What do you think?
Rate this book
One in a Million
Everyone wants that special someone....
Annie Higgins has given up on love: she’s too busy trying to get her own business off the ground. Infuriated by the advertising agency across the hall making fun of her job, Annie accepts their crazy challenge - to make a random stranger Instagram-famous in just 30 days.
And even when they choose Dr Samuel Page PhD, historian and hater of social media, as her target, Annie’s determined to win the bet - whether Sam likes it or not.
But getting to know Sam means getting to know more about herself. And before the 30 days are out, Annie has to make a decision about what’s really important....
Funny, real and heart-meltingly romantic, Annie and Sam’s story is My Fair Lady for the social media age - and the perfect summer listen.
Annie Higgins has given up on love: she’s too busy trying to get her own business off the ground. Infuriated by the advertising agency across the hall making fun of her job, Annie accepts their crazy challenge - to make a random stranger Instagram-famous in just 30 days.
And even when they choose Dr Samuel Page PhD, historian and hater of social media, as her target, Annie’s determined to win the bet - whether Sam likes it or not.
But getting to know Sam means getting to know more about herself. And before the 30 days are out, Annie has to make a decision about what’s really important....
Funny, real and heart-meltingly romantic, Annie and Sam’s story is My Fair Lady for the social media age - and the perfect summer listen.
Audiobook
First published July 5, 2018
About the author
Lindsey Kelk
48 books4,385 followersLindsey Kelk is the Sunday Times bestselling author of books including the I Heart series, On A Night Like This, The Christmas Wish, and One in a Million, along with the middle grade Cinders & Sparks series.
As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage, and Tight and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network.
Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in LA, where she lives with her husband and two very rude cats.
As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage, and Tight and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network.
Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in LA, where she lives with her husband and two very rude cats.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 715 reviews
October 12, 2018
How I adored this book!
Initially, I thought it was going to be a love-hate romantic comedy, but after a while it became clear it was only a case of a grumpy, and not very socially skilled leading man: Dr. Samuel Page, the hottest historian you'll ever meet.
With his obsession about history Sam reminded me a little of Ross and dinosaurs from Friends. You know, if Ross was tall, blond, blue-eyed, impossibly hot, and owned a cat. Yes, because Sam not only is a Jane-Austen-y hero with all his old-fashioned ways and a jot of Mr. Darcy in him, he's also a cat lover. Can someone get any more perfect? By the way, I'm definitely going to call the next cat that I adopt Wellington!
But a dishy historian is not all this book had to offer. The swooning, sweet romance was interspersed with Lindsey Kelk's signature humor, which made this read all the more enjoyable.
By the end, I was all warmed and cozied up!
Initially, I thought it was going to be a love-hate romantic comedy, but after a while it became clear it was only a case of a grumpy, and not very socially skilled leading man: Dr. Samuel Page, the hottest historian you'll ever meet.
With his obsession about history Sam reminded me a little of Ross and dinosaurs from Friends. You know, if Ross was tall, blond, blue-eyed, impossibly hot, and owned a cat. Yes, because Sam not only is a Jane-Austen-y hero with all his old-fashioned ways and a jot of Mr. Darcy in him, he's also a cat lover. Can someone get any more perfect? By the way, I'm definitely going to call the next cat that I adopt Wellington!
But a dishy historian is not all this book had to offer. The swooning, sweet romance was interspersed with Lindsey Kelk's signature humor, which made this read all the more enjoyable.
By the end, I was all warmed and cozied up!
December 27, 2021
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Contemporary romance in a world of social media. One in a Million is a nice addition to a library, for those of you who enjoy this genre.
Annie is working hard to get her own marketing business moving. She doesn't have time for anything else, especially love. And now that her ex-boyfriend has proposed to someone else after 6 months, she has to pretend that it doesn't mean anything to her.
She makes a risky bet to turn a random person internet famous in a month. It seems like an easy thing to do, but when it turns out that this random person is one of those that want nothing to do with social media, this bet turns out to be mission impossible. Not to mention that this person is also brutally honest and savagely rude.
The plot was predictable and flat. I knew what was going to happen and the ending was too obvious and without any major twists.
Knowing the subject of this book, I was expecting at least some character development from both main characters:
* The man who never uses social media realizes that online presence is extremely important in today's world, especially if you are trying to sell a book and promote what you are doing.
* The woman who is addicted to social media realizes that aside from the online world, she needs to focus on the real-life experiences and friendships.
The realizations from both sides never really happened. The characters mentioned and discussed this, but the never changed their actions or behavior, which I found very disappointing.
One in a Million is a wonderful chill book, one of those books you can read by the pool or on the beach. It is the perfect book to cheer you up, but it didn't seem to have any real value to it, and for me it was a predictable and a boring experience.
If this genre is something that you usually read and enjoy - please pick it up, you are probably going to enjoy it! This book just wasn't for me, that's all.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Contemporary romance in a world of social media. One in a Million is a nice addition to a library, for those of you who enjoy this genre.
Annie is working hard to get her own marketing business moving. She doesn't have time for anything else, especially love. And now that her ex-boyfriend has proposed to someone else after 6 months, she has to pretend that it doesn't mean anything to her.
