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It's Not You It's Him
New Year’s Eve. The most overrated night of the year, right? I have to get through an evening of enforced fun, drink all the prosecco and talk about new beginnings. But I don’t want new beginnings. I want my old beginning back.
It’s been ten days, two hours and forty-three minutes since Tansy got dumped. Two heartbreaking weeks since Renzo, who made her weak at the knees and dizzy with excitement, found out Tansy’s secret – and ended it on the spot.
Since then, she’s spent every evening scrolling through their old photos, drunk texted him twenty-six times (he stopped reading after five), and lost count of how many packets of Kleenex she’s cried her way through.
That’s where Operation Get Renzo Back comes in. She ropes in a new wing-woman, maxes out her credit card and accidentally-on-purpose bumps into him at every opportunity. Oh, and she finds a fake boyfriend, as you do…
But while she’s busy pretending, Tansy’s plan is thrown a major curveball. She has to learn the hard way that it’s not her, it’s him – and that sometimes, a break-up can end up being the making of you.
A fresh, funny and fabulous novel for anyone who has been dumped, got a post-break-up haircut, stalked an ex on Facebook, and then realised they were WAY better off without them. Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk will love this laugh-out-loud read.
It’s been ten days, two hours and forty-three minutes since Tansy got dumped. Two heartbreaking weeks since Renzo, who made her weak at the knees and dizzy with excitement, found out Tansy’s secret – and ended it on the spot.
Since then, she’s spent every evening scrolling through their old photos, drunk texted him twenty-six times (he stopped reading after five), and lost count of how many packets of Kleenex she’s cried her way through.
That’s where Operation Get Renzo Back comes in. She ropes in a new wing-woman, maxes out her credit card and accidentally-on-purpose bumps into him at every opportunity. Oh, and she finds a fake boyfriend, as you do…
But while she’s busy pretending, Tansy’s plan is thrown a major curveball. She has to learn the hard way that it’s not her, it’s him – and that sometimes, a break-up can end up being the making of you.
A fresh, funny and fabulous novel for anyone who has been dumped, got a post-break-up haircut, stalked an ex on Facebook, and then realised they were WAY better off without them. Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk will love this laugh-out-loud read.
355 pages, ebook
First published June 18, 2019
About the author
Sophie Ranald
19 books519 followersSophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s.
As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself.
Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.
As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself.
Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
June 22, 2019
This was a fun lighthearted story full of friendship, fashion, and angst. I am so grateful we did not have texting when I was young and dating, I would’ve been the queen of drunk texting. I remember many a night looking for a quarter so I could make a phone call and say ridiculous things in my drunken state to some stupid guy, imagine if all i had to do was pick up my cell phone? Yikes! So Tansy, I get it girl! However it doesn’t make it any less pathetic, LOL! Tansy is heartbroken because she is convinced that she lost “the one“. Renzo the Love of her life broke up with her after she revealed a deep dark secret to him. Determined to get him back she will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing! Over 26 drunk texts, running into him whenever possible, running up her credit card, and sacrificing her pride. But the biggest scheme of all was her pretend boyfriend. At the same time she was going through some work and family drama.There really was a lot packed into this book a diva boss, a gambling brother-in-law, a blast from the past, and a clever cat.
Tansy was such a real and relatable character, I think everyone will be able to see a little piece of themselves in her. I really loved her relationship with her quirky roommate Adam. Really all the secondary characters in the story were fantastic. Josh was a great character, he seem like a good guy, I wish we had a little more time with him. Renzo, I think I may have spent too much time with him! There were some flashback scenes to when Tansy and he were together, wow what a pompous ass! You could really tell her friends weren’t too keen on her trying to get him back, but the heart wants what it wants. And sometimes the heart does not know what it’s doing! Loved all the character growth in Tansey throughout the story and I was satisfied with the ending, even if I thought it was going to take a bit of a different direction. A perfect summer read!
