Oh, the joys of falling for an emotionally unavailable man! Anna is studying opera at the conservatoire, and working as a jazz singer in a hotel, when she meets Max. She lives in horrible rented accommodation with her fiercely feminist friend. Unfortunately, the feminists in the book felt like caricatures. Anna's relationship with her parents is complex, and we see echoes of an adolescence suffocated by tendrils of parental fear. 

Overall, it's a decent enough read. I particularly liked the singing/opera/conservatoire/gigging bits. Though I was a little dissatisfied by the ending. It felt like the author had opened a massive can of worms and didn't quite know what to do with them. In saying that, I took something from it, highlighting some passages for further consideration. Is this a book about a toxic relationship, though? Honestly, I don't know, and that uncertainty puts me into a headspace I don't want to be in. 

There's no denying that Imogen Crimp is a talented writer. This particular plot just didn't completely work for me.