21 January 2011

A Question of Love


By Isabel Wolff
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers
2005

Laura Quick is host of Britain's popular new quiz show, Whadda Ya Know?!! She has spent several years trying to get her life back on track after losing her husband, Nick, and the show is a welcome distraction. Laura's intelligence and hosting skills are a hit with the fans and the critics love her. Apparently, so does an old flame who sees her hosting the show and becomes a contestant with the sole purpose of rekindling the romance. Of course, old flames have new lives and this one comes complete with a six-year-old daughter and a mental ex-wife.

While the romance portion of the book is interesting and well constructed, it's the general knowledge game show parts that kept me tearing through the pages. Some interesting facts I discovered while reading this book: the traditional Muslim colour for mourning is white; gnu is the alternative word for wildebeest; there are seventy-eight Tarot cards to a deck; hippopotamus milk is pink. It's not too often one comes away so knowledgeable after reading "female literature"!

Overall, A Question of Love is an enjoyable novel with some plot surprises along the way. Although it isn't a new release, if you can get your hands on it, buy it, read it, and fill your head with a good story and some general knowledge.