Not Another Happy Ending By David Solomon

‘Not Another Happy Ending’ is David Solomon’s debut novel.

Last year Jane Lockhart was a bestseller, this year she’s got writers block. Unfortunately, she’s ground to a halt on the novel that’s going to save the neck of her struggling publisher and ex-boyfriend, Tom Duval. As Tom sees it, the trouble is that Jane’s success has made her too dammed happy – and she can’t be smiling if she’s going to finish her latest Misery-Lit right? So, to break her writers block, he sets about ruining everything in her life that’s making her happy.

When I initially started ‘Not Another Happy Ending’, I found it a bit difficult to get into. I found that I couldn’t warm to the characters but as the story progressed, I did find myself beginning to enjoy Jane’s random thoughts and Tom’s unpredictable outbursts and sharp tongue. There were occasionally times, when I felt the story lost its pace and I found myself leaving the book to one side, but just as quick as I thought this, there was usually some funny disaster or scenario that would attract my attention again.

The story is seen through the eyes of bestselling author Jane, who writes a wonderfully melancholic book called ‘Happy Endings’ that leaves the United Kingdom in bits and her incredibly hot headed French publisher Tom, who forge an relationship that comes to an abrupt ending when the editing is finished. Fast forward to Jane’s second novel and after the huge success of ‘Happy Endings’, she is under pressure to write an amazing follow up but that’s going to be hard for the young tortured artist as she is battling writers block and the only person she has admitted her dilemma to is Darsie, the heroine of her work in progress. Keen for her story to be told, Darsie keeps popping up in unlikely and public places, voicing her opinions on the story. These scenes are usually quite funny as Jane finds herself arguing with herself as she and Darsie banter back and forth.

Meanwhile Tom, has feared that Jane is blocked and the only way, she cam finish her book is to be sad, so with the help of his best friend/secretary/English teacher Roddy, they go about making Jane miserable hoping that this will inspire another great book.

Although I did find the book a bit slow at times, I did find myself enjoying the terribly sad but wonderfully witty and cleverly written story. I enjoyed the complexities of Jane and Tom’s relationship, how they loved and loathed each other in equal measures. Tom was an incredibly passionate character, who was prone to outbursts and regularly took his temper out on his authors, what he lacked in charm and sensitivity, he made up for with his dashing good looks. Whereas Jane was beautifully quiet and thoughtful never getting over her father suddenly leaving her when she was a child.

Alongside, with the torment of trying to write a book, there is also the touching sub story of Jane reuniting with her father, the scenes where they begin to get to know each other made for poignant reading.

An interesting story packed with volatile characters and sharp one liners, ‘Not Another Happy Ending’ is a wonderfully sad but humorous story about lives coming together and starting over, against the dismal backdrop of Glasgow, it’s definitely a book that I would recommend.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”184845273X” target=”_blank” ]Not Another Happy Ending from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.