The Night That Changed Everything by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice
Rebecca is the only girl she knows who didn't cry at the end of Titanic. Ben is the only man he knows who did. Rebecca’s untidy but Ben doesn’t mind picking up her pieces. Ben is laid back by Rebecca keeps him on his toes. They're a perfect match.
Nothing can come between them. Or so they think.
When a throwaway comment reveals a secret from the past, their love story is rewritten.
Can they recover from the night that changed everything? And how do you forgive when you can’t forget?
You know those rare books that you simply can't put down - but at the same time you really don't want to finish either because it's just TOO GOOD and it's giving you ALL THE FEELS? The Night That Changed Everything is one of those books.
Told in alternate chapters by the brilliant Laura and Jimmy, they have taken your average, sweet chick-lit plot and put it on a roller coaster with lots of loops the loops. They have turned a rom-com on its head creating an anti-fairytale where you witness a break-up, warts and all.
The Night That Changed Everything is funny. No it's hilarious. But it's also incredibly sad and will most certainly make you shout: 'NO, THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN' more than once. And the ending? Yeah. You won't see that coming…
It's firmly on my 'Brilliant Books of 2016' list and I really can't stop raving about it to anyone who needs a book recomendation.
And what would be on the playlist for writing such a brilliant book? Laura and Jimmy have kindly shared the six must-have songs. Over to them…
We’re both pretty into our music, and always have the radio on in the background when we get together to plan stories, so choosing just six songs for this has been tough. We spent more time on this than we did writing our latest book. Almost.
JIMMY
Enjoy The Silence – Depeche Mode
The second question anyone asks us (after Are you a couple? – to which we simultaneously answer No with screwed up faces) is exactly how we write together. The truth is that we never do – we write separately, but only after several days of hardcore planning at Laura’s house in south-east London. And the soundtrack to these sessions is always Absolute 80s or 90s. This song reminds me of staying up into the early hours discussing plots and characters, fuelled by tea (me) and Malbec (Laura).
The second question anyone asks us (after Are you a couple? – to which we simultaneously answer No with screwed up faces) is exactly how we write together. The truth is that we never do – we write separately, but only after several days of hardcore planning at Laura’s house in south-east London. And the soundtrack to these sessions is always Absolute 80s or 90s. This song reminds me of staying up into the early hours discussing plots and characters, fuelled by tea (me) and Malbec (Laura).
Disco 2000 – Pulp
Okay, I lie a little bit when I say these sessions are hardcore. At least 81 per cent of our time is spent discussing what would be on the soundtrack if our books were ever made into films. Our first book was about meeting up with your childhood sweetheart years down the line and so this song would be perfect for the reunion scene. We both love Pulp and they’re usually on in the car when Laura drives me back to the station, so I also associate this song with several near-death experiences and the words WATCH THE FRIGGING ROAD, LAURA!
Okay, I lie a little bit when I say these sessions are hardcore. At least 81 per cent of our time is spent discussing what would be on the soundtrack if our books were ever made into films. Our first book was about meeting up with your childhood sweetheart years down the line and so this song would be perfect for the reunion scene. We both love Pulp and they’re usually on in the car when Laura drives me back to the station, so I also associate this song with several near-death experiences and the words WATCH THE FRIGGING ROAD, LAURA!
There is a Light That Never Goes Out – The Smiths
If anyone ever asks why I started writing I admit that it was out of boredom and a bit of loneliness. At the time I was living in Liverpool, where I’d moved for work and didn’t really have any mates. It was a real low point in my life and writing helped fill a hole. It didn’t matter that I was staying in on my own on a Saturday night because now I was writing a blog, and then a book. This song was the soundtrack to that period.
If anyone ever asks why I started writing I admit that it was out of boredom and a bit of loneliness. At the time I was living in Liverpool, where I’d moved for work and didn’t really have any mates. It was a real low point in my life and writing helped fill a hole. It didn’t matter that I was staying in on my own on a Saturday night because now I was writing a blog, and then a book. This song was the soundtrack to that period.
LAURA
Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie – Belle & Sebastian
I heart Belle & Sebastian, hard. I listen to them a lot while I write – the tunes are catchy and the lyrics are playful, funny, evocative and surprising - often small, character-led stories within themselves. Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie centres around a timid, insecure girl who loses herself in books, and is probably the only song in the world to reference both Catcher in the Rye and Judy Bloom.
I heart Belle & Sebastian, hard. I listen to them a lot while I write – the tunes are catchy and the lyrics are playful, funny, evocative and surprising - often small, character-led stories within themselves. Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie centres around a timid, insecure girl who loses herself in books, and is probably the only song in the world to reference both Catcher in the Rye and Judy Bloom.
I Can’t Read You - Daniel Bedingfield
NOW we’re getting rock’n’roll. I still love this tune, and the reason it’s on this list is it relates so much to our books. It’s about liking someone and feeling frustrated that you don’t know how they feel, but at the same time not being the best versions of yourself because our emotions turn us into idiots. The hook of our books is the fact the protagonists can’t read each other, but the reader can read both sides. The lyrics 'Your heart's protecting, I get left behind' could be written about Rebecca by Ben in The Night That Changed Everything, as could 'I wish that you could see a better part of me' in the moment they meet.
NOW we’re getting rock’n’roll. I still love this tune, and the reason it’s on this list is it relates so much to our books. It’s about liking someone and feeling frustrated that you don’t know how they feel, but at the same time not being the best versions of yourself because our emotions turn us into idiots. The hook of our books is the fact the protagonists can’t read each other, but the reader can read both sides. The lyrics 'Your heart's protecting, I get left behind' could be written about Rebecca by Ben in The Night That Changed Everything, as could 'I wish that you could see a better part of me' in the moment they meet.
Especially For You – Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue
Initially, I was determined to pick three achingly cool songs that would in turn illustrate how cool I am, but I fear I lost you at Bedingfield, so I might as well go here too. Jason and Kylie – through Scott and Charlene in Neighbours – provided the first love story I remember having a real impact on me, back when an author was just something I wanted to be when I grew up. As far as lyrics go, 'If dreams were wings, you know I would have flown to you' is, admittedly, up there with the worst, but I harbour a real sentimental affection for this song.
Initially, I was determined to pick three achingly cool songs that would in turn illustrate how cool I am, but I fear I lost you at Bedingfield, so I might as well go here too. Jason and Kylie – through Scott and Charlene in Neighbours – provided the first love story I remember having a real impact on me, back when an author was just something I wanted to be when I grew up. As far as lyrics go, 'If dreams were wings, you know I would have flown to you' is, admittedly, up there with the worst, but I harbour a real sentimental affection for this song.
Thanks guys! Right I'm off to watch some vintage Neigbours….
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