Love Your Life

The premise is clever: instead of ending with the couple getting together, Kinsella starts with the perfect romance and then asks what happens next. The scenes back in London, as Ava and Dutch clash over pets, food, hobbies and friends, are often very funny and painfully recognisable. The retreat scenes are sunny and dreamy, and the sudden shift to rainy London is an effective comic contrast.

Ava is a likeable heroine, impulsive and big-hearted, and her devotion to her dog, Harold, is a running source of comedy. Her loyal, eccentric friends provide warmth and commentary. The book quietly asks whether love means changing your life or learning to share it, and its answer is sensible and kind. Dutch himself is more than a romantic prize; he has his own habits and loyalties, and the book takes care to show that his way of life has value too.

Some readers find the conflicts repetitive, and the misunderstandings rely on characters not talking openly. The Italian retreat section is short compared with the London chapters. As a gentle, funny and realistic romantic comedy, though, it is one of Kinsella's most charming recent novels. About 432 pages in the Dial Press hardcover; one library listing gives 416.