Fiction-Net > Book Reviews > Olivia's Bliss

Book Review Title Author Publisher Olivia's Bliss Deborah Wright Poolbeg Press Fiction-Net Rating Buy It - Buy This Book Cover Story When Ricky moves in, Olivia finds herself in competition with her flatmates Josephine and Leila. The race is on to hook this gorgeous, lovable, perfect guy. Olivia thinks her chances are slim against the blonde and beautiful Josephine. Luckily, Leila is short, round and cuddly - not much of a threat really. Life, however, is full of surprises. And then she meets Ricky's dad, Sir Henry Caldwell, well-known writer. When he hires her as his P.A. (despite the fact her typing speed is two words per three fingers per half-hour) she quickly finds herself helpless against his powerful personality and sexual magnetism. This is the lover of her dreams. It should be easy to forget her infatuation with Ricky. Shouldn't it? We Say We all know that life is never simple and straightforward and if it's possible to make the wrong decision about something then we probably will. This is certainly true in the case of Olivia's Bliss, aspiring twenty-six-year-old writer with love and lust on her mind. First of all, Olivia falls for Ricky who is cute and funny but also unpredictable. Unfortunately, due to misunderstandings, this doesn't work out. Then, Olivia decides that Ricky's father, Henry, is the love of her life, which has its own serious ramifications. The story is one of disaster and confusion with the characters to-ing and fro-ing between lovers as they try to keep themselves and everyone else happy. The pace is furious as the plot moves from lust through to love and marriage to breakdown and back to lust again, with various characters involved at each stage. There's certainly plenty going on and more than enough to keep the reader entertained. With nearly as many twists and turns as there are chapters it will also keep you guessing. The characters are convincing because they are all flawed and behave terribly a lot of the time. That said, Olivia is a sympathetic character because she just wants to be happy but like most of us, she keeps getting it wrong. She is also witty and slightly daft, adding to the comedy elements of the story. Olivia's Bliss is not the most original book I have read, but it is entertaining and funny. If you like your romantic stories to be modern, witty and fast then this is a fairly safe bet. To keep you happy, it's also a very satisfying five hundred pages long. Winner of the Poolbeg-Ireland on Sunday 'Write a Bestseller' competition, this was Deborah Wright's debut novel. Review by: Rachel Taylor Buy It - Buy This Book