Loving Lizzie March

Susannah Hardy

Loving Lizzy March is a debut novel from Australian author Susannah Hardy. It is written from Lizzie’s perspective as she lurches through life from one crisis to the next. In a dead-end job, following a failed venture in fashion design, she is convinced her new boss, Jake, is The One. When she discovers she’s pregnant with his baby, her goal is to ensure he thinks she’s The One, too.

Lizzie is joined in the story by her faithful, no-nonsense lawyer friend, Clem; a taxi driver, Cherie, with a surprising background; Dr Mitch who sees more of Lizzie than he should, including breaking the news of her pregnancy, and parents who love her and support her, come what may. A minor character, Willow S, contributes a note of wild celebrity which only adds to Lizzie’s chaotic, erratic life.

It’s a story of looking for love in all the wrong places and settling for a job that fails to excite or satisfy. Lizzie must learn to recognise what she wants from life and take control.

Mostly fast paced and light-hearted, nevertheless, there is a more serious theme around unplanned pregnancy. Overall, it’s an enjoyable rom-com style read, especially for fans of books like, “Bridget Jones’s Diary’.

4 stars