The List: the bestselling laugh-out-loud romcom

by Joanna Bolouri

''SEXY, SMART AND SCANDALOUS' Victoria Fox

One list, ten wishes, and absolutely no chance of actually falling in love . . .

Reluctantly single Phoebe Henderson has spent twelve months trying to get over her cheating ex, but no amount of wine or extensive relationship analysis with best friend Lucy has seemed 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. One year of no-strings-attached adventure. What could possibly go wrong?

Between meddlesome colleagues, friends with benefits, getting frisky al fresco and maybe, possibly, true love, Phoebe's bucket list with a difference might be more than she bargained for . . .

'FEARLESS' List
'RAUNCHY AND HILARIOUS' Scottish Sun
'A CRACKER OF A DEBUT' Sun

• ISBN10: 1848663080
• ISBN13: 9781848663084
• Publish Date: 10 April 2014 (first published 5 December 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Quercus Publishing
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free for a Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Today is the last stop on The List Blog Tour. I hope you have all had a fab time!

We begin at new year, Phoebe and her friends have just had a wonderful night at a posh hotel but Phoebe is feeling a bit well crap, and not just from the alcohol.

It's been a year since she caught that scumbag of an ex, Alex, in bed with Miss Tits but she's still not over him. So Phoebe decides that this year instead of making lots of ridiculous resolutions that she will never stick to, we've all done that right?, she will change one thing.

After a few days she decides it will be her sex life. So the girls come over they get really drunk and then the list is formed. Ten Challenges to complete by year end, the only problem now is who to complete them with....

I really liked Phoebe. I could see myself being friends with her and having the best time. I loved the layout of the book. It's set out like a diary each month being a new chapter. This made me feel like I was right there along with Phoebe and the gang.

Lucy was hilarious. I loved her. She is so blunt. She had me in stitches. Hazel is the calm and collected one. She has the wisdom for Phoebe.

Now there is a lovely array of men in this book. Let's start with the worst, Alex. I HATE HIM. Moving on to Richard who seemed like a sweet boy but a bit young and needy. Then there is Frank, what a transformation. Stuart, yes please, the guy who can't way, Barry..erm what a stupid name and finally my favourite Oliver.

Oliver has dark curly hair and an Irish accent....SOLD. He is also very kind and caring. He has been friends with Phoebe since 6th Form and neither could imagine their life without the other.

Phoebe has quite the transformation from the beginning of the book until the end. She goes through a lot in one year but none of it seems unrealistic. Every part of this book could happen to any one of us girls and that it what I loved the most about it.

This book shows that sex is not some dirty secret and a girl wanting it isn't either but it's also not overly and unnecessarily erotic.

Half way through the book I thought yeah I've got this ending all figured out....CURVEBALL!!! Oh I did love the ending though. This is a funny feel good book that will have you laughing and crying (not just from laughter) as well as at times screaming in frustration at the page. This book literally has everything you need.

[Leah]

When I heard about The List by Joanna Bolouri, I thought it sounded really, really interesting. Novels that focus on sex aren’t really my cup of tea, but The List sounded different. It didn’t sound as if it was a 50 Shades-type novel, so I was very much willing to give it a go, especially after I saw the super pretty cover. It’s probably one of my favourite covers – with the bright pink and gold writing and it’s definitely a cover that jumps out at you and makes you take notice of it. So I was quite looking forward to getting stuck in, especially as some of the early reviews were very positive, saying it was really funny, but I actually never laughed once. (Is there something wrong with me?)

The List has a very simple, easy premise. Phoebe Henderson wakes up on New Years Day and finds herself with no boyfriend, a job she hates, and a raging hang-over and she decalares that this is the year she will choose a resolution she can stick to, and the only one that strikes her as something she could do is to spice up her love life. She’s going to write down 10 things she’s always wanted to do in the bedroom and find somebody to help her achieve them all… She enlists the help of best friend Oliver, who is more than happy to help Phoebe become more adventurous, and over the course of a year she’s going to tick off all of the items on her list, without worrying about the consequences, because if it’s between best friends there’s no strings attached (except the ones Phoebe wants attached)… Right?

The List was a weird read for me. I wanted to love it so much, and I wanted it to become my next favourite read, but I just didn’t really get it. I saw what Phoebe was doing, and it was a great idea (if not really to my tastes, personally) but what should have been a fun, flirty, light read was bogged down in hearing about how much Phoebe missed her AWFUL ex-boyfriend Alex, who wasn’t worth the head-space at all (and who, as per the Chick Lit rules, made a return appearance which I saw coming a mile off and which irritated the life out of me – I was with Frank, Phoebe’s boss, she seemed like such a better person and going back to Alex was such a cliched, bad mis-step) and I was a little bit sick of reading about how awful her work/colleagues were. Why didn’t she just find another job?! What I did enjoy was any and all of her interactions with Oliver. Oliver was a STAR and I could see a mile off that they’d be perfect for each other as more than just bed buddies if they both just opened their eyes a little bit. Phoebe was so obtuse. You know when something is just screaming you in the face and you just don’t see it? Phoebe just didn’t see it!

Joanna Bolouri has a fantastic voice, of that I have no doubt. Phoebe was a fantastic narrator, though I found her tough exterior to be somewhat at odds with the fact she was clearly so self-conscious and how hung up she was over Alex. Her voice didn’t seem to match her personality and if Phoebe could have just shut up about Alex for one second, I would have put her in the Gemma Burgess catergory of characters because she had that streak inside her of being honest, and sweary, and the type of character I like. But she was led astray by men, and not even a good man. I wanted to love the book so much and there were bits I enjoyed, I just felt that despite the unique plot, the rest of the plot followed the usual Chick Lit rules and cliches – cheating ex; best man friend who is so obviously perfect for you, but you can’t see it; an awful job… I was just kind of disappointed. But I will look out for Joanna’s second novel which may be more to my tastes. I didn’t think this would be my kinda book, but I’m trying to push my boundaries in 2014 and this one just didn’t really work, it just wasn’t for me.