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The First Year
The first year of marriage is hard no matter what. Throw in jealous exes, high-pressure careers and two wildly different families, and the degree of difficulty goes up a few more notches. Determined to beat the odds, one couple comes up with a plan to keep their romance alive - but life has other ideas.
Saskia is an up-and-coming jewellery designer, waiting tables at a trendy cafe to keep her fledgling company afloat. Andrew is a corporate lawyer who wants to be known for more than his family's money. They're passionate about their work and each other, but with Andy's job in jeopardy and Saskia's jewellery label taking off, the pressure is taking its toll.
As life pulls them in different directions, the two of them are forced to decide: Just how important is their marriage? And how hard are they willing to work to protect it?
Saskia is an up-and-coming jewellery designer, waiting tables at a trendy cafe to keep her fledgling company afloat. Andrew is a corporate lawyer who wants to be known for more than his family's money. They're passionate about their work and each other, but with Andy's job in jeopardy and Saskia's jewellery label taking off, the pressure is taking its toll.
As life pulls them in different directions, the two of them are forced to decide: Just how important is their marriage? And how hard are they willing to work to protect it?
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2017
2 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 11, 2017
Local author and Hill of Content customer Genevieve Gannon offered me a PDF review copy of her upcoming book. I don't typically read books digitally (or romance novels for that matter) but I thought I'd make an exception. And I'm glad I did. This romance tells the story of the first year of Saskia and Andy's marriage. Gannon does a good job at fleshing out both characters and giving them some believable life challenges that spill into their relationship. I stayed at my computer (tried to read it on my phone but couldn't and don't have any portable devices) late into the night to finish this. Come for the romance, stay for the copyright infringement lesson (seriously).
February 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this book even though topically it isn't the kind of read I'd go for. I liked how Gannon writes -- her characters and her observations, her humour and how real and heartfelt it seemed. Highlighted a fair few chunks on my kindle, and now (4 months after finishing), fondly remembering the fab reading experience I had with this book. I'll be stalking Genevieve Gannon to make sure I don't miss what she releases next.
May 2, 2017
3.5 stars
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but when I did I enjoyed the story, until certain point.
I think there were some lose ends in the end and some parts were rushed towards the ending. And I don't feel like the main conflict was really solved in the end.
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but when I did I enjoyed the story, until certain point.
I think there were some lose ends in the end and some parts were rushed towards the ending. And I don't feel like the main conflict was really solved in the end.
June 25, 2017
This was my first novel by Genevieve Gannon. This was a cute novel about a couple as they experience their first year of wedded bliss. On their honeymoon is it's very easy to make a pact to keep the romance alive however, in reality crazy exes, escalating career pressures and their blended families are making this more challenging than Saskia and Andy ever imagined. This novel is told in third person but does switch back and forth from Saskia to Andy over the first 365 days of their marriage. The chapters are short and I found myself zipping through this one pretty quickly to find out if these these two were meant to be!! Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.
May 7, 2017
The First Year, Genevieve Gannon
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General fiction (adult), women's fiction
I really enjoyed this read. Marriage is hard work to make it successfully, just being "in love" isn't always enough to overcome all the issues thrown at couples. And when they're from such diverse backgrounds as Saskia and Andy its even harder. Both have baggage too in the way if Exes that are still around....
Its clear they adore each other, came together very suddenly after each had split from a serious relationship. Its been a whirlwind meeting, engaged and married within months of meeting, they vow on their honeymoon to show each other how much they love them every day- in an ingenuous way. They "contract" to make love each day, to carve out time to remind themsleves how precious their relationship is.
Well, on honeymoon that's perfect, but back home the work pressures are high, families aren't as supportive as they could be and slowly cracks appear.
Its kind of bittersweet, seeing it from both POV, and knowing how much they love and respect each other. Or do they? Does Andy really understand how important her art is to Saskia? Does she really follow how important this job is to him? There are rippling undercurrents of resentment, when first Andy and then Saskia spend time on work that they think should be relationship time, Andy-and-Saskia time.