*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***
Tansy was such a real and relatable character, I think everyone will be able to see a little piece of themselves in her. I really loved her relationship with her quirky roommate Adam. Really all the secondary characters in the story were fantastic. Josh was a great character, he seem like a good guy, I wish we had a little more time with him. Renzo, I think I may have spent too much time with him! There were some flashback scenes to when Tansy and he were together, wow what a pompous ass! You could really tell her friends weren’t too keen on her trying to get him back, but the heart wants what it wants. And sometimes the heart does not know what it’s doing! Loved all the character growth in Tansey throughout the story and I was satisfied with the ending, even if I thought it was going to take a bit of a different direction. A perfect summer read!
*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***
August 25, 2019
This is the second book I’ve read by Sophie Ranald and she has cemented herself as one of my favorite romance and chick lit authors that I’ve read! Her characters pull me right in and I can’t put them down until I know how it will all turn out!
About the Book
Tansy got dumped. Recently. It has been just under two weeks since Tansy opened up to her boyfriend Renzo and shared a shameful part of her past with him. And just under two weeks since his fury led him to dump her on the spot, just before the holidays.
Tansy is trying to hold it together. Though she still misses Renzo... So sure, maybe she has texted him a few dozen times with no response. That doesn’t mean it is over! And besides, all of the turmoil is making her diet much easier to stick to.
Things are rough in Tansy’s life. Her roommate and friend Charlotte is happily off traveling the globe with her new love Xander, and her mother could use a bit of money to make ends meet, which Tansy is happy to send her, if only she can find a way to scrape some money together herself.
But Tansy is not alone. There is her new coworker Felicity to get to know—a woman who is beautiful and has that ‘it’ factor. And Josh, the son of her former boss, moves in temporarily to Charlotte’s vacant room. Between her other roommate Adam, Josh, and Felicity, Tansy may have everything she needs to win Renzo back. Stage a few casual run-ins, leak news of a (fake) boyfriend, and Renzo will surely realize he loved Tansy all along.
But what if Tansy begins to realize that maybe Renzo isn’t what she wants after all?
Reflection
Though there is a lightness to Sophie Ranald’s books, there is also a depth to them that has me leaving each feeling like I saw a character grow right in front of me, and maybe I grew a little bit too. And she does all of this without hitting you over the head with any blatant moral coaching. Her books are about women learning to respect themselves and know they’ll be ok, single or in a relationship. What more could we ask for?
Tansy was a character in the last Sophie Ranald book I read, Sorry Not Sorry. That book was Charlotte’s story, but here we truly get her roommate Tansy’s story. Tansy may seem outwardly shallow—she’s tall, beautiful, blonde, and works in fashion. But when we see Tansy’s story, she is not the girl she appears to be.
Tansy is authentic, filled with love, and wants to help others even to her own detriment. From her mother, to her former boss Debbie, to a young unknown designer Chelsea, we see Tansy lead with love for others time and again in this book. I absolutely adored her by a few chapters in!
I won’t spoil any of it, but Tansy’s back story makes her so relatable, and also makes you forgive her for loving someone like Renzo. It all makes complete sense. And he does treat her well for the most part. It’s not a terrible relationship at all. But what we get to learn along with Tansy, is that she is perfect in all of her flaws. Her heart is so pure. I am so excited for readers to get to learn more about Tansy in this book, because she is a character that will stay with me!
And the whole ending left me SO satisfied. While I want to read more about Tansy, I also felt like her story was left open in the best way. She is truly a great character and I know readers will love it!
Thank you to Bookouture for my copy. Opinions are my own.
About the Book
Tansy got dumped. Recently. It has been just under two weeks since Tansy opened up to her boyfriend Renzo and shared a shameful part of her past with him. And just under two weeks since his fury led him to dump her on the spot, just before the holidays.
Tansy is trying to hold it together. Though she still misses Renzo... So sure, maybe she has texted him a few dozen times with no response. That doesn’t mean it is over! And besides, all of the turmoil is making her diet much easier to stick to.
Things are rough in Tansy’s life. Her roommate and friend Charlotte is happily off traveling the globe with her new love Xander, and her mother could use a bit of money to make ends meet, which Tansy is happy to send her, if only she can find a way to scrape some money together herself.
