NEW RELEASE
The Ex-Factor - Helena Frith Powell (2013)
When newspaper columnist Marina is asked to write about first love, she looks up her own first - and unrequited - love, Tom, from her college days. He is now a photographer based out of Rome. She writes a heart-felt piece about her infatuation, which is taken surprising well by her surgeon husband Mark, who was a part of the same circle of college friends. Meanwhile, famous designer Katie, who always had her eye on Mark, sets up a New Year's Eve reunion which brings old passions to the fore and Marina's friend, Ulrika, thinks a new set of boobs will free her from her unhappy marriage. This is a really entertaining story with lots of juicy insider media stuff, including a phone-tapping scandal thread. Warning: For those who may be sensitive to the type of language used in a newspaper office, passages of this book may offend.
The Ex-Factor, by Helena Frith Powell, is a novel about first love. The summary says: "Do you remember your first love? Have you ever wondered 'What if - '? Marina has the life she always dreamed of. She is married to Mark, a gorgeous surgeon, writes a personal column for a leading tabloid and lives in the heart of Chelsea. But when writing a column about first love she stumbles on Tom, her one-that-got-away, and begins to feel that her life is not as complete as she had thought. When they are brought together at a New Year's Eve reunion, she realises that he still has power to make her weak at the knees. Marina finds herself struggling to choose between safety with her surgeon or new passion with her teenage crush. She has to decide: London or Rome, husband or lover?"