Make or Break

A Romantic Comedy With Heart

Jess, a 29-year-old Londoner with a Kate Beckett fringe and a tendency for dramatics, gets taken on a surprise trip by her long-term boyfriend, Pete, to attend her best friend's last minute wedding in South Africa. Jess imagines sun, sand, wine and safaris. And returning to London with an ethically mined diamond on her left hand...

But this holiday isn't set to be quite the fairy tale Jess has planned... and suddenly she finds her world tilting on its axis. And things are only set to get worse when Jess returns home…

Catherine Bennetto is back with her trademark wit and an equally hilarious cast of characters who will have you rooting for them from the first page.

Catherine Bennetto has worked as an Assistant Director in the film and television industry, working on shows such as The Bill, Coronation Street and Death in Paradise. She can generally be found travelling the world and spends her time reading healthy cookbooks (not necessarily cooking from them) or at the beach. Her first novel How Not to Fall in Love, Actually was published in 2017.

Make or Break
Simon and Schuster
Author: Catherine Bennetto
ISBN: 9781471165764
RRP: $19.99

Interview with Catherine Bennetto

Question: How did you come up with the idea for Make or Break?

Catherine Bennetto: I don't want to give away too much, but the seed of the idea came from something I heard at the school gates. It happened to a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. And then I flipped it around and told it from a different point of view.


Question: How does it feel to be compared to Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes?

Catherine Bennetto: Unreal. Marian Keyes?!?! I haven't heard that comparison before. I'm a bit over excited now. I think I need a lie down.

Question: Are the characters based on anyone you know?

Catherine Bennetto: Some characters have a similar trait to people I know which I've enhanced and played around with. But as a complete character, no they are made up. I'd love to know a Diego! I'd spend every day with him. And I've had lots of requests for a 'Jimmy' - as if you can just put an order in for one. I wish!


Question: How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

Catherine Bennetto: A lot! Real life can be crazier than fiction. I lived in Cape Town for four years so in 'Make Or Break' most of the gorgeous or weird places I've described are real. And the character in my first book works in the film and TV industry, which both my husband and I have been working in for years.


Question: There are several issues raised in this book. Was this deliberate or did the story evolve this way?

Catherine Bennetto: They are absolutely deliberate.


Question: What is the best thing about creating a character like Jess?

Catherine Bennetto: My Dad calls me The Princess of Darkness because in any situation, even lining up for an ice cream in the sun, I like to point out the deadly potentials. So I really enjoyed letting my silly paranoia's run wild with Jess. But I also loved that despite her anxiety and tendency to see the worst case scenario, she actually came out pretty optimistic. She was so much fun to write! It's been hard to leave her behind.


Question: What's next, for you?
Catherine Bennetto: I'm working on my third book at the moment. It's about a young widow who receives a huge wrongful death payout - but she doesn't want to spend a penny of it. And after that I'm taking a holiday! To Cape Town hopefully!

Interview by Brooke Hunter

 

Make or Break
Simon and Schuster
Author: Catherine Bennetto
ISBN: 9781471165764
RRP: $19.99