All The Single Ladies

by Ronali Collings

*Previously published as Love & Other Dramas.*

Tania, 44. Recently divorced and looking for some fun in her life...

...but what her family and best friend don't know is that she has a bad habit of slipping into old ways - namely one ex-husband.

Helen, 60s. Widow of two years and ready for what the next chapter will bring...

...but having only known one man her whole life, she's not sure if she can put herself out there again after so long.

Priya, 45. Loves to meet new people and always up for a good time...

...but her love-and-leave-them attitude towards relationships is tiring these days, and she's wondering if she'll ever meet the right person that can break through her walls.

These three women are single and ready to mingle - the men of this world better watch out. But as they make plans to reinvent themselves and navigate a whole new dating scene together, a series of surprises and old secrets make the path to love a bumpy ride...

A warm, witty and hilariously relatable debut about second chances, All the Single Ladies tells the story of three women dealing with the drama of life, family and friendship all while showing us it's never too late to find love again. Perfect for fans of Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?, The Shelf and Marian Keyes.

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Published July 19, 2022

About the author

Ronali Collings was born and bred in Middlesex, has a degree in English Literature from King’s College London, studied law and worked in international tax for 16 years. After several years as a stay at home mother and decades of vicarious living through books, she rediscovered her passion for writing and graduated with a MA in Creative Writing from Brunel University under the supervision of Bernardine Evaristo. Love & Other Dramas is her first novel.

Reviews

[kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this because it’s the unlimited audiobook of the month with my local library and i really enjoyed it, surprised at the lack of reviews. love that it featured women being messy unapologetically :)

[Saz Vora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and poignant book full of family, friendship and forgiveness. Unputdownable. Be prepared to invest in them all.
Three South Asian women at the cusp of a new chapter discover truths, secrets and the courage to accept love in all its guise.
Tania, recently divorced and seeking excitement as a mature single parent back in the dating market, but she keeps away from her ex. Helen, her widowed mother, knows her old life isn’t what she wants, but does she have the courage to accept love.
Priya, her best friend, has always embodied the fun-loving rebel until a secret is revealed and forces her to reassess her life.
Within Collings' pages, you'll find cultural references, the hardships of growing up straddling Britishness and, in this case, Tania's Sri Lankan and Priya's Gujarati heritage. It examines the dilemma that countless women confront as they mature and reevaluate their life path. Collings writing is funny and poignant, full of life’s messy bits with warts and all. But the power of family and forgiveness shines through as all three women eventually find out they can reinvent themselves and find happiness in a life of their own making.

[Laura Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, you’ll love this if you liked Bridget jones. Below is major spoilers, for me to remember what the book was about rather than a review.

Audio listen.
Tanya - divorced cheating hubby, looking to start dating again but can she leave hubby behind?

Priya - Tanya’s best friend, discovering new sexuality with a woman for first time ever after 20yrs of divorce, will family approve? Also she slept with Tanyas husband years ago and will their friendship survive?

Helen - Tanya’s mum. Husband died and can she let another man into her life? Oscar shows her that she can!

[Dawn Thoma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of these three women's lives is exquisitely intertwined. There is a lot of issues surrounding relationships and careers, but what I enjoyed most were the concerns that this highlighted. They understand they are not perfect and that they make mistakes, but they still strive to improve. There are some excellent cultural themes in this book; I love it when literature reflect diversity, and this one definitely does. Very captivating and well-written story.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off well for me... Exploration of 3 women with separate and overlapping life stories and issues. But turned into a smaltzy happy-ever-after string of love stories ... Yuk. Not my thing. Couldn't bring myself to finish the last bit. If it is your thing... You'll like it.

[Eve Copeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it eventually, just took me ages to get in to it. A very sweet ending with some twists and turns along the way.

[Margot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely gentle read. Good characters, nothing startling but I was keen to pick up where I'd last finished and find out what was happening.