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Dumped, Actually
When Ollie Sweet is very publicly dumped by ‘The One’, his seemingly perfect world dissolves into misery, self-pity, and a bizarre rooftop meeting with a suicidal man in flip-flops. While most would seek out the support of loved ones at such a torrid time, natural-born journalist Ollie asks the subscribers of his website: how did they get over their failed relationships?
When Ollie follows some of their more extreme advice, chaos inevitably ensues, including accidentally exposing himself to some unsuspecting wildlife, jumping out of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane, and suffering from an extremely painful bottom, courtesy of a maniacal Scotsman.
Of course, all of this goes down a storm with his online following, and Ollie soon finds himself the centre of everyone’s attention – whether he likes it or not!
With his eclectic collection of supporters to guide him, can Ollie mend his broken heart, heal his broken bottom, and learn to find happiness again?
When Ollie follows some of their more extreme advice, chaos inevitably ensues, including accidentally exposing himself to some unsuspecting wildlife, jumping out of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane, and suffering from an extremely painful bottom, courtesy of a maniacal Scotsman.
Of course, all of this goes down a storm with his online following, and Ollie soon finds himself the centre of everyone’s attention – whether he likes it or not!
With his eclectic collection of supporters to guide him, can Ollie mend his broken heart, heal his broken bottom, and learn to find happiness again?
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 16, 2019
2942 people are currently reading
3833 people want to read
About the author
Nick Spalding
36 books1,395 followersNick Spalding is an author who, try as he might, can't seem to write anything serious.
Before becoming a full-time author, he worked in the communications industry, mainly in media and marketing. As talking rubbish for a living can get tiresome (for anyone other than a politician), he thought he'd have a crack at writing comedy fiction - with a very agreeable level of success so far, it has to be said. Nick is now a multimillion seller. This flabbergasts him every single day.
Nick is now in his fifties - and is rather annoyed at the universe about it, because it gave him no choice in the matter. He's also addicted to Thai food and roast potatoes (not together), loves Batman and Warhammer, and has a dreadful singing voice.
***
Find out more about Nick and his books at www.nickspalding.com
Before becoming a full-time author, he worked in the communications industry, mainly in media and marketing. As talking rubbish for a living can get tiresome (for anyone other than a politician), he thought he'd have a crack at writing comedy fiction - with a very agreeable level of success so far, it has to be said. Nick is now a multimillion seller. This flabbergasts him every single day.
Nick is now in his fifties - and is rather annoyed at the universe about it, because it gave him no choice in the matter. He's also addicted to Thai food and roast potatoes (not together), loves Batman and Warhammer, and has a dreadful singing voice.
***
Find out more about Nick and his books at www.nickspalding.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 788 reviews
February 21, 2022
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Genre:
Humor + Romance (Romantic comedy)
Synopsis:
Oliver is dumped by Samantha who he thought is the one! All happens publicly. Ollie needs to get over this failed relationship and the previous ones so he decides with the approval of his boss Erica, to write about all his experience on the website under the name “Dumped Actually”. It’s a funny riff on the movie title "Love Actually"!
Book Structure:
The book is a little more than 300 pages. There are 12 chapters and in between the chapters, there are interludes consisting of different people's emails to Ollie. The story is told from Ollie's point of view.
My Thoughts:
This is the second book I read for Nick Spalding. My first read for him was Mad Love which was a fantastic romantic comedy. When I requested this book when it was available on a giveaway I knew I will like it because the way Spalding writes humorous situations is very hilarious. Dumped, Actually is a light funny read I recommend if you are want to steer away from the serious dense reading stuff. What I think that it lacks at least for me is the development of secondary characters. This is where his other book Mad Love shined for me. In this one we read about Ollie, we get to know him more than the rest. The other characters were not as detailed as I was wishing.
If you read books written by Nick Spalding you know what to expect here so you should not hesitate to grab this one. But if you have not read anything for him, I would recommend Mad Love first because I liked that one more, and if you've been dumped then you should read this one without any questions. I give Dumped, Actually 4.0 excellent stars out of 5.0.
Many thanks to Amazon & Goodreads for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for this honest unbiased review.
July 6, 2019
I discovered this author about six months ago when I found Dry Hard on NetGalley, and loved its mix of comedy and insightful relationship drama. I bought several of his other books on the strength of that, and read and quite enjoyed Bricking It, although didn’t find it quite so funny. This one was the same - there are plenty of snigger-worthy moments but nothing that had me laughing out loud. What I did really like was the moral of the story.