Of course we can see it from outside, whereas they only have their own view, don't know what else is going on, and as we all do, seethe resentfully when we feel we're in the right....be honest, we've all done it. Justified a stance where maybe, just maybe we aren't quite as right as we want to be.
Then there's some huge pressures hit the couple and ...they need to pull together quickly or fall apart. Its wonderfully played out, letting me understand both of them, see how easily one day becomes a week, becomes several weeks...so realistic when each struggles to make a move.
The copyright issue that affected Saskia and was a big part of the latter half of the book was so very true to life. As an artist I know people who've had work copied, not just by firms printing tea towels, mugs, place-mats of artworks etc but from factory style foreign artist companies who see a popular image, and copy it faithfully, using inferior materials and paying the artists next to nothing. Thus they can knock out an exact copy of a work at a fraction of the price. And the artist is pretty much helpless, all that time spent planning, painting, altering, studying before finally deciding this is the perfect work, all that is lost. Authors have the same issue when others try to copy their books, or - horrors- put them online on free-to-download sites. Makes me furious, and some series I've been following authors have stopped writing as there are more free downloads than sales.
Yes we do own copyright to our works but enforcing it takes time and money and sucess isn't ensured. As we see in this book, its very difficult to prove even when it looks on the surface very obvious, and for most its a risk to time and money they just don't have. Bills need to be paid, people need to work, so finding time to deal with court legalities isn't easy. I loved the way Saskia and co did it here, and the end result was very realistic, and perfect for the story.
Copying original work of any sort, evading paying an artist/author for their time is wrong, just plain wrong! Hurts everyone eventually when there's no original stuff left. Why should people bother when all their time is wasted, when Ikea or some such store sell copies at a fraction, when their books aren't selling because of free copies....We'll get the bland, high street, chain store stuff we deserve if not careful. And that's my rant over, promise ;-)
Like I said its a very real look at life, marriage and how two individuals need to adapt to make a successful marriage. Its not one bending to the other, but both working equally, trusting each other, sharing problems as well as sucess. Looking at Saskia and Andy you can't pinpoint where issues actually started, when tiny problems became a huge ones and that's what its like for most of us, its the tiny things that left untended grow to have the potential to destroy.
Stars: five, a fabulous look at life, realities of two individuals living as one while retaining separate identities. Looking at the pitfalls facing those couples who want to stay together, showing how love isn't enough, successful co-habitation and respect takes a bit more.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General fiction (adult), women's fiction
I really enjoyed this read. Marriage is hard work to make it successfully, just being "in love" isn't always enough to overcome all the issues thrown at couples. And when they're from such diverse backgrounds as Saskia and Andy its even harder. Both have baggage too in the way if Exes that are still around....
Its clear they adore each other, came together very suddenly after each had split from a serious relationship. Its been a whirlwind meeting, engaged and married within months of meeting, they vow on their honeymoon to show each other how much they love them every day- in an ingenuous way. They "contract" to make love each day, to carve out time to remind themsleves how precious their relationship is.
Well, on honeymoon that's perfect, but back home the work pressures are high, families aren't as supportive as they could be and slowly cracks appear.
Its kind of bittersweet, seeing it from both POV, and knowing how much they love and respect each other. Or do they? Does Andy really understand how important her art is to Saskia? Does she really follow how important this job is to him? There are rippling undercurrents of resentment, when first Andy and then Saskia spend time on work that they think should be relationship time, Andy-and-Saskia time.
Of course we can see it from outside, whereas they only have their own view, don't know what else is going on, and as we all do, seethe resentfully when we feel we're in the right....be honest, we've all done it. Justified a stance where maybe, just maybe we aren't quite as right as we want to be.
Then there's some huge pressures hit the couple and ...they need to pull together quickly or fall apart. Its wonderfully played out, letting me understand both of them, see how easily one day becomes a week, becomes several weeks...so realistic when each struggles to make a move.
