My Single Friend

by Jane Costello

At 28, Lucy is doing well for herself. She's got a great job in PR, her boss loves her, and her best girlfriends Dominique and Erin think she's great. More important than anyone's opinion is that of her flatmate, and oldest friend in the world, Henry. For twenty years they've been inseparable: beauty and the geek. Henry thinks the world of Lucy. So why does she feel the need to lie outrageously on dates? From rock-climbing to Chekov: when it comes to prospective boyfriends, Lucy is compelled to embellish her C.V. with unlikely porkies that always backfire - with hilarious results. Henry can't understand it. Lucy is so loveable: why can't she just be herself? But when Lucy turns the spotlight on Henry, he wishes he'd never brought it up. With a penchant for jumpers and NHS-style specs, Lucy decides that Henry is in need of a makeover - big time. Enlisting the help of Dom and Erin, it's not long before the girls have Henry out of the flat, and into the Topman changing rooms. A new haircut, contact lenses, a flirting master-class from Dom . . . poor Henry doesn't know what's hit him. But nothing can prepare them for the surprise results! Before long, Lucy realises that their lives will never be the same again.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers, Humor

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2010

About the author

I’m the internationally bestselling author of 15 novels, five of which have been published under the name ‘Catherine Isaac’.

The latest of my ‘heartwarming and hilarious’ romantic comedies is ‘IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE’, the first book I’ve written that has a 40-something main character. My novels have been translated into 26 languages, selected by the Richard & Judy Book Club and I’ve been honoured to win a Romantic Novelists’ Award - twice!

I was born in Liverpool, where I still live with my husband and three sons. When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me on the tennis court, wishing I’d started to play about 25 years before I did.

Reviews

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars, to be precise

What a fun and quick read this book was!
Having read and loved more then few books by Jane Costello before, I kind of knew what to expect from this novel, and I am so glad to say I wasn't disappointed.



This book was everything I wanted and everything I needed at time.

It follows a 28 years old Lucy who works in a PR agency and lives with her best friend Henry, whom she knows for 21 years.
Henry is a perfect example of freak and geak.
He has a massy, longish hair, wears weird clothes and acts even wierder when girls are around.



One night, after watching some tv show, Henry agrees for Lucy and two of her best friends, Erin and Dominique, to give Henry a new look. They will do their best to transform the mate into a best looking version of himself.

Boy, did they suceed!



After his makover, Henry looks so attractive that girs realise they were blind to his hotness.
The matter of fact is, Lucy finds out she maybe has some feelings for her best friend...

This book was written in first person, in Lucy's POV.
She was an entertainig narrator: funny and smart, but still blind to some situations that were obvious to us as readers.

Henry was a guy every girl could wish for and if that kind of man exsists in real life, please someone introduce me to him. He is a dream guy.

Lucy's friends were very likeable, and the situation at Lucy's work, which was a side story in this novel, was intriguing to read about even though I kind of expected the revelation of the situation in the similar way as it was handled.

I think this book is perfect for curing reading slumps and to make you forget the world around you for a few hours you would need to devour it.

I would recommend it to every chick-lit reader and to lovers of Sophie Kinsella's books.

Read this and more reviews on my blog: https://bookdustmagic.com

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release Date: April 17, 2010
Actual Rating: 5 stars

Chick Lit | Comedy

I am LOVING Jane Costello's older novels. Not only are the covers adorable, but the stories inside are lighthearted, funny, and charming. In this one readers will meet Lucy and Henry. These two have been best friends since they were kids and have lived together as adults. Neither ever expressed romantic feelings for one another though and have remained steadfast friends. But when Henry gets a makeover, feelings begin to stir within Lucy and she has to decide whether the love she's always wanted is right in front of her, or if it's just lusty feelings because of this new look!

Readers, I highly recommend her books. They aren't available through kindle unfortunately, but you can purchase the paperbacks on amazon and other sites like ebay or thrift books. If you get the chance and are a lover of chick lit books like I am then I recommend grabbing a few of her novels. They are fantastic!

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm starting to enjoy reading Jane Costello's books more than I'd imagined I would. My Single Friend is my third for her, and I'm getting ready to pick up the next one as I write this.

My Single Friend is a chick-lit that contained all the right elements you would expect to find in such a book: it is funny (sometimes laugh-out-loud), it is romantic (in a cheesy sort of way), it is quirky (and cringe-worthy), it is light, witty, and just purely fun.

However, for some odd reason, this book had slightly more than I bargained for - it had warmth, sweetness, and depth.

