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The Flip Side
Penny wise or pound foolish? A heartbroken young Brit decides to turn his love life over to the flip of a coin—in this delightfully British rom-com in the vein of Jenny Colgan, Rosie Curtis, Nick Hornby, and David Nicholls. To coin a phrase, Josh is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job, and moved back home with his parents (shudder). Welcome to rock bottom in Bristol. As Josh starts questioning all his life choices, he has a mad Maybe he would just be better flipping a coin. After all, careful planning has landed him homeless, jobless, and single. What starts as a joke soon becomes serious and Josh decides to start putting his faith in the capriciousness of currency. He doesn’t have anything to lose. But when the chance of a lifetime and the girl of his dreams are on the line, will the coin guide him to a rich love life or leave him flat broke?
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2020
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13976 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,142 reviews
December 17, 2021
Wowza!This is hilarious, extremely entertaining, ultra smart, sassy, sarcastic, sensational! My cheeks hurt to laugh too much. I’m still wiping my tears but another blasting laughter comes out again ! Each time I remember the tinder date part of Josh( our hero) with his parents’ participation or discount birthday rendezvous part of the book, I start laughing. I cannot help myself. This is well deserved, creative and needed to be adapted on screen kind of brilliant story! ( Yes Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max: here’s a great adaptation opportunity for you! )
I loved Josh. I loved his wonderful, quirky family. I adored Nan and Pap. I loved two Jakes and badass Jessie. And of course I loved Sunflower girl which reminded me of singing Sunflower from Post Malone and which made my husband puke who told me shut up if I wouldn’t want him hurt himself because of ear bleeding!
If you want to spend quality time with a witty, romantic, uplifting, feel-good, enjoyable, heartwarming self discovery, friendship, love story, this is the best fit for your needs!
The story starts with Josh’s tragicomic situation who recently bought a proposal package and trapped himself inside a glass capsule with, 443 feet above ground which is called “London Eye”, giving spectacular 360 degree view of London with its highest rotation points! He is on his knees to propose but he gets rejected by his long term girlfriend who tells him she’s seeing another guy behind his back. And yes, they have to spend 28 minutes more till their tour ends!
What a beautiful way of celebrating your New Year’s Eve! Yay!
And I have to add his girlfriend Jade is also his big boss’ daughter which means he has to resign from his job and let’s not forget he also shares a loft with her. Oh sorry, he doesn’t share. That’s his girlfriend’s flat!
So he is dumped, jobless, returning back to his parents’ house who celebrate his postponed engagement party with a huge crowd from neighborhood. Yes,his life couldn’t be absurd and miserable, could it?
As he sneaks out from party to watch a movie with his Pap, his Pap gives him idea to choose which movie they will watch by flipping a coin.
From now on he will make his decisions by flipping a coin for a year. Because he already regrets his decisions he’s made before and he needs a fresh start by changing direction of his life. He has nothing to lose! Right?
Even though his besties Jack and Jessie tease him a lot about his decision, the coin idea slowly grows on them.
Each flip ends with unique results like finding himself getting wasted, thrown away from indie bar, competing at quiz show on tv, chasing a girl he even doesn’t know her name all around the Europe.
Throughout his journey he makes mistakes, he learns more about himself, he gets humiliated, entertained, hurt, wasted, suffered from loss, heartbreak, discovers different shades and variable opportunities of his life with the help of his friends, anecdotes of his Pap. He learns how to have a fulfilled life by taking more chances!
No more words! Five funny, sweet, emotional, glorious, laughing out loud, unique, intelligent stars coming up!
Don’t read this book just one time! You buy it and every time you feel lost, down, upset, sad, suffer from dark mood, you just grab it and reread it. That’s one of those books which are feeding your souls and warming your hearts!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers/ William Morrow Paperbacks for sharing this epic Arc with me in exchange my honest opinions. Special congrats to James Bailey for his debut. I already got addicted to his writing style and looking forward to read his upcoming works.
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I loved Josh. I loved his wonderful, quirky family. I adored Nan and Pap. I loved two Jakes and badass Jessie. And of course I loved Sunflower girl which reminded me of singing Sunflower from Post Malone and which made my husband puke who told me shut up if I wouldn’t want him hurt himself because of ear bleeding!
If you want to spend quality time with a witty, romantic, uplifting, feel-good, enjoyable, heartwarming self discovery, friendship, love story, this is the best fit for your needs!
The story starts with Josh’s tragicomic situation who recently bought a proposal package and trapped himself inside a glass capsule with, 443 feet above ground which is called “London Eye”, giving spectacular 360 degree view of London with its highest rotation points! He is on his knees to propose but he gets rejected by his long term girlfriend who tells him she’s seeing another guy behind his back. And yes, they have to spend 28 minutes more till their tour ends!
What a beautiful way of celebrating your New Year’s Eve! Yay!
And I have to add his girlfriend Jade is also his big boss’ daughter which means he has to resign from his job and let’s not forget he also shares a loft with her. Oh sorry, he doesn’t share. That’s his girlfriend’s flat!
So he is dumped, jobless, returning back to his parents’ house who celebrate his postponed engagement party with a huge crowd from neighborhood. Yes,his life couldn’t be absurd and miserable, could it?
As he sneaks out from party to watch a movie with his Pap, his Pap gives him idea to choose which movie they will watch by flipping a coin.
From now on he will make his decisions by flipping a coin for a year. Because he already regrets his decisions he’s made before and he needs a fresh start by changing direction of his life. He has nothing to lose! Right?
Even though his besties Jack and Jessie tease him a lot about his decision, the coin idea slowly grows on them.
Each flip ends with unique results like finding himself getting wasted, thrown away from indie bar, competing at quiz show on tv, chasing a girl he even doesn’t know her name all around the Europe.
Throughout his journey he makes mistakes, he learns more about himself, he gets humiliated, entertained, hurt, wasted, suffered from loss, heartbreak, discovers different shades and variable opportunities of his life with the help of his friends, anecdotes of his Pap. He learns how to have a fulfilled life by taking more chances!
No more words! Five funny, sweet, emotional, glorious, laughing out loud, unique, intelligent stars coming up!
Don’t read this book just one time! You buy it and every time you feel lost, down, upset, sad, suffer from dark mood, you just grab it and reread it. That’s one of those books which are feeding your souls and warming your hearts!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers/ William Morrow Paperbacks for sharing this epic Arc with me in exchange my honest opinions. Special congrats to James Bailey for his debut. I already got addicted to his writing style and looking forward to read his upcoming works.
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October 27, 2025
dnf @ 60%
I'm really not enjoying this. The first chapter seemed promising, but the rest of the story is not grabbing me at all. I don't like Josh as the main character and I don't like the storyline.
I'm really not enjoying this. The first chapter seemed promising, but the rest of the story is not grabbing me at all. I don't like Josh as the main character and I don't like the storyline.
November 11, 2020
A lighthearted romance is what I needed coming off a previous read that was mentally draining. Thankfully this one really was a cute and fun story. Maybe not perfect, but definitely good enough.
Josh's life is a bit messy right now as his girlfriend broke up with him and he lost his job. And with the loss of income, he has to move back in with his parents. Obviously, he didn't plan on any of this stuff to happen but he starts questioning how he makes decisions. Figuring his life can't get any worse, he comes up with the crazy idea to let a coin flip determine his fate. Anytime he is forced to make a choice, he let's the coin do it for him. Hmm... will the coin steer him wrong when it comes to his dating life or will it give him a better shot at finding true love?
