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About Us: A heartwarming second-chance midlife romantic comedy about love and family
It's about life. It's about love. It's about us.
From bestselling author, Jon Rance comes a comedy-drama about a marriage. About how it begins, how it falls apart, and the choices we're forced to make.Rosie Willis isn’t happy. Her once-perfect marriage to her husband Pete is falling apart, her mother is dying, and her three children are starting to feel like strangers. At forty she feels like she’s stuck, but then she meets handsome widower, Mark Hornby, at the school gates and he makes her feel alive again.As she drifts further from Pete, she gets closer to Mark, but approaching Christmas she realises she needs to save her marriage. Despite her feelings for Mark, she can’t have an affair. Unfortunately, Pete has news of his own that throws everything into doubt.Rosie must choose a new life. There’s Pete, Mark, or going it alone. It isn’t easy when you’re forty, when you have three kids, when your mother is dying, but life isn’t meant to be easy. This is the story of Rosie and Pete. From the beginning until the end.
From bestselling author, Jon Rance comes a comedy-drama about a marriage. About how it begins, how it falls apart, and the choices we're forced to make.Rosie Willis isn’t happy. Her once-perfect marriage to her husband Pete is falling apart, her mother is dying, and her three children are starting to feel like strangers. At forty she feels like she’s stuck, but then she meets handsome widower, Mark Hornby, at the school gates and he makes her feel alive again.As she drifts further from Pete, she gets closer to Mark, but approaching Christmas she realises she needs to save her marriage. Despite her feelings for Mark, she can’t have an affair. Unfortunately, Pete has news of his own that throws everything into doubt.Rosie must choose a new life. There’s Pete, Mark, or going it alone. It isn’t easy when you’re forty, when you have three kids, when your mother is dying, but life isn’t meant to be easy. This is the story of Rosie and Pete. From the beginning until the end.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2017
163 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Jon Rance
26 books95 followersJon Rance is the author of seven novels: the Kindle top ten bestseller, This Thirtysomething Life, Happy Endings (both published by Hodder and Stoughton), This Family Life, Sunday Dinners, Dan And Nat Got Married, About Us, and The Summer Holidays Survival Guide. He's also the author of the Christmas novella, A Notting Hill Christmas.
Jon studied English Literature at Middlesex University, London, before going travelling and meeting his American wife in Australia. Jon loves comedy (especially sitcoms), the films of Richard Curtis, travelling and tea. He just turned forty, which is a terrifying time, so his books might get a bit edgier and possibly angrier as a result.
Jon writes dramatic, romantic, comedy fiction similar to the work of Mike Gayle, Matt Dunn, Nick Spalding and David Nicholls.
You can email him at: jonrance@yahoo.com
Please visit his website: www.jonrance.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @JRance75
Jon studied English Literature at Middlesex University, London, before going travelling and meeting his American wife in Australia. Jon loves comedy (especially sitcoms), the films of Richard Curtis, travelling and tea. He just turned forty, which is a terrifying time, so his books might get a bit edgier and possibly angrier as a result.
Jon writes dramatic, romantic, comedy fiction similar to the work of Mike Gayle, Matt Dunn, Nick Spalding and David Nicholls.
You can email him at: jonrance@yahoo.com
Please visit his website: www.jonrance.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @JRance75
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 23, 2018
Lovely book, I felt completely engaged with the characters. Then the ending. I was so angry, it ruined the entire book for me.
August 25, 2017
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
What surprised me about ‘About Us’ at first, was how the story was told by a female main character. Before anyone starts with the ‘omg you’re being sexist’ comments, let me explain. Firstly, I can’t say that I have read many novels written by male authors, who have their main character as a female voice. Usually I find that authors usually have main characters as the same gender as themselves so, when I read Jon Rance’s novel with his main character being Rosie Willis, I was pleasantly surprised. In a good way though! It was so refreshing to see an author go against the ‘norm’ and write in a completely different way, enough to make a reader go ‘errrrrr what?’ (again, in a good way).
Rosie Willis isn’t a happy bunny. Her marriage has become a chore as opposed to the romantic, sexual, burst of energy relationship that it once was. Not only that, Rosie’s family are dealing with a heart-breaking and emotional situation, which, whilst it is incredibly difficult to go through, it’s a waiting game for the entire family.
