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Fourplay
At age thirty-three, Josephine Miles is forced to come up with a brand-new life when her husband leaves her for "the cliche"--his very young, very pretty secretary. Suddenly she's single and back in the dating game with the added complication of children in tow. But Jo's no wallflower, and she soon finds herself with not one but four eligible bachelors vying for her time and affections. Add her two kids and her now booming interior design business to the mix, and she winds up with a nightmarish schedule but a dreamy love life.
So who are the contestants? There's Sean, the sexy foreign affairs correspondent who sweeps Jo off her feet and proves to be masterful in bed; Martin, the music industry mogul who offers luxury, stability, and a glamorous lifestyle; and Conor, Jo's trusted confidant, who knows just what to say to make her smile (why hadn't she noticed his irresistible smile until now?). Then there's Jeff, her she wouldn't consider hooking up with him again, would she? It could happen--especially when Jeff's romance with the sweet young thing sours and he launches a full-scale campaign to win Jo back.
Sophisticated, spirited, and as compulsive as a box of bonbons, Fourplay offers a new take on the single-girl life perfect for the thirty-something audience. Fourplay --what a position to be in...
So who are the contestants? There's Sean, the sexy foreign affairs correspondent who sweeps Jo off her feet and proves to be masterful in bed; Martin, the music industry mogul who offers luxury, stability, and a glamorous lifestyle; and Conor, Jo's trusted confidant, who knows just what to say to make her smile (why hadn't she noticed his irresistible smile until now?). Then there's Jeff, her she wouldn't consider hooking up with him again, would she? It could happen--especially when Jeff's romance with the sweet young thing sours and he launches a full-scale campaign to win Jo back.
Sophisticated, spirited, and as compulsive as a box of bonbons, Fourplay offers a new take on the single-girl life perfect for the thirty-something audience. Fourplay --what a position to be in...
371 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
39 people are currently reading
2663 people want to read
About the author
Jane Moore
83 books64 followersJane Moore is an English journalist, author and television presenter, best known as a columnist for The Sun newspaper and as a panellist and anchor on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women between 1999 and 2002, returning as a regular panellist from 2013 onwards. Since 2018 Moore has been regularly relief-anchoring the show.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
April 5, 2020
Not a bad book about Jo's journey after her husband leaves her for a 23 year Old girl called Candy! Predictably the fling falls to pieces and he begs Jo back, shocking I know! He was a condescending ass, and I'm glad to report Jo, does not accept him! I liked her story and who she ended up with in the end! I really liked Jo, up until the point she became a bit of a selfish hypocrite! She finds out the man she has been dating for a year has a wife and 2 children! Shocking and hard to come to terms with I completely understand! At first Jo seems strong, giving him the boot! But all this changes when she calls him and has the cheek to ask what his wife looks like, and admits she misses him! She than thinks to herself she needs to stay away from him and hopes she can! Like she is some martyr! Sean tells her obviously that his marriage is dead, and he would leave his wife for her, and I'm ashamed to say Jo is tempted! On New Year's Eve she even shows up to his flat and has sex with him! This is where all my respect for Jo flew out the window! She has just been cheated on and left herself, yet she cheats knowingly with a married man! With 2 children, one as young as 3, so how dead is this marriage? What annoyed me more were her thoughts, they were not for his poor family, how she wouldn't want to destroy them! No it's how she couldn't trust Sean and would not want an untrustworthy man! She honestly was a bit of a bitch at this point! I Had a hard time feeling any sympathy for her! She went on about investing a year of her life with him, yeah well his wife invested over half a decade and 2 children for him to lie to her and leave her home alone most of the time! The part that had me in tears was the discussion Jo had with her mother after her fathers death. Broke my heart, was really amazing to see her mothers own pain, and how looks can be deceiving.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2013
One of the reasons I am a fan of the Chick-Lit genre is how the stories resonate with me. The plots, characters, emotions, wit, sarcasm, and the humor are all elements I find so easy to relate to. Fourplay was no exception. This story and the lead character, Jo, drew me in quickly. Anyone who has had a long term relationship end unexpectedly and badly can see themselves in this story. Anyone who has had their trust betrayed by their spouse and has to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives and start over will easily connect to this story.