Even though it is a bit kooky, I really liked the premise for the book. It might seem like the whole flipping a coin is a bit of a cop out when it comes to making tough decisions, but it can force you out of your comfort zone as well. Most of us could use a push now and then to take a chance even if it's a bit scary. I know I can think of specific examples in my life in which I did the opposite of what I wanted to do and it worked out great.
It's not very often I read a straight romance told entirely from the male's perspective. What made this book a unique read is the author took his time showing where Josh was at in his life rather than just jumping right into the romance. It didn't follow the standard formula in which you know right away who is going to be the one Josh has his eye on. I'm not saying Josh was a perfectly developed character but at least there were other things explored in his life like his friendships and the trivia nights.
As a light and easy read, I really enjoyed this book. I recommend this one if that's what you are in the mood for too.
Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
Josh's life is a bit messy right now as his girlfriend broke up with him and he lost his job. And with the loss of income, he has to move back in with his parents. Obviously, he didn't plan on any of this stuff to happen but he starts questioning how he makes decisions. Figuring his life can't get any worse, he comes up with the crazy idea to let a coin flip determine his fate. Anytime he is forced to make a choice, he let's the coin do it for him. Hmm... will the coin steer him wrong when it comes to his dating life or will it give him a better shot at finding true love?
Even though it is a bit kooky, I really liked the premise for the book. It might seem like the whole flipping a coin is a bit of a cop out when it comes to making tough decisions, but it can force you out of your comfort zone as well. Most of us could use a push now and then to take a chance even if it's a bit scary. I know I can think of specific examples in my life in which I did the opposite of what I wanted to do and it worked out great.
It's not very often I read a straight romance told entirely from the male's perspective. What made this book a unique read is the author took his time showing where Josh was at in his life rather than just jumping right into the romance. It didn't follow the standard formula in which you know right away who is going to be the one Josh has his eye on. I'm not saying Josh was a perfectly developed character but at least there were other things explored in his life like his friendships and the trivia nights.
As a light and easy read, I really enjoyed this book. I recommend this one if that's what you are in the mood for too.
Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
did-not-finish
June 29, 2022DNF @ 22%: Meh
July 9, 2020
Flip Side' is the debut novel by author James Bailey and is sure to be a success. This is far from my normal Mystery Crime novels but was such a great read. This Romantic comedy was an instant hit with me and I rapidly consumed it wanting to see how it finished. It was very light compared to my usual books but nevertheless was gripping and funny with true laugh out loud moments.
A simple plot, but many good novels are like that where twenty eight year old Josh decides to toss the coin for every decision in his life.This comes after a disastrous romantic failure and Josh decides that with his bad decisions a toss of the coin couldn't fair any worse. What follows is a year in Josh's life where his fate is determined by the toss of his 50 pence piece.
The book is full of humour with Josh and his friends Jessie and Jake who constantly tease him for his bad decisions and the fact that he lives with his parents. The fact that it is a light romantic comedy you may feel that you already know how it is going to end but there is so much more to this book with the escapades undertaken along the way by Josh.
Enjoyable characters and a great summer read that will bring a smile to your face.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
A simple plot, but many good novels are like that where twenty eight year old Josh decides to toss the coin for every decision in his life.This comes after a disastrous romantic failure and Josh decides that with his bad decisions a toss of the coin couldn't fair any worse. What follows is a year in Josh's life where his fate is determined by the toss of his 50 pence piece.
The book is full of humour with Josh and his friends Jessie and Jake who constantly tease him for his bad decisions and the fact that he lives with his parents. The fact that it is a light romantic comedy you may feel that you already know how it is going to end but there is so much more to this book with the escapades undertaken along the way by Josh.
Enjoyable characters and a great summer read that will bring a smile to your face.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2021
Kako znam da mi se knjiga mnogo mnogo dopala:
1. Dok čitam, razmišljam kako bih volela da je dam svima koje znam da je pročitaju 😅
To se desilo ovde.
Džoš prosi devojku u kabini Londonskog oka. Ona kaže ne i prizna da ga je prevarila. Skrhan jer sa njom gubi i posao i stan, ne zna šta će sa svojim životom. Zatim dolazi na jednu ideju - da za sve odluke u narednih godinu dana baca novčić. Na taj način, novčić će ga voditi kroz život i doneti mu razne radosti, ali i patnje.
Sviđa mi se više od većine čiklit knjiga. Ako ste voleli Teda u #howimetyourmother obožavaćete ovu knjigu jer je glavni lik poput njega - dobar i malo smotan, u stalnoj potrazi za pravom ljubavlju. Bukvalno je kao muška verzija Bridžet Džouns. Svi fanovi Sofi Kinsele - teško da vam ova knjiga neće prijati.
Idealna je da neko uz nju zavoli čitanje ili da izbavi iz neke čitalačke krize. Mogu da vam kažem da sam maksimalno uživala, bez preterivanja. Retko mi se desi takva reakcija i uvek tražim zamerke, ali baš je zaokružena celina, autor je na sve mislio i nije krajem pokvario celu knjigu.
Humor je sjajan, smejala sam se naglas sve vreme čitanja, čak i u nekim jako tužnim trenucima uspeo je da izazove osmeh. Ni na trenutak mi nije bila dosadna, odlično drži pažnju i mnogo mi je drago što sam je pročitala.
Mislim da bi nastao fenomenalan film po njoj, ali sumnjam da će tako nešto uspeti da se realizuje. U svakom slučaju, poruka autoru - @jamesbaileywrites please write more, I fell in love with "The Flip Side" and I would definitely buy any of your future works 😃
1. Dok čitam, razmišljam kako bih volela da je dam svima koje znam da je pročitaju 😅
To se desilo ovde.
Džoš prosi devojku u kabini Londonskog oka. Ona kaže ne i prizna da ga je prevarila. Skrhan jer sa njom gubi i posao i stan, ne zna šta će sa svojim životom. Zatim dolazi na jednu ideju - da za sve odluke u narednih godinu dana baca novčić. Na taj način, novčić će ga voditi kroz život i doneti mu razne radosti, ali i patnje.
Sviđa mi se više od većine čiklit knjiga. Ako ste voleli Teda u #howimetyourmother obožavaćete ovu knjigu jer je glavni lik poput njega - dobar i malo smotan, u stalnoj potrazi za pravom ljubavlju. Bukvalno je kao muška verzija Bridžet Džouns. Svi fanovi Sofi Kinsele - teško da vam ova knjiga neće prijati.
Idealna je da neko uz nju zavoli čitanje ili da izbavi iz neke čitalačke krize. Mogu da vam kažem da sam maksimalno uživala, bez preterivanja. Retko mi se desi takva reakcija i uvek tražim zamerke, ali baš je zaokružena celina, autor je na sve mislio i nije krajem pokvario celu knjigu.
Humor je sjajan, smejala sam se naglas sve vreme čitanja, čak i u nekim jako tužnim trenucima uspeo je da izazove osmeh. Ni na trenutak mi nije bila dosadna, odlično drži pažnju i mnogo mi je drago što sam je pročitala.
Mislim da bi nastao fenomenalan film po njoj, ali sumnjam da će tako nešto uspeti da se realizuje. U svakom slučaju, poruka autoru - @jamesbaileywrites please write more, I fell in love with "The Flip Side" and I would definitely buy any of your future works 😃
November 29, 2020
A lighthearted, fairly entertaining, quick read that didn't quite pull off the rom or the com that it's billed as. The comedy was definitely a miss for me and the romance didn't really kick in until half way through the story.
