Lucy Nichol is a writer whose work has appeared in the Independent, the I paper, NME, Red, Metro, Den of Geek, Huff Post and many more. She is also a former columnist with Sarah Millican’s Standard Issue magazine. Her first novel, The Twenty Seven Club, dives into 90s nostalgia, music fandom and mental health. She lives in Newcastle.
<p>One little word. One bad habit. One year to stop saying sorry.</p><p>What happens when one woman resolves to ‘break up’ with saying sorry?</p><p>Charlotte Thomas is polite. Manners cost nothing, her mother always said … yet there’s a fine line between diplomat and doormat.</p><p>But every woman has their breaking point and Charlotte has just found hers. It wasn’t because she said sorry to her boss for challenging his terrible idea for a staff social, or because she apologised to the drunk girl who spilled espresso martini all over her favourite top. And it wasn’t because she agreed to go on a second date with the world’s most boring man to avoid hurting his feelings. Maybe it was all of these, or maybe it was when she realised she ended every email with the fateful words: No Worries If Not.</p><p>With the help of her best friend and housemate Mush, Charlotte declares she’s apologising no more. No more saying sorry for just doing her job, or speaking her mind or simply taking up space.</p><p>So when she finds her space being invaded by a manspreader on the Metro, Charlotte lets rip. When she’s finished shouting about why he’s the rudest man she’s ever met, she realises, annoyingly, that not only is he the best looking man she’s ever had the misfortune to sit next to … he’s actually really nice about it all too.</p><p>With her unapologetic pledge off to a tricky start, will Charlotte be, dare she say it … sorry she even started this?</p>
