Bagging Alice (Babes of Brighton #3)

Alice Watts is flipping hilarious, her words (she has such a potty mouth), her outlook on life, and her friends. I was outwardly laughing throughout. Then theres arrogant, smug and annoyingly cute Tom man whore Maddens. Gross, obnoxious, yet vulnerable at the same time, he made many decisions that to me were unacceptable, yet true to life. Some you may say are unforgivable, a lot of the things he did were all to forget Alice and his wayward thoughts of her. At the same time he could be so sweet, thoughtful and caring. I spent half my time hating his life choices and the other half loving him. I understand why Alice didnt stand a chance against him. They both appeared to have got themselves in pickles one way or another, it was certainly entertaining discovering how they were going to fix their messes. Oh, and can I just say the scene with Pickles in the park was hilarious. Great writing, a totally addictive story, and true to life characters. Narrated by new to me Victoria Riley, who did a bang up job of narrating both Alice and Tom.

I asked to receive this free review audible book and wrote this unbiased review. Laura Bernard has written such a realistic love story that covers many of today\’s issues. Some of the issues addressed are workplace sexual harassment by a female boss, sexual pictures posted on the internet without consent, death and the \”what ifs\” that follow it, discontent in families, revenge, and building relationships. Tom and Alice did not plan on falling in love but as their relationship develops they find that there will be many pitfalls along the way. The big question they have to answer is whether these challenges will tear them apart or bring them together. Victoria Riley did a brilliant job of portraying the emotions and personalities of these characters. When I get so involved with the story that lack of dual narration isn\’t an issue, I know that the narrator has done an excellent job. I highly recommend this Audible book.

Bagging Alice starts out with a really intense, unabashedly cringe-worthy scene, the kind that puts you right inside the mind of Alice, unfiltered and real. Its something to be appreciated while the story is told from both Alice and Toms perspectives, dipping back and forth between the two, so we can get a firm handle on just how much they clash. There isnt much in common, and while shes actively looking for someone she can potentially grow old with, hes having a hard time remembering the name of the last woman hed hooked up with. Yet, there is a lot more beneath the surface, for both characters. Their situations in life have put the unlikely couple in predicaments where they have to let their guard down and be completely honest with one another. Tom presents himself as this near-chauvinist womanizer, its blatantly obvious that he tries hard to believe half of what he tells himself, in order to get through the day. Then theres Alice, who appears to want to be the complete opposite of the supposed role models shes had to look up to for most of her life, doing everything she can to not fit into any set roles or groups. In this way, theyve both put up serious fronts in what I imagine to be a protection from getting hurt. While I appreciated the blatant verbiage in Bagging Alice, with plenty of four letter expletives and more to spare, I found that it got a little thick in some parts of the story, so I found myself focusing more on that then what was taking place. I also felt there were some areas where the tempo sped up too quickly, when I wanted time to slow down so I could really become a part of that particular moment. However, I felt the characters were well-written and gave me a clear idea of who they are, the age they are, and where they are not only when it relates to their own personal stories, but the overall plot. Bagging Alice was a fun read, touching on subjects that are relevant to whats going on in the world today, while told from alternative perspectives. It wasnt all just fun and games, but I think that added a nice layer of depth to Alice and Tom, making them relatable.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book to review. There are some really good aspects of the writing, and some aspects that overshadowed my ability to enjoy the story. Pros: * Great romantic comedy premise – When Alice\’s career is on the line, and her roommate moves out unexpectedly just before rent is due, she agrees to let friend-of-a-friend and notorious playboy, Tom, move in. The close living quarters lead to an immediate build-up of sexual tension and romantic chemistry. * Good syntax- the writing is descriptive, with a good flow, and strong narrative tone. Cons: * As other reviewers have stated, much of the language is surprisingly crass. It detracts from the story. * I found the main male character to be exceptionally arrogant, misogynistic, prone to jealousy and physical aggression. It was a big turn-off. * The story is fraught with issues of consent. I could not look past the number of times a character chose not to consider, or willfully disregarded, the physical boundaries and wishes of another character. These instances were largely treated as flirtatious, and funny, rather than offensive. I would read other books by Laura Barnard. She is a talented writer. The characters in this particular book were not to my liking.

I dont know how the author does it, but Laura Barnard has the knack of making me laugh at even the grossest of situations. And thats something I dont say lightly. My gag reflex is alive and well. Whaaa? TMI? *shrugs* Ive got you intrigued though, dont I? *wags finger* Puh-lease, like Im going to give you any hint of what Im talking about *smirks* Ill put it this way, retching and laughing at the same time is the new thing, lol. *coughs* Right, enough of my nonsense *straightens cuffs* Insert serious reviewer face – bahahaha, like thats ever gonna happen. So, yes, this story can be read as a standalone but as a fan of the series Ive been eagerly anticipating this release. I have to put my hands up and confess that Tom wasnt one of my favourite characters. Hes always had a knack of making my hackles rise. Although I have to give him props. Hes never pretended to be someone he isnt. He wears his MW badge loud and proud! And at his core, he is fiercely loyal when it comes to his friends. Its easy to get caught up in the moment and put your trust in the wrong place. For poor Alice, one rash decision has come back to bite her in the hiney, thanks to an unscrupulous ex. With her business suffering as a result, and a flat mate leaving her high and dry, shes running out of options. Could Tom be the answer to her prayers? *snorts* Now theres a sentence I never thought Id utter *giggles* I totally meant as in the form of her new roomie. Duh! On paper this looks like a recipe for disaster; commitment-phobe vs. trust issues, meat-eater vs. vegetarian. You catch my drift? As sparks start to fly, can Alice and Tom put aside their personal issues and take a chance on each other? *shrugs* If only it was that simple, huh? Nothing is plain sailing for these enemies to lovers. I love how the author doesnt sugarcoat events with her characters. There may be laughs, but there is a lot of heart. Life isnt all unicorns and rainbows, and a particular life altering event for one character had me sobbing my heart out as it touched a particularly raw personal nerve. But it made me love Laura even more for it. With hints to future couplings, I cant wait to see whos up next. I can foresee at least two… *winks*

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