Friday 14 February 2014

How To Get A (Love) Life by Rosie Blake


Some people book last-minute holidays, walk barefoot in the grass or party on a week night. Not Nicola Brown. Nicola is the kind of girl who double-locks the front door, leaves the plastic covering on new furniture, sticks to a super-strict diet and definitely, absolutely Does Not Date.

Her colleague Caroline – loopy, warm and exasperated by her, knows that Nicola's reluctance to lose control means she's living only half a life. And so she lays down the gauntlet: Nicola must cast aside her hang ups and go on as many dates as it takes to find true love in time for Valentine's Day.

The pick of local men is, quite frankly, a bit rubbish. And there are only three months until February 14th. Surely it's an impossible task? But, as Nicola is about to find out on her dodgy dates, letting go isn't quite as scary as she imagined. In fact, it's rather a lot of fun..



I know this book has had quite a mixed response, but I honestly really enjoyed it. OK so I wasn't laughing hysterically at everything, but it still got a few guffaws out of me and a general happy feeling whilst I was reading it. It was everything I expected , it was light, funny and silly.

Nicola likes things to be just so and there is a time for everything. She always gets her sandwiches out at 12:55 and eats her chocolate bar at 13:15. She is all for routine and has lived on her own for seven years as that's the way she likes it. However Nicola's love life is non-existent, and it's not something that she can control.  Her work colleague, Caroline is a lot more carefree and decides it’s time Nicola loosened up a bit and got herself a man. So Caroline comes up with a dare that Nicola must find a date before Valentine’s Day.  It was time for her to get a life! So ensues a series of funny and awkward moments for ‘always in control’ Nicola.

Nicola is an incredibly likeable character and in a way I could see parts of myself in her. Despite her OCD tendencies, Nicola can be really funny and can actually let loose once in a while, which we start to see when she takes up Caroline’s challenge. I did get a little frustrated with Nicola at times in certain situations that had me literally shaking my kindle and telling her to stop it! (OK now I sound crazy, but when you read it, you will hopefully see what I mean).

Nicola’s close group of friends and her brother Mark also made this story all the more enjoyable. Her brother Mark is really quite sweet and made me wish I had a brother like him. He is a little bit strange with his over obsession with bats, but he is always there for Nicola whenever she needs him most.

The ending felt a teeny bit rushed to me, I would have liked to have basked in it a little more, but maybe that’s just me being greedy.

This was a great, fun story about the crazy world of men and dating and how sometimes you don’t have to look so far to find what you are looking for.


8/10


How To Get A (Love) Life is out now and is available from Amazon UK

2 comments:

  1. I haven't heard of this book before but it sounds like fun :) I had to giggle at you shaking your kindle and telling her to stop it though, I do that often. Books can be so frustrating lol

    - Wattle @ Whimsical Nature

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    1. It is a really fun book :) and lol glad I made you laugh and not make you think I was crazy. And yes glad to know a fellow kindle shaker LOL :)

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