Would you let the flip of a coin make all your decisions for a whole year? One flip, heads or tails, one choice or another…

That’s the premise for James’ debut novel The Flip Side which follows Josh and his fate-deciding fifty pence. After proposing to his girlfriend and being brutally rejected, Josh finds a fifty pence and decides to bestow upon it the power to make all of his decisions; because all the ones he’s made alone have ended terribly. What follows is the story of Josh, his fifty pence, a girl, Van Gogh’s sunflowers, pigeons, and a road trip with Jesus.

For a debut novel this is a blinder. James’ humour is present from the first page to last and the pages are alive with the wonderfully drawn characters. The protagonist, Josh, is funny, instantly likeable and I was rooting for him from the beginning. The situations he finds himself in after flipping the coin are hilarious and, at times, very moving. There’s a lovely balance between the genuine laugh-out-loud humour and serious, heart-warming scenes.

I devoured this book in a few hours and couldn’t put it down, it was compelling, paced perfectly and had a cast of characters I became hugely invested in. It is really refreshing to read a genuinely funny and warm romantic novel that is told from the point of view of a male character. It’s been a long while since I’ve read one of those! The book is infused with such astute and witty observations, situations and characterisations that make the whole book so brilliant.

The Flip Side is a laugh-out-loud, heart-warming romantic comedy that will leave you pondering whether you could ever leave fate up to the flip of a coin…