Freya’s life has improved immensely since she got herself the lifestyle app, BBest, which narrows down every decision to the three top choices. It advises her on every facet of life – from what to eat and wear, encouraged her to switch from waitressing to being a florist, and even helped matchmake her with fiance Mason. But as Freya wonders whether Mason really is her near-perfect match, she discovers a dark side to the app that most of the population relies on.
This novel has an intriguing premise which isn’t perhaps as far removed from reality as you’d hope. The storyline hooked me in straight away - how amazing does an app like this sound! But O’Neill’s story brings home the reality of a world where everything we do is tracked by a digital entity.
Ellie O'Neill's latest novel, The Right Girl, asks: What do you do when your perfect life ... isn't?
Freya has the best life - she's officially in love and her floristry business, Blooming Brilliant, is going from strength to strength. Two years ago, it was a different story. She was barely employed as the worst waitress in the world, with no hope of a boyfriend, and no bank balance.
But then she got BBest, a lifestyle app that knows you better than you know yourself. It changed everything. It streamlined her life, taking her likes and dislikes and skills and foibles, and gave her the best options so she doesn't make mistakes anymore. Freya has never looked back - and neither has anyone else. Everyone loves BBest, it's a game changer.
But if she's so in love, why doesn't it feel exactly right? And who is that mysterious man in her beloved grandfather's bookshop with soulful eyes that leave her unstitched? All of a sudden Freya has so many questions - and no one seems to be able to answer them. She begins to wonder what she really agreed to when she let BBest into her life. Then her grandfather is arrested, and Freya is thrust into a world she could never have imagined in her shiny, successful existence.
When you have the perfect life, should you listen to your head or your heart?" The Right Girl is out in February 2018.