Thank you Atria Books for the arc via netgalley. I loved that the main character is quirky. The story is a quick easy ready with a character that draws you in.

Germaine loves numbers and she's not a "people person". She can't quite figure out why no one else appreciates all of her helpful input. She is acerbic, tactless and at times endearing. I enjoyed following along as she figured out how to do life better!

Thank you to Katherine Collette, Atria Books and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a different style than what I normally read but I found it to be amusing and entertaining. The main character was quite quirky but in a caring and endearing way. I enjoyed this novel!

I didn't find the main character all that sympathetic. It was a bit of a struggle to finish this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review

This Australian debut from 2018 was a cute read. Germaine Johnson finds herself cut loose from her job at an insurance company, but her cousin manages to find her a job in the mayoral office. Now manning a phone line, Germaine comes into contact daily with senior citizens and the many difficulties they encounter in their daily lives. When the mayor asks Germaine for a favour, she is determined that she'll get the job done. However, Germaine is a lot better with numerical data than she is in navigating human relationships. Be prepared for some cringeworthy moments at both her work and in her personal life.

It did take about 27% before I began to pick up a comfortable rhythm with the plot. With strong vibes that are reminiscent of The Rosie Project and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine , The Helpline offers a glimpse into the life of a straightforward woman who is about to learn a whole lot about herself and others.


I find myself at a 3 rating once again because although I enjoyed the story I felt there were quite a few serious issues Germaine faced that were more on the dramatic side than the comedic side.


Goodreads review 15/06/19
Publication Date. 23/07/19

This book does have some similarities with the read-a-likes in the blurb, but the protagonist in this one just wasn’t sympathetic to me. I didn’t finish this one.

This one was a bit difficult for me to continue to read. This book was compared to The Rosie Project, which I just finished reading not too long ago. The similarity is that the main character, Germaine, is socially awkward. The difference? The Rosie Project had characters that, despite their eccentricities, were endearing and pure. Germaine I found to be unlikeable and mean. Don would be unaware of how his actions affected others, while Germaine would KNOW what she was about to do would be mean, but she didn't care.

Germaine is fired from her job (although she likes to pretend she quit) and gets a new job working at a Senior Citizens Helpline with help from her cousin. She has no friends, and doesn't like helping people. She then starts to work on a special project for the mayor to close the Senior Citizens center. At first she is all for it, until she starts getting to know the members of the center. (I think you can guess where this is going).

I found Germaine to be very spiteful in a lot of her actions, which helped fuel me to not want to read further, especially as there seemed to be no repercussions for her behavior. She has an inflated sense of self, and there is a reference in the book to Donald Trump that may not sit well with American audiences (this is an Australian story - was it subbed for an Australian personality?) The one that really made me want to throw my Kindle was when Germaine went on a lunch date after not telling the guy what she does not like to eat. When she saw orange juice, she was so excited to throw it in his face that she hates orange juice. Don would have just said it matter-of-fact without any malice behind it. Germaine just comes across as spiteful and rude.

If you ignore those behaviors, it's a run of the mill underdog story.

I kept wanting to like Germaine's character but never did and I think it's because she didn't seem real in many ways; she was written in a way that didn't let her ease off the page very well. The manner she went about her job at the Helpline fit with the personality and behavior fine yet it was all too forced. The other characters who were less drawn out, even her coworker who sat and ate chips and took her time with the calls was more real than Germaine. It felt like the author was trying too hard to paint this Asperger's main character that it took over the person and was more about the illness than the person at heart.

I liked the plot and felt it had such potential but the fake detail on Germaine weighed heavily and ended up with a negative for me. I'm glad there are books like this that showcase a woman living her everyday life with a various disability yet it needs to be more natural and less forced to be believable.

This was lacking in nuance and subtlety. I didn't finish it. It's an interesting concept, but not well executed.

The Helpline: Just finished this one while getting in some morning paddle boarding! I was impressed with this book. @katherinecollettewriter took a big bite with this one and came out with adoring fans. They say you should walk a mile in someone’s shoes to understand where they are coming from. The thing they don’t say when giving such advice is that before you attempt (figuratively or literally) you must know that where you are going may not be what’s comfortable to you. I found myself wanting to hug Germaine and tell her “No! Don’t think that.” I will not be surprised if this book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.. but Iam glad I ordered. The Helpline broadened my horizons. It was a reminder that some might just need a little grace because in reality I am the one that you are the one that does not understand. Thanks to @netgalley, @text_publishing, & @atriabooks for this ARC and opportunity to review. Additional thanks to the Author for being brave and writing something groundbreaking.

3.5 stars. The Helpline was kind of like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine plus Britt-Marie Was Here... plus The Rosie Project. In other words, I’ve read this story before. While I enjoyed The Helpline it wasn’t until the last quarter of the book that I began to enjoy Germaine’s character (the huge difference between this and the other books I listed). I debated putting this one down throughout the first half but I am glad I stuck it out. I liked but didn’t love this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I was intrigued by this book and the storyline. I have read other books with characters on the autism spectrum but this one felt different but it was a good, solid read. It was funny, romantic, and Germaine was a complex character to say the least. Throughout the book there were scenes that just ended abruptly; there should've been more closure between these events. I also didn't care for where it ended; there should've been one more chapter to explain how it all went down. Otherwise it was a good read. Looking forward to Katherine's next novel. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced reading copy of this book.

#netgalley #thehelpline #novel

This was a cute lighthearted read. Lots about sudoku and the characters were fun but I feel like the story could have been fleshed out a bit more. The ending was a disappointment :(

I felt Germaine deserved a better ending.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I just couldn't get into this storyline at all. I tried to continue reading but just couldn't

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I could never get past my feeling that this book was written by a neurotypical writer who never actually met a woman with Asperger’s, and that she was laughing at Geraldine, not with her. Seemed cruel. No than you

Germaine Johnson doesn’t need friends. She has her work and her Sudoku puzzles. Until, that is, an incident at her insurance company leaves her jobless—and it turns out that there are very few openings these days for senior mathematicians with zero people skills.

Soon enough though, Germaine manages to secure a position at City Hall answering calls on the Senior Citizens Helpline. But it turns out that the mayor has something else in mind for Germaine: a secret project involving the troublemakers at the senior citizens center and their feud with the neighboring golf club—which happens to be run by the dashing yet disgraced national Sudoku champion, Don Thomas, a celebrity of the highest order to Germaine.

Don and the mayor want the senior center closed down and at first, Germaine is dedicated to helping them out—it makes sense mathematically, after all. But when Germaine actually gets to know the group of elderly rebels at the senior center, they open her eyes to a life outside of boxes and numbers and for the first time ever, Germaine realizes she may have miscalculated.

Filled with an eccentric, totally unique, and (occasionally) cranky cast of characters you can’t help but love, The Helpline is a feel-good page-turner that will make you reexamine what it means to lead a happy life—and is bound to capture your heart along the way.

I so loved Germaine. It was a very fun read. Witty, and humorous. Not your usual read at all. I was so connected to Germaine.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy. I was entertained all day.

What a heartwarming book. It was a nice change of pace- this story about a Sodoku loving woman who has no social skills. Germaine is such a great character, because she feels she's reacting perfectly normally. It's everyone else who makes no sense. She learns that sometimes people don't have your best interests at heart, and sometimes tossing out the numbers and getting to know others is the key to everything. I loved this debut novel and I think you will too. I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #Atriabooks.#TheHelpline

****The Helpline is a story about Germaine, a socially inept, Sudoku obsessed woman who trusts numbers which don’t lie, embarrass or ring one’s doorbell, but doesn’t much trust people or relationships...except for her fantasy one, which involves Alan Cosgrove, a former but now disgraced Sudoku champion. When she goes to work answering the senior citizens helpline she meets her fantasy man, now known as Don, and managing a golf club...a club located next door to the senior center and in dispute with them over the use of a parking lot. Germaine is secretly given the task by her boss, the mayor, of sorting out the parking lot squabble, which to her should be easy. But nothing is ever easy for Germaine. In her mind she is brilliantly organized and logical and could be an invaluable assistant or supervisor or companion if only she was left alone to show her brilliance with mathematical accuracy. Germaine is a complex character, wanting so much to be needed, but totally lacking in empathy...except with Don...until those seniors at the center and other employees at the mayor’s office begin to complicate her life. Australian author Katherine Collette has an excellent command of English and the story is engaging as Germaine comes to terms with what the mayor and her fantasy hero really are after. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. My review is voluntarily.

A warm funny quirky novel.Germaine lover of Sudoku a mathematician a woman who does not relate well to others.Germaine and the characters she is surrounded with in Katherine Collettes first novel will steal your heart make you laugh and keep turning the pages.One of my top reads so engaging highly recommend .#netgalley #Atriabooks.