But Tansy is not alone. There is her new coworker Felicity to get to know—a woman who is beautiful and has that ‘it’ factor. And Josh, the son of her former boss, moves in temporarily to Charlotte’s vacant room. Between her other roommate Adam, Josh, and Felicity, Tansy may have everything she needs to win Renzo back. Stage a few casual run-ins, leak news of a (fake) boyfriend, and Renzo will surely realize he loved Tansy all along.
But what if Tansy begins to realize that maybe Renzo isn’t what she wants after all?
Reflection
Though there is a lightness to Sophie Ranald’s books, there is also a depth to them that has me leaving each feeling like I saw a character grow right in front of me, and maybe I grew a little bit too. And she does all of this without hitting you over the head with any blatant moral coaching. Her books are about women learning to respect themselves and know they’ll be ok, single or in a relationship. What more could we ask for?
Tansy was a character in the last Sophie Ranald book I read, Sorry Not Sorry. That book was Charlotte’s story, but here we truly get her roommate Tansy’s story. Tansy may seem outwardly shallow—she’s tall, beautiful, blonde, and works in fashion. But when we see Tansy’s story, she is not the girl she appears to be.
Tansy is authentic, filled with love, and wants to help others even to her own detriment. From her mother, to her former boss Debbie, to a young unknown designer Chelsea, we see Tansy lead with love for others time and again in this book. I absolutely adored her by a few chapters in!
I won’t spoil any of it, but Tansy’s back story makes her so relatable, and also makes you forgive her for loving someone like Renzo. It all makes complete sense. And he does treat her well for the most part. It’s not a terrible relationship at all. But what we get to learn along with Tansy, is that she is perfect in all of her flaws. Her heart is so pure. I am so excited for readers to get to learn more about Tansy in this book, because she is a character that will stay with me!
And the whole ending left me SO satisfied. While I want to read more about Tansy, I also felt like her story was left open in the best way. She is truly a great character and I know readers will love it!
Thank you to Bookouture for my copy. Opinions are my own.
June 20, 2019
"But what if I could take that determination, that willingness to pursue happiness, whatever it took, and use it in a way that really would make me happy?"📖 Buy This Book: Barnes and Noble ♡ Kobo ♡ ♡ Amazon 📖
Much thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.
📚 Series: Kinda. MC appeared in the author's other novel, Sorry Not Sorry.
📚 Genre: Women's.Fiction
📚 POV: First.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Content Warnings: Body image issues. Self esteem issues. Eating disorders. Ethical and environmental fashion violations.
⚠ Read if: you just got out of a relationship, and/or if you love fashion-related stories.
This is my first read from author Sophie Ranald. First off, I have to say I actually did enjoy the whole journey this book has brought me. As quite common in the subgenre "chick lit" (which frankly I wish should be called something else), the story revolves around little things in the life of the heroine and focuses on the inner workings of her mind.
Tansy, a fashion buyer, was dumped by her boyfriend Renzo, because of her past job. (This alone bothered me a lot and I so wanted to punch Renzo in the face.) But Tansy loved Renzo so she wanted to win him back.
Her flatmate Adam, who works with Renzo, comes to the rescue and helps her concoct a plan. Then, Josh Valentine, son of her mentor moves in from Australia and memories of their childhood past muddles Tansy's brain. Work problems also arise, as well as family problems to top it all off.
All in all this book is a person's holistic journey to finding peace and self-love. The variety of stories in all parts of her life made the romance less out of focus, but I still enjoyed the story. I wish the endgame hero/love interest was not who it was though -- my heart was captured by somebody else, but I guess he will have his own story to tell.
I enjoyed this book in its entirety and I'm looking forward to read the first book, Sorry Not Sorry, as well as the author's future works.
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Hero:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Romance:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Page Turner:⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.64/5☁
Review also appears on my blog.
July 8, 2019
If you enjoyed Ranald's last book, Sorry Not Sorry, you will truly enjoy her new one, It's Not You It's Him.
