The Only Boy for Me, by Gil McNeil (Bloomsbury, £10)

WHAT a life! Annie Baker has a male who dotes on her, an idyllic life in the country, and a job she just loves.

The girl has it made. But look closer, because all is not as it seems. The male is her beloved son Charlie who, at six years old, spends his days at school and most of his nights crawling into his mother's bed to escape the creatures who live under his.

The daily trauma of not having the right sausages or the right piece of Lego to finish a project takes its toll on single mum Annie.

But hey! She can look on the bright side. There is gossip with her best friend Kate and crazy days spent working on impossible shoots for commercials. Dog food is the special for her next project, and the thought of smelly dogs and equally demanding owners is a daunting one.

Then one day in walks Mack. Drop dead gorgeous, single and definitely worth considering. What is a girl to do? Of course, she does the right thing. She makes sure she finds the time to see if the personality matches the looks. It does, and our heroine gamely balances a passionate affair, her work and her son.

Readily evocative to single parents who have trodden this difficult road, this is a great read. The hero is Charlie. Loveable, defiant, charming Charlie - who could resist? Mind you, I wouldn't mind meeting Mack for a closer encounter.

Annie Dendy