The Couple
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-23 14:15:59
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：Helly Acton
- ISBN：B08CS2M4TH
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews
Kate Henderson
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I read Helly Acton's previous book and enjoyed it， so was looking forward to reading this one。The premise of this book felt really original， and I was super intrigued to read。 I had heard great things from some online 'influencers' too。However I didn't really enjoy this book。 I found the pacing really slow， and it took me a long time to get into the swing of it。 I found all of the characters at the beginning far too similar and that made it hard for me to keep track of what was going on， and to I read Helly Acton's previous book and enjoyed it， so was looking forward to reading this one。The premise of this book felt really original， and I was super intrigued to read。 I had heard great things from some online 'influencers' too。However I didn't really enjoy this book。 I found the pacing really slow， and it took me a long time to get into the swing of it。 I found all of the characters at the beginning far too similar and that made it hard for me to keep track of what was going on， and to who。 Because of this the whole book just felt a bit of a struggle。 I don't think it knew exactly what it was。。。 was it a romantic comedy？ Was it thriller/mystery？ The book just didn't work for me。 I didn't like the characters， and therefore didn't route for the relationships within the book either。 I wasn't sure what i was supposed to think？Not for me - but based on the reviews on here， looks like i'm in the minority！ 。。。more
Bookphenomena （Micky）
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Headlines:The war of singledom versus coupledomBanter for daysA question of ethicsIf you asked me what genre The Couple was， I'd describe it like this: rom-com/women's fiction with side serving of dystopia。 Have I read anything quite like it before？ No。 Did it deliver？ Oh， yes。Unusually， I'd recommend that you read the blurb before you start， otherwise you might not find your footing with the context easily because of that smattering of dystopia。 I loved the context， the flipping on reality of s Headlines:The war of singledom versus coupledomBanter for daysA question of ethicsIf you asked me what genre The Couple was， I'd describe it like this: rom-com/women's fiction with side serving of dystopia。 Have I read anything quite like it before？ No。 Did it deliver？ Oh， yes。Unusually， I'd recommend that you read the blurb before you start， otherwise you might not find your footing with the context easily because of that smattering of dystopia。 I loved the context， the flipping on reality of singles and couples。 I thought it was so clever to question the grand ethics of the world in this story and the idea of oxytocin。 This was definitely a more feminist world than we live in。Love is an illness。 Love can make you miserable。 Love can push you over the edge。All that aside， the two characters at the fore， Millie and Ben brought a light and funny narrative。 Ben especially was all the good guy you might need， alongside Millie's cautious nature。 Their friendship was fun and genuine and it was enjoyable to see changes happen。 They had a natural chemistry and they had banter。 The texting dialogue was amusing。Helly Acton has a signature style of writing and is really good at telling an innovative story you can buy into。 Fans of The Shelf won't be disappointed with her second book。I loke The Couple （not a typo）。 。。。more
Georgina Wright
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Incredible！I smiled， happy squealed and tried to savour this book instead of flying through it。 A absolute 5 star read。 Some book info！Millie doesn’t want a relationship， why would she？ Evidence suggests that single people live longer， are happier and more likely to succeed in life。 Working browsers a top creative for a large company which promotes single lives， she’s happily set in her safe， solid routine。Ben turns up at Slide just as their biggest ever project is announced， a pill which preven Incredible！I smiled， happy squealed and tried to savour this book instead of flying through it。 A absolute 5 star read。 Some book info！Millie doesn’t want a relationship， why would she？ Evidence suggests that single people live longer， are happier and more likely to succeed in life。 Working browsers a top creative for a large company which promotes single lives， she’s happily set in her safe， solid routine。Ben turns up at Slide just as their biggest ever project is announced， a pill which prevents people from falling in love。 Ben is pro coupleMillie is pro single。They get put in a team together to create the pitch for the Oxytoxin pill， a pitch that could lead Millie to her lifelong ambitions， but her new friendship with Ben makes her start to feel unsure about her initial thoughts。。。。。。 。。。more
Chloe （libraryofchlo）
