Catherine Robertson
Black Swan
Otago Daily Times, August 31st 2013
The Misplaced Affections of Charlotte Fforbes by Catherine Robertson is as wry and endearing as her two previous novels and continues to explore the lives of their characters from the perspective of new, and just as idiosyncratic narrators.
When Charlotte – who prides herself on her emotional detachment and ability to control all aspects of her life – falls in love with her boss Patrick King, she decides to win his heart, even if it means breaking up his marriage. In short order she transforms herself from dedicated PA to live-in-nanny for three families on an Italian holiday (Patrick and his wife are joined by Darrell Kincaid, Mo Lawrence and their respective households, whom readers will remember from the earlier books), a task she tackles with her usual self-confidence, despite her complete lack of experience.
As it turns out, the children are the least of her worries, and the ensuing challenges test her resolve and inventiveness to the limit, but she is determined to succeed, right up to the point where she begins to wonder if Patrick is really the right man after all.
Although I am not, in general, a fan of ‘chick-lit’, Robertson avoids both the pathos and self-improving moralising that mark the two extremes of the genre, and I get the sense that she is both unapologetic about writing ‘popular fiction and determined to enjoy it. The basic character-types and themes conform to expectations but are presented with an ironic twist and humour that feels uniquely New Zealand in flavour, despite the overseas setting. She has a real knack for creating odd and unexpected imagery that is both humorous and surprisingly evocative, and I found this novel just as much fun as its predecessors.
https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/third-chick-lit-exercise-maintains-standard
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