'It's been a long time since I've been on a date,' he says, pocketing his own phone. 'Please ignore anything I say for at least the first ten minutes.' Ivan's laugh is loud, delighted. 'I know, mate, I'm bloody terrified.' Two middle-aged men meet on an internet date.

Each has been scarred by a previous relationship; each has his own compelling reasons for giving up on the idea of finding love. But still they both turn up for the dinner, feel the spark and the possibility of something more. How can they take the risk of falling in love again.

How can they not? A tender, affecting novel of love, of hope, of forgiveness by one of today's most fearless and truthful interpreters of the human heart, the acclaimed bestselling author of The Slap and Damascus.