The Ick

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 *Holly has perfected the art of comedy writing * Sophie Cousens *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 * Nicola Gill *I raced through this funny story. It romps along * Daily Mail *I adored The Ick. What a clever concept for a novel! So fresh and so funny. I laughed so much. So many true to life moments. Holly’s observational comedy had me snort-laughing from those first pages. Also, Atlas is my new book boyfriend! He’s just so…everything. Snail rucksack be damned – Elle Cook

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.