> Skip to content
Read an extract
Play sample
  • Published: 16 May 2023
  • ISBN: 9780241999592
  • Imprint: Penguin Audio
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $28.00

The God of Good Looks





A joyously satisfying will-they-won't-they love story set against the backdrop of the Trinidadian beauty industry about a young woman finding her feet and forging her own destiny.

A joyously satisfying will-they-won't-they love story about a young woman finding her feet and forging her own destiny, set against the backdrop of the Trinidadian beauty industry

Bianca Bridge has always dreamt of becoming a writer. But Trinidadian high society can be unforgiving, and having an affair with a married government minister is a sure-fire way to ruin your prospects. When Obadiah Cortland, make-up artist and legend in the island's beauty scene, offers her a job as a lowly assistant, Bianca reluctantly accepts it's the closest to her dreams she's going to get. But Obadiah has a reputation for being aloof and tyrannical, and it will take all the strength her mother taught her to endure it.

'The God of Good Looks' may be as fierce as she'd been warned, but there are surprises to discover in Bianca's new role: unexpected friendships, the art and artistry involved in make-up, and a revolution in her idea of what it really means to be beautiful. Most surprising of all, she begins to suspect there might be cracks in Obadiah's carefully crafted façade. Could it be she's not the only one who knows how easy it is to tumble down the social ladder?

Sparkling, big-hearted and life-affirming, The God of Good Looks is a story about prejudice and pride, the masks we wear, and what we can become if we dare to take them off.

  • Published: 16 May 2023
  • ISBN: 9780241999592
  • Imprint: Penguin Audio
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $28.00

Praise for The God of Good Looks

Phenomenal! A book worthy of a standing ovation. I will never forget how this novel made me feel. It's effortlessly beautiful

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

Full of characters whose struggles you feel to your bones - and will be rooting for all the way through. Bianca might just be one of my all-time favourite heroines. Fresh, smart, and packed with razor-sharp social commentary-a perfect blend of page-turning and thought-provoking

Caroline Mackenzie, author of One Year of Ugly

Part feminist tract, part love letter to an island . . . A self-aware, modern, female-centered novel out of Trinidad which breaks new ground

Monique Roffey, author of Costa Book of the Year, The Mermaid of Black Conch

A dazzling delight of a debut. The God of Good Looks is a captivating portrait of contemporary Trinidadian culture, a canny exploration of makeup's power as artifice and art, and a tender celebration of unexpected connections and the human need to love and be loved. I gasped, I laughed, I cried - I didn't want it to end!

Coco Mellors, author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein

A glittering will-they, won't-they Bridget Jones re-boot

Nikki May, author of Wahala

McIvor shines in this pitch-perfect narrative of power imbalances ... McIvor combines tight plotting and strong character development ... This makes for a winning story of comeuppance

Publishers Weekly

Mc Ivor's debut novel ... effectively captures a surprising and evolving relationship in a mix of humor and drama ... A tale that tracks the universal theme of female agency in familial, professional, and social settings ... Memorable characters, evocative descriptions, and a well-paced story make this an eminently enjoyable novel

Booklist

Get ready for the summer of love as intelligent romcoms take centre stage

Stylist, Why it’s the summer of the romcom bestseller

After an affair with a married government official ruins her prospects of becoming a writer, Bianca takes a job with an infamous make-up artist in this warm, Trinidad-set novel

The i Paper, Best Books to Read in June

Likened to Bridget Jones.... It does have that same kind of wonderfully comic voice, as well as a protagonist to adore and root for

Anna Bonnet, Three Books to Read in June

Mc Ivor uses Bianca's attempt to rebuild her life to examine issues surrounding the beauty industry and the poverty, violence and corruption blighting life in Trinidad . . . There's lots to enjoy, particularly a more authentic picture of Caribbean life than the postcard fantasy

The Times

A will-they-won't-they tension ensues as Mc Ivor uses the metaphor of make-up (there's an awful lot of it) to examine privilege, corruption and truth. It's wickedly funny ... Bianca is a hugely endearing heroine

Daily Mail

Bianca Bridge is a heroine to root for ... A punchy romance with plenty to say about Caribbean class, poverty and sexism

Observer

I loved it

India Knight, Sunday Times Style

Discover more

Article
Debut authors share their best tips for aspiring authors

The Fresh Voices of 2023 share their advice with fellow writers. Whether you’re aspiring to get your book published or looking for writing tips, these words of wisdom will help.

Article
Breanne Mc Ivor shines light on the unique process of writing her debut novel

Find out how she was inspired by her experience as a makeup artist and woman living in modern Trinidad.

penguin pop image
penguin pop image