Having never been married and only having one child, a lot of ‘About Us’ I couldn’t relate to in the slightest. However, I didn’t need to be able to relate to the general theme of the book to be able to enjoy it…luckily. I found myself warming to Rosie’s persona without the need of saying ‘oh she is SO like me’, because in actual fact, she couldn’t have been more different. Did that put me off? No, it did not. It actually made me realise that just because we haven’t been through certain situations ourselves, we can still find it in ourselves to be empathetic towards other people, should our personality make up’s point us in that direction.
I could see where Rosie was coming from though in terms of general happiness and not wanting to feel ‘stuck in a rut’, after all, who does? Why should you go through life living in a situation which doesn’t make you happy, just because people around you cannot bear to see you make a change which doesn’t fall into their belief system? Since when did our lives become ‘Our Lives FT every single family member and in law’?
I’m not going to lie, I warmed to a certain gentleman in question during the storyline, and I was extremely hopeful that the storyline would go down that path. Whether it did or not, you’ll need to read the book for yourself and see where your heart lies, but, just like Rosie, I knew where my heart decided to camp out, and it wasn’t even for my own life! Crazy huh!
I did find that some parts of the novel seemed to go on for a little bit longer than needed, personally, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this modern-day, refreshing tale about choosing the right path and just…living.
Sometimes we go through life with our head in the clouds, choosing our paths with other people in mind, completely forgetting the most important person in that journey; ourselves. We have all done it, and let’s be honest, we will continue to do so. After all, we are only human. Before reading ‘About Us’, my journey was taken with everyone else in mind. After reading ‘About Us’? Well, let’s just say that I am more determined to put my foot down and go through life via the path that I choose.
A refreshing, funny, enchanting tale which will make you see life in a completely different way. Hats off the author, that’s for sure!
Thanks Jon Rance!
What surprised me about ‘About Us’ at first, was how the story was told by a female main character. Before anyone starts with the ‘omg you’re being sexist’ comments, let me explain. Firstly, I can’t say that I have read many novels written by male authors, who have their main character as a female voice. Usually I find that authors usually have main characters as the same gender as themselves so, when I read Jon Rance’s novel with his main character being Rosie Willis, I was pleasantly surprised. In a good way though! It was so refreshing to see an author go against the ‘norm’ and write in a completely different way, enough to make a reader go ‘errrrrr what?’ (again, in a good way).
Rosie Willis isn’t a happy bunny. Her marriage has become a chore as opposed to the romantic, sexual, burst of energy relationship that it once was. Not only that, Rosie’s family are dealing with a heart-breaking and emotional situation, which, whilst it is incredibly difficult to go through, it’s a waiting game for the entire family.
Having never been married and only having one child, a lot of ‘About Us’ I couldn’t relate to in the slightest. However, I didn’t need to be able to relate to the general theme of the book to be able to enjoy it…luckily. I found myself warming to Rosie’s persona without the need of saying ‘oh she is SO like me’, because in actual fact, she couldn’t have been more different. Did that put me off? No, it did not. It actually made me realise that just because we haven’t been through certain situations ourselves, we can still find it in ourselves to be empathetic towards other people, should our personality make up’s point us in that direction.
I could see where Rosie was coming from though in terms of general happiness and not wanting to feel ‘stuck in a rut’, after all, who does? Why should you go through life living in a situation which doesn’t make you happy, just because people around you cannot bear to see you make a change which doesn’t fall into their belief system? Since when did our lives become ‘Our Lives FT every single family member and in law’?
I’m not going to lie, I warmed to a certain gentleman in question during the storyline, and I was extremely hopeful that the storyline would go down that path. Whether it did or not, you’ll need to read the book for yourself and see where your heart lies, but, just like Rosie, I knew where my heart decided to camp out, and it wasn’t even for my own life! Crazy huh!
I did find that some parts of the novel seemed to go on for a little bit longer than needed, personally, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this modern-day, refreshing tale about choosing the right path and just…living.
Sometimes we go through life with our head in the clouds, choosing our paths with other people in mind, completely forgetting the most important person in that journey; ourselves. We have all done it, and let’s be honest, we will continue to do so. After all, we are only human. Before reading ‘About Us’, my journey was taken with everyone else in mind. After reading ‘About Us’? Well, let’s just say that I am more determined to put my foot down and go through life via the path that I choose.
A refreshing, funny, enchanting tale which will make you see life in a completely different way. Hats off the author, that’s for sure!
Thanks Jon Rance!
October 21, 2017
A long read
Some of the book was unpredictable but it still felt as if it was obviously written by a man. Tortuous.
Some of the book was unpredictable but it still felt as if it was obviously written by a man. Tortuous.
