Gemma Garvey's marriage has been over for ages. And it was Gemma's choice to end it; her decision to go it alone with two kids, rather than pretend the marriage to career-obsessed David was working. So why is she so upset when he marries that flame-haired bimbo, Orla O'Neill? Is it that Orla's nearer in age to Gemma's teenage daughter than to herself?

But for Orla, being wife number two isn't all she'd imagined. And the trouble has only just begun.

Sheila O'Flanagan has worked in banking, foreign exchange dealing and treasury management for a number of years. She is currently a bond dealer, based in Dublin. She also writes a weekly column for the Irish Times.

Kate Binchy's stage appearances include Factory Girls, Deep Blue Sea, and Juno and the Paycock at the Lyceum. On TV she has been seen in Doctors, Trial & Retribution V, Fair City, Father Ted and Poirot, while on radio she's been heard in over 500 plays. Her films include Mrs Dalloway and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne.