This is the first book I have read by this author. I thought the tile Logged off had a great fun sound to it. Do you know anyone not addicted to some device? This is a fun, quick read. If you need a few good laughs during this time and you are stuck on technology this could bring you quite a few laughs.

While it always gives me a surge of guilt to laugh at someone’s misfortune (especially when it’s bathroom related), Nick Spalding makes it impossible not to. In his newest book, Logging Off, graphic designer Andy is hit with a plethora of unfortunate and embarrassing medical issues. Eager to get them sorted out, he meets with his until now trusted doctor only to be told they are all psychosomatic, likely caused by the constant stress of practically living online.
Initially bewildered and skeptical, Andy expresses his dismay to his journalist friend, only to have it confirmed that instead of immersing himself in reality, he has become incapable of interacting without the world wide web. His friend urges Andy to give the internet detox a shot, proposing he follow his progress in a series of articles. Figuring the extra exposure to his graphic design business is well worth the promised misery of logging off, Andy reluctantly agrees.
From dating out of the classifieds to using paper maps to reroute around a traffic accident, Andy quickly comes to terms with how much he (and most of us) has come to rely upon technology to go about his daily life. Spalding captures each incident in realistic and hysterical detail, ensuring the reader acutely feels Andy’s pain and discomfort at each derailment.
In a time when social media and having a fast wi-fi connection feel more important than ever, Logging Off is a lighthearted look at something we’ve probably all at least thought about: taking a step back and going back to a life that doesn’t revolve looking at a screen to conduct even the most mundane of tasks. While Andy enters the experiment kicking and screaming, the author is upfront and honest about how Andy feels every step of the way, never glorifying one lifestyle over the other. Spalding via Andy makes it clear that what works for one person is not a panacea for mankind, with Andy readily admitting that there are times when technology trumps living off the grid.
Four stars for this delightful and relatable story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon UK Publishing for a complimentary advance copy. This did not impact my review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. "Logging Off" by Nick Spalding's best feature by far was it's adorable British humor. The writing was so voicey and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the topic of getting off the internet just didn't make for a full-length, interesting story. The beginning was all right, as the MC Andy discovered all his health and emotional problems stemmed from his addiction to the online world and he attempted a full-on detox. But as the story went on, the issue just wasn't complex enough to keep me interested. In essence, his life got better and there wasn't any real conflict to keep the plot going after that. He had a few small incidents and acted like his life was over because of them. He developed a following of people trying to live like him and got really stressed out and melodramatic about it. He met a lovely girl and freaked out about that a little too. It's almost like Spalding was having to overemphasize tiny issues to keep the story limping on until the end, but really it had ended a while back. So, I loved the humor and the voice, but the story just did hold up as a full-length novel for me.

Andy Bellows is a freelance graphic designer who is struggling with headaches, insomnia, and various other health problems. His doctor recognises the symptoms straight away. Andy is spending too much time online. The solution? A 60-day “digital detox.”

Can Andy survive two months without texting, tweeting, and online dating? He soon discovers it’s much harder than it sounds!

When his story makes it into the local news (thanks to his journalist best friend), suffering technophiles everywhere are soon hailing him as a hero. But Andy feels trapped by the unwanted attention. Can he get himself out of this mess and learn to have a more balanced relationship with technology?

This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered if they might be addicted to the internet.

The story is told entirely from Andy’s point of view, and I found him both frustrating and relatable. My reliance on technology is nowhere near as bad as Andy’s, so there were times where I wondered “How is he finding it this difficult!?” But then I reminded myself of the occasions where I’ve gone out for the day and left my phone at home by accident. Or I’ve gone to scroll through social media, only to find my battery is dead. How weird it feels to be completely disconnected.

Internet addiction is a serious problem for some people, and I think this book does a good job of shining a light on that.

If you’re a fan of Nick Spalding’s other books then I have no doubt you’ll enjoy this too. This is probably my favourite book of his that I’ve read so far. I didn’t find it laugh-out-loud funny, but it was an easy read and it made me smile.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful book to rip through in an afternoon. I love Nick Spalding, he is one of the few authors that can genuinely make me laugh out loud whilst reading his work, and this book is no exception.
Whilst our main character is a little extreme with the digital dependence, and the main love interest obvious the moment she appeared on page, Some of the points made about our digital world, whilst some were pretty ridiculous, others were also quite thought provoking. I thoroughly enjoyed this book , and it was wonderful for a few hours of lockdown escapism.
4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion and review
#Netgalley #LoggingOff

This is the second book by Nick Spalding that I have read and I enjoyed both. His writing is very easy one could say light & fluffy.

With Logging Off I did nearly give up all the poo jokes really didn't add anything to the story and then about half way through the writing got better and the real story came out. I think in today's world most of us spend too much time on line as was highlighted in the book. I enjoyed the romance with Grace and generally enjoyed the book.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I just found it fun. It was witty, funny and bits of it rang oh so true. A lot of us are addicted to our phones and electronic devices and how many of us seem to have lost the ability to choose something for ourselves and resort to online reviews. How many of us have lost the ability to get somewhere without satnav? It is a light read but one that you don't want to put down. It is just plain enjoyable and I look forward to reading more from this author..

Unfortunutally, this book was far too relatable.

Andrew is constantly looking at his phone and playing computer games.
He's not feeling great so he Googles his symptoms (of course he does) and decides that he has cancer.
His GP doesn't quite agree and suggests that Andrew has a Digital Detox. Telling him that he needs to look up from a screen and actually interact with the world instead of using an app.

A very enjoyable book with believable and relatable characters that I recognised.
Lots of laughs and giggles, which is always a bonus for me.

Logging Off by Nick Spalding was a very funny book. The main character, Andy Bellows, is becoming physically affected by his full-time, online social and work life. Andy’s physician recommends that Andy stop using all electronics except when he needs them for his job. This means no phone, no computer, no tablets, no apps for anything, etc. This book is about Andy’s struggles with living a “logged off” life. Major challenges present themselves, but Andy perseveres. In the process, he finds out what is most important in his life. I thought that this book was very funny. The author does a great job of writing about the humorous opportunities and situations that Andy finds himself in. I think anyone would enjoy this book.

Reading Logging Off during a global pandemic was quite an experience because it is hard to imagine not having the Internet during our current situation. where many of us are practicing social distancing. The premise is one many of us can relate to: an over-reliance/addiction to the Internet and all its magical trappings: social media, online shopping, video games, influencers.

Andy, a British man in his 30s, has turned the Internet into his one stop shop for all things (including his bathroom habits). Struggling with stress that his physician diagnoses as an Internet addiction, he agrees to log off for 60 days except for work emails. His iPhone and tech tools are stored at his friend's house while Andy struggles to remember how to order takeout and use a map. It seems almost laughable at first but when you personally examine your own technology habits you realize it's not entirely far-fetched. While some of Andy's antics were a little hard to relate to on a personal level (Andy is admittedly not a people person at all) Nick Spalding's writing is witty and charming and he crafted a fast-paced, well-written story.

After reading the first chapter I was not sure this was a book I was going to love but the story quickly takes off with Andy's cringeworthy and amusing gaffs it ultimately culminates in a timely, charming story. The minor characters are developed enough to be memorable and the lessons learned are very applicable in our technology-centric world. I laughed out loud and can't wait to read more by Nick Spalding.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

It’s my second story by the author and I can’t recommend it enough. You could say it’s a romantic comedy told only in the male’s character POV and this one ends with a happily ever after. I loved how real it feels everything and the topics that it touches as well as the laugh out loud moments and there are some very good ones like the one with the dog and Puggerlugs song. I think it’s a must-read story because it talks a lot about the social media and the health side effect that it brings with all the new technology and apps available and how some people are just giving up their own life decisions to others just because those people had it better in their opinion.
So if you want a reality touch with a romance story and all the thoughts and feelings coming from a male perspective, you have to read this book

Some added irony in this satiric look at the tech-generation, and the joys of logging off and getting out to meet real people. Not the fault of the author, of course, that his book is being released at the height of social distancing.

It's a fun story, if sometimes a tad predictable: Andy, an ordinary guy (or, as this takes place in England, bloke) is having all kinds of physical difficulties. Like everyone else, he turns to the Internet to self-diagnose, and as he notices, all self-diagnosis roads on the Internet lead to terminal cancer.

Desperate, he visits his doctor, to be told that he needs to cut free of tech for 60 days. So we follow along as he tries to wean himself off social media, then to make his way in the world without handy-dandy stuff like satnav and Yelp reviews.

He even turns to the personal ads at the back of the newspaper to try to connect with possible dates. We know that's going to be a disaster, but how it turns out was pretty funny--in fact, one of the best scenes in the book for me.

What happens, how he becomes an influencer for the logged-off, and its results, forms the rest. It was a fun read, thoroughly enjoyable as I sit here in the house I haven't left except for masked-and-gloved grocery runs for the very two months he has to stay off the Internet. I could have done with less bathroom humor, but that might be one of those Brith/Yank humor divides. The rest was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed the romance.

I heard a lot of good things about this book, but unfortunately I did not enjoy it. I’m not sure if I just didn’t get the humor or what, but I ended up not finishing the book. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but could not sit and enjoy it like others seemed to be able to.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book.

What a brilliant read. Entertaining, funny but also captures the truth of life today with (or without) technology. It really made me think about my use of social media and technology outside of work.

This book was described as laugh-out-loud, and indeed it was. I had trouble reading it quietly as I would either burst out laughing or snort & chuckle.
Now, one caveat is that the writer is British so there a quite a few British terms used. I had to look up several references to get the point he was making. However, I enjoy learning new things so that was not a problem.
The main crux of the story is the tech detox that the main character is advised to try by his doctor. He uses all kinds of Internet sites for work, living life and for pleasure. (Although, the "pleasure" he derives from the time he spends on the Internet seems to cause him a lot of physical pain.)
While the main character has his peculiarities, the supporting characters are each characters themselves. Some are likeable, some not so much. But, together they make the story.
I don't know about you, but I needed a laugh during this pandemic. This author has written a number of other books, and from what I could gather, they are all amusing. I plan to try another of his books soon.

Laugh out loud funny!
I really liked reading this -- the mis-adventures of our everyman as he tries to wean himself off of technology -- something we can all relate to at some point in our lives.
There is a ton of humor in this book -- and some great reflection on what is good and bad about the connectedness we have right at our fingertips.

Still reading the book - but I had to share this as it's THAT good.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazonpublishing UK for the ARC.

I needed to read this as I am too addicted to my phone! While this is a satire (at least I hope it is!) There was a good lesson.

Andy Bellows is a normal guy who, like a lot of people, is addicted to social media. I mean really addicted. (he makes me look tame!). One day his body just starts to break down. Almost as if he is having a stroke. He is suffering from OOA, Obessive Online Activity. The cure, two months with no social media and no use of computers except for business. His friends are so shocked that he is doing this, his one friend Fergus is so impressed that he is going to use Andy's experience to write a story.

This is the first Nick Spalding book I have read and now I have to read more of his books! I love how he brings his characters to life! He is able to get a very important message through but in a fun and eye opening way. Andy represents many of us. While most of us can log off, there are many who can't. While I believe the message of the book is not to cut social media off completely but to make sure you log off if enough to enjoy that life that is going on around you. I loved this book and how Spalding got his message across!

Such a funny look at today’s society and how social media has really taken over our way of life! The premise is I think a little exaggerated, but intentionally so. I have to admit that several times throughout the book, I wondered if I could make it without using any devices, and I don’t think I could, but, I think this book made me realize that it would be good to cut back. While making me laugh through it.

With the social isolation we are all dealing with now through the pandemic, I think many of us are feeling the need to connect more, and social media is helping us through. At the same time, some of us are also realizing that a more simple way of life might be not such a bad idea.

I feel personally attacked by the accuracy this book gives. We are in such a technology driven era where we need our dopamine hits from likes and comments on social media. The author hit the nail on the head when it comes to how we navigate through life based on social preferences and how it effects our lives.

Andy Bowers is the hero we all need. He's sick and struggling with life. And we are along for the ride. In his attempt to get better, he follows a strict "Logging Off regimen. During the journey he keeps his sense of humor through all the foibles and falls. We cheer for him to succeed while wondering if we could do the same. This was a joy to read. His dry wit accompanied by a very real "first world problem make it an easy, engrossing read. Highly recommend. #netgalley #netgalleyreview #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagram #bookstagrammer