It’s Not You, It’s Me by Allison Rushby is the perfect ‘read-on-the-train-to-work’ book. It is the classic stuff of chick-lit minus any real angst or edge. There’s a girl-Charlie-who lusts after a boy-Jasper-with whom she loses contact for three years, only to be reunited with him on a plane to Europe. Predictably, they decide to travel together as friends. Unpredictably (against the backdrop of an Oktoberfest) we learn that they have become very different people while apart. Jas has become a controversial rock star (think leather, whips and the odd beast), while Charlie’s experience is more sobering and uncharacteristic for a book in which not a lot really happens. It’s Not You, It’s Me is like a newsy email that you can find yourself reading quickly, searching (in vain-give or take a few surprises at the end of the book) for the juicy bits. But while there is some frustration in discovering just trivial chatter and frothy plot, the bouncy dialogue and likeable characters keep you reading and smiling. This is one to recommend to those looking for a light read, just don’t expect Bridget Jones.

Michelle Atkins is a freelance writer

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