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Sheila Brady
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The Great British Date Off - A Funny Romantic Comedy Kindle Edition

by Sheila Brady (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.7 out of 5 stars 155 ratings
"He hadn't really given her a second look ... until someone else did..."

Londoner, Maggie Sullivan hadn’t exactly spent her teenage years beating off hordes of panting admirers with a stick. In fact, most of it was spent alone in her bedroom either working on her Spice Girls, Union Jack dress or trying out her dead mother’s heated rollers.

All that had changed in her final year at school. As the object of her all-consuming school girl crush, Steve, had remarked at the time; who would have thought losing a little puppy fat, discovering hair product and investing in a Wonderbra would make such a difference? More than ten years on, he still has 'plans' for Maggie ... but not until he’s got one or two things out of his system.

Only now Maggie has announced her intention to move to the country and he is not happy; especially since he’s noticed a ‘country toff’ rival ‘sniffing around’.

He is more than delighted that Maggie’s move is turning out to be somewhat of a disaster. While she had been expecting village fetes, cricket teas and to be able to finally unleash her inner baker; in reality her cake-making efforts are being described as ‘lacklustre’, her godfather and boss is being referred to in very derogatory terms and somehow an extremely embarrassing photo has appeared in the local paper.

An overheard conversation and a chance late night encounter lead Maggie to conclude that widower and local ‘catch’, Will is responsible and there is a price to be paid, right?

How can she know that her day (or rather, intimate evening) of reckoning will set in motion a roller coaster ride of high points and humiliations that will put to the test some of her most long standing relationships and lead her to question everything she thinks she knows about her capacity for love...

Fun, funny and sometimes almost poignant, The Great British Date Off is a laugh out loud romantic comedy for anyone who likes their stories with a dash of Jilly Cooper and a nod to Bridget Jones.

From one of the writers of the cult wordplay cartoon site, The Commytooper Blog and the creator of the 'Dahling Do Tell!' cartoons.

'...a thoroughly entertaining and funny read and like another reviewer I did not stop until it was finished...'

'...this is so much more than just a 'funny romantic comedy'. Superbly written...'
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  1. Print length
    449 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 7, 2013
  4. File size
    1.0 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sheila is a blogger, cartoonist and writer for top cartoon humour blog, Commytooper.com. She also has freckles!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00F1X3D5A
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services (September 7, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 7, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 449 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 out of 5 stars 155 ratings

About the author

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Sheila Brady

Sheila Brady

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I am the creator of the 'Dahling Do Tell!' and 'Yer Avin a Larf' cartoons at the Bing/Yahoo #1 (usually!) cartoon humour blog, Commytooper.

For my sins I am also one of the principal contributors to the funny (and, if I may say so, insightful) sideswipes at life blog posts for which we are rightly famous. Anything is fair game and my writing goal is to make sure that humour goes hand in hand with an irreverent take on everyday living, especially when it comes to matters of the heart - or not!

Although my first (comedy romance) novel, "The Great British Date Off" is, on the face of it, aimed at the British market, you should not judge a book by its cover ...oh wait... forgot about the Union Jack...

What I mean is, it should appeal to anyone (Brit, Yank or Ex Pat ) who likes their romances slathered in humour but with more than a sprinkling of sexual tension. Anyway, just to comfort you a bit more about the book, the Commytooper blog, (which we always imagined to be very British), is extremely popular state-side, so hopefully I must be doing something right.

I am also in the midst of publishing "The Trouble With...." humour book series which all feature original cartoons, musings, wordplay and puns. Again, as you will have probably guessed by now, they fall squarely in the, not taking life too seriously category.

So far I've published "The Trouble With Relationships" (Book 1), and "The Trouble With The Battle Of The Sexes" (Book 2), both in paperback and kindle.

Next up is "The Trouble With Christmas" (Book 3), which will be out shortly, just in time for you to pop out, buy it and pop in someone's stocking, if you get my drift.

There’s more detail about each book in the panel on the side.

So to anyone (and everyone) finding their way here ... WELCOME and pull up a chair!

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
155 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and refreshing to read, appreciating its humor and romantic comedy style. Moreover, the writing receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it's easy to read. However, the character development receives mixed reactions, with some finding the characters interesting while others describe them as neurotic and dull.

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5 customers mention "Enjoyment"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and refreshing to read, with one mentioning it provides a fun glimpse into life.

"...to look up most of the British cultural references, I still found the book entertaining...." Read more

"...Just the book to spend a happy evening with. Hope to meet everyone again in a sequel and soon. Highly recommended." Read more

"Really good book. Didn't quite follow the usual chick lit formula at the end which made it a refreshing book to read." Read more

"Pleasant, smart and amusing English romantic comedy. I am a fan of Jill Mansell escapist fiction and I found this to be along the same lines." Read more

5 customers mention "Humor"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, with one describing it as an amusing English romantic comedy.

"...It has moments of humor and not too much serious business, so it is a great escapist read...." Read more

"...The characters are funny and lovable, and the heroine is quite darling too. I'm looking forward to the authors next stories...can't wait!..." Read more

"So enjoyable that I devoured this one in two days. A sweet and truly funny romance with a refreshingly relatable heroine, vivid..." Read more

"Pleasant, smart and amusing English romantic comedy. I am a fan of Jill Mansell escapist fiction and I found this to be along the same lines." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer noting it's a good English chick book.

"...It was well-paced and easy to read. The only stumbling blocks were some spelling ( ex. dialled for dialed)and grammar..." Read more

"Good read if you have absolutely nothing else to do or read...." Read more

"Well written, way more than a "funny romantic comedy" I'm looking forward to more reads from Stella Brady." Read more

"Good English chick lit..." Read more

8 customers mention "Character development"4 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the characters in the book, with some finding them interesting while others describe the main character as neurotic and dull.

"This was an enjoyable story with interesting characters. It was well-paced and easy to read. The only stumbling blocks were some spelling..." Read more

"...I wouldn't have chosen either of them! The male characters were not well rounded and I found them both annoying...." Read more

"...The characters are funny and lovable, and the heroine is quite darling too. I'm looking forward to the authors next stories...can't wait!..." Read more

"...The story is very rambling, confusing, and none of the characters are interesting, likeable, dynamic or relatable...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • MissMommy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing wrong with this book that proof reading wouldn't fix.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This was an enjoyable story with interesting characters. It was well-paced and easy to read. The only stumbling blocks were some spelling ( ex. dialled for dialed)and grammar (ex. dolls house instead of doll's house) problems.
    I was happy to find a main character who wasn't obsessed by designer shoes and seemed to truly care about others. Although I had to look up most of the British cultural references, I still found the book entertaining. This is a fun glimpse of life on the other side of the pond. It has moments of humor and not too much serious business, so it is a great escapist read.
    There will be a sequel to this novel and I am looking forward to it. Well done on a first book!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • NG
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I've been on a reading kick of British chic lit and I'd read all the Jill Mansell I could get ahold of. This story sounded pretty good, right up my alley, and I loved it! The characters are funny and lovable, and the heroine is quite darling too. I'm looking forward to the authors next stories...can't wait! Glad I found this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Marion Whelan
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disappoinitng
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I wasn't expecting too much as I knew this was a chick lit romance. But there wasn't really much romance in it! I couldn't guess until close to the end which of the two suitors she would go for. I wouldn't have chosen either of them! The male characters were not well rounded and I found them both annoying. The main character, Maggie, was interesting to a point, but some of her flaws became irritating. The book did not flow very well. I won't be reading the sequel. As an aside, I found the title and synopsis misleading. The date off competition was mentioned very briefly in the book and never referred to again, so I don't know why it was chosen as the title. The synopsis also mentioned baking and cooking as themes in the book. Again, this was a very small part of the plot. Overall a disappointing read.
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  • Mama Bliss
    4.0 out of 5 stars fun read that makes you twist and turn
    Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Though some of Maggie's neuroses got a bit annoying to the point you wanted to smack her, that made her all the more real. Great book and looking forward to the sequel!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Irresistible!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    So enjoyable that I devoured this one in two days.

    A sweet and truly funny romance with a refreshingly relatable heroine, vivid characters and a great big heart. Just the book to spend a happy evening with. Hope to meet everyone again in a sequel and soon. Highly recommended.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • amy
    1.0 out of 5 stars Could not finish
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This looked like such a cute book, and one of my favorite genres: British chick-lit. Whoa, what a letdown! The story is very rambling, confusing, and none of the characters are interesting, likeable, dynamic or relatable. I read about the first 50 pages, then skimmed the next 50, hoping that something would spark a backtrack to a thorough read. Um, no. It was poor writing throughout.
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  • Fatou
    3.0 out of 5 stars Exasperating!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Good read if you have absolutely nothing else to do or read. Likeable characters but an exasperating book as it took ages to make a point and the heroine was often really annoying. Stuck with it to the end though, as don't like to leave books unfinished!

    Preferred the character Sophie.
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  • BiteSizeTerror
    2.0 out of 5 stars Only funny in name.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Just--meh. I adore dry British wit, so therefore had high hopes for this. Hopes dashed again. If you are going to advertise comedy on the cover, make sure it's there. There were also myriad errors throughout the text. These mistakes could certainly be limited to the electronic version so I won't grind on about them despite the fact they annoyed the bejeezus out of me. The main character was neurotic and dull and wouldn't shut UP about the fact that she used to be fat and plain until she emerged swanlike halfway through secondary school. The fact that she is THIRTY YEARS OLD seems to have no effect on her whining about her life as a former ugly girl. The characters were wooden and stereotypical with all of the tropes thrown in for good measure. The author also couldn't seem to figure out how to end the damn thing. Frankly, a comedy should leave one feeling good about the ending. I was just grateful that it ended.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kay Greenbury
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on November 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Good read. Funny and quick.
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I found this book witty and enjoyable. Sometimes predictable, however an easy holiday read. I did like Maggie as a character. There were some laugh out loud moments. Recommended read.
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  • Pross
    5.0 out of 5 stars funny and entertaining
    Reviewed in Australia on June 30, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Loveable characters a little like Bridget Jones meets Love Actually. Great laughs, interesting plot and a predictable ending you'll enjoy.
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  • Mrs A J Wilson
    5.0 out of 5 stars The great British date off
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Great read and I think I 've found myself a new author. Just hope she s written other books. Let's get to amazon to have a look!
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  • raquel
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Funny easy to read and get into.nothing new but story was light and made good holiday read.
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