The Stag and Hen Weekend – Mike Gayle

The Stag and Hen Weekend
Mike Gayle

The Stag and Hen Weekend is the story of Phil and Helen, a couple in their thirties about to commit their lives to one another… that is of course if they can just manage to get through their respective stag and hen weekends (his: Amsterdam; hers: a country house and day spa in the Peak District) without falling apart.

Told in the unique form of two separate stories that have common characters as well as themes and conclusion, The Stag and Hen Weekend can be read from front to back or from back to front putting the reader in the driver’s seat as to which story they wish to read first. Feisty, fun and thought provoking.

Lovey-dovey Phil and Helen are getting ready to go on their prospective stag and hen weekends. A bit of paintballing for him in Amsterdam, a luxurious spa for her: what could go wrong?  Well, lots, it seems.

Helen’s gorgeous ex-boyfriend – the ‘one that got away’, the one who she never really got over, the one who is now a successful celebrity radio presenter – ‘coincidentally’ happens to be staying at the same hotel as her.  He also seems intent on throwing her into a serious case of the “cold feet jitters”.  From plying her with free champagne, to laying on limousines, to making sure that her mates are suitably impressed with his celebrity footballer friends, Phil has seriously big competition on his hands.

Not that Phil is aware.  He’s too busy getting drunk miles away inAmsterdam; his mobile phone having been confiscated by his best man.  Not only that, he’s bumped into someone – a very attractive female someone – who can hold a whole lot of answers to his niggling questions about Helen, if only he can get the chance to ask.

I read this book on Kindle but the paperback has been cleverly designed to be opened at the front or the back – meaning you can choose which weekend to read first.  Starting from either the ‘hen’ side or the ‘stag’ side, there’s a self-contained ending to each story.

As with all Gayle’s books, there’s that effortless page-turning desire to know the ending.  He’s definitely one of my favourite authors.  I read this book in two nights flat and it was a battle-with-the-eyelids to want to read another chapter before going to sleep.

Plenty of drama, plenty of twists; these are two action-packed weekends to be invited on!

Rating: ★★★★★