Review: I Followed the Rules by Joanna Bolouri

Published by: Quercus
Release date: 2nd July 2015
Series:  n/a
I got it from: Netgalley
Goodreads summary:
Rule 1: Never ask him on a first date. Rule 2: Laugh admiringly at all his jokes. Rule 3: Always leave him wanting more.

. . . wtf?!

Have you heard of The Rules of Engagement? It's a book that promises to teach you to find the man of your dreams in ten easy steps. Unsurprisingly, I don't own a copy. What is it, 1892?

But I'm a journalist, and I've promised to follow it to the letter and write about the results. Nevermind that my friends think I'm insane, I'm stalking men all over town and can't keep my mouth shut at the best of times.

My name is Cat Buchanan. I'm thirty-six years old and live with my daughter in Glasgow. I've been single for six years, but that's about to change. After all, I'm on a deadline.

I Followed the Rules and this is what happened.
 
My review:
I totally fell in love with Bolouri's debut The List, so I had high expectations for this one. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. Bolouri's distinctive voice shines through loud and clear in this brilliant, sweary rom-com, making it an absolute joy to read. Somehow she's managed to come up with a story that's practically the opposite of The List. Where The List was all about having sex (well not all about that, but there was a lot of it), I Followed the Rules spends a good deal of its time not allowing sex. Despite that though, it still manages to be sexy. Bolouri is a literary wizard.

Cat Buchanan is a wonderful, complex character. I have to say, I don't often pick up books where the MC is a mum, because even though I'm of a similar age to our heroine, I have no children, am the least maternal person in the world, and do not enjoy reading about other peoples' children. Cat is that rare thing though - a single mum who still manages to act like a normal adult. We hear enough about young Grace to make it clear that she is a major fixture of Cat's life, but not enough to bore. She's an important character, but she doesn't get a huge amount of page-time, which works out perfectly for me. Cat is, apart from a successful single mum, a writer, and a brilliant woman who I want to be my best friend. In fact, she reminds me very much of my best friend, which must be why I loved her so much.

There something about Bolouri's books that has me constantly smiling while reading. Her voice is so full of humour and realism, that it's like a boozy night in with your best mate. I love the fact that she puts in lots of shouty capital letters. I love the fact that Cat has a voice in her head shouting inappropriate things at awkward times, the same way I do. I love the fact that it's frank and real and downright hilarious. I know I keep saying how funny it is, but I can't help emphasizing that point. I don't think any other author has had me in such a great mood while reading their books as Bolouri. I could read her writing all day, every day. But enough fan-girling. Just go and read it, I promise you won't regret it.

Review: The List by Joanna Bolouri

Published by: Quercus
Release date: 10th April 2014 (first published 5th Dec 2013)
Series: n/a
I got it from: NetGalley
Goodreads summary: Phoebe Henderson may be single but she sure doesn't feel fabulous. It's been a year since she found her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman, and multiple cases of wine and extensive relationship analysis with best friend Lucy have done nothing to help. Faced with a new year but no new love, Phoebe concocts a different kind of resolution.

The List: ten things she's always wanted to do in bed but has never had the chance (or the courage!) to try. A bucket list for between the sheets. One year of pleasure, no strings attached. Simple, right?

Factor in meddlesome colleagues, friends with benefits, getting frisky al fresco and maybe, possibly, true love and Phoebe's got her work cut out for her.

My review:
Oh my giddy aunt, I bloody LOVE Phoebe! I want her to be my best friend. The List was a serious test of my willpower - I wanted to devour it in one sitting, but I also couldn't bear for it to end so I had to ration myself and only read a bit at a time.

It's chick-lit, but the really good type. It's not all namby-pamby romance and twee middle-class shenanigans. It's hilariously irreverent, bravely bolshy, brilliantly lewd and has one of the highest feel-good factors I've ever read. Seriously, this book put me in such a good mood. Improved my sex life too! Oh yes. The List has the best approach to sex. It approaches it as an adult, but one who's not a mire of hang-ups. It says 'Let's be grown up about this. Sex feels good, and if you step a little out of your comfort zone you'll probably find it can feel even better!' It's not erotica - there's too much comedy for that. It's raunchy and fun though.

I've decided I like books that are split up into a number of things. 16 Things I Thought Were True was another recent good read, and 13 Little Blue Envelopes was another. It's not that I need an easy paint-by-numbers story, it's just that there's just something fun about progressing through the list. Maybe I'm a list geek. Also, it's set in Glasgow, but not in a gritty, Trainspotting type way. More a modern-but-down-to-earth city sort of thing. And don't worry, it's not written in a phonetically Scottish way or full of unpronouncable slang, either. It's just Scottish in an excellent sense of humour, ballsy and outgoing way.

Now up until this point I was only about two thirds of the way through the book. I was just so excited about it that I had to write about it. I have to admit that after that point it did go a bit more standard chick-lit, but it was still really good. I just had to read faster because I couldn't leave it alone when things weren't going exactly as I wanted. Of course if it was all plain-sailing it wouldn't really by much of a story, so that is in no way a criticism. Actually, I've been reading a lot of New Adult and Young Adult angst lately, and it was so refreshing to read about people who aren't recovering from some horrific loss, abuse or sudden discovery of magical powers. 

What's actually astounding is that it appears to be a debut novel. I went onto Goodreads to look up and obtain everything else Bolouri has ever written, because I'm obsessed with her, and it turns out there is nothing else. Get writing, woman! I need more of your books!