When Matt decides to uproot his family and move to Ireland in Cathy Kelly’s novel, What She Wants, his wife Hope has no choice but to go with him. Hope has such a horror of being abandoned that she’ll do anything to keep him by her side. But their move to the rural village of Redlion is a far cry from the rustic romantic life that he promised — with Matt spending every day at the local arts centre, Hope has to look after the children on her own for hours on end in their small run-down cottage, miles away from any friends or family. It’s not long before she’s desperately lonely, their marriage is on the rocks and she’s got nowhere to turn. 

          Back in London, her sister Sam is completely different. Brittle and sharp, she’s a mover and a shaker, with a fantastic job as the managing director of a major record label. Having decided she’s never going to be anybody’s accessory, she oozes a well-practiced unapproachable air. But just as Hope is having to reassess her life and learn to be stronger and more independent, so Sam is forced to reshuffle the pieces of her world, to stop pushing people away and allow herself to be vulnerable.