Ollie Sweet, 30-something journalist on a struggling Internet magazine, has planned the perfect proposal for his girlfriend Samantha’s 29th Birthday, inspired by the Rom-Com movies he adores, so is gobsmacked and devastated when she not only says no, but dumps him in front of a crowd of onlookers. His boss, Erica, persuades him to write about it, and, figuring he couldn’t possibly feel worse, he pens an article describing his experiences, and asking for ideas on how to help heal his broken heart. To his amazement, it goes viral, and so he follows it up with stories about these suggestions, from a manscaping makeover to camping in a forest. As his success starts to turn the magazine’s fortunes around, through some mortifying but hilarious adventures, Ollie learns some uncomfortable truths about love, life and becoming comfortable in your own skin.
What Spalding does very well is portraying completely relatable normal people with all their insecurities and foibles, and putting them in ridiculous and embarrassing situations. It’s unusual but welcome to get a male perspective on things. Ollie is a likeable kind-hearted doormat, and you feel his pain as the glorious future he has envisaged crumbles away - anyone who has been dumped should recognise that. While the situations he ends up in are over the top and mostly all arise from his inability to say No to anyone - even Bambi - it made following his story of how he finds his courage all the more enjoyable. I loved the ending, as I get so fed up with the predictability of almost all romantic comedies, that I mostly stay away from the genre, so this one was perfect.
My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon publishing for the ARC, which allowed me to give an honest review. Dumped, Actually is published on 16th July 2019.
Ollie Sweet, 30-something journalist on a struggling Internet magazine, has planned the perfect proposal for his girlfriend Samantha’s 29th Birthday, inspired by the Rom-Com movies he adores, so is gobsmacked and devastated when she not only says no, but dumps him in front of a crowd of onlookers. His boss, Erica, persuades him to write about it, and, figuring he couldn’t possibly feel worse, he pens an article describing his experiences, and asking for ideas on how to help heal his broken heart. To his amazement, it goes viral, and so he follows it up with stories about these suggestions, from a manscaping makeover to camping in a forest. As his success starts to turn the magazine’s fortunes around, through some mortifying but hilarious adventures, Ollie learns some uncomfortable truths about love, life and becoming comfortable in your own skin.
What Spalding does very well is portraying completely relatable normal people with all their insecurities and foibles, and putting them in ridiculous and embarrassing situations. It’s unusual but welcome to get a male perspective on things. Ollie is a likeable kind-hearted doormat, and you feel his pain as the glorious future he has envisaged crumbles away - anyone who has been dumped should recognise that. While the situations he ends up in are over the top and mostly all arise from his inability to say No to anyone - even Bambi - it made following his story of how he finds his courage all the more enjoyable. I loved the ending, as I get so fed up with the predictability of almost all romantic comedies, that I mostly stay away from the genre, so this one was perfect.
My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon publishing for the ARC, which allowed me to give an honest review. Dumped, Actually is published on 16th July 2019.
July 25, 2019
I need to get ahead of the books that I have finished the past week. Due to me being at training right now I just don't have a lot of energy to post reviews. Going to post as many as i can before I finally fall on my face.
So this book, eh, the main character got on my nerves. That's before the reveal about what a loon he was when you find out the backstory on his and his girlfriend's relationship. I used to watch "How I Met Your Mother" and over time, the narrator of the story, Ted Mobsy got on my freaking nerves. Ted went around talking about being in love, and wanting to be in love and even finally got his dream girl (Robin) who he just wore down into going out with him. Do you know how happy I was when they broke up? Because initially the writers got that Ted just loved being in love and wanted every woman he met to fit what he wanted. He didn't really give a crap about them as independent people from him.
So here enters the lead character, Ollie Sweet. Unlike with his other books, Spalding's writing wasn't funny in this one. I just knew where he was going with everything. Har har, Ollie goes to a spa and we know he's going to get waxed. Ollie goes off to the forest, gets bored, and ha ha masturbates in front of deer. I just felt annoyed through the whole book. The only reason why I gave this three stars is that the book moves rather quickly and shocker of all, Spalding doesn't go for a HEA that is fairly well telegraphed from the beginning of the book.
Ollie plans on proposing to his girlfriend at an amusement park on her birthday. Yeah that right there would have me dumping you hard. I am not a public proposal person. Good on you all that have the ability to not recoil in fright if you are the center of attention. So Ollie proposes, gets rejected, goes into a tailspin, and the editor at his newspaper tells him that he should consider writing about his heartbreak. The newspaper is doing low numbers and any day now they will get the ax. Ollie turns his heartbreak into "Dumped, Actually" a play on the movie, "Love Actually."
This part of the movie is still seriously messed up to me. I was maybe screaming at this point and wanted her husband to come out and kick his ass. Who does this?? Sorry, I am getting distracted.
Anyway, Ollie via emails from readers starts going through the things you do to get over a breakup. Get a makeover, go out camping, etc. Through it all though I just realized that Ollie is one of those guys who dumps his friends anytime a woman is around (he admits this) and he is obsessed with his parents happy marriage and wanting to have one just like it. Honestly, Ollie is a wanker. He's just one of those guys who is all, I am a nice guy. We don't get to read any of his writing, so who knows how good at it he supposedly is. But we just keep reading about his antics to get over his ex.
The secondary characters are developed in order to help Ollie learn more about himself. What made me laugh for all of his crap about his parents we don't hear much about them or his immediate family until his parents vow renewal ceremony. I think Spalding should have included more details on them. Just reading about Ollie doing things his readers suggest to get over his ex gets boring. He tries to throw in a side plot about the newspaper maybe being closed down and the terrible investor, but I don't want to get into how offensive I found that whole freaking thing and I don't feel like spoiling. Let's say, per usual nice guy antics, he can't just let his female boss handle things alone, only he and his words are there to save the day.
The writing is typical Spalding, trying to make you laugh the whole way through, but just like "Dry Hard" I didn't find this one very funny. I hurt myself laughing while reading "Love....From Both Sides." The flow was wonky. The book honestly should have ended after Ollie has his heart to heart with his ex, but it lumbers along to the ending.
The ending as I said was a nice surprise.
So this book, eh, the main character got on my nerves. That's before the reveal about what a loon he was when you find out the backstory on his and his girlfriend's relationship. I used to watch "How I Met Your Mother" and over time, the narrator of the story, Ted Mobsy got on my freaking nerves. Ted went around talking about being in love, and wanting to be in love and even finally got his dream girl (Robin) who he just wore down into going out with him. Do you know how happy I was when they broke up? Because initially the writers got that Ted just loved being in love and wanted every woman he met to fit what he wanted. He didn't really give a crap about them as independent people from him.
So here enters the lead character, Ollie Sweet. Unlike with his other books, Spalding's writing wasn't funny in this one. I just knew where he was going with everything. Har har, Ollie goes to a spa and we know he's going to get waxed. Ollie goes off to the forest, gets bored, and ha ha masturbates in front of deer. I just felt annoyed through the whole book. The only reason why I gave this three stars is that the book moves rather quickly and shocker of all, Spalding doesn't go for a HEA that is fairly well telegraphed from the beginning of the book.
Ollie plans on proposing to his girlfriend at an amusement park on her birthday. Yeah that right there would have me dumping you hard. I am not a public proposal person. Good on you all that have the ability to not recoil in fright if you are the center of attention. So Ollie proposes, gets rejected, goes into a tailspin, and the editor at his newspaper tells him that he should consider writing about his heartbreak. The newspaper is doing low numbers and any day now they will get the ax. Ollie turns his heartbreak into "Dumped, Actually" a play on the movie, "Love Actually."
This part of the movie is still seriously messed up to me. I was maybe screaming at this point and wanted her husband to come out and kick his ass. Who does this?? Sorry, I am getting distracted.
Anyway, Ollie via emails from readers starts going through the things you do to get over a breakup. Get a makeover, go out camping, etc. Through it all though I just realized that Ollie is one of those guys who dumps his friends anytime a woman is around (he admits this) and he is obsessed with his parents happy marriage and wanting to have one just like it. Honestly, Ollie is a wanker. He's just one of those guys who is all, I am a nice guy. We don't get to read any of his writing, so who knows how good at it he supposedly is. But we just keep reading about his antics to get over his ex.
The secondary characters are developed in order to help Ollie learn more about himself. What made me laugh for all of his crap about his parents we don't hear much about them or his immediate family until his parents vow renewal ceremony. I think Spalding should have included more details on them. Just reading about Ollie doing things his readers suggest to get over his ex gets boring. He tries to throw in a side plot about the newspaper maybe being closed down and the terrible investor, but I don't want to get into how offensive I found that whole freaking thing and I don't feel like spoiling. Let's say, per usual nice guy antics, he can't just let his female boss handle things alone, only he and his words are there to save the day.
