The Unexpected

A funny, addictive and poignant novel about what happens when the lines between friendship, romance, and family begin to blur.

‘Loved this clever and funny novel’ Anna Mazzola

Kessie and Robin have been best friends since they were small. Now they’ve reached their mid-thirties, and biological clocks are ticking loudly. But Kessie is single, Robin’s partner is ambivalent about trying for a baby, and single parenting sounds almost impossible.

When one of them gets pregnant, the other finds herself helping out to an extent that neither had expected. How far is a supportive friend supposed to go? What do you do when you feel like a mother to a child who isn’t yours? Are there alternative ways to conceive of a family?

‘Wiles writes with humour, tenderness and wisdom' Marianne Levy

'I didn't want this novel to end…offers a brutally honest portrait of motherhood in its joys and despairs' Donna Freitas