How to be Second Best

Title: How to Be Second Best

Author: Jessica Dettmann

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Australia, 17th December 2018

Pages: 368 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

A hilarious and heart-warming debut that captures the dramas, delights and delirium of modern parenting. This is Marian Keyes meets Allison Pearson, with a dash of Caitlin Moran.

Going from one child to two is never all that easy for a family, but when Emma's husband simultaneously fathers a third child three doors up the street, things get very tricky, very fast.

No longer is it enough for Emma to be the best wife and mother - now she's trying to be the best ex-wife, and the best part-time parent to her ex's love child, and that's before she even thinks about adding a new bloke to the mix.

Set in an upwardly mobile, ultra-competitive suburb, this is a funny, biting, heartwarming modern comedy that looks at the roles we play, how we compete, and what happens when we dare to strive for second-best.

'Jessica Dettmann is a fine comic writer. She has an eye for the small details, irritations and inspirations of life which coupled with a truly original turn of phrase and great way with a gag makes for sparkling and heart-warming reading.' Ben Elton

'Sharp and crisp and funny. I was dazzled.' Mia Freedman

'A refreshing and honest depiction of the delirium of modern family life ... while it is undeniably laugh-out-loud funny, it is also incredibly heartwarming and real' Better Reading

'Heartwarming yet biting' Sunday Telegraph

'Full of funny moments, this debut takes a wry look at parenthood, divorce and the messy reality of blended families. ****' Who Weekly

My Thoughts

“I am in the kitchen making tea for my husband’s current wife.”

How to Be Second Best was a very different story and I really enjoyed the uniqueness of it. The topic chosen is probably not common in real life, but it could happen. The protagonist, Emma is a very unique character and even though she was being used throughout the entire book, she was one amazing person and seemed to do what she did for the benefits of her children.

“Outsiders assume it takes a staggering amount of goodwill and personal largesse for me to care for my husband and his new wife’s child like this, and that assumption, though wrong, is fine by me. If people want to think I’m a wonderful person for minding Lola, they’re very welcome. Frankly, I’d rather they thought that than the truth, which is that I am a pushover.”

I felt for Emma, she held onto the hope that her husband would come back to her one day and any tiny gesture of that, the hope grew. Helen used Emma for her lovely, giving nature and  was very passive aggressive and condescending when dealing with her and she used her for childcare so she could continue her career. Even though Emma was single-handedly bringing up 3 children (only 2 were hers), she still had lots of doubts about her success as a mother, her mum never got a chance to see her as a mum and tell her she was doing a good job. Her sister Laura was constantly telling her she was doing a great job.

“She never got to see me be a mum...she got to see you do it and you knew she thought you were good at it. I don’t know if I’m doing it right and I never will...you’re doing it right...Mum would think you’re an amazing mother, Em. You just need to make sure you’re an amazing Emma as well.”

I really enjoyed the part where Emma left everyone to go away and ‘find herself’, for once she was the selfish one! Her experiences while she was away were very entertaining and helped her deal with what happened when she returned.

“My small bag, with everything I think I’ll need for three days,contains less than I would take out with me for a walk to the shops with my children. It’s a marvel. I start to feel the tiniest twinges of excitement.”

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for a bit of light hearted reading, but it also deals with some issues that families might have.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.