Out on a Limb

by Lynne Barrett-Lee

My mother has just the two modes of operation. Either slightly dramatic or seriously dramatic. That this is the latter means just the one thing. That my day is about to get worse...' And for single mum, Abbie, life is complex enough. So once her eldest son, Seb, has gone on his gap year, she's decided it's time to make changes. She's just left her old job and started a new one (to escape the gorgeous man-who-turned-out-to-be-married), and is planning some space for herself at long last. But fate seems to have something else in mind for Abbie, in the shape of her demanding and incorrigible mother, whose feckless fourth husband, Hugo, has just died. Temporarily in a wheelchair after a recent knee op, Diana - retired TV fitness icon and dancer - will need looking after, so will have to move in. Still, Abbie tells herself - gritting her teeth - it won't be for more than a few weeks... However, Abbie hasn't figured on the sudden arrival of Hugo's 20 years' estranged son.

Genres: Chick Lit, Ebooks, Romance

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2007

About the author

Lynne Barrett-Lee


Born in London, I began my writing career as a teenager, when I was ‘discovered’ by a London-based literary agent, Annie Hallam, via a fan letter I sent to an actor who was her friend. Though life and love took precedence and I didn’t actually achieve publication then, I returned to my first love in 1994, as a mother of three, newly transplanted to Cardiff. My first paid-for piece of writing was a short article about being a mature primary school teacher training student, published in the Times Education Supplement. My world changed that day; I have yet to work as a primary school teacher.

I have been a full time author since the mid 1990s. My latest novel, a psychological mystery/thriller, called CAN YOU SEE ME?, probably constitutes one of my proudest achievements as a writer, since it’s a return to the genre I started writing in as a teenager - dark, edgy, ‘underbelly’ fiction, where nothing is as it seems.

I haven’t always been dark though. I also have eight romantic comedy novels and over a hundred published short stories to my name, most of the latter (which is how I learned my craft) appearing in UK Women’s magazines. I have also published two ebook guides to writing fiction, based on the short courses for adults I have taught for Cardiff University since 2009.

I also write a weekly column for the Western Mail Weekend magazine; something I have done since June 2006, with only a week off per year for good behaviour.

I began ghostwriting in 2007 and have since ghosted 26* full-length memoirs, most of which have been UK Sunday Times bestsellers. My titles include Giant George; life with the world’s biggest dog, and The Girl With No Name; the incredible true story of a girl raised by monkeys, which has now been published in 27 countries and is also the subject of a National Geographic documentary. It also led to me being asked to give a TedEx talk – about what it’s like to be a ghostwriter - possibly the proudest, and definitely the most terrifying day of my professional life.

Recent publications include On Duty For The Queen, for former UK Royal Press Secretary Dickie Arbiter, and the heartbreaking story of the Rebecca Aylward murder, Bye Mam, I Love You, which has garnered over 700 five star reviews. I am also the co-writer of the Julie Shaw series of gritty Bradford-based crime memoirs, the first of which, Our Vinnie, went straight into the bestseller lists. The fifth title, Bad Blood, published in October 2016, charted at number one in the UK in its first week.

My most recent ghosted work (and probably my personal favourite) is Fabulous Finn, the story of a now famous police dog, who was stabbed, almost fatally, when on duty with his handler Dave Wardell. Finn (now retired) has gone on to win multiple prestigious awards for his bravery, including a PDSA Gold Medal (the civilian version of the Dicken Medal – see Able Seacat Simon, below) and, most recently, the 2019 Crufts ‘Friends For Life’ award. Finn is also the RPD behind the campaign for Finn’s Law, to strengthen current legislation to protect service animals. It has just passed its third reading in the commons.

(Modesty usually forbids me from shamelessly plugging books I’ve ghosted, but I always make an exception for Finn. It’s a remarkable, heartbreaking, uplifting story, and I’m honoured beyond belief to have been the one to help tell it. )

CAN YOU SEE ME? is published by Thomas and Mercer, and is out on 01.01.20

For more information about me and my work, please visit
www.lynnebarrett-lee.com



Full list of published full-length works

*As well as the titles listed below, I am also the ghostwriter of a series of fostering memoirs (the author name is pseudonymous for confidentiality reasons) for one of the UK’s leading publishers. The first was published in 2011, and the nineteenth title will be published in May 2020.

Psychological thrillers

Can You See Me? (Thomas and Mercer

Reviews

[Joyce (Chloe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing, intelligent and side-splittingly funny, full of razor-sharp insights and I know that feeling! moments, it's a story every woman can relate to.

‘My mother has just the two modes of operation. Either slightly dramatic or seriously dramatic. That this is the latter means just the one thing. That my day is about to get worse…’

And for single mum, Abbie, life is complex enough. So once her eldest son, Seb, has gone on his gap year, she’s decided it’s time to make changes. She’s just left her old job and started a new one (to escape the gorgeous man-who-turned-out-to-be-married), and is planning some space for herself at long last.

But fate seems to have something else in mind for Abbie, in the shape of her demanding and incorrigible mother, whose feckless fourth husband, Hugo, has just died. Temporarily in a wheelchair after a recent knee op, Diana – retired TV fitness icon and dancer – will need looking after, so will have to move in. Still, Abbie tells herself - gritting her teeth - it won’t be for more than a few weeks…

However, Abbie hasn’t figured on the sudden arrival of Hugo’s 20 years’ estranged son. A suave TV Weatherman, Gabriel Ash not only owns the deeds to what they thought was Hugo’s house, but also has plans of his own…

[Alison Budge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t get into it. Very long winded whirly twirly sentences so you’ve got to focus to get the message and I can’t do that at the moment.

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had this been my first time reading Barrett-Lee, my rating would admittedly have been much higher. This being, I believe, my fourth book of the author however means that the novelty and love-at-first sight infatuation is somewhat evaporated. Don't be me wrong, it is afterall the very way that Barret-Lee writes that HAS kept me reading her books; the discovery that the tone and character inflection has remained constant despite the number of protagonists introduced though, has detracted a bit from my admiration. I am a little irked with some repetitive phrases her several protagonists use, for example 'it's academic', however this opinion and argument is in itself academic. Meaning, this read still maintains the enjoyable wit and humanism that makes it worthwhile.

[Sharon Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a really enjoyable read - witty, light-hearted, some angst thrown in, and even a HEA, but without too much of the sugar coated language you can get these days.

The only thing that was slightly irritating was the tendency to leave gaps in words, such as 'S he' or 'm y' etc etc. But it didn't spoil the story for me.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book as I bought 4 more by the same author at the same time.
It took me a while to really feel interested, about 60% of the book and then it felt as though the writing style changed and I actually wanted to read it again.
I enjoyed the story just found it slow and hard to read.
I will be trying the other 4 though.

[Leigh Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy read with great characters and a nice (but predictable) story. I am curious though about what Gabriel could have been hunting for in the attic if he didn't know about the box of clippings and the watch

[ah li · Rating 3 out of 5]

finally a book without sex.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book as I have already read some of this authors other books I was looking forward to reading this one and I wasn't disappointed I am glad that it ended well

[Dreamydreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good-un

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great holiday reading for by the pool. Easy to pick up and read an enjoy. The story wasn't how I expected it to go but was still fun.

[Anne Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a great read sorry to say a of rambling going on which I tried to skip through as quickly as possible :-((

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this light hearted book. No effort required!

[Jo Notary]

every woman should read, full of razor-sharp insights, intelligent and side-splittingly funny, 316pgs, engrossing

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average read but boring in parts. No real depth to any of the characters.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story

[Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

dull