I personally have found it quite rare, particularly in recent years, that a female author has a male protagonist at the heart of their stories. That, to my mind, makes Dolly Alderton quite special. Her latest book, ‘Good Material’, centers around Andy, a 35-year-old still searching and waiting for his big break in comedy, who finds himself dumped by his girlfriend of close to four years, Jen.

In an age of constant social media scrutiny and attention, where it seems anyone can follow anyone (knowingly or otherwise), the fact that Andy engages in some serious cyberstalking will no doubt hit a nerve with some readers, notably any who have been targeted in such a way, and more viciously than in this book.

As someone in their late 30’s themselves, I found myself relating to many of Alderton’s comments and quips – the daunting realities of affording rent and other essentials, the desire for a sudden boost in career being two – but my favourite related to the feelings single (and childless) individuals can/might feel when they turn up at the homes of friends who have little ones. I have two nephews and two nieces, and many of my friends are settled down with families so I really felt THAT moment and description in particular.

I’ve also always been single, but have seen several relationships around me implode. “The Flip” as Dolly calls it is not something I’m personally familiar with, but I have absolutely no doubt that it does happen and has done to many – inclusions such as this are one of the many things that make Dolly and her writing so relatable to such a wide audience. The characters in Dolly’s work are well written, layered and come across as people you or I know or might come to know at some point in our lives; even as a single woman I could and can identify both Andy’s and Jen’s.

The way the book ends (no spoilers) also surprised me. While the rest of the book plays out from Andy’s perspective, it closes on Jen’s. This “flip” adds a new dimension to the story, as – as we all know – no relationship, past or present, can be or ever is entirely one sided. At the same time, the ending proves Alderton isn’t afraid to throw the conventional romantic fiction ‘rule book’ out of the window and establishes her as one of the best fairly new writers around.