Asking for a Friend - Andi Osho

"No woman gets left behind"

⭐⭐⭐

I desperately needed some light relief after my last read, which was full of serial murderers and gruesome deaths, and this was just the ticket! I haven't read a rom-com since I don't know when, I think past me brushed them aside snobbishly. But present me is enthusiastically hugging them back close to her chest! I was of course wrong about rom-coms, because sometimes a little romantic escapism is exactly what the doctor ordered. I extend my heartfelt apology to rom-com writers and readers everywhere, and rap past me on the knuckles for being so blinkered. Andi Osho's debut novel may not be ground-breaking, pioneering stuff but it is an undoubtedly jolly romp and perfect feel-good chick-lit!

Jemima, Meagan and Simi are all hopeless at love. Jemima can't shake off her pesky ex (even after two years), Meagan hasn't reached the stage of her five-phase plan where romance is allowed yet, and Simi has a history of falling too hard, too fast leaving the others to pick up the pieces when it all inevitably comes crumbling down. They can't handle their own love lives so they put the responsibility in each other's hands. Changing the rules of the modern 'dating game' they decide to ask people out face-to-face, but only for each other. The rules seem simple enough, but the game will turn their lives and their friendship upside down.

I really enjoyed this book, and the fact that the ending was pretty predictable didn't detract from this. That is just the way the genre works isn't it, we all know how it is going to end after the first few chapters, but the journey to get there is the bit that keeps you turning the pages. Osho's three protagonists are key to this, she has created three bold and unapologetic Londoners who are distinctive and so drastically different from each other that their friendship seems unlikely but perfect. They each have a unique outlook on love that is challenged and warped as the book progresses, as are the bonds of their friendship as the dating game teaches them not just about love, but about themselves. Through 'the game'; the trials, tribulations and mistakes they make, they each ultimately embark on a journey of self discovery.

I also liked that each brief chapter (thank you Osho, I can't stand never ending chapters) alternates perspective between the three friends, creating a good flow through the book and keeping the reader engaged with each character arc. Romance is the driving force behind everything that happens, but true friendship shines through as the real MVP here. The girls are the ones who will always have your back, no matter the monumental mistakes you make. Sorry for the vulgarity but we all know it ladies... chicks before dicks!

H x