The God of Good Looks

Getting a second chance is a beautiful thing…

Bianca Bridge’s personal and professional lives are in tatters. She has lost her beloved mother and has only a distant relationship with her self-made father. And now, she’s been outed as the mistress of a government minister – ending her journalism career before it had even started.

All but unemployable, she is astonished when tyrannical make-up artist Obadiah Cortland, Trinidad’s legendary ‘God of Good Looks’, hires her as his new assistant.

At first, Bianca can’t stand her fierce new boss – and he lets her know the feeling is mutual. But when her ex threatens both their futures and working together becomes their last resort, she begins to glimpse another Obadiah beneath the façade he’s so carefully cultivated.

Review

Bianca Bridge is a heroine to root for ... A punchy romance with plenty to say about Caribbean class, poverty and sexism ― Observer

A glittering will-they, won't-they Bridget Jones re-boot ― Nikki May, author of Wahala

I loved it ― India Knight, Sunday Times Style

A will-they-won't-they tension ensues as Mc Ivor uses the metaphor of make-up (there's an awful lot of it) to examine privilege, corruption and truth. It's wickedly funny ... Bianca is a hugely endearing heroine ― Daily Mail

McIvor shines in this pitch-perfect narrative of power imbalances ... McIvor combines tight plotting and strong character development ... This makes for a winning story of comeuppance ― Publishers Weekly

Likened to Bridget Jones.... It does have that same kind of wonderfully comic voice, as well as a protagonist to adore and root for ― Anna Bonnet, Three Books to Read in June

After an affair with a married government official ruins her prospects of becoming a writer, Bianca takes a job with an infamous make-up artist in this warm, Trinidad-set novel ― The i Paper, Best Books to Read in June

Mc Ivor uses Bianca's attempt to rebuild her life to examine issues surrounding the beauty industry and the poverty, violence and corruption blighting life in Trinidad . . . There's lots to enjoy, particularly a more authentic picture of Caribbean life than the postcard fantasy ― The Times

Part feminist tract, part love letter to an island . . . A self-aware, modern, female-centered novel out of Trinidad which breaks new ground ― Monique Roffey, author of Costa Book of the Year, The Mermaid of Black Conch

Full of characters whose struggles you feel to your bones - and will be rooting for all the way through. Bianca might just be one of my all-time favourite heroines. Fresh, smart, and packed with razor-sharp social commentary-a perfect blend of page-turning and thought-provoking ― Caroline Mackenzie, author of One Year of Ugly

Phenomenal! A book worthy of a standing ovation. I will never forget how this novel made me feel. It's effortlessly beautiful ― Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

A dazzling delight of a debut. The God of Good Looks is a captivating portrait of contemporary Trinidadian culture, a canny exploration of makeup's power as artifice and art, and a tender celebration of unexpected connections and the human need to love and be loved. I gasped, I laughed, I cried - I didn't want it to end! ― Coco Mellors, author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein

Mc Ivor's debut novel ... effectively captures a surprising and evolving relationship in a mix of humor and drama ... A tale that tracks the universal theme of female agency in familial, professional, and social settings ... Memorable characters, evocative descriptions, and a well-paced story make this an eminently enjoyable novel ― Booklist

Get ready for the summer of love as intelligent romcoms take centre stage ― Stylist, Why it’s the summer of the romcom bestseller

About the Author

Breanne Mc Ivor is an award-winning writer. Her short story collection, Where There Are Monsters, was published in 2019. Mc Ivor holds degrees in English from the universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh and has a certificate in Advanced Professional Makeup Artistry. She lives in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago. The God of Good Looks is her debut novel.