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3。5 starsThink of the premise of this as an episode of Black Mirror。 Romantic relationships are odd and being single is the norm， and means you get more perks like cheaper rent， restaurant deals for one， and also no relying on another person for your own happiness。 Millie works for Slide， an app designed purely for no-strings-attached sex and is hoping to advance her career within the company。 She's given an opportunity to advance in the form of coming up with a creative concept for Oxytoxin - a 3。5 starsThink of the premise of this as an episode of Black Mirror。 Romantic relationships are odd and being single is the norm， and means you get more perks like cheaper rent， restaurant deals for one， and also no relying on another person for your own happiness。 Millie works for Slide， an app designed purely for no-strings-attached sex and is hoping to advance her career within the company。 She's given an opportunity to advance in the form of coming up with a creative concept for Oxytoxin - a pill to stop you from falling in love。 With new employee Ben， Millie aims to come up with justifications for the product and write a killer campaign to land that promotion。 Ben might just change Millie's mind about being single too。。。。。 Aside from their creative challenges with the new product， we also see the perspectives of her friends and colleagues。 Some of these characters are in a relationship and face the struggles of rent increases and judgement from those around them。 This is a look at the different kinds of love a person can experience， and the lengths they would go to limit the restrictions that being in love can bring e。g。 not pursuing opportunities and having little time to yourself。 We see Millie and Ben interview prospective clients of Oxytoxin all of whom have their different reasons for wanting to take the pill and I found it FASCINATING。 At first， I struggled to get my head around the concept that couples are abnormal and single people are the norm within Millie's world。 I did love that it turns the experience of being single and being patronised for it on its head， and it was refreshing to read what is essentially a dystopian meets romance novel。 However， at times I did feel the concept could've done with a little more development or even some historical context as a prologue。 I also felt that some of the characters surrounding Millie were a bit too samey， and didn't add much to the story， and there were moments that the narrative just stagnated for me hence why I've not rated this higher。In spite of this， I did LOVE Ben's character （hello Welsh romantic lead！） and how he was the complete opposite of Millie。 As an avid fan of The Hating Game I am a sucker for an office romance and cliche trope so the pair's interactions by internal office messaging systems， hangman games and work trips had me grinning from ear to ear。 In spite of the romantic theming， ultimately this is a story that tells you to defy societal expectations and follow your own heart and path。 With questionable ethics and bucketloads of banter， it looks at what it means to fall in love。 It hints at being true to yourself， personal growth， and the way our relationships and love for one another can better us as a person。 It's a morally questionable， but heartwarming story that is corny， even if a tad predictable in places。 Great if you're a fan of romance fiction， not so much if you're looking for more depth in your read。Huge thanks to Bonnier Books and Zaffre for my gifted copy to promote and review on Instagram！ 。。。more
Victoria
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DNF at 30% I tried to pick up this book 3 times。Is not for me。 I did not like much the writing and I was getting confused who is who。 Making me to read the same page twice
Lizzy Dent
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A pill that stops people from falling in love？ SIGN ME THE HELL UP。 （for the book， not the pill！）Helly Acton does it again with yet another cracking story with a fabulous premise。 What would life be like in a society where being a couple is NOT THE NORM？ Millie is living it， so when she gets the chance to work on a pill that actively STOPS you from falling in love， she's thrilled。 Until lovable Ben arrives to work with her and her world is turned upside down。 What a great starting point to explo A pill that stops people from falling in love？ SIGN ME THE HELL UP。 （for the book， not the pill！）Helly Acton does it again with yet another cracking story with a fabulous premise。 What would life be like in a society where being a couple is NOT THE NORM？ Millie is living it， so when she gets the chance to work on a pill that actively STOPS you from falling in love， she's thrilled。 Until lovable Ben arrives to work with her and her world is turned upside down。 What a great starting point to explore what it means to fall in love。 I bought the hardback of The Shelf and it is front and centre on my own bookshelf now - and I'm firmly a big fan of hers。 If you read this book， beware， you will fall in love with Millie and Ben。 It's clever， engrossing and at times very funny。 Helly is *such* a talent。 One of my top reads this summer！ Will add my fave passage in later - but away from the proof at the moment。 :-） x 。。。more
Bookshortie
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Review coming soon
Alison
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The Shelf was probably one of my favourite books from last year so when my Netgalley request for the authors' new book was approved it's safe to say I was very excited and couldn't resist starting it immediately。Unfortunately however while the premise of this story is wonderful and I completely get what the author was trying to do， there was something about it that just didn't work for me。 Don't get me wrong， I didn't dislike it and there are some wonderful moments， but it didn't live up to my a The Shelf was probably one of my favourite books from last year so when my Netgalley request for the authors' new book was approved it's safe to say I was very excited and couldn't resist starting it immediately。Unfortunately however while the premise of this story is wonderful and I completely get what the author was trying to do， there was something about it that just didn't work for me。 Don't get me wrong， I didn't dislike it and there are some wonderful moments， but it didn't live up to my admittedly high expectations。I guess my biggest issue was the world the author created。 It's a neat idea to flip societal norms on their head and make being single the norm and relationships the thing to be avoided or shameful of。 