Real estate agent Iris enjoys finding the perfect property for her clients. At the moment she’s trying to relocate history researcher Aidan, who has finally come to terms with moving on after his wife’s death. Empty nester and knitter Vina is also ready to move on from the home her cheating husband gave her out of guilt. Josie wants her young son brought up somewhere with room to run around with a dog, rather than an exclusive London apartment. And artist Patrick wants a space with the right walls to hang his paintings. As Iris tries to find them all their dream home, she gets caught up in a relationship from her past. Told from the perspectives of several very relatable characters, the story is a heartwarming one, with all, in one way or another, having to move on with their lives. I really enjoyed the house-hunting theme but found it all wrapped up – ever so neatly – but then continued on for a few more unnecessary chapters.
Love, or Nearest Offer by Adele Geras, is about a woman so busy organising others' lives, she neglects her own. The summary says: "What if your estate agent could find you not just your perfect house, but your perfect job, your perfect partner... your perfect new life?
On paper, Iris Atkins is an estate agent, but she's not just good at finding suitable houses for her clients. In fact, she has a gift: Iris is able to see into their lives and understand exactly what is missing and what they need - and not just in bricks-and-mortar terms either.
Of course, concentrating so much on fixing other people's problems doesn't leave much time for examining your own. Over the course of one whirlwind year, Iris discovers that while she may know what's best for everyone else, she doesn't necessarily know what's best for herself - and what she finds out could make her happier than she'd ever dreamed of." Love, or Nearest Offer is out in June 2016.