The writing is typical Spalding, trying to make you laugh the whole way through, but just like "Dry Hard" I didn't find this one very funny. I hurt myself laughing while reading "Love....From Both Sides." The flow was wonky. The book honestly should have ended after Ollie has his heart to heart with his ex, but it lumbers along to the ending.
The ending as I said was a nice surprise.
August 29, 2019
Like the other 1-star review, this came recommended to me as something “funny” I might enjoy. I did not. And it was not.
I honestly can’t say which was more distressing: the college freshman-esque plotting or the immature, self-absorbed, idiot of a narrator who makes it impossible to identify with. This novel doesn’t even work as YA fiction, nor as children’s literature. In fact, it just doesn’t work at all.
I think the most impressive thing about this book is that it was published at all. The writer seems to have (self?) published other books, and I can only assume that they’re better written, otherwise I would push for a speedy return to whatever the writer was doing before he began offering his work to the public.
This book was worse than a waste of time. It made me angry at myself for continuing to read it to the end, in a morbid exercise of mental flagellation to see how much worse it could be. It’s a rare book that makes you hate yourself for reading it, and this one is it.
I honestly can’t say which was more distressing: the college freshman-esque plotting or the immature, self-absorbed, idiot of a narrator who makes it impossible to identify with. This novel doesn’t even work as YA fiction, nor as children’s literature. In fact, it just doesn’t work at all.
I think the most impressive thing about this book is that it was published at all. The writer seems to have (self?) published other books, and I can only assume that they’re better written, otherwise I would push for a speedy return to whatever the writer was doing before he began offering his work to the public.
This book was worse than a waste of time. It made me angry at myself for continuing to read it to the end, in a morbid exercise of mental flagellation to see how much worse it could be. It’s a rare book that makes you hate yourself for reading it, and this one is it.
March 4, 2020
Is it wrong to:
a) abandon a book at more than 75%, and
b) give two stars to same book?
Fuck knows. I just couldn’t shake the notion it was originally written in crayon.
Better than some of his stuff and there’s shed loads to choose from.
a) abandon a book at more than 75%, and
b) give two stars to same book?
Fuck knows. I just couldn’t shake the notion it was originally written in crayon.
Better than some of his stuff and there’s shed loads to choose from.
December 6, 2020
2.5 stars
I didn't expect to love this book as it's not really my genre (I don't like anything too cheesy or cringey) but I wanted something easy, familiar and funny.
Generally I liked this one and the story was fun...there were some elements I wasn't keen on but as a feel-good light read this worked well enough.
I didn't expect to love this book as it's not really my genre (I don't like anything too cheesy or cringey) but I wanted something easy, familiar and funny.
Generally I liked this one and the story was fun...there were some elements I wasn't keen on but as a feel-good light read this worked well enough.
February 2, 2021
You know I really seem to have a funny thing going with Nick Spalding, I love his books but also at times find them really irritating, but here I am on the 3rd book of his I have read and as with the other 2 the laughing out loud and shaking my head at his genius situation writing has outridden the irritation
This time we meet Ollie Sweet who keeps getting dumped and doesn’t know why, he’s a journo and so writes a blog for his magazine about it and asks for suggestions on what he can do to ‘get over’ his latest ‘being dumped’
And the results are hilarious, really, as he goes camping and sky diving and also entertains mindfulness all saddled up with ‘oompah pah oompah pah bands and escapades in wendy houses
As always he brings some humility and almost a Jerry Springer talking to to us the reader and some of what he says in humour hits home
He irritates as sometimes he goes on, and on and then some and also he lets his own political leanings and views become the mouthpiece of the character
All told though his books make you laugh, feel like a cry, think and laugh again and I know full well I will soon be looking to read another one of his I haven’t read
8/10
4 Stars
This time we meet Ollie Sweet who keeps getting dumped and doesn’t know why, he’s a journo and so writes a blog for his magazine about it and asks for suggestions on what he can do to ‘get over’ his latest ‘being dumped’
And the results are hilarious, really, as he goes camping and sky diving and also entertains mindfulness all saddled up with ‘oompah pah oompah pah bands and escapades in wendy houses
As always he brings some humility and almost a Jerry Springer talking to to us the reader and some of what he says in humour hits home
He irritates as sometimes he goes on, and on and then some and also he lets his own political leanings and views become the mouthpiece of the character
All told though his books make you laugh, feel like a cry, think and laugh again and I know full well I will soon be looking to read another one of his I haven’t read
8/10
4 Stars
August 4, 2019
I liked this one! It's light, it's funny, it's absurd: it's right in my alley. I liked how Oliver discovered a lot about himself through everyone experiences. I liked to see the process leading to the realization of his well-being.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for the e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for the e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
December 12, 2019
"If I can’t be happy on my own, there’s no way I can be happy with anyone else. I have to stand upright by myself, so I don’t need to lean on someone else."
📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: Fiction / RomCom
📚 POV: First.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.
Dumped Actually is my first read from author, Nick Spalding, and this indeed was something else.
The blurb was promising and I was very curious about it. It felt like a prompt for a series or a movie which is why I decided to request this title. This book is truly light and funny, just like its premise.
Surprisingly, this book did not hit me in the right places. I don't know where it was coming from but some of the scenes were borderline ridiculous. Some jokes did not appeal to my humor, unfortunately.
Ollie Sweet, the main character, is a little too weird for me and being in his head was not that appealing. He can be quite frustrating and annoying and too immature for me.
This book does tell about the process of grieving and moving on, and everyone goes through it differently, so I guess that part is good.
The ending also brought a redeeming arc for this story, thankfully.
In conclusion, I have to say this book is okay. It just didn't vibe with my own tastes.
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.00/5 ☁
Much thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own. Also, all quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
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July 20, 2019
I did try to like Dumped, Actually. But actually......I didn't like it at all. That isn't to say the story and characters didn't have merit. But I found the main character whiny, unlikable and sort of an embarrassment of a human being. I did like that Ollie (MILD SPOILER) does realize what his "problems" are and tries to rectify the issues. But for me, t'was not enough.
Now, I did like where the name of the book came from. Our hero does a Bridget Jones type of thing. And writes about issues we all have experienced. So that part, I enjoyed immensely.
Ollie's boss was also someone I really liked. She seemed like a smart, together woman.
Overall though, I didn't like it. But I would read another by the author. Just because one book isn't my cup of tea, doesn't mean others won't enjoy it. It's getting some great reviews over on Amazon. Just for me, it's a no.
Now, I did like where the name of the book came from. Our hero does a Bridget Jones type of thing. And writes about issues we all have experienced. So that part, I enjoyed immensely.
Ollie's boss was also someone I really liked. She seemed like a smart, together woman.
Overall though, I didn't like it. But I would read another by the author. Just because one book isn't my cup of tea, doesn't mean others won't enjoy it. It's getting some great reviews over on Amazon. Just for me, it's a no.
May 17, 2020
I won't say I hated it, I won't say I liked it. It had some parts which were good and a lot of parts where I was just flat out cringing.
It was an okay weekend read. A read that took my mind off of silly coronavirus.
More to come, maybe.
It was an okay weekend read. A read that took my mind off of silly coronavirus.
More to come, maybe.
January 3, 2020
I am almost positive that I grabbed this audio book solely because it was narrated by the wonderful Steve West. He is AMAZING!!! So amazing. Did I mention that he is an amazing audio book narrator? Well, he is. It was a bit weird to hear him narrate this modern story about a semi-awkward feature writer for a failing magazine who is trying to get over the terrible rejection he received from who he thought was THE ONE. I still think of Steve West as narrator for An Ember in the Ashes, and so I felt like Elias from that story had jumped into my world to tell this story. Weird. But after I got used to modern and realistic Steve Ward I was able to sit back and enjoy his wonderful take on this story.
My big problem at the beginning of this story was that I felt as if Nick Spalding was trying too hard to be cute and clever with his words. Sure, he was cute and clever, but I was feeling a tad manipulated, sort of how I feel for some of John Green's writings. You have to admit that Ollie, the protagonist of this story, just falls into so many crazy and funny situations that it felt a bit contrived. At first. But soon I couldn't help myself. I just kind of fell for the guy. He was such a hopeless romantic, but nothing seemed to go his way. He felt like a loser, but he wasn't. He was a sweetheart, and I had to root for him.
