Author: Jessica Dettman
ISBN: 9781460755969
RRP: $32.99
Publication Date: 1st January 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
How to Be Second Best is the debut of Jessica Dettman, a modern comedy about the way we compete in our every day lives.
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.
Modern parenting and blended families definitely set the scene for some great comedic moments, and some tugging on the heartstrings both to warm and break. It sounds like this could be quite a relatable story and packed with entertainment. I look forward to reading it.
In the meantime, thanks to Harper Collins 30 of our Beauty and Lace Club members will be reading How to Be Second Best and you can read what they thought in the comments below. Please be aware there may be spoilers.
How to Be Second Best is published by Harper Collins and is available now where all good books are sold.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Jessica Dettman’s debut novel “How To Be Second Best” is so delightful, humorous and heartwarming, that I easily read it cover-to-cover. The book is a wonderful celebration of the craziness, joys and drama of various forms of relationships with a great cast of characters and a charming and relatable main protagonist in Emma.
As Emma navigates her way through modern parenting, blended families, romance, friendships and familial relationships it is easy to identify with her experiences and to sympathise with her insecurities, hopes and fears. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for me and I thoroughly enjoyed How to Be Second Best and I’m sure it will resonate with many readers.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and HarperCollins Australia!
Thank you for the opportunity to read How to be Second Best!
I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend reading this book as I just couldn’t put it down and will definitely be looking out for more books by Jessica Dettman.
This book is different to the genre I usually read. It delves into modern life which the reader can readily relate to. We have all been through some of the things that the main characters are experiencing. It is told through the eyes of Emma, a single mother of 2 children, her ex-husband and his new wife and their child, and the dilemmas of co-parenting. She wants to prove that she is in control of any situation even when going through utter turmoil and thinks she has pulled it all off. and is handling everything perfectly. Or is she?
Jessica Dettmann writes this novel with extreme wit, deprecating humour and utter reality for the reader. I loved this book and can’t wait for the next one. Thank you to Beauty and Lace, Harper Collins and Jessica Dettmann for allowing me the pleasure of reading this novel
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Harper Collins for allowing me to review “How to be Second Best” by Jessica Dettmann.
The story of Emma who has her second child Freya only to find out her husband has just had a child, also the same age as Freya, with another woman. Her life is thrown out from that moment. Her ex husband, Troy moves out, marries and decides to live only a few houses down from Emma, with his new wife Helen and child, Lola.
Emma becomes almost a part time mother to Lola, taking her to all her appointments, classes etc and also trying to be the best ex-wife she can be as well and single mother to her own two children. But after 3 years of trying to keep up she ends up realising her ex-husband is not coming back and she need to move on.
She gets back into editing, which she once did before having children, and starts to find her feet and realise she doesn’t always have to be second best. She starts to live a bit more for herself and stands up for herself more. She has a very honest sister in Laura and I think it is just what Emma needs at times, having lost her mother at a young age.
I really enjoyed this book and there were times I think I could relate to the motherhood side of things. It had some good witty fun parts. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I could have read it quicker than I did. All in all, it was a nice, fun, real story.
My copy of ‘How to be second best’ got lost in the mail, but I am so happy that it managed to find its way to me two days ago. In two days I’ve read the whole thing! I loved this story. It was funny and very relatable to a lot of people who deal with similar issues in blended families. I only wished that there was a little part at the end – one year later – or something like that to just finish the story off absolutely perfectly.
I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for any more books by Jessica Dettmann. Thank you Beauty and Lace for letting me review this wonderful book >:o)
Thank you Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read How to Be Second Best by Jessica Dettmann.
I really enjoyed reading this modern day story about parenting and the complicated relationships that couples have with their ex-partners and when co-parenting your ex’s love child is involved it has another layer of complexity!
We all have such busy hectic lives and the pressures we put on ourselves to be the perfect wife and mother, having a career, trying to fit in with the school mums etc, it’s never ending! Emma, is trying to juggle her life and find level of normality in this unusual partnership and some of the situations she ties herself up with are both funny, heartwarming and sad in parts.
I really enjoyed reading this witty, funny book and there was so many motherhood scenarios I could easily relate to, I had good giggle in parts.
At the end of the day, you do the best that you can ……and sometimes second best is good enough!
Emma is 36 years-old and has two young children, Tim, aged 6, and 3 year-old Freya.
She is also a step-mum to Lola, also aged 3. She loves all of them dearly and always puts them before her own needs.
Her ex-husband Troy left her when he fell in love with his Pilates instructor, Helen, 14 years his junior, and together they had Lola.
Unfortunately, Emma only found out about his affair when Freya was just a few weeks old.
She was left to raise her two children on her own, and not only that, but has also helped co-parent Lola, and over the years, she has become more involved in Lola’s life and sees her more than what her own parents do.
Put simply, Emma is being taken advantage of by Troy and Helen, and one day she realises that she needs to stop making things so convenient for the happy couple.
Instead of trying to be the best of everything, she is going to try and move on and start to rediscover the woman she once was.
This journey finds her thrown into some hilarious situations; I laughed out loud at so many parts of this book.
It was fabulous and funny, and totally relatable. I found myself nodding along to quite a few things that I could relate to.
I absolutely adored How To Be Second Best by Jessica Dettman, and was so surprised to find out that this was a debut novel. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Harper Collins Australia and Bauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I finished this book in one sitting!
Emma, is a perfect example a woman not wanting people to think badly of you no matter what life throws at you. Practically being a second mother to the child of her ex husband and his new wife. All the while juggling single motherhood with a career. Until she realises she needs to stop being so accommodating and think of herself and her own happiness. Sometimes second best isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Jessica has written such great characters whom you are cheering for. There were parts where I laughed out loud (embarrassingly when I was on the train) and so many “me too” moments.
At different times both humorous and heartbreaking, How to Be Second Best is a great read. My favourite thing about the book was the fantastic characters. Emma is likeable and relateable and the children sweet and funny. Troy clearly is a jerk who has no idea, but the combination with Helen, Emma’s sister and father, and Phillip the emotional support peacock (!) is fabulous. Will definitely recommend!
I cannot recommend “How to be Second Best” by Jessica Dettman, enough. This light-hearted, comedic saga of Emma’s account of her daily life and struggles, modern relationships and family dynamics, explodes on the pages in a relatable and humorous style that implores the reader to keep reading.
The story follows Emma’s journey as she navigates a broken marriage, blended and extended families, her career, discovering new love and, most of all, finding out that it is ok to be second best!
The characters are well developed and realistic. The plot is easy to follow and exciting. Pick up a copy of this book and you will not be disappointed!