Try free for 30 days
-
This Has Been Absolutely Lovely
- Narrated by: Michala Banas
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
How to Be Second Best
- By: Jessica Dettmann
- Narrated by: Michala Banas
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Going from one child to two is never all that easy for a family, but when Emma's husband simultaneously fathers a third child three doors up the street, things get very tricky, very fast. No longer is it enough for Emma to be the best wife and mother - now she's trying to be the best ex-wife, and the best part-time parent to her ex's love child, and that's before she even thinks about adding a new bloke to the mix. Set in an upwardly mobile, ultra-competitive suburb, this is a funny, biting, heartwarming modern comedy.
-
-
Light and funny. I didn't want it to end.
- By Jessica Sheedy on 30-05-2019
-
The Glass House
- A Novel of Mental Health
- By: Anne Buist, Graeme Simsion
- Narrated by: Edwina Wren
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychiatry registrar Doctor Hannah Wright, a country girl with a chaotic history, thought she had seen it all in the emergency room. But that was nothing compared to the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital. Hannah must learn on the job in a strained medical system, as she and her fellow trainees deal with the common and the bizarre, the hilarious and the tragic, the treatable and the confronting.
-
-
original and clever
- By Anonymous User on 28-04-2024
-
The Rachel Incident
- By: Caroline O'Donoghue
- Narrated by: Clara Harte
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Rachel Incident is an all-consuming love story. But it's not the one you're expecting. It's unconventional and messy. It's young and foolish. It's about losing and finding yourself. But it is always about love. When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr Byrne, her best friend James helps her devise a plan to seduce him. But what begins as a harmless crush soon pushes their friendship to its limits. Over the course of a year they will find their lives ever more entwined with the Byrnes' and be faced with impossible choices and a lie that can't be taken back...
-
-
Pitch perfect
- By tash on 24-10-2023
-
The Last Love Note
- By: Emma Grey
- Narrated by: Leeanna Walsman
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of crushing grief, sole parent Kate Whittaker must learn to live and love again. It's been tough raising her young son and wrangling a university fundraising job, an overbearing mother and a best friend intent on matchmaking her with someone new. When Kate and her boss, Hugh, become stranded in a sleepy hamlet north of Byron Bay, she finally has a chance to process all that she's been through and all that the future might hold. Caught in an impossible tangle of loss, love and unexpected longing, Kate wonders if she can risk her heart again.
-
-
Couldn’t get enough!
- By Anonymous User on 14-03-2023
-
One Year After You
- By: Shari Low
- Narrated by: Helen McAlpine
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One year ago today, Tress Walker’s husband was killed in a car accident, on a trip with his secret mistress whilst Tress gave birth to their son. But as time moves on, Tress has to choose whether to protect her fragile heart or open it to love again.
Noah Clark was equally devastated to discover his wife and his best friend were having an affair. Now the love of his life is asking for a second chance. But can there ever be a way back once the trust is broken?
-
-
Loved it!
- By Mrs H on 09-02-2024
-
The Very Last List of Vivian Walker
- By: Megan Albany
- Narrated by: Lisa Maza
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vivian Walker's life is exceptionally ordinary. Average husband, check. Darling son, check. Refrigerator in a state of permanent disarray, check. Everything is thoroughly and frustratingly routine, even being terminally ill. After receiving her diagnosis, Viv's family won't let her lift a finger. But once the novelty wears off, she's lucky to get a cup of tea for her trouble. In preparation for D-day, self-professed control freak Viv has made a list of essential things to do. She doesn't expect to become spiritually enlightened or have any outlandish last-minute successes.
-
-
Dark, yet still really funny
- By Anonymous User on 11-04-2023
-
How to Be Second Best
- By: Jessica Dettmann
- Narrated by: Michala Banas
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Going from one child to two is never all that easy for a family, but when Emma's husband simultaneously fathers a third child three doors up the street, things get very tricky, very fast. No longer is it enough for Emma to be the best wife and mother - now she's trying to be the best ex-wife, and the best part-time parent to her ex's love child, and that's before she even thinks about adding a new bloke to the mix. Set in an upwardly mobile, ultra-competitive suburb, this is a funny, biting, heartwarming modern comedy.
-
-
Light and funny. I didn't want it to end.
- By Jessica Sheedy on 30-05-2019
-
The Glass House
- A Novel of Mental Health
- By: Anne Buist, Graeme Simsion
- Narrated by: Edwina Wren
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychiatry registrar Doctor Hannah Wright, a country girl with a chaotic history, thought she had seen it all in the emergency room. But that was nothing compared to the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital. Hannah must learn on the job in a strained medical system, as she and her fellow trainees deal with the common and the bizarre, the hilarious and the tragic, the treatable and the confronting.
-
-
original and clever
- By Anonymous User on 28-04-2024
-
The Rachel Incident
- By: Caroline O'Donoghue
- Narrated by: Clara Harte
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Rachel Incident is an all-consuming love story. But it's not the one you're expecting. It's unconventional and messy. It's young and foolish. It's about losing and finding yourself. But it is always about love. When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr Byrne, her best friend James helps her devise a plan to seduce him. But what begins as a harmless crush soon pushes their friendship to its limits. Over the course of a year they will find their lives ever more entwined with the Byrnes' and be faced with impossible choices and a lie that can't be taken back...
-
-
Pitch perfect
- By tash on 24-10-2023
-
The Last Love Note
- By: Emma Grey
- Narrated by: Leeanna Walsman
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of crushing grief, sole parent Kate Whittaker must learn to live and love again. It's been tough raising her young son and wrangling a university fundraising job, an overbearing mother and a best friend intent on matchmaking her with someone new. When Kate and her boss, Hugh, become stranded in a sleepy hamlet north of Byron Bay, she finally has a chance to process all that she's been through and all that the future might hold. Caught in an impossible tangle of loss, love and unexpected longing, Kate wonders if she can risk her heart again.
-
-
Couldn’t get enough!
- By Anonymous User on 14-03-2023
-
One Year After You
- By: Shari Low
- Narrated by: Helen McAlpine
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One year ago today, Tress Walker’s husband was killed in a car accident, on a trip with his secret mistress whilst Tress gave birth to their son. But as time moves on, Tress has to choose whether to protect her fragile heart or open it to love again.
Noah Clark was equally devastated to discover his wife and his best friend were having an affair. Now the love of his life is asking for a second chance. But can there ever be a way back once the trust is broken?
-
-
Loved it!
- By Mrs H on 09-02-2024
-
The Very Last List of Vivian Walker
- By: Megan Albany
- Narrated by: Lisa Maza
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Vivian Walker's life is exceptionally ordinary. Average husband, check. Darling son, check. Refrigerator in a state of permanent disarray, check. Everything is thoroughly and frustratingly routine, even being terminally ill. After receiving her diagnosis, Viv's family won't let her lift a finger. But once the novelty wears off, she's lucky to get a cup of tea for her trouble. In preparation for D-day, self-professed control freak Viv has made a list of essential things to do. She doesn't expect to become spiritually enlightened or have any outlandish last-minute successes.
-
-
Dark, yet still really funny
- By Anonymous User on 11-04-2023
Publisher's Summary
Family is forever, and there's nothing you can do about it.
The charming, hilarious and all-too-relatable new novel from the author of How to be Second Best
'Dettmann nails the funny, sad and bizarre nuances of family life in this gripping novel that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes and Marian Keyes' Sally Hepworth
Molly's a millennial home organiser about to have her first baby. Obviously her mum, Annie, will help with the childcare. Everyone else's parents are doing it.
But Annie's dreams of music stardom have been on hold for thirty-five years, paused by childbirth then buried under her responsibilities as a mother, wage earner, wife, and only child of ailing parents. Finally, she can taste freedom.
As Molly and her siblings gather in the close quarters of the family home over one fraught summer, shocking revelations come to light. Everyone is forced to confront the question of what it means to be a family.
This Has Been Absolutely Lovely is a story about growing up and giving in, of parents and children, of hope and failure, of bravery and defied expectation, and whether it is ever too late to try again.
'A pure joy to read from the first page to the last - lots of heart and emotion, but with a perfect amount of humour. My only complaint is that I didn't write it myself!' Rachael Johns
'Hilarious, poignant, and a genuine page-turner. Dettmann's tone is addictively dry and often laugh-out-loud funny, but the family drama that unfolds is a proper yarn, with lovely dramatic twists and gorgeous revelations and resolutions.' Tim Minchin
'Witty, warm, sharp and sincere. An absolutely lovely read.' Book'd Out
'Compelling and utterly charming ... A joyful, laugh-drenched, tear-soaked page-turner' Ben Elton
'Brilliantly observed, Jessica Dettmann's portrayal of messy, modern family life is packed with delicious humour and balanced with moments of real poignancy. Her knack for writing sharp, witty dialogue makes for a hugely entertaining read. I adored it.' Joanna Nell
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about This Has Been Absolutely Lovely
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tina Molloy
- 06-02-2022
Fantastic narration, lovely characters
I really enjoyed this gentle book about a complex extended family. The narration by Michala Banas was fantastic, especially her take on the male characters
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nicolabee
- 10-04-2022
Absolutely wonderful
Loved every minute of this clever, funny, thought provoking book. The narration was outstandingly good too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 15-05-2022
Lovely read
Loved this story. Very Australian but also relatable to anyone. Characters very well rounded and real. Beautifully read, nice pace and emotion. Loved it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Saradha Ramalingam
- 01-03-2022
Loved it!!!
This was a great listen. A lot of it resonated with my experience as a mother. A very well written book that has made quite an impact.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-01-2023
Hard to put down
Another brilliant book by Jess. I honestly listened to it in 2 days. In the car, at work and in bed whilst I should have been parenting. A wise and engaging tale of so many true aspects of life. A story that makes us and our families all relatively normal. Loved every word of it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 19-04-2022
Funny, vibrant and relatable. This is a real favourite of mine!
I really enjoyed this book. I could see myself and my family in so many of the family quirks and how they related to each other. This is an absolute laugh out loud book. Well done!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 04-05-2022
Lots to offer
Loved this
The story
The characters
And the narration
All great.
Needed something like this to take my mind off things
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!