Ranald has brilliantly taken one of her characters, Tansy, and created a moving story of love, loss, lack of self-confidence and body image and tied it in a bow with humor and hysterical scenes.
Tansy has just broken up with "the love of her life" Renzo. Blaming herself for not being a better person, someone who would deserve his love and affection, she along with her roommate devise a scheme in order to win him back. Tansy decides she needs a fake boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Josh a frenemy from high school, not especially a favorite time in Tansy's life, comes to London and stays with her.
All the while Tansy is trying to keep her job, help her mother make ends meet and assist a young upcoming designer which makes for a very chaotic life.
The story shows how some women will take just about any kind of verbal abuse from powerful men who they feel are superior to them and blame themselves.
It also traces those episodes in one's past life which we all have and can relate to where there were nasty words said, embarrassments in front of others and horrible tricks played, Those emotions can not only hurt when they originally happen, but can last your lifetime.
It's Not You It's Him is a very powerful story about women who begin to learn at all ages how to take back the power they have lost and begin to put themselves first.
Bravo Sophie Ranald!
Thank you #NetGalley #Bookouture #SophieRanald #It'sNotYouIt'sHim for the advanced copy. The book is out right now,
Merged review:
If you enjoyed Ranald's last book, Sorry Not Sorry, you will truly enjoy her new one, It's Not You It's Him.
Ranald has brilliantly taken one of her characters, Tansy, and created a moving story of love, loss, lack of self-confidence and body image and tied it in a bow with humor and hysterical scenes.
Tansy has just broken up with "the love of her life" Renzo. Blaming herself for not being a better person, someone who would deserve his love and affection, she along with her roommate devise a scheme in order to win him back. Tansy decides she needs a fake boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Josh a frenemy from high school, not especially a favorite time in Tansy's life, comes to London and stays with her.
All the while Tansy is trying to keep her job, help her mother make ends meet and assist a young upcoming designer which makes for a very chaotic life.
The story shows how some women will take just about any kind of verbal abuse from powerful men who they feel are superior to them and blame themselves.
It also traces those episodes in one's past life which we all have and can relate to where there were nasty words said, embarrassments in front of others and horrible tricks played, Those emotions can not only hurt when they originally happen, but can last your lifetime.
It's Not You It's Him is a very powerful story about women who begin to learn at all ages how to take back the power they have lost and begin to put themselves first.
Bravo Sophie Ranald!
Thank you #NetGalley #Bookouture #SophieRanald #It'sNotYouIt'sHim for the advanced copy. The book is out right now,
Ranald has brilliantly taken one of her characters, Tansy, and created a moving story of love, loss, lack of self-confidence and body image and tied it in a bow with humor and hysterical scenes.
Tansy has just broken up with "the love of her life" Renzo. Blaming herself for not being a better person, someone who would deserve his love and affection, she along with her roommate devise a scheme in order to win him back. Tansy decides she needs a fake boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Josh a frenemy from high school, not especially a favorite time in Tansy's life, comes to London and stays with her.
All the while Tansy is trying to keep her job, help her mother make ends meet and assist a young upcoming designer which makes for a very chaotic life.
The story shows how some women will take just about any kind of verbal abuse from powerful men who they feel are superior to them and blame themselves.
It also traces those episodes in one's past life which we all have and can relate to where there were nasty words said, embarrassments in front of others and horrible tricks played, Those emotions can not only hurt when they originally happen, but can last your lifetime.
It's Not You It's Him is a very powerful story about women who begin to learn at all ages how to take back the power they have lost and begin to put themselves first.
Bravo Sophie Ranald!
Thank you #NetGalley #Bookouture #SophieRanald #It'sNotYouIt'sHim for the advanced copy. The book is out right now,
Merged review:
If you enjoyed Ranald's last book, Sorry Not Sorry, you will truly enjoy her new one, It's Not You It's Him.
Ranald has brilliantly taken one of her characters, Tansy, and created a moving story of love, loss, lack of self-confidence and body image and tied it in a bow with humor and hysterical scenes.
