At once wickedly funny and unexpectedly touching, Marie Desplechin's debut collection of stories explores life and love in contemporary Paris. Here are the trials and tribulations of sex in the city, as - with alarming frequency - her heroines' affairs fail to measure up to their expectations. They're not asking for much: but how much is too much? How long should they wait? And what should they do in the meantime? Sweet, sharp and unsentimental, Desplechin's stories capture eight unlikely moments of truth.