2.5. This is...fine, I guess? Romance novels written from the POV of a guy (without the dual M/F POV) are rare, so I was looking forward to seeing what Bailey did with that.

Overall, it's pretty formulaic, but it's a pleasant read. There are some predictable conflicts, and some events that are glossed over more than necessary, which was disappointing. I enjoyed Josh's relationships with his friends; in fact, I was even more interested in the lives of his friends than I was in his life.

If you're looking for something cozy with no surprises--for better or worse--give this one a try.

This contemporary British rom com from a male POV was a welcome relief from the stress and seemingly endless hours at my election job. And at a time when travel isn’t safe, it was delightful to visit several European cities from the comfort of my reading chair.

Plot summary: It’s New Year’s Day and Josh is in a sad place. His girlfriend declined his elaborate proposal, he lost his job, and he’s moved home with his parents. Having lost confidence in his decision-making abilities, he resolves to flip a coin to make every decision in the new year.

The Flip Side is humorous, witty, and sweet. It features a great group of trivia-loving friends, honest multi-generational family relationships, and a meet-cute that results in a lovely romance.

This was delightful and I’m eager to read the author’s next novel. Thank you to William Morrow for the gifted copies of this delightful novel.

THE FLIP SIDE by James Bailey is a contemporary, adult , stand alone story line focusing on twenty-eight year old Josh as he navigates the game of life with the flip of a coin.


Told from first person point of view (Josh) THE FLIP SIDE follows Josh, a hotel employee, who plans an extravagant proposal on New Year’s Eve for his girl friend of four years but disaster and heart break ensue when Josh discovers said girlfriend has fallen in love with another man. Unemployed (having worked for his girlfriend’s father) and now homeless (having lived in said girlfriend’s apartment), Josh finds a fifty-pence coin, and resolves that every decision for the next year will be determined by the toss of the coin. From trivia nights to marathons, to meeting a stranger at an art gallery, then a tour through Europe searching for said stranger, Josh sets out to find love but the coin toss threatens his tentative hold on a new found relationship.


Touted as a rom-com, THE FLIP SIDE reads like a version of Bridget Jones Diary, only down on her luck Bridget is a twenty-eight year old man/child named Josh, who along with his intrepid and well-meaning but often immature group of friends discovers that life’s choices cannot be controlled by the flip of a coin. A slow building story line THE FLIP SIDE is a sweet and charming story where the romance is limited-the hero spends most of the story searching for a woman he knows little about, and the comedic aspect IMHO, struggles to take hold.






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This book was so captivating I read it in one night! Although this novel was in the romance genre, I would argue it is more a finding yourself book than a romance, though there is romance and a love interest. I enjoyed the comedy, there were some moments I laughed out loud. It was from a man's perspective which I usually do not read. It was an okay novel, some of the transitions between two different moments were written as though it was movie narration, by that I mean that if I had been able to see what was going on I would have understood. However, it is a novel and not a movie, so this style of writing makes it difficult for the reader to understand what is going on. Overall, I think it’s a fun read if you’re looking for a novel about finding yourself and growing up!

The Flip Side is a funny British romantic comedy! Told from the guys POV it's a little different and has a cute plot. ⁣
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When Josh's life has gone to pieces he decides to make all his life decisions based on flipping a coin. While I didn't necessarily love the main character, the friends and family were great and I loved that they helped Josh try to find love. ⁣
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It was fun to read a book from the male POV and I enjoyed reading this one! ⁣

The Flip Side by James Bailey is a laugh out loud, with just a touch of melodrama, romantic comedy set in the UK. It was highly entertaining and very funny. A great debut that should be on everyone’s to read list for the holidays.
The story begins with Josh, the main character, proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Jade, on New Year’s Eve while taking a romantic ride on the London Eye. However, all does not go according to plan. She not only says, “No”, but she then proceeds to tell him she has been cheating on him. To make matters worse, Josh has been living in her flat. Therefore, he has lost his home and his girl all in one night. But wait! It gets even better! His ex-girlfriend’s father is his boss and that means he lost his job too. Nothing like kicking a guy when he is down.
With limited financial resources and out of options, Josh is forced to move back in with his parents while he looks for another job. The welcoming committee when he arrives home is anything but appreciated. His parents had planned a congratulatory engagement party that feels like a funeral to him. When he takes a minute to escape and talks with his Pap an idea forms. To date, all his well laid plans have not worked out. So why not let chance rule his decisions for the next year? This is how the flip a coin for all decisions starts out.
Josh’s family and friends thinks he has lost his marbles with this idea. Yet, as the year wears on and Josh is sticking by his decision to flip a coin over choices, they start to warm to it or at least accept it. Leaving things to chance leads to some unexpected results. As you can imagine, some are good and some are not so good. But it does make for a great story. Especially when you consider that it forces Josh out of his comfort zone and in the process he learns a lot about himself.
Like Josh’s friends who warmed to the idea of a coin toss, I warmed to the idea of chance as a good mechanism to move the story forward. Each toss of the coin resulted in some of the most unexpected outcomes that were totally unpredictable. Events that might be seen as hooky or contrived suddenly became believable with a simple toss of a coin.
As much as I came to like the coin toss, the character of Josh is the real star of the story. He has all the best things of the average boy next door kind of guy. I can sum him up in one word, “adorable”. I loved that he was not perfect, made lots of mistakes, and in spite of being 28 still did not know what he wanted. This allowed to author to grow the character throughout the story.
Excellent debut. Loved it from beginning to end. Highly recommend to fans of Nora Roberts and similar authors.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Smart, witty, and charming. I loved every second of Bailey’s rom-com. It had me laughing at loud. Just what I need right now. As much as I loved Josh, his quirky side kicks were just as adorable. It’s rare I get so invested in side characters but everything about this crew was so relatable. The perfect read!

“I guess I just feel I’ve clearly not made the best decisions so far, so why not let fate guide me for a bit? Maybe the coin might actually be able to help me find myself, and love. What have I got to lose?”

I really enjoyed this hilarious story about finding yourself with the help of a coin, your best friends, and supportive family. Josh didn’t need that coin as much as he thinks he did. He had the best people around him. People who loved him and wanted him to succeed. I loved the side characters so much. I just loved this wholesome story. It was full of ups and downs but also life. It was so beautiful. I also really liked how the ex, Jade, comes back into the story. I hate not knowing what happens to the ex. I want them to get what’s coming to them. I hold grudges and I want know what happens to the cheating exes. I feel like the conflict was resolved in this book and that makes me ridiculous happy. Josh and Lucy also made me ridiculously happy. Their love was everything.

If you want a clean, funny, romance this is the book for you. It was so enjoyable and uplifting. It’s the perfect summer read or weekend getaway read. Traveling read! Is that thing? If it isn’t it should be. There was not only talk about traveling but actual traveling in the book and it gave me so much wanderlust.

Quick info about me. I love to travel. I wish I had more money to travel more often and for this pandemic to go away. This book made me want to travel and I’ve been to some of these places so gahhhh. I’ve been to Amsterdam and Munich. Walked around in the city. I’ve been to both Philadelphia and Tokyo on layovers. I know it sounds lame but I had all the ramen I could eat at the Tokyo airport and it was delicious! I want to go and actually visit the country next time. The story also talks about Paris and Greece which I want to visit. I want to go everywhere this book talked about. I want to visit all the bookstores Joshua visited in these countries looking for Lucy. I already visit every bookstore I can. This book made me want to travel so much.

It was so fluffy and fun.

The Flip Side, by James Bailey, has all the trappings of an excellent romcom. It has quirky characters, quippy dialogue, and it’s even got a gimmick — the main character, Josh, after being dumped mid-proposal by his girlfriend, decides to spend a year flipping a coin to make all his important decisions.

Unfortunately, it ultimately falls flat, serving more as a paint-by-numbers style romance, rather than a novel with any real heart. The characters are one-dimensional, the gimmick is strangely unimportant to the story, and the romance leaves the reader cold.

To its credit, there are a few moments of funny writing, little shining bits tucked into a relatively dull experience overall. There is nothing outwardly offensive about the book — instead, it suffers from being a little tedious, with no big payoff. If this was the only book available to read, it wouldn’t be such a disaster, but in a world of nearly endless romance novel possibilities, this one is better left on the shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance review copy.

