How did I get here? is the question which this novel orients itself around as Pippa, pushed into "wrinkly village" with an ageing husband is forced to re-evaluate her seemingly perfect life.

Miller's writing, whilst often witty and always smooth, suffers initially through lack of emotional contact. It was not so much a case of my not believing in the character as my not understanding why exactly I should care.

The novel, and Pippa, become much more meaty and interesting when Miller switches from third to first person narrative as she delves back into Pippa's past. Possibly the immediacy of such narrative provides the connection which Miller lacks elsewhere. Whilst still keeping the reader at arms length Pippa becomes infinitely more interesting - I even found a stray tear towards the end of the section when she returns to the subject of her mother. Whilst Miller returns to third person narrative to conclude the story, which again cools the relationship, the emotion of the central section was enough to propel me to the end as Pippa makes her choice of where her life is to go next.

Whilst undoubtedly sporadic and emotionally patchy, this is a well written, often sparky novel with areas of brilliance. Miller, whilst not fully formed as a novelist, is undoubtedly worth a read and if I didn't love this novel, then I did enjoy it.