In the intervening period Stuart, the protagonist, has emigrated to America, remarried, opened a restaurant, got divorced and returned to England, where he has set up a successful organic food business.

Meanwhile, Oliver and Gillian and their two daughters live in a small flat in north-east London, Oliver still seeks success as a writer supported by Gillian's picture restoration.

Stuart appears to have forgiven Oliver for stealing his wife and offers him a job as a driver...

The Daily Telegraph reported on reviews from several publications with a rating scale for the novel out of "Love It", "Pretty Good", "Ok", and "Rubbish": Daily Telegraph, Times, Independent, Sunday Telegraph, Observer, and Spectator reviews under "Love It" and Mail On Sunday and TLS reviews under "Pretty Good" and Guardian, Sunday Times, and Literary Review reviews under "Ok".

Opinions even split on whether it is better or worse than its predecessor, Talking it Over.