An easy to read book some good laughs.

The book has a Bridget Jones-esque cringy feel a lot of the time and although the characters are likeable, they’re not particularly developed.

Enjoyable holiday book, if we could go on holiday!

I have enjoyed books by Nick Spalding namely Logging Off and Bricking It but unfortunately Going Green was not one for me.

I found the scrapes that the main character got into too be unrealistic and very slapstick. I also felt that I was being preached at to recycle and lecturing about saving the planet.

This one certainly missed the mark for me. I was disappointed as I had so enjoyed the other books.

Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

Going Green - Nick Spalding

I have read 3 or 4 of this authors books and have enjoyed them all, they are always layered with humour and catastrophic comedy, but at the same time usually very relatable while covering some quite difficult social topics.

Sadly, I felt this one failed to hit the mark in comparison to his other books. Going Green follows the narrative of Ellie Cooke a thirty something, single woman, working for a PR agency in the South of England. Her life is thrown a curve ball when her boss announces he is selling the agency to Nolan Reece, a young entrepreneur who is very environmentally conscious and wants to reposition the agency to focus on clients who have products who are “Green”. However, some roles within the agency will need to go in the short term to balance the books. Ellie immediately fears for her job, given she is the least “Green” person at the agency, She proceeds to try and prove to Nolan the complete opposite and save her job.

Where in previous books the catastrophe and comedy seemed to oil the cogs of the story, with Going Green, it all feels a little awkward and a bit forced. All in all, it is still an ok read. Ellie is an ok character if somewhat unstable, she changes a lot in this book, from a gas guzzler driving Primark buying woman, to environment fanatic overnight almost. Just not particularly relatable or likeable.

The last quarter of the book felt a little more akin to earlier books and prevented this from being a lower rating. I’m wondering if a change of tack for the next book is needed, as this didn’t work as well at all. I give this a 2.5/5. rounded up to. a 3. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this free advance copy.

I really enjoyed this quirky and funny book by an author I had not previously read.

Ellie Cooke worries she is about to loose her job, when the PR firm she works for is sold to a man who wants to build an environmentally 'green' company that supports companies who want to save the planet.

Ellie is decidedly not 'green' but she tries to behave as if she is, to keep her job. As she starts to fall for her new boss, Nolan, some very funny events occur. Ellie begins to change her views for real, as she works with people who open her eyes to the dangers of climate change.

It was a quick and enjoyable read, and I learned a number of things too!

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of Nick Spalding’s previous books so I was over the moon when Netgalley accepted my request for a review copy of Going Green.

Although I did enjoy this one, I can’t help but feel like something was missing. I still laughed in parts but nowhere near as much as in his previous books. It felt like a bit of a slog to get through and I found the ‘green theme’ a tad preachy at times. I was going to give this review two stars, but the story really picked up near the end and had a very good ending.

Don’t get me wrong, even at his worst - Nick Spalding is still one of the funniest fiction writers out there.

Thanks to Amazon publishing and Netgalley for the review copy.

I enjoyed this book but the ending felt somewhat rushed. There were some really funny moments and some great information on climate issues without it feeling preachy. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend giving it a go.

Going Green centres around PR specialist Ellie Cooke, after the company she works for is taken over by keen environmentalist, Nolan Reece. Ellie isn’t particularly known for her green credentials (the single use plastic bottles and gas-guzzling Mercedes give her away), but after losing her partner, she’s determined not to lose her job too! The book is about how she tries to change her ways, succeed at her job and resurrect her love life.

If you enjoy slapstick style, almost farcical, comedy then Going Green will probably be exactly your cup of tea! Ellie is quite a chaotic character and she seems to mostly stumble from one disastrous encounter to the next: if she’s not getting caught out in a lie and scrabbling to try and dig herself out of it, then she’s flashing her knickers to her new boss!

But as lighthearted as it is, there is obviously quite a serious point being made throughout about climate change. I’m in two minds as to whether I thought this juxtaposition between the very serious and the completely absurd fully worked. I think, for me, it maybe missed the mark slightly.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading it, and the laughs were just what I needed.

4.5 stars

This was a really unique and fun read! It’s the first fictional book I’ve read where climate change and “going green” was the center focus of the book, and while Nick Spalding’s take on the subject had some serious components, I found the majority of the story comical.

It begins with Ellie who works for a PR firm that has been taken over by environmentalist Nolan Reece, and in order to save her job, she jumps at the opportunity to impress her new boss...even if that means turning her life upside. Her attempts at being more environmentally friendly often backfire, but it’s clear she’s grabbed Nolan’s attention as they worldly closely together. But is her job and her new infatuation with Nolan really worth all the hassle?

I enjoyed reading this book and thought Ellie was fantastic! Her witty banter and ability to push through tough situations that often resulted in hilarious outcomes showed just how strong of a character she was. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3675224041

Wow, what a thoroughly enjoyable read, Very interesting and exciting. Never a dull moment and definitely a book you won’t want to put down.
5 stars all the way.

Loved the way the main character grew in this book without it feeling preachy and really appreciated it that the ending (spoiler alert) did not end in boy and girl falling in love. There are a bunch of amusing situations and funny characters. Ellie grows as a person and gains more confidence in both her personal and professional life.

I already reviewed this book, but I will repeat. Not my cup of tea. "Heroine" seems very immature and even silly, not funny, in her reactions to life and others. True, she "redeems" herself in the end, but only after finding out someone else has lied even more atrociously than she has. Even here she goes overboard, becomes a stalker and then destroys the liar. Glad she gains in her self-confidence, but it happens so easily that it doesn't work for me. Some enjoyable parts of this novel did make me smile and I am going green, which is why I chose this book to read. Worthy subject but unworthy advocates for going green.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. Thank you!

Going Green is the first book that I read by Nick Spalding. Going Green is a book about climate change and recyclable energy. I liked the way that Nick Spalding tell us about climate change and we learn about the effects of climate changes along with the characters.

Ellie Cooke works in PR Strategem and she likes her job but now she finds out that she will have a new boss Nolan Reece, a successful marketing entrepreneur who wants his new employees to be more green and to be more aware of the environment.

Nolan Reece announces that he needs to fire two employees, Ellie Cooke is trying to demonstrate to her new boss that she deserves to be kept employed and she is green and she is very aware of climate change.
Ellie was funny in her attempt to convince her boss that she is an activist and very aware of the environment. In her attempt to save her job, she learned more about the planet. The meetings with her new clients helped Ellie to realize that she needs to change if she wants to contribute to saving the planet.

I liked Going Green By Nick Spalding and I learned more about climate change. I liked Ellie because she changes her view about climate change and she changes her life to contribute to saving the planet. I think that sometimes she was too obsessive.
Blog post on 20.12.2020 // https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3686579168?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Goodreads review - 20.12.2020

When Ellie Cooke discovers that the new boss of the PR company she works at wants to promote green companies, she decides there’s only one way to keep her job - become the greenest person possible. Overnight she tries to become a vegetarian, joins action groups and gets a hybrid car. But as her green credentials improve, and her relationship with boss Nolan hots up, is everything as it seems?

At the beginning, Going Green appeared as if it would be another formulaic novel - ditsy girl meets good looking bloke, falls over herself trying to make him notice her, and we all live happily ever after - but then something shifts. Yes, Ellie is quite ditsy, and there were times when her antics were bordering on the ridiculous (dressing up in a foam water bottle costume and being chased by a giant plastic narwhal for example). However, somewhere along the line she becomes a serious environmentalist, and that’s when the story takes off. I loved the ending, slightly improbable as it may be, and it really finishes the book on a high.

A good book, with some serious messages contained within the light hearted tone.

This a funny book had me laughing out loud in some bits of the book.

Ellie works for a pr company and if she wants to stay in her job she must tell a few lies to stay in the job.

She certainly gets herself in situations where they are so funny. Ellie starts to see things in a different light in this book and you may see her changing her perspective.

I certainly didn't see things that was going to happen in the book.

Hopefully there is a follow on to see what happens to Ellie.

Ellie Cooke fears she is about to lose her job when Nolan Reece shows up as the buyer of the PR firm she works at... with the plan to turn it into a PR company that works with environmentally friendly businesses. With her “cloberty-bang” Mercedes and her shopping at places that create more waste than good, she has no idea how to show her new boss that she’s a keeper when he has mentioned that a few of the staff will be let go... but despite that, Ellie is a woman with a plan, who won’t let anything get in her way. In fact, she will do just about anything to get a job done... even if it means she will embarrass herself or everyone else in the process. So begins Ellie’s story with Viridian PR... but this is just the beginning, as life gets more complicated and more interesting as this zany story unfolds.

Going Green moved a little slowly for this reader but had some laugh out loud moments that kept this reader reading till the end.

This is my second Nick Spalding book, and it's apparent that he and I share the same sense of humor. His books are laugh out loud funny.

Ellie is in her early 30s working at a PR firm, not married, no responsibilities so she is the center of her own universe. In comes a new owner who wants to change the image of the firm into one that is focused on the environment with clients who support a green agenda. Surely Ellie knows what going green means, but she certainly doesn't follow the basic principles, with her plastic water bottles, plastic bags and retail therapy. But that won't stop her from acting like environmentalist. But can she fake her way in this new organization?

As expected, it does not go smoothly and she is plagued with mishaps galore. This is a light fun read, with many laugh out loud moments. It is also inspiring and a great underdog story. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you Nick Spalding for being my sense of humor soul mate. But let's not tell my hubby 😂

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just hope I can help make sure that world for as long as possible. Because there's Summer to think about. And Alex. And Jade. And Aiden too - with his finger up his nose, and his brain afire with worry about what the adults are doing to stop the disastrous climate change going around him.

I'll do what I can, because that's what they've asked me to do.
That's all I'm capable of.
...but that might just be enough.
I hope you feel the same way.

Do what you can. The rest will come in time."

Thank you NetGalley & Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with an e-arc.

Ellie Cooke works at PR and lives in the pure bliss of ignorance. All she wants to focus on is keeping her job at her workplace which is in a terrible condition until one day an environmentally-conscious celebrated publicist buys her company, and she starts to go to lengths that she would never do, just to keep her job. But will the lies cost her dearly or will it go on to change lives?
Narrated in the first person, Going Green is a satirical fiction on environmentalism with fair focus on capitalism, activist guilt, sustainable & vegan small businesses & lifestyle, awareness on the climate emergency, and importance of doing what we can for our planet & our future generations.

Filled with humour that will make you cringe (you know, it is cringy 'coz it's true) and laugh out loud at the same time, Going Green is a brilliantly written satire that is so very necessary for today's world. Dealing with environmentalism, Nick Spalding takes you on a journey only he would perfectly lead you through. Even when the first half of the book felt slow, it felt realistically paced as I inched towards the second half of the book. It quite set the tone and Ellie's world and aimed towards making the readers quite uncomfortable and anxious, capturing the true essence of the theme. What's excellent are the characters, especially our protagonist, who is realistically portrayed. Even though you begin your read and instantly spite Ellie, it is quite hard to not sympathise her or like her because, hey, at the least, she is mind-blowingly honest. But by the end of the book, I loved Ellie! And god, I did not see the twists coming! This piece yet again proved that I will always pick any books by Nick. I have to have a readathon and read all his other works that I have not yet been able to read.

With so many aspects that are rarely captured authentically, one of them that stood out to me was the importance of awareness & educating oneself and the space to grow & be a better human being than one is yesterday. In a world where 'cancel culture' is a day-to-day phenomenon where SJW's pick on celebrities and public figures for what they have done years ago when they have clearly shown signs of growth or even talked about their growth in a space, it was such an enlightening experience reading about something that focused equally on giving space for growth & not shaming people over that. With that and environmentalism, this book turned out to be a piece that is definitely one of the must-reads of 2020.

Rating: 3.75/4

I thought this sounded like a cute book. I thought it was a little too goofy - the situations were unbelievable and the characters were over the top.

Going Green by Nick Spalding is a contemporary, humourous romance novel about environmentalism. ⁠
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Ellie Cooke works in PR. Her struggling company is bought by Nolan Reece, a keen environmentalist, so Ellie must prove her green credentials to stand a chance at keeping her job. it's all going so well until she starts to fall for the new boss...⁠
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Going Green is hilarious at points. I actually laughed out loud at it, which is quite an accomplishment for me. I enjoyed the light-hearted take this book presented on the environmental movement. Whilst presenting a humorous romance, and showcasing Ellie's conversion to a green lifestyle, it does bring up some serious points about the sustainability movement. ⁠
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For instance, if we are to drive our cars and fly much less, the train and bus networks need some serious improvement. ⁠
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Whilst this book does poke fun at environmentalism, it does so in a good-natured way. I never felt like it was hitting below the belt. ⁠
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I enjoyed it, though I did find Ellie's character a little unbelievable. She's a very over-the-top person, and I'm not sure women like her exist outside of rom-coms.

This book was a total miss and, truth be told, I skimmed the second half of it. The premise was promising enough but the overall execution was just really, really poor. The characters are trite and cynical to the point of total annoyance, and the plot was just... bad? I feel like maybe this story could have done well in the 90's. But in the current era it felt completely tone deaf and so tediously sarcastic. Also there were some jokes that bordered on being outright offensive. Maybe I don't get British humor? Or maybe this is just not a good book.