The premise of the story definitely interested me, and I was looking forward to reading from a man's point of view (which you don't often get in this genre). Unfortunately I feel like the story was trying to do too much and never really executed any of those well.
A romance that didn't happen until the latter half of the book, and even then we never really got to know the love interest.
A comedy that seemed to be based around a 'down on their luck' story, but all we got was a whiny 29 year old man who sounded and acted like a teenager.
A mid life crisis, find yourself book that saw no character growth and who took his friends and family for granted.
A fun travel story that didn't take advantage of the various European cities he visits to enhance the story. No real mention about the culture, food, people etc
Overall the story just fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher / author for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review.
The premise of the story definitely interested me, and I was looking forward to reading from a man's point of view (which you don't often get in this genre). Unfortunately I feel like the story was trying to do too much and never really executed any of those well.
A romance that didn't happen until the latter half of the book, and even then we never really got to know the love interest.
A comedy that seemed to be based around a 'down on their luck' story, but all we got was a whiny 29 year old man who sounded and acted like a teenager.
A mid life crisis, find yourself book that saw no character growth and who took his friends and family for granted.
A fun travel story that didn't take advantage of the various European cities he visits to enhance the story. No real mention about the culture, food, people etc
Overall the story just fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher / author for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review.
December 7, 2020
James Bailey's
The Flip Side
is a funny and poignant look at a man who has decided to let fate call the shots in his life.
He had the perfect plan. Josh is going to propose to his longtime girlfriend on New Year’s Eve on The London Eye, which she has always wanted to visit. The next thing he knows, his relationship is over, he’s lost his job and his apartment (although he gets to keep their obese pet rabbit), and he’s moved back in with his parents. Disaster on all fronts.
As he laments about how his life has fallen apart and the choices he has made, he decides to decide no longer. Instead he’s going to leave every decision to chance—to determine his path through each day of his life, he’ll flip a coin. Whatever the coin decides, he’ll follow.
But what starts out as a bit of a joke to his family, friends, and others around him becomes more serious when they realize Josh intends to keep flipping that coin. Where will it lead him? Will it help him plan his future or guide him into further trouble and despair?
I really enjoyed this concept. Sometimes I think we plan too much and it causes fate to step in and mess things up, so would a coin toss be better?
This is a slightly wacky, but fun and good-hearted story, with memorable characters that made me laugh occasionally. It was a good book to read in the midst of being depressed because I missed family Thanksgiving!! Bailey is a really engaging writer, and I look forward to seeing what's next for him.
William Morrow Books provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.. Thanks for making it available!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
He had the perfect plan. Josh is going to propose to his longtime girlfriend on New Year’s Eve on The London Eye, which she has always wanted to visit. The next thing he knows, his relationship is over, he’s lost his job and his apartment (although he gets to keep their obese pet rabbit), and he’s moved back in with his parents. Disaster on all fronts.
As he laments about how his life has fallen apart and the choices he has made, he decides to decide no longer. Instead he’s going to leave every decision to chance—to determine his path through each day of his life, he’ll flip a coin. Whatever the coin decides, he’ll follow.
But what starts out as a bit of a joke to his family, friends, and others around him becomes more serious when they realize Josh intends to keep flipping that coin. Where will it lead him? Will it help him plan his future or guide him into further trouble and despair?
I really enjoyed this concept. Sometimes I think we plan too much and it causes fate to step in and mess things up, so would a coin toss be better?
This is a slightly wacky, but fun and good-hearted story, with memorable characters that made me laugh occasionally. It was a good book to read in the midst of being depressed because I missed family Thanksgiving!! Bailey is a really engaging writer, and I look forward to seeing what's next for him.
William Morrow Books provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.. Thanks for making it available!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
December 9, 2020
This one was a miss for me. The concept is great -- boy gets his heart dashed, loses his job and his apartment, and after hitting rock bottom due to his own poor decision making decides to leave it up to fate and make all of his decisions via coin flip. And the writing is often very witty and engaging. The problem is that the protagonist -- the coin flipping Josh -- is incredibly hard to root for through out the book. He doesn't progress or evolve at all during the book, which makes for a unsatisfying read. The book relies on the 'instant love' trope but Josh and his love interest have no basis for having such a strong connection off the bat. Great idea but it needed a narrative arc of self improvement to ground the hi-jinx that is sorely missing.
November 29, 2020
2.5 stars!
I really wanted to like this and be completely swooned off my feet but honestly it just wasn't for me, there was something that felt off all throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Josh has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job and his house and his now forced to move back in with his parents and try to reinvent himself and figure his life out. In the midst of his chaotic life, Josh decides that he will leave the next year of his life up to fate and will make every decision with the flip of a coin.
In theory, this book had everything to succeed. A romantic comedy style, intriguing premise and what seem to be interesting characters. It was did quite funny and entertaining at times, however there were certain things I just couldn't look past.
The main thing that "ruined" this book for me was the fact that the whole second half of it is based on Josh finding what he believe is the "love of his life". Now, I'm all for romance. In fact, I absolutely love romance and will always fight to have romance in a story, but this story just wasn't romantic at all. The whole "romance" plot line is based on Josh being head over heels with this perfect girl whom he only met once and had about a 15 minute conversation with. After that, he is lost to his love for her and will stop at nothing to find her. That includes travelling to several countries across Europe to try to figure out where she is working and see her one more time. This whole plot line just didn't sit right with me, I found it creepy. Perhaps if the characters had had a more deeper connection being shown I would've felt differently about it but as it stands I didn't see how Josh was so completely in love with this girl after meeting her once that he would travel Europe to track her down. Also, again, slightly creepy and stalker-y, not at all a great romantic gesture in my eyes.
I can definitely see why people would absolutely love this book though. It is well written and fast paced, there are a lot of interesting passages about art and also some really funny moments.
Overall I just feel this wasn't a story for me but it could absolutely be a great story for someone else!
I really wanted to like this and be completely swooned off my feet but honestly it just wasn't for me, there was something that felt off all throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Josh has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job and his house and his now forced to move back in with his parents and try to reinvent himself and figure his life out. In the midst of his chaotic life, Josh decides that he will leave the next year of his life up to fate and will make every decision with the flip of a coin.
In theory, this book had everything to succeed. A romantic comedy style, intriguing premise and what seem to be interesting characters. It was did quite funny and entertaining at times, however there were certain things I just couldn't look past.
The main thing that "ruined" this book for me was the fact that the whole second half of it is based on Josh finding what he believe is the "love of his life". Now, I'm all for romance. In fact, I absolutely love romance and will always fight to have romance in a story, but this story just wasn't romantic at all. The whole "romance" plot line is based on Josh being head over heels with this perfect girl whom he only met once and had about a 15 minute conversation with. After that, he is lost to his love for her and will stop at nothing to find her. That includes travelling to several countries across Europe to try to figure out where she is working and see her one more time. This whole plot line just didn't sit right with me, I found it creepy. Perhaps if the characters had had a more deeper connection being shown I would've felt differently about it but as it stands I didn't see how Josh was so completely in love with this girl after meeting her once that he would travel Europe to track her down. Also, again, slightly creepy and stalker-y, not at all a great romantic gesture in my eyes.
I can definitely see why people would absolutely love this book though. It is well written and fast paced, there are a lot of interesting passages about art and also some really funny moments.
Overall I just feel this wasn't a story for me but it could absolutely be a great story for someone else!
November 11, 2022
Josh is having a quarterlifecrisis. His girlfriend dumped him, he lost his job and he's living with his parents again.