One of the things I liked about Jo was her determination to move forward through her husband’s adultery. She allowed herself to shatter and fall apart, but she didn’t stay there. She got up and began rebuilding her life. She restarts her career, takes care of her children, and takes her life back. Healing is a long process that doesn’t happen overnight, but Jo is a wonderful example of a woman who does exactly that. I loved that Jo is receptive to new relationships but that she doesn’t rebound commit to the first man who crosses her path. I had a lot of anticipation reading the book trying to figure out who she would ultimately end up with.
A very interesting aspect of this story was Jeff, Jo’s ex-husband. I found his character defects and flaws quite interesting and witnessing his behavior and treatment of Jo is typical of a man who is weak and selfish. His attempt to win Jo back when his fling fizzles out came as no surprise to me. As Jo’s life seems to shine as she becomes stronger and more self-confident, Jeff’s seems to become the opposite. I enjoyed seeing Jeff eating some Karma pie, but I also pitied him. I thought it was sad that a self-made successful attorney on the outside was so weak and pathetic on the inside that he threw everything away instead of working on his problems with Jo. I especially loved it when Jo actually tells him that she should thank him for walking out on her and the kids.
I also enjoyed all of the other supporting characters. Jo’s brother, her best friend, her parents and the prospective love connections added to the story in unique ways. Jo’s brother was entertaining and her best friend was a god-send. Jo depends on them a lot and I loved that they were there for her. I empathized with Jo about the relationship she has with her parents. Jo’s mother was overbearing and hard to tolerate and Jo struggles with it for most of the book. Towards the end, we get a wonderful twist that gives Jo a whole new outlook on her relationship with her parents, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked each of the men Jo dates, some more than others. They were all unique and being with each of them brings Jo a wonderful opportunity to figure out who she is once again.
Overall, a very good story of one woman’s journey to rebuild her life after betrayal ends her marriage. I recommend this for readers of romance who enjoy strong female characters who refuse to let life’s roadblocks keep them from pursuing happiness.
One of the things I liked about Jo was her determination to move forward through her husband’s adultery. She allowed herself to shatter and fall apart, but she didn’t stay there. She got up and began rebuilding her life. She restarts her career, takes care of her children, and takes her life back. Healing is a long process that doesn’t happen overnight, but Jo is a wonderful example of a woman who does exactly that. I loved that Jo is receptive to new relationships but that she doesn’t rebound commit to the first man who crosses her path. I had a lot of anticipation reading the book trying to figure out who she would ultimately end up with.
A very interesting aspect of this story was Jeff, Jo’s ex-husband. I found his character defects and flaws quite interesting and witnessing his behavior and treatment of Jo is typical of a man who is weak and selfish. His attempt to win Jo back when his fling fizzles out came as no surprise to me. As Jo’s life seems to shine as she becomes stronger and more self-confident, Jeff’s seems to become the opposite. I enjoyed seeing Jeff eating some Karma pie, but I also pitied him. I thought it was sad that a self-made successful attorney on the outside was so weak and pathetic on the inside that he threw everything away instead of working on his problems with Jo. I especially loved it when Jo actually tells him that she should thank him for walking out on her and the kids.
I also enjoyed all of the other supporting characters. Jo’s brother, her best friend, her parents and the prospective love connections added to the story in unique ways. Jo’s brother was entertaining and her best friend was a god-send. Jo depends on them a lot and I loved that they were there for her. I empathized with Jo about the relationship she has with her parents. Jo’s mother was overbearing and hard to tolerate and Jo struggles with it for most of the book. Towards the end, we get a wonderful twist that gives Jo a whole new outlook on her relationship with her parents, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked each of the men Jo dates, some more than others. They were all unique and being with each of them brings Jo a wonderful opportunity to figure out who she is once again.
Overall, a very good story of one woman’s journey to rebuild her life after betrayal ends her marriage. I recommend this for readers of romance who enjoy strong female characters who refuse to let life’s roadblocks keep them from pursuing happiness.
July 30, 2008
I have a book called "Fourplay" as a five star...I'm not sure that makes me look very classy, but for this book I'll do it. I read this my first year of college and loved it so much I read it again about a year ago. Just a good story-a good one if you are looking to relax and get away for a bit.
February 18, 2025
Livro leve e rápido de ler, alguns momentos ficas com os olhos em lágrimas. Simplesmente não gostei como é que o final aconteceu, tinha tanto potencial para simplesmente terem arrematado o homem com quem ela fica no final de uma maneira muito mais envolvente e não uma situações de "caiu de paraquedas"
November 22, 2023
Good humor and prose. Thought this book was going to be good in the first half but just slid backwards and was disappointing.
