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The Out of Office Girl
From London to Italy with love...
Alice Roberts is having a rubbish summer.
She's terrified of her boss, her career is stalling, and she's just been dumped - by text message. But things are about to change...
When her boss Olivia is taken ill, Alice is sent on the work trip of a lifetime: to a villa in Sicily, to edit the autobiography of Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson. But it's not all yachts, nightclubs and Camparis. Luther's arrogant agent Sam wants him to ditch the book. Luther himself is gorgeous, charming and impossible to read. There only seems to be one way to get his attention, and it's not one her boss would approve of. Alice is out of the office, and into deep trouble...
Alice Roberts is having a rubbish summer.
She's terrified of her boss, her career is stalling, and she's just been dumped - by text message. But things are about to change...
When her boss Olivia is taken ill, Alice is sent on the work trip of a lifetime: to a villa in Sicily, to edit the autobiography of Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson. But it's not all yachts, nightclubs and Camparis. Luther's arrogant agent Sam wants him to ditch the book. Luther himself is gorgeous, charming and impossible to read. There only seems to be one way to get his attention, and it's not one her boss would approve of. Alice is out of the office, and into deep trouble...
313 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
26 people are currently reading
953 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Doherty
15 books95 followersHi, I'm Nicola.
I grew up in Monkstown, Co. Dublin and studied English at Trinity College, Dublin and at Oxford. I worked in publishing for several years before writing my first book The Out of Office Girl.
Since then I've written four more books - If I Could Turn Back Time and Girls on Tour for adults, and Love and Other Man-Made Disasters and Lola Offline which are YA romances.
These days, reading comes much more easily to me than writing. I have to have a book on the go at all times. I mostly read on my Kindle but I also love to use the library (when there's not a pandemic on).
I grew up in Monkstown, Co. Dublin and studied English at Trinity College, Dublin and at Oxford. I worked in publishing for several years before writing my first book The Out of Office Girl.
Since then I've written four more books - If I Could Turn Back Time and Girls on Tour for adults, and Love and Other Man-Made Disasters and Lola Offline which are YA romances.
These days, reading comes much more easily to me than writing. I have to have a book on the go at all times. I mostly read on my Kindle but I also love to use the library (when there's not a pandemic on).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
November 23, 2021
Easy sunbed read which I enjoyed, matched my mood perfectly.
Three stars.
Three stars.
April 28, 2020
Had me hooked from start to finish, a quick easy read which is my favourite type. Why did I have it sat on the to read shelf for so long?
It had Paige Toon vibe to me and that made me love it even more. The closest books being Johnny Be Good and Chasing Daisy, my two favourites of the author.
It deserves credit of it's own though Alice is so relatable to, Luther is the perfect bad boy celebrity with redeeming features and Sam makes the book for me. Sam really grows on me and I love the ending of this book, it's just perfect.
This is my first Nicola Doherty book and it won't be my last. She's got a brilliant writing style with fun characters.
It had Paige Toon vibe to me and that made me love it even more. The closest books being Johnny Be Good and Chasing Daisy, my two favourites of the author.
It deserves credit of it's own though Alice is so relatable to, Luther is the perfect bad boy celebrity with redeeming features and Sam makes the book for me. Sam really grows on me and I love the ending of this book, it's just perfect.
This is my first Nicola Doherty book and it won't be my last. She's got a brilliant writing style with fun characters.
June 30, 2014
Enjoyable light hearted book that doesn't take itself to seriously. Gripped me more near the beginning and managed to miss a train completely due to reading this book!
March 1, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, it felt like pure escapism and made me feel sunny and happy like I had actually been to Italy with Alice. Even the cover oozes summer, warmth and happiness. The celebrity factor made it even more interesting for me, to be able to enter the dream world of celebrities and luxury in the sun is just the type of thing I love to read about.
Alice was a lovely character, she is a likeable down-to-earth girl who I really felt I could relate to. Some of the disasters she faces and the great way she deals with them made me like her even more. There are also funny moments in the story that had me laughing out loud particularly one involving a green swimsuit!
I’ll admit that I wasn’t keen on Luther or Sam at the beginning, they seemed rather arrogant but I definitely warmed to them as the story progressed, I suppose it was because I didn’t fully understand them and needed to know more. Eventually though I loved all the characters and was completely caught up in their highs and lows, I just didn’t want to put the book down.
The story not only gives an interesting insight into the world of a celebrity but also the editing world – it seems that there is a lot more that goes into that kind of work and I really enjoyed reading about that side of it.
This is a sunny, light, holiday read that has a lovely ending. By the time I had finished reading I had a big smile on my face.
Alice was a lovely character, she is a likeable down-to-earth girl who I really felt I could relate to. Some of the disasters she faces and the great way she deals with them made me like her even more. There are also funny moments in the story that had me laughing out loud particularly one involving a green swimsuit!
I’ll admit that I wasn’t keen on Luther or Sam at the beginning, they seemed rather arrogant but I definitely warmed to them as the story progressed, I suppose it was because I didn’t fully understand them and needed to know more. Eventually though I loved all the characters and was completely caught up in their highs and lows, I just didn’t want to put the book down.
The story not only gives an interesting insight into the world of a celebrity but also the editing world – it seems that there is a lot more that goes into that kind of work and I really enjoyed reading about that side of it.
This is a sunny, light, holiday read that has a lovely ending. By the time I had finished reading I had a big smile on my face.
September 3, 2012
Nicola Doherty is a debut author this year, and who doesn’t love a debut author? I do. I love finding brand new authors, even more so when such authors are referred to as the new Sophie Kinsella. Sophie Kinsella is my absolute favourite author ever, so the idea of finding a new author just like her is both absurd, but brilliant. Absurd because, well, there’s no one quite like Sophie Kinsella, but brilliant, because Sophie Kinsella has one of the best writing styles ever, so it stands to reason there will be others who write like her. So when my proof copy of The Out of Office Girl heralded the arrival of a new Sophie Kinsella, I was sold, folks, sold. However, when I initially started reading the novel I was more worried that it was an almost carbon-copy of Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon, a favourite book of mine. The normal girl going to assist the celebrity in some way, the celebrity being ludicrously hot, the girl having a crush on the celebrity (obviously) and thinking it absolutely, utterly crazy that the celebrity would ever fall for their English selves. (Which we know is total crap and is usually a precursor to the celeb falling head over heels for the English girl.)
Despite my worry, however, The Out of Office Girl was not an almost carbon-copy of Johnny Be Good, it was just a little bit similar. (Plus Luther is no Johnny.) Instead, after a while, I was able to forget about the comparisons to Johnny Be Good, and was able to enjoy the novel for what it was, which is always a relief. Nicola Doherty does indeed have a very similar writing style to Sophie Kinsella, but I didn’t perhaps find the book as amusing as a Sophie Kinsella read. Nor did I find Alice to be a very Kinsella-esque heroine. Now that I’ve got all sorts of comparisons out of the way, let’s actually discuss the book at hand. (Hurrah, I hear you say.) I found The Out of Office Girl to be a very quick, enjoyable read for my afternoon off. As soon as I started it, I was pretty much hooked on Alice’s story, enjoying the way the book zipped along at quite a pace, as Alice finds herself jetting off to Sicily to work on Luther Carson’s autobiography after her boss, Olivia, takes ill. It’s the stuff of dreams (that never happen to normal folk, or, me, rather) and after we get past how hot Luther is, and Alice’s obvious crush on him and all that stuff, the novel is actually good.