August 22, 2017
If you enjoyed the TV programme This Is Us then you will absolutely love About Us. This fabulous read holds an honest account about life as a married couple with three children where you experience the highs of first love, the pride of seeing your children develop and the scariness of complacency.
From the outside it looks like Rosie and Pete have it all but as you delve into the inner workings of their lives the cracks appear. As is so true in real life, there are no easy answers, there is no quick fix and not every aspect of life can have a happy ending.
Jon Rance has managed to do the unthinkable, he's written a great read from the female perspective and some of that credit surely goes to the relationship he must have with his own wife. Some topics covered in the book have been faced by anyone who has been in a long term loving relationship and this helps the reader relate to the characters all the more for this.
A "must read" for anyone who has already enjoyed Jon's work or is a fan of Mike Gayle, Nick Spalding, Matt Dunn or Andy Jones.
This book isn't about you, it isn't about me but, strangely and oh so convincingly, it's About Us.
From the outside it looks like Rosie and Pete have it all but as you delve into the inner workings of their lives the cracks appear. As is so true in real life, there are no easy answers, there is no quick fix and not every aspect of life can have a happy ending.
Jon Rance has managed to do the unthinkable, he's written a great read from the female perspective and some of that credit surely goes to the relationship he must have with his own wife. Some topics covered in the book have been faced by anyone who has been in a long term loving relationship and this helps the reader relate to the characters all the more for this.
A "must read" for anyone who has already enjoyed Jon's work or is a fan of Mike Gayle, Nick Spalding, Matt Dunn or Andy Jones.
This book isn't about you, it isn't about me but, strangely and oh so convincingly, it's About Us.
November 4, 2017
This is a story of Rosie and Pete who got together at uni and have 3 children. To the rest of the world their life is perfect, Pete is a successful solicitor and Rosie is working part time at the publishers she joined after uni.
But underneath there is many things going wrong like Pete being in the home but not present, the kids driving every one mad and Rosie's mom in a home with a crippling illness. The reader learns of more under lying problems as we get into the story and the whole thing is laid out.
Written by a male from a females perspective is unusual but Jon has done it well and i personally kept forgetting it was actually written by a bloke. Jon can certainly give Mike Gayle a run for his money in that sense. The book is well written and caries the reader along brilliantly. Very much a must read but i personally liked Dan and Nat got married more.
But underneath there is many things going wrong like Pete being in the home but not present, the kids driving every one mad and Rosie's mom in a home with a crippling illness. The reader learns of more under lying problems as we get into the story and the whole thing is laid out.
Written by a male from a females perspective is unusual but Jon has done it well and i personally kept forgetting it was actually written by a bloke. Jon can certainly give Mike Gayle a run for his money in that sense. The book is well written and caries the reader along brilliantly. Very much a must read but i personally liked Dan and Nat got married more.
June 20, 2017
On the surface About Us might just seem like a love story, but it is so much more than that. Told in first person, the story expertly weaves between the past and the present of Rosie's life.
The author had me enthralled in the nostalgia of the 90s, Uni and the carefree times of youth.
The chapters set in the present rang true on so many levels. At times, I felt like it was based on my life. Rosie's inner thoughts on her relationship, parents getting older and the trials and tribulations of parenting- while still trying to be that person you are on the inside, were told with aching honesty.
This novel will resonate with anyone who's experienced life. That is because it's a book about ordinary people.
It could be about you, it could be about me... It's About Us
- Danny
The author had me enthralled in the nostalgia of the 90s, Uni and the carefree times of youth.
The chapters set in the present rang true on so many levels. At times, I felt like it was based on my life. Rosie's inner thoughts on her relationship, parents getting older and the trials and tribulations of parenting- while still trying to be that person you are on the inside, were told with aching honesty.
This novel will resonate with anyone who's experienced life. That is because it's a book about ordinary people.
It could be about you, it could be about me... It's About Us
- Danny
September 7, 2017
Favourite book
This book came to me just when I needed it. Jon Range is one of my favourite authors and this book is the best I've read. I loved that it gave a realistic reflection of how everyday life can wear out even the strongest of marriages. That the daily niggles, resentments and lack of communication can take its toll, that marriages can drift into trouble slowly and insidiously if complacency and laziness continue. Jon Rance really captured the female psyche amazingly well, and I particularly enjoyed the nostalgic snapshots of the 90s when the couple met, alongside the current entries. The book was well written, entertaining, enlightening and delivered nuggets of life wisdom without being preachy. I really loved it and highly recommend it.
