Book Review: A Day At The Office by Matt Dunn

"Julie kissed Mark at the office Christmas party. She doesn't seem to remember, but he's not been able to forget. What better day to jog her memory than Valentine's Day?

Calum's found the girl of his dreams on the internet. Trouble is, he's not been completely honest about himself. Tonight he's meeting her for the first time. But will it also be the last?

Nathan's organised his usual Anti-Valentine's party for the office singletons. Sophie's going - again. Though this year, if she gets her way, they might just be leaving together.

One office. Five lives. On the most romantic day of the year."

Rating: 4.5/5

You can buy A Day At The Office as an eBook now!

I'm a big fan of Matt Dunn's writing, so I was excited when he let me know that he had a brand new eBook coming out last week called A Day At The Office. Matt's writing never fails to make me laugh, so I was hoping for the same thing from this eBook, and now that I'm at home feeling rather poorly, I needed something to cheer me up, and so I got my Kindle out and started reading Matt's book last night. I had finished it by midday the following day because I was really invested in the story, and wanting to find out what was going to happen with the cast of characters! It's a fabulous book, and here's why you must read it!

The book is based around 5 people all working at the same IT software company. Sophie rather fancies the IT support manager Nathan, but he seems to be pretty anti-Valentines himself, having organised the company's "Anti-Valentines party" for the past few years. Sophie doesn't know how to get through to Nathan that she likes him though. Her boss Julia kissed Mark who also works at the company, but neither of them have really spoken since the drunken fumble in the back of a taxi, even though they rather like each other afar. Will this Valentine's day mean the two finally get together? Lastly, there's Calum, a single guy who thinks he's found the woman of his dreams on the internet. Trouble is, he's worried that he won't match up to Emma's idea of him, and is stressing about their first date. Will any of the 5 end up with their own happily ever after on Valentine's Day?

As per the title of the book, you can tell that this book takes place over just one day in the office, which I found made it really interesting reading, and it certainly slowed the pace of the book down, although that wasn't a detrimental thing for the book at all. Dunn begins by introducing us to all of those characters mentioned above, and setting up their individual stories, before bringing them all together as they arrive at their workplace. It barely needed any other characters except for the main 5, because it was so well written, and you end up completely involved in their stories, and following the cringe-worthy things they get up in the mad pursuit to find a Valentine on the most romantic day of the year!

Of course, things don't go swimmingly for the group, and at several points in the book, I found myself getting so frustrated with them for not being honest with each other and just telling the person they liked how they really felt. However, it added to the atmosphere of the book, and there were quite a few moments when I was laughing out loud, Dunn writes the comedy in the book so well that you can't help but laugh, it is genuinely funny! I have to say I was a little disappointed by the ending of one of the stories, it didn't end how I wanted or expected it to and that's why I had to knock this down 1/2 a mark with my rating, I have to say it was a shame for me that it ended the way it did!

Other than that small quibble, which really was a personal thing rather than anything else, I thought this was a fantastic eBook and one I really enjoyed reading! Matt Dunn's writing was great - he brought the characters to life so well, and made you care about how the day was going to end for Sophie, Nathan, Julie, Mark and Calum. They were all likeable characters, and they had me laughing along with them as the book progressed.  You could really believe in them as real people going through these real love problems, and I loved that people will be able to relate to what happens to these people in the book, and the humour throughout makes it all the more pleasurable to read. If you haven't come across Matt Dunn's writing yet, I'd definitely suggest you start with this one - a brilliant read!