Long Story

The perfect mix of glamour and heart in this relatable story about two friends in crisis 
 
‘A perfect poolside read’ The Gloss 
 
‘Honest, insightful and entertaining. Long Story puts female friendship under the spotlight’ Louise O’Neill 
 
‘Fun and glam and gossipy while also being hilarious and full of heart’ Sophie White 
 
‘Makes your heart feel full, hits you in the gut with how relatable it is.’ Her.ie 
 
--- 
 
Two best friends, one old flame … It’s a long story 
 
Tara is a famous movie star, known for her leading roles in beloved rom-coms. When her husband shows up on set one day to tell her he’s leaving her for his much younger action movie co-star, her life is turned upside down. 
 
Alex is a powerhouse podcast host and writer, covering all things celebrity and pop culture. But she’s less of a girlboss when it comes to her love life, which has never quite recovered after an old flame left her heartbroken. 
 
As youngsters as the same stage school, they swore off a boy for life, promising to always put their friendship first. But now the two BFF’s friendship is tested when rockstar Sean Sweeney’s memoir is published, revealing his past relationships with them both, unveiling secrets from the past and plunging their friendship into crisis. 
 
Set between Ireland and the US, in the glamorous and high-energy world of celebrities, online influencers and social media, this is a pacy and fun novel about female friendships with a lot of heart. 
 
--- 
'Glitz, glam, friendship and betrayal, Vicki Notaro’s new page-turner is hugely entertaining. Loved it!' Patricia Scanlan 
 
'A deliciously emotional story celebrating the complexity of friendship between women.' Sarah Breen 
 
‘A glorious story about female friendship … compulsive reading’ Amanda Cassidy 
 
’Fascinating … great dialogue’ Oliver Callan, RTÉ Radio One 
 
‘There’s grit as well as gloss in this entertaining read’ Irish Times 
 
‘A whip smart tale of the complexities of female friendships’ Sunday world 
 
‘Vicki’s emotional insight in to the complexity of women’s relationships makes Long Story feel both modern and nostalgic’ TV Now 
 
‘She has an affection for woman and an innate instinct for what makes them tick’ Irish Examiner 
 
‘Funny, warm and glamorous, there is real heart behind the gloss.’ Image 
 
‘I came for the funny jokes and the glamorous setting but I stayed for the relatable tale of a gorgeous friendship.’ Richy Craven 
 
‘Great fun!’ Liz Nugent 
 
'More glitz, glam, warmth and humour from the fab Vicki Notaro' Sheila O’Flanagan 
 
‘A modern-day City Women … great characters and gripping storylines! I can’t put it down’ Katriona O’Sullivan 
 
'A roller-coaster book... a deliciously page-turning novel with a heart of gold and the sharpest turn of phrase around.’ Cathy Kelly 
 
'You won’t be able to put it down! I devoured it, and just wish I’d been on a beach somewhere reading it.' Laura Whitmore 
 
'Assured, so well-paced and so good on modern love and female friendship in the era of social media. Did I forget to say wildly entertaining? I couldn't put it down.' Edel Coffey 
'Entertaining, engaging and very real' Sinead Moriarty 
 
'Fun, romance, and the perfect dose of escapism. Full of quirky characters, feel-good vibes, and a perfect blend of humor and sentiment' Amanda Cassidy

So much emotional intelligence and warmth. I HARED through it. A hugely enjoyable novel.

A glorious story about female friendship … compulsive reading

A modern-day City Women … great characters and gripping storylines! I can’t put it down

A deliciously emotional story celebrating the complexity of friendship between women.

It's an enjoyable examination of Irish friendship between a Hollywood A Lister and her best friend since drama school and the one man who may ruin their friendship forever. Great fun.’

I came for the funny jokes and the glamorous setting but I stayed for the relatable tale of a gorgeous friendship.

Once you pick up this book you won’t be able to put it down! I devoured it, and just wish I’d been on a beach somewhere reading it.

Glitz, glam, friendship and betrayal, Vicki Notaro’s new page-turner is hugely entertaining. Loved it.

I LOVED this book. It's EVEN better than her debut. Assured, so well-paced and so good on modern love and female friendship in the era of social media. Did I forget to say wildly entertaining? I couldn't put it down.

A roller-coaster book about life in the sometimes glam/sometimes hilariously normal world of Dubliners Tara and Alex, now world famous, and the badboy rockstar who shakes their world. A deliciously page-turning novel with a heart of gold and the sharpest turn of phrase around.

More glitz, glam, warmth and humour from the fab Vicki Notaro

An entertaining, engaging and very real story of two lifelong friends whose simmering resentments and jealousies boil over when an old flame rears his head, blowing their friendship apart.

Pure joy … Vicki writes modern women and their stories so well! Once I started, I couldn’t stop!

A sparkling treat for anyone craving fun, romance, and the perfect dose of escapism. Full of quirky characters, feel-good vibes, and a perfect blend of humor and sentiment, it’s a novel that’ll make you laugh out loud but also reflect on the messy, beautiful truths of love and friendship. I loved it!

Honest, insightful and entertaining. Long Story put female friendship under the spotlight

Another banger ... escapist and fun and relatable and real

Fun and glam and gossipy while also being hilarious and full of heart

The type of book that makes your heart feel full, but one that hits you in the gut with how relatable it is

There’s grit as well as gloss in this entertaining read

A whip smart tale of the complexities of female friendship

Vicki’s emotional insight in to the complexity of women’s relationships makes Long Story feel both modern and nostalgic

She has an affection for woman and an innate instinct for what makes them tick

Funny, warm and glamorous, there is real heart behind the gloss

Vicki Notaro is a best-selling author, former glossy magazine editor and host of the podcast You Had Me At Hello. She spent over fifteen years working as a journalist before becoming a novelist, and has been published in myriad titles at home and abroad including British Glamour, Buzzfeed and Lonely Planet. 
 
Her first novel, Reality Check, was inspired by her love of reality television, celebrity culture and her experience writing about all sorts of relationships. Vicki lives in her native Dublin with her husband Joe and their terrier Jacko.

Two best friends, one old flame … It’s a long story 
 
Tara is a famous movie star, known for her leading roles in beloved rom-coms. When her husband shows up on set one day to tell her he’s leaving her for his much younger action movie co-star, her life is turned upside down. 
 
Alex is a powerhouse podcast host and writer, covering all things celebrity and pop culture. But she’s less of a girlboss when it comes to her love life, which has never quite recovered after an old flame left her heartbroken. 
 
As youngsters as the same stage school, they swore off a boy for life, promising to always put their friendship first. But now the two BFF’s friendship is tested when rockstar Sean Sweeney’s memoir is published, revealing his past relationships with them both, unveiling secrets from the past and plunging their friendship into crisis. 
 
Set between Ireland and the US, in the glamorous and high-energy world of celebrities, online influencers and social media, this is a pacy and fun novel about female friendships with a lot of heart.

Reality Check

'Such a fun, heart-warming page-turner' - Marian Keyes 
 
'A fantastic Irish writer' - Joanne McNally 
 
***Portia Daniels’ life is sorted. She has a perfect man (Jason, a hot Irish TV producer) a perfect apartment (in lower Manhattan), a perfect job (writing for TV). Best of all, unlike the rest of her family, she lives in perfect peace and obscurity.Because it’s all about the drama for her mother – Kerry-born reality TV queen, Dessie – and sisters – Insta-guru, Vinnie, and TikTok teen sensation, Ariel.But then Jason blows up their idyllic life, and Portia flees to LA to take refuge with her family. As she recovers amidst the chaos, Portia must face an awkward truth – unlike her, the other Daniels women aren’t fooling themselves about who they are and what they want.Getting the biggest reality check of her life is the last thing Portia expected, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction – even in La La Land. 
*** 
 
'The next Jackie Collins' - Aoife Barry 
 
‘I don’t know if Ireland has ever seen a book like this’ – Georgie Crawford, The Good Glow 
 
'It’s camp and sexy but also a serious exploration of romantic relationships, friendship and family. Escapism at its finest!' - Sarah Breen 
 
'Glamorous, witty and full of heart and humour' - Edel Coffey 
 
‘Absolutely hilarious. Can’t recommend it highly enough’ - Paul Howard 
 
'So thrilling, so juicy ... I am on the edge of my seat' - Rozanna Purcell 
 
‘Perfect for devouring by the beach this summer’ - Deirdre Reynolds, Sunday World 
 
‘The one book every gal needs to bring on holiday this summer’ - Kat O'Connor, Her.ie 
 
‘Hugely entertaining … serves classic Jackie Collins glamour and drama with an Irish twist’ – Anna Carey, Irish Times

Absolutely hilarious. Can&rsquo;t recommend it highly enough.

Pure escapism &hellip; glamorous, witty and full of heart and humour ... a smart, fun debut

Camp and sexy but also a serious exploration of romantic relationships, friendship and family . . . escapism at its finest!

So thrilling, so juicy ... I am on the edge of my seat

The one book every gal needs to bring on holiday this summer

Hugely entertaining … serves classic Jackie Collins glamour and drama with an Irish twist

Vicki Notaro is a journalist, columnist, former glossy magazine editor and podcaster. In addition, she was managing director of the VIP Publishing Group for four years, up to late 2022. She has been published in Glamour, Lonely Planet, Buzzfeed, Irish Tatler, Image Magazine and the Irish Times, among myriad other print and digital platforms. Reality Check, her first novel, is inspired by her love of reality television, celebrity culture and the United States. Vicki lives in her native Dublin with her husband Joe and their terrier, Jacko.

Portia Daniels’ life is sorted. She has a perfect man (Jason, a hot Irish TV producer) a perfect apartment (in lower Manhattan), a perfect job (writing for TV). Best of all, unlike the rest of her family, she lives in perfect peace and obscurity.Because it’s all about the drama for her mother – Kerry-born reality TV queen, Dessie – and sisters – Insta-guru, Vinnie, and TikTok teen sensation, Ariel.But then Jason blows up their idyllic life, and Portia flees to LA to take refuge with her family. As she recovers amidst the chaos, Portia must face an awkward truth – unlike her, the other Daniels women aren’t fooling themselves about who they are and what they want.Getting the biggest reality check of her life is the last thing Portia expected, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction – even in La La Land.

Vicki Notaro

Lifts the lid on the challenges women face in midlife, from marriage to friendship to career. Full of wit and wisdom with one liners guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

Glam yet grounded, a warm, witty and totally compelling story about three women trying to figure out what they really want from life. I couldn't put it down.

Full of Vicki's trademark glamour, gossip and true grit. A novel with lots of heart and empathy.

Warm, smart, witty and kind, this story of friendship, love and marriage is not just relatable but full of heart

Super super talented … nice holiday read

What a joy it was to read … best described as moreish: insightful, witty, warm, and always glam. I’ll be pressing this novel into the hands of all my friends this summer. A must read.

A classy, clever page-turner from the brilliant Vicki Notaro

The Queen of glitz, glam and heartbreak does it again. Her readers will love it.

Vicki expertly balances glamour and humour with drama and heart

Laugh out loud funny, brilliantly observed, utterly relatable – her best book yet!

Funny, relatable, touching. The perfect balance of heart and humour

Full of colourful, humorous characters with a good shot of glamour running through it.

Vicki’s best book to date, another page-turner! Great characters, strong story and fabulous style! I love all Vicki’s books!

A joy! Utterly absorbing fun from start to finish. A laugh-filled, highly entertaining read

Pure pleasure. Smart, funny, bittersweet and full of heart.

Three friends at life-changing crossroads . . . 
 
Matilda: Living the dream: presenting breakfast TV in Dublin and married to a man with a mega media career in the UK. But when she turns up in their London flat to surprise him for his birthday, it’s she who gets a shock. 
 
Sadie: Clinging to her journalism career because, apart from a snooty dog, it’s all she has. Her house is falling apart, her romantic life is just as ramshackle and nasty flashbacks to her past are becoming more than just a nuisance. 
Jess: The one who was sorted early - married a lovely man, had two gorgeous babies. But with a distant husband and teenage twins who think she’s cringe, nothing she believed about herself makes sense any more. 
 
Matilda, Sadie and Jess take off to Donegal to do some serious soul-searching. But maybe the answers to their problems lie closer to home? 
 
Anywhere But Here is a warm, funny and page-turning novel about finding out what makes you happy when you thought you had it all figured out.

Vicki Notaro

Praise for Anywhere but Here

Lifts the lid on the challenges women face in midlife, from marriage to friendship to career. Full of wit and wisdom with one liners guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

Glam yet grounded, a warm, witty and totally compelling story about three women trying to figure out what they really want from life. I couldn't put it down.

Full of Vicki's trademark glamour, gossip and true grit. A novel with lots of heart and empathy.

Lifts the lid on the challenges women face in midlife, from marriage to friendship to career. Full of wit and wisdom with one liners guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

Glam yet grounded, a warm, witty and totally compelling story about three women trying to figure out what they really want from life. I couldn't put it down.

Full of Vicki's trademark glamour, gossip and true grit. A novel with lots of heart and empathy.

Lifts the lid on the challenges women face in midlife, from marriage to friendship to career. Full of wit and wisdom with one liners guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

Glam yet grounded, a warm, witty and totally compelling story about three women trying to figure out what they really want from life. I couldn't put it down.

Full of Vicki's trademark glamour, gossip and true grit. A novel with lots of heart and empathy.

Books by Vicki Notaro

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter