Waiting in the Wings

by Donna Hay

Actress Annie Mitchell is devastated. Her husband Max has run off with her best friend, leaving her with a stack of unpaid bills and the self-esteem of the last sandwich in a railway buffet. Her unsympathetic agent is not much help either. Assuring Annie that there is life after heartbreak, she instructs her to go to a party where she will meet the artistic director of the Phoenix theatre in Middlethorpe who just happens to be looking for a female lead in his forthcoming production of Much Ado About Nothing. Fortified by the odd glass or four of Dutch courage, Annie runs into old flame Nick Ryan whom she drunkenly – and unsuccessfully – attempts to seduce. Vowing that she will never, ever touch a drop of anything remotely alcoholic again, she staggers to the audition – to find that the artistic director is none other than Nick Ryan, and she has been chosen to play Beatrice. So Annie ends up in Middlethorpe – possibly the most boring town in the north of England, she thinks. But she has reckoned without the series of freak accidents that look set to ensure that the Phoenix will never open, least of all on the opening night; and her feelings for Nick whom she has to acknowledge is not only tall and dark, but kind and disconcertingly sexy …

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.


Donna Hay's first novel, Waiting in the Wings, won her the RNA New Writers' Award, and since then she has attracted praise from critics for Kiss & Tell and Such a Perfect Sister. She writes regularly for TV Times and What's On TV, and has a weekly soaps page in Chat magazine. She lives in York, England, with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Tricia]

When Actress Annie's husband leaves her for her friend she is shocked. To support herself and to get away from her husband Max she takes a theatre job in Yorkshire. The director is Nick, an old flame of hers.

The theatre is old and is in disrepair. Actors are a superstitious lot and there is rumours of a ghost haunting the theatre and a curse. At the same time Nick is fighting to open the theatre with mounting costs of repairs. Is it the ghost or is it a person who doesn't want it to open?

[Preet]

Waiting in the Wings is Donna Hay's 2000 release. It's about an actress who has just been left by her husband for her best friend. She's not dealing too well with the news and decides to take up a job far away from London, that just happens to be directed by the man, she ditched to marry her husband six years ago. Talk about awkward!

This book was a really easy read. It took about 2 hours to get through it. I liked almost all of the characters. There was a bit of mystery and supernatural undertones which made the story interesting. I wish the supernatural part had been a little better developed.

I have a couple of Donna Hay books left to read, and I have enjoyed all the ones I've read so far, and have the feeling I will continue to do so.

[Helen]

A nice easy and quick read if a bit predictable.

Some bits felt a bit rushed - the setting up of the story seemed to take a long time and then the "love story" element seemed to almost happen within a few pages.

[Fluffychick]

haven't read this author before and enjoyed this book. The main character of Annie was likeable, although a bit self absorbed, but she is an actress!!

[Halimah]

One of my absolute fave books by donna hay.

[Khishge L]

I REALLY LIKE THIS BOOK KEEP ME READING TILL THE END. HAPPY ENDING!

[Tien]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11066444

[Emma Long]

I enjoyed this quick read.

[Tara]

Predictable, a quick easy read.