A Girl Like You - Gemma Burgess

"I've discovered the secret to successful singledom. I'm acting like a man. And it's working."


Ater breaking up with her boyfriend of, well, forever, Abigail Wood must learn how to be single from scratch. Her dating skills are abysmal, and she ricochets from disaster to disaster – until Robert, one of London's most notorious lotharios, agrees to coach her.


With his advice, she learns to navigate the bastard-infested waters of the bar scene and practices the art of being bulletproof. The new Abigail is cocky, calm, composed…but what happens when she meets her match?


Well, where to start. I'm not a quick reader but I read this book in a couple of days. I enjoy a 'will she, won't she' story at the best of times. Who wouldn't like a happy ever after in January? But A Girl Like You is different. It's chick lit with attitude. 

The story revolves around Abigail Wood's quest to learn how to be single again. Abigail is made from a tiny piece of every woman out there who has come out of a long term relationship with fear in her heart about the prospect of dating again.  Through the help of Robert, Abigail learns, hilariously at times, how to become a bastardette. She dates with a man's take on things. But is she happy when doing this? Well, now, that would be telling...

I like Abigail Wood. I like Abigail Wood a lot. She is fiesty, she comes across as a great person to have as a friend and she's not afraid to give anything a go. Yet she is vulnerable, making her easily someone to empathise with. The rest of the characters are well rounded too. There are no cliches, apart from the ones that she sets out to disprove. And the sexual tension at times - phoar!

The blurb on the back of the book is exactly what is inside the pages. There are so many one liners in A Girl Like You, so many laugh out loud moments. So many lines that I will remember and use - I'll never go to the 'loo' again. I'll always try to look 'pretty with a punch' and well, let me just say nimble footed mountain goat...

Ladies, this is another fine example of how chick lit can be made modern. I sense a change in the genre with a few books I've read recently and, personally, I like the change. You heard it here first, this is KICK ASS CHICK LIT. I enjoyed A Girl Like You so much that I've already downloaded Gemma's first book, The Dating Detox on my kindle. 

Many thanks to Harper Collins for the review copy.