This isn't really a romance at all. In fact, if you are picking this up and hoping for some sort of happily ever after or even a wonderful relationship at the end, you are going to be sadly disappointed ... and maybe even a bit ticked off. But if you realize that this is a story of a guy figuring himself out and learning to be comfortable in his own skin, I think you'll find a story that is rewarding ... and funny. I didn't roll on the floor with tears in my eyes because of the humor in this. But I did find myself chuckling here and there, and that should count for something since it takes a bit for me to laugh out loud when I read books. I think that Steve West did a phenomenal job painting a picture of who Ollie was and his sense of humor while he narrated. It was a pleasure to listen to this narration. I give the story a strong 3.5 stars, but the narration was definitely 5 stars, so that brings the whole story up to four. I really liked it.
My big problem at the beginning of this story was that I felt as if Nick Spalding was trying too hard to be cute and clever with his words. Sure, he was cute and clever, but I was feeling a tad manipulated, sort of how I feel for some of John Green's writings. You have to admit that Ollie, the protagonist of this story, just falls into so many crazy and funny situations that it felt a bit contrived. At first. But soon I couldn't help myself. I just kind of fell for the guy. He was such a hopeless romantic, but nothing seemed to go his way. He felt like a loser, but he wasn't. He was a sweetheart, and I had to root for him.
This isn't really a romance at all. In fact, if you are picking this up and hoping for some sort of happily ever after or even a wonderful relationship at the end, you are going to be sadly disappointed ... and maybe even a bit ticked off. But if you realize that this is a story of a guy figuring himself out and learning to be comfortable in his own skin, I think you'll find a story that is rewarding ... and funny. I didn't roll on the floor with tears in my eyes because of the humor in this. But I did find myself chuckling here and there, and that should count for something since it takes a bit for me to laugh out loud when I read books. I think that Steve West did a phenomenal job painting a picture of who Ollie was and his sense of humor while he narrated. It was a pleasure to listen to this narration. I give the story a strong 3.5 stars, but the narration was definitely 5 stars, so that brings the whole story up to four. I really liked it.
April 22, 2021
This was great! I loved the way Nick writes and he had me laughing out loud so many times! I didn’t give it 5 stars however because there were some bits I personally found inappropriate and cringeworthy (the camping/deer chapter- you know what I mean lol, and the Rolf Harris jokes ICK!). There was also a section around suicide which was a little too light for my liking - I understood what the author was trying to do and found the scene amusing in some places however if you have experienced this trauma in your life it may be triggering and insensitive. Despite those bits though, I really liked this book. The main character was loveable and relatable - I certainly know a few people like him who can’t seem to be their own person within a relationship due to their constant need to feel wanted and loved, forgetting everyone else around them in the process including themselves. There are some really good lessons in this for sure and moments for self-reflection.
I wish the ending had worked out differently but I know that’s based on my wants for the character and not what the character needed. It was a lovely story overall and I felt really happy for Ollie and for his personal growth. An easy, funny, feel good read.
I wish the ending had worked out differently but I know that’s based on my wants for the character and not what the character needed. It was a lovely story overall and I felt really happy for Ollie and for his personal growth. An easy, funny, feel good read.
October 20, 2019
Oliver Sweet finds himself publically dumped while proposing to his girlfriend. Barely able to crawl out of the depths of self-pity, he goes back to work as a writer and is encouraged by his boss to turn his tragedy into a feature article for the magazine and illicit suggestions from subscribers about how to get over his feelings of loss and rejection.
Yeah, another great story from Nick Spalding with just the right about of comedy. There were a couple of over-the-top scenarios to get a laugh, but all in all, I thought this one was balanced better than the last few I read by the author - and there was no potty humor! Ollie was true to his namesake and super-sweet. It was easy to genuinely want to see him heal after being dumped when he was so invested. I loved how he moved through the stages of grief and really took a look inside himself to solve his problems. I loved it.
Yeah, another great story from Nick Spalding with just the right about of comedy. There were a couple of over-the-top scenarios to get a laugh, but all in all, I thought this one was balanced better than the last few I read by the author - and there was no potty humor! Ollie was true to his namesake and super-sweet. It was easy to genuinely want to see him heal after being dumped when he was so invested. I loved how he moved through the stages of grief and really took a look inside himself to solve his problems. I loved it.
July 16, 2019
More 3.5 or 3.75 rather than 4, but highly enjoyable nonetheless!
