“It had by no means been the first time in her life that a man had finished with her, but it was the first time ever that he'd moved house and left the country to do it.”

“David, do you think if I had just evacuated several litres of amniotic fluid under the table I wouldn't mention it?”

“Lydia had met Stephen on a breast cancer charity fun run. She hadn't wanted to go on a fun run, because as far as Lydia was concerned, the words 'fun' and 'run' never, ever belonged in the same sentence.”

“You are so...' Will broke away, his rare unbridled smile, as he gazed at her, utterly charming. '...dressed.”

“I think,' Stephen said, 'the worst thing about breaking up with someone who doesn't love you any more is that they aren't sad.”

“Who's St Nicholas? I don't want him, I want Father Christmas!”

“One minute I was playing chess and doing maths all the time, the next I had been rerouted into more 'normal' girls' activities: reading, writing stories and worrying about my clothes.”