Best of Friends - Cathy Kelly

I was introduced to Cathy Kelly's writing when I borrowed a couple of her novels at Christmas time. Dubbed the "new" Maeve Binchy, I can see many similarities in Kelly's writing style, albeit with a slightly younger, fresher perspective. Both write with empathy, warmth and humour, developing character-based stories, many of whom the reader can easily identify with. The pace is slower than Marian Keyes tomes, and I love the Irish settings and mannerisms present in all three authors' works.

Best of Friends (2005) overcomes its cheesy title to tell a tale of female friendship. These are not clichéd friends who have known each other since the beginning of time and will remain forever loyal, no. Instead, this novel shows how valuable female friendship and companionship can be, but also allows boundaries, ie space and time out when needed. With characters the reader can identify with, and some deep issues to explore, this is a story of life and how friendship can help to develop a wider support network.

Best of Friends is a light, heartwarming read and, for me, a great introduction to Cathy Kelly's novels. I have another one sitting on my bookshelf and will look forward to devouring everything written by this "new" author as light relief in between reading some grittier, deeper books.