Pretending: The brilliant adult novel from Holly Bourne. Why be yourself when you can be perfect?
Apr 2020 · Hachette UK
4.9star
8 reviewsreport
Ebook
448
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About this ebook
WHY BE YOURSELF WHEN YOU CAN BE PERFECT?
**As featured on The High Low podcast**
'MAGNIFICENT. Brutally honest and righteously angry but still HUGELY enjoyable and engaging. I bow down!' Marian Keyes
'A thoughtful, intelligent, urgent novel women need to read.' Dolly Alderton
The highly-anticipated new novel from Holly Bourne, bestselling author of HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?
_____________
He said he was looking for a 'partner in crime' which everyone knows is shorthand for 'a woman who isn't real'.
April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal - yet she can't seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she's found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry.
If only April could be more like Gretel.
Gretel is exactly what men want - she's a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems.
The problem is, Gretel isn't real. And April is now claiming to be her.
As soon as April starts 'being' Gretel, dating becomes much more fun - especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua.
Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?
_____________
PRAISE FOR HOLLY BOURNE:
'Honest and unflinching' Stylist
'Funny, touching and painfully true' Grazia
'Relatable for any woman navigating emotional time bombs' Red
'Bourne incinerates the lies we're all capable of telling ourselves' Emerald Street
'Funny, real and heartbreaking' Lucy Vine
'Funny, sad, honest, insightful, up-to-the-minute' Roisin Meaney
'Smart, witty and perceptive. Razor-sharp on friendship, self-image and self-deception' Lucy Diamond
**As featured on The High Low podcast**
'MAGNIFICENT. Brutally honest and righteously angry but still HUGELY enjoyable and engaging. I bow down!' Marian Keyes
'A thoughtful, intelligent, urgent novel women need to read.' Dolly Alderton
The highly-anticipated new novel from Holly Bourne, bestselling author of HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?
_____________
He said he was looking for a 'partner in crime' which everyone knows is shorthand for 'a woman who isn't real'.
April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal - yet she can't seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she's found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry.
If only April could be more like Gretel.
Gretel is exactly what men want - she's a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems.
The problem is, Gretel isn't real. And April is now claiming to be her.
As soon as April starts 'being' Gretel, dating becomes much more fun - especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua.
Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?
_____________
PRAISE FOR HOLLY BOURNE:
'Honest and unflinching' Stylist
'Funny, touching and painfully true' Grazia
'Relatable for any woman navigating emotional time bombs' Red
'Bourne incinerates the lies we're all capable of telling ourselves' Emerald Street
'Funny, real and heartbreaking' Lucy Vine
'Funny, sad, honest, insightful, up-to-the-minute' Roisin Meaney
'Smart, witty and perceptive. Razor-sharp on friendship, self-image and self-deception' Lucy Diamond
Ratings and reviews
4.9
8 reviews
Josephina Ballerina
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November 15, 2020
What started off as an assumed romance became raw and heartfelt and angry and healing. A difficult topic, and a cutting exploration of dating, relationships, friendships, and trauma. At times it was funny, at others it cut close to the bone and my heart ached, but it always felt honest and ultimately hopeful. This is one of those books I hope all the women in my life can read. Maybe they'll find a part of their story reflected there and feel like they don't have to pretend quite so much 🖤
About the author
Holly started her writing career as a journalist, then spent six years working as an editor, a relationship advisor, and 'agony aunt' for a youth charity. Inspired by what she saw, she started writing teen fiction, including the best-selling, award-winning 'Spinster Club' series which helps educate teenagers about feminism. At thirty, Holly wrote her first adult novel, examining the pressures on women. Holly has a keen interest in women's rights and is an advocate for reducing the stigma of mental health problems. She's helped create online apps that teach young people about sexual consent and is an ambassador for Women's Aid.
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