A hilarious, big-hearted story about second chances from the author of Terms of Inheritance.
No evacuation plan, no safety net… Sometimes you just have to save yourself.
Amelia Harris has played it safe all her life – but when a minor accident lands her in hospital, she dramatically quits the tedious office job she’s been working at for a decade.
When her mother, Toni, asks her what she wants to do, Amelia is at a loss. Out of sheer desperation, she tries her hand at the dream jobs she’s always fantasised about. Soon Amelia’s shadowing a thrilling cast of characters and professions – as a journalist, a florist, a wedding planner, a zookeeper, and more. Life couldn’t be more exciting, especially when she meets the man of her dreams.
But when Toni drops a truth bomb about their family, Amelia’s whole world tilts on its axis. Meanwhile, each new job starts taking on a life of its own. Has she created a monster?
As she’s about to find out, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and sometimes you just have to save yourself.
BR readers first fell for Michelle Upton with the release of her warm and witty debut, Terms of Inheritence. The Birmingham-born novelist is now a resident of Redlands Coast in Queensland, and her love for the place and the community shines through in her writing. Second novels are notoriously difficult, but what Upton has come up with might even be better than her first!
Emergency Exit Only is full of heart, poignancy, hilarity, astute observations, relatable mishaps and The Alchemist references. It’s a heartwarming romcom, but it’s not a book about finding your other half. It’s a family drama, but it sprawls out beyond the nuclear unit in a way that feels fresh and contemporary, placing an emphasis on community that I think we could all use more of right now.
I loved this book from the first page with its hilarious and ingenious premise – I mean, work experience for grown-ups? Count me in! If you’re someone who feels like you’ve never really found your true purpose, this is such an inspiring read. Amelia proves it’s never too late to find yourself, your people and your passion. She’s still working it out at 35, but her lessons are applicable for any age – as proven by her beautifully eccentric mum Toni (who might have been my favourite secondary character).
Upton delves into some difficult themes relating to mental health, which the publisher acknowledges with a content warning at the front of the book. But for me, Amelia’s journey to self-realisation was nothing but uplifting.
Emergency Exit Only is an ideal holiday read – the perfect balance of feel-good and thought-provoking. If you’ve ever wanted to rage-quit your job, or you’re dreading going back to the office after the festive break, or perhaps you’ve always wondered where a different life path might have taken you… this is the read for you!
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