I really enjoyed Lucy's journey of self-discovery and her gradual change and development in character alongside her best friend's change, Henry. Henry may have changed in appearance, but Lucy's change was more profound, and therefore more intriguing for me. It may just be a case of hormones, but I actually found the end extremely sweet - sweeter than I would usually find them in chick-lits.

Another winner from Costello - now on to Bridesmaids.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is looking for love with ALL the wrong guys, while Henry is obviously in love with her since school! That thin line between friends and lovers.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was it the author's intention to create such a self absorbed, weak, deceitful and pitying lead character? If so then she achieved this very well. In stead of finding myself empathising with Lucy, I found her intensely annoying. In stead of funny, I found her cringe-worthy and dim-witted. In stead of wanting to back her to win the man of her dreams, I found her to be such an obstinate, blind, shallow, self pitying, poor character that I couldn't help think that Henry would indeed be better off elsewhere! The other characters (Erin, Dominique and Henry) are much more interesting. I continued reading the book (the plot of which could have been summed up in to a single paragraph without the pain of a few hundred pages to endure) to ensure sad Lucy really did end up finding Mr Right. The author writes well with an easy style and a good turn of phrase, which is how I am able to rate this book 2 stars rather than 1. Not sure I'm tempted to read any more by Jane Costello if this is any indication of the plot that other books may take.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good funny and romantic and heartwarming to. You wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. It's shows how sometimes friends can be more and also full of friendships and support.
Lucy has been friendly with Henry for years and have many funny stories of their friendship. She helps him with a makeover so he can try and get a girlfriend as he wants to find love. Their friends Dominique and Erin help out to and they have many laughs. Do they realise how their makeover will make him successful with getting girlfriends and he he's a great life so they think. In the mean time Lucy realises that Henry is more than a friend but she can't pluck the courage to tell him but her mum guesses and tells her she must tell him but when she tries to he says he's leaving and she can bring herself to tell him so will he leave and she will be heartbroken or will she manage to go out with old boyfriends and get happy. Will they both be happy or not will she get her dream to be with her man.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 28, Lucy Tyler has a good job in a PR firm, a fantastic and caring best friend in Henry and has two equally great friends in Erin and Dominique. However the only part of her life that doesn’t seem to be working for Lucy is her love life. Particularly since she feels she needs to embellish everything she tells the men she dates, leading to a lot of disasters.

Best friend Henry is equally as bad when it comes to dating and when he asks Lucy, Erin and Dominique to help him with an image makeover, something the girls begin with gusto. Henry emerges a completely new (and gorgeous) man and soon has girls practically falling at his feet. It’s fantastic news for Henry, but Lucy wonders just what she has unleashed by making over her best friend. What’s happened to the Henry she knew? And just what are these feelings she’s suddenly feeling for him?…


I’ve read and enjoyed Jane Costello’s first two novels, Bridesmaids & The Nearly-Weds, so it was obvious that when I heard about her third book My Single Friend I would be eager to read that too. I think her easy writing style is fantastic and it enables me to just whizz through her books with relative ease. So when My Single Friend appeared on my bed (courtesy of my mailbox) in the middle of March I couldn’t wait to begin reading it. After finishing my latest book, I knew My Single Friend was going to be my next read.

The focus of Jane Costello’s first two books were, in essence, weddings what with Bridesmaids about a girl who is constantly a bridesmaid and The Nearly-Weds being about a girl dumped at the altar so I was surprised that when I read the synopsis for My Single Friend that there appeared to be no weddings in sight! Now I’m not a huge fan of books where image is the main focus (Jemima J by Jane Green, for example), as is the case with My Single Friend, so I was interested and slightly wary of the fact that it only appeared that Lucy was attracted to Henry after his make-over. Of course that’s how it may first appear but that really isn’t the case at all. Jane Costello manages to balance the friendship between Lucy and Henry perfectly so, in all honesty, romance seems like the likely next step rather than it being all about Henry’s new image being the only reason Lucy suddenly sees him in a new light.

Another main focus of the book appears to be Lucy and her work life (as well as Lucy and her love life). There is a lot of time spent at the PR company where Lucy works and I quite enjoyed all of the witty banter shared by those who work at Peaman-Brown. Lucy’s job seems hectic at times and there were a few twists regarding her job as the book progressed. It’s fair to say that Lucy’s love life, the other main focus of the book, is fairly erratic. Because she embellishes details to all of her dates, she never really manages to hold down a relationship. I can’t say I compltely understand why Lucy felt the need to lie about things in a bid to look better because, as Henry said, she seemed perfectly fine the way she was. I suppose the only let down of the book wass Lucy’s “relationship” with optician Paul. I can’t say I particularly warmed to him at all and I found his lack of contact and ability to go AWOL very irritating.

