Review: Outlier

Outlier by Susie Tate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book we've all been waiting for, Vicky and Mike.

Vicky is neurally diverse, a genius who makes millions for her clients, she has no understanding of social skills. It didn't help that she was the product of an affair between the late Duke of Buckingham and (obviously) Vicky's mother who hoped to trap him into marriage. Deemed 'difficult' by her mother, Vicky was dumped on Margot (Lady Harding) for the summer when she was only six years old, already barely speaking a word. Obviously her half-siblings were appalled and Margot wasn't thrilled to have the evidence of her husband's infidelity staring her right in the face. Now, as an adult people think she's weird, too intense, and too beautiful. Her beauty intimidates both men and women and they interpret her shyness as being too good for the rest of them and call her the Ice Princess. What no-one realises is that Vicky agrees with everyone that she is weird, she doesn't think she's loveable, and she remains convinced that her 'friends' are just being kind and/or have to be friendly because they work for her or are related in some way.

The only man Vicky has ever been attracted to is Mike Mayweather, a skilled artisan carpenter who makes bespoke furniture, his sister Lucy is married to Vicky's half-brother Ollie. He is aware of Vicky's interest in him but assumes she is posh totty looking for a bit of rough. Accordingly, he is rude to Vicky and turns down her tentative request for a date, thinking it was far more sordid.

If you've read the two previous books in the series (and if you haven't, do it now), you'll know what happens, Ollie and his on/off girlfriend Lottie get distracted at a party and fail to get Vicky out before the fireworks go off. Vicky reacts like she's at the Battle of the Somme and Mike is the only one there to protect/help her which brings out his protective instincts. Then Margot lets slip that she is the secret investor in Mike's business and if he doesn't 'woo' Vicky she will pull the plug, she does it for all the right reasons but we just know it's going to bite Mike on the bum LOL.

Once Mike starts to understand where Vicky is coming from he is intrigued, he is a bit obsessive about things too so the way she can talk about hedgehogs for hours on end is interesting to him.

I did enjoy this but it was very sad, my heart broke for Vicky, and so I would say I didn't like it as much as Gold Digger (mind you I did stay reading it (and the bonus epilogue) all night until I'd finished).

I received an ARC from the author via BookFunnel.




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