Australian contemporary women’s fiction author Lisa Heidke’s first novel, Lucy Springer Gets Even (Arena Books, 2009) is a light-hearted look at modern life. With family dramas, chaotic home renovations, quirky friends and a touch of reality, Lucy Springer Gets Even is a wonderful introduction to Heidke’s work for newcomers and a must-read for fans of her latest books.
Lucy Springer Gets Even
When Lucy decides to revive her stalled acting career, she thinks her biggest hurdle will be balancing the needs of her job and family. Little did she expect she would also be trying to manage a disaster-prone home renovation, an overly helpful mother, two slightly bewildered children and a suddenly absent husband, last reported to be heading to Bali with an unknown companion.
While fending off a constant stream of reality TV show opportunities from her best friend/agent Gloria, Lucy is also trying to keep her family together and coordinate the never-ending list of renovation delays and disruptions. Throughout it all, she manages to keep a sense of humour, largely assisted by the excellent stock of her husband’s wine cellar which she works her way through with a rather satisfying feeling of revenge.
As Lucy faces false sympathy from fellow school mums, increasingly desperate job auditions and an unexpected voice from her past, she keeps bouncing back as only the star of a TV commercial encouraging children to eat their vegetables can.
The well-paced, witty dialogue and fun storyline is balanced by an underlying air of seriousness as Lucy deals with the breakdown of her marriage and the consequences of her husband’s desertion. The unexpected contact with a real life tragedy helps Lucy to refocus on the future and really consider what she wants from life for herself and her family.
Lucy Springer will have readers sighing in sympathy and laughing out loud with delight as she tries to repair her marriage, manage a team of recalcitrant builders, care for her children and find the perfect acting role to relaunch her career.
Australian Author Lisa Heidke
Author Lisa Heidke is based in Sydney, Australia. Lucy Springer Gets Even is the first of her three novels, with What Kate Did Next released in 2010 and Claudia’s Big Break released in early 2011.
Lisa also posts regularly about the creative writing process at her blog and contributes to the general writing community through guest posts and initiatives such as the recent Authors for Queensland fundraising appeal.
Enjoyable Contemporary Women’s Fiction
With laugh out loud mishaps, fun dialogue and an enjoyable storyline, Lucy Springer’s irrepressible humour carries readers through this tale of one woman’s triumph in the face of adversity. In Lucy Springer Gets Even, Heidke offers readers a wonderful story filled with warm humour and likeable characters, creating a chick-lit/hen-lit novel that is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon or relaxing day at the beach.
Review copy details:
Lucy Springer Gets Even (ISBN: 978-1074175-583-1, 376 pages)
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