Jane Costello has again managed to create some fantastic characters. I actually really loved Lucy (despite her name – chick lit authors, take note, I hate the name Lucy). She was fun and she would definitely be someone I would like to be friends with. Sure, she lied a little during dates but the results were actually pretty hilarious. I actually also loved Henry, even pre-make-over. He was just incredibly sweet and the relationship between himself and Lucy was immensely believeable and it was great to go back to their early days of knowing each other and to see just how long they had been friends. Lucy’s friends Erin and Dominique were also fairly nice and I loved how all three girls came together to help Henry when he asked for his make-over. Costello is definitely one of the best authors when it comes to creating a well-rounded set of characters.

The book, like Jane’s other two, is written entirely from the point of view of the main character. In this case it was Lucy and I really loved her narration – she was funny and cringe-worthy but ultimately she was immensely lovely. What Costello does best, though, is being able to inject her books with so much warmth and humour. As the book hurtled towards it’s conclusion I knew exactly how it would end and yet I still found myself smiling like a loon as I turned the last page. I absolutely loved the ending of My Single Friend and it reminded me of one of the endings of one of my favourite ever TV shows.

My Single Friend was just as enjoyable as Jane Costello’s previous novels and it goes without saying that I fully recommend this book. Jane Costello is a huge new talent in chick lit and long may she continue writing such fantastic books. Her books are so enjoyable and definitely have the re-read factor that lots of books lack. I look forward to Jane’s next book!

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book!!! Loved it from the first minute onwards.

It was great to read about Henry’s transformation into a sexy and attractive man and I was only waiting for the moment, when Lucy was falling in love with her best friend, or let’s say, when she realised it.
It was clear to me, that Henry was in love with her and he almost told her.

He really sounds like the perfect man, almost to good to be true. Well, his first attempts of flirting are a bit shaky, but then he gets them all. Why does Lucy feel jealous? He starts going out with several women and becomes a real Macho. Lucy of course doesn’t like that. Then one night, the two of them decide to have a night in and she cooks for him. They cuddle up on the sofa and then they kiss... Henry stops, because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. Things are really awkward between them afterwards. jane found a great way to share all these moments with us, the writing is so gripping.

Lucy wants to tell him about her feelings several times, but she never does, because he has bigger news... He starts going out with one of her friends (Erin) and her other friend Dominique really thinks, that Erin is in love Henry. Out of the blue Henry announces, that he will going traveling for over a year with Erin and some of her friends. Lucy cannot believe it and is sooooooo sad. There is a lot going on in the story, but it’s never to much. Jane really understands how to create an interesting storyline and there was always some drama, which I consider very important in a novel, to make it fascinating and exciting.
When Lucy’s mom is in hospital, the day is there: Henry is leaving. Will it be too late?

The last few scenes were just so adorable and seemed so real, loved every single word and I was curious about how the characters decided to share their feelings.

Erin and Dominique were such goods friends and I loved who they were included in the story. All the characters seemed so lively and were well described.

I loved reading this book. It was so funny, romantic and full of interesting dates, talks and trips. I was waiting for them to get together, but I know there were still so many pages to read, so I had to wait! Well, it was worth it!!! ♥

Rating: 4.5

[Sruthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy and Henry are best friends since 4th grade and are also flatmates for 4 years apparently . Lucy is awful with her love life , she will do anything to have a boyfriend ( Arghh , Sounds desperate ? I don't mean it that way ) She is tired being single , well I never thought being single can be so depressing but Lucy Tyler is an exception . So she goes on a date every weekend , they turn out to be horrible , she comes back home to cry on Henry's shoulder . Henry , is ... well a geek . Wearing clothes from victorian Era and huge spectacles , with zero dates in 28 years of life ( quite a record ) .

Obviously , I felt very bad for him , He decides he wants to change , makeover perhaps so that he can go socialising like any other male of his age . Lucy with her friends Erin and Dom sets up for the project Henry . Soon Lucy finds a new Henry , Hot , Gorgeous Henry . He has got so many dates now that he is hardly home . Lucy of course figures out that she is just jealous of Henry for having such an amazing love life , Then she decides she fancies him maybe but naah not love . Lucy cannot be in love with Henry , Her Henry , Her childhood friend Henry, that is what she keeps repeating anyway .

The Henry she knows is nowhere , she has all the symptoms of post-break-up but the thing is she and Henry are not a thing . Are they? Well with a lot of twists and turns they find their way to each other of course . There are many things I want to reveal but I wont , I don't want to spoil it .

This is mt first Jane Costello , I really enjoyed this one . Language was simple and witty . There was never a moment I felt like discontinuing ,
Usually it takes 2-3 chapters in a book to pick up the flow but I was hooked to it from the beginning , page one . Yup , at least from the part where Henry enters . Though things were quite predictable , they come as a shock when you read them . Funny-lighthearted-Easygoing-friendly , exactly what I wanted to read . Best thing is you could connect with both Lucy and Henry . You get to know what Henry is going through even though the book is written from Lucy's pov .

More over I thinkkkkk I fancyyyy Henryyyy ;) ... God help me .

[Joyce · Rating 1 out of 5]

A more self-centred, self-absorbed girl I have never met. Lucy is the epitome of all the women who, because of their success in their chosen career, believe the world of themselves. Just think, the first thing she does in every single date is lie to the potential boyfriend. I would be first to admit that I am no love expert but even I can tell you that lying to him is not going to bode well later on in the relationship.

Remember Lucy’s second date with Paul?
He was like:

And she was like:


And I was thinking, tough luck – you deserve it for lying in the first place. Who told you to fake being a professional in hiking then go to the shop and buy all the clingy clothes to makes yourself look more attractive even after knowing that it was rated difficult and you had barely ever hiked?


This is love. If a person loves you, it won’t matter to them if you are handicapped in some way, not to mention a mere distaste in hiking. That is why so many of your dates don’t work, because you are trying to project an image you think your partner wants to see, and not just be.

I know all your friends have told you the same thing repeatedly, but I’m not going to do that. I’m going to tell you that I find it really annoying and you don’t deserve Henry – he is way too good for you. He will never obsess endlessly over his weight, or pretend to go on diets or anything like that. He can wake up every morning and think, I am satisfied with who I am, unlike you, who will pick your face apart for non-existent flaws and what, glue gum to the bottom of your heels.

I’m sorry, I know that a lot of people have read it and written positive reviews on this book, but it just didn’t work for me. I tried – I really did – I kept on reading even after thinking, it’s wasting my life, every other second, but nothing magically or miraculously happened to enthrall me, to make me want to continue reading. So, all I can say to conclude is that I wasted one day of my life reading this book and if you want to do the same, fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[The Glassed And The Furious · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm I’m a bit torn. First off, I’m a huge fan of stories about friendship developing into love. SO this one was right up my alley. However, the main problem of this book was Lucy. She’s just not likeable. At least I didn’t really like her. She has body issues ( who hasn’t?) but that about is the only thing “bad” in her life. She has great friends, a great job and really everything going for her. Her need to lie to men on a date is also okay – I think in an attempt to impress someone we all tell a little white lie every now and then.
But she’s too self-centered, pushy, judgmental and frankly superficial.
So here’s my problem with this love story: Henry was the perfect man before the make over. I kind of felt that Costello overdid it with her portrayal of him. The hair, the glasses, the clothes…. It was all a bit over the top just to make sure we all know he’s a total geek. But I could overlook this. However, if Lucy were a true friend and really appreciated him the way he was, she wouldn’t have felt the need to change everything about his appearance. Once it turned out that Henry was HOT, with a great body thanks to his sport activities and a handsome face, Lucy kind of saw him as a threat.
I felt that Lucy liked having Henry at home, while she was out on dates. She enjoyed being the hotter, more popular one of the duo and use Henry when it was convenient for her. When that dynamic changed she got jealous. Then out of that jealousy she began to see him differently and suddenly was so in love with him. Then Lucy tries to convince herself or the reader that really she loves him for the person he is, not his great looks but really it is kind of hard to believe that after she only started noticing him once he was superhot Henry.
Another thing that bugged me was that everything in this book was a bit too easy. There was no real struggle. Take Erin and Henry. Suddenly they’re together and Lucy is heartbroken. They could have confronted each other. Talk it out. There could have been a real difficult situation for the three of them to be in. Instead Costello solved this problem too easily. Even though Henry gave up his job to travel the world with Erin, he’s not really in love with her but with Lucy. Erin also doesn’t really love him, she’s just attracted to him but she’s all over another guy. So when Henry leaves her at the airport and goes back to Lucy, everyone is happy and settled and it’s all so great. Every possible conflict was avoided, nobody struggled, nobody was unhappy in the end. Fairytale ending for all of them.

[Poochiness · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why I decided to give this book a go, even though the blurb basically summed up the story line. It was completely predictable, but not even in a comfortable, "cheer you up after a long day" way. Lucy got on my nerves, especially with her endless amount of dates and her attempt to glamourise or idealise herself in order to impress a man. Did she not think that others would discover that she didn't go hiking up mountains every second Sunday, or didn't watch and appreciate artistic films? Ughhh. I only hope that Hollywood doesn't decide to make this a movie.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was my first Jane Costello and I really enjoyed it. For all its predictability it was still a fun entertaining read with likeable characters. I also found another narrator that I really like: Alex Tregear. She read very well with good accents and made the story even more enjoyable. I'm looking forward to delving into the authors back catalogue as well as listening to more stories narrated by Tregear.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jane Costello and I do usually love all her heroines but I have to say I struggled with Lucy. A small part of me thought she was actually really shallow...she only seemed interested in Henry when she gave him a makeover..so that got in the way of me actually enjoying the love story. Still 2 books to read but The Nearlyweds is definitely the best JC book so far!

[Laurence R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is cute, but not quite as much as I wanted it to be. I feel like some parts dragged on, while others were simply skimmed over. Also, the epilogue was a bit cheesy and unexpected. Henry does seem dreamy though!

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing I like more than a good humorous and witty British chick-lit read.
This book was absolutely filled with laugh out loud moments. No one can possibly read this and not be in a good mood.
Even though the main love interests were plain from the get go Jane Costello managed to weave such a detailed and intricate plot that I was still worried they'll never end up together!
Loved every single moment of my time reading, highly recommended!!
And I think I'll end this short mini review with one of my favorite exchanges from the story:
“Don’t look so worried,’ she says. ‘You’re ready for this. I can see it – I can feel it. Goddamn it, I can smell it.’
‘That’ll be the pizza,’ he says.
‘No, it’s not that. Do you know what I’d compare you with? You are like a raging volcano, Henry – moments before eruption.’
‘What – several billion years old and full of gas?”

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shallow brat holds down stereotypical job in public relations which she is apparently good at in spite of being one of the most unintelligent protagonists I have come across in a long time. Lives with pushover named Henry in whom she has absolutely no interest until he takes off his glasses and other women start to want him, at which point she selfishly thinks, "MINE!" and grabs at him. Five million chapters and not one interesting sentence. Well done, Jane Costello, for reinforcing several stereotypes in a brilliantly unfunny manner.

[Nina Draganova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Съвсем различно е да заспиш с усмивка на лице и да си изтрил всички притеснения и мисли от мозъка си.
Точно това ми се случи и на мен дочитайки книгата, която ми е една от любимите на авторката.
Освен това описва една от несбъднатите ми мечти, да имам доверен приятел мъж .
Е, не че нямам изобщо, но не до такава степен.
А и главния герой почти няма еквивалент в реалността.

[Yvonne Hin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally predictable. Boring.

[Zita · Rating 3 out of 5]

พระเอกนางเอกเป็นเพื่อนกันมาตั้งแต่สมัยประถม สนิทกันมากจนเรียนจบทำงานแล้วมาแชร์แฟลตอยู่ด้วยกัน อยู่มาวันนึงพระเอกที่เป็นหนุ่มเนิร์ดแต่งตัวเฉิ่มๆ ก็อยากลุกมาเปลี่ยนแปลงตัวเอง นางเอกกับเพื่อนเลยช่วยกันเปลี่ยนโฉมให้ พอพระเอกกลายเป็นหนุ่มหล่อและเริ่มออกเดทกับสาวๆ มากมาย นางเอกเลยเพิ่งรู้ใจตัวเองว่าจริงๆ แล้วรักเพื่อนคนนี้มาตลอด

อ่านแล้วไม่ค่อยแน่ใจเลยว่ามันเป็นแนว romance หรือ chicklit หรือยังไง เพราะจะจับไปอยู่แนวไหนก็ดูไปไม่สุดสักทาง คนเขียนเล่าเรื่องราวไปเรื่อยแบบเล่าเป็นซีนๆ แล้วก็จบไป เน้นบทสนทนากับเล่าเหตุการณ์ ไม่ค่อยบรรยายอารมณ์ความรู้สึกของตัวละครเท่าไหร่ (ทั้งๆ ที่เป็น 1st person pov) ทำให้อ่านแล้วไม่เกิดอารมณ์ร่วมไปกับนางเอกที่เป็นคนเล่าเรื่องเลย แม้แต่ฉากที่นางเอกอกหักจิตใจแตกสลายยังอ่านแล้วเฉยสนิท คิดว่าวิธีการเล่าแบบนี้ให้ความรู้สึกเหมือนกำลังดูพวกซีรีส์ซิทคอมแบบ Friends หรืออะไรทำนองนั้น แบบว่าขำขันกันเป็นฉากๆ มีกลุ่มเพื่อนที่แต่ละคนมีเรื่องมีราวของตัวเอง บางทีก็วกไปเล่าเรื่องงาน สักพักตัดไปเล่าเรื่องพ่อแม่ เล่าไปเรื่อยของแทร่ แต่โดยรวมก็ ok read แหละ ชอบพี่ชายนางเอก เสียดายบทน้อยไปหน่อย

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like I was reading a season of friends (not that it was a bad thing). There were so many ups and downs with Lucy starting with her dating and how she exaggerated her interests which was pretty funny at points and definitely made me cringe. Her job, she was amazing at it and you could tell her clients loved her. Her friends and roommates were a huge influence on her as well. Overall a funny book.

[Rachel Hazzledine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was slow to start but got better and better and made me cry by the end, definitely recommend.

[Joanna Nurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some men are just too good to share...

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t usually read Chick-Lit. I have, in fact, read only two that I can think of. Romantic Comedies don’t usually engage my attention, but I was in the mood for something out of character, something light and relaxing. My Single Friend was good for this. It’s endearingly British with the type of humor I’ve come to adore, even though some of the Pop Culture references were lost on me, being raised this side of the pond. My British Slang iPod Touch app is not as helpful as it is amusing.

Lucy Tyler’s job at a PR firm is more successful than her love life, which isn’t saying much if you consider she gets more action out of her sleazy co-worker than the men she’s been going out with lately. To soothe her pathetic romantic life is her best friend since childhood, Henry Fox. If that name doesn’t stir the literary waters of foreshadowing, the impromptu makeover dubbed Project Henry will. After Lucy and her friends, Erin and Dominique, take it upon themselves to unleash the hidden Sex God within, Henry turns out to be quite the catch.

I think you know where this plot is going. It’s a little Bridget Jones’ Diary and a little My Best Friend’s Wedding, but ultimately a very funny, light, and endearing book that focuses more on developing Henry and Lucy’s backstory than it does Lucy’s increasing discomfort and jealousy. This is what saves the novel from being a bit too contrived and cliché. Jane Costello’s characters are blessedly flawed and faulty. The bumbling sweetness of her friends and the wickedly vileness of bad dates and coworkers can come off a little predictable, but play into the strengths and weaknesses of Lucy wonderfully. Costello’s ability to build up and execute some horrifyingly devastating and hilarious situations doesn’t hurt at all, though.

My Single Friend can be tortuous at times--we all want poor Lucy to See The Light. That she doesn’t immediately catch on is part of the charm. I had fun reading it, especially because it made me feel less weird about the relationship I, a 26-year old, have with my 27-year old brother that still resembles grade school-aged bickering. I don’t care if Lucy and Dave are fictitious, I feel validated.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for my review copy!

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

After many disappointments with recent other books I've anticipated reading (not by Jane Costello, just in general), I was surprised to find myself glued to this book!!

The story is pretty basic, and yes, has been done before, but to me that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The author managed to throw in some curves to your typical best-friend turned romance theme, and I loved it!

Lucy has been best friends with Henry for over 20 years. She's never thought of him as anything more than a friend, and they share a flat in London. He's always been a geek (but the sweetest, nicest, geek at that) and so she decides to overgo "project Henry" and after a major makeover and lesson in how to talk to girls, she succeeds. Although now SHE starts seeing him in another light as well. She fights the newly realized feelings for him, until finally she can't take it anymore and needs to tell him that she's fallen in love with him. The problem now however, is that he's seriously dating and unattainable.

I thought the story-line was simple but pretty realistic actually. Sometimes we have those friends that we could never imagine having feelings for until we see them in another light and realize we've loved them all along. Some may think Lucy was shallow in noticing Henry only AFTER his makeover, but sometimes a change is what it takes to open their eyes.

Anyways, I won't give away what happens, but it's an awesome story and I can't wait to read it again!!! :D

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy i Henry su cimeri koji žive u unajmljenom stanu u Liverpoolu. Njih dvoje su i prijatelji od djetinjstva od kada je Henry kao novi učenik došao u Lucyinu školu i ona se ponudila da sjedne pokraj nje. Od tada su najbolji prijatelji. Lucy radi u tvrci s odnosima s javnošću Peaman-Brown, a Henry radi u Istraživačkom centru tropske medicine na proučavanju malarije. Lucy ima prijateljice Dominique koja često mijenja dečke, i koja s njom radi u istoj tvrtci i prijateljicu Erin čiju trvrku zastupa Lucyina. Lucy je bezuspješno u potrazi za dečkom, no zbog svoga preuveličavanja svojih sposobnosti, na prvim sastancima većinom uprska stvar. Henry je više samozatajan, a i čudnog je izgleda zbog odjeće par brojeva veću koju nosi, dugačke kose koju baš i ne održava i užasnih naočala. Nakon što joj je propao još jedan spoj, Lucy nako pogledanog tv showa s Henryem odluči se za projekt Henry u kojem od njega sa Dominique i Erin odluči napraviti zavodnika. Promijene mu izgled izborom odjeće, novom frizurom i lećama umjesto naočala. No Henry je nespretan kod prilaženja ženama pa mu u kafiću za vikend u kojem je od bar jedne trebao dobiti broj, nije ništa uspio. No s druge strane, Lucy je dok je Henry tražio naočale, upoznala Paula s kojim se dogovori za spoj. Prvi spoj s njim nije prošao loše, no već drugi u kojem su išli na planinarenje je bio za nju dosta loš. Ipak, dogovore se i za treći sastanak koji je trebao biti na dodjeli nagrada gdje je Lucyina tvrka jedna od kandidata za nagradu. No Paul otkaže u zadnji tren, i Henry joj uskoči kao pratnja. Kad su došli na dodjelu upoznali su Rachel kojoj se Henry svidio na prvu iako on tu nije došao zavoditi. Pošto je Lucyin šef Roger negdje nestao, trebala je preuzeti nagradu u tvrtkino ime i dok je održavala govor, za šefovo prezime je rekla Penis. Roger se na to jako naljutio. Odlučila je otići kući, a i Henry s njom iako je uspio dobiti Rachelin broj. Henry je počeo izlaziti s Rachel i Lucy je postala malo ljubomorna. Lucy je izašla ponovo s Paulom nakon što joj se nije ispričao što nije išao s njom na dodjelu i nakon što joj se tjedan dana nakon toga nije javio. Na konjičke utrke su svi kao društvo išli zajedno: Lucy i Paul, Henry i Rachel, Dominique i Justin i Erin i njezin prijatelj s posla. Paul je imao svoje teorije o tome koji će konj pobijediti i poludio je kad je saznao da je to konj na kojeg se Henry kladio. Poslije toga su izašli na piće u pub gdje su cure uspjele nagovoriti Henrya da zasvira na glasoviru. On se jedva otarasio žena i htio je poći s Lucy kući, no ona ga je odbila. Te je večeri kući došao s Rachel i s njom proveo vikend. Henry je u međuvremenu, osim s Rachel, bio još s tri cure. Lucy je uspjela nagovoriti Henrya da jednu večer imaju druženje i tu večer mu je pripremila večeru i puno su popili i na kraju se počeli ljubiti. Ali su prekinuli cijelu stvar na vrijeme. Lucy se pravila kao da je sve to pogreška, dok joj je Henry pokušao objasniti kako želi nešto više. Danima je traja njihova agonija no uspjeli su malo izgladiti odnose. Lucy je imala problem i na poslu s jednom tvrtkom čija je priča dospjela do novinara i ta tvrtka ju je optužila da je ona za to kriva. Uspjela je spasiti ugled te tvrke u čemu joj je i Roger pomogao. Njezin radni kolega Drew s kojim se inače podpada i tada ju je podpadao. Jedne večeri su Lucy i Henry izašli u obližnji pub i prijavili se za kviz, tada su otrili da je Drew zapravo Adam Smith, dečko s kojim su išli u razred i koji je zlostavljao Henrya. Kada su pobijedili Drewov tim u pub kvizu, Drew je poludio i riječima napao Henrya na što ga je ovaj odalamio. Lucy je ostala nemirna poslije toga. Henry je i dalje izlazio i zabavljao se, a Lucy je propao još jedan spoj. Henry je prekinio s Rachel nakon što ga je Lucy napala da se ne može tako ponašati i imati njih par u isto vrijeme. On je govorio Lucy da treba biti svoja. Jedan dan je odlučila da će Henryu reći da ga voli, no on se taj dan spremao za spoj i nije imao vremena. Nije se tu noć pojavio kući, pa je Lucy shvatila da misli ozbiljno s tom ženskom, a dok je bila u šopingu saznala je da je ta ženska Erin. Kad je došao kući, natuknula mu je da zna za njih dvoje. Prilikom izlaska s Dominique i Erin otkrile su da Justin vara Dominique. Slijedeći dan je vidjela majku s nekim muškarcem i pomislila da vara tatu te je otišla do brata Davea s kojim je otišla napasti majku. Saznali su da joj je to zapravo novi šef i da su se upoznali na satovima salse na koje ju je Lucy nagovorila. Majka joj je dugo bila ljuta na nju i dok je jednom bila kod njih, majka ju je pitala zašto joj nije vjerovala i da ona voli tatu bez obzira što joj ovaj nikad nije kupio cvijeće ili čestiku za godišnjicu. Ali izvukla je i iz Lucy kako voli Henrya i majka joj je savjetovala da mu to kaže. I kad mu je Lucy to odlučila reći, obznanio joj je kako ide na put oko svijeta s Erin. Lucy je potonula. Na poslu je od Lynette saznala da je Drew odgovoran za to što je izgubila jednu tvrku i napala ga je. To je čuo i Roger koji je otpustio Drewa i unaprijedio Lucy. Na izlasku rastanka Lucy je izbjegavala Henryev pogled. Dave je javio Lucy da njezini roditelji imaju požar. Henry ju je odvezao do kuće i čekali su dok njezin tata nije na rukama iznio majku. Završili su u bolnici na oporavku. Lucy je napustila stan jer je unajmila novi s Dominique i iako je trebala odvesti Henrya na aerodrom, ostavila mu je poruku i otišla majci u posjet. Prilikom posjeta majci, njezina se majka pred Dominique izlanula da je Lucy zaljubljena u Henrya. Na to joj je i Dominique objasnila kako Erin zapravo voli Darrena a da joj se Henry samo sviđa. Lucy ode na aerodrom no ne usije uhvatiti Henrya. Kad se vrati u stan nađe poruku u kojoj joj je Henry napisao kako je voli. Ona u očaju plače i na vrata joj pokuca Henry. Došao je jer mu je Dominique sve ispričala. Napokon se spoje. Lucy je živjela s Dominique i svojim roditeljima više od mjesec dana, zatim su ona i Henry dali otkaze i otišli u Zanzibar. Dominique i Dave su u vezi i sretni su, a Erin se uspjela spetljati s Darrenom.

[Eve Hatton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally I thought this book was a bit slow but by the last 100 pages or so I was hooked and raced to the end. Although this book is very predictable (Ii could tell just by reading the blurb how everything was going to end)there were some unexpected twists and turns which helped keep my interest. However I wasn't really that keen on the character of Lucy. I hated how she always lied on dates to 'make her life more interesting' and the way just a change in Henry's appearance changed her pinion of him. Basically I just found her annoying. For this reason I didn't really find myself rooting for her to find love which if I had I might have found the first part of the story more exciting.However overall I did enjoy this book, it was an easy to read, fun chick lit which is sometimes just what you need!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't everyone's friends tell them a man isn't worthy of you if he doesn't like you just just way you are? Don't change for him. If he doesn't like you in sweat pants, he doesn't deserve you in an evening gown.

Even in this book the friends keep telling heroine What's-her-face she shouldn't pretend to be someone she's not.

And still - Forgot-her-name only realises she fancies her long time boy best friend when they made him change his entire appearance and how he behaves around women. Cue: she doesn't deserve you if she doesn't like you just the way you are.

No one is perfect, we all know that, and you are allowed to change your mind. But if you only fancy him because suddenly he looks good and other women fancy him, then you're not worth his time

And so this book isn't worth your time, dear reader...

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very light read, definitely not the best Jane Costello to date. There were no surprises AT ALL, with the story being predicable from start to finish.

Have to say Lucy wasn't a great lead character and perhaps we can put it down to genetics that she became a compulsive liar when out on dates. In retrospect, the storyline was pretty shallow (the synopsis really said it all), so not surprising there was not a lot of depth to the characters.

Sigh!..

[Sieni A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another funny and lively one from Costello. Read it in one evening. I couldn't put it down come midnight! There was one particular scene that had me LOLing for over 20 seconds. Loved the family dynamic--the mother was particularly hilarious. The emotional angst towards the end kept me at the edge of my seat. Ah gawd the suspense was killlling meee!