She makes a risky bet to turn a random person internet famous in a month. It seems like an easy thing to do, but when it turns out that this random person is one of those that want nothing to do with social media, this bet turns out to be mission impossible. Not to mention that this person is also brutally honest and savagely rude.
The plot was predictable and flat. I knew what was going to happen and the ending was too obvious and without any major twists.
Knowing the subject of this book, I was expecting at least some character development from both main characters:
* The man who never uses social media realizes that online presence is extremely important in today's world, especially if you are trying to sell a book and promote what you are doing.
* The woman who is addicted to social media realizes that aside from the online world, she needs to focus on the real-life experiences and friendships.
The realizations from both sides never really happened. The characters mentioned and discussed this, but the never changed their actions or behavior, which I found very disappointing.
One in a Million is a wonderful chill book, one of those books you can read by the pool or on the beach. It is the perfect book to cheer you up, but it didn't seem to have any real value to it, and for me it was a predictable and a boring experience.
If this genre is something that you usually read and enjoy - please pick it up, you are probably going to enjoy it! This book just wasn't for me, that's all.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
July 5, 2018
4 - "I happen to think you’re fairly close to perfect." Stars!
It’s been a looooong time since I read a book by this author, I didn’t realize just how much so until I checked my ‘Read’ shelf. But like in life, it’s amazing how the years in Booklandia fly by and the amount of books released by said writer pile up before you get back to reading their words again.
"I’ve got this."
I’ll admit the blurb for One in A Million was what drew me in initially because I love a good nerd to cool-nerd transformation/opposites attract love story like most people do, and Dr Samuel Page starts out more Stig-of-the-historian-dump, than Historian-hottie when we meet him, something Annie Higgins plans to change when she agrees to a thirty-day bet to gain the attention shy guy twenty thousand followers on a social media platform.
"Whats in this for you..?"
Something Sam is really not interested in being involved in initially, but when Annie learns his girlfriend has dumped him mainly for being emotionally absent, more interested in his work, and his lack of social graces, grooming and personal style, she makes him a deal. Boyfriend Bootcamp gives her the chance to smarten him up, and make him ‘social-media appropriate’ and in exchange for that she gives him tips and pointers that may encourage his girlfriend to change her mind.
Maybe there was hope after all…
This isn’t a quick book, I’ll be honest and say the first 35% or so dragged a little, but there were enough entertaining scenarios to keep me reading, but push past the slow warm up and it was full steam ahead after that, I literally laughed until I cried at certain points, and although it’s pretty clear as to the direction in which the story will eventually go between this pair, there were some hugely amusing interludes along the way.
A month ago I hadn’t even known that he existed and now I couldn’t imagine a day without him in it.
The story is told solely from Annie’s perspective and I think at certain points it would have benefitted from Sam’s POV as well, it was certainly long enough to mix up the story-telling aspect of it a bit. There was also a plethora of likeable secondary characters in the mix and they all added to the enjoyment with their own unique and quirky personality traits as well.
"You managed without me for a long time… You’ll manage without me again."
Enjoyable, funny, sweet, with low-level romance and drama, I find my reading tastes veering more into Chick-Lit lately, and when I read a book like this it just highlights all the positives for doing so.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
It’s been a looooong time since I read a book by this author, I didn’t realize just how much so until I checked my ‘Read’ shelf. But like in life, it’s amazing how the years in Booklandia fly by and the amount of books released by said writer pile up before you get back to reading their words again.
"I’ve got this."
I’ll admit the blurb for One in A Million was what drew me in initially because I love a good nerd to cool-nerd transformation/opposites attract love story like most people do, and Dr Samuel Page starts out more Stig-of-the-historian-dump, than Historian-hottie when we meet him, something Annie Higgins plans to change when she agrees to a thirty-day bet to gain the attention shy guy twenty thousand followers on a social media platform.
"Whats in this for you..?"
Something Sam is really not interested in being involved in initially, but when Annie learns his girlfriend has dumped him mainly for being emotionally absent, more interested in his work, and his lack of social graces, grooming and personal style, she makes him a deal. Boyfriend Bootcamp gives her the chance to smarten him up, and make him ‘social-media appropriate’ and in exchange for that she gives him tips and pointers that may encourage his girlfriend to change her mind.
Maybe there was hope after all…
This isn’t a quick book, I’ll be honest and say the first 35% or so dragged a little, but there were enough entertaining scenarios to keep me reading, but push past the slow warm up and it was full steam ahead after that, I literally laughed until I cried at certain points, and although it’s pretty clear as to the direction in which the story will eventually go between this pair, there were some hugely amusing interludes along the way.
A month ago I hadn’t even known that he existed and now I couldn’t imagine a day without him in it.
The story is told solely from Annie’s perspective and I think at certain points it would have benefitted from Sam’s POV as well, it was certainly long enough to mix up the story-telling aspect of it a bit. There was also a plethora of likeable secondary characters in the mix and they all added to the enjoyment with their own unique and quirky personality traits as well.
"You managed without me for a long time… You’ll manage without me again."
Enjoyable, funny, sweet, with low-level romance and drama, I find my reading tastes veering more into Chick-Lit lately, and when I read a book like this it just highlights all the positives for doing so.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
April 5, 2019
4.5 Stars. I can't get enough of Lindsey Kelk's quirky, funny, heartwarming romances.
July 9, 2018
5-never-wanted-this-book-to-end stars!
