Cocktails For Three (Cocktails For Three - Madeleine Wickham)

Member Name: queenofsheba

Product:	Cocktails For Three - Madeleine Wickham
Date:	14/11/01 (272 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to read enjoyable story

Disadvantages: difficult to put down and do other things

This story is centred on three best friends who all work for the same magazine called The Londoner. They meet up on the first of each month in the Manhattan Cocktail bar to catch up on all the latest news in each others lives and generally have a good night out together.



Maggie Phillips is the editor of the magazine, married to a rich man and she's just about to go on maternity leave and live in a huge house in the country away from the hustle and bustle of London.



Candice Brewin is a full time journalist for the magazine, a little to trusting for her own good and filled with guilt for the fact that she had a privileged up bringing, possibly at the expense of others. Having just broken up with her live-in boyfriend, Justin Vellis, she finds it a little difficult when he is made acting editor for the Londoner, while best friend Maggie is away on maternity leave.



Roxanne Miller is a freelance journalist, who does a lot of work for the Londoner. Self-confident, beautiful and independent, you'd think she had it made, except for the fact she is hopelessly in love with a married man. She keeps his identity so secret, that even after six years her two best friends don't know whom he is.


So things are rubbing along quite nicely, all three are happy with their lot, busy in their jobs and enjoy the monthly cocktail catch up in the Manhattan bar. Maggie is looking forward to her new baby and country life for a little while, Candice is glad to be footloose and fancy free again, and Roxanne is waiting for the day when her 'Mr married with kids' as he is referred to, will leave his wife and family for her.


The day that Maggie begins her maternity leave becomes the day where everything changes in all three of their cosy,rich little lives.



Meeting up in the Manhattan Bar as usual, they settle down to enjoy their cocktails and give Maggie presents fo
r the baby while she waits for husband Giles to collect her. As the waitress bring their order over, Candice recognises her straight away as Heather Trelawney, a girl she used to be at school with. Their fathers had been in business together, except that Candice's father had made some bad investments and some people had gone under as a result. Heather's father was one of those who were bankrupted and she was taken out of her fee paying school and sent to an ordinary comprehensive, while Candice who was blissfully unaware at the time was still enjoying the benefits of a good education plenty of money and an easy lifestyle.



Candice is racked with guilt for what happened and she's also unsure if Heather knows that her father was to blame and decides to try and make it up to her without letting her know. She helps Heather to get a job at the Londoner, and invites her to move into her flat at the same time, giving her the best out of her two bedrooms. They spend a lot of time together and become really good friends. The thing is, Heather does know how her father came to lose his money, she also knows that Candice's two best friends have taken an instant dislike to her, so what's she going to do about it?


I hope I've managed to set the story up without spoiling it too much. I don't really want to tell you any more in case I ruin it for you.



The main part of the book does revolve around Candice and Heather, but Maggie and Roxanne's lives still feature throughout the story as it unfolds, being Candice's best friends they are constantly in touch with each other and of course their monthly meet at the Manhattan Bar keeps them linked nicely together.

How will Maggie cope with a new baby and country life after being used to a busy lifestyle in London and will 'Mr Married With Kids' ever leave his wife and family to start a new life with Roxanne? You'll have to read it
to find out.



Madeline Wickham has managed to make this little story quite light hearted and easy to read, a good one to take to the beach for some holiday reading, definitely more suited for the ladies anyway, I think. I found it difficult to put down once I'd picked it up, which is usually a good sign.


Phew! That was my first book review, I never thought that writing about a book you enjoyed could be so difficult, but it's like writing an opinion for the very first time again! I'd appreciate your comments good or bad.


Thanks for reading.

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