Lovesick (Jean Flynn, XO Romance)

Beth Hampson is cruising along with an okay job, sharing a flat with her sister in Melbourne and crushing on one of the doctors at work. She’s not desperate for a relationship, just … keen. Except dating is tricky when you’re a little insecure and a lot messier after a few drinks, so when a guy declares his love under the influence, how do you know he really means it? Lovesick is a fun romantic comedy that delves into the nerve-racking world of hook-ups, morning-afters and mixed signals. Debut author Jean Flynn brings a fresh, modern voice to Australian genre fiction, writing in a style that is more chick-lit than romance. It’s not always clear why our heroine falls in love, but readers are likely to overlook this for the book’s hilarity, interesting characters and lighthearted but ‘OMG-so-true’ moments of insight into life and relationships in your twenties. Alongside recent titles such as The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and The Hot Guy by Mel Campbell and Anthony Morris, Lovesick signals a growing market for Australian women’s fiction with a modern sensibility and a sincere desire to reassure readers that dating might be fraught, but it is survivable. This book is a promising start for Xoum Publishing’s new imprint XO Romance.

Kat Mayo runs a book blog and podcast at bookthingo.com.au

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