As It Is On Telly – Jill Marshall

Description

Author: Jill Marshall
Publisher: Penguin Books NZ (2004)
ISBN: 978-0-14-301911-3

In brief

Bunty McKenna’s husband is having an affair. She has no job, no money, no life plan — unless watching daytime TV counts. So she does what any self-respecting woman on the brink of collapse would do: she signs up to a high-end dating agency and boards a plane to New Zealand.

About the book

When Bunty McKenna’s marriage falls apart, she panics. Her entire adult identity has been built around being someone’s wife. In the eyes of middle-class England, she’s a classic woman of a certain age — charming, useless, and fast becoming invisible.

But Jill Marshall doesn’t leave Bunty there. Instead, she pushes her through a carousel of dating disasters and midlife reboots that are equal parts comedy, chaos, and cringing self-discovery. Bunty meets men who are wealthy, spiritual, hilariously inappropriate, and deeply confusing. One even lives in New Zealand, and for reasons even she doesn’t quite understand, Bunty decides to follow him.

With her daughter and best friend reluctantly in tow, Bunty leaves behind a life of emotional safety nets and Tesco loyalty cards. But life, as it turns out, isn’t like it is on telly.

This is a feel-good novel with a satirical edge, a great one for readers who enjoy smart women’s fiction that skewers romantic clichés while embracing emotional mess.

Reviewer praise

“A Bridget Jones-esque read with more wit and better travel plans.” — The NZ Herald

“Jill Marshall knows how to write women at the end of their rope — and how to tie it into something hilariously hopeful.” — Booksellers NZ

“Smart, funny, and surprisingly wise. Bunty is the midlife heroine we didn’t know we needed.” — Goodreads reviewer

“An entertaining snapshot of dating, self-worth and new beginnings.” — North & South

“You’ll laugh, cringe, and absolutely cheer her on.” — Your Weekend Magazine