Review: Outrageous & Original!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 12, 2013
'Gabriella'is the story of a spoiled and gorgeous rich girl who meets her match on the cricket field in the form of a younger working class guy called Jim.  Gabriella is very sexually experienced and Jim is a virgin.  Sparks fly from the second their eyes meet and so begins the game.In the first few pages I was sort of reminded of the movie 'Caddyshack', but only because of the obvious class divide & the sporting back drop.  'Gabriella' is something totally different and, dare I say, in a 'class' of it's own.  The characters were enjoyable to read about.  I liked Jim right away, and I think it was because he irritated Gabriella.  I wasn't so keen on her, but by about half way through whether I liked them stopped mattering and I just wanted to see what was going to happen next.The whole thing from beginning to end was over-the-top outrageous and extreme.  The amount of crotch grabbing alone was shocking!  But this was why it was so brilliant.  Hardy has created a novel that reads like a something lifted out of a nymphomaniac compulsive liar's school diary.  It's unique, it's funny and it's completely scandalous!I picked this up and had to finish it in the same day.  It's that good.  I was very impressed by the originality & I look forward to more from this author.