'The Temporary would be worth reading for its self-regarding, utterly thoughtless heroine alone.' Financial Times'An exquisitely written gem.' Vogue'The wit, dialogue and the uncomfortable perception brought to bear on human relations make The Temporary such a fine achievement.' SpectatorRalph Loman works in an unsatisfying job, for a free London newspaper, when Francine Snaith, a temporary secretary for a corporate finance firm, unexpectedly crosses his path at a party.Her beauty ignites a blaze of excitement in his troubled heart.But Francine is ravenous for attention, driven by a thirst for conquest, and when Ralph tries politely to extricate himself, he finds he is bound by chains of consequence from which it seems there is no escape.The Temporary paints a merciless portrait of the cut and thrust of modern romance, work and life.