The copyright issue that affected Saskia and was a big part of the latter half of the book was so very true to life. As an artist I know people who've had work copied, not just by firms printing tea towels, mugs, place-mats of artworks etc but from factory style foreign artist companies who see a popular image, and copy it faithfully, using inferior materials and paying the artists next to nothing. Thus they can knock out an exact copy of a work at a fraction of the price. And the artist is pretty much helpless, all that time spent planning, painting, altering, studying before finally deciding this is the perfect work, all that is lost. Authors have the same issue when others try to copy their books, or - horrors- put them online on free-to-download sites. Makes me furious, and some series I've been following authors have stopped writing as there are more free downloads than sales.
Yes we do own copyright to our works but enforcing it takes time and money and sucess isn't ensured. As we see in this book, its very difficult to prove even when it looks on the surface very obvious, and for most its a risk to time and money they just don't have. Bills need to be paid, people need to work, so finding time to deal with court legalities isn't easy. I loved the way Saskia and co did it here, and the end result was very realistic, and perfect for the story.
Copying original work of any sort, evading paying an artist/author for their time is wrong, just plain wrong! Hurts everyone eventually when there's no original stuff left. Why should people bother when all their time is wasted, when Ikea or some such store sell copies at a fraction, when their books aren't selling because of free copies....We'll get the bland, high street, chain store stuff we deserve if not careful. And that's my rant over, promise ;-)
Like I said its a very real look at life, marriage and how two individuals need to adapt to make a successful marriage. Its not one bending to the other, but both working equally, trusting each other, sharing problems as well as sucess. Looking at Saskia and Andy you can't pinpoint where issues actually started, when tiny problems became a huge ones and that's what its like for most of us, its the tiny things that left untended grow to have the potential to destroy.
Stars: five, a fabulous look at life, realities of two individuals living as one while retaining separate identities. Looking at the pitfalls facing those couples who want to stay together, showing how love isn't enough, successful co-habitation and respect takes a bit more.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
June 8, 2017
The honeymoon is over... Genevieve gives us a sneak peek into how Saskia and Andy deal with the all-too-real day-to-day dramas of fitting together as a married couple. Lovey moments, funny moments, difficult moments and moments that were a bit too close to home. I really enjoyed this story and plan to read more from Genevieve.
May 5, 2017
Andy, a successful lawyer marries Saskia after a whirlwind romance. Unfortunately Saskia, who works in a cafe and also designs and makes her own silver jewellery doesn't meet Andy's mother's expectations. Knowing that the first year of marriage can be hard, they make a contract to always have time for each other every day of the first year ie S*x!
I really enjoyed these characters as they navigated the first year of marriage. Andy also comes from a family with money, which Saskia couldn't care less about (her signing a prenup, threw her mother in law off kilter). Saskia comes across as a strong person but trying to please everyone and Andy thinks he's always doing the right thing but somehow it's either not right or never enough.
As pressures of Andy's work build up and Saskia's venture into jewellery making and selling comes off, tensions start to build.
What started out as a fun novel some what developed into something quite thoughtful. It's where the old saying comes into play....We don't know what is lost till it's gone.
I really enjoyed it and thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read and review.
I really enjoyed these characters as they navigated the first year of marriage. Andy also comes from a family with money, which Saskia couldn't care less about (her signing a prenup, threw her mother in law off kilter). Saskia comes across as a strong person but trying to please everyone and Andy thinks he's always doing the right thing but somehow it's either not right or never enough.
As pressures of Andy's work build up and Saskia's venture into jewellery making and selling comes off, tensions start to build.
What started out as a fun novel some what developed into something quite thoughtful. It's where the old saying comes into play....We don't know what is lost till it's gone.
I really enjoyed it and thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read and review.
June 6, 2017
As soon as I heard this book delved into the not-always-blissful period of the first year of marriage, I was keen to read it! I love stories that shine a light on all the glorious foibles of our humanity rather than trotting me off to the land of make-believe, and this story does just that as it follows the trials and tribulations of the first year of marriage of Saskia and Andy - a marriage that has plenty working against it. Aware that passion can quickly fade when faced with life's stresses, the young couple devises a plan to keep the home fires burning. They soon realise, however, that they are going to need more than their passion-pact to make it work. I found this book kept me turning the pages and there was a lot more to it than I initially anticipated. I love the fresh and sassy writing style and the drawing of multi-dimensional characters. A most enjoyable, witty and at times tender read that had me invested in its outcome from very early on. Highly recommended.
May 10, 2017
The First Year intertwines professional pressures, dogged determination and creativity into a cleverly spun love story. The cast of characters was extremely relatable, making you feel their anxiety, their frustrations and all their emotions! Well done Genevieve Gannon, you write with passion, it was such a delightful read!
August 28, 2019
Good, lighthearted read that was difficult to put down
January 1, 2021
This is the third book I’ve read by Genevieve Gannon, and I think this one is my favourite! The First Year is the story of the first year of the marriage of Melbourne couple, jewellery designer Saskia and intellectual property rights lawyer Andy. As you can imagine, they are a bit of an odd couple and face a range of issues during their first year.
I loved that Gannon set this novel in our mutual home town of Melbourne. Saskia and Andy represent two common Melbourne stereotypes and I felt they rang very true. Saskia was a perfect Brunswick hipster type with just the right amount of talent and down to earth attitude to make her likable. Andy was a very typical corporate type with a snobby family. I feel like I’ve met both of them before a couple of times around Melbs!
All of the best parts about Melbourne were included in The First Year. Great coffee, great food, live music, and the thriving arts community were all in there. I think Melbourne is a fantastic setting for a novel and would love to see more Melbourne based books. I’m also taking this as a sign that Gen will be back one day…everyone comes home to Melbourne eventually!
The First Year also tackled copyright infringement from the perspective of a small designer taking on a big chain. This is such an important issue and I feel like we really do need to be talking and thinking about copyright law more than we do. Copyright law is a mess right now and corporations hold all the cards. On one hand, we have designers being ripped off and losing money due to copyright infringement. On the other hand, the public domain is shrinking rapidly because the length of copyright has been extended so much over the past century. The public domain is essential to continue creativity because all great ideas come from somewhere. If there are no new ideas in the public domain then we will very quickly run out of new ideas.
The Creative Commons was created as a response to the ever-shrinking public domain. There are images and sound files you can use in your own works with correct attribution and you can also find a copyright license to use for your own works. And the licenses are written in plain English, so it’s very easy to use and find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s an essential tool for everybody who creates on the Internet!
I loved that Gannon set this novel in our mutual home town of Melbourne. Saskia and Andy represent two common Melbourne stereotypes and I felt they rang very true. Saskia was a perfect Brunswick hipster type with just the right amount of talent and down to earth attitude to make her likable. Andy was a very typical corporate type with a snobby family. I feel like I’ve met both of them before a couple of times around Melbs!
All of the best parts about Melbourne were included in The First Year. Great coffee, great food, live music, and the thriving arts community were all in there. I think Melbourne is a fantastic setting for a novel and would love to see more Melbourne based books. I’m also taking this as a sign that Gen will be back one day…everyone comes home to Melbourne eventually!
The First Year also tackled copyright infringement from the perspective of a small designer taking on a big chain. This is such an important issue and I feel like we really do need to be talking and thinking about copyright law more than we do. Copyright law is a mess right now and corporations hold all the cards. On one hand, we have designers being ripped off and losing money due to copyright infringement. On the other hand, the public domain is shrinking rapidly because the length of copyright has been extended so much over the past century. The public domain is essential to continue creativity because all great ideas come from somewhere. If there are no new ideas in the public domain then we will very quickly run out of new ideas.
The Creative Commons was created as a response to the ever-shrinking public domain. There are images and sound files you can use in your own works with correct attribution and you can also find a copyright license to use for your own works. And the licenses are written in plain English, so it’s very easy to use and find exactly what you’re looking for. It’s an essential tool for everybody who creates on the Internet!
March 27, 2017
A total re-reader. Review to be posted soon.
April 29, 2017
I downloaded this yesterday morning and finished it in one day! Clever and very, very funny!
May 2, 2017
Genevieve Gannon has definitely hit her stride. One of those books you'll stay up too late reading "just over more chapter".
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews