The Couple
The must-read romcom with a difference
Will be published approx. on 27. May 2021
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-83877-384-7 (ISBN)
Description
The author of The Radio 2 Book Club Pick The Shelf returns with a new hilarious, thought-provoking and funny novel.
'Genius, funny and thought-provoking. 5 stars' Carrie Hope Fletcher
'Helly's writing is filled with such humour and warmth, it makes me laugh and think whilst seamlessly tackling complex ideas about modern society. What a triumph!' Abigail Mann
'So clever, so thought-provoking, I loved it' Sophie Cousens
'A fresh, funny, razor-sharp take on society's views of relationships. It's feminist, it's provocative and a total joy to read' Hannah Tovey
'Funny and clever. I loved every single line' Lucy Vine
Millie is a perfectionist. She's happy, she's successful and, with a great support network of friends and family (and a very grumpy cat), she's never lonely. She loves working at a big tech firm and is on track be promoted to her dream role. The last thing she needs is romance messing up her perfectly organised world.
Besides, normal people just don't have romantic relationships. Everyone knows that being in a couple is a bit . . . well, odd. You know, like having a pet snake or referring to yourself in the third person. Why rely on another person for your own happiness? Why risk the humiliation of unrequited love or the agony of a break-up? No, Millie is more than happy with her conventional single life.
So, when Millie lands a new project at work, launching a pill that prevents you falling in love, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. That is, until she starts working with Ben. He's charming and funny, and Millie feels an instant connection to him.
Will Millie sacrifice everything she believes in for love?
Look out for Helly's debut novel The Shelf.
'Genius, funny and thought-provoking. 5 stars' Carrie Hope Fletcher
'Helly's writing is filled with such humour and warmth, it makes me laugh and think whilst seamlessly tackling complex ideas about modern society. What a triumph!' Abigail Mann
'So clever, so thought-provoking, I loved it' Sophie Cousens
'A fresh, funny, razor-sharp take on society's views of relationships. It's feminist, it's provocative and a total joy to read' Hannah Tovey
'Funny and clever. I loved every single line' Lucy Vine
Millie is a perfectionist. She's happy, she's successful and, with a great support network of friends and family (and a very grumpy cat), she's never lonely. She loves working at a big tech firm and is on track be promoted to her dream role. The last thing she needs is romance messing up her perfectly organised world.
Besides, normal people just don't have romantic relationships. Everyone knows that being in a couple is a bit . . . well, odd. You know, like having a pet snake or referring to yourself in the third person. Why rely on another person for your own happiness? Why risk the humiliation of unrequited love or the agony of a break-up? No, Millie is more than happy with her conventional single life.
So, when Millie lands a new project at work, launching a pill that prevents you falling in love, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. That is, until she starts working with Ben. He's charming and funny, and Millie feels an instant connection to him.
Will Millie sacrifice everything she believes in for love?
Look out for Helly's debut novel The Shelf.
Reviews / Votes
The Couple is the book I will say, from here on out, I wish I'd written. The concept is genius and the writing is funny and thought-provoking. I don't usually give books ratings but when it's a 5 star, it's a 5 star * Carrie Hope Fletcher * Warm, witty and thought-provoking * Abbie Greaves author of The Silent Treatment * I inhaled the book in less than twenty-four hours. Helly has absolutely smashed it once again. The Couple is funny, smart and thought-provoking, and so clever in the way it turns so many of our assumptions about love and relationships on their head * Freya Sampson * So clever, so thought-provoking, I loved it * Sophie Cousens * The Couple is a fresh, funny, razor-sharp take on society's views of relationships that will have you screaming "YES!" and "OMG she's talking about me!" on every page.Helly's got that brilliant knack of hooking you in from the moment you open the book, with utterly relatable characters and dialogue that sizzles. It's feminist, it's provocative and it was a total joy to read * Hannah Tovey *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
629 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83877-384-7 (9781838773847)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Helly Acton is a copywriter from London with past lives in Zimbabwe, the Middle East and Australia. She studied Law at King's College London before working in advertising. She is the author of The Shelf (2020) which was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick and The Couple (2021). Her latest novel is Begin Again. Helly currently lives in Berkshire with her husband, Chris, their two young boys, Arlo and Jack and their little dog, Milo.