Book Review: Upside Down Inside Out
Monica McInerney- Upside Down, Inside Out (2002)
Blurb: Eva Kennedy is in a rut. After years of working at her uncle's Dublin delicatessen, her artistic aspirations have slipped by the wayside and her latest relationship has fizzled. Whatever happened to the Eva who was going to be someone? Hoping to shake things up, Eva takes a break and ventures to Australia, to visit an old friend who, for fun, gives Eva an exciting new identity. Eva is now exotic and adventurous and... not herself.
Joseph Wheeler is a successful London designer. Unfortunately his firm is thriving at such a high level that he doesn't have time to actually design anymore. And his love life is non- existant.
In Australia on business, Joseph meets Eva, and the sparks fly- even as Eva is stuck pretending to be someone she's not. Little does she know that Joseph has some secrets of his own...
When what starts as a holiday fling quickly blossoms into something more, Joseph and Eva discover that romance can turn life upside down and inside out at the bottom of the world.
My Review: I always love a Monica McInerney read. In Upside Down Inside Out, Eva Kennedy leaves behind her mundane life inIreland to have some fun with her friend inAustralia. McInerney is obviously blessed to be familiar with both countries and call both home. So she is able to show how Eva experiencesAustralia as a traveller but not in an overly stereotypical way. It's interesting how the voice of Eva and Joseph are integrated throughout the story and I couldn't wait for their paths to cross- despite its predictability, I am a sucker for romance and happy endings. As a McInerney fan I especially appreciated the little references to characters in another novel, A Taste For It (see my review)- although they are both standalone novels, it made me smile as I felt as though Iwas in on some private joke with the author herself. Eva's persona is definitely entertaining and a little cringe-worthy at times where I was wondering when they would both finally just tell each other the truth! As always, McInerney provides an easy read, with likeable, well-developed characters and interesting storylines.
* I purchased this book myself