Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Nicola should never have stepped out to buy that pack of cigarettes because the man she discovers in her living room when she returns is not the adorable, straightforward, devoted Jonathan with whom she has been sharing her life and flat for the past six years. That Jonathan would never have simply, unilaterally, decided that she should, as he abruptly put it, 'move out.' So a shocked, grief-stricken Nicola packs her bags and sets out bravely on the bumpy course that will take her fro the hellish end of an affair to the essence of the thing. With her comic timing and tender vision the brilliant Madeleine St John, author of The Women in Black , takes us into the changing nature of the human heart.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Nominated for the 1997 Booker Prize, this third novel by St. John (The Women in Black, Ulverscroft, 1994) is a magnetic story about what happens to a couple in the aftermath of their relationship. Set in contemporary England, the novel begins when Jonathan abruptly breaks up with Nicola and asks her to move out. Nicola, who had thought that all was well with their relationship, seeks a reason for this unexplained breakup. With the support of friends, Nicola lets go of Jonathan, her feelings evolving slowly from devastation to independence and strength. At the same time, St. John reveals Jonathan's emptiness, his deteriorating world, and his realization that he may have made the biggest mistake of his life. St. John addresses all the subtle details pertaining to starting one's life again after breaking up. Readers will be drawn into this remarkable novel by the author's ability to convey the feelings of Nicola and Jonathan with conviction. Recommended for all libraries.‘Judith Ann Akalaitis, formerly with the Supreme Court of Illinois Lib., Chicago (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

The difficulties of committing to a relationship make wonderful fodder for St. John's insightful, often hilarious third novel (after A Pure Clear Light). Out of the blue, Jonathan, a 30-something London lawyer, bluntly informs Nicola, his live-in girlfriend of six years, that they should split up because he feels the relationship "just isn't working." The impact of this decision stuns Nicola, who dutifully moves out of their apartment and tries to understand where things went wrong. Creating a brilliant primer on the battle of the sexes, the author brings together the observations of Nicola's married friends, Susannah and Geoffrey; Jonathan's married friends, Lizzie and Alfred; and the parting couple's respective parents. Although it is occasionally difficult to immediately discern who is speaking, the multiple viewpoints work well to enliven the pace and present a multifaceted glimpse into Nicola's predicament and Jonathan's unexpected reactions to the domestic tragedy he set in motion. Watching Nicola grieve for her lost love, readers experience everything from her bewildered sense of denial that she and Jonathan are actually breaking up to her final acceptance of her changed circumstances, and the bittersweet conclusions she comes to as she seeks other possibilities for romance and excitement. Using spare prose, sparkling dialogue and painfully true observations on family life, St. John creates a winning combination of humor and pathos. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Booklist Review

Jonathan and Nicola were in love when he moved into her flat on Notting Hill in London. A few short years later, Nicola finds herself in a state of shock when, seemingly out of the blue, Jonathan announces that the relationship is over. Nicola reluctantly agrees, but in the process of starting a new life, she discovers some interesting things about herself, not the least of which is that she likes to have a good time--something the stodgily conservative Jonathan wasn't able to offer. Brisk dialogue and narrative that stays in the moment capture the essence of the experience nicely without need for analysis or explanation. The story reveals the full range of emotions that comes with the breakup of a relationship, including doubt. St. John delivers a realistically "untidy" ending that invites contemplation of several possibilities for the future. The endearing Nicola arouses within readers a feeling of wanting the best for her, although it isn't clear what that might be. Even doleful Jonathan eventually evokes a bit of sympathy. --Grace Fill

Kirkus Book Review

The anatomy of a breakup, rendered with unswerving precision by the author of A Pure Clear Light (not reviewed), etc. Out of the blue, Jonathan informs Nicola that heŽs concluded she should move out of the apartment they've shared for years. It seems he no longer loves her. She asks him to repeat himself; he is cold, vague and certain of his decision. Numb, unable to think, Nicola seeks refuge with her friend Susannah, who holds her while she cries and attempts to comfort her with the requisite observations about the stupidity of men. Initially, Nicola defends Jonathan; she scans the recent past in search of warning signs, of hidden flaws in herself that he may finally have recognized. Jonathan proposes that he buy Nicola out of the apartment that they own together and that had been hers first, back in the days when his friends thought he was incredibly lucky to have nabbed a girlfriend, any girlfriend. Jonathan (who, to the extent he reflects on the breakup, believes that Nicola has done something to his soul) does have his twinges of suffering: the house feels rather empty, he has no clue as to how to feed himself, he remains in the spare room (why not?). Meanwhile, Nicola sleepwalks her way to a new life. She moves into Susannah's house, idly applies for really good jobs she has no hope of getting, goes out dancing all night with friends from work. If the mechanics of the separation are underwhelming, the backdrop of harried but true-blue friends, kind children, and decent if intrusive parents shows, with richness and realism, the post-breakup interplay between internal turmoil and ongoing real life. This deceptively easy read, then, is in fact spare, sure-handed, and emotionally canny.