[AD/Gifted - I received an e-book copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]
The Couple by Helly Acton - 4/5
Blurb:
"Millie is a perfectionist. She's happy, she's successful - and, with a great support network of friends and family (and a very grumpy cat) around her, she's never lonely. She has her dream job at a big tech firm and is on track to become the company's youngest ever Innovation Director. The last thing she needs is romance messing up her perfectly organised world.
Besides, normal people just don't have romantic relationships. Everyone knows that being in a couple is a bit . . . well, odd. Sure, everybody has that one coupled-up friend who messes up the numbers at dinner parties, but it's a bit eccentric. You know, like having a pet snake or living off the grid. Why rely on another person for your own happiness? Why risk the humiliation of unrequited love or the agony of a break-up when you can do everything yourself? No, Millie is perfectly happy with her conventional single life.
So when Millie lands a new project at work, launching a pill that stops you falling in love, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. That is, until she starts working with Ben. He's charming and funny, and Millie feels an instant connection with him. Is this the spark that science and society are trying to suppress?
Will Millie sacrifice everything she believes in for love?"
Review:
The Couple is a great twist on a regular romance. Society today tells us that to be happy and successful we all need to be in relationships. This book turns that on its head. The single life is the way to live and people who coupled up are seen as outsiders. They always need to justify why they are in a couple and even get punished by higher taxes.
29 year old Millie works at Slide, the world's fastest-growing strings-free sex app. She and her group of single friends enjoy their life. Millie has a type-A personality and has had a plan for her life since she was 16. It is all very career focused and she lives for itineraries and routine. Being in a relationship would completely ruin that. She believes that you don't need a relationship to be happy and you shouldn't rely on someone else to bring you happiness.
Ben comes to work for Slide after relocating to London from the Cardiff branch. He and Millie click instantly. A new pill is developed, Oxytoxin, which is an antidote to love. Millie and Ben are paired together to come up with a creative way to brand it.
This is a very interesting read and not like anything I've read before. Not only does it explore love and relationships, but it was interesting to hear about Millie's work life and how she deals with setbacks. I loved her character development. Ben helps Millie see that work doesn't have to be her entire life.
I absolutely loved how any songs mentioned were reversed to be aimed towards self love like 'Love Me Like I Do' and 'Nothing Compares 2 Me'. It is very clever!
This is the first book I have read by Helly Acton, although I do have a copy of her novel The Shelf. I will definitely be reading it soon as I loved The Couple so much!
A massive thank you to Compulsive Readers for organising this blog tour and Zaffre Books for the e-book copy. You can find details of where to find other bloggers reviews in the graphic below.
Be First to Post Comment !
Post a Comment