Deepings duo publish a comical book recounting their 'wild nights' and dating disasters

A comical dating book written by two friends from Market Deeping shot straight to the number one spot in its category on Amazon.

Flatmates and Bad Dates by Helen Beau and Lindsay Brom follows the pair’s disastrous encounters with the opposite sex as 20-something singletons.

Described as a ‘laugh-out-loud read’ – the book follows the authors’ own experiences after leaving their home town behind for the bright lights of London.

Helen, 41, said: “Lindsay and I met while working for the Shopping World channel in Peterborough which is where the book begins.

"We moved to London for work in our twenties and stayed there for around four years, which is where all the dating disasters take place.”

With dodgy dates aplenty – the friends recount their comical encounters with cringe-worthy characters such as ‘Rubber Johnny’, ‘Mr Ding-a-Long’ and the ‘bed-in-a-bag guy’.

And with some candid re-tellings of their ‘wild’ and drunken nights out – the authors are understandably a little apprehensive about who might read it.

“My great aunt who is in her 80s got wind of the book and told me she’s going to read it, and I just thought ‘Oh, please don’t’,” Helen laughs.

"But it does state that the book is based on our dating experiences, so I will have to remind her of that!”.

Lindsay, 45 added: “My dad keeps telling me to send a copy to a family friend – but she’s 80 and quite posh – so I dread to think what she would make of it.”

The ladies use the pseudonyms ‘Lucy’ and ‘Layla’ in the book, which flips between each of their perspectives and experiences. Likewise, all the men featured are given nicknames to avoid identification.

One bad date with ‘Mr 6ft.4’ over a cup of tea saw Lucy ask what his occupation was, only to be told he had been ‘spending time at Her Majesty’s pleasure’. Lucy excitedly asked if he had met the Queen – only for Mr 6ft.4 to politely explain that he wasn’t working with the Royals, but had just gotten out of prison - for armed robbery.

When Flatmates and Bad Dates was released earlier this month it hit the number one in Amazon’s online dating category – and now hovers at the number two position.

An excerpt from the book’s blurb reads: “Life in London proved to be anything but straightforward. From disastrous dates to countless nights drinking too much wine and making questionable decisions, these two were on a rollercoaster of misadventures. Join Lucy and Layla as they navigate the highs and lows of city life – proving that sometimes the best stories come from the biggest mistakes”.

Leaving London and several failed dates behind, Helen later relocated to Nottingham, while Lindsay returned to Market Deeping. Both are currently single and on the dating scene – with some of their more recent experiences away from the capital now set to appear in a sequel.

Lindsay said: “I am absolutely blown away by how well the book has been received. We have had such amazing feedback.

"We are already busy working on the sequel – ‘Flatmates and Bad Dates Up North’ – and we hope to publish it in the next few months.”

The paperback book is priced at £7.49 – with the Kindle version at £3.99.