The Hot Guy is the first novel by Australian journalist, editor and film critic duo, Mel Campbell and Anthony Morris. Sports publicist, Cate has been dumped by her boyfriend. It’s probably not such a bad thing as he really didn’t appreciate her sense of humour, but still, it’s hard not to feel a bit down, so her friends set her up for a night with the Hot Guy.

Adam is the Hot Guy. He doesn’t know that. Adam is a cinema nerd whose burning ambition is to direct film. He knows he’s good looking, and is always nice to his dates, but is completely unaware of the Facebook group devoted to getting him into bed.

Everyone knows the Hot Guy is a One Night Stand. He’s there to provide that much-needed boost to the confidence after a rejection or heartbreak. But Cate hasn’t read the rules: she sticks around when he suggests they do more than just sleep together. And suddenly, people are trying to split them up.

The authors’ field of expertise is much in evidence as the events of Adam and Cate’s relationship unfold: a generous dose of whacky movie titles, bizarre plots and obscure symbolism pokes fun at the arthouse movie scene; neither are sports venues, sponsorship, logos and promotion spared. The characters are quirky and amusing, and the dialogue is often witty and clever, and there is an abundance of laugh-out-loud moments.

Readers who are after a light-hearted romantic comedy will enjoy this one, especially if they’re not averse to (appropriately Cinema-type warning here) course language and sexual references. Yes, quite a lot of those, a fair bit of innuendo, a good dose of puns, plenty of silliness and more than a touch of the ridiculous. A fun read!

With thanks to Echo Publishing for this copy to read and review