As he begins to doubt to his ability to make the right choices, he decides to start a new project: during one year for every decision he'll have to make, he'll flip a coin and thus let fate decide.
I was in the mood for a (very) light read, so the time had come to try out this debut written by Jaimes Bailey.
His little bio on the back cover mentions that he's born and raised in Bristol (UK), he once carried the Olympic torch, held a speech in the House of Commons and worked as a red carpet-reporter.
This should've raised a red flag, but I thought he just had a self-deprecating sense of humour.
Boy, was I wrong!
The whole story was written from the 1st POV of Josh.
This can turn out well, if the character is someone you can empathise with or if it's someone who can hold your interest for one reason or another.
As neither was the case, it turned out to be an awful choice.
Josh is nothing but a whiny, indecisive and selfish brat whose character doesn't develop a single bit along the story.
There are no new insights and no signs of growth.
At the end Josh is still the same whiny, indecisive and selfish brat he's always been.
The plot isn't much better.
Like most rom coms it's very predictable.
With the sole difference that the situations weren't romantic (nor humorous for that matter), but rather awkward.
As a reader I not once felt any emotional connection between the characters, which made it very hard to stay invested in the boring plot.
As some other reviewers already pointed out, there's also the silly naming of the characters, all beginning with the letter J: Josh, Jade, Jessie, Jake and his boyfriend who's also named Jake. When these two last characters are named together in a scene we constantly hear about 'Jake and Jake from Jake'. And hey, coincidences like this cán happen. But after reading this for the umpteenth time, it feels like pure page-filling and becomes really tedious.
Oh and there were even more side characters with the J: Jesus, Jeremy, … (I may have forgotten some, as the book wasn't memorable)
Jeez! How original!
With some creativity and skillful writing this debut could have been turned into an interesting story.
Sadly enough, it was boring, predictable, whiny and not humorous at all.
As he begins to doubt to his ability to make the right choices, he decides to start a new project: during one year for every decision he'll have to make, he'll flip a coin and thus let fate decide.
I was in the mood for a (very) light read, so the time had come to try out this debut written by Jaimes Bailey.
His little bio on the back cover mentions that he's born and raised in Bristol (UK), he once carried the Olympic torch, held a speech in the House of Commons and worked as a red carpet-reporter.
This should've raised a red flag, but I thought he just had a self-deprecating sense of humour.
Boy, was I wrong!
The whole story was written from the 1st POV of Josh.
This can turn out well, if the character is someone you can empathise with or if it's someone who can hold your interest for one reason or another.
As neither was the case, it turned out to be an awful choice.
Josh is nothing but a whiny, indecisive and selfish brat whose character doesn't develop a single bit along the story.
There are no new insights and no signs of growth.
At the end Josh is still the same whiny, indecisive and selfish brat he's always been.
The plot isn't much better.
Like most rom coms it's very predictable.
With the sole difference that the situations weren't romantic (nor humorous for that matter), but rather awkward.
As a reader I not once felt any emotional connection between the characters, which made it very hard to stay invested in the boring plot.
As some other reviewers already pointed out, there's also the silly naming of the characters, all beginning with the letter J: Josh, Jade, Jessie, Jake and his boyfriend who's also named Jake. When these two last characters are named together in a scene we constantly hear about 'Jake and Jake from Jake'. And hey, coincidences like this cán happen. But after reading this for the umpteenth time, it feels like pure page-filling and becomes really tedious.
Oh and there were even more side characters with the J: Jesus, Jeremy, … (I may have forgotten some, as the book wasn't memorable)
Jeez! How original!
With some creativity and skillful writing this debut could have been turned into an interesting story.
Sadly enough, it was boring, predictable, whiny and not humorous at all.
November 2, 2020
DNF at 43%, I should have realised when it was described as the laugh out loud comedy of the year.
Josh thinks he is living his best life, living and working with his girlfriend. Then he proposes and she says no. Suddenly his world falls apart, he's out of work and back living with his parents. Disappointed with his life choices Josh decides to live his life on the flip of a coin (like the Diceman).
I think this sort of novel works better in a bigger, American setting, or maybe with a more likeable MC, generally Josh's decisions are things like should he go on a blind date set up by his mum, or should he go to the pub quiz, or to his ten year school reunion - nothing earth-shattering or, frankly, interesting. He's jobless, clueless and more like a 13 year old than a 28 year old man. He meets a girl randomly in the National Gallery, fails to find out anything about her and lets down his friends. I just didn't like him and didn't care whether he turned his life around. I didn't find it funny, I think it's like Marmite or Father Ted, you either love it or loathe it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Josh thinks he is living his best life, living and working with his girlfriend. Then he proposes and she says no. Suddenly his world falls apart, he's out of work and back living with his parents. Disappointed with his life choices Josh decides to live his life on the flip of a coin (like the Diceman).
I think this sort of novel works better in a bigger, American setting, or maybe with a more likeable MC, generally Josh's decisions are things like should he go on a blind date set up by his mum, or should he go to the pub quiz, or to his ten year school reunion - nothing earth-shattering or, frankly, interesting. He's jobless, clueless and more like a 13 year old than a 28 year old man. He meets a girl randomly in the National Gallery, fails to find out anything about her and lets down his friends. I just didn't like him and didn't care whether he turned his life around. I didn't find it funny, I think it's like Marmite or Father Ted, you either love it or loathe it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
August 4, 2021
Meni se ovo dopalo! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Ušao sam u ovo otvorenog uma sa željom da bude knjiga koja će biti lijepa za čitanje. I bila je. I sad sam sretan zbog toga. Priča prati čovjeka koji prosi svoju djevojku i ona kaže NE. Od tog trenutka njegov život postaje sve gori i on odluči svoju sudbinu prepustiti jednom novčiću kog baca svaki put kada treba da donese neku odluku.
Razlog zašto mi se ova knjiga dopala najviše jeste to koliko sam se vidio u glavnom liku na momente. Priča mi se mnogo dopala i humor je sasvim solidan. S obzirom da je ovo "Men Lit" tip knjige, onda sigurno već možete da shvatite kako će da završi i to je ono što mi je bilo jedino negativno ovdje.
Knjiga je napisana jednostavno i lijepo, a divna je za odmoriti mozak u ovim ljetnim danima. Nema potrebe da očekujete nešto veliko, ali ono koliko je pisac dao u ovom žanru je stvarno u redu. Ova knjiga bi radila super kao film i možda jednog dana naprave jedan.
Nije mi žao što sam pročitao ovo. Preporuka ako vam treba nešto lagano i zanimljivo.
Ušao sam u ovo otvorenog uma sa željom da bude knjiga koja će biti lijepa za čitanje. I bila je. I sad sam sretan zbog toga. Priča prati čovjeka koji prosi svoju djevojku i ona kaže NE. Od tog trenutka njegov život postaje sve gori i on odluči svoju sudbinu prepustiti jednom novčiću kog baca svaki put kada treba da donese neku odluku.
Razlog zašto mi se ova knjiga dopala najviše jeste to koliko sam se vidio u glavnom liku na momente. Priča mi se mnogo dopala i humor je sasvim solidan. S obzirom da je ovo "Men Lit" tip knjige, onda sigurno već možete da shvatite kako će da završi i to je ono što mi je bilo jedino negativno ovdje.
Knjiga je napisana jednostavno i lijepo, a divna je za odmoriti mozak u ovim ljetnim danima. Nema potrebe da očekujete nešto veliko, ali ono koliko je pisac dao u ovom žanru je stvarno u redu. Ova knjiga bi radila super kao film i možda jednog dana naprave jedan.