As a singleton I've definitely experienced a lot of what this highlights， how you can be made to feel odd， how everything is more expensive， the comments and judgement， however this felt a little bit too on the nose。 Maybe it's because I don't need these things pointed out to me but it felt overdone and repetitive。 It also seemed a little inconsistent at times， how it was fine for friends to live together， eat together， co parent， but not for a romantic couple。I also wasn't entirely sold on main character Millie or love interest Ben。 Millie was a bit too uptight， too much of a control freak and a perfectionist。 She has her routines and her plans and she's not moving from them。 As this pretty much describes me though I suspect my problem with her is that I found her too relatable。As for Ben， I did like him in a he'd be fun to hang around with way and he definitely brought out a softer， more likeable side to Millie but he wasn't really book boyfriend material。 I suspect it was all the high pitched laughing that turned me off。The secondary characters were a little more interesting and I really would have liked to see more of them。 A couple were maybe a smidge stereotyped but they played the role they needed to well。 I do wish Ali had had a bigger part to play as she was hands down the best thing in this story。Overall therefore， I did enjoy this and the unique premise certainly held my attention。 While I wasn't necessarily a fan of elements of the story it potters along quite nicely and has enough good moments to make up for the niggles I had。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy。 This has in no way influenced my review。 。。。more
Gemma LR
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this。 I really really tried with this。 I kept picking up and putting down hoping I would get drawn in but I never did。 Sorry but not one for me， I had to DNF at 30%。
Joséphine （Word Revel）
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Initial thoughts: I basically spent my twenties single， which drew a lot of unwelcome comments like， "Are you sure you don't want to get married？" or "I'm happy to introduce you to a friend！" That's why I loved the concept of The Couple — what if being single was the goal and people pitied this who were in a couple？ Helly's satirical take worked so well and had me in stitches right from the very start。 Initial thoughts: I basically spent my twenties single， which drew a lot of unwelcome comments like， "Are you sure you don't want to get married？" or "I'm happy to introduce you to a friend！" That's why I loved the concept of The Couple — what if being single was the goal and people pitied this who were in a couple？ Helly's satirical take worked so well and had me in stitches right from the very start。 。。。more
Ellis
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This had a really interesting concept， one that I hadn't seen done before， being set in a world where being single for the entirety of your life is the societal norm。As someone who has been single their entire life， this was a nice change when it comes to the ways in which single adults are routinely painted。And the whole notion of a pill that stops you from falling in love and the ways in which the PR company are looking to advertise it was incredibly well done and thought provoking。But the rom This had a really interesting concept， one that I hadn't seen done before， being set in a world where being single for the entirety of your life is the societal norm。As someone who has been single their entire life， this was a nice change when it comes to the ways in which single adults are routinely painted。And the whole notion of a pill that stops you from falling in love and the ways in which the PR company are looking to advertise it was incredibly well done and thought provoking。But the rom com itself was pretty standard。As soon as she meets Ben you just know that they are going to be together （in a couple） by the end。I'm also not sure that her friends have quite the same levels of characterisation as Millie or Ben， which is a bit of a let down when Millie interacts with them regularly。 Even Sasha felt like more of a well rounded character than them and she was meant to be the villain of the piece。It was well written even though the ARC had quite a few errors （spelling， grammatical and spacing issues） so hopefully that will be resolved before the book is officially published。I haven't read Helly Acton's other book， The Shelf， but I will definitely be seeking that out next and look forward to reading what she does next。Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ema✨
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Having recently read The Shelf by Helly Acton， I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on her new offering to us readers！I love how a simple idea， that we class as 'normal' to our everyday life， is taken and totally twisted around to give us such an opposite outlook on what we as society， define as 'right'。"Falling in love won't be a choice if you create a cultural belief that says that love stops you from succeeding at school， in your career， in your social life。 It's not a choice when you're made to f Having recently read The Shelf by Helly Acton， I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on her new offering to us readers！I love how a simple idea， that we class as 'normal' to our everyday life， is taken and totally twisted around to give us such an opposite outlook on what we as society， define as 'right'。"Falling in love won't be a choice if you create a cultural belief that says that love stops you from succeeding at school， in your career， in your social life。 It's not a choice when you're made to feel defective if your decision is different to everyone else's" And with that one quote， Acton manages to show us very clearly just how much， we as humans take into account 'what is embarrassing' ， when it comes to our life choices！As someone 'in a couple'， I found it really interesting to take into account both sides of the arguments made in the book。 In an ideal world， normal would be what each individual defines as such， not what society deems is 'correct'。 Which is why this story was so much fun to read！This book will make you laugh your heart out， sit and ponder the meaning of it all and have you racing through the pages to see what happens next。 。。。more