Tansy has just broken up with "the love of her life" Renzo. Blaming herself for not being a better person, someone who would deserve his love and affection, she along with her roommate devise a scheme in order to win him back. Tansy decides she needs a fake boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Josh a frenemy from high school, not especially a favorite time in Tansy's life, comes to London and stays with her.
All the while Tansy is trying to keep her job, help her mother make ends meet and assist a young upcoming designer which makes for a very chaotic life.
The story shows how some women will take just about any kind of verbal abuse from powerful men who they feel are superior to them and blame themselves.
It also traces those episodes in one's past life which we all have and can relate to where there were nasty words said, embarrassments in front of others and horrible tricks played, Those emotions can not only hurt when they originally happen, but can last your lifetime.
It's Not You It's Him is a very powerful story about women who begin to learn at all ages how to take back the power they have lost and begin to put themselves first.
Bravo Sophie Ranald!
Thank you #NetGalley #Bookouture #SophieRanald #It'sNotYouIt'sHim for the advanced copy. The book is out right now,
June 13, 2019
Please note that I received this book via NetGally for free. This did not affect my rating or review.
This was hands down one of my favorite reads this year. I already read "Sorry Not Sorry" and was fretting about what would come next for Tansy. Ranald does such a great job of showing Tansy during her school years, present day, and in select moments during her relationship with her ex Renzo. Ranald also does a good job of working in some sub-plots dealing with Tansy's family as well as her job and her mentoring an up and coming designer.
"It's Not You It's Him" is the follow up to Ranald's "Sorry Not Sorry". I would recommend you read that book first to get a lay of the land. As readers know Tansy was dumped by her boyfriend Renzo after she told him that she used to do webcam work. Feeling devastated and not really engaged with work anymore, Tansy starts focusing on ways to get Renzo back. Since Adam (her housemate who is still a loon by the way) is now working at Renzo's company she enlists him in telling her where Renzo is going to be in order to see if she can make him remember how good they were with each other. Of course things don't always go to plan.
I thought Ranald did a great with developing Tansy. I rooted for her the whole way through this book. She feels trapped by what is going on with her family and her job. She loves Renzo, but when we follow her memories of him, you start to wonder about that. I thought it was great to see Tansy's developing friendship with Adam (still sucks though due to actions in book #1) and her work colleague Felicity. And I think it was great to see how her old boss's son (Josh) coming to stay with her and Adam for a few months ended up bringing up things she rather would have forgot about school.
Ranald developed the secondary characters quite well too. I thought she did a great job with making Adam the butt of jokes (his obsession with next door's cat is a hot mess) and then him getting upset when Freezer fell in bro-love with Josh. I really did like Josh though wish we had more scenes to get to know him, but honestly I thought she did very well with him. Ranald even did a great job with showcasing Renzo too I thought.
The writing was very good and at times funny and other times sad. No spoilers, but Ranald takes a look at the very different ways you can be abused in relationships. Not only verbally, but mentally and financially too. She does a great job with you being able to hear Tansy's "voice" the whole way through and you get to see her change over time with what she thought she wanted and what she actually does need.
The flow was really good and there was no awkwardness going back and forth between present day, Tansy's relationship with Renzo, and her doing her school days.
The setting of the book takes place in London and we do get to get out of there a bit here and there when we have Tansy remarking on trips she made with Renzo or when she goes home to see her family.
The ending was so good and now I have a feeling the third book (if there is one) is going to follow Adam. Please let it be about Felicity or someone else.
This was hands down one of my favorite reads this year. I already read "Sorry Not Sorry" and was fretting about what would come next for Tansy. Ranald does such a great job of showing Tansy during her school years, present day, and in select moments during her relationship with her ex Renzo. Ranald also does a good job of working in some sub-plots dealing with Tansy's family as well as her job and her mentoring an up and coming designer.