July 9, 2019
Another nice tongue-in-cheek almost rom-com from Mr. Spalding! I think I enjoy his books so much because they are from the male perspective when so many of these books are considered "women's fiction" and written off as romance books. His writing proves that this isn't just for women. And in this case, it is almost a matter of a guy with too much romance. Poor Ollie Sweet loves Samantha and is devastated when she turns down his proposal. He doesn't understand why he keeps getting dumped. Since he is an columnist for an online e-zine, he shares his struggles with his readers. Their responses are terrific and lead to some hysterical adventures on the part of Ollie. Too bad this wasn't done years ago so that Hugh Grant could play Ollie in the screen adaptation! As I've come to expect from Mr. Spalding, his characters are truly loveable and the stories are pure fun. I love these fluffy reads and even learned what a Wendy House is! (Does that mean they are educational too?)
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
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September 12, 2019I just couldn’t get past the first twenty pages on this one. I LOVE Spalding, but the opening here just felt like he was trying too hard to be funny. The jokes were juvenile, and the scenarios were painful—enough said.
February 13, 2021
Oh my gosh I loved this book. It made me laugh out loud numerous times. Ollies trials and experience to find himself are heart warming, cringy and fun.
Don’t think I have read such a fun embarrassing book since Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4.
Don’t think I have read such a fun embarrassing book since Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4.
July 19, 2019
Some very funny set pieces and great one liners. A pick me up book.
May 14, 2019
I was curious to see how I would rate this book; for me Bricking It, a previous book by Splading, was the funniest book I had ever experienced and I didn't see this being any better. Boy, was I wrong. It's the utter comedy perfection I've come to expect from this author but also a really really REALLY good story with loveable, well developed characters and antics that keep you wanting to turn the page to see what happens next.
I don't remember the last time I've laughed as much as while reading this book, its definitely one you don't want to read sat alone in a coffee if you're conscious of people staring. I was there blurting out proper belly laughs, not just cute little chuckles.
It's also really refreshing to have a man being dumped and going through the phases that typically we see in chick-lit and then working through things in a quite unique way and coming out the other side with an interesting perspective.
I've really enjoyed this book and I'm pretty sad that its over. 5/5.
I don't remember the last time I've laughed as much as while reading this book, its definitely one you don't want to read sat alone in a coffee if you're conscious of people staring. I was there blurting out proper belly laughs, not just cute little chuckles.
It's also really refreshing to have a man being dumped and going through the phases that typically we see in chick-lit and then working through things in a quite unique way and coming out the other side with an interesting perspective.
I've really enjoyed this book and I'm pretty sad that its over. 5/5.
July 17, 2019
Ollie Sweet is the eternal romantic, completely convinced that there is such a thing as the perfect relationship which sees two people in perfect sync with each other, and he believes he has found it, until she dumps him. What follows is a downward spiral of self-pity and an encounter with a suicidal man wearing women’s shorts and flip-flops...
This is the first of Nick Spalding’s books I have read, but I’m asking myself why I haven’t done so sooner. His writing is easy to read and filled with humour and a healthy dose of insight into the human condition. I loved the way the story is told by Ollie, and that he takes occasional moments out of the story to speak directly to you, the reader.
I quite literally laughed out loud several times while reading, and I equally cringed more than once on Ollie’s behalf. I will never look at Nintendo’s Mario the same again, lol.
A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and I highly recommend.
My thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Uk for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review
This is the first of Nick Spalding’s books I have read, but I’m asking myself why I haven’t done so sooner. His writing is easy to read and filled with humour and a healthy dose of insight into the human condition. I loved the way the story is told by Ollie, and that he takes occasional moments out of the story to speak directly to you, the reader.
I quite literally laughed out loud several times while reading, and I equally cringed more than once on Ollie’s behalf. I will never look at Nintendo’s Mario the same again, lol.
A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and I highly recommend.
My thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Uk for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review
August 9, 2019
I think I just don’t get Nick Spalding’s writing
This book was awful - it was like uncomfortably watching the nervous drunk person at a party try to tell a story that they think is really funny but is clearly unimpressive to everyone else. The jokes fall flat, Ollie is an entirely unlikable man-child in need of therapy and the conclusion is literally that he needs to behave as an adult.
This is the second Nick Spalding book I’ve read and I really think I just don’t understand his humor or writing style or SOMETHING. I won’t be reading any more (fool me twice, shame on me) but he’s clearly popular maybe we just don’t jive as reader and author.
This book was awful - it was like uncomfortably watching the nervous drunk person at a party try to tell a story that they think is really funny but is clearly unimpressive to everyone else. The jokes fall flat, Ollie is an entirely unlikable man-child in need of therapy and the conclusion is literally that he needs to behave as an adult.
This is the second Nick Spalding book I’ve read and I really think I just don’t understand his humor or writing style or SOMETHING. I won’t be reading any more (fool me twice, shame on me) but he’s clearly popular maybe we just don’t jive as reader and author.
April 25, 2024
One needs a particular (or perhaps peculiar) sense of humour to appreciate Nick Spalding's stories.
I have listened to most of them (more than once) and belly laugh just thinking about the ridiculous and hilarious situations his protagonists get themselves into.
If writers write about what they know, this guy must have had some unique and bizarre experiences in his life (and learned to laugh about them).
But each story touches upon issues that perhaps we can all relate to.
Well worth my time.
I have listened to most of them (more than once) and belly laugh just thinking about the ridiculous and hilarious situations his protagonists get themselves into.
If writers write about what they know, this guy must have had some unique and bizarre experiences in his life (and learned to laugh about them).
But each story touches upon issues that perhaps we can all relate to.
Well worth my time.
July 24, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but I think it was a 2.5/3 star read at most.
After Ollie gets dumped very publicly he’s distraught and uses it as fodder for his column on Actual Life’s website, in turn trying to rescue the site from its impending demise after a takeover.
The first 50-60% of the book was hard to read, repetitive and rather glum. As Ollie started to find himself as a person it got a bit better.
Thanks NetGalley for the read in exchange for an honest review.
After Ollie gets dumped very publicly he’s distraught and uses it as fodder for his column on Actual Life’s website, in turn trying to rescue the site from its impending demise after a takeover.
The first 50-60% of the book was hard to read, repetitive and rather glum. As Ollie started to find himself as a person it got a bit better.
Thanks NetGalley for the read in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2020
I like Nick Spaldings books and they normally entertain me hugely. This book however although a decent read wasn't one of my favorites of his, yet still managed to have me snorting with laughter on more than one occasion and I think a rating less than 4 stars is a little churlish with that being the case.
The story is set around Ollie Sweet who is unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend Sam whilst he is proposing. This sets Ollie off on a downward slope and when he finally return to work his Boss suggests he use his experience to write a piece on the Website he works for. What happens is that 'Dumped Actually' (the title of his work) turns out to be a very popular piece if journalism. This sets in motion Ollie taking a path which has half been decided by his readers.
There are some incredibly funny moments in this book and I really do like Nick Spaldings humour. However, this particular book I think the main character just irritated me that little bit too much for me to be able to love it. It was certainly a very amusing and decent enough read, just not one of my favourites from this author.
The story is set around Ollie Sweet who is unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend Sam whilst he is proposing. This sets Ollie off on a downward slope and when he finally return to work his Boss suggests he use his experience to write a piece on the Website he works for. What happens is that 'Dumped Actually' (the title of his work) turns out to be a very popular piece if journalism. This sets in motion Ollie taking a path which has half been decided by his readers.
There are some incredibly funny moments in this book and I really do like Nick Spaldings humour. However, this particular book I think the main character just irritated me that little bit too much for me to be able to love it. It was certainly a very amusing and decent enough read, just not one of my favourites from this author.
January 15, 2020
This book had me laughing and smiling throughout, as Oliver Sweet tried different ways to get over his ex and discover new things about himself. It was refreshing to read a “rom com” from the perspective of a palatable man who doesn’t describe women as “crazy.”
April 11, 2020
3 and a half stars really. I thought to start with that this was going to be a bit lightweight and vapid, no depth and written to appeal to a'trendy' sort of readership. The only thing it seemed to have going for it was it's humour. I almost stopped reading a few chapters in. But it quickly improved and I found myself more and more invested in Ollie's journey. Some of the characters were definitely a bit 2 dimensional but the author also often displayed real insightfulness. The humour really was laugh-out-loud!
March 19, 2024
It's a rare book that makes me cry.
It's even rarer when those tears are from laughing so hard that I literally can't continue until my eyes are clear.
This is the latter type of rare.
Also, I can never look at Bambi the same way again.
It's even rarer when those tears are from laughing so hard that I literally can't continue until my eyes are clear.
This is the latter type of rare.
Also, I can never look at Bambi the same way again.
October 19, 2024
5 ⭐️ s
😂😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
😂😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
July 30, 2019
4/5 ⭐️
This was actually super funny! I wouldn’t expect anything less from a author who’s books I’ve read before and loved.
This was actually super funny! I wouldn’t expect anything less from a author who’s books I’ve read before and loved.
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