Well, what a lovely surprise this one was! You might just remember my review of “the fifth (and final) book in Elaine Spires’ Singles’ series”, Singles, Set and Match in July of last year. I did really love it (you’ll find the review here), but it maybe didn’t end in quite the way I’d hoped for or expected. So I was really so delighted to find that Elaine had decided to produce just one more book in her lovely series – The Single Best Thing is published today (14th February) as an e-book, available via Amazon in the UK and US.
In just 113 pages she’s produced some real magic, and the most perfect way to draw the series to a close. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the publication day push and her ongoing support, and to the author for my advance reading copy.
Almost four years have passed since Melv followed Eve back to England refusing to throw away their long awaited chance of lasting love and happiness. Much has happened in that time. No longer a tour manager for Travel Together, Eve is enjoying unexpected success in her new career. Has she forgiven him for hurting her so deeply? Was her love for him simply enough? And what about her own dark secret?
Provoking smiles and tears this glimpse into Eve’s future brings the Singles’ Series to its final conclusion.
Smiles and tears – yes, there are plenty of both in this thoroughly lovely story. And it’s so well told – I don’t think the author’s writing has ever been better.
The way she uses the timeline is really so clever. We join Eve four years after leaving Travel Together, her future career established, but at that stage know little about how her life has panned out. And then the story looks back in time – 2019, letting go of her relationship with Melv, at home with the support of her family, disposing of a letter in which she’s shared her own long-held secrets.
Slowly, the stories converge – and with considerable life changes along the way, moments of sheer joy and desperate sadness. There are a few characters, from her tour manager days, who readers will enjoy revisiting and remembering – and I particularly loved the exceptional warmth of her relationship with discovered son Michael and his family.
And then the story moves forward – and into real danger and drama, wholly unexpected and quite superbly done. It takes quite some doing to tell such a multi-layered story in so few pages – but this really is an excellent example of how well it can be done.
And I really must mention that Eve’s new career also provides the opportunity for the author to work into the story some of her own experiences – beautifully handled, with some great insights, and done with immense generosity and kindness. Thank you Elaine – and the perfect conclusion to a series I’ve enjoyed so very much.
About the author
Elaine Spires is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and actress. Extensive travelling and a background in education and tourism perfected Elaine’s keen eye for the quirky characteristics of people, capturing the humorous observations she now affectionately shares with the readers of her novels.
Elaine has now written two books of short stories, three novellas and eight novels, five of which form the Singles Series – Singles’ Holiday, Singles and Spice, Single All The Way, Singles At Sea and Singles, Set and Match. Her play Stanley Grimshaw Has Left The Building was staged at the Bridewell Theatre, London in May 2019. Her short film Only the Lonely, co-written with Veronique Christie and featuring Anna Calder Marshall is currently being in shown in film festivals worldwide and she is currently working on a full length feature film script. Only the Lonely won the Groucho Club Short Film Festival 2019.
Elaine recently returned to UK after living in Antigua W.I. She lives in East London.
Lovely review, Anne. Makes me want to start at the beginning of the series.