This book came to me just when I needed it. Jon Range is one of my favourite authors and this book is the best I've read. I loved that it gave a realistic reflection of how everyday life can wear out even the strongest of marriages. That the daily niggles, resentments and lack of communication can take its toll, that marriages can drift into trouble slowly and insidiously if complacency and laziness continue. Jon Rance really captured the female psyche amazingly well, and I particularly enjoyed the nostalgic snapshots of the 90s when the couple met, alongside the current entries. The book was well written, entertaining, enlightening and delivered nuggets of life wisdom without being preachy. I really loved it and highly recommend it.
February 7, 2024
A very enjoyable novel about the relationship between Rosie and Pete, currently living with their 3 children and drifting apart, interspersed with chapters from when they met.
I liked how 'real' the story and relationships were. No crazy, unbelievable scenes to add excitement, but the book didn't need them. (There was one scene of deliberate humour, with a slighted young girl hijacking a school play to sing and dance inappropriate pop songs).
I liked how 'real' the story and relationships were. No crazy, unbelievable scenes to add excitement, but the book didn't need them. (There was one scene of deliberate humour, with a slighted young girl hijacking a school play to sing and dance inappropriate pop songs).
September 4, 2017
Another brilliant story by Jon Rance!
Incredibly moving and so real, it could be about every single one of us. A gripping story with an unexpected plot twist in the end, that left me with the WOW factor.
I absolutely loved it!
Incredibly moving and so real, it could be about every single one of us. A gripping story with an unexpected plot twist in the end, that left me with the WOW factor.
I absolutely loved it!
October 19, 2017
Mr Rance made me feel like I was with this couple. I am a big fan of Hornby. This is very close to that. Good twist best the end. Well done
Mr Rance made me feel like I was with this couple. I am a big fan of Hornby. This is very close to that. Well done
Mr Rance made me feel like I was with this couple. I am a big fan of Hornby. This is very close to that. Well done
February 1, 2018
Although it took a little while to get into I ended up loving this book. So relatable from all characters and so interesting to read as someone opposite to Rosie who's about to graduate and enter the adult world. Hopefully Rosie has given me some advice and words of wisdom! :)
April 2, 2019
Fantastic
First book of Jon Rance I have read!! Loved it, the story,the characters and the twist at the end. Not what I expected but brilliant. Will definitely be reading more of this author.
First book of Jon Rance I have read!! Loved it, the story,the characters and the twist at the end. Not what I expected but brilliant. Will definitely be reading more of this author.
January 7, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It’s good chick lit and I can identify with the challenges of having 3 children and working while still trying to retain my own identity.
Nice, easy read but a good story line
Nice, easy read but a good story line
January 28, 2018
Really good
I enjoyed the book .Likable and real characters. Its a modern story with touching twist at the end of the book
I enjoyed the book .Likable and real characters. Its a modern story with touching twist at the end of the book
March 19, 2018
Huge thumbs up
This is a great read but with an ending you will expect but only because of the title. I could relate to do much in this story.
This is a great read but with an ending you will expect but only because of the title. I could relate to do much in this story.
April 10, 2018
It was ok. A bit repetitive and the ending is definitely predictable despite the blurb that it wasn't.
August 22, 2018
About Us
A nice read. Although some errors for example .... says Pete when Rosie is meeting Mark and ages of the children.
A nice read. Although some errors for example .... says Pete when Rosie is meeting Mark and ages of the children.
September 5, 2018
Fab
I loved this. It seems to have taken ages to read this but I have been super busy. I loved Rosie and everything about her, I liked Pete too.
I loved this. It seems to have taken ages to read this but I have been super busy. I loved Rosie and everything about her, I liked Pete too.
September 22, 2021
Brilliant book
Well written, interesting, strong believable characters and a fascinating storyline. Thoroughly enjoyed the book, read it in one sitting, and relaxed. Thank you.
Well written, interesting, strong believable characters and a fascinating storyline. Thoroughly enjoyed the book, read it in one sitting, and relaxed. Thank you.
June 23, 2025
Overall it was an ok book. I found Rose a little difficult to "listen" to and so ended up skipping quite a few pages.
April 14, 2021
Highly Relatable
The best book are nearly always the ones that you feel you could have written yourself.
So often thought but never so well expressed.
Close to the home of any reader married with children.
The best book are nearly always the ones that you feel you could have written yourself.
So often thought but never so well expressed.
Close to the home of any reader married with children.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews