Synopsis

Meet Amy, the world’s most improbable trophy wife.

She has a degree, ambitions and something resembling a mind of her own. The trouble is, she just doesn’t use it anymore. Married to handsome aristocrat, Harry Green, Amy’s world is a whirlwind of luxury, labels and lunches.

But amidst the peerages and polo of the privileged few lie wolves in minks’ clothing.

Before she knows it, Amy’s perfect existence is plunged into chaos by the poshest of plots. Ominous heiresses, simpering starlets and a terrifying mother-in-law abound as Amy faces up to some harsh realities.

So, can Amy survive life in the upper crust? Or is high society an all new low?

Excerpt

‘You are a Green my dear and Greens must represent the family.’

Ah yes, ‘The Family’. Andrea saw herself as the matriarch of a great dynasty, one whose reputation had to be constantly tended and elevated, not unlike the Windsors or perhaps the Kardashians. It didn’t help that Andrea Green preferred to be known by her title, Lady Andrea, bestowed upon her when Harry’s late father had himself received a knighthood.

As if in solidarity, Sir Steven’s eyes stared down at Amy now from the portrait which hung on the wall behind Andrea. His expression, a mix of petulant reluctance and mournful resignation, combined with his drooping jowls and ill-fitting medieval outfit to give him the air of a grumpy toddler at a fancy dress party.

Steven Green had been made Sir Steven, a Knight of the Order of the Bath, in honour of his work in the sector of banking. He had been the head of a prestigious private bank by the name of Hodders. Of course, in the light of the banking crisis, it did transpire that Hodders’ one-time spectacular success in the investment and currencies markets had been courtesy of some less than above board – but equally spectacular – strategies, but Sir Stephen had had the good grace to shed his mortal coil before he could be the subject of anything so vulgar as being held to account for this. What’s more, this was never discussed, either within the family or otherwise.

For Andrea’s part, she saw herself as a member of the aristocracy if not minor royalty, with a duty to the people of Britain and, of course, the world. Her ambitions were nothing short of stratospheric, particularly for her children. It was clear that she considered Harry’s older brother, James’s match with Giselle, whose family had connections to the royal German line, suitable. Quite what she made of the middle class roots of Amy from Totteridge, North London was another thing. She imagined that Andrea felt she had much in common with the tribulations of the royals themselves, having welcomed the less than regal ‘Kate’ into their midst.

Q & A With Elli

Elli Lewis drew upon her experiences as a lawyer to the stars to write her novel, Trophy Life. Here, she lifts the lid on some of the experiences that inspired the story.

DESCRIBE TROPHY LIFE IN A NUTSHELL

Amy is an accidental trophy wife who must survive the very peak of London high society. It’s tongue in cheek, unapologetically glamorous chick lit choc full of strong characters, but it’s also about lost love and learning to cope with whatever life throws at you.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A STORY SET IN LONDON’S ARISTOCRACY?

Quite frankly, I couldn’t resist. To me, reading is an escape and I wanted to create a world filled with luxury and glamour. It’s something I’ve thought about ever since my time as a lawyer in the City, when my clients had the kind of wealth and fame that’s usually restricted to films or magazines. Having seen that world, having been on the inside of it, I wanted to bring the reader down the rabbit hole with me.

TALK ABOUT YOUR MAIN CHARACTER, AMY. HOW DOES SHE BECOME AN ACCIDENTAL TROPHY WIFE?

Amy has so much potential, but she allows life to happen to her. She doesn’t take control or make decisions. I think we can all be guilty of that sometimes, just falling into this or that. I wanted to explore what could happen if you took that to an extreme and poor Amy was my guinea pig.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE BOOK?

It has to be Amy’s sister-in-law, Giselle. She’s beautiful and enviable, but she’s also smart, funny and kind. I like that she’s not what she seems, nor what society wants her to be.

About the Author

For Elli Lewis, the path to becoming a novelist was paved with 90’s pop, celebrity clients and pitta chips. Each step of her journey has imprinted on her work.

Elli Lewis grew up in North London, the second of three sisters and, consequently, in a home that was bursting at the seams with shoes. As a teenager in the 90’s, she experimented with Sun In, wore a standard uniform of combat trousers and vest top and shed tears over the breakup of Take That.

She soon recovered and went on to study law at university and qualify as a solicitor. In the course of her career, Elli has worked for some of the UK’s most prestigious law firms, representing a host of A-list clients.

Her time in the City gave her a unique insight into the depths of high society, the height of fame and the biggest of fortunes. It was a world where multi-million pound mansions housed pampered pooches and ruthless spouses determined to wreak revenge, experiences that would later inspire her literary career.

In 2008, she went on to found a successful copywriting agency, with clients including national newspapers and media brands, including the BBC.

The books came later. If you ask Elli why she started writing novels, she will glaze over and look thoughtfully into the middle distance. This is not because she doesn’t like you – well, probably – but because Elli has literally no clue how it happened. Sufficed to say that, one day she started typing and then never stopped. In fact, Elli wrote Trophy Life, The Lottery Club and The Anti-Natals in the same year and published the first of them in 2016.

Elli can now be found back in North London in the house she shares with one tired husband, two boisterous boys and a colossal Siberian cat. She relies on coffee and chocolate to keep her awake and has a mild addiction to pitta chips.

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