Not wanting a book to end is the highest of honours I feel for a book, almost across all genres, maybe not a murder mystery but you get the drift! I HEART Lindsey's standalone books ;) , don't get me wrong, her series' are quite amazing too but to wrap up a heartfelt, funny story in one book is like eating a scrumptious meal. This book is her best standalone work, yet. I could name a million reasons why (yes, pun intended)
What I loved about this book:-
1) The almost entire focus on Annie, her career was a meat of this book. I enjoyed the subtle hint at Annie's dependency on social media, her palpitations when she was not around her phone or when it was low on charge. This reflection of society while not seeming preachy was brilliant. Annie is a winning character. She is funny, flawed, extremely good at her job but down on luck on men. What was refreshing was she never dwelt on it. She just kept making plans and almost working herself to death but she never got bogged down! She's your best kind of heroine to root for
2) Aah Dr. Samuel Page (not Sam ;)) almost diametrically opposite of our Annie but in the most wonderful way. He was a historian, cared about obscure facts that nobody knew about and was unfriendly, curmudgeon and hated all things social media. To make him an internet sensation was very interesting to read and also the whole boyfriend bootcamp was fun. We have read the whole makeover and realizing he/she was a swan behind the ugly duckling things before; but this book does not feel shallow.
3) No insta-love. God, I hate contemporary instant attraction books, this book was life-like with normal characters and slow-burn. The romance was just a part of the book, the friendships and careers were almost as important. The book happens over a month, but there's so much depth that when the characters fall in love you don't feel that it's been only a month. You are absolutely invested and you are feverishly turning the pages to see how it ends
4) The humour, (it's almost a given for Lindsey's books) I was smiling and chortling often. It's a clean book with sizzling chemistry and banter, not many authors can accomplish that. I loved Miranda and Brian and even the interns. Most important I loved Annie's job, the subtle references to gender politics of running a company was very timely. I loved the random historical facts from the book, those were definitely interesting
What I didn't like:-
1) I want to say nothing, because I loved this book. But the slightly one-dimensional ex-girlfriend was a major put off. This book doesn't need obstacles apart from the ones that Sam and Annie were creating for themselves in their head. They were so different, that in itself made for sparkling conversation and added layers. But I get why the ex needed to be there to give Sam some initial boost to participate in this internet sensation bet.
Nothing else, I loved every bit of this book. I was waiting for this book ever since the announcement and this book matched all my expectations and then some! Cannot wait for more from Lindsey, especially the stand-alone books. True winner
Not wanting a book to end is the highest of honours I feel for a book, almost across all genres, maybe not a murder mystery but you get the drift! I HEART Lindsey's standalone books ;) , don't get me wrong, her series' are quite amazing too but to wrap up a heartfelt, funny story in one book is like eating a scrumptious meal. This book is her best standalone work, yet. I could name a million reasons why (yes, pun intended)
What I loved about this book:-
1) The almost entire focus on Annie, her career was a meat of this book. I enjoyed the subtle hint at Annie's dependency on social media, her palpitations when she was not around her phone or when it was low on charge. This reflection of society while not seeming preachy was brilliant. Annie is a winning character. She is funny, flawed, extremely good at her job but down on luck on men. What was refreshing was she never dwelt on it. She just kept making plans and almost working herself to death but she never got bogged down! She's your best kind of heroine to root for
2) Aah Dr. Samuel Page (not Sam ;)) almost diametrically opposite of our Annie but in the most wonderful way. He was a historian, cared about obscure facts that nobody knew about and was unfriendly, curmudgeon and hated all things social media. To make him an internet sensation was very interesting to read and also the whole boyfriend bootcamp was fun. We have read the whole makeover and realizing he/she was a swan behind the ugly duckling things before; but this book does not feel shallow.
3) No insta-love. God, I hate contemporary instant attraction books, this book was life-like with normal characters and slow-burn. The romance was just a part of the book, the friendships and careers were almost as important. The book happens over a month, but there's so much depth that when the characters fall in love you don't feel that it's been only a month. You are absolutely invested and you are feverishly turning the pages to see how it ends
4) The humour, (it's almost a given for Lindsey's books) I was smiling and chortling often. It's a clean book with sizzling chemistry and banter, not many authors can accomplish that. I loved Miranda and Brian and even the interns. Most important I loved Annie's job, the subtle references to gender politics of running a company was very timely. I loved the random historical facts from the book, those were definitely interesting
What I didn't like:-
1) I want to say nothing, because I loved this book. But the slightly one-dimensional ex-girlfriend was a major put off. This book doesn't need obstacles apart from the ones that Sam and Annie were creating for themselves in their head. They were so different, that in itself made for sparkling conversation and added layers. But I get why the ex needed to be there to give Sam some initial boost to participate in this internet sensation bet.
Nothing else, I loved every bit of this book. I was waiting for this book ever since the announcement and this book matched all my expectations and then some! Cannot wait for more from Lindsey, especially the stand-alone books. True winner
January 13, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
⬇️ 𝑷𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑺 𝑷 𝑶 𝑰 𝑳 𝑬 𝑹 𝑺 ⬇️
This was such a cute romcom read. I’ve never LOL’d so much in my life. The reason it wasn’t 5⭐️ is because I feel like their love story was dragged out. I wish they got together sooner and we could have enjoyed their story unfolding. This was my first book from this author and I’m already having anxiety of needing to read her other books!
Sam and Annie are so cute. An introvert and an extrovert coming together. Friends to lovers. It’s brilliant! Also love all the British slang/words, I talk like that for a good two days after reading books based in London 😂
⬇️ 𝑷𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑺 𝑷 𝑶 𝑰 𝑳 𝑬 𝑹 𝑺 ⬇️
This was such a cute romcom read. I’ve never LOL’d so much in my life. The reason it wasn’t 5⭐️ is because I feel like their love story was dragged out. I wish they got together sooner and we could have enjoyed their story unfolding. This was my first book from this author and I’m already having anxiety of needing to read her other books!
Sam and Annie are so cute. An introvert and an extrovert coming together. Friends to lovers. It’s brilliant! Also love all the British slang/words, I talk like that for a good two days after reading books based in London 😂
January 5, 2019
At first the story wasn't gripping my interest as much as many of Lindsey Kelk's books but I'm pleased I kept reading. Annie was a very well written character who I loved and Dr Samuel Page PhD (Sam to my friends) was likeable to. I enjoyed his love of Britney Spears and the times of them dancing are lovely. Samuel was very funny with Annie's family. I also loved the characters of Miranda and Brian and the business Annie and Miranda had created. It just wasn't my favourite of Lindsey's books.
October 28, 2019
Okay book, feel-good, nice, forgettable. I actually forgot that I´ve read it. But I do remember not hating it.
October 21, 2018
This book had humor, romance, an adorable cat, and a swoon-worthy leading man! What's not to love about it? Honestly, it was a fun and cozy page-turner that I enjoyed reading in one sitting.
It's not exactly love-hate. But our hottie male protagonist sure is a tough nut to crack with all his PhDs and "big professor" attitude. The book felt also very modern with all its digital marketing and social media references, which made old-fashioned Dr. Page all the more attractive by comparison.
I love Lindsey Kelk's standalone novels, I never warmed up to her mega-successful "I Heart" series and like Kinsella for the Shopaholic series I wish she'd stop writing books in the series and just publish standalones.
It's not exactly love-hate. But our hottie male protagonist sure is a tough nut to crack with all his PhDs and "big professor" attitude. The book felt also very modern with all its digital marketing and social media references, which made old-fashioned Dr. Page all the more attractive by comparison.
I love Lindsey Kelk's standalone novels, I never warmed up to her mega-successful "I Heart" series and like Kinsella for the Shopaholic series I wish she'd stop writing books in the series and just publish standalones.
December 27, 2020
this was so sweet and soft! just a lovely romance with a nice depiction of social media!
August 28, 2021
You don't need lots of brain power to follow this sugar-coated, predictable, old-fashioned rom-com plot line. Didn't hate it though, I've read much worse! Sam & Annie, lead couple, whose names are the same as Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks' characters in "Sleepless in Seattle" and I don't think it's a coincidence, meet because of a bet she makes with a friend. It involves transforming hermitlike Sam into a hottie to win his ex-girlfriend back and you may guess the obvious outcome. Appreciated the quote of one of the best and highly underrated rom-com movies of recent years: "He's Just Not That Into You" (2009). That movie helped me survive a bad break-up, go watch it if you haven't already 🤓
July 26, 2018
In “One in a Million” we meet Annie Higgins who has just betted to turn a very social media unfriendly person into an Instagram influencer. The man in question, Dr Samuel Page, doesn’t know his luck yet and Annie must turn this innocent nerd into an über – cool – nerd with twenty thousand followers in only thirty days. Samuel is absolutely not interested but when Annie learns that his girlfriend has recently dumped him for being only interested in his research work, being emotionally absent, for having a bad dress sense and for being not groomed enough, she senses her chance and “Boyfriend Bootcamp” is brought to life. She’s going to change him into the man his ex wants him to be and in exchange for her tips he agrees for her to make him exist in social media. Will she manage to turn this totally unknown unfriendly historian into Instagram star?
I’ve never been so much into social media, I mean, I do have my Facebook (sorry, Annie, yes, I’m old enough), and I know my Twitter but this followers fights on Instagram somehow passed me by, however I was totally intrigued what you can do to gain those followers – especially when you’re as reluctant as the person that Annie was supposed to turn into Instagram influencer. I am not the person that can’t take her eyes off her phone so Annie was a little exotic to me but I, of course, can also understand her way of keeping on with her emails, messages and likes, it was her job at last.
Annie was immediately likeable. She was funny and had some of the best one – liners, she was quirky and extremely good at her job. I loved Annie’s passion, the way she mad me feel about her – she made me laugh but I also wanted to bang her head sometimes, and this is the sign of a really great, realistic character.
Dr Samuel Page (not Sam!) was one of the most brilliant characters ever. Not only seeing him coming out of his shell was a real joy, seeing him as he is was refreshing and only imagining his face at some of the changes made me laugh out loud. This reluctance of his, it was so perfectly well captured and described and I felt so, so sorry for him. I only think that I would love to hear his point of view as well, not only Annie’s – I know, we know he’s reluctant and not so keen on this whole idea but it would be great to hear direct from him.
The banter between the characters was so enjoyable and it felt so genuine and natural. What I also liked was the fact that there could be one or two or more potential affair contenders, which made the reading not so obvious, however then it came to such a point when I couldn’t imagine Annie with any other character than THIS ONE. But of course life is not a picnic and the way to happy ending is always a bumpy road and there is never a guarantee that it’s going to be a happy end, right.
The pace of this story was only right, it was not too quick and not too slow and there were amusing events aplenty. It was fabulously enjoyable, with enough drama and romance, laughter and seriousness. The romance part was truly genuine and not too forced on the characters, and it was brilliantly balanced with their lives, careers and likes. Even if the story covers only one month, this love affair doesn’t feel too rushed or too artificial and I found myself totally absorbed in it. And it’s not only a laugh – out – loud book. I really liked how cleverly and seamlessly those subtle references to gender politics in business, in running your own company and also those random historical facts were built into this story.
Altogether, “One in a Million” was brilliantly light – hearted and spot on, it was full of hilarious situations and this trademark Lindsey Kelk’s humour and incredibly warm characters – this author is really a queen of creating unforgettable characters that you can’t help but root for. And of course there is also the hidden message about social media as well! Highly recommended!
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
August 7, 2018
5 stars
Sparkling, from start to finish!
Full review: https://bookevin.wordpress.com/2018/0...
Sparkling, from start to finish!
Full review: https://bookevin.wordpress.com/2018/0...
June 3, 2019
So on the positive side, I found out about book this in an article about the possible return of chick lit and it is indeed chick lit!
On the negative side . . . so the hero's name is Samuel and he prefers to go by that, but the heroine insists on calling him Sam. Don't do that! Call people what they want to be called. And, really, that sums up my overall reaction to this book, I think. Neither of them REALLY seemed to respect each other enough. (This is a genderswapped My Fair Lady retelling, which might one of those stories you can't really tell in modern times.)
Also, it's one of those books that sets up a flirtation with a not-hero before you meet the hero and I was into it!
On the negative side . . . so the hero's name is Samuel and he prefers to go by that, but the heroine insists on calling him Sam. Don't do that! Call people what they want to be called. And, really, that sums up my overall reaction to this book, I think. Neither of them REALLY seemed to respect each other enough. (This is a genderswapped My Fair Lady retelling, which might one of those stories you can't really tell in modern times.)
Also, it's one of those books that sets up a flirtation with a not-hero before you meet the hero and I was into it!
February 27, 2019
There's something utterly sweet and cute about Brit Chick Lit.
One in a Million is the perfect example of it. It's been a long while since I read a book like this one, so fluffy and light and full of heart and I'm soooooo happy Jess @Books&Curves recommended it to me.
One in a Million is the perfect example of it. It's been a long while since I read a book like this one, so fluffy and light and full of heart and I'm soooooo happy Jess @Books&Curves recommended it to me.
March 9, 2020
Such a hilarious read! I love following stories that revolve around social media.
Would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quick romcom 👍
And Lindsey Kelk is definitely going on my list of "auto-buy authors" ❤️
Rating: 4/5 ⭐
Would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quick romcom 👍
And Lindsey Kelk is definitely going on my list of "auto-buy authors" ❤️
Rating: 4/5 ⭐
June 17, 2018
I can see why this is being described as a modern day My Fair Lady, it really is turning someone from nothing on social media into a proper instagram influencer at least in terms of follower count. Of course the person being transformed is rather reluctant and its all come about as a result of a bet thanks to the overly competitive Annie Higgins.
I was laughing early on when Annie was referred to as Professor Higgins by the person she made the bet with regarding her social media prowess. And that isn't the only nod to My Fair Lady in the book, I probably missed some references but there was one quite late on that made me smile
Setting aside my clear love of a musical, we have a fabulous contemporary story that really resonated with me, especially since like Annie I seem to keep an eye on my phone and emails at all times of day, night, weekends regardless of if I was meant to be having downtime. Ironically as I know how much I tend to enjoy Lindsey Kelk books I read most of it while being deliberately separated from technology for a few hours and I was loving the book until I had to go back and check my emails!!
This is full of Kelk's trademark humour, so much to laugh at, and there is a message about social media in the book too. I loved Dr Samuel Page, and seeing him come alive in Annie's boyfriend bootcamp is rather enjoyable, and surprising.
So many scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed and I loved the banter between Annie and her co-workers and the advertising agency across the hall from them too. It is all just a lot of fun.
The entire book takes place in just over a month, with most chapters starting with the date, some with an update on the bet with latest follower counts. The question is will Annie succeed in turning a relatively unknown historian, with too much facial hair and bad dress sense, into an instantly recognisable instagram that everyone wants to follow? Well you need to read to find out, and see just how much this bet affects the lives of both people.
This is a very witty, well thought out story from a fabulous author, who knows exactly what she is doing and does it so brilliantly. To me its not as great as the I Heart series the author is most known for, but its still an excellent book.
Thank you to Harper for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I was laughing early on when Annie was referred to as Professor Higgins by the person she made the bet with regarding her social media prowess. And that isn't the only nod to My Fair Lady in the book, I probably missed some references but there was one quite late on that made me smile
Setting aside my clear love of a musical, we have a fabulous contemporary story that really resonated with me, especially since like Annie I seem to keep an eye on my phone and emails at all times of day, night, weekends regardless of if I was meant to be having downtime. Ironically as I know how much I tend to enjoy Lindsey Kelk books I read most of it while being deliberately separated from technology for a few hours and I was loving the book until I had to go back and check my emails!!
This is full of Kelk's trademark humour, so much to laugh at, and there is a message about social media in the book too. I loved Dr Samuel Page, and seeing him come alive in Annie's boyfriend bootcamp is rather enjoyable, and surprising.
So many scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed and I loved the banter between Annie and her co-workers and the advertising agency across the hall from them too. It is all just a lot of fun.
The entire book takes place in just over a month, with most chapters starting with the date, some with an update on the bet with latest follower counts. The question is will Annie succeed in turning a relatively unknown historian, with too much facial hair and bad dress sense, into an instantly recognisable instagram that everyone wants to follow? Well you need to read to find out, and see just how much this bet affects the lives of both people.
This is a very witty, well thought out story from a fabulous author, who knows exactly what she is doing and does it so brilliantly. To me its not as great as the I Heart series the author is most known for, but its still an excellent book.
Thank you to Harper for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
July 27, 2018
I don't even know where to start this review, because this book is absolutely FABULOUS!!!
Lindsey Kelk is one of these very talented writers, who creates a wonderful world around her characters, makes them lively and authentic and comes up with a gripping and exciting storyline.
We follow Annie Higgins, who runs her own agency, dealing with social media. She has given up on men and love. Together with her best friend Miranda she successfully runs the business and takes on a bet from the guys across the hall: creating a new instagram account based on a person they all don't know and getting him to 20k followers in a month.
That's where Sam comes in, or I should rather say Dr Samuel Page. He is a historian and very different to Annie, how can she create an account only based on him?! Their first encounter is not so much fun and he is very distant and arrogant. His girlfriend Elaine has just left him and that's where Annie sees her chance. She helps him getting his girlfriend back and she can create the account, without showing his picture of course.
She changes his looks and makes him see what is needed in a good relationship. Obviously they spend a lot of time together and yes they get along really well after a while. There is still Charlie from across the hall though right?! Oh and Elaine, let's not forget her.
Both, Sam and Annie are really relatable characters and I loved following them around. I was hooked to the storyline from the start and liked all the social media references. Lindsey Kelk also really knows to include current events, like the world cup. These make the book very authentic and real.
I loved the way the relationship between Annie and Sam slowly developed. There was never a dull moment and I really liked the two of them together. They are so different from each other, but the sparks were there from the start, even if it took them a while to figure it out themselves. There were of course also some obstacles in the way, but that keeps you going as a reader.
Lindsey Kelk's writing is absosultey hilarious, romantic, passionte and just fantastic. She really understands how to engage a reader. 11 out of 10 points for this book for sure!!!!!
The story really is a modern day My Fair Lady, it's got a twist, a gende swap and of course the whole social media thing, just brilliant!!!
Lindsey Kelk is one of these very talented writers, who creates a wonderful world around her characters, makes them lively and authentic and comes up with a gripping and exciting storyline.
We follow Annie Higgins, who runs her own agency, dealing with social media. She has given up on men and love. Together with her best friend Miranda she successfully runs the business and takes on a bet from the guys across the hall: creating a new instagram account based on a person they all don't know and getting him to 20k followers in a month.
That's where Sam comes in, or I should rather say Dr Samuel Page. He is a historian and very different to Annie, how can she create an account only based on him?! Their first encounter is not so much fun and he is very distant and arrogant. His girlfriend Elaine has just left him and that's where Annie sees her chance. She helps him getting his girlfriend back and she can create the account, without showing his picture of course.
She changes his looks and makes him see what is needed in a good relationship. Obviously they spend a lot of time together and yes they get along really well after a while. There is still Charlie from across the hall though right?! Oh and Elaine, let's not forget her.
Both, Sam and Annie are really relatable characters and I loved following them around. I was hooked to the storyline from the start and liked all the social media references. Lindsey Kelk also really knows to include current events, like the world cup. These make the book very authentic and real.
I loved the way the relationship between Annie and Sam slowly developed. There was never a dull moment and I really liked the two of them together. They are so different from each other, but the sparks were there from the start, even if it took them a while to figure it out themselves. There were of course also some obstacles in the way, but that keeps you going as a reader.
Lindsey Kelk's writing is absosultey hilarious, romantic, passionte and just fantastic. She really understands how to engage a reader. 11 out of 10 points for this book for sure!!!!!
The story really is a modern day My Fair Lady, it's got a twist, a gende swap and of course the whole social media thing, just brilliant!!!
February 19, 2019
This was a super cute, fun book. Billed as "My Fair Lady for the social media age" and it really loved up to that for me. It felt like a throwback to some fun late 90s/early 2000s books and movies too.
February 4, 2022
Reading prompt: Book with a pretty cover. ( I maaaay have chosen this because I struggled a bit through my last read and needed something fun and easy)
A fun, easy breezy romantic comedy that warmed my heart and made me laugh. Was it perfect? No. For example there was a really unnecessary conflict right at the end wich I think we could have done just fine without. And honestly a bit allergic to the whole "no-i-don't-want-to-change-you-but-your-look-is-awful-please-dress-and-act-as-I-prefer thing. Like those things don't go well together and it feels a bit dishonest.
But still, I hade a great time so I'm not going to complain too much. I knew what I was ordering and I got served exactly that.
A fun, easy breezy romantic comedy that warmed my heart and made me laugh. Was it perfect? No. For example there was a really unnecessary conflict right at the end wich I think we could have done just fine without. And honestly a bit allergic to the whole "no-i-don't-want-to-change-you-but-your-look-is-awful-please-dress-and-act-as-I-prefer thing. Like those things don't go well together and it feels a bit dishonest.
But still, I hade a great time so I'm not going to complain too much. I knew what I was ordering and I got served exactly that.
September 30, 2018
5++++ Bloody brilliant My Fair Lady Stars!
God, it's been so long since I read meself a Kelk book! I remember reading the first of the I Heart series and tingling about it for days after, as if I alone had discovered the best kept secret of the rom-com world (My delusions of grandeur weren't even slightly bothered by the fact that the series was already a huge best selling sensation. I convinced myself that I was somehow responsible for it's fabulousness, as if my copy was the tipping purchase that made it a best seller. Yeah, it should also be noted that white russians were drunk that day).
Anyway, that was all at the very start of my love affair with rom coms. Four years later and I came across One in a Million .
I loved everything about this book.
Lindsey Kelk has written a fabulously entertaining romance about two TOTAL opposites who fall in love.
I loved the parallels to My Fair Lady and the very clever way Ms. Kelk put a modern twist to one of my most favourite musicals.
The humour, the characters (Wellingron, I heart you so!), and the peppering of fun facts.
Most of all, I LOOOOVED Dr Samuel Page PhD.
And by god, did I LOVE ... .
This is a 'Blew me away 6 star' that I will surely read again and again.
Awesome.
God, it's been so long since I read meself a Kelk book! I remember reading the first of the I Heart series and tingling about it for days after, as if I alone had discovered the best kept secret of the rom-com world (My delusions of grandeur weren't even slightly bothered by the fact that the series was already a huge best selling sensation. I convinced myself that I was somehow responsible for it's fabulousness, as if my copy was the tipping purchase that made it a best seller. Yeah, it should also be noted that white russians were drunk that day).
Anyway, that was all at the very start of my love affair with rom coms. Four years later and I came across One in a Million .
I loved everything about this book.
Lindsey Kelk has written a fabulously entertaining romance about two TOTAL opposites who fall in love.
I loved the parallels to My Fair Lady and the very clever way Ms. Kelk put a modern twist to one of my most favourite musicals.
The humour, the characters (Wellingron, I heart you so!), and the peppering of fun facts.
Most of all, I LOOOOVED Dr Samuel Page PhD.
And by god, did I LOVE ... .
This is a 'Blew me away 6 star' that I will surely read again and again.
Awesome.
April 17, 2019
2-2.5 stars for One in a Million from me. I was pretty disappointed. The premise sounded fun to me so I was excited since I had never read a book with a story like this one. The writing was pretty solid, which I'm happy about and it saved a few stars. But at times I just skimmed through parts because I wasn't very interested in the unnecessary extra information in between the dialogue that didn't really add anything to this book besides words. There was definitely some funny dialogue, sometimes it got a bit too 'hip-internet-and-social-media' for me, even a little cringe-worthy at times, but overall it was fine.
The main problem for me, essentially the only problem because everything else just stems from this, since it is quite a big problem; I didn't like any of the characters in this story. The one I liked the most was the sister Rebecca/Becks I guess, but I'm not even that big of a fan of her either.
Like I said, the premise is what got me interested, but I didn't like the way it all happened. Sam reluctantly agrees to let Annie use him to win a bet in which she has to make someone 'instagram-famous' (i.e. 20K followers) within 30 days. In return Annie will help him become a better boyfriend to win back his ex. After agreeing he gets forced to do a whole list of things he explicitly tells Annie he does not want to do. They literally cut off his hair seconds after he tells them repeatedly he doesn't want them to. Eventually he agrees that it wasn't a bad decision but that should've been his decision, or at least a mutually agreed upon decision.
The romance didn't get me especially invested, since I didn't actually like the characters. The start of it, which I'd say is the day of the salsa dancing and the dad's bday party, seems to come completely out of nowhere. Sam is a completely different person that night, and I don't mean his actual self opening up and sharing more of what's hidden beneath his shy exterior or something. He actually seems to be a different person, with completely new interests that were never mentioned before and he suddenly doesn't mention a single historical fact for basically the whole day, while he didn't seem to be able to get through a 5min conversation without mentioning one before then.
The whole thing with Sam's cheating (ex-)girlfriend wasn't my thing either.
After they almost came together but Sam finds out about the pics, Sam, who a few weeks before didn't have a single social media account and half-detested the whole notion of them, blocked her on facebook. Only minutes after they had their 'fight', he blocked her on facebook... and the next day they find out he actually blocked all of her friends and colleagues as well. I'm just not really believing that that's something a guy would do when he doesn't even use social media. His first instinct would not be to go online and block someone because they had a disagreement... he wrote her a letter only the day before... A LETTER... ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
The main problem for me, essentially the only problem because everything else just stems from this, since it is quite a big problem; I didn't like any of the characters in this story. The one I liked the most was the sister Rebecca/Becks I guess, but I'm not even that big of a fan of her either.
Like I said, the premise is what got me interested, but I didn't like the way it all happened. Sam reluctantly agrees to let Annie use him to win a bet in which she has to make someone 'instagram-famous' (i.e. 20K followers) within 30 days. In return Annie will help him become a better boyfriend to win back his ex. After agreeing he gets forced to do a whole list of things he explicitly tells Annie he does not want to do. They literally cut off his hair seconds after he tells them repeatedly he doesn't want them to. Eventually he agrees that it wasn't a bad decision but that should've been his decision, or at least a mutually agreed upon decision.
The romance didn't get me especially invested, since I didn't actually like the characters. The start of it, which I'd say is the day of the salsa dancing and the dad's bday party, seems to come completely out of nowhere. Sam is a completely different person that night, and I don't mean his actual self opening up and sharing more of what's hidden beneath his shy exterior or something. He actually seems to be a different person, with completely new interests that were never mentioned before and he suddenly doesn't mention a single historical fact for basically the whole day, while he didn't seem to be able to get through a 5min conversation without mentioning one before then.
The whole thing with Sam's cheating (ex-)girlfriend wasn't my thing either.
After they almost came together but Sam finds out about the pics, Sam, who a few weeks before didn't have a single social media account and half-detested the whole notion of them, blocked her on facebook. Only minutes after they had their 'fight', he blocked her on facebook... and the next day they find out he actually blocked all of her friends and colleagues as well. I'm just not really believing that that's something a guy would do when he doesn't even use social media. His first instinct would not be to go online and block someone because they had a disagreement... he wrote her a letter only the day before... A LETTER... ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
Read
May 18, 2018Lindsey Kelk is in top form with One In A Million, a charming and hilarious Pygmalion for the twenty-first century. There are plenty of laugh out loud comic set pieces (of course!) as we fall in love with an all-new cast of characters in an irresistible story of a competitive web guru and her delightfully gruff makeover subject. Lindsey Kelk is tackling modern love like nobody else, and each successive book of hers adapts to the changing romantic landscape of the times. And I mentioned funny, right? This book features some lines that are still making me laugh, well after I've finished reading it. I won't spoil them by singling them out here, but my favorite has something to do with an actor from a seventies dance movie or a seventies movie about greasy hair. I just remembered it again and laughed out loud. Sometimes I wish Lindsey would write a book featuring a set of her background characters because they're always so funny and well drawn. I'm rambling. I loved this book. Read it.
August 11, 2018
If you are looking for a modern twist on a rom-com, then this could well be up your street. It's warm, genuinely funny and predictable in the best possible way. It is packed full of hilarious, confident women and I thought the focus on social media gave the book an original, up-to-date 'hook'. Reading this was like catching up with an old friend over our favourite feel-good films (I'm thinking My Fair Lady updated for the Set It Up generation). I've read all of Lindsey Kelk's books and this is a firm favourite!
January 31, 2023
Este livro é tão fofo!
O início é mais lento e demorei algum tempo a apanhar o ritmo, mas a partir do meio já não conseguia parar de ler.
Não é pesado. É muito engraçado (e não é fácil um livro pôr-me a rir), e o romance é muito fofo. Um pouco slow burn, mas óptimo quando queremos algo leve.
O início é mais lento e demorei algum tempo a apanhar o ritmo, mas a partir do meio já não conseguia parar de ler.
Não é pesado. É muito engraçado (e não é fácil um livro pôr-me a rir), e o romance é muito fofo. Um pouco slow burn, mas óptimo quando queremos algo leve.
August 14, 2018
Chuckled to myself on the train! Funny and charming, a great read.
June 3, 2020
Lighthearted easy read , first book I have read by this author.
September 11, 2022
I have yet not to give a Lindsey Kelk book 5 stars! Keep it going, girl!
July 2, 2019
I picked up this book from the library after I read a review of how "hilarious" this book was and that it was a "great, quick summer read". Right off the bat, the first page, I could tell it was not the style/ genre of what I typically care for. There seemed to be like 20 people talking at once and it was scrambling my brain! I got to Chapter 6 (and to even get to that point, it was tough because it seemed that whenever I picked up the book to read it, it would put me to sleep) and once I reached Chapter 6, I had a prediction of how this book was going to go and how it would end. It reminded me so much of the movie, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days" AND Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey could play Sam. So, I decided to skip to Chapter 28... I wanted to see if I picked up there, if I would be lost and confused... I was NOT. It was exactly going how I thought. I finished the rest of the Chapters and was glad when I was done. This book just was not for me. Other might enjoy it. But, I have learned (just before this book) that I appreciate a much different genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 715 reviews