Cover Image: Going Green

Going Green

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Member Reviews

Our female protagonist, Ellie Cooke, works in public relations. When her company gets bought out by an environmentalist and needs to downsize, she goes a little over the top in trying to show how environmentally conscious she is in order to impress her new boss. It works a little too well and not only does she not get fired, she gets a promotion.

The beginning of this book is pretty hysterical. Lots of comedic moments and situations Ellie gets herself into. But about halfway through, the story was moving pretty slow and the character was just kind of one dimensional and flat. She’s dating her new boss and the relationship doesn’t make a lot of sense, and we don’t get much info about what works and what doesn’t between the characters. It’s just kind of not connecting.

I hate to say this, but the female protagonist really felt like how it feels when a man tries to write a female character, without depth or nuance. The ending was a twist that I didn’t see coming, but it was also just like a lot of stuff thrown in there at the end to wrap up the story. I didn’t really follow the story line halfway through, it just didn’t work for me. I would give it three stars because there was a lot of comedic value at different times that made up for some of its drawbacks.

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This book tells the story of Ellie Cooke. In an effort to keep her job and impress her new boss she goes all out to impress him and prove her green credentials and her mission to save the planet.

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I found Going Green a bit harder going than Nick Spalding's previous books, but still an enjoyable read.

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This was a charming book that also gave insight to environmental needs without lecturing. Character development is excellent. I thought I knew where the book was going so loved the surprise ending.

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This is not the first Nick Spalding book I have read and I usually devour them. Not quite so here.
The insight into the worlds of marketing and green activism are quite interesting and well documented, which I quite enjoyed, but the pleasure in reading the book was rather slow starting.
This was mainly due to the 'flat' and stereotypical main character and narrator as I did have problems relating to her for quite some time.
This definitely improved towards the end since she became more interesting as the story and her personality developed but it partly dampened my enjoyment of the book which I read to the end but which I could also have left it aside at some point.
So a mitigated review, but perhaps Nick Spalding's new readers would be more forgiving than I was.

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I expected this to be a lighthearted romantic comedy type of book, and it was. But it meandered too much, and so it was hard to stay focus. This is the definition of a breezy beach read, where you can't expect too much out of the characters. If you just go along for the ride and try to forget how immature a few of the characters act and don't expect too much in the way of character development, then 'Going Green' can be a fun, lighthearted read. It was just too frustrating dealing with the immaturity of a few for me to give it more than three stars. It's not a bad book at all, it just isn't really a great book either. It's just a nice, inoffensive, middle-of-the-road read. Nothing wrong with that.

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Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to! It was an easy read which is exactly what I was after. But also very thought provoking, leaving me questioning how green I truly am and what more I can be doing.

I thought it was going to be quite predictable and I thought I had the book sussed fairly early on. I was pleased to learn I was wrong though, the ending was a brilliant curveball which left me feeling quite uplifted! Overall I really enjoyed reading.

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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

I like how Nick Spalding is able to write about current issues within the context of a novel without getting too preachy about it. Here, he takes on the issues of climate change and the environment through Ellie's character and her own personal discovery of the issues. I like how her discovery and life changes are central to the character's development.

While I really appreciate the zany characters and crazy situations that are woven into this novel, there are times when I felt like I was being hit over the head with the humour and certain scenes went a little too far for my tastes. I think if this part of Spalding's writing style were toned down a bit, it would be a better read and I wouldn't feel the author's presence so much in the book. It's only in these overt attempts at writing humour that I feel the author trying to make me laugh. For me, it throws me out of the story and disrupts my enjoyment.

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I was intrigued by the premise of this book (a woman that is a bit clueless about the environment needed to get it together for her job), but was not able to get into it.

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PLOT (as described by the publisher):
From the bestselling author of Dumped, Actually comes a laugh-out-loud story about saving your job…and maybe saving the planet in the process.
Meet Ellie Cooke. When it comes to all things environmental she’s, well, a bit ‘green’. It’s not that she doesn’t care about things like climate change and plastic pollution, it’s just that life has always got in the way of that sort of thing.
But when the PR firm Ellie works for is taken over by keen environmentalist Nolan Reece, it’s clear that if she wants to save her job, she’s going to have to get serious about being green—or face being recycled.
Going green is no walk in the park, though. It involves a lot of big changes, tough choices…and at least one case of accidentally showing your knickers off to your boss.
Can Ellie do enough to save her job, and maybe do her bit to help save the planet while she’s at it? And what will Nolan think of her, now that she can’t stop thinking about him…?

WHAT DID I THINK?

I could totally relate to Ellie Cooke. I would like to be more earth conscious, but I definitely don’t consider ALL the ways in which we can go green. Much like Ellie, I really do like some of my non-green luxuries. Her journey to going green was quite fun and had many laugh out loud moments. There were many antics (some predictable), but all fun. I missed the deadline to read this on NetGalley so I grabbed it thru Kindle Unlimited and listened to it. The narrator was great and I really enjoyed it. There was a plot twist that I didn’t see coming which took the book in an entirely different direction than I expected. It was full of heart and I would definitely recommend it!

3 ½ stars (rounded up to 4)

Published December 8, 2020. Thank you #netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

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This is the first of Nick Spalding's books I've read and I get that the book is supposed to be a humorous, fun, hilarious read. Some of the bits were really funny and had me laughing right out loud. Having a humorous book to read is certainly much needed and this author seems to be able to give that very easily. His descriptions are in most cases quite hysterical. But, after a few chapters I found myself wanting just getting tired of Ellie's over-the-top antics and she began to be just a bit too much for me to believe in. I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't do it for me.

I do appreciate Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Sorry this book was not for me. The storyline was interesting, but I did not interact with the book .
Ellie , the main character annoyed me and I did not like the writing style

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This was a fun but thought provoking book. It was a light hearted approach on a serious subject and very entertaining.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Going Green is a wonderful, light hearted read that really did keep me intrigued throughout.
Tackling the issues that are facing the world today, including climate change.
Following the life of Ellie, who is determined to 'Go Green' in order to keep her job. Although the story is truly humorous and easy to read, it still highlights a rather serious topic.
This book was wonderfully written and fascinating from the start. I loved the depths of the leading character and the way in which her character grew as the story progressed. The storyline was well structured and had a unique storyline. A wonderful story.

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Going Green by Nick Spaulding

This is a laugh-out loud story about saving your job, and hopefully saving the planet in the process.


This was an interesting book about climate change and saving our earth. Also, the main character wants to save her job. She certainly seems challenged about her work. This was a lioght cozy read. It was okay.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

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I enjoyed this novel, though I did start it and put it down again, as I thought it started slow and predictable. But it got better and enjoyable. I did chuckle a few times but not laugh out loud funny, but I find very few books laugh out loud funny. Anyhow...I also don't know how this novel will stand the test of time. I would like to think a day is coming when we look back and CAN not imagine there was a day everyone DIDN'T recycle and "go green".
Ellie is endearing and a little "off" i would have loved a more endearing supporting cast but she is enough. and she is redeemable ...almost possible to pave way for a follow for her, the company, and Nolan....I was a little bit reminded of the tv show "Zoey's Infinite Playlist"...anyone else get those vibes?

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I initially received a free copy of this for reviewing, but the file expired about halfway through. I was enjoying the book, though, and actually decided to go and buy my own copy on Kindle. Worth the money for sure!
Eleanor or Ellie Cooke is the main character in this novel. She turns up to work one day to find that the company has been sold; further, the name has changed and they're entirely rebranding. Stratagem PR is renamed Viridian, and their focus is backing and supporting eco-conscious companies, big or small. But the new boss, Nolan Reece, is going to have to let some of the workers go for financial reasons. Of course, Ellie is terrified of losing her job, so she goes above and beyond to prove to Nolan just how 'green' she is.
The problem being that she is not green. At all.
Ellie's antics are rather funny, and most definitely embarrassing. But over time, she learns how important this eco stuff actually is, and with the help of some sticky children, her mindset is completely changed.
Further, Nolan is a great guy. Working alongside him inevitably leads to some romance (and more hilarious events). It's kind of an obvious plot, this romance, but it works. Especially with how this book ends. Oh, the ending is great. Not what I expected at all.
While I didn't like Ellie at first, she goes through some major character development and I do actually kind of respect her by the end of the book. I even learned a fair bit about our planet through this book. Yet it was an easy, light read, and definitely fun and enjoyable. It's not the kind of book I'd usually go for at all, but I highly recommend it. 4 stars!

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I am a firm believer that there is a right time for everything, including books.
Going Green by Nick Spalding is a fun and light-hearted read, and God knows I needed a good laugh!
It's all about Ellie Cook, who's ready to do everything to save her job, even pretending to be environmentally conscious.
I laughed and giggled all the time, and I bet you would do the same with a character that is a mix between Bridget Jones and Samantha Jones!
Be aware, Going Green is not just about laughs. You can't read this book without starting to think about your part in tackling climate change and reducing the use of single-use items.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this. It's fast paced and totally readable.
A belated thank you to NetGalley and Amazon publishing.

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I didn't get a chance to finish this story. I became interested in the story when I read what it was about. I will definitely be looking to access the book.

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Requested this because I wanted to read something easy and light, but this is not really my kind of humor. The main characters also aren't that relatable or likeable and the plot and writing are a little cliched.

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