Do We Deserve This‪?‬

Bean had no intention of taking the money. Not at first…

Bean Halloway, lone nobody in a family of ambitious somebodies, is still figuring out what she wants from her life. She always says she doesn’t care about money—but will that still be the case when she finds herself in possession of a lottery ticket worth millions? Bean bought the ticket for her mother Nina, who is glamorous and charismatic—but not exactly an ideal parent. Before Bean can hand it over, an accident leaves Nina in a coma.

Bean and her siblings—histrionic pop star Jeremy and uptight lawyer Genevieve—initially agree to hold on to the ticket until Nina wakes up. Then they start having other ideas…

Throw in an old crush, a gambling debt, a vengeful ex, and some family skeletons lining up to leap out of the closet and life for the Halloways is about to get seriously complicated.

Eleanor Elliott Thomas worked for many years as a lawyer before devoting herself to writing full-time. Her first novel, The Opposite of Success, was published in 2023. She lives in Melbourne.

‘Laugh-out-loud…Thomas writes with compassion, humour and understanding about coming to terms with middle age, the highs (and lows) of parenting small children, office politics, ambition – and learning to appreciate what you have rather than constantly striving for more.’ Age on The Opposite of Success

‘An intensely relatable debut, filled with moments of comedy and charm.' ArtsHub on The Opposite of Success

‘Raucously funny and gloriously, painfully real. Think Fleabag as an Australian mum. It’s utterly endearing—I never wanted it to end!’ Emily Bitto on The Opposite of Success