Bachelor Boys

Kate Saunders' latest novel should come with a health warning - this is a serious multi-tissue book which succeeds in not just tugging at the heartstrings but stretching them to breaking point, while at the same time making you to laugh out loud through the tears. Devoid of sentimentality but replete with tenderness and compassion, Bachelor Boys is Kate Saunders at her best, weaving a magical tale out of such unlikely topics as terminal illness and thwarted love. Cassie Shaw was the lonely little girl next door, until the vivacious Phoebe Darling took the timid little waif under her wing, drawing her effortlessly into her own family circle. Brought up in a household where demonstrations of affection were unknown, and the key word was control, Cassie soon found herself swept along on a joyful tide of affection, where she was treated as one of the family and quickly became inseparable from Fritz and Ben, Phoebe's beloved sons. Years later, Cassie is settled into a good job, has a respectable boyfriend, a cosy flat and is anticipating making her attachment to Matthew a permanent one. But there is a dark cloud on the horizon. Phoebe is dying and, worried about how her chaotically disorganized sons will cope without her, she turns to her surrogate daughter for help. Cassie's remit is simple - she just has to find suitable wives for the hapless, helpless, lecherous pair, and Phoebe will die happy. Anticipating the worst, Cassie takes up the gauntlet and sets out to become matchmaker of the year- with totally unexpected consequences. (Kirkus UK)