Nije mi žao što sam pročitao ovo. Preporuka ako vam treba nešto lagano i zanimljivo.
November 26, 2020
Josh is suffering from a quarter-life crisis. He's just broke up with his girlfriend, lost his job and moved back in with his parents. Josh starts questioning all his life choices. Maybe he'd be better off if he just tossed a coin. After all, careful planning has made him homeless, jobless and single. After all, he doesn't have anything to loose.
I liked that this was told from a male's perspective. It's heartwarming and filled with humor. It's also quick and easy to read. Josh is a likeable character as were his constant companions, Jessie and Jake. I can't imagine myself flipping a coin to make all the decisions in my life but it worked in the book. This is a really good debut novel.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PenguinUK #MichaelJoseph and the author #JamesBailey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked that this was told from a male's perspective. It's heartwarming and filled with humor. It's also quick and easy to read. Josh is a likeable character as were his constant companions, Jessie and Jake. I can't imagine myself flipping a coin to make all the decisions in my life but it worked in the book. This is a really good debut novel.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PenguinUK #MichaelJoseph and the author #JamesBailey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2020
I really wanted to like this book -- it had such a charming premise & some good comparisons. As it started, I even liked the narrative voice. But I DNF'd the digital ARC at 23%. I just couldn't keep torturing myself with the whiny white guy narrative. I don't need more whiny dude books in my life, thanks.
And if this is truly a "rom-com," the romantic plotline was still missing as of 23%. I generally like to give books a bit longer to warm up for me, but I just can't with this one.
And if this is truly a "rom-com," the romantic plotline was still missing as of 23%. I generally like to give books a bit longer to warm up for me, but I just can't with this one.
February 12, 2023
men shouldn’t be allowed to write rom coms
September 22, 2021
Josh hasn't failed to launch exactly, but if he launched he barely made it out of the front yard.
I loved Josh, Josh's mother, and all of his friends. What a cutie Josh is even after the terrible year he had.
1. he lost his job
2. he lost his girl
3. he lost his home
4. he had to move back to his parent's house
5. he can't find a job
6. he is lonely
He never saw any of these things coming. In fact, he thought his life was going great, that is just before it crumbled. He can no longer trust his own judgment and he might as well let fate make his decisions, so he does. He flips a coin.
But life can get even more complex if you are flipping a coin especially after you met the ONE! He needs the coin more than ever now. This is a sharp contemporary book about today's generation. Ir was a great light and fun read. Written from the male perspective its humor is straightforward and endearing.
4 stars
Happy Reading
I loved Josh, Josh's mother, and all of his friends. What a cutie Josh is even after the terrible year he had.
1. he lost his job
2. he lost his girl
3. he lost his home
4. he had to move back to his parent's house
5. he can't find a job
6. he is lonely
He never saw any of these things coming. In fact, he thought his life was going great, that is just before it crumbled. He can no longer trust his own judgment and he might as well let fate make his decisions, so he does. He flips a coin.
But life can get even more complex if you are flipping a coin especially after you met the ONE! He needs the coin more than ever now. This is a sharp contemporary book about today's generation. Ir was a great light and fun read. Written from the male perspective its humor is straightforward and endearing.
4 stars
Happy Reading
November 15, 2020
“I guess I just feel I’ve clearly not made the best decisions so far, so why not let fate guide me for a bit? Maybe the coin might actually be able to help me find myself, and love. What have I got to lose?”
I really enjoyed this hilarious story about finding yourself with the help of a coin, your best friends, and supportive family. Josh didn’t need that coin as much as he thinks he did. He had the best people around him. People who loved him and wanted him to succeed. I loved the side characters so much. I just loved this wholesome story. It was full of ups and downs but also life. It was so beautiful. I also really liked how the ex, Jade, comes back into the story. I hate not knowing what happens to the ex. I want them to get what’s coming to them. I hold grudges and I want know what happens to the cheating exes. I feel like the conflict was resolved in this book and that makes me ridiculous happy. Josh and Lucy also made me ridiculously happy. Their love was everything.
If you want a clean, funny, romance this is the book for you. It was so enjoyable and uplifting. It’s the perfect summer read or weekend getaway read. Traveling read! Is that thing? If it isn’t it should be. There was not only talk about traveling but actual traveling in the book and it gave me so much wanderlust.
Quick info about me. I love to travel. I wish I had more money to travel more often and for this pandemic to go away. This book made me want to travel and I’ve been to some of these places so gahhhh. I’ve been to Amsterdam and Munich. Walked around in the city. I’ve been to both Philadelphia and Tokyo on layovers. I know it sounds lame but I had all the ramen I could eat at the Tokyo airport and it was delicious! I want to go and actually visit the country next time. The story also talks about Paris and Greece which I want to visit. I want to go everywhere this book talked about. I want to visit all the bookstores Joshua visited in these countries looking for Lucy. I already visit every bookstore I can. This book made me want to travel so much.
It was so fluffy and fun.
I really enjoyed this hilarious story about finding yourself with the help of a coin, your best friends, and supportive family. Josh didn’t need that coin as much as he thinks he did. He had the best people around him. People who loved him and wanted him to succeed. I loved the side characters so much. I just loved this wholesome story. It was full of ups and downs but also life. It was so beautiful. I also really liked how the ex, Jade, comes back into the story. I hate not knowing what happens to the ex. I want them to get what’s coming to them. I hold grudges and I want know what happens to the cheating exes. I feel like the conflict was resolved in this book and that makes me ridiculous happy. Josh and Lucy also made me ridiculously happy. Their love was everything.
If you want a clean, funny, romance this is the book for you. It was so enjoyable and uplifting. It’s the perfect summer read or weekend getaway read. Traveling read! Is that thing? If it isn’t it should be. There was not only talk about traveling but actual traveling in the book and it gave me so much wanderlust.
Quick info about me. I love to travel. I wish I had more money to travel more often and for this pandemic to go away. This book made me want to travel and I’ve been to some of these places so gahhhh. I’ve been to Amsterdam and Munich. Walked around in the city. I’ve been to both Philadelphia and Tokyo on layovers. I know it sounds lame but I had all the ramen I could eat at the Tokyo airport and it was delicious! I want to go and actually visit the country next time. The story also talks about Paris and Greece which I want to visit. I want to go everywhere this book talked about. I want to visit all the bookstores Joshua visited in these countries looking for Lucy. I already visit every bookstore I can. This book made me want to travel so much.
It was so fluffy and fun.
November 28, 2020
In all honesty, I wanted to like this book. Truth be told, when I read the blurb, it really caught my interest seeing as how I enjoy reading romcom books from time to time to simply lighten my mood and have a good time with the story and its characters. This however, was just not it for me.
Let me explain further.
First, the story has a great potential of making it into a really good one. The main character, Josh, has been turned down by his girlfriend of 2-3 years when he asked for her hand in marriage. And so with his relationship failing, he also lost his job and his apartment. In short, he is now rock bottom. Suddenly, with all the bad things that's happened to him, an idea came into Josh that for this new year, he's decided to let fate lead his life by flipping a coin for every decision that he makes. Throughout the story, we witness Josh making decisions based on fate and the coin alone, even going on a wild goose chase around Europe to find the "girl of his dreams."
In contrast to what other reviews say, I did not find the story hilarious and entertaining. It was simply disappointing, predictable, and to be honest, cringe-y at times (don't even get me started on his dates, argh.) More so, while I appreciate the main character traveling around Europe to find the girl of his dreams, I also felt like the wonderful places he visited such as Germany, Amsterdam, and Paris were not given much justice. I didn't see the point in going to these places without even mentioning their culture, people, and such. A wasted opportunity of making this into a better book, if you ask me. 🤷🏻♀️
Secondly, this relates to my second problem with the book, which are the characters. Apologies for being too harsh, but I REALLY had a hard time trying to like or even tolerate these characters. Josh is so whiny and has absolutely no sense of responsibility, even flipping the darn coin because he can't decide which socks to wear. I find him petty, shallow, and insensitive. He takes his friends for granted that I can't (for the life of me) understand how they can see Josh as the "deserving one" to get all the prize money for the Television Game they won first place in that, mind you, Josh didn't even contribute much in. And for what? You guessed that right! To pay for his expenses in travelling around Europe to find this girl he has ZERO idea about, not even her name. Seriously, please don't tell me you're not laughing at this!
Anyway, his friends Jessie and Jake are impossibly too nice and too understanding that I find it pretty hard to believe anyone could be THAT nice after seeing your friend make some really dumb decisions in their life (no offence). Still, I kept on reading the book thinking that "hey, maybe Josh would eventually grow up and grow some balls too" but NOOOOO. By the time I reached the end of the book, I didn't see the character development I was expecting from him. In the end, he is still the same 29 year old whiny and irresponsible guy which I hate. The only character I probably liked in this book was Josh's granddad which he calls Pap - a secondary character at that.
Overall, the story fell flat for me and there was no character development. I wanted to say more about this book but I don't want to be overly harsh. I would recommend this however, to those who are looking for a light and easy read.
Let me explain further.
First, the story has a great potential of making it into a really good one. The main character, Josh, has been turned down by his girlfriend of 2-3 years when he asked for her hand in marriage. And so with his relationship failing, he also lost his job and his apartment. In short, he is now rock bottom. Suddenly, with all the bad things that's happened to him, an idea came into Josh that for this new year, he's decided to let fate lead his life by flipping a coin for every decision that he makes. Throughout the story, we witness Josh making decisions based on fate and the coin alone, even going on a wild goose chase around Europe to find the "girl of his dreams."
In contrast to what other reviews say, I did not find the story hilarious and entertaining. It was simply disappointing, predictable, and to be honest, cringe-y at times (don't even get me started on his dates, argh.) More so, while I appreciate the main character traveling around Europe to find the girl of his dreams, I also felt like the wonderful places he visited such as Germany, Amsterdam, and Paris were not given much justice. I didn't see the point in going to these places without even mentioning their culture, people, and such. A wasted opportunity of making this into a better book, if you ask me. 🤷🏻♀️
Secondly, this relates to my second problem with the book, which are the characters. Apologies for being too harsh, but I REALLY had a hard time trying to like or even tolerate these characters. Josh is so whiny and has absolutely no sense of responsibility, even flipping the darn coin because he can't decide which socks to wear. I find him petty, shallow, and insensitive. He takes his friends for granted that I can't (for the life of me) understand how they can see Josh as the "deserving one" to get all the prize money for the Television Game they won first place in that, mind you, Josh didn't even contribute much in. And for what? You guessed that right! To pay for his expenses in travelling around Europe to find this girl he has ZERO idea about, not even her name. Seriously, please don't tell me you're not laughing at this!
Anyway, his friends Jessie and Jake are impossibly too nice and too understanding that I find it pretty hard to believe anyone could be THAT nice after seeing your friend make some really dumb decisions in their life (no offence). Still, I kept on reading the book thinking that "hey, maybe Josh would eventually grow up and grow some balls too" but NOOOOO. By the time I reached the end of the book, I didn't see the character development I was expecting from him. In the end, he is still the same 29 year old whiny and irresponsible guy which I hate. The only character I probably liked in this book was Josh's granddad which he calls Pap - a secondary character at that.
Overall, the story fell flat for me and there was no character development. I wanted to say more about this book but I don't want to be overly harsh. I would recommend this however, to those who are looking for a light and easy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
3.5 out of 5 Stars.
I had no idea of this book's existence, despite being a big fan of the 'rom-com' genre, a couple of weeks later after this book's release date I came across to it in a bookstore. The cover screamed that it's a chick-lit/rom-com so I decided to read the premise. The reason why I got invested in reading this book was: 1) It's a rom-com written by a man, which I rarely stumble on. 2) It's from only a guy's percpective, which to me is very refreshing (naturally, cuz it's also written by a man), but I can literally count only on one hand how many books I read from a guy's pov (and all of them those were from dual pov's). 3) Lastly, the cover seemed like I would enjoy the book.
My overall thoughts: I liked this book quite a lot actually. It was fun, easy plotline, likeable characters, fast-paced and I'm not kidding, but I laughed OUT LOUD a few times, and not only just smiled. Sure, it's typical and cliché, but very fun to read. I mean, if they're not cliché are they even considered a rom-com?
I had no idea of this book's existence, despite being a big fan of the 'rom-com' genre, a couple of weeks later after this book's release date I came across to it in a bookstore. The cover screamed that it's a chick-lit/rom-com so I decided to read the premise. The reason why I got invested in reading this book was: 1) It's a rom-com written by a man, which I rarely stumble on. 2) It's from only a guy's percpective, which to me is very refreshing (naturally, cuz it's also written by a man), but I can literally count only on one hand how many books I read from a guy's pov (and all of them those were from dual pov's). 3) Lastly, the cover seemed like I would enjoy the book.
My overall thoughts: I liked this book quite a lot actually. It was fun, easy plotline, likeable characters, fast-paced and I'm not kidding, but I laughed OUT LOUD a few times, and not only just smiled. Sure, it's typical and cliché, but very fun to read. I mean, if they're not cliché are they even considered a rom-com?
May 21, 2021
Josh trifft es knüppelhart: Seinen Antrag lehnt Freundin Jade Toogood am Silvesterabend ab und konfrontiert den 28-Jährigen damit, dass sie ihn betrogen hat. Auf einen Schlag verliert er nicht nur die Beziehung, sondern auch Job und Wohnung. Was soll er nur tun? Weil er seinen eigenen Entscheidungen nicht mehr traut, will der Engländer bei allen anstehenden Fragen eine Münze werfen.
„Du kannst kein Zufall sein“ ist eine romantische Komödie von James Bailey.
Meine Meinung:
Der Roman besteht aus 41 Kapiteln. Sie erstrecken sich auf fünf Teile, die nach den Jahreszeiten benannt sind. Erzählt wird in der Ich-Perspektive aus der Sicht von Josh. Dieser Aufbau funktioniert gut.
Der Schreibstil ist locker und anschaulich. Es gibt viel wörtliche Rede. Dem Korrektorat sind noch einige Fehler durchgerutscht.
Der unsympathische Protagonist ist für mich ein echtes Manko des Romans. Fast bis zum Ende verhält sich Josh wie ein unreifer Vollidiot, der kaum ein Fettnäpfchen auslässt und von einem Fremdschäm-Moment zum nächsten schlittert. Mit seinem Charakter wurde ich überhaupt nicht warm. Allerdings gibt es die eine oder andere liebenswürdige Nebenfigur.
Die Idee mit dem Münzwurf hat mich an der Geschichte gereizt. Die Handlung ist tatsächlich sehr kurzweilig und erstaunlich abwechslungsreich, obwohl die Münze zeitweise etwas in den Hintergrund rückt. Auf unterhaltsame Art werden interessante Fakten eingestreut. Ich habe außerdem gerne etwas über Bristol gelernt. Zudem enthält der Roman mehrere bewegende und ernsthafte Passagen.
