My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson
Synopsis from Amazon:
What would you do for the friend who broke your heart? Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them – until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn’s fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five year old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself.
Meet Ryn, an independent woman, who works long hours and parties hard. Living in Leeds, she tries to distance herself from her past and the life she could have had. Two years before she discovered her best friend Adele and her fiance Nate slept together – the result being Adele’s child Tegan. Swearing to never see or speak to either again, Ryn is shocked when she discovers a birthday card from Adele telling her she is dying. After rushing to London, she realises what Adele’s dying wish is – that Kamryn adopts Tegan. This completely changes her life. She tracks down Tegan at Adele’s father’s house, in a shocking state, and leaves with her. When Adele dies, Ryn faces a long struggle alone. She battles with adjusting her life, getting Tegan to trust her, grief, love, Nate and the issue of adoption.
This is the first Dorothy Koomson book I have read and I really enjoyed it. I was drawn in emotionally and didn’t want to put the book down. What Ryn did deserves a medal – she took in Tegan, having not seen her for two years, even though she reminded her of why she left London and why she hurt so much. I loved Tegan, what a beautiful little girl. My heart ached when we first met her and saw the abuse she had suffered, and when she cried for her Mum, yet she was a bubbly and warm girl who you couldn’t help but fall in love with.
There are so many issues in this book, and Koomson dealt with them all wonderfully. Death, child abuse, adoption, race and love. I didn’t feel let down by the way she wrote these issues, nor how the story turned out. I think Koomson did a superb job.
This is a heart-warming and touching book. I could have cried throughout the whole book. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
9/10