"That's how families are, these days. It's not all two point four," is something Jess Thomas, the main protagonist in One Plus One, reminds herself often. Divorced at 28, Jess works two jobs in order to support her 10-year-old daughter Tanzie, the teenage son of her ex-husband from a previous relationship, Nicky, and their old, enormous dog, Norman.

Life is quite ordinary for Jess as she deals with the usual work issues as a house cleaner, stands up to neighbourhood bullies harassing Nicky for being "strange", and struggles to get by on her limited income. Then, one day, life takes a different turn when Tanzie, a budding mathematical wizard, is selected for admission to a very posh private school. The school grants Tanzie a bursary covering most of the school fees with only a small percentage left to pay. Jess is under such circumstances that she is unable to finance even the remaining money. She and Tanzie all but give up on this potentially life-altering prospect till they are told of a maths Olympiad in Scotland whose prize money would be adequate to send Tanzie to the prestigious school where her mathematics skills would be developed to the maximum.

Making it to the Olympiad all the way in Aberdeen itself is a challenge: Nicky has to tag along in order to be kept away from the bullies, and Norman cannot be left behind on his own either. And Jess hasn't enough money to pay for everyone's train ticket and overnight stay expenses.

Enter Mr Nicholls, a very successful financial trader, who is hibernating, "away from the scene" in his holiday home one of the houses Jess cleans for an alleged insider trading fraud. One evening Nicholls comes to the pub where Jess is a bartender by night and drinks himself comatose. Jess, recognising him and knowing where he lives, deposits him back home safely.

Obliged to repay her kindness, Nicholls, upon discovering Jess's predicament, offers to drive the family to Aberdeen in his posh Audi. Tanzie suf fers from extreme motion sickness and so they have to travel via B roads at a very slow speed. The ensuing road trip becomes literally a journey of a lifetime for the family as well as for their saviour.

One Plus One is a love story of many dimensions. The unlikely love that blossoms between Nicholls and Jess, the love of Tanzie for her dog Norman, who remains her source of strength, and the improbable love between Jess and her stepson, whose father had abandoned her in the most trying of circumstances.

The events of the road trip, around which much of the story evolves, are as winding as the roads they are travelling, with moments of extreme joy, extreme frustration, heartache, confusion andanticipation plugged in at top speed, unlike the speed of the car they are travelling in. Two individuals with completely contrasting circumstances come together, giving them joy both have not known since their respective divorces.

One Plus One is an exhilarating love story, born out of struggle, that will see the reader smile as well as reach for the box of tissues. This is an ordinary tale made extraordinary by the sense of attachment felt with the protagonists, making them endearing. The reader feels their pain, struggles and joy. The love shared by the characters leaves one longing to know or imagine much more beyond where the author stops. Deeply imagined, the story is real, raw, and packed with unending drama, making it unputdownable.