All the hopeful lovers

'Nicholson is a subtle and addictive writer who deserves to be a household name . . . [with] his remarkable eye for detail and for the weaknesses of human nature' ObserverThis is our own familiar world rendered pacy, funny, emotionally on the button and hugely entertaining. Belinda wistfully reflects how much better at sex she is now than when she was in her twenties.

She's thought about taking a lover, but ultimately could never do that to her husband Tom.

So imagine her despair when she discovers he's having an affair... And what about Tom, and his lover Meg? It's not easy for them either. Alongside this knot of middle-aged lovers is a tangle of younger ones, as Belinda's flirty daughter Chloe tries to set up Jack with shy Alice, without realizing that Jack actually has a crush on her. Nicholson casts an unflinching eye on men's attitude to sex, on women, love and family life.