"It's Not You It's Him" is the follow up to Ranald's "Sorry Not Sorry". I would recommend you read that book first to get a lay of the land. As readers know Tansy was dumped by her boyfriend Renzo after she told him that she used to do webcam work. Feeling devastated and not really engaged with work anymore, Tansy starts focusing on ways to get Renzo back. Since Adam (her housemate who is still a loon by the way) is now working at Renzo's company she enlists him in telling her where Renzo is going to be in order to see if she can make him remember how good they were with each other. Of course things don't always go to plan.
I thought Ranald did a great with developing Tansy. I rooted for her the whole way through this book. She feels trapped by what is going on with her family and her job. She loves Renzo, but when we follow her memories of him, you start to wonder about that. I thought it was great to see Tansy's developing friendship with Adam (still sucks though due to actions in book #1) and her work colleague Felicity. And I think it was great to see how her old boss's son (Josh) coming to stay with her and Adam for a few months ended up bringing up things she rather would have forgot about school.
Ranald developed the secondary characters quite well too. I thought she did a great job with making Adam the butt of jokes (his obsession with next door's cat is a hot mess) and then him getting upset when Freezer fell in bro-love with Josh. I really did like Josh though wish we had more scenes to get to know him, but honestly I thought she did very well with him. Ranald even did a great job with showcasing Renzo too I thought.
The writing was very good and at times funny and other times sad. No spoilers, but Ranald takes a look at the very different ways you can be abused in relationships. Not only verbally, but mentally and financially too. She does a great job with you being able to hear Tansy's "voice" the whole way through and you get to see her change over time with what she thought she wanted and what she actually does need.
The flow was really good and there was no awkwardness going back and forth between present day, Tansy's relationship with Renzo, and her doing her school days.
The setting of the book takes place in London and we do get to get out of there a bit here and there when we have Tansy remarking on trips she made with Renzo or when she goes home to see her family.
The ending was so good and now I have a feeling the third book (if there is one) is going to follow Adam. Please let it be about Felicity or someone else.
June 18, 2019
This was my introduction to Sophie Ranald’s writing, which definitely did not disappoint. I will say that this story was tough to get into at first since the author takes the time to slowly set up the story, but once things get going, I couldn’t stop reading.
The story follows Tansy, who was recently dumped by her boyfriend Renzo after he found out that she used to do webcam work. Renzo was Tansy’s world, so rather than accept the fate that the relationship is over, Tansy instead decides that she will do everything in her power to win Renzo back (including enlisting the assistance of her friends). Everything will go smoothly…right?!
I loved Tansy’s character because she is so incredibly relatable. I was able to empathize with Tansy during her heartbreak, which to be honest, I think most people probably can. As we start to see flashbacks of Tansy and Renzo’s time together, it becomes obvious that there may have been issues with the relationship the whole time, but again, when you’re in a relationship, these things usually don’t come to light until after everything is over.
While this book is a romantic comedy, don’t let that fool you. It has plenty of moments that pull on your heart strings. While trying to battle a wounded heart, Tansy also is having issues with her employer (she’s a fashion buyer for an online retailer) as well as struggling financially since she needs to send money home to her family to support them as well. Tansy is also determined to help Chelsea, a young clothing designer who wishes to sell her designs in her own online boutique.
Overall, this is a feel good story that you don’t want to miss. By the end, Tansy will be the girl that you’re rooting for as she not only discovers more about herself but also through helping those she loves as well.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
The story follows Tansy, who was recently dumped by her boyfriend Renzo after he found out that she used to do webcam work. Renzo was Tansy’s world, so rather than accept the fate that the relationship is over, Tansy instead decides that she will do everything in her power to win Renzo back (including enlisting the assistance of her friends). Everything will go smoothly…right?!
I loved Tansy’s character because she is so incredibly relatable. I was able to empathize with Tansy during her heartbreak, which to be honest, I think most people probably can. As we start to see flashbacks of Tansy and Renzo’s time together, it becomes obvious that there may have been issues with the relationship the whole time, but again, when you’re in a relationship, these things usually don’t come to light until after everything is over.
While this book is a romantic comedy, don’t let that fool you. It has plenty of moments that pull on your heart strings. While trying to battle a wounded heart, Tