ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Skip to the End by Molly James
Skip to the End by Molly James was published on 18th August by Quercus in hardcover, eBook and audiobook. My thanks to Ana McLaughlin for the proof copy of the book.
Three kisses. Two break ups. One happy ending…
Amy Daniels has a pretty nice life. Her career is on the up, she loves her friends, and she’s about to buy her very own flat. On a good day, Amy could be described as a catch – so why is she perpetually single?
The trouble is, Amy can see something no one else can: the end. As soon as she kisses someone, she knows, in intimate, vivid detail, how their relationship will end. A screaming argument in the middle of the supermarket over milk. An explicit email sent to the wrong address. A hasty escape through a bathroom window on the second date. At the altar – runaway-bride style. There seems to be no end to the unhappy endings.
After years of trying, and failing, to change a pre-written future, Amy has given up. But then she drunkenly kisses three men at her best friend’s wedding and sees three possible endings: two painful, one perfect. The problem is, Amy can’t really remember who she kissed, and worse, what ending belongs to which person – the only thing she knows for certain is that she’s determined to find out…
This novel will have you swirling with first date butterflies, crying with laughter and finally, brimming with joy. The perfect summer read for fans of Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Cousens.
What would you do if you knew, with a single kiss, how a relationship would end? On the one hand I suppose it would avoid wasting time on a bad union but on the other hand, it takes away any mystery. This is what Amy Daniels has had to deal with, the family legacy passed down through the females. At her friend’s wedding she drunkenly kisses three men, one of whom is her Happy Ever After, but which one was it?
Skip to the End is an absolutely brilliant read. It’s light and funny but isn’t without its serious side too. I loved Amy’s escapades as she tries to work out who she kissed and then which one of them might be the one for her. She has a fabulous group of friends and I adored the way they looked out for each other and had each other’s backs without exception.
I saw who Mr Right was a mile off and I’m pretty sure that’s what the author intended. The reader is there to watch Amy come to the realisation that this was the man she wanted to be with, and what a joy it was when that happened. But before that she has some amazing (ok, maybe not always) dates with the other guys.
Molly James sets up a wonderful world for Amy and her pals, particularly Gareth with his flower shop and his hopes of running a café alongside it. I loved that strand! There’s also sadness for Molly but even that was written in an uplifting way and provided me with the opportunity for a little tear near the end.
I couldn’t have loved this book more. It has a warm-hearted feel to it and a strong sense of place, coupled with a touch of magic and some delicious sounding food and drink. It’s absolutely perfect in every way. More of the same please!
A former magazine journalist, Molly James is the author of 12 escapist novels including multiple bestsellers. Excited to take her writing in a new direction, Molly now brings a twist of magical realism to her heart-based humour, creating worlds the reader will want to return to over and again…
