wasn't that the thing that happened somewhere between the talking-and-going-out-to-dinner bit and the sobbing-and-eating-too-many-biscuits bit? Still, Bella was sure she could handle some - preferably before her as yet unopened packet of condoms reached their expiry date. She must be practically a virgin again by now, all sealed over like pierced ears if you don't wear earrings for too long.

But the 'L' word? Uh-huh. No way. She never wanted to hear it again. There were things in her past which needed to be put well away, like the 27 boxes of clutter she'd brought from her old flat. And having changed her job, her town, her entire life - the one thing she wasn't about to change was her mind.

We Say

Not the most original title for a romance novel, I'll say that.

But that's about as far as criticisms go as far as this book is concerned. Love Is A Four Letter Word tells the story of Bella, a complex character whose happiness and sadness seems to bound from one extreme to the other, taking you with her.

Bella is still struggling to overcome the grief of losing a previous partner who died in tragic circumstances, when she meets Will. At the same time, she is trying to overcome and make sense of her disastrous relationship with her mother. You will be completely absorbed by the journey they all take. Possibly the most heart-wrenching parts of the book are Bella's struggles to allow herself to be happy in love with someone without feeling guilty and that she is betraying her previous partner.

The author of Love Is A Four Letter Word, Claire Calman has created an incredibly likable character in Bella. You will find yourself wanting to take her hand and guide her to safety. As a result, Calman has produced one of the finest books I have read for some time. Extremely funny, the dialogue - particularly between Bella and Will - is hauntingly realistic, hilarious and heartbreaking. Usually at the same time.

Get your hands on a copy of this book and your emotions will take a battering. Brilliant fiction.

Review by: Rob Cook

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