COCKTAILS FOR THREE

By Madeleine Wickham

Released : October 03,2020
Reviewed : September 24,2020

Reviewed by Meesha Luwang

Recently, my “Storygraph” analysis showed that around 60% of the books I read are “informative, dark and mysterious.” So I decided to take a break from my usual genres and pick up something light and breezy. And what can be further away from “informative, dark, and mysterious” than a good old chick-lit?
“Cocktails for Three” was written by Sophie Kinsella (of the Shopaholic series fame) under her pseudonym Madeliene Wickham. The story centres around 3 friends who work for The Londoner and meet at The Manhattan Bar in London on the first of every month for cocktails- Maggie (capable and high achieving), Candice (honest, decent and naive), and Roxanne (glamorous, self-confident, and in love with a married man). The book starts with the three of them meeting up at “their bar” for their last drink before Maggie becomes a mother. All seemed to be going well until a ghost from Candice’s past turned up, changed the dynamics of their friendship, and forced them to look at their loves from different perspectives.
The cover advertises the book as “deliciously witty and funny”. But funny it is not. Each of the women was in different phases in their lives and dealing with their own demons. Maggie, the ever-capable woman, is secretly loathing motherhood and dealing with post partum blues. The author beautifully handled Maggie’s shame, guilt, and fears. Candice tries to right the wrongs committed by her father when he was alive and in the process loses everything she holds dear. Here again, I loved the way Madeliene tactfully handled the burdens carried by children for the sins of their parents. My favourite character, of course, is Roxanne. The oldest and the most glamorous of the trio, she gives off a tough Samantha Jones vibes and yet, her vulnerability is depicted many times throughout the book.
The three are so different from each and yet very relatable. I could find a little bit of myself in Maggie, Candice, or Roxanne at different times. The themes of death, loneliness, guilt, shame, and self-doubt run throughout the book which made it a more mature read than the usual books we’ve come to expect from Sophie Kinsella/Madeliene Wickham. You can’t expect any mind-shattering ideas or beliefs from this book, but if you, like me, have been reading a lot of non-fiction books dealing with heavy issues, then you definitely need a change and this light and breezy book will be perfect. You can finish it in a day or two, laugh a little, cry a little, shake off and carry on with your life.