One Year of Ugly
‘A perfect staycation read’ Guardian
‘Funny, dark and brilliantly written… should be top of your TBR’ Stylist Magazine
‘Extraordinarily excellent’ Daily Mail
‘A completely addictive read that is laugh-out-loud funny’ Heat Magazine
Meet Yola Palacios.
Having escaped crumbling, socialist Venezuela, Yola and her family are settling into their peaceful new life in Trinidad.
But when her beloved Aunt Celia dies, the family once again find their lives turned upside down. For Celia had been keeping a very big secret – the Palacios are seriously in debt to a local criminal called Ugly, and without the funds to pay him off, they must do his bidding until the debt is cleared. So far, so ugly.
In the midst of the turmoil appears Román – Ugly’s distractingly gorgeous right-hand man. And although she knows it’s foolish, not to mention dangerous, Yola just can’t help but give in to the attraction. Could this wildly inappropriate (and very messy) romance be the perfect antidote?
Told with wry humour and irresistible wit, ONE YEAR OF UGLY is devastatingly funny, blisteringly fresh story of family, first love, and finding home.
”'Riotous, serious, brilliant and entertaining” - STYLIST
”'If you like important stories and dark, delicious comedy, you'll love this book, which has already caught the eye of Netflix” - COSMOPOLITAN UK
”'A sharp, funny narrator and a cast of colourful characters make this a perfect staycation read” - GUARDIAN
”'A glorious, darkly funny read that simply roars off the page” - RED MAGAZINE
”'A dark comedy […] Fabulous” - DAILY MAIL
”'Absolutely joyous! A deliciously dark comedy about family and loyalty. Sharp, slick, merciless - and packed with unexpected love stories. It shoots from the hip and steals your heart. I gobbled it up” - Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Adults
”'Timely, evocative, funny and important - a gorgeous exploration of love, family, and what it means to call a place home. I gobbled this up!” - Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop
”'Funny, dark and brilliantly written, Caroline Mackenzie’s family tale, One Year of Ugly, should be top of your TBR.” - STYLIST MAGAZINE
”'Funny and engaging” - Abi Daré, author of The Girl with the Louding Voice
”'Brilliant. Beautifully drawn characters, and a unique mixture of dark, funny and gritty - I found myself laughing in places I probably shouldn't have, and veryyy invested in Yola and Román’s romance!” - Ella Dove, author of Five Steps to Happy
”'Engrossing and hilarious” - Joanna Glen, author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope
”'Funny, heart-warming and smart” - Layla AlAmmar, author of The Pact We Made
”'Wry and full of wit, this laugh-out-loud love story will transport you to warmer shores.” - MINT VELVET
”'Acerbic, hilarious debut […] This story explores the migrant experience with warmth, humour and energy” - PRESS ASSOCIATION