Chantelle Hazelden
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This is a highly entertaining read。A unique story with a brilliant concept。 The author flips the world of dating on its head。 The idea of being in a couple becomes strange and almost wrong in this novel， being single is the preferred option and is actually encouraged。Millie， who is our main protagonist， is content with life。 She has great friends， she's near to reaching her career goal， she is happy。 Well that's what she thought， until Ben turns up。 The more she works with him， the more she star This is a highly entertaining read。A unique story with a brilliant concept。 The author flips the world of dating on its head。 The idea of being in a couple becomes strange and almost wrong in this novel， being single is the preferred option and is actually encouraged。Millie， who is our main protagonist， is content with life。 She has great friends， she's near to reaching her career goal， she is happy。 Well that's what she thought， until Ben turns up。 The more she works with him， the more she starts to feel。Can love really be that bad？This is a smart， engaging and though provoking novel。 A romance， but not as we know it。 A refreshing read with some hilarious dialogue and a storyline that gives us a new outlook on love。 。。。more
Jude Reeves
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The Couple- Helly ActonI found this a really enjoyable read。 I was slightly confused at the start as it wasn’t clear if the ideas of the society were purposely extreme or just were supposed to be accepted。 Once I realised it was indeed a reversed society， I felt far more comfortable and enjoyed it a lot。 I do feel that the ending was a bit rushed and the last third was a little jumpy as if the author was being told to wrap it up before the characters were ready。 Nevertheless， I really enjoyed th The Couple- Helly ActonI found this a really enjoyable read。 I was slightly confused at the start as it wasn’t clear if the ideas of the society were purposely extreme or just were supposed to be accepted。 Once I realised it was indeed a reversed society， I felt far more comfortable and enjoyed it a lot。 I do feel that the ending was a bit rushed and the last third was a little jumpy as if the author was being told to wrap it up before the characters were ready。 Nevertheless， I really enjoyed the concept and the almost satirical feeling to it， it made me think about our own society whilst maintaining a really light-hearted approach。 I defiantly recommend this one as it has a great mix of familiarity we expect as readers with the genre， but also is a really unique concept and felt even slightly dystopian because of it， especially with the inclusion of oxytoxin。 I will definitely read Helly Acton again and I feel that is one of the best compliments I can give it！ I definitely think she will be a go-to author along with Talia Hibbert and Isobel Hart。 。。。more
Ceecee
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Millie， 29， works for ‘Slide’ the worlds fastest growing no strings attached sex app in a world where singledom is the norm and couples are scorned。 Ben joins the company and the pair have to work on creative ideas for the launch of Oxytoxin， a pill that is an antidote to love so a perfect ‘ partner’ for Slide。 This is such an entertaining read and it makes really valid points as you progress through。 The characters are so good， though not all likeable - yes， you Sasha。 Millie is intriguing in h Millie， 29， works for ‘Slide’ the worlds fastest growing no strings attached sex app in a world where singledom is the norm and couples are scorned。 Ben joins the company and the pair have to work on creative ideas for the launch of Oxytoxin， a pill that is an antidote to love so a perfect ‘ partner’ for Slide。 This is such an entertaining read and it makes really valid points as you progress through。 The characters are so good， though not all likeable - yes， you Sasha。 Millie is intriguing in her devotion to being in control， her desire for a timetable and singledom。 Ben is her polar opposite， he’s funny， random， clumsy， has a liking for hangman and crosswords and zero filter which of course makes him so lovable。 What develops is witty， funny， some of it is cheesy on occasions， at times maybe a bit corny but overall it’s just such good fun。 The idea of Oxytoxin appalls which allows for some toe curling at the thought and with some of the research they carry out。 The reality TV show ‘Single Me Out’ is equally the curling but then it’s reality TV （😁😏😉） and a send up of Love Island。 I really like how Helly Acton has turned the world on its head in this novel （her introduction is so worth reading） with tax breaks for singles and parodies like St Bridget’s Day on February 2nd。 It’s not one sided either as characters such as Ruth are in a couple。 The message？ Blow what society thinks or judges to be acceptable， go with your own flow and no one else’s， do whatever suits you personally and whatever choice you make is absolutely fine and nobody else’s business。 Amen to that。 Overall， I really enjoy the spin and thoughts to mull on in this novel， it’s engaging， well written with whip smart dialogue and very easy to read。 Another good one from the author and she’s one whose books I will always want to read。 With thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books， Zaffre for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
BookBloggerJanine
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The Couple by Helly ActonI give this book 4。25 stars Millie is happy & successful with her dream job at a big tech firm and great family & friends。 The last thing she needs is romance messing up her perfectly organised world。Normal people just don't have romantic relationships。Everyone knows that being in a couple is a bit 。 。 。 well， oddMillie lands a new project at work， launching a pill that stops you falling in love， it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime。 That is， until she starts work The Couple by Helly ActonI give this book 4。25 stars Millie is happy & successful with her dream job at a big tech firm and great family & friends。 The last thing she needs is romance messing up her perfectly organised world。Normal people just don't have romantic relationships。Everyone knows that being in a couple is a bit 。 。 。 well， oddMillie lands a new project at work， launching a pill that stops you falling in love， it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime。 That is， until she starts working with Ben！This book has such an entertaining and refreshing concept and is pieced together by believable characters。 It is well written with great pace。and also clever as it makes you stop and think while at the same time providing you with great humour。An immensely readable and highly recommended light fiction book from an author who has become a firm favourite of mine 。。。more
Eleanor
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I read Helly Acton’s first book and had mixed feelings about it。 I feel completely differently about ‘The Couple’。 My feelings about ‘The Couple’ are completely uncomplicated - I loved it！I really enjoyed the upside down world where being in a couple was considered unusual and weird， and the small details Acton added to make it more realistic （the song titles were great）。I did think Millie’s friendship group and company were aggressively judgemental， but I suppose they were representing the gene I read Helly Acton’s first book and had mixed feelings about it。 I feel completely differently about ‘The Couple’。 My feelings about ‘The Couple’ are completely uncomplicated - I loved it！I really enjoyed the upside down world where being in a couple was considered unusual and weird， and the small details Acton added to make it more realistic （the song titles were great）。I did think Millie’s friendship group and company were aggressively judgemental， but I suppose they were representing the general population and their feelings about couples。I really recommend this book if you need an escape to another world right now， and to all book lovers in general！Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
George （Fueltheblog）
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of the blog tour later in the year。 However， all thoughts and opinions are my own。 I loved this。 I loved how Helly set out a completely different reality AND it all made perfect sense。 It was just genius。 I liked how it was so different from anything I have read recently and I would love to see more from the world created by Helly。 I really do think it's going to be a well-loved book this！ Enjoy reading！ Full review and blog to follow as I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of the blog tour later in the year。 However， all thoughts and opinions are my own。 I loved this。 I loved how Helly set out a completely different reality AND it all made perfect sense。 It was just genius。 I liked how it was so different from anything I have read recently and I would love to see more from the world created by Helly。 I really do think it's going to be a well-loved book this！ Enjoy reading！ Full review and blog to follow as part of the book tour。 。。。more
Abigail
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If you took the insight of Black Mirror， merged it with the emotional intellect of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind， and rolled the humour of Schitt’s Creek into a book， #TheCouple would be it。 Helly has an amazing ability to hook you in to a dystopian concept and explore it with such humour and warmth， in this case the idea the singledom is the society norm and that there’s an antidote for love。 I found myself thinking about patriarchy from a new angle， the heteronormative expectations we If you took the insight of Black Mirror， merged it with the emotional intellect of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind， and rolled the humour of Schitt’s Creek into a book， #TheCouple would be it。 Helly has an amazing ability to hook you in to a dystopian concept and explore it with such humour and warmth， in this case the idea the singledom is the society norm and that there’s an antidote for love。 I found myself thinking about patriarchy from a new angle， the heteronormative expectations we have of relationships， and the way personal identity is retained as we move in and out of couples。 It made me LAFF and THINK at the same time。 What a triumph。 。。。more
Bethany Andrews
