Completing the Catherine Isaac trifecta

I discovered British author, Catherine Isaac, after picking up her latest novel, The world at my feet, at my local library. I absolutely loved it, as you'll see from my review. I went back to Isaac's first two novels to complete the trifecta. While The world at my feet remains my favourite, I enjoyed the earlier outings. See my reviews below.

From the books' blurbs and their covers (and the annoying categorisation as chick lit!), Isaac's books seem light and romantic. Yes, relationships are at the heart of her novels, but all three tackle quite weighty subjects. The stories are compelling, with interesting engaging and authentic characters. Isaac cleverly manages subtle and unexpected reveals midway through each book. The books' romantic resolutions are fairly predictable, but the endings are not entirely so, and I haven't find the books cliched. I usually read much darker fare, but I have enjoyed Isaac's books immensely. Her writing is engaging and lyrical, as I have seen other reviewers comment. Isaac manages to write both poignant and hopeful stories about people and relationships interwoven with serious subject matter that is handled sensitively and intelligently.

You me everything | Published April 2018 | Read January 2024

You me everything is largely set in an idyllic chateau in the south of France (so you had me from the get-go with the setting!), where Jess and her 10-year-old son, William, are holidaying with friends. The chateau has been lovingly restored by Adam, William's father and Jess's former partner. Jess and Adam got together in their early twenties and William was the unexpected result of their relationship, but they break up shortly after the birth. Adam has been a largely absent father up to this point, and Jess is determined to use the extended summer holiday to connect father and son together and cement their relationship into the future.

As with all of Isaac's novels, the setting becomes one of the characters in the novel, and she does a wonderful job of painting a vivid picture of the South of France, through the scenery, the sounds, the smells, and the food. You absolutely feel as if you are there with the characters, right in the story.

The book takes the reader back to when William was first born and to Adam's absence at his birth (something that is later resolved). The story dips in and out of Jess and Adam's shared history in Manchester, where her mother is battling a terminal illness in the present. The story is told from Jess's point of view and the reader is left in no doubt that Jess feels that Adam is selfish, immature and an unreliable father. William thinks his father is pretty cool, of course, and he does a bunch of fun things with him while staying at the chateau.

Things change as the story progresses although I still found it hard to get on board the Adam train. I think that's the point, though, that people are imperfect and don't always behave well, but that doesn't mean they are inherently bad. While the nature of Adam's relationship with both Jess and William progresses, Isaac isn't too heavy-handed with this part of the story, so Adam's redemption doesn't seem forced or inauthentic. That said, I would have preferred a slightly different ending, where Adam has to work harder to regain Jess's trust and move forward. There's a good reason why Jess wants Adam and William to become closer and this is where the book diverts from romance into more serious terrain.

You me everything is ultimately a book about relationships. It's about weathering the storm when things get complicated, and Isaac throws child-rearing, single parenthood, alcoholism and terminal illness into the mix to highlight the complexity of different kinds of relationships. The book is also about regaining lost love and dealing with uncertain futures. My least favourite book of the three Isaac has written to date, but definitely worth a go as it is still an engaging story with a cast of realistic and interesting characters.

It should be noted that Catherine Isaac started her writing career as a romance novelist, and has published a bunch of successful romances under the pseudonym, Jane Costello. You me everything shows something of that romance background. I found Isaac's second and third novels less so, and I enjoyed those books better. You me everything has lots of descriptions of Adam's good looks, for example, and romantic scenes for all the main characters are included in the book. A slightly grittier ending and less of the romance would elevate this book for me and give it more substance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Messy, wonderful us | Published November 2019 | Read January 2024

Messy, wonderful us again tackles weighty subjects in a novel categorised as romance and chick lit. It's so much more than those labels, where Isaac successfully explores relationships and some important topics while casting off her romance novelist beginnings.

The story has multiple narrators but centres around Allie, a sensible, introverted research scientist who discovers a letter hidden in her grandmother's drawer that sends her on a quest to northern Italy to find out the truth about her parentage. Allie's mother died of cancer when she was young and she has been raised by her father and maternal grandparents. The letter Allie finds compels her to search for Stefano McCourt, a man she thinks may be her biological father. Her childhood friend, Ed, comes along for the ride, as he needs time out from his glamorous wife, Julia, after their two-year marriage has suddenly started to go off the rails. Both Allie and Ed are looking for answers and new directions on their trip Italy.

I warmed to Allie instantly, just like I did with Ellie in The world at my feet. I could relate to both characters, less so Jess in You me everything, and that may have contributed to my stronger connections to their stories. I liked Allie because she feels authentic and I understood her reactions to situations. I also liked Ed, Allie's loyal and supportive friend. Catherine Isaac does a great job of all the male characters in the book, actually, and I loved Allie's Dad, Joe, and her grandfather, Gerald. Kudos to the author for writing authentic, flawed yet decent men, free of cliches and tropes.

The narrators in the story allow Isaac to explore a bunch of serious topics, including male-female friendships, teenage pregnancy and forced adoption, domestic violence, and single fatherhood. All topics are explored with sensitivity and credibility, especially the domestic violence storyline. Isaac cleverly sheds light on a less-spoken-about aspect of domestic violence and she does a great job of portraying the controlling and psychopathic tendencies of the perpetrator.

Much of what happens in the novel stems from an inability to communicate how people truly feel and reveal information that may bring painful or shameful memories to the surface. The entire story, really, is based on misunderstandings and silences, but that's what makes it authentic. Things turn out much differently than what I was expecting with both Ed's situation and the connection between Stefano and Allie.

Again, the setting becomes another character and I loved reading Isaac's descriptions of all the places in northern Italy that Allie and Ed visit on their quest to find Stefano. The ending, like in Isaac's other two books, is predictable from the relationship standpoint, but not for the future of the main characters. I like that about Isaac's writing. Like The world at my feet, I wanted the book to go on forever, and that to me is a sign of clever and engaging storytelling.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