Book info

• Title Working Wonders
• Author Jenny Colgan
• Year 2003
• Genre Romance

Gwyneth Morgan loves her job. And she's good at it – she's never faced a challenge she can't handle – until she meets Arthur Pendleton and his motley crew. Gwyneth sets Arthur a challenge that makes his heart sink. His team can't even find their own desks, let alone win a prestigious competition. Pitted against his ex-girlfriend, as well as his love rival and deadly enemy, Arthur is forced to break the law and overcome massive obstacles as he embarks on his quest to achieve the impossible – and maybe, just maybe, win the heart of the enchanting Gwyneth. As Gwyneth learns some surprising revelations about the man she'd once considered just an inept colleague, she's forced to reconsider. Is it possible that Arthur is her knight in shining armour?

Thoughts

Arthur splits up with his girlfriend Fay and his whole world starts to change. He’s promoted at work, and heads up a Coventry team that are in a battle against a rival in Slough. The crux of the story seems to be bizarre meetings leading up to a head to head between the two parties at a team building paintball/survival weekend.

Arthur is your typical bloke found in books like these, but it was unusual that he was the main protagonist in a story that seems to be aimed at females. He’s a bit clueless about the world and bumbles along in a way that is almost endearing. The rest of his team provide colour and intrigue, plus people for him to be attracted to and/or irritated with.

I couldn’t quite work out where this story was trying to go. It seems like your typical holiday read with two guys and two girls, romance, jealousy and plenty of other relationship troubles. There’s another strange dream-like therapist that talks to Arthur throughout the story, and I don’t quite get where that part was going. There’s a lot of talk about destiny and bloodlines and there’s a bit of a twist at the end. Ultimately, I found it interesting but quite confusing.

Rating: 2 / 5