Book Bites | Joseph Murray, Alice Slater, Dr Angela Ahola

Fling

Joseph Murray, Macmillan

*** (3 stars)

After three failed IVF attempts, Tara and Colin’s relationship is stagnating and pretty much nearing the end. When a new dating app is launched, both of them sign up. Whether you are team Tara or team Colin, you understand where they are both coming from and it’s not to sympathise. Fling is a modern-day romance that touches on infertility and the impact it has on relationships, dealt with in a lighthearted way. However, in the end, experimenting with betrayal and deep loss, this romcom does its job. If you’re done with thrillers and need a break from serious reads, Fling is a fresh and light read. — Jessica Levitt

Death of a Bookseller

Alice Slater, Hodder & Stoughton

**** (4 stars) 

This dark and twisted thriller set in a bookstore is told by two booksellers. Roach is a loner who is obsessed with true crime and despises “normies.” Laura is Roach’s opposite: sweet, sunny, and vintage cute. But her poetry is dark and mysterious. Roach is obsessed. But the more she tries to make Laura her friend, the more awkward their relationship becomes. A suspenseful read. — Tiah Beautement

100 Dates: The Psychologist Who Kissed 100 Frogs So You Don't Have To

Dr Angela Ahola, Pan Macmillan

**** (4 stars)

Remember that awkward scene in Bridget Jones’s Diary where she goes to the smug couples' dinner party and they're all questioning her about her dating life and why she thinks there are so many women over 30 who are still single? Well, this book has the answer — because now women can. Ahola is a Swedish psychologist whose bio says  she is “an expert on the thought processes behind first impressions, power and influence, the art of meaningful communication, dating and relationships, the secrets of happiness and the mysteries of love”. Newly single, she decides to date and lead the experiment as well as being the test subject. The result is down-to-earth advice. No creepy pick-up artist techniques or vibes, its objective is to myth-bust a person’s expectations and realities when it comes to dating, especially online dating and apps which, according to her stats, is the most common way people find a partner. Mostly though, like Ms Jones, we all want to find someone who likes us just the way we are. — Jennifer Platt