Fans' Comments On My Books...

Well, I did enjoy Thanks for Nothing, Nick Maxwell. I thought it was charming. Debbie does the workplace brilliantly, the single girl even better, and impending single motherhood best of all. She explores the fragility of modernday relationships from fickleness to fidelity with unnerving accuracy, particularly the complexity of female friendships. Her heroine, Rachel, is refreshingly honest - the reader will veer from wanting to throttle her to wanting to scoop her up and give her a hug. To sum up, it's fresh, modern and funny - Marian Keyes without the blarney. Veronica Henry

She's vain, self-obsessed, and pregnant after shagging the office cad on her sitting room floor. Admittedly, Rachel Covington seems an unlikely heroine. Your first instinct is to roll your eyes in a silly-cow-should've-been-more-careful way. A few chapters in, though, and you're as interested in her and her unborn as you would be if she was your best friend. We're not quite sure how Debbie Carbin manages to hook us into caring about "one of the best-looking people you'll meet" (Rachel's own estimation), but before you know it, you'll be racing through the chapters so quickly you'll forget to eat or go to the loo. Of course, there's a romance too, with a man who she thinks is a stranger, but just happens to be her best friend's husband's brother. Yet it's Rachel's sweet, fresh and funny account of pregnancy that makes this such a good read. ****

at first found the girl highly irritating but persisted and really really enjoyed it!! was a good chick fic!! Lisa Palmer - West Midlands

I loved this book - it's really funny and totally believable - especially because the heroine is so irritating at first and you get to see how she changes across the length of the story. Really good chick-lit, I'll be recommending it to friends for sure. Jess Williams - London

Thanks for Nothing Nick Maxwell is one of my favourite chick-lit books since Bridget Jones. It’s witty and fun but also at times very moving. It had me so engrossed that I ended up missing my bus stop one day, and coming in to work all tearful the next! The main character is great. Instead of being the usual heroine of this genre, who’s gorgeous and doesn’t know it, or never matches up to her beautiful friend; she loves herself, but is so funny and naïve with it that you come to love her too. The unique narrative is also very fresh and new, and tells the story from a really fun angle. I will be recommending this to all my friends. Joanna May - London

Thanks for nothing Nick Maxwell is fantastic, i was captured from the start. Gr8 characters, funny situations and moving all at the same time. A recommended good read for all. Amanda Fear

Dear Debbie

my name is Martin and I'am from Germany. I read your book "Thanks for Nothing, Nick Maxwell" and I really love the book, the characters and the story. The misunderstandings and surprising twists are so brillant, the developing friendship between Rachel and Hector is so funny and lead me to laught. Yes, I laughed loud, I wept quietly and I will read this book again and again. Will you write another book? If yes, I promise I will be one of the first purchaser. Greetings from Germany,Martin P.S. Sorry, I hope you understand my English ;o)

A fantastic read! I took this book on holiday and ignored my family for 2 days until I had finished it. Rachel, Nick & Hectar are absorbing characters and the ending is heart-melting. Chick lit at its absolute best. Can't wait to see the film! D. Moran

You read all those comments on book covers where its says 'You can't put this book down'. How often is it true? Hardly ever, except where Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham are the Authors. And now a third author joins their ranks. Its not the story that keeps you reading, although this is great, its the way the author writes that keeps you reading. I would happily read anything this author writes, even if it is a book about watching paint dry. And I bet I would not be able to put that book down either! More please and soon! C.Jefferson

This book is quite simple one of the best i have read for a very long time!! The characters develope into people you wish you knew in the real world and in fact everyone knows 'someone' in the book! It has you laughing out loud one minute and crying into your tea the next i could not put it down until i knew how it was going to end. Now i am dying to know what happens next..... So please more more more from this new and very talented author! S.P. King

Der Anfang ist gewöhnungsbedürftig - aber es wird noch richtig toll :-)), Da dieses Buch als "romantischste Komödie seit Schokolade zum Frühstück" bezeichnet wird, hab ich ohne zu Zögern zugegriffen. Gestern Nachmittag wollte ich dann "mal kurz reinschauen"... und war zuerst einmal völlig entsetzt: Die Protagonistin war mir auf Anhieb unsympathisch, da sie total arrogant und extrem narzisstisch wirkte. Außerdem irritierte mich der Schreibstil ein wenig, welcher den Leser als Beobachter involviert. Nach ca. 50 Seiten hab ich beschlossen: "Dieses Buch tausche ich morgen wieder um, das ist ja wohl der absolute Voll-Schrott!" Dann bin ich aufgestanden, das Buch ist mir aus der Hand gefallen und so ungünstig auf dem Boden aufgeschlagen, dass an einen Umtausch nicht mehr zu denken war... Aus lauter Wut hab ich dann zuerst einmal Schokolade gegessen... und anschließend weitergelesen. Und zu diesem Zeitpunkt hätte ich niemals geglaubt, dass ich erst nachts um 1.30 h ins Bett fallen würde, weil mich das Buch dann noch so sehr begeistert und gefesselt hat, dass ich es einfach nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte!!! Wie gesagt, der Anfang und der Schreibstil sind gewöhnungsbedürftig. Aber an den Stil gewöhnt man sich irgendwann und im Nachhinein finde ich, es war einfach mal etwas Neues. Die Entwicklung der Protagonistin ist erstaunlich und im Laufe des Buches habe ich sie total in mein Herz geschlossen. Außerdem enthält der Roman immer mal wieder völlig unerwartete Wendungen und Überraschungen bereit. Insgesamt empfinde ich es als sehr gelungenes und eigenwilliges Erstlingswerk, das man auf keinen Fall verpassen sollte! Tamara 8

The beginning takes some getting used to but worth the effort :-)), This book has been labelled "the most romantic comedy since Chocolate for breakfast" (Chocolate for Breakfast is the German version of Bridget Jones's Diary), so I grabbed it without any hesitation. Yesterday afternoon I intended having "just a quick look" and was at first quite put off: The female protagonist was initially quite unattractive: she seemed both totally arrogant and extremely narcissistic. Furthermore the writing style irritated me somewhat since it involves the reader as an observer. After about 50 pages I decided "I'll swap this book tomorrow, it's clearly absolute rot!" Then as I stood up, the book fell out of my hand and dropped to the floor so awkwardly that there was now no question of exchanging it. In my anger I at long last had some chocolate ... and only then read on a bit. And at that point in time I would never have believed I would not get to bed before 1.30 am, due to the book filling me with such enthusiasm and grabbing me to the extent that I simply could not put it down!!! As I said, the opening and the writing style take some getting used to. But the style one can get accustomed to as and when, and getting right into it I found it was simply something quite new. How the protagonist develops is astonishing, and in the course of the book I took her completely to my heart. Moreover the novel contains many more completely unexpected turns and surprises. In all I can recommend it as a very well done and determined debut work, not to be missed on any account. Tamara 8

Frisch, witzig und einfach toll! Schon die ungewöhnliche Art, nicht als Leser sondern als Zuschauer in die Geschichte eingeführt zu werden, macht dieses Buch besonders. Man lernt die junge Rachel kennen, die von ihrem Aussehen überzeugt und nur den Erfolg im Blick, zunächst nicht unbedingt sympathisch erscheint. Dies ändert sich jedoch schnell, wenn man sie erstmal besser kennt. Spätestens nach den ersten Telefonaten mit dem "Handymann" und der Verabredung zur "Geiselübergabe" (Handyübergabe) ist man diesem Buch verfallen. Zwischen den beiden entwickelt sich eine einmalige Freundschaft, wobei Debbie Carbin hier einen wunderbar frischen Humor einbringt. Mit viel Witz, Charme, aber auch mit der gebotenen Ernsthaftigkeit, behandelt sie Themen wie Untreue, Verantwortung, Freundschaft und Liebe mit vielen Missverständnissen und überraschenden Wendungen. Man lacht laut, man weint leise und man wird dieses Buch lieben! M. Moltmann

Fresh, funny and just great! Already from the start the unusual way of being led into the story, not as reader but as observer, makes this book special. One gets to know the young Rachel, sure of her appearance, with only success in sight, and she appears very close to being not 100% sympathetic. This changes quickly however when one gets to know her better. At the latest, after the first telephone call with the "Handyman" and the agreement about "handing over the hostage" one is addicted to this book. Between the two, a one-off friendship develops by means of which Debbie Carbin inserts a wonderfully fresh humour here. With great wit and charm, but also with the necessary gravity, she handles themes such as infidelity, responsibility, friendship and love with many misunderstandings and surprising twists and turns (it just says twists!). You laugh aloud, you cry quietly and you will love this book!M. Moltmann

Süße Komödie, Am Anfang hat mir das Buch gar nicht so gut gefallen, weil mir die Protagonistin unsympatisch war. Aber nach und nach wurde das Buch immer besser und entwickelte sich zu einer süßen Komödie! Ich vergleiche das Buch gerne mit einer deutschen Film-Komödie, die man sich am Abend mal ansieht, auch wenn sie jetzt nicht extrem hochwertig oder mit überragenden Schauspielern ist. Aber man kann dabei gut entspannen und hat seinen Spaß.

Ich empfehle das Buch gerne weiter!!!! Jennifer Lang

Sweet Comedy To start with, because the (female) protagonist was so unappealing, I didn't care very much for this book. But gradually the book got better and better and developed into a charming comedy! I like to compare the book with a German comedy film you might watch of an evening, even if it isn't first rate and doesn't have top actors, one can still relax with it and have some fun.

I am pleased to recommend the book further!!! Jennifer Lang