160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Happy Halloween! Join us this weekend for some spooky fun and sweet treats! 🎃

The Ick

A totally hilarious enemies to lovers, forced proximity romantic comedy
By Holly McCulloch
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.53 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 187 ratings, 67 reviews)
Brief Description
'Absolutely loved this book!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'You keep saying "just one more chapter"' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Hilarious. I laughed so much' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I raced through this funny story. It romps along' Daily Mail Six foot two with blue eyes? Dimples and strong arms? Giant turtle backpack? Gem's date is... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A hilarious, heartwarming romantic comedy about a girl with a chronic case of the ick - can she get over it and find love?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'Absolutely loved this book!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'You keep saying "just one more chapter"' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Hilarious. I laughed so much' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I raced through this funny story. It romps along' Daily Mail

Six foot two with blue eyes?

Dimples and strong arms?

Giant turtle backpack?

Gem's date is looking promising. Atlas is 6'2, with blue eyes, dimples and strong hands that look like they would be at home wielding an axe. But when he says he eats soup for lunch, Gem is immediately hit with the ick. Suddenly, she's painfully aware of his giant backpack that makes him look like a turtle, his colourful socks, and his hair that's just a bit too floppy.

Gem, who collects icks like others collect loyalty points, is adamant that the phenomenon is her instinct kicking in, but her housemate and best friend Shanti disagrees, and challenges Gem to take part in a study for her psychology course: Is intuition real?

Gem eventually decides to take part, but doing so means she has to break all her own rules. She sees Atlas for a second date, a third, and even a fourth, until she starts losing count. It's all for research purposes, of course - but what if the impossible happens and Gem falls for Atlas? And if he finds out she's being paid to date him, will he ever forgive her?

Forced-proximity meets enemies-to-lovers in this spicy, swoon-worthy and totally hilarious romantic comedy. Fans of Emily Henry, Ali Hazlewood and Mhairi McFarlane won't be able to put this sizzling romance down.

'Holly has perfected the art of comedy writing' Sophie Cousens

'Holly is the queen of the clever feel-good read - hilarious, heart-warming and real, with characters you'll fall in love with and be thinking about long after you finish the final page' Lucy Foley

'The perfect subject: icks are hilarious and Holly has managed to weave them into a gorgeous, heartfelt and sexy story' Abigail Mann

'Hilarious and charming, The Ick explores what happens when an immoveable avoidant-attachment meets an unstoppable hunk. McCulloch's gift for comedic asides shines brightly here but never overwhelms the delicious, tender romance blossoming between Atlas and Gem. An absolute must for rom-com fans!' Lindz Mcleod

'Opening a new Holly McCulloch book is a real treat, and The Ick contains everything I love in a novel: relatable characters, hilarious one-liners, and romance that gives you spaghetti legs'

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408748855

Publisher: John Murray Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 March 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Renegade Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Priscilla Layne

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 368

Collections

Contemporary Romance Fiction General Fiction Holly McCulloch Literary Fiction Romance

About the Author

As the fourth child in a busy household, Holly was often left to entertain herself. She wasn't cool enough to hand out with her oldest siblings, and she wasn't a good enough goalie to hang out with her younger sibling. Luckily, she quickly found the world of books and since then, she has never looked back. As a kid, Holly often went to sleep with at least four books underneath her pillow just in case she needed them. And she often did. Books have saved her time and time again.

After a stint working at a literary agency, then a stint working at a big four publisher, and then a stint working as a book buyer, Holly made the terrible decision to become a management consultant. After four years, and still no idea what the job actually entailed, books saved her once again. She wrote her first novel Just Friends (published by Transworld in 2020) when she needed to escape. Her second novel, The Mix-Up followed in 2021.

She is currently working as a freelance editor and writer, and lives in the outskirts of Oxford with her dog, who she lovingly named Schitthead (Ted) after the best TV programme known to man. She is fuelled by baked goods and a need to make people laugh.

If you want to get to know Holly (and Ted) better, follow her over on Instagram (@by.holly.mcculloch) where she mainly shares dog photos and curates memes.

More from Romance

View all
  • Grim Tidings
    New Release
    Grim Tidings
    'Infinity stars. I smiled, laughed, squealed with delight, wept, and then smiled again' ★★★★★'This book ripped my heart out, trampled on it, put it back together, and still had amazing smut' ★★★★★'Fun, witty, sexy and made me cry at the end (in a good way, don't worry)…B.K. Borison has written one of my favourite reads of the year' ★★★★★ A...
    By B.K. Borison
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates
    How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates
    A hilarious, swoony and downright terrifying horror romance in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the rom-com and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl. When cinephile Jamie Prescott attends a speed-dating event, she expects to meet some mediocre men...
    By Shailee Thompson
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Wild Wicked Mate
    New Release
    Wild Wicked Mate
    From #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Gilmore, comes a brand new small-town romance set in the quirky town of Maple Hollow! The closer the proximity, the stronger the spark… Phoebe never expected to fall in love, and especially not with the annoyingly handsome werewolf she’s been hanging out with for years.Theo has spent his life comparing himself to...
    By Laurie Gilmore
    Paperback
    $2199
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Keeper
    He can resist any woman in the world...except for the one he shouldn't want. Famed goalkeeper Noah Wilson doesn't do relationships or complications. The only thing the grumpy single dad wants is to do his job and spend more time with his daughter. Unfortunately, his bachelor status has made it impossible to find the right nanny for her. With the...
    By Ana Huang
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Song of the Sirens
    New Release
    The Song of the Sirens
    A sweeping romantasy debut about sisterhood, rebellion, and the danger of forbidden love, featuring ancient immortal clans, hidden spells, morally grey love interests, and a war that threatens to fracture the realms – for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Penn Cole and Victoria Aveyard. Exiled to the mortal realm of Asterra for a crime their mother committed, Siren sisters Adriana...
    By Taylah Walker
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • My Dreadful Darling
    New Release
    My Dreadful Darling
    My darling, it is you who is dreadful. Reverie Adams has only one goal in life: to keep her head above water with her father's sinister legacy weighing on her shoulders. But she's no stranger to drowning—it is her very first memory, after all, and if her demons have their way, it will also be her last. Even with the...
    By H. D. Carlton
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fever Dream
    From #1 New York Times bestselling author Elsie Silver comes a small-town, forbidden, rivals-to-lovers romance, the first book in the brand-new Western romance series Emerald Lake. Limited copies with sprayed edges!Professional bull rider Emmett Bush is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheque to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So when he agrees to be the leading man on...
    By Elsie Silver
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Midnight Curfew
    New Release
    Midnight Curfew
    The Jaeger family return in the brand new queer, dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas, in which two rivals must fight their forbidden and burning attraction to one another. Summertime is quiet in southern Florida. In the humidity, the streets are empty, and the nights are still—perfect for a little mischief while the police aren't looking....
    By Penelope Douglas
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell
    New Release
    I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell
    What could go wrong on a road trip to Hell? ⭐ corporate hell vibes ⭐ only one bed ⭐ a road trip through the underworld ⭐ forced proximity ⭐ slow burn romance 'A delirious, clever romp of a book. Best time I've had with a book in ages!' JENNA LEVINE Brie Benson lives life in survival mode, right down to...
    By Mackenzie Reed
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Christmas Staycation
    Christmas Staycation by Meghan Quinn: Nothing says Merry Christmas like fake fiancés, family pressure, and accidentally falling for your ex's brother... Nolan never met a spotlight he didn't like. As a major league baseball player with a filthy mouth, an ego the size of the North Pole, and zero interest in behaving, he's perfectly happy breezing into Christmas in Kringletown...
    By Meghan Quinn
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Psychotic Obsession
    From USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation comes the steamy, emotional dark romance spin-off that everyone is talking about!'Filled with TENSION, HEARTBREAK and ELECTRIC CHEMISTRY. This one will tear your heart right out of your chest before tossing it back in and sewing you up' No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver'Leigh Rivers is THE QUEEN OF...
    By Leigh Rivers
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Backorder
    Ships early November
  • A Married Little Christmas
    New Release
    A Married Little Christmas
    Step into Christmas with Abby and Maya Jimenez - a special hardback packable of swoon-worthy novellas, recipes to make and illustrations.
    By Abby Jimenez
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Romance lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all