Holly Christmas is a no-nonsense 28-year-old teacher with a name that's entirely unsuited to her personality. She's also an obsessive wearer of black and has a track record of disastrous relationships. When her latest boyfriend dumps her for being too sarky, spiky and smart-arsey, she feels a terrible sense of deja vu. She's heard his complaints several times from other men. And while she tries to pretend she doesn't care, she can't ignore the shambles her love life is in. When a new teacher named James Bond joins Holly's school, Holly is faced with her antithesis. James is upbeat, affable and likeable. A conversation about their shared syndrome of attention-grabbing names is the beginning of an unlikely friendship, and as she gets to know James better, Holly can't help but be fascinated by his incessant cheeriness. But when fascination mutates into attraction, things start to get very messy. The male author presented a hugely convincing female narrative voice in The Bright Side, so I had high hopes for Little Black Everything. It didn't disappoint. I was pulled straight into the book by its easy-reading style and quick-fire dialogue. There's plenty of subtle, sophisticated humour too which is expertly embedded in each chapter. Holly's prickly nature doesn't make her an easy character to empathise with, but I found myself rooting for her nonetheless - something that I felt was a good achievement on the part of the author. If you're looking for an entertaining read with a quirky main character, this is one to keep an eye out for. (SBB)
