Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

Bold, glamorous and a refreshing entertainer!

Thanks NetGalley & Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Fig Tree for the ARC!

Synopsis -

Bianca Bridge aspires to become a writer. She despises her current flailing modelling career, but unfortunately, her tarnished reputation and affairs are not helping. When Obadiah Cortland, an aggressive businessman and make up expert offers her a job with his magazine, she readily accepts. That’s when the creative juices begin to flow for Bianca and as she finally finds her footing, she needs to face challenges both on the personal and national front.

Review -

What a unique experience this was in terms of the setting, in the island of Trinidad and Tobago! Alternating between the POVs of both Bianca and Obadiah, we get to know these characters closely as though we are best friends. I especially enjoyed the narrators' sing-song voices & perfect Caribbean lilt, that gave these characters a quirky edge with all the charm and sass!

Bianca was a lovely, unassuming and relatable girl. I admired her hardworking nature, resourcefulness and her desire to be independent her being born into wealthy family.

It takes a bit more time to warm up to Obadiah. But behind his haughty, belligerent façade, he was a sweetheart. A self-made successful entrepreneur who loved his work, pursued his passion and most importantly respected women, giving credit where it’s due.

I loved the witty dialogues and the satirical humour the author employs in her writing. Also the supporting characters add their own value to the story.

It was great fun as well as an awakening transformative journey to witness Bianca and Obadiah gearing up to take the world of make-up and glamour by storm - tackling the rampant classicism, bureaucracy, economic disparity, insane crime rates and colonial patriarchy.

With a killer spin on make-up and fashion, along with some amazing team work for the magazine, the all new boisterous and courageous Bianca gracefully rises to the occasion, gathering the strength to fight for her career as well as Obadiah’s.

An unflinchingly daring debut that is sure to be in vogue!

I'm sorry to say this was a disappointing read - I had high hopes but it did not deliver as a romance or as social commentary. Fell flat with dull characters and a slow plot.

I could wax lyrical about this book all day. It is absolutely stunning. About halfway through reading the e-ARC, I pre-ordered myself a copy as I knew it was going to be a special read that I’d want on my shelf.

It follows Trinidadian Bianca Bridge, a young woman scraping by on modelling jobs after losing her career and social standing following a scandal - that age old tale of the woman facing the wrath when an affair falls apart. We hear about the dark side of modelling and the sexual abuse she faces as a result of the power imbalance while she desperately tries to keep food on the table and a roof over her head. Then she meets Obadiah Cortland, who offers her a creative editor role at his make up brand to relaunch their in-house magazine. I loved watching Bianca find her confidence again, building friendships, repairing relationships and achieving career success - it was really feel good and feminist in that sense. All against a backdrop of the most beautiful elements of Trinidad and the shadiest. This book has a lot to say and I really can’t wait to see what Breanne McIvor does next.

Bianca has come home to Trinidad after a glittering British university career to a plethora of job opportunities but a lonely life: her mum passed away in her teens and her dad has remarried and is distant. So she doesn't get the benefits of her dad's wealth and influence, doesn't have the knack of making friends and is then vulnerable when a married politician pounces. How many other young women he's done the same to she dreads to think.

Then, when the inevitable scandal hits, of course its she who loses her job and ends up unemployable, resorting to the toxic world of modelling, with only one decent photographer on her side. So it's a good opportunity when Obadiah Courtland strides into her life, although he makes himself obnoxious because he dragged himself up by his bootstraps from a precarious life in the poorest part of town, bringing his best friend with him, and he has the usual impression of Bianca. Oh, and who is his sister involved with?

Written in alternate sections - which the author says at the end she had to do as everyone thought her hero was horrible - we get their viewpoints as Oby struggles to keep his make-up brand and magazine going (I liked all the detail on these aspects) and they gain a grudging respect for one another. Side-characters Radhika and Dante are great, too, and it was very interesting to see the range of heritages found in Trinidad's population represented.

There was a nod to "Miguel Street" part-way through the book and while it's dispiriting that the corruption and violence found there seem to still be rife, I really liked this excellent work of fiction that came out of it. Trigger warning: there is a description of disordered eating woven through the book but also nurturing and recovery from a potential eating disorder.

I really enjoyed this book but I’m finding it difficult to describe the plot as there’s so much in it! I’ve seen some reviews say that it’s a romance and others that it’s like Bridget Jones but I think that it covers much more than romance and is much more serious than Bridget Jones.

The main character is Bianca Bridge - she’s from Trinidad, studied in England and has ambitions to be a writer. But on her return to Trinidad, she embarks on an affair with a married government minister and her life spirals from there. However, she has a chance to build a meaningful career and to make a difference when she meets Obadiah Cartland, make-up artiste extraordinaire and someone who appears to be egotistical. But Obadiah has had his own battles and while they appear to be opposites, he and Bianca build an understanding together which helps when their future and the future of the company Obadiah has built is threatened.

The book is told from both the perspectives of Bianca and Obadiah although mostly the former. I think being able to read both of their perspectives made their actions much more believable and I really enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end which explained why they had done this. I also thought the build up of the story was well done and particularly enjoyed the last section where I was willing Bianca on! It didn’t feel like the more romantic parts of the story were the main focus and I appreciated that. I felt like the corruption and, even more so, the way that some men exert control over women was far more interesting and relevant.

Overall, I would recommend this book to others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

My fascination with all things Trinidadian continues, stoked by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s When We Were Birds and Kevin Jared Hosein’s Hungry Ghosts. Here, Breanne Mc Ivor’s main protagonists, Bianca Bridge and Obadiah Cortland, reflect the different communities on the island today.
Right from the beginning, I liked Bianca’s voice, sharpest in the ‘self-interviews’ she records in her journal. Back in Trinidad after studying in the UK, rather than writing as she had hoped, she’s been working as a model and has made some questionable decisions (haven’t we all?). Obadiah is a talented but prickly make-up artist trying to build a business. Chalk and cheese or a match made in heaven?
There’s plenty to like about The God of Good Looks: sympathetic characters, an absorbing story and a glimpse of Trinidad’s fractious politics. I really enjoyed it.

Bianca Bridge has graduated from a London University with good qualifications, she goes back to her native Trinidad with the hope of becoming a writer, she wants to write a book in memory of her mother, the mother who was always there for Bianca and who she loved dearly. After her mother died Bianca was very lonely, she had a job but no friends, her wealthy father had remarried and started a second family. It was this loneliness that drove Bianca into the arms of a much older, married, prominent politician, he was kind to her, she fell head over heel in love with him but when the affair was discovered he dropped her like a hot potato. Bianca had lost her lover and her job. she was ostracized but she still believed in him, she needed to earn some money so being tall and beautiful she took work modeling, it was a waste of her qualifications but she didn't have a choice , the modeling was heading in a sleazy direction so when she was offered a job working on a magazine with an entrepreneur in the beauty and make up industry, after much debating, she decided to take the job, anything to get away from where she was at.
Obadiah Corland was good looking, elegantly dressed but arrogant, he had pulled himself up from the violent, drug riddled, poor quarter of Trinidad to where he was now but his persona wasn't what it seemed, his business was in trouble, he needed motivated, feisty Bianca to help rescue his magazine, Bianca was more that a match for Obadiah.
This is the story of Bianca and Obadiah, it follows their fight against the Trinidadian society and class structure, it give s brilliant view into the artistry of make up and the running of a free magazine, you are however left to guess what happens to the pair.
I did think that this book was a bit drawn out but I did find it enjoyable.

Refreshing, vibrant and colourful are some of the words that come to mind when thinking how I would describe this book.
Set in Trinidad the book begins by meeting Bianca a model who wants to start a journal and write a story of her mums life. When a scandal breaks out and becomes tabloid news - with her and a minister she finds herself jobless, ashamed and accepting a new job on a magazine owned by Obadiah Courtland.

The descriptions and writing in this book was beautiful. The plants and flowers and costumes and make up really bringing the colours to life from the pages.

There are serious topics discussed such as the crime and murder rate in Trinidad, political corruption and how big powerful men can get women by control, money and loneliness however this was also mixed with lots of love, friendship and positive messages.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I will be recommending to others and looking out for more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. Was it my favourite of the year? No but it was pacey and I was really rooting for the characters, especially Bianca. Really loved the Trinidad setting and learning a bit more about the country, dark as it may seem.

A whirlwind of a book that covers so many topics - the harshness of the fashion industry and the influence it has over young women and men, crime and violence in the Trinidad you don't see on the glossy travel magazines, the beauty and creativity of carnival and the power of friendship and love in helping you find your own voice.

It took a little while to warm to the characters but that almost felt deliberate as they each relaxed the fronts they put on for other people as the story developed. By the end I couldn't put it down - it's a great story about how first impressions aren't always accurate with a bit more grit than your average enemies to lovers tales

An enjoyable story of a lady from Trinidad who recovers from being at rock bottom. Having been outed as a married MP’s mistress she has lost her job and is modelling to get money when she really wants to write instead. An encounter with a vile make up artist leads her to a job publishing a magazine, allowing her to find friends, accept herself and gain the ultimate revenge.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book in return for a review.

This book is about Biance Bridge and her life in the world of modelling and publicity. Having a love affair with a Government Minister causes big problems for her and she becomes an outcast in her own community. Struggling to find work she is approached by a make up artist named Obadiah Courtland and she hopes that her life will turn around even though she knows that Obadiah is not the best person to be seen with. However he is much deeper than his persona and having been raised in the poorest neighbourhoods of Trinidad he is just fighting to make this better for him and the profession he has chosen is cut throat in the extreme. I did continue to read this book but it was not for me and I am not sure the reasons for this. I guess I just did not like the content of the book and could not really take to any of the characters wholeheartedly

Bianca is a working model to pay the bills but what she wants to do, what she went to university for, is to write. She’s writing the story of her mums life in Trinidad. Bianca gets a job working for Obidiah Cortland at The OC as an editor for Extempo magazine, this opportunity changes her life.

I knew from the first page I’d like it this book “Naked, being slathered in chocolate syrup”

The book starts off with Bianca’s self interviews which are off and on throughout the book. It’s written in the perspective of Bianca and Obidiah, switching between the two. I really enjoyed getting to know Obidiah, he was easy to hate at first but when it switches to his perspective you get to understand how he thinks and why he comes off the way he does.

The ending was not what I was expecting at all, I was holding my breath waiting to see what would come next. I really hope Breanne keeps writing more books because this was fabulous and I look forward to reading her other book Where there are Monsters

This book is well-written, but I found the ending really unsatisfying, and the way events seemed to happen to the main character (rather than her driving them) meant I was never fully engaged in the story.

Really loved this book. The characters are well written and the story unfolds at a pace to stop you ever getting bored. Loved the twists and turns, and especially the HEA

I loved this book. It's the story of Bianca, a writer and model who becomes notorious through her affair with a government minister, and Obadiah, the God of Good Looks, who owns OC, a beauty salon and school. Their first meeting results in a clash and animosity, but, after a rocky start, they start to work together on the OC magazine ExTempo and develop an understanding and friendship. The story is also very much about Trinidad and the divisions between rich and poor, and political power and corruption.
Bianca and Obadiah are hard-working and feisty, the other characters in the salon are fun. There is a lot of depth and emotion in the conversations between the characters, and a fabulous entertaining plot.
Highly recommended, and such a great title.

In exchange for an honest review, I was kindly provided with a digital ARC copy of the book thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher.

‘The God of Good looks’ is a joyous yet challenging love story about a young woman who’s standing up for herself, set against the backdrop of Trinidad and Tobago’s high society.

Breanne McIvor’s phenomenal debut follows Bianca Bridge, who has always dreamt of becoming a writer. However, when she's caught having an affair with a married government minister, her dreams are dashed. Bianca reluctantly accepts a lowly assistant position offered by Obadiah Cortland, a legend in the island's beauty scene, when he offers her to work on his beauty magazine, the closest to the life she dreams of. Working for Obadiah proves to be difficult, as he is known for being aloof and tyrannical and she'll need all the strength that her mother taught her to face him. What are her chances of getting the job and the relationship of her dreams?
"The God of Good Looks" is a captivating novel about diverse characters and their unexpected relationships. Throughout the story, readers are presented with challenges and camaraderie between opposites, leading to an exciting climax.

'The God of Good Looks' is a story about prejudice, sexism, identity, and self-esteem. Throughout the story, we see a tale of all the masks we wear in our daily lives to pretend we are someone others want us to be or someone we want them to think we are, and it shows what we can become if we dare to take them off.

The book evoked a powerful feeling of resilience and persistence in the face of difficult odds. I would strongly recommend it to people, especially women and young girls, who may feel uncertain about their place in society or unsure about pursuing their life ambitions and dreams. The book can provide strength and inspiration for facing challenges.