The setting, Siciliy, is fabulous. I’ve never been to Italy, though I’d love to go eventually, and Siciliy sounds as if it would be a wonderful place to start. Doherty described it beautifully and since I already live in such a sunny place, I could just imagine I was there at the villa with everyone. I liked the easy relationship Alice seemed to have with Luther, once she got over being starstruck, and I loved meeting Marisa and Federico, two Sicilian natives, but most of all, I absolutely adored Sam. Oh, Sam. I admit, despite hating the totally obvious celebrity-loving thing and constantly berating cliched, predictable novels, I do love me an annoying sidekick where you know right from the very beginning that he’s not as bad as he seems and, really, he’s not just another typical American, but can actually be quite sweet etc. For some reason, despite seeing the real Sam from a mile off, it didn’t annoy me, because he was a brilliant character. What annoyed me, funnily enough, was Alice’s sniping about him. I wanted to protect him.
So, yes, I very much enjoyed The Out of Office Girl. Yes, it had its similarities to Kinsella/Toon etc, but I liked it. I will very much be reading Doherty’s second novel and although the book wasn’t perfect and I did have some gripes, it would be a book I’d recommend. One thing that does bother me is that the cover depicts a couple on a moped and since the book is set in Italy, which are pretty famous for their mopeds, surely Doherty could have inserted a moped in there somewhere? Silly, I know, but well, I am fussy. And it’s Italy, therefore mopeds are surely a given. But beside that, it’s a quick and sometimes amusing read (though not downright laugh out loud) and there are particular scenes I enjoyed that I will indeed remember and I’m hoping for very good things from Doherty’s second novel.
Despite my worry, however, The Out of Office Girl was not an almost carbon-copy of Johnny Be Good, it was just a little bit similar. (Plus Luther is no Johnny.) Instead, after a while, I was able to forget about the comparisons to Johnny Be Good, and was able to enjoy the novel for what it was, which is always a relief. Nicola Doherty does indeed have a very similar writing style to Sophie Kinsella, but I didn’t perhaps find the book as amusing as a Sophie Kinsella read. Nor did I find Alice to be a very Kinsella-esque heroine. Now that I’ve got all sorts of comparisons out of the way, let’s actually discuss the book at hand. (Hurrah, I hear you say.) I found The Out of Office Girl to be a very quick, enjoyable read for my afternoon off. As soon as I started it, I was pretty much hooked on Alice’s story, enjoying the way the book zipped along at quite a pace, as Alice finds herself jetting off to Sicily to work on Luther Carson’s autobiography after her boss, Olivia, takes ill. It’s the stuff of dreams (that never happen to normal folk, or, me, rather) and after we get past how hot Luther is, and Alice’s obvious crush on him and all that stuff, the novel is actually good.
The setting, Siciliy, is fabulous. I’ve never been to Italy, though I’d love to go eventually, and Siciliy sounds as if it would be a wonderful place to start. Doherty described it beautifully and since I already live in such a sunny place, I could just imagine I was there at the villa with everyone. I liked the easy relationship Alice seemed to have with Luther, once she got over being starstruck, and I loved meeting Marisa and Federico, two Sicilian natives, but most of all, I absolutely adored Sam. Oh, Sam. I admit, despite hating the totally obvious celebrity-loving thing and constantly berating cliched, predictable novels, I do love me an annoying sidekick where you know right from the very beginning that he’s not as bad as he seems and, really, he’s not just another typical American, but can actually be quite sweet etc. For some reason, despite seeing the real Sam from a mile off, it didn’t annoy me, because he was a brilliant character. What annoyed me, funnily enough, was Alice’s sniping about him. I wanted to protect him.
So, yes, I very much enjoyed The Out of Office Girl. Yes, it had its similarities to Kinsella/Toon etc, but I liked it. I will very much be reading Doherty’s second novel and although the book wasn’t perfect and I did have some gripes, it would be a book I’d recommend. One thing that does bother me is that the cover depicts a couple on a moped and since the book is set in Italy, which are pretty famous for their mopeds, surely Doherty could have inserted a moped in there somewhere? Silly, I know, but well, I am fussy. And it’s Italy, therefore mopeds are surely a given. But beside that, it’s a quick and sometimes amusing read (though not downright laugh out loud) and there are particular scenes I enjoyed that I will indeed remember and I’m hoping for very good things from Doherty’s second novel.
June 9, 2016
Forse 4 stelle sono troppe per un libro non particolarmente impegnato e abbastanza prevedibile, ma nel suo genere questa storia è davvero molto carina.
Alice lavora nel mondo dei libri, in una prestigiosa casa editrice e per una serie di motivi, si trova ad occuparsi dell'autobiografia di un attore molto famoso, per il quale ha sempre nutrito una bella cotta.
Per seguire le interviste che costituiranno il libro, Alice lo raggiunge in Sicilia, dove l'attore si sta godendo una vacanza completamente spesata dalla casa editrice. Qui succederanno cose molto divertenti, altre più riflessive, alcune che fanno capire che la fama non è sempre oro che luccica e infine degli episodi un po' stereotipati sull'Italia ma che fanno sorridere.
Ideale per chi vuole una storia romantica, frizzante e senza troppe pretese.
Alice lavora nel mondo dei libri, in una prestigiosa casa editrice e per una serie di motivi, si trova ad occuparsi dell'autobiografia di un attore molto famoso, per il quale ha sempre nutrito una bella cotta.
Per seguire le interviste che costituiranno il libro, Alice lo raggiunge in Sicilia, dove l'attore si sta godendo una vacanza completamente spesata dalla casa editrice. Qui succederanno cose molto divertenti, altre più riflessive, alcune che fanno capire che la fama non è sempre oro che luccica e infine degli episodi un po' stereotipati sull'Italia ma che fanno sorridere.
Ideale per chi vuole una storia romantica, frizzante e senza troppe pretese.
June 25, 2017
A fun and cute summer romance perfect for sunny days spend reading in the garden!
I really enjoyed reading this novel - even if the protagonist Alice was pretty annoying at some times, but her love interest on the other hand... he was an amazing (but cliché) character! I loved reading their scenes together.
I really enjoyed reading this novel - even if the protagonist Alice was pretty annoying at some times, but her love interest on the other hand... he was an amazing (but cliché) character! I loved reading their scenes together.
September 25, 2015
The Out of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty is a sweet Chick-Lit in the vein of Bridget Jones but mainly takes place in Italy. Alice isn't in Italy for vacation. She's a publishing assistant, who hopes one day to be an head editor at the publishing company she has worked at for four years. Her boss is a nightmare, but Alice remains silent, hoping she'll get a promotion. The publishing company is hoping for a big hit with the tell all biography of superstar actor, Luther. But he's dragging his feet with his ghostwriter in an Italian villa on the company's dime. When Alice's boss has emergency surgery, Alice flies out to work with Luther, who she has always had a celebrity crush on.
Things for Alice go bad from the moment she arrives in Italy. Her luggage is lost, she finds out she forget to put a big clause in Luther's contract that could ruin the entire book, and Luther's agent Sam is rude and cold to her. He doesn't want Luther to write the tell all and thinks Alice will manipulate Luther to spill all his secrets. Also Luther's sexy co-star hates Alice on sight and puts her down every chance she can get. Luther is nice to her, but comes across as lazy and entitled. But then she has a breakthrough with him and he's spilling all his secrets to her to Sam's dismay. Alice has so much stress to deal with and the fear that she may lose her job. Sam acts hot and cold with her, which confuses her because she is attracted to him, but he still acts like a jerk most of the time, even though he has moments where he can be sweet and tries to make her laugh.
The Out of Office Girl doesn't have a lot of grand gestures or shocks. It's a very character driven novel where the reader is placed in Alice's shoes. She puts up with so much crap from these entitled Hollywood and publishing types who seem to take advantage of her. Alice's backbone isn't strong enough to tell these people to shove it, although her inner monologues and thoughts are funny to read. You do sympathize with her and want her to come out the winner.
There's too much miscommunication on the part of Alice and Sam that didn't make sense to me, especially when it comes to a specific section that really changes their relationship. It looks like it was done to keep up the drama and make Alice suffer more, which was really unneeded. The ending makes up for it though.
Those who enjoy chick-lit with romance, set in a place like Italy, which was really well written, should check out The Out of Office Girl.
Things for Alice go bad from the moment she arrives in Italy. Her luggage is lost, she finds out she forget to put a big clause in Luther's contract that could ruin the entire book, and Luther's agent Sam is rude and cold to her. He doesn't want Luther to write the tell all and thinks Alice will manipulate Luther to spill all his secrets. Also Luther's sexy co-star hates Alice on sight and puts her down every chance she can get. Luther is nice to her, but comes across as lazy and entitled. But then she has a breakthrough with him and he's spilling all his secrets to her to Sam's dismay. Alice has so much stress to deal with and the fear that she may lose her job. Sam acts hot and cold with her, which confuses her because she is attracted to him, but he still acts like a jerk most of the time, even though he has moments where he can be sweet and tries to make her laugh.
The Out of Office Girl doesn't have a lot of grand gestures or shocks. It's a very character driven novel where the reader is placed in Alice's shoes. She puts up with so much crap from these entitled Hollywood and publishing types who seem to take advantage of her. Alice's backbone isn't strong enough to tell these people to shove it, although her inner monologues and thoughts are funny to read. You do sympathize with her and want her to come out the winner.
There's too much miscommunication on the part of Alice and Sam that didn't make sense to me, especially when it comes to a specific section that really changes their relationship. It looks like it was done to keep up the drama and make Alice suffer more, which was really unneeded. The ending makes up for it though.
Those who enjoy chick-lit with romance, set in a place like Italy, which was really well written, should check out The Out of Office Girl.
October 6, 2012
La ragazza fuori ufficio è un libro frizzante, ricco di humor, caratterizzato da personaggi verosimili e accattivanti: la protagonista è carinissima, una vera "ragazza normale" con tutte le paturnie del caso; dialoga veramente con chi ha davanti e la scrittrice ci mostra efficacemente perché le persone decidono di aprirsi con lei o coinvolgerla nelle loro vite; niente è prevedibile, ma la storia si dipana naturalmente e in modo sensato (a parte forse il finale, che ho trovato un po' ovvio per la modalità di svolgimento) e ha tocchi di intensità improvvisi, delicati e intensi. I personaggi non si smentiscono, ma sono in grado di cambiare ed evolversi nel corso della storia, prima fra tutte la protagonista; i dialoghi sono spontanei, veridici, acuti, i luoghi e le situazioni dettagliati, accurati, ma non noiosi né triti. C'è una prospettiva molto seria sul mondo che circonda il giovane attore in vacanza-lavoro: non è tutto oro quello che luccica. Ci sono relazioni di amicizia e di amore che vengono tratteggiate rapidamente, ma in modo tale da apparire chiare e sensate. C'è ironia, anche da parte della protagonista riguardo a se stessa e accenni di commozione in alcuni luoghi. Ci sono punti del libro da cui scaturiscono riflessioni forti sul senso della propria attività lavorativa, sul mondo dello spettacolo e le sue falsità, sulla capacità di ripartire da zero dopo una batosta, e questi spunti di riflessione non arrivano in modo moralmente imposto o aprioristicamente deciso dall'autrice, ma semplicemente perché è quello che capita ai personaggi che ti fa pensare: li si vede nella storia.
La lingua dell'autrice è scorrevole, ma non banale, acuta e moderna, ma capace di approfondimenti e sfumature. Ottimamente svolto, un degnissimo esordio a mio parere, e un libro che ho gustato molto!
La lingua dell'autrice è scorrevole, ma non banale, acuta e moderna, ma capace di approfondimenti e sfumature. Ottimamente svolto, un degnissimo esordio a mio parere, e un libro che ho gustato molto!
July 3, 2012
3,5 stars
This book is nice. And I don't mean this in a bad kind of way. It IS nice. The bad thing though is that it is nothing more. Just nice. And to be honest, I expected something more than just a nice summer read.
In fact, this book is a bit blah during the whole middle part. When Alice, the heroine, tries to get her book from Luther and all, it is all just some random facts about showbiz and all. Don't get me wrong, I believe Nicola Doherty knows about the things she wrote about and I am sure there is truth to some things but when Luther goes on and on and on about his life ... it was kinda boring.
Plus, I did have some problems with Alice and her behavior. Especially when it came to a certain someone. *rolleyes* So much cliche. Sigh! The most annoying problem still was that a lot of things were predictable. Which isn't always that bad but I kinda missed a kick ass supporting character or something like that. This book really felt like a debut novel. With a lot of things from a "romance book list" like sexy Holywood actor: check, stupid ex-bf: check, ... You know what I mean?
All in all, this was a nice read for a few days. Some things made me smile. But in the end I have to say I expected more. More humour, more drama in a funny way and a nice HEA. This one was nice, too, but in the end everything went too fast and I dunno...not that content.
Good read, but not too awesome!
This book is nice. And I don't mean this in a bad kind of way. It IS nice. The bad thing though is that it is nothing more. Just nice. And to be honest, I expected something more than just a nice summer read.
In fact, this book is a bit blah during the whole middle part. When Alice, the heroine, tries to get her book from Luther and all, it is all just some random facts about showbiz and all. Don't get me wrong, I believe Nicola Doherty knows about the things she wrote about and I am sure there is truth to some things but when Luther goes on and on and on about his life ... it was kinda boring.
Plus, I did have some problems with Alice and her behavior. Especially when it came to a certain someone. *rolleyes* So much cliche. Sigh! The most annoying problem still was that a lot of things were predictable. Which isn't always that bad but I kinda missed a kick ass supporting character or something like that. This book really felt like a debut novel. With a lot of things from a "romance book list" like sexy Holywood actor: check, stupid ex-bf: check, ... You know what I mean?
All in all, this was a nice read for a few days. Some things made me smile. But in the end I have to say I expected more. More humour, more drama in a funny way and a nice HEA. This one was nice, too, but in the end everything went too fast and I dunno...not that content.
Good read, but not too awesome!
August 29, 2012
The book started off promising and was very funny and grabbed my attention but somewhere in the middle of the book it lacked focus and drive & I was starting to lose interest. The ending really brought the book back to life just disappointed with the middle of the book. But overall I've given it 3 Stars ***
January 21, 2013
I liked this book. I did. But I feel that the romance between Sam and Alice is not developed. It just happened. And the story also seems.a.bit bland and boring in the middle of the book. I did enjoy the scenery the book depicted, Italy, so yeah:)
August 19, 2020
The perfect light summer read! I loved diving into Alice’s life as an editor in London but it’s even more fascinating when she has to fly to Italy to help a celebrity finish his autobiography. I loved reading about the luxury villa with the sun, sea, food and Italian fashion. It makes the perfect chick-lit read!
Alice is such a relatable and down to earth character but I wasn’t a big fan of Luther or Sam when they were first introduced in the story. But once you get to know them and read their highs and lows, they both really grow on you. The ending was perfect and left me smiling. I can’t wait to read more of Nicola Doherty’s books.
What I liked
* Happy, light summer read
* Hot/cold romance
* Luxury locations and celebrity drama
Alice is such a relatable and down to earth character but I wasn’t a big fan of Luther or Sam when they were first introduced in the story. But once you get to know them and read their highs and lows, they both really grow on you. The ending was perfect and left me smiling. I can’t wait to read more of Nicola Doherty’s books.
What I liked
* Happy, light summer read
* Hot/cold romance
* Luxury locations and celebrity drama
July 21, 2012
Rating : 5/5
From London to Italy with love...
Alice Roberts is having a rubbish summer.
She's terrified of her boss, her career is stalling, and she's just been dumped - by text message. But things are about to change...
When her boss Olivia is taken ill, Alice is sent on the work trip of a lifetime: to a villa in Sicily, to edit the autobiography of Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson. But it's not all yachts, nightclubs and Camparis. Luther's arrogant agent Sam wants him to ditch the book. Luther himself is gorgeous, charming and impossible to read. There only seems to be one way to get his attention, and it definitely involves mixing business with pleasure. Alice is out of the office, and into deep trouble...
I was over the moon when Nicola Doherty agreed to send me a copy of her delightful debut novel, The Out of Office Girl. Luckily, when it arrived in my post last week, I just polished off Lucy in the Sky and I started on it immediately. I can tell you this - I finished it in 3 days. Well, more of less. I found it really fun and it was a fabulous summer read!
The Out of Office Girl is about Alice Roberts, an editorial assistant to Olivia, who was so lovable, I warmed up to her immediately. Strangely, in a good way, she reminded me of Lindsey Kelk's Angela Clark of the I Heart series and the famous Becky Bloomwood. She was a heroine I would love to be friends with, she was humble, friendly and down-to-earth. Anyway, Alice gets the chance to represent her publishing house, and fly to Sicily to "pressure" the famous bad boy film star, Luther Carson, to finish his autobiography. But nothing ever goes according to plan, right? The book was such a pleasure to read, mainly because through Alice's eye - the book was written in Alice's perspective - Luther was literally a sex god who has taken form of a Hollywood Adonis, who was a catch to read about. Well, nobody's perfect, so expect some plans gone awry in the plot, which makes the book more interesting!
Sadly, most celebrities are not all how they seem. As the saying goes, "All that glitters isn't gold". So Luther was all handsome and charming, because he's a Hollywood star, it was really relatable when Alice was a bit starstruck by him. But he wasn't really honest at first, but as the book progresses, he finally opened up to Alice so talk about character progression! Aside from Luther, the other guy in the story was Sam, Luther's agent who was literally digging into my skin, as he was such an arrogant character. He was curt and unfriendly towards Alice but after a while, he was actually a good friend to Alice. Well, not that I intend to ruin it for you, but the book was a bit predictable but there were a few elements of surprise. Blokes aside, I really liked Marisa, the wife of one of Luther's friends in Sicily. She was the Jenny Lopez (Angela Clark's BFF) to Alice Roberts. She was so easy to like, a very friendly character to read about, in contrast to another female counterpart in the book.
I liked the flow of the book as it was very well-plotted. The entire book had about 311 pages, but the book was fun-filled and very addictive. Nicola's writing style was very easy to read, the perfect summer/beach read. I don't know about other readers, but I love books with a bit of fluff, which is light and very comfortable to pick up the plot. The setting of the book was perfect. Seriously, it was. Italian summer. The villa by the beach. The party on the yacht. Nicola described the Italian setting very well. So precisely written that I had to yearn myself from packing my luggage to a non-existent holiday in the Mediterranean.
All in all, I loved this delightful, light and fabulous rom-com about a girl pursuing her passion and what she wants in life - especially the romantic parts! - as it was really addictive. It was fun and delicious and light as a little macaron! Okay, bad simile. No one relates books to food, I'm such a tit, but I actually loved it. Look out, people. Nicola Doherty is a writer to look out for. The Out Of Office Girl could match up to Sophie Kinsella's. Just give her a little time. She'll be big! Follow the lovely Nicola on Twitter (@nicoladoherty_).
From London to Italy with love...
Alice Roberts is having a rubbish summer.
She's terrified of her boss, her career is stalling, and she's just been dumped - by text message. But things are about to change...
When her boss Olivia is taken ill, Alice is sent on the work trip of a lifetime: to a villa in Sicily, to edit the autobiography of Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson. But it's not all yachts, nightclubs and Camparis. Luther's arrogant agent Sam wants him to ditch the book. Luther himself is gorgeous, charming and impossible to read. There only seems to be one way to get his attention, and it definitely involves mixing business with pleasure. Alice is out of the office, and into deep trouble...
I was over the moon when Nicola Doherty agreed to send me a copy of her delightful debut novel, The Out of Office Girl. Luckily, when it arrived in my post last week, I just polished off Lucy in the Sky and I started on it immediately. I can tell you this - I finished it in 3 days. Well, more of less. I found it really fun and it was a fabulous summer read!
The Out of Office Girl is about Alice Roberts, an editorial assistant to Olivia, who was so lovable, I warmed up to her immediately. Strangely, in a good way, she reminded me of Lindsey Kelk's Angela Clark of the I Heart series and the famous Becky Bloomwood. She was a heroine I would love to be friends with, she was humble, friendly and down-to-earth. Anyway, Alice gets the chance to represent her publishing house, and fly to Sicily to "pressure" the famous bad boy film star, Luther Carson, to finish his autobiography. But nothing ever goes according to plan, right? The book was such a pleasure to read, mainly because through Alice's eye - the book was written in Alice's perspective - Luther was literally a sex god who has taken form of a Hollywood Adonis, who was a catch to read about. Well, nobody's perfect, so expect some plans gone awry in the plot, which makes the book more interesting!
Sadly, most celebrities are not all how they seem. As the saying goes, "All that glitters isn't gold". So Luther was all handsome and charming, because he's a Hollywood star, it was really relatable when Alice was a bit starstruck by him. But he wasn't really honest at first, but as the book progresses, he finally opened up to Alice so talk about character progression! Aside from Luther, the other guy in the story was Sam, Luther's agent who was literally digging into my skin, as he was such an arrogant character. He was curt and unfriendly towards Alice but after a while, he was actually a good friend to Alice. Well, not that I intend to ruin it for you, but the book was a bit predictable but there were a few elements of surprise. Blokes aside, I really liked Marisa, the wife of one of Luther's friends in Sicily. She was the Jenny Lopez (Angela Clark's BFF) to Alice Roberts. She was so easy to like, a very friendly character to read about, in contrast to another female counterpart in the book.
I liked the flow of the book as it was very well-plotted. The entire book had about 311 pages, but the book was fun-filled and very addictive. Nicola's writing style was very easy to read, the perfect summer/beach read. I don't know about other readers, but I love books with a bit of fluff, which is light and very comfortable to pick up the plot. The setting of the book was perfect. Seriously, it was. Italian summer. The villa by the beach. The party on the yacht. Nicola described the Italian setting very well. So precisely written that I had to yearn myself from packing my luggage to a non-existent holiday in the Mediterranean.
All in all, I loved this delightful, light and fabulous rom-com about a girl pursuing her passion and what she wants in life - especially the romantic parts! - as it was really addictive. It was fun and delicious and light as a little macaron! Okay, bad simile. No one relates books to food, I'm such a tit, but I actually loved it. Look out, people. Nicola Doherty is a writer to look out for. The Out Of Office Girl could match up to Sophie Kinsella's. Just give her a little time. She'll be big! Follow the lovely Nicola on Twitter (@nicoladoherty_).
November 1, 2013
Mon avis en Français
My English review
Je ne savais pas trop à quoi m’attendre quand j’ai commencé ce roman, mais après avoir lu quelques avis assez sympas, j’étais curieuse de voir ce que cela allait donner. Et je dois dire que c’est une romance agréable à découvrir.
Alice est une assistante éditrice qui va se retrouver par le plus grand des hasards engagée en tant qu’éditrice pour aider à écrire une autobiographie. Un essai qui pourrait changer sa carrière pour toujours. Mais quand elle apprend qu’en plus la personne qu’elle doit aider n’est nulle autre que Luther Carson, l’acteur star qu’elle adore depuis toujours, elle ne peut qu’être impatiente de s’atteler à cette nouvelle tâche. Et qui sait, peut-être se passera-t-il quelque chose de plus ? Pourtant une fois sur place en Italie, rien n’est aussi facile que ce qu’elle croyait. Luther est loin d’être déterminé à écrire ce livre, mais ne rêve que de faire la fête et de sortir où bon lui semble. Brian, l’écrivain n’a pas la tête au travail à cause de problèmes personnels et l’agent de Luther, Sam, fait tout pour lui mettre des bâtons dans les roues, pensant que ce livre ne pourra que nuire à l’image de son client. Pourtant, seule contre tous, Alice va devoir montrer sa détermination, prouver que ce travail est important et surtout éviter de se faire renvoyer. Mais il se pourrait bien aussi qu’elle tombe pour un des hommes pendant ce petit voyage.
J’ai beaucoup aimé Alice. Elle sait parfaitement que certains de ses choix auront de graves répercussions et pourtant, quand elle sait que c’est le mieux à faire, elle n’hésite pas à agir, même si c’est loin d’être facile pour elle. Tout le monde semble essayer de s’opposer à son projet et elle sait qu’elle doit faire quelque chose avant que tout cela ne ruine sa carrière définitivement. Pourtant quand elle arrive enfin à amorcer son projet, elle ne s’attendait surement pas à découvrir tant de choses au sujet de cette star qu’elle croyait connaître et qui pourtant a eu une vie assez difficile. J’avoue que j’ai été assez surprise par Luther, il est assez insouciant, mais de nombreuses failles apparaissent tout au long du livre. Il a besoin de raconter son histoire à quelqu’un et en même temps, il lui faudra beaucoup de courage pour le faire. J’ai été aussi tout de suite très intriguée par Sam. C’est un homme très mystérieux qui semble avoir très à cœur les besoins de son client. Pourtant, j’ai eu du mal au départ à comprendre pourquoi il était à ce point contre le projet. On ne comprend pas tout ce qu’il veut, et c’est assez dommage de voir que lui et Alice finissent par tirer parfois des conclusions assez hâtives.
J’ai aussi beaucoup apprécié de voir vers qui le cœur d’Alice allait se diriger et ce qui allait se passer. On peut ainsi assister à de jolis moments, d’autres un peu moins, mais le tout toujours des plus intéressants.
Tout cela pour dire que c’était une lecture vraiment très agréable et c’est vrai que j’étais impatiente de finir le roman pour découvrir ce qui allait se passer, trouver avec qui notre héroïne allait finir, savoir si elle réussirait à garder son travail et à finir son livre. C’était une jolie histoire même si on a parfois envie de secouer les personnages pour qu’ils se rendent compte de ce qu’il se passe et je pense que je garderai un œil sur les prochains livres de l’auteur.
My English review
Je ne savais pas trop à quoi m’attendre quand j’ai commencé ce roman, mais après avoir lu quelques avis assez sympas, j’étais curieuse de voir ce que cela allait donner. Et je dois dire que c’est une romance agréable à découvrir.
Alice est une assistante éditrice qui va se retrouver par le plus grand des hasards engagée en tant qu’éditrice pour aider à écrire une autobiographie. Un essai qui pourrait changer sa carrière pour toujours. Mais quand elle apprend qu’en plus la personne qu’elle doit aider n’est nulle autre que Luther Carson, l’acteur star qu’elle adore depuis toujours, elle ne peut qu’être impatiente de s’atteler à cette nouvelle tâche. Et qui sait, peut-être se passera-t-il quelque chose de plus ? Pourtant une fois sur place en Italie, rien n’est aussi facile que ce qu’elle croyait. Luther est loin d’être déterminé à écrire ce livre, mais ne rêve que de faire la fête et de sortir où bon lui semble. Brian, l’écrivain n’a pas la tête au travail à cause de problèmes personnels et l’agent de Luther, Sam, fait tout pour lui mettre des bâtons dans les roues, pensant que ce livre ne pourra que nuire à l’image de son client. Pourtant, seule contre tous, Alice va devoir montrer sa détermination, prouver que ce travail est important et surtout éviter de se faire renvoyer. Mais il se pourrait bien aussi qu’elle tombe pour un des hommes pendant ce petit voyage.
J’ai beaucoup aimé Alice. Elle sait parfaitement que certains de ses choix auront de graves répercussions et pourtant, quand elle sait que c’est le mieux à faire, elle n’hésite pas à agir, même si c’est loin d’être facile pour elle. Tout le monde semble essayer de s’opposer à son projet et elle sait qu’elle doit faire quelque chose avant que tout cela ne ruine sa carrière définitivement. Pourtant quand elle arrive enfin à amorcer son projet, elle ne s’attendait surement pas à découvrir tant de choses au sujet de cette star qu’elle croyait connaître et qui pourtant a eu une vie assez difficile. J’avoue que j’ai été assez surprise par Luther, il est assez insouciant, mais de nombreuses failles apparaissent tout au long du livre. Il a besoin de raconter son histoire à quelqu’un et en même temps, il lui faudra beaucoup de courage pour le faire. J’ai été aussi tout de suite très intriguée par Sam. C’est un homme très mystérieux qui semble avoir très à cœur les besoins de son client. Pourtant, j’ai eu du mal au départ à comprendre pourquoi il était à ce point contre le projet. On ne comprend pas tout ce qu’il veut, et c’est assez dommage de voir que lui et Alice finissent par tirer parfois des conclusions assez hâtives.
J’ai aussi beaucoup apprécié de voir vers qui le cœur d’Alice allait se diriger et ce qui allait se passer. On peut ainsi assister à de jolis moments, d’autres un peu moins, mais le tout toujours des plus intéressants.
Tout cela pour dire que c’était une lecture vraiment très agréable et c’est vrai que j’étais impatiente de finir le roman pour découvrir ce qui allait se passer, trouver avec qui notre héroïne allait finir, savoir si elle réussirait à garder son travail et à finir son livre. C’était une jolie histoire même si on a parfois envie de secouer les personnages pour qu’ils se rendent compte de ce qu’il se passe et je pense que je garderai un œil sur les prochains livres de l’auteur.
February 13, 2019
This is by far the sunniest, happiest little book I’ve chosen for myself in a while. I felt like I was on holiday with Alice, and reliving my own happy memories of Italy.
Sometimes you need these easy, joyous books to offset the darker, heavier ones with literary punch and prowess. As summer is starting to draw to a close, the heavier books are sure to return. But I’m thankful to have found this delightful, vibrant read.
Sometimes you need these easy, joyous books to offset the darker, heavier ones with literary punch and prowess. As summer is starting to draw to a close, the heavier books are sure to return. But I’m thankful to have found this delightful, vibrant read.
December 19, 2015
In ‘The Out of Office Girl’, assistant editor Alice is assigned to interview her celebrity crush Luther in Sicily for his autobiography. However, Luther is more interested in having fun and spending time in clubs while his agent, Sam isn’t making things easier for Alice as he’s against the autobiography. As Alice begins to run of time coupled with the pressure from her boss, she faces a major challenge on her own.
In the beginning during the first few chapters, I had a good feeling about this book. However, once Alice landed in Italy everything deteriorated and I realized the problem was none of the characters had any personality. Alice was a weak protagonist – she was boring and I can’t even describe her. Even though she’s supposed to be work-oriented, she wasn’t driven and assertive enough to qualify. Simultaneously, she wasn’t laidback or relaxed despite hanging out with Luther and the gang. She was more of a follower and had no presence.
The Hollywood actor, Luther was completely devoid of charm or magnetism. He’s supposed to be incredibly popular and attractive yet he was just as boring as Alice. Seriously? I felt like the author wasn’t even trying. Sam was meant to be difficult and controlling but those were overdone and just didn’t come across naturally. Plus, he actually became a lot less uptight sometime over the course of the story hence that was really out of character and didn’t make sense as it seemed to be more about making things convenient for Alice.
Then there’s the whole ridiculousness of how Luther miraculously changed from someone who’s not serious about his upcoming book to someone who wakes Alice up early in the morning just to yak about his life story. All Alice had to do to achieve that desired outcome was talk to him and show how frustrated she was. It was completely unconvincing and annoying because it shouldn’t be that easy. Plus, Luther is a well-known actor – surely it’d take a lot more than one conversation to spur someone with such a high social status to do the right thing.
As for Alice and Sam, they had absolutely no chemistry. It was also tiring to read the same old descriptions about how attractive Sam was. I couldn’t care less about his “gorgeous washboard stomach” – he was bland. Their conflict was laughable and poorly timed as it came out of nowhere and I had the very strong feeling that the author simply felt that she had to incorporate a conflict because no book would be complete without at least one. In short, it was awful and the ending was a welcome relief.
Overall, ‘The Out of Office Girl’ was dull and forgettable due to the one-dimensional characters and slow pace.
In the beginning during the first few chapters, I had a good feeling about this book. However, once Alice landed in Italy everything deteriorated and I realized the problem was none of the characters had any personality. Alice was a weak protagonist – she was boring and I can’t even describe her. Even though she’s supposed to be work-oriented, she wasn’t driven and assertive enough to qualify. Simultaneously, she wasn’t laidback or relaxed despite hanging out with Luther and the gang. She was more of a follower and had no presence.
The Hollywood actor, Luther was completely devoid of charm or magnetism. He’s supposed to be incredibly popular and attractive yet he was just as boring as Alice. Seriously? I felt like the author wasn’t even trying. Sam was meant to be difficult and controlling but those were overdone and just didn’t come across naturally. Plus, he actually became a lot less uptight sometime over the course of the story hence that was really out of character and didn’t make sense as it seemed to be more about making things convenient for Alice.
Then there’s the whole ridiculousness of how Luther miraculously changed from someone who’s not serious about his upcoming book to someone who wakes Alice up early in the morning just to yak about his life story. All Alice had to do to achieve that desired outcome was talk to him and show how frustrated she was. It was completely unconvincing and annoying because it shouldn’t be that easy. Plus, Luther is a well-known actor – surely it’d take a lot more than one conversation to spur someone with such a high social status to do the right thing.
As for Alice and Sam, they had absolutely no chemistry. It was also tiring to read the same old descriptions about how attractive Sam was. I couldn’t care less about his “gorgeous washboard stomach” – he was bland. Their conflict was laughable and poorly timed as it came out of nowhere and I had the very strong feeling that the author simply felt that she had to incorporate a conflict because no book would be complete without at least one. In short, it was awful and the ending was a welcome relief.
Overall, ‘The Out of Office Girl’ was dull and forgettable due to the one-dimensional characters and slow pace.
September 27, 2014
Full review at http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.com/2...
After spending some time in Italy this summer, I'm finding myself drawn to books set there. Call it a remedy for the post holiday blues; reading about it means I can pretend I'm still there! I got myself into a bit of a rut with chick-lit so I decided to avoid it for a while, but when I read the blurb for this novel I knew that I had to give it a go! I'm so glad that I did. Once I got into it I raced through it in a couple of days. Alice Roberts is very likeable, and I found myself rooting for her to get a happy ending in both her work life and her love life. She is an ordinary girl thrust into the world of the extraordinary. The plot is pretty predictable, but this is no bad thing - it's nice to read a book once in a while where you know what direction things are heading. I've known books in this genre to ramble on for way too long and I quickly lose interest, but this one is paced just right. It was also nice to have an epilogue at the end of the novel, far too many of my reviews have featured me complaining that we don't find out how the relationships work out!
All of the supporting characters are well-defined - for the physically perfect celebrities and Italians Alice meets at the villa, right down to her flatmate Martin who appears for little more than a few sentences. Neither Sam nor Luther are my book-boyfriend type but they were both great characters, and each loveable in their own way. The Idyllic setting of Sicily is so well described you can picture it vividly - it is a character in itself and I so wish I was there!
Through Alice's work, the novel gives an interesting insight into the publishing industry; it seems so ruthless! Similarly, through Luther's dictation of his autobiography to Alice we see a side of celebrity culture that is far from rosy. One thing that particularly struck me was his candid talk on the 'selfie' phenomenon: 'I miss autographs... when they just take a snap of you on their phone, and they don't even speak to you- it's like they're at the zoo and you're the monkey.' This is so true in today's society, and I've never thought of it quite that way before!
5/5 stars: Escape to Italy with this smart and funny novel. The Out of Office Girl is the perfect summer read that you won't be able to put down!
After spending some time in Italy this summer, I'm finding myself drawn to books set there. Call it a remedy for the post holiday blues; reading about it means I can pretend I'm still there! I got myself into a bit of a rut with chick-lit so I decided to avoid it for a while, but when I read the blurb for this novel I knew that I had to give it a go! I'm so glad that I did. Once I got into it I raced through it in a couple of days. Alice Roberts is very likeable, and I found myself rooting for her to get a happy ending in both her work life and her love life. She is an ordinary girl thrust into the world of the extraordinary. The plot is pretty predictable, but this is no bad thing - it's nice to read a book once in a while where you know what direction things are heading. I've known books in this genre to ramble on for way too long and I quickly lose interest, but this one is paced just right. It was also nice to have an epilogue at the end of the novel, far too many of my reviews have featured me complaining that we don't find out how the relationships work out!
All of the supporting characters are well-defined - for the physically perfect celebrities and Italians Alice meets at the villa, right down to her flatmate Martin who appears for little more than a few sentences. Neither Sam nor Luther are my book-boyfriend type but they were both great characters, and each loveable in their own way. The Idyllic setting of Sicily is so well described you can picture it vividly - it is a character in itself and I so wish I was there!
Through Alice's work, the novel gives an interesting insight into the publishing industry; it seems so ruthless! Similarly, through Luther's dictation of his autobiography to Alice we see a side of celebrity culture that is far from rosy. One thing that particularly struck me was his candid talk on the 'selfie' phenomenon: 'I miss autographs... when they just take a snap of you on their phone, and they don't even speak to you- it's like they're at the zoo and you're the monkey.' This is so true in today's society, and I've never thought of it quite that way before!
5/5 stars: Escape to Italy with this smart and funny novel. The Out of Office Girl is the perfect summer read that you won't be able to put down!
February 23, 2018
This is my first Nicola Doherty and won't be my last :) This was a clean good romantic comedy in the likes of Lindsey Kelk (one of my favorite authors) so I am glad I stumbled into this one. Alice was very likeable and the book gave an insight into how tough it is to probably obtain source material, write and edit a book even if it is something that sounds like a fluff read (autobiography of film actor doesn't really scream Pultizer prize) It was a fun read with myriad of characters - there were too many in fact and only Poppy and Marisa registered with you as Alice's friends, given the length of the book I had to refresh my memory as to who the other female references were. In fact I think the book reaches the end when all the girls meet for some girl-bonding time, the rest of the book is spent on her time in Sicily trying to get a book out of the infamous actor Luther
The first half of the book zipped by, even the part where she finally gets through to Luther and starts getting the story is interesting. What felt a little underdeveloped was the actual romance. The characters have a good banter and she quickly develops an attraction and not enough time is spent with him before they start to get into the usual set of misunderstandings. I don't usually enjoy a chaotic ending where the characters realize all their stupidity just a couple of pages before the book ends - this was not too chaotic but it definitely could have been fleshed out. I laughed out loud when Poppy reaches the art exhibition that her ex dedicates to her and am looking forward to reading her story (even if it is a short one)
A very good one time read and it made me want to line up the author's other books so I would call that a win for me
The first half of the book zipped by, even the part where she finally gets through to Luther and starts getting the story is interesting. What felt a little underdeveloped was the actual romance. The characters have a good banter and she quickly develops an attraction and not enough time is spent with him before they start to get into the usual set of misunderstandings. I don't usually enjoy a chaotic ending where the characters realize all their stupidity just a couple of pages before the book ends - this was not too chaotic but it definitely could have been fleshed out. I laughed out loud when Poppy reaches the art exhibition that her ex dedicates to her and am looking forward to reading her story (even if it is a short one)
A very good one time read and it made me want to line up the author's other books so I would call that a win for me
November 28, 2013
Critique complète sur mon blog
Tout va mal dans la vie d’Alice : sa carrière d’éditrice est dans une impasse, elle vient de se faire larguer comme une vieille chaussette (et par texto) par son mec et elle se morfond à Londres en regardant des comédies musicales ringardes à la télé. Coup de bol, quand sa terrifiante manager, Olivia, a la bonne idée de se faire expédier à l’hôpital, Alice est envoyée à sa place en Sicile pour assister Luther Carson, un acteur beau gosse qu’elle idolâtre depuis toujours, dans la rédaction de son autobiographie. Vacances de rêve ou cauchemar ? Ça reste à voir…
Nicola Doherty signe ici son premier roman avec une petite intrigue assez classique mais qui marche plutôt bien. Alice, 26 ans, est parfaite dans le rôle de l’héroïne bonne poire et pataude, mais très attachante. Pas de grosse surprise dans le scénario, mais beaucoup de sourires et quelques francs éclats de rire. Les personnages sont attachants et pas trop clichés. L’ambiance de la Sicile est très bien rendue (je dis ça, je n’y suis jamais allée, mais j’avais l’impression d’être au bord d’une piscine et d’entendre les cigales. Quand il fait moins 8000 dehors, ça fait plutôt plaisir.)
Bref, un roman qui se lit vite et bien, seul reproche : ce n’est pas très bien traduit, donc à lire plutôt en anglais pour celles qui peuvent.
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Critique complète sur mon blog
Tout va mal dans la vie d’Alice : sa carrière d’éditrice est dans une impasse, elle vient de se faire larguer comme une vieille chaussette (et par texto) par son mec et elle se morfond à Londres en regardant des comédies musicales ringardes à la télé. Coup de bol, quand sa terrifiante manager, Olivia, a la bonne idée de se faire expédier à l’hôpital, Alice est envoyée à sa place en Sicile pour assister Luther Carson, un acteur beau gosse qu’elle idolâtre depuis toujours, dans la rédaction de son autobiographie. Vacances de rêve ou cauchemar ? Ça reste à voir…
Nicola Doherty signe ici son premier roman avec une petite intrigue assez classique mais qui marche plutôt bien. Alice, 26 ans, est parfaite dans le rôle de l’héroïne bonne poire et pataude, mais très attachante. Pas de grosse surprise dans le scénario, mais beaucoup de sourires et quelques francs éclats de rire. Les personnages sont attachants et pas trop clichés. L’ambiance de la Sicile est très bien rendue (je dis ça, je n’y suis jamais allée, mais j’avais l’impression d’être au bord d’une piscine et d’entendre les cigales. Quand il fait moins 8000 dehors, ça fait plutôt plaisir.)
Bref, un roman qui se lit vite et bien, seul reproche : ce n’est pas très bien traduit, donc à lire plutôt en anglais pour celles qui peuvent.
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Critique complète sur mon blog
April 3, 2015
"The Out of Office Girl" follows Alice Roberts at a point in her life where she is just coming to the end of a relationship, and is feeling pretty insecure about herself because of it. She is also insecure over her job as an assistant editor in a publishing house. One of their books that she is working on is that of Hollywood-badboy Luther Carson, who is failing to deliver. "He talks a good talk, but whenever we actually sit down to do anything, which isn't very often, it's like catching quicksilver."
When Alice's boss falls ill preventing her from plane travel it is Alice that is sent to Italy to sort out Luther, despite her lowly position as the out of office girl - "the person who's named on her out of office email." Can Alice deliver the book, and is there romance along the way too?
The book has a good feel throughout. You can feel the busy social life of a young professional when in London and when in Italy you can feel the more laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle coming through, not to mention the better weather. The book is a nice jaunty one ideal for holiday reading.
When Alice's boss falls ill preventing her from plane travel it is Alice that is sent to Italy to sort out Luther, despite her lowly position as the out of office girl - "the person who's named on her out of office email." Can Alice deliver the book, and is there romance along the way too?
The book has a good feel throughout. You can feel the busy social life of a young professional when in London and when in Italy you can feel the more laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle coming through, not to mention the better weather. The book is a nice jaunty one ideal for holiday reading.
August 6, 2012
All in all, this wasn't a bad read. It's very typical of the genre in that it was quite obvious who Alice was going to end up with. It's just the way in which the author gets there.
This particular journey was well written with characters that made me like (or dislike) them. My particular favourite character was Poppy. Every girl needs a friend like her.
The character of Luther made me think about celebrities and the obsession fans have of them. We put these people up on very high pedestals which many struggle to balance on. It's not very often they can live up to the perfection that fans paint them in.
If you have a spare day or two, I'd recommend giving this a go just for the escape.
This particular journey was well written with characters that made me like (or dislike) them. My particular favourite character was Poppy. Every girl needs a friend like her.
The character of Luther made me think about celebrities and the obsession fans have of them. We put these people up on very high pedestals which many struggle to balance on. It's not very often they can live up to the perfection that fans paint them in.
If you have a spare day or two, I'd recommend giving this a go just for the escape.
September 9, 2012
Surprised me. Quite well written and a lot of fun if v predictable. As the love-to-hate-her movie star wannabe, trying to flog the vampire flick "Love's Last Bite", where she plays a "very important" supporting role, the heroine's bête noire was great and would have loved to see more of her. Much of the action takes place in Sicily, and was surprised by the ad at the end of the book promoting the company that flogs villa rentals, including the one that love interest Luther stays in. Are we to expect more future tie ins in the world of novel writing ? There's a ski resort near where I live that would be a fantastic backdrop for a romantic adventure/ thriller/ comedy/ mystery. Drop me a line and for a small fee am sure I can get reduced rates for an aspiring author.
April 15, 2015
Honestly I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Loved the plot and character development as well as the setting - I fantasise about visiting Italy a lot so this was an absolute dream to read about the beautiful Italians and the beaches and towns and food and cafes!!
Overall I wanted a light fluffy read and this was exactly that and I would recommend it if you like contemporary romance, particularly set in exotic locations or in summer. However, sometimes I felt like there was something missing from the novel; it's very simplistic and I feel like the writing doesnt really do anything to reflect Alice's personality or inner monologue because it seems so generic. Also, I would have liked to have seen more of Sam and Alice and not have their conversations or outings glossed over.
Overall I wanted a light fluffy read and this was exactly that and I would recommend it if you like contemporary romance, particularly set in exotic locations or in summer. However, sometimes I felt like there was something missing from the novel; it's very simplistic and I feel like the writing doesnt really do anything to reflect Alice's personality or inner monologue because it seems so generic. Also, I would have liked to have seen more of Sam and Alice and not have their conversations or outings glossed over.
March 13, 2018
I was looking for something light. I’m a technical editor by day but still cannot stop reading. I thought the book would be nothing special but I was pleasantly surprised.
Nicola’s writing is brilliant and I felt as if I was there. Descriptions of the landscape and characters really brought you in to the story. Yes, it’s a bit cheesy - book editor wants to meet and fall in love with her Hollywood movie star but the twist was great.
I have been reading on my commute and at lunchtime. Got to the point that I was reading the last pages on my commute home on the bus tonight and couldn’t put it down - continued to read in the car once my husband picked me up!
It’s not mentally challenging, but it is fun, really well written and makes you want to keep reading.
Nicola’s writing is brilliant and I felt as if I was there. Descriptions of the landscape and characters really brought you in to the story. Yes, it’s a bit cheesy - book editor wants to meet and fall in love with her Hollywood movie star but the twist was great.
I have been reading on my commute and at lunchtime. Got to the point that I was reading the last pages on my commute home on the bus tonight and couldn’t put it down - continued to read in the car once my husband picked me up!
It’s not mentally challenging, but it is fun, really well written and makes you want to keep reading.
June 28, 2013
La quarta di copertina recita: se ti piace la Kinsella, è il libro che fa per te. Quando l'ho letto ne ho avuto un po' paura, il nostro è un rapporto contraddittorio, ma il libro è fresco, la storia carina, la protagonista è un'insicura, ma a parte perdere la valigia in aeroporto, chissà perché è "scontato" per uno straniero in Italia, non le succedono tutte quelle traversie al limite del grottesco delle protagoniste della Kinsella. Direi decisamente un buon mix tra la K. e Bridjet Jones, consigliato per una lettura leggera, sotto l'ombrellone.
March 1, 2013
This is a light read about Alice who is sent to Sicily to work on the autobiography of Luther Carson, a Hollywood star. She is just a lowly assistant but suddenly finds herself out of her depth in a glamorous world. Many aspects of the story are rather unbelievable and Alice can be a tad annoying at times but she does meet some interesting characters, it is a fun read and it does make you want to jet off to Sicily away from the cold British winter!
October 17, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, Alice kind of reminds me of myself, and I think that's why I was so into her character. I had a feeling that Alice would fall in love with someone else, although I thought it would be Brian weirdly. But no it turned out to be Sam!! Overall, this book was a good book to read and I fell in love with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2017
It is well written, and it was a pleasant surprise that actually I enjoyed much more than I had anticipated.
I especially liked the way the description of Luther's character actually made me think about how celebrities normally are portrayed.
Most of all, it's nice, like it is NICE.
It just made me "feel good". I liked it.
I especially liked the way the description of Luther's character actually made me think about how celebrities normally are portrayed.
Most of all, it's nice, like it is NICE.
It just made me "feel good". I liked it.
December 16, 2013
An easy read and a perfect book for summer. I enjoyed it immensely and finally loved my habit of going to the bookstore and picking the first book I see. The Out of Office Girl is the book for everyone who likes brief and heartwarming stories. And Sam, Luke’s agent, *swoon* Enough said!
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