Title: The Flip Side by James Bailey
Publisher: Penguin (UK)/William Morrow Paperbacks (US)
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Comedy
Length: 354 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary (UK):
It’s love . . . what could go wrong?
When Josh proposes in a pod on the London Eye at New Years’ Eve, he thinks it’s perfect.
Until she says no.
And they have to spend the next 29 excruciating minutes alone together.
Realising he can’t trust his own judgment, Josh decides from now on he will make every decision through the flip of a coin.
Maybe the coin will change his life forever.
Maybe it will find him find the girl of his dreams . .
Review:
The Flip Side is a laugh out loud debut by James Bailey.
When Josh’s proposal to his girlfriend of four years culminates with the end of their relationship, he loses his job and his home as well. Uncertain where he went to wrong, he no longer trusts his judgment and decides to live his life by flip of a coin. Moving back in with his wacky parents, Josh hopes to soon find a new job and get his life back on track. In the meantime, he enjoys game nights at the local pub with his mates, Jessie, Jake and Jake’s boyfriend, Jake. After a couple of comically disastrous dates, he decides to give up on love. But as so often happens, Josh unexpectedly finds the woman of his dreams. However, through an unlucky set of circumstances, he loses her as quickly as finds her. With his friends cheering him on and with a flip of his coin, Josh decides to try and find her. Will fate finally be on Josh’s side as he attempts to locate the woman who might be the one for him?
Josh is absolutely stunned when his carefully planned proposal quickly goes awry. His parents (mostly) welcome him back home after the break up but his return is initially a little fraught. While Jessie is supportive of his heartbreak, Jake pushes him to jump back into the dating pool. Josh proves to be humorously inept as his dates hilariously, painfully and embarrassingly go wrong. So when he meets his dream woman, he is surprised by how at ease he feels with her. However, they are so busy talking Josh fails to get any of her details. When they are unexpectedly separated, he believes his chance at love has just slipped away. Thankfully, he does have a few clues that might help him locate her. With Jessie and Jake’s wholehearted encouragement, Josh embarks on a journey that might culminate with a happily ever after.
The Flip Side is a highly entertaining novel with a light-hearted storyline. The colorful cast of characters is a little eccentric but well-developed. Josh is not exactly the most optimistic person but who can blame him considering his current circumstances?? The search for his dream woman is a zany adventure and Josh’s emotions run the gamut from hopeful to despair. With a couple of unanticipated plot twists, James Bailey brings this funny debut to a heartwarming conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this clever and amusing novel to fans of the genre.