Leider war die Story für mich aber in weiten Teilen eher wie ein Unfall, bei dem man nicht weggucken kann. Größtenteils hat mich der platte Humor und Klamauk nicht erreicht. Viele Szenen sind unrealistisch und unangenehm übertrieben.
Das Cover ist ansprechend gestaltet. Der deutsche Titel erschließt sich mir nicht so ganz, das englische Original („The Flipside“) ist treffender formuliert.
Mein Fazit:
„Du kannst kein Zufall sein“ von James Bailey ist ein Roman, der mich zwar unterhalten, aber auch enttäuscht hat. Eine Leseempfehlung kann ich nicht aussprechen.
„Du kannst kein Zufall sein“ ist eine romantische Komödie von James Bailey.
Meine Meinung:
Der Roman besteht aus 41 Kapiteln. Sie erstrecken sich auf fünf Teile, die nach den Jahreszeiten benannt sind. Erzählt wird in der Ich-Perspektive aus der Sicht von Josh. Dieser Aufbau funktioniert gut.
Der Schreibstil ist locker und anschaulich. Es gibt viel wörtliche Rede. Dem Korrektorat sind noch einige Fehler durchgerutscht.
Der unsympathische Protagonist ist für mich ein echtes Manko des Romans. Fast bis zum Ende verhält sich Josh wie ein unreifer Vollidiot, der kaum ein Fettnäpfchen auslässt und von einem Fremdschäm-Moment zum nächsten schlittert. Mit seinem Charakter wurde ich überhaupt nicht warm. Allerdings gibt es die eine oder andere liebenswürdige Nebenfigur.
Die Idee mit dem Münzwurf hat mich an der Geschichte gereizt. Die Handlung ist tatsächlich sehr kurzweilig und erstaunlich abwechslungsreich, obwohl die Münze zeitweise etwas in den Hintergrund rückt. Auf unterhaltsame Art werden interessante Fakten eingestreut. Ich habe außerdem gerne etwas über Bristol gelernt. Zudem enthält der Roman mehrere bewegende und ernsthafte Passagen.
Leider war die Story für mich aber in weiten Teilen eher wie ein Unfall, bei dem man nicht weggucken kann. Größtenteils hat mich der platte Humor und Klamauk nicht erreicht. Viele Szenen sind unrealistisch und unangenehm übertrieben.
Das Cover ist ansprechend gestaltet. Der deutsche Titel erschließt sich mir nicht so ganz, das englische Original („The Flipside“) ist treffender formuliert.
Mein Fazit:
„Du kannst kein Zufall sein“ von James Bailey ist ein Roman, der mich zwar unterhalten, aber auch enttäuscht hat. Eine Leseempfehlung kann ich nicht aussprechen.
August 19, 2020
4.5 STARS
Josh is a 28 year old guy who proposed on New Year's Eve to his girlfriend and she rejected him. Not only that, but they break up and walk their seperate ways. Since Josh was working at her family business and he was living at her place, he ends up unemployed and homeless. Since he's on this tough road he decides to make decisions for the rest of the year based on a coin he tosses. This current situation, plus his coin decisions will definitely affect his life and the route it's going to take.
At first his story sounds very typical and maybe common, but as it progresses we face very unique situations and the scenes are hilarious! I found some things over the top, like his parents and their unique characteristics that kept going until the very last pages of the book. I felt like they were fun at first, but at some point that we had gotten the drill, I wished that it would tone it down.
However, this was such a pleasant story. The secondary characters and their sennanigans were a blast, the dialogues were amusing and the romance was adorable as well. To be honest, it surprised me, because I didn't see it coming. For some reason, I thought it would walk on another way, so I was pleasantly surprised, when it didn't. I loved Josh and his adventures, his crazy family and his best friends who stood by him whenever he needed them.
Definitely recommend this one. You will smile, you will laugh, you will feel all kinds of emotions. Such a cute read that it left a smile on my face in the end.
ARC was provided through Netgalley from the publishing house in exchange for an honest review.
Josh is a 28 year old guy who proposed on New Year's Eve to his girlfriend and she rejected him. Not only that, but they break up and walk their seperate ways. Since Josh was working at her family business and he was living at her place, he ends up unemployed and homeless. Since he's on this tough road he decides to make decisions for the rest of the year based on a coin he tosses. This current situation, plus his coin decisions will definitely affect his life and the route it's going to take.
At first his story sounds very typical and maybe common, but as it progresses we face very unique situations and the scenes are hilarious! I found some things over the top, like his parents and their unique characteristics that kept going until the very last pages of the book. I felt like they were fun at first, but at some point that we had gotten the drill, I wished that it would tone it down.
However, this was such a pleasant story. The secondary characters and their sennanigans were a blast, the dialogues were amusing and the romance was adorable as well. To be honest, it surprised me, because I didn't see it coming. For some reason, I thought it would walk on another way, so I was pleasantly surprised, when it didn't. I loved Josh and his adventures, his crazy family and his best friends who stood by him whenever he needed them.
Definitely recommend this one. You will smile, you will laugh, you will feel all kinds of emotions. Such a cute read that it left a smile on my face in the end.
ARC was provided through Netgalley from the publishing house in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2021
Just because you acknowledge within the plot that your story is about a man obsessively stalking a manic pixie dream girl doesn’t stop your story being about a man obsessively stalking a manic pixie dream girl.
May 7, 2020
Would you let the flip of a coin make all your decisions for a whole year? One flip, heads or tails, one choice or another…
That’s the premise for James’ debut novel The Flip Side which follows Josh and his fate-deciding fifty pence. After proposing to his girlfriend and being brutally rejected, Josh finds a fifty pence and decides to bestow upon it the power to make all of his decisions; because all the ones he’s made alone have ended terribly. What follows is the story of Josh, his fifty pence, a girl, Van Gogh’s sunflowers, pigeons, and a road trip with Jesus.
For a debut novel this is a blinder. James’ humour is present from the first page to last and the pages are alive with the wonderfully drawn characters. The protagonist, Josh, is funny, instantly likeable and I was rooting for him from the beginning. The situations he finds himself in after flipping the coin are hilarious and, at times, very moving. There’s a lovely balance between the genuine laugh-out-loud humour and serious, heart-warming scenes.
I devoured this book in a few hours and couldn’t put it down, it was compelling, paced perfectly and had a cast of characters I became hugely invested in. It is really refreshing to read a genuinely funny and warm romantic novel that is told from the point of view of a male character. It’s been a long while since I’ve read one of those! The book is infused with such astute and witty observations, situations and characterisations that make the whole book so brilliant.
The Flip Side is a laugh-out-loud, heart-warming romantic comedy that will leave you pondering whether you could ever leave fate up to the flip of a coin…
That’s the premise for James’ debut novel The Flip Side which follows Josh and his fate-deciding fifty pence. After proposing to his girlfriend and being brutally rejected, Josh finds a fifty pence and decides to bestow upon it the power to make all of his decisions; because all the ones he’s made alone have ended terribly. What follows is the story of Josh, his fifty pence, a girl, Van Gogh’s sunflowers, pigeons, and a road trip with Jesus.
For a debut novel this is a blinder. James’ humour is present from the first page to last and the pages are alive with the wonderfully drawn characters. The protagonist, Josh, is funny, instantly likeable and I was rooting for him from the beginning. The situations he finds himself in after flipping the coin are hilarious and, at times, very moving. There’s a lovely balance between the genuine laugh-out-loud humour and serious, heart-warming scenes.
I devoured this book in a few hours and couldn’t put it down, it was compelling, paced perfectly and had a cast of characters I became hugely invested in. It is really refreshing to read a genuinely funny and warm romantic novel that is told from the point of view of a male character. It’s been a long while since I’ve read one of those! The book is infused with such astute and witty observations, situations and characterisations that make the whole book so brilliant.
The Flip Side is a laugh-out-loud, heart-warming romantic comedy that will leave you pondering whether you could ever leave fate up to the flip of a coin…
July 14, 2021
Bevor ich meine Rezension beginne, möchte ich festhalten, dass ich das Buch bei einem Überraschungs-New-Adult-Gewinnspiel gewonnen habe und es mir selbst NICHT zugelegt hätte, wenn ich den Titel bereits gekannt hätte, da es für mich definitiv kein New Adult ist, sondern lediglich ein „normaler“ Liebesroman.
Das Cover finde ich ganz witzig und der Autor ist mir direkt sympathisch geworden, weil er auch Hispanistik studiert hat.
In dem Buch geht es um Josh, der sich mitten in einer Quarter-Life-Crisis befindet und nach einigen Fehlentscheidungen nicht mehr seinem Bauchgefühl vertraut. Stattdessen fällt er ein Jahr lang nur noch Entscheidungen, mit der Hilfe einer Münze.
Das klingt ziemlich absurd und das ist es auch, aber genau das macht den Roman eben auch so unterhaltsam. Mir war Josh von Anfang an total sympathisch, auch wenn er etwas schräg ist. Genauso wie seine Freunde, Jessie und Jake, mit denen er gemeinsam als „Jot-Gang“ beim wöchtentlichen Pubquiz teilnimmt. Wie cool ist das bitte?!
In der gesamten Geschichte gab es wirklich so einige Momente, in denen ich schmunzeln musste und die Liebesgeschichte war nicht zu 100% im Fokus, das hat mir gut gefallen, genauso wie der Schreibstil des Autors.
Da ich es aber „nur“ in Ordnung für zwischendurch fand und ich auch nicht das Bedürfnis habe, es in naher Zukunft noch einmal zu lesen, vergebe ich 3.5 Sterne.
Ich empfehle es allen, die gerne Unterhaltungsromane mit einer eher dezenteren Liebesgeschichte mögen und vielleicht selbst gerade in einer „Quarter-Life-Crisis“ sind, um die Probleme und Sorgen von Josh besser verstehen zu können.
3.5/5
Das Cover finde ich ganz witzig und der Autor ist mir direkt sympathisch geworden, weil er auch Hispanistik studiert hat.
In dem Buch geht es um Josh, der sich mitten in einer Quarter-Life-Crisis befindet und nach einigen Fehlentscheidungen nicht mehr seinem Bauchgefühl vertraut. Stattdessen fällt er ein Jahr lang nur noch Entscheidungen, mit der Hilfe einer Münze.
Das klingt ziemlich absurd und das ist es auch, aber genau das macht den Roman eben auch so unterhaltsam. Mir war Josh von Anfang an total sympathisch, auch wenn er etwas schräg ist. Genauso wie seine Freunde, Jessie und Jake, mit denen er gemeinsam als „Jot-Gang“ beim wöchtentlichen Pubquiz teilnimmt. Wie cool ist das bitte?!
In der gesamten Geschichte gab es wirklich so einige Momente, in denen ich schmunzeln musste und die Liebesgeschichte war nicht zu 100% im Fokus, das hat mir gut gefallen, genauso wie der Schreibstil des Autors.
Da ich es aber „nur“ in Ordnung für zwischendurch fand und ich auch nicht das Bedürfnis habe, es in naher Zukunft noch einmal zu lesen, vergebe ich 3.5 Sterne.
Ich empfehle es allen, die gerne Unterhaltungsromane mit einer eher dezenteren Liebesgeschichte mögen und vielleicht selbst gerade in einer „Quarter-Life-Crisis“ sind, um die Probleme und Sorgen von Josh besser verstehen zu können.
3.5/5
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February 26, 2021No date, no rating - DNF @ p68
I truly believe I have a limit when it comes to awkwardness. In 68 pages, we had a failed proposal, a horny rabbit, a pub quiz team called 'the quizlamic extremists' (no I was not impressed and did not find this funny), a valentine's card from mum at 28 years old and tv phone sex which made our main character cry. I can deal with awkwardness. I can't deal with THIS MUCH awkwardness. I think the one redeeming quality for the book (at least up until where I read it) was that it was refreshing to see the heartbreak perspective from a man's point of view where he was genuinely distressed and not 'dealing with it like a man'. So that was nice. It just was not for me, in any other aspect.
Thank you to James Bailey, Netgalley and Michael Joseph for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I truly believe I have a limit when it comes to awkwardness. In 68 pages, we had a failed proposal, a horny rabbit, a pub quiz team called 'the quizlamic extremists' (no I was not impressed and did not find this funny), a valentine's card from mum at 28 years old and tv phone sex which made our main character cry. I can deal with awkwardness. I can't deal with THIS MUCH awkwardness. I think the one redeeming quality for the book (at least up until where I read it) was that it was refreshing to see the heartbreak perspective from a man's point of view where he was genuinely distressed and not 'dealing with it like a man'. So that was nice. It just was not for me, in any other aspect.
Thank you to James Bailey, Netgalley and Michael Joseph for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
November 11, 2020
This was quite a fun situation in that we had a male author write a male POV contemporary romance. This was definitely a first for me.
The story was original and had potential to be great. However I felt the pace was extremely slow. I was itching for a bit more connection from the main character Josh. He just was so mopey, within reason he was just dumped. I was just hoping it would pick up a tad faster.
A bright note was watching the traveling unfold. As an English speaker living in Europe I was LOVING that part of the story. I often opened up my Google maps app and added places to visit when I am able.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. I would have loved a faster pace and a bit more in the romance area.
Thank you William Morrow and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story was original and had potential to be great. However I felt the pace was extremely slow. I was itching for a bit more connection from the main character Josh. He just was so mopey, within reason he was just dumped. I was just hoping it would pick up a tad faster.
A bright note was watching the traveling unfold. As an English speaker living in Europe I was LOVING that part of the story. I often opened up my Google maps app and added places to visit when I am able.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. I would have loved a faster pace and a bit more in the romance area.
Thank you William Morrow and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 12, 2021
Predictable plot, insufferable main character - we’re meant to empathise with him and want him to succeed on his search and yet he spends the entire time complaining about his friends and taking them for granted. By the end he feels unbearable and brings the entire tone of the book down. Some astute comments and moments, but they don’t make up for the gaping holes in his personality. His infatuation with ‘sunflower’ is obsessive and narcissistic - not romantic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 21, 2022didn’t get the rom... or the com, and WHY were these characters SO unlikeable?!
Also there was no need to kill off Pap (the best character despite him being in only 2 scenes) he was THE ONLY REASON I CONTINUED TO READ - there are reasons other than your Grandfather’s funeral to fly home from abroad. Thank you.
(raging because I needed a fun light hearted read and this was just...bad)
Also there was no need to kill off Pap (the best character despite him being in only 2 scenes) he was THE ONLY REASON I CONTINUED TO READ - there are reasons other than your Grandfather’s funeral to fly home from abroad. Thank you.
(raging because I needed a fun light hearted read and this was just...bad)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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