Holly A Harvey

Amusing, entertaining, satisfying.

I read the first chapter of Karma in the Bookforce "Undiscovered Authors" competition. Holly H Harvey then went on to win for the North East of England and the result was this highly entertaining book.

After making her way through school as an object of ridicule and practical jokes, Paige has still not managed to pull her life together at the age of 28.
Her working life is unsatisfactory and illness has left her straddled with debts that she just can't clear.
In the office things are not going to plan. After 4 years she is still not happy there and office politics are a constant dark cloud.
When Paige applies for promotion things really come to a head ; Karma needs a bit of a helping hand!
In the midst of this arrives an invitation to her school's 10 year reunion. She bravely decides to face her fears and attends with her close friend Sarah. There are, after all, some scores to settle!

I loved the way the book unraveled. Thanks to karma, and with a little assistance, the bad get their just desserts - but not necessarily in the way you'd expect.
Witty and erudite, this is a must-read for all fans of better quality, non formulaic Chick-Lit.… (plus d'informations)

Karma, by Holly A. Harvey.

If, like me you get frustrated with the little-rich-girl characters in many chick lit novels, you might enjoy this new novel which features a more realistic heroine. Karma, the first novel by North East author Holly A. Harvey is about Paige, a twenty eight year old, whose life appears to be in complete disarray. Plagued by ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) which has adversely affected her life chances, Paige has debts, a dead end job, no social life and no boyfriend. She lives with her adorable dog and spends much of her free time sleeping.

An invitation to a school reunion, forces Paige to re-evaluate her life, and with the help of her friend Sarah, she decides to work towards a more positive identity than ‘doormat’. Most of her ‘improvements’ exacerbate things. Many of the situations are very original, others you can perhaps anticipate, but not always accurately guess the outcome.

The other characters are an imaginative mix of people, coming together amidst the twists and turns of Paige’s struggles. Many are wonderfully rich, almost springing off the page, producing some very touching moments. The plot is full of intertwining stories, each of which combines with the others to keep you guessing the outcomes and yet each retaining their own individual purpose and resolution.

I thoroughly recommend this book. It is easy to read, very funny and good entertainment. The humour alone is worth the read. Considering this was a first novel, it very impressive. Read it!

© 2007.SL… (plus d'informations)

I started reading this in my coffee break and almost snorted coffee out of my nose within the first couple of pages - this could have been written about me! All the mention of singing along to Adam and the Ants and seeing Biker Mice from Mars on the telly (it was a terrible cartoon!) could have been lifted straight out of my life. This is very funny stuff - light-hearted, but written with great warmth.

I’m not usually one to get gripped by “chick-lit”, but will freely admit I lay on my bed all evening so I could finish it in peace! It makes such a nice change to have a heroine who doesn’t have a high-powered job and pots of money, or start out with the perfect boyfriend – here the heroine is a normal, down-to-earth lass who is struggling to make ends meet and hasn’t had a boyfriend in as long as she can remember (put it this way – she can count the number of her sexual conquests in the past twelve months on one finger!). She makes countless mistakes in her life – just like everyone else! It’s refreshing to see a heroine who one could not possibly feel jealous about when looking at her life.

Comedic and tragic by turn - moving moments and pants-wettingly funny highs with a Geordie accent. I'd say this is my book of the month - excellent stuff!… (plus d'informations)