Company of Three
Domestic fiction
2005-01-01
380
In this novel of first love, Anna's dull little life turns upside-down when the beautiful, witty Angela takes her under her wing and the gorgeous Marcus stumbles into her life.
Three young people are sharing a house in Dublin. Anna is a junior editor in a publishing house. Working for a woman who has no taste in literature, Anna’s life is a daily drudge. Deciding to pull herself out of her misery by moving house, she ends up answering an ad to share a place with Angela and Marcus.
Angela runs her own bookshop and her weekends are spent getting to know various members of the opposite sex. Marcus has just broken up with his fiancé Isobel. Stuck between jobs and with no love life, he spends his time sleeping on the couch and cooking meals for his roommates.
The differing backgrounds of the three provide an interesting slant on the development of the story: Marcus is the only son in a family of girls, all of whom dote on him; Anna has brothers who cannot put a foot wrong, it seems to her; and Angela is the only non-achiever in her family – although she does run her own bookstore.
Although the book is quite well written there is a certain inevitability about the plot which lessens the enjoyment. Of course Marcus and Anna fall in love and, after an initial blip, fall into each other’s arms. Angela almost walks down the aisle the wrong man but stops herself just in time. The supporting characters help to keep the story moving along. Anna’s mother who, after years of widowhood, suddenly announces an impending marriage; Tony the ex-prisoner who is stalking Anna; and Linda and James in the publishing house. All in all this is an easy, enjoyable read. A good debut effort. 
