International Relations

by Adele Archer

From rags to riches and back again, Dee Campbell-Stark’s life has been turned upside down. Her wealthy husband Lance’s untimely demise has left her in an emotionally and financially uncertain world. Lance’s secret indiscretions are a past Dee now must bury along with her late-husband.

But the arrival of enigmatic and brooding Milo Phillips (Lance’s estranged American cousin) changes everything. A single mother now, Dee must decide the course of her uncertain future. Will she venture deeper into her unpopular friendship with Milo and risk the wrath of the Stark family? And what exactly will an idiosyncratic, quirky girl with no real aspirations or talents (other than a smart-mouth) do with her once-charmed life?

Not a run-of the-mill heroine. Not a stereotypical male protagonist. And the combination is refreshingly different. This modern-day classic is an intelligent and amusing, yet bitter-sweet romantic tale.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2015

About the author

Adele Archer was born in Bethnal Green, East London in the 1970s, the second youngest of six children. Growing up in a council flat in not the most salubrious part of town, she was always a dreamer - and her imagination was the best escape of all. Adele was writing books from the age of eleven - but inventing stories in her head long before that.
Adele spent the majority of her working life as a trained nurse but it was in 2011, after the death of her beloved sister, that she decided it was time that writing novels could no longer just be a secret hobby. Because, in her bitter experience, life was too short for 'if onlys'.
Her first novel, 'International Relations' was released in 2015. Adele writes contemporary women's fiction with an amusing (albeit slightly bitter) take on life and romance. She writes for strong, witty women who want to read about strong, witty women. Oh, and men too. And children. No, wait...not children. But definitely goats (strong, witty goats).
Adele now resides in the West Country with her wonderful husband and two amazing daughters. In her spare time, she writes songs and sings, reads voraciously and crams in as many period/costume drama shows as her long-suffering family will allow. She would wear a bustle and a bonnet on a daily basis if she could...

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh. I like this author’s writing style. But this is a romance book. I like the characters. But this is a romance book. I like that the author uses well known tropes for a quick and fun read. But this is a romance book. The lead female character is fun and quirky. I like the way she thinks out loud and how she seems very real. But this is a romance book. The cast of characters contains a dash of every popular stereotype. But this is a romance book. The events and plots are formulaic in a cozy familiar way. But this is a romance book. To be fair there is a large pink heart on the cover and you know going in that this is a romance book.

So you see my problem? I like this author’s writing style and characters. I just do not like romance novels.I stopped reading this book two different times but came each time because I enjoyed the pacing and character voices, particularly the main female character.

If you want a quick fun romance read this is a nice book.

Maybe I can convince the author to use her skills to write some other genre?

[Plain Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance, mystery, gentle humour- this book has it all! I enjoyed every bit of it. Each sentence has been structured and framed thoughtfully. The best thing about this book is that it is written in third person. This makes one see the characters through their own imagination and perspective!
The main characters Milo and Dee complement each other really well. They had their 'Pride and Prejudice' moments, but in the end they are completely different characters!
The book also gave a different light towards romance. This definitely wasn't a clichéd piece in that genre. The relation between the protagonists was so intense and magical.
It may or may not have been intended by the authoress, but it contained a great lot of information on British tradition and culture.
Had an epic cliffhanger too! Can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this! Review to follow.