The Flip Side is a lighthearted, humorous romcom with a side of sweet romance and a cast of interesting characters. At the beginning of the story, Josh is not what I would call a strong male lead - at times, it feels like he's twenty-eight going on fourteen - and yet he's oddly endearing and I found myself rooting for him. He has yet to choose a career or really see any project he undertakes through to completion, as his friends point out to him repeatedly. After his proposal to his long-time girlfriend goes horribly awry and he finds himself back home with his loving but annoyingly intrusive parents, it's almost understandable that he would turn his decisions over to the flip of a coin. The story follows him through a full year of flipped decisions with consequences that range from cringe-worthy, to sweetly endearing, to outright hilarious and, finally, to a potentially life-altering decision that he just may need to make for himself instead of relying on the coin. I enjoyed his adventures, the excitement, the heartbreak, and the growth he experienced along the way.

The secondary cast is quite the interesting collection. My favorite secondary character was Josh's grandfather. The relationship between Josh and his Pap really touched my heart. I found the dynamic among Josh and his friends to be realistic and entertaining. Josh's parents walked a fine line between character and caricature, injecting a fair amount of humor into the story though they started to wear on me after a while. I'm guessing some of that may have to do with the fact that I'm American and the setting, characters, and humor in this book are profoundly British.

The story travels from England to the Continent and I really enjoyed the author's spot-on descriptions of both settings and residents of Amsterdam and Paris. It was a bit like taking a European tour without leaving the comfort of your home.

Josh's romantic thread is not the primary facet of this story but, when we get to it, adds a touch of emotional depth and sweetness. I admit, I was expecting that thread to weave in a different direction but was ultimately satisfied with the path the author chose to take.

Most of the romcoms I've read are told from a predominantly female perspective so having this one be from a male perspective was refreshingly original. If you enjoy lighthearted British humor with a touch of romance give The Flip Side a try.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

I wanted to like The Flip Side but got 43% through and realized I really disliked the main character. He's whiny, unmotivated, and not very smart. I'm not even sure I care if he finds his Happily Ever After, to be honest.

The book is well-written and has some funny moments, and includes GLBTQ characters (I liked them better than the main character), so it gets 2 stars instead of one. Life is too short to read books you don't like.

A lighthearted romance is what I needed coming off a previous read that was mentally draining. Thankfully this one was a really cute and fun story. Maybe not perfect, but definitely good enough.

Josh's life is a bit messy right now as his girlfriend broke up with him and he lost his job. And with the loss of income, he has to move back in with his parents. Obviously, he didn't plan on any of this stuff to happen but he starts questioning how he makes decisions. Figuring his life can't get any worse, he comes up with the crazy idea to let a coin flip determine his fate. Anytime he is forced to make a choice, he let's the coin do it for him. Hmm... will the coin steer him wrong when it comes to his dating life or will it give him a better shot at finding true love?

Even though it is a bit kooky, I really liked the premise for the book. It might seem like the whole flipping a coin is a bit of a cop out when it comes to making tough decisions, but it can force you out of your comfort zone as well. Most of us could use a push now and then to take a chance even if it's a bit scary. I know I can think of specific examples in my life in which I did the opposite of what I wanted to do and it worked out great.

It's not very often I read a straight romance told entirely from the male's perspective. What made this book a unique read is the author took his time showing where Josh was at in his life rather than just jumping right into the romance. It didn't follow the standard formula in which you know right away who is going to be the one Josh has his eye on. I'm not saying Josh was a perfectly developed character but at least there were other things explored in his life like his friendships and the trivia nights.

As a light and easy read, I really enjoyed this book. I recommend this one if that's what you are in the mood for too.

This was quite a fun situation in that we had a male author write a male POV contemporary romance. This was definitely a first for me.

The story was original and had potential to be great. However I felt the pace was extremely slow. I was itching for a bit more connection from the main character Josh. He just was so mopey, within reason he was just dumped. I was just hoping it would pick up a tad faster.

A bright note was watching the traveling unfold. As an English speaker living in Europe I was LOVING that part of the story. I often opened up my Google maps app and added places to visit when I am able.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. I would have loved a faster pace and a bit more in the romance area.

Thank you William Morrow and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had some fun moments, especially in the first third or so. The protagonist, Josh, gets his heart broken when his surprise NYE proposal prompts not only a refusal but an admission of cheating, and this leads to his loss of the job and apartment that his girlfriend and her family supplied for him. He moves back home and mopes, while also making a resolution to make decisions based on coin tosses for a year. During this time, he competes at pub trivia, goes on bad dates, and sets off on a wild goose chase to find a girl that might be his soulmate. Some of the bad dates and life mishaps got a little too cringe-y for me, and some of the humor wasn't really my style, but all in all, it was a quick read. I'd give it 3.5 stars if the system would let me.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

This was heavy on the “com” and light on the “rom.” It really was funny and I chuckled out loud several times. The main character reminded me a lot of Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother and his search for the love of his life. I highly recommend picking this one up - whether you read mostly romance or just dabble in it.
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Thank you to the publisher for the gifted review copy.

The FlipSide was a cute lighthearted romantic comedy about Josh, who’s life sort of crumbles New Year’s Eve. He decides that he has made poor choices most of his life, and decides for the New Year to flip a 50 piece pence to make all life decisions.⁣
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Jessie and Jake, his two best friends heckle him about his bad choices and his decision to flip the coin for decisions throughout the entire story, but they’re pretty funny and they do it in a kind way. Josh also lives with his parents who are a riot.⁣
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Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet, simple read this is it! ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Thank you #netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for an ARC for my honest review. ⁣
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#bookstagram #books #bookcommunity #romcom #theflipside #flipacoin

3.5 ⭐️

Just when you thought life was going as planned, your long-term girlfriend says no to your proposal, you move back in with your parents, and you’re jobless. Talk about SOL. So, Josh decides flipping a coin to make choices will be his best bet. To turn his life around. To possibly find love again. And more importantly, to find himself.

This debut was men’s fiction more than it was romance. Written solely in Josh’s POV, the story developed with the focus on Josh’s life. I liked it. I thought it was funny, witty, and refreshing to read a book from a man’s perspective. Though I would’ve liked more romance, this was still well-written, with a unique premise and fun characters.

I’d recommend to fans of Mhairi McFarlane and women’s fiction readers who’d like to give a man’s POV a shot.

The Flip Side by James Bailey is an entertaining rom-com about a man who, for a whole year, makes all his important decisions with a flip of a coin. After being rejected by his girlfriend while he proposed to her on the London Eye, losing his job and a place to live, Josh is afraid that he is unable to make any good decisions by himself. He decides to let a coin to make his decisions for him. Maybe it will lead him to a better life and a new love. After a few disastrous dates, Josh finally meets a girl who could be the one, but will the coin help him or hinder his chances?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Flip Side. The book was lighthearted and funny. I didn't love Josh's character at first, but he grew on me in the second half of the book. If you are looking for a rom-com with a British brand of humor, you will enjoy The Flip Side.

While the book was hilarious I didn't really feel the romance of it. I could definitely see this as a BBC show. I really enjoyed Josh and his friends. The flipping of the coin had some funny moments. Josh's struggle get control of his life was the main focus of the book. The romance was missing for me in it though. If it hadn't been listed as a romance book my rating would have been higher because it was a funny read.

What a fun book! I was laughing out loud so many times. This was a great debut by the author.

Josh has pretty much the worst Nee Years ever. He proposes to his girlfriend, who says NO, then he loses his job and has to move back in with his parents at 28. Not the ideal life he thought he would have at that age. Since he has made so many bad choices he decides to leave all future decision making to the flip of a coin.

A series of unfortunate and embarrassing events take place over the next few months, but he meets “the girl of his dreams” one afternoon and things are looking up. The only issue? She doesn’t live in London and he didn’t get her name.

He has some clues on how to find her and embarks on a journey looking for his “Sunflower girl”. In his quest to find her, he finds himself. This is such a great book about realizing that you are never too old to find yourself and it’s ok to be lost, you will get there in the end.