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I made a mistake yesterday。。。 I started this wonderful book at lunchtime knowing I had half a days work still ahead of me。 So I will warn the rest of you who have an ARC， a preorder or may be planning to buy it in the future - clear your diaries。 There are times when you pick up a book and you just know that you’re not going to move for the rest of the day， so today that is what I did！ I’m not sure how Helly has managed to bring us 2 fantastic novels and have a baby in a pandemic but she did it I made a mistake yesterday。。。 I started this wonderful book at lunchtime knowing I had half a days work still ahead of me。 So I will warn the rest of you who have an ARC， a preorder or may be planning to buy it in the future - clear your diaries。 There are times when you pick up a book and you just know that you’re not going to move for the rest of the day， so today that is what I did！ I’m not sure how Helly has managed to bring us 2 fantastic novels and have a baby in a pandemic but she did it 😂 The Couple subverts societal norms by having singletons ruling the world and couples being the forever queried and often shunned （we’ve all got that weird uncle who asks when we’re finding a partner， right？）。 I laughed out loud reading this， I wanted to skip to the end to find out what happened to our protagonist and genuinely I’d quite like to see some fan casting of characters！！ Thank you so much Zaffre for sending this and @hellyactonauthor thank you for writing such a funny and heartwarming story！ 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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An incredibly fascinating concept where society is anti-couple and loving yourself with "slide" hook ups is the norm。 Slide is like Uber of the dating world and couples are shunned for their habits。Millie works for a company introducing a pill that stops you falling in love and has to pitch it for a chance of promotion with a colleague。I loved that our "normal" was completely turned upside down and how that world looked was captivating。 The story of Millie and Ben is unusual too。 I like the rich An incredibly fascinating concept where society is anti-couple and loving yourself with "slide" hook ups is the norm。 Slide is like Uber of the dating world and couples are shunned for their habits。Millie works for a company introducing a pill that stops you falling in love and has to pitch it for a chance of promotion with a colleague。I loved that our "normal" was completely turned upside down and how that world looked was captivating。 The story of Millie and Ben is unusual too。 I like the richness of Ben being Welsh， and living in Wales myself I like the different places they explored and could imagine it well。Cheeky， fun。 morally challenging for the characters and what lengths people will go to for the job they want。 Light， but with an interesting resounding message。Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend。 。。。more
Shona
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After reading Helly Acton’s first book， The Shelf， I was excited to be offered an advanced readers copy of her second book， The Couple。‘The Couple’ tells the story of Millie， a perfectionist whose career is everything to her along with her friends， who needs romance to complicate that？ In a world where being in a couple is seen as， well a bit odd， she is perfectly happy living her own life， not having to consider anyone else， do what she wants when she wants。 So when the opportunity presents its After reading Helly Acton’s first book， The Shelf， I was excited to be offered an advanced readers copy of her second book， The Couple。‘The Couple’ tells the story of Millie， a perfectionist whose career is everything to her along with her friends， who needs romance to complicate that？ In a world where being in a couple is seen as， well a bit odd， she is perfectly happy living her own life， not having to consider anyone else， do what she wants when she wants。 So when the opportunity presents itself at work for a new project promoting a pill that prevents people from falling in love， it seems like the perfect chance for her to get that promotion she’s been working towards。 That is until she’s paired up to work with new colleague Ben。。。Whilst I don’t rate this as high as ‘The Shelf’， I did enjoy it but I did struggle to get my idea around the concept of a world where couples were deemed as abnormal and taxed more etc just for being two people together。 Once you do understand this alternative way of thinking the story uncovers itself as a classic love story， who in the end， must make the choice between the perceptions of what should be and what actually makes people happy。 The underlying messages of not caring what others think， doing what makes you happy， not always pleasing others etc are also a nice addition。 A good read and would be interested to continue to read more from this author in the future。 。。。more
Jenny Sharp
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Based in a slightly alternative reality in which our relationship norms are flipped and it’s far more common to be single with couples regarded as unusual， this was a thought-provoking and heartwarming read。 Millie is in her 30s and very focused on her career， actively discouraged by her friends and mother from pursuing a relationship。 Millie has felt the same until a new colleague starts to challenge her perception of relationships。。。 I loved the protagonist， Millie， her potential love interest Based in a slightly alternative reality in which our relationship norms are flipped and it’s far more common to be single with couples regarded as unusual， this was a thought-provoking and heartwarming read。 Millie is in her 30s and very focused on her career， actively discouraged by her friends and mother from pursuing a relationship。 Millie has felt the same until a new colleague starts to challenge her perception of relationships。。。 I loved the protagonist， Millie， her potential love interest and her friends - these were engaging and interesting characters and I felt very absorbed in their world！ I couldn’t put this book down and am excited to read more from Helly Acton 。。。more
B。S。 Casey