July 5, 2010
A very pleasant surprise! I'm a little wary of chick-lit ever since I tried reading Confessions of a Shopaholic (hated it so much I stopped reading after 2 chapters). But this one was a lot of fun, had great dialogue, and made me laugh out loud a lot with all the British quips and sayings. A great rainy day book.
June 19, 2009
Very similar to a Danielle Steel book, this book was easy to read and for the most part very predictable. As a mom and wife, I could relate in many ways to the main character whose life and role was described in a humorous way.
This is a definate chick lit summer read book.
This is a definate chick lit summer read book.
June 20, 2007
I know, I know, it seems like horribly insipid trash. Judge ye not from the title! This little tidbit of chicklit packed quite a punch!
November 29, 2008
Your typical guilty pleasure read. You know how it'll end when it starts, lots of man bashing, good quality women bonding and a cherry on top ending. Not amazing, but still fun.
June 20, 2009
I really appreciate her sense of humor. Good for reading before bed because you pretty much know how it's going to end.
Provides a couple of surprises that are yummy and naughty,
Provides a couple of surprises that are yummy and naughty,
February 8, 2011
I read this when me and my boyfriend were breaking up. It really helped me see the bright side of things when I was having a hard time dealing with things. Her brother in the book is awesome too lol
July 2, 2016
A Chick-lit with a little more punch. Nice easy read.
May 11, 2023
1,5 - What an un-swoon worthy chick-lit. 4 suitors and not one sweeps you off your feet or gets developed enough to make you feel anything at all for them except some disgust and mild apathy.
March 30, 2018
Well written, easy read but left an bad aftertaste. The main person Jo isn’t always likable but believable. But its is written as we should like her, so its depressing that many readers seem to. The book takes place in the nineties, and cell phones are still rare and thus has a very dated feel to it.
Jo is a good looking girl, just left her twenties (33 years old) and as soon as her husband abandons her good looking men start to swarm her. Really. They just show up from all directions. She picks the sleaziest one, have a lot of wild sex and share her love of making fun of fat people with her lover. This pastime is something she longingly remembers when guy no 3 doesn’t want to join in on the fat hate.
She is somewhat self reflecting and likable at parts. She is sex positive and her sex is always great, expect with the exhusband just before he left. Jo also doesn’t mince words and is often rightfully angry with healthy boundaries. Which makes the end even stranger when the uberbitch mom of Jo suddenly says after her unbelievable personality switch in the end of the book “my girl you always apologizes” Eh?!! Jo in the least unapologetic person ever. Then Jo ends up with mr Right that was there all the time. The whole end was very forced.
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Jo is a good looking girl, just left her twenties (33 years old) and as soon as her husband abandons her good looking men start to swarm her. Really. They just show up from all directions. She picks the sleaziest one, have a lot of wild sex and share her love of making fun of fat people with her lover. This pastime is something she longingly remembers when guy no 3 doesn’t want to join in on the fat hate.
She is somewhat self reflecting and likable at parts. She is sex positive and her sex is always great, expect with the exhusband just before he left. Jo also doesn’t mince words and is often rightfully angry with healthy boundaries. Which makes the end even stranger when the uberbitch mom of Jo suddenly says after her unbelievable personality switch in the end of the book “my girl you always apologizes” Eh?!! Jo in the least unapologetic person ever. Then Jo ends up with mr Right that was there all the time. The whole end was very forced.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2024
Jag brukar inte skriva recension, men nu måste jag för att skona andra. Den här boken har inte åldrats väl. Karaktärerna är vidriga och de beter sig som om de jobbade åt Hänt extra. Kommentarer om människors utseende är så sjukt elaka och de beter sig som tonåringar. Det är otroligt många elaka kommentarer om för dem främmande människors vikt (även deras egen vikt, "är jag tillräckligt smaaaal!?") Och om det är någon som beskrivs som "snyggare" då är hen korkad. Så jävla tröttsamt.
Huvudkaraktären är 33 och beskriver sig själv som i princip utdömd och det gnälls konstant över hur "komplicerat" ALLT blir när man har 2 små barn. Så är hon nostalgisk över hur "kul" hon va förr, när hon söp och flirtade hejvilt. Självklart måste hon också fjanta massa med männen och blablabla, nej usch! Den här boken va inte ens kul att "ströläsa".
Huvudkaraktären är 33 och beskriver sig själv som i princip utdömd och det gnälls konstant över hur "komplicerat" ALLT blir när man har 2 små barn. Så är hon nostalgisk över hur "kul" hon va förr, när hon söp och flirtade hejvilt. Självklart måste hon också fjanta massa med männen och blablabla, nej usch! Den här boken va inte ens kul att "ströläsa".
January 17, 2023
Seems as if none of my friends know about this little drama.First off,with its myriad of character's,it's more chik lit more than Romance. But IMO,this saga was intriguing and the saga fairly well crafted .The h is a fallible human ,but likeable.
I would have preferred to have felt the emotion more and the despair of her husband's betrayal more precisely.However,that could have been my mentality more than the writing as I did feel the pang of that secondary betrayal .More importantly, I appreciated experiencing the journey that finally led her to the joy of a new beginnings when her truth finally resonated ,in the form of my favorite character!
I do recommend to my fellow readers,specifically those of you who similarly seek out the drama a troubled marriage mired by infidelity!
I would have preferred to have felt the emotion more and the despair of her husband's betrayal more precisely.However,that could have been my mentality more than the writing as I did feel the pang of that secondary betrayal .More importantly, I appreciated experiencing the journey that finally led her to the joy of a new beginnings when her truth finally resonated ,in the form of my favorite character!
I do recommend to my fellow readers,specifically those of you who similarly seek out the drama a troubled marriage mired by infidelity!
June 23, 2024
A solid domestic/romantic drama that asks little of you and delivers reasonably well in return. It's a predictable one and you can guess the outcome pretty much from reading the blurb, but this book does the usual "I didn't see who was right in front of me until I realised everyone else was shit" plot well. I loved all the early 00s references which definitely date it but felt very nostalgic for me - there's also a lot of content that would definitely get you cancelled these days (smacking your kids, fat-shaming) which shows how far we've moved on in 20 years.
March 23, 2017
Enjoyable
I am not usually a chit lit fan but this was easy reading and the characters were mostly believable, I would have loved to give the ex husband a good slapping.
I was a single parent and envied her the on tap free baby sitting services she had while she spent time with all these men who found her irresistible.
I found the chapters covering her dad's death emotional, which isn't like me!
The ' happy ever after' ending was sickly and spoilt the book for me, hence four stars.
Would read more by Jane Moore and would recommend this to anyone looking for a light, undemanding read.
I am not usually a chit lit fan but this was easy reading and the characters were mostly believable, I would have loved to give the ex husband a good slapping.
I was a single parent and envied her the on tap free baby sitting services she had while she spent time with all these men who found her irresistible.
I found the chapters covering her dad's death emotional, which isn't like me!
The ' happy ever after' ending was sickly and spoilt the book for me, hence four stars.
Would read more by Jane Moore and would recommend this to anyone looking for a light, undemanding read.
May 15, 2017
Great summer read by the pool or beachside. Very entertaining even though we must accept that it isn't going to win any classic literature awards anytime soon. I definitely enjoyed it and once it about chapter 15 I literally couldn't nor did I want to put it down.
March 22, 2018
A perfect read for a snowday. Predictable, but completely enjoyable. Jo doesn't always make the right decisions and that is what makes her a realistic and relatable character. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed.
June 21, 2017
Really enjoyed the read ... Wonderful ❤️ maybe coz of my age realtion with jo miles just awesome the decisions she took is just too natural and the ending is so touching .... Loved it
July 31, 2017
Better written than I anticipated...I picked it up as a light beach read out of curiosity and it actually has some interesting depth and comments on marriage and relationships...
September 4, 2017
Love a good chick-lit story
December 31, 2017
Woman gets dumped by husband for much younger woman. Woman dates four suitors -- unlikely. Some amusing observations, but predictably Mr. Right was under her nose the whole time.
August 14, 2018
Brilliant couldn't put it down! Was a Conor fan from the start!
May 2, 2019
Pretty light beach read. It was written quite a few years ago so a lot of the technology and social media wasn’t present. It kept my interest and kept me entertained.
September 11, 2020
I was looking for something light and fun to read and this hit the spot. It actually had a bit more substance, less cheesiness than most chic lit.
January 19, 2023
I actually appreciated the choices Jo made.
February 28, 2023
"When I meet a man now the first thing I think about is. Is this the sort of man I want my children to spend their weekends with.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews