The Ick by Holly McCulloch

I’m delighted that my latest My Weekly online review is of The Ick by Holly McCulloch.

My huge thanks to Izzy Warner of FMcM for originally sending me a copy.

Published by Dialogue imprint Renegade on 6th March 2025, The Ick is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Ick

 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?

My Review of The Ick

My full review of The Ick can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that I absolutely loved The Ick. It’s a perfect example of a rom com that not only entertains but that encompasses deeper themes that raise a tear as well as making the reader laugh aloud.

Do visit the My Weekly website to read my full review here.

About Holly McCulloch

As the fourth child in a busy household, Holly was often left to entertain herself. She wasn’t cool enough to hang 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.

For further information about Holly (and Ted), follow her over on Instagram.