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Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | General FictionRelease Date: 27th May 2021Millie Jones in on track。 She's so close to being promoted， working on the worlds leading hook-up app， she's surrounded by an amazing group of friends and a very cute but very grumpy cat to keep her company。 Blissfully single， Millie knows there is no lonliness in being alone。Now the opportunity of a lifetime has fallen in her lap and she's working on something that's going to change the world - Oxytoxin。 A pill scientifi Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | General FictionRelease Date: 27th May 2021Millie Jones in on track。 She's so close to being promoted， working on the worlds leading hook-up app， she's surrounded by an amazing group of friends and a very cute but very grumpy cat to keep her company。 Blissfully single， Millie knows there is no lonliness in being alone。Now the opportunity of a lifetime has fallen in her lap and she's working on something that's going to change the world - Oxytoxin。 A pill scientifically proven to block your brain from falling in love。 It sounds perfect， this could be the key to her success - until she starts working with Ben。 In a world where romantic relationships are viewing as not only inconvenient but shameful and just odd - can Millie seperate her heart and her head and figure out if love could ever be worth it？The universe that Helly Acton has created here is just amazing - throwing our world in the trash and showing us one where not being single is just weird - relationships are not normal。 It's harder to rent a flat， you're not welcome in single spaces， your financial security is always at risk along with almost everything else in your life。 After all， why would anybody want to be so dependent on another person？ To be so restricted in your sexual and social life？ To risk distraction from your own wants and needs？ Or to ever let yourself feel heartbreak？ In a world where people ask， "Are you single yet？"， and tell you， "Don't worry， I'm sure you'll find yourself and break up soon！" - this was a dynamic， refreshing take on the the societal views of singledom， and how relationships should be an addition to life and never a requirement。 Stripping away the shame single or sexually explorative people are expected to feel， fetishes are a normal part of a life and to explore sexual partners is just a normal part of being a liberated adult。 I fell in love with Millie right away and felt every confused moment of this story right alongside her。 Witty， engaging and the actual definition of a page-turner。Also， any book that contains the words "Goose Springsteen" is absolute gold - you're just going to have the read the book yourself to find out why！ RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Thank you to Helly Acton and Bonnier Books UK for an ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Tara Watson
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Helly Acton you’ve done it again！ 👏🏼 Last year I took part in a readalong for The Shelf on audiobook， it was my first ever audiobook and I loved it！ So much so that I bought the hardback edition to keep too because I know I’ll want to be re-reading that in the future。 Helly’s created another 5 star read for me that is nothing like I’ve read before in her new book The Couple！ It is such an original， one of a kind story， nothing like I’ve read before！ I ADORED THIS！ In this world， being single is Helly Acton you’ve done it again！ 👏🏼 Last year I took part in a readalong for The Shelf on audiobook， it was my first ever audiobook and I loved it！ So much so that I bought the hardback edition to keep too because I know I’ll want to be re-reading that in the future。 Helly’s created another 5 star read for me that is nothing like I’ve read before in her new book The Couple！ It is such an original， one of a kind story， nothing like I’ve read before！ I ADORED THIS！ In this world， being single is the norm， and if you’re in a couple， you’re looked at as though you’ve made the worst decision of your life。 Nobody wants to see their best friend in a couple， where you get charged more for rent， get charge ‘couples climate tax’ and you won’t be able to celebrate St。 Bridget’s Day （genius） if you’re in a couple！ It’s such a funny way to look at the reverse of some single people’s experiences。 Genius！ 👌🏼 I couldn’t put this book down， I read it in 2 days， and that’s only because I had to parent and stuff 😂 otherwise I have a feeling it would’ve been an ‘in one sitting’ book！ I loved the characters in this， Millie showed such growth in her character which I love to see in a book。 And Ben， oh I loved Ben！ And he was Welsh so even more perfect！ The chemistry between them was so good to read， I loved reading scenes with the two of them。 And the fact that they went to one of my all time favourite places， Tenby！ I spent every weekend of my childhood in Tenby so I could picture just exactly the steps they would be taking and the views they’d be seeing， and Helly described them perfectly！ I can’t wait for my preorder to arrive！ 。。。more
Ellie
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This is GLORIOUS。 I loved it just as much as I loved The Shelf， if not more。 Helly Acton writes characters that make women feel seen， and I LOVE that。 Another beautifully fresh concept and executed SO well。 The writing is fantastic and I laughed out loud at this one as much as I did whilst reading The Shelf。 The overwhelming message in this book is about learning to be happy within yourself and your own decisions， regardless of what society tells you that you should be doing。 The anti-relationsh This is GLORIOUS。 I loved it just as much as I loved The Shelf， if not more。 Helly Acton writes characters that make women feel seen， and I LOVE that。 Another beautifully fresh concept and executed SO well。 The writing is fantastic and I laughed out loud at this one as much as I did whilst reading The Shelf。 The overwhelming message in this book is about learning to be happy within yourself and your own decisions， regardless of what society tells you that you should be doing。 The anti-relationship minded society is this novel just highlights the ridiculousness of the weight the society we live in puts on being in a relationship and the anti-being-single mindset that's present。 This mindset is challenged throughout this book and this， in combination with the message of doing what's right for YOU， not what the people around you think you should do， the humour， and the fantastic characters， makes for a wonderful read。 I loved it。 。。。more
Poppy
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_/_ _ _ _ _/ _ _ _ _/ _ _ _ _ ！'The Couple' by Helly Acton is an adorable romance wrapped up in an original and intriguing premise。 In a world where being single is the norm and being in a couple is taboo， feelings of love， commitment and monogamy are considered controversial。 Acton opens the book with an explanation of her putting a twist on her previous feelings as a single woman。 Aspects like finances， changing relationships with friends and family due to a partner and the pain of February 2n _/_ _ _ _ _/ _ _ _ _/ _ _ _ _ ！'The Couple' by Helly Acton is an adorable romance wrapped up in an original and intriguing premise。 In a world where being single is the norm and being in a couple is taboo， feelings of love， commitment and monogamy are considered controversial。 Acton opens the book with an explanation of her putting a twist on her previous feelings as a single woman。 Aspects like finances， changing relationships with friends and family due to a partner and the pain of February 2nd （St Bridget's Day） provide an apt parody of Acton's experiences - a comedic take balanced expertly with some fitting reflections on societal expectations。Our protagonist is lovely Millie。 Her life is in control， perfectly scheduled and ordered。 She has worked at Slide， a popular hook-up app， for 8 years and is happy in her singledom （even if she hasn't had a slide in a while）。 Enter Ben， a handsome and precocious new transfer to the office。 When the two of them are put on a marketing project together， for the 'love-cure' Oxytoxin'， sparks fly and suddenly Millie's ordered existence is thrown into chaos。 Would she ever really consider being part of a couple？This book is my first experience of Acton's work。 Her style is genuinely laugh out loud and she creates a heartwarming， adorable pairing in Millie and Ben。 The morally questionable nature of Oxytoxin is well explored perhaps but I wanted further resolution on it。 The side characters were also well developed - I loved June， Ruth and Millie's hilarious mother Vivian。 Even awful Sasha had her moments。If you are a Hangman genius， you may have already worked out 'I loved this book！'。 I have already downloaded Helly Acton's earlier novel 'The Shelf' which I am off to read straight away。 I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy
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Rep: LQBTQ+ side characters - f/f relationship - other f/f and m/m relationships are mentioned throughout and there are no incidents of homophobia Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books/Zaffre books for approving me to read The Couple！ I was honestly so excited when I saw this up on NetGalley and even more excited when I was approved to read it。 Helly Acton does it again。 I absolutely adored The Shelf and so when I saw that she was writing another book I knew that I would have to get my hands Rep: LQBTQ+ side characters - f/f relationship - other f/f and m/m relationships are mentioned throughout and there are no incidents of homophobia Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books/Zaffre books for approving me to read The Couple！ I was honestly so excited when I saw this up on NetGalley and even more excited when I was approved to read it。 Helly Acton does it again。 I absolutely adored The Shelf and so when I saw that she was writing another book I knew that I would have to get my hands on it as soon as I could。 And I am so glad I did; this was really the book I needed after some less than stellar books。 It felt like a breathe of fresh air。 Helly's plots and writings feel so unique and intriguing; a pill to stop you falling in love and a world where couples are the abnormal and single people are the normal？ Sign me up to read that。Helly somehow manages to balance making her stories serious with an edge of comedy that is done so well that once you pick the book up you just won't be able to put it down。 I loved all the anecdotes the people in couples *gasp those terrible people* told about how much more difficult their lives were; the meals aimed at single people， the rent increases， the judgement。。。 and my favourite， Bridget's Day - a day to celebrate the single people。 No joke I feel like we actually need one of these in real life。。。 it felt refreshing， comedic， but also really well-written。 It didn't come off as cheesy or corny but I actually found myself imagining what this sort of world would be like and really sinking into the story。 I loved our main characters of Millie and Ben; such a comedic duo together with a balance of heart and sarcasm。 Millie is such a fab main character; you can see the development she goes on throughout the book and it was really enjoyable to just watch her grow as a person。 I also felt there was a good balance of side characters who were well developed as individuals but also in their friendships and relationships with Millie。 I found this to be delightfully refreshing and I can't wait to see what Helly comes up with next！Out 27 May 2021 for you to make your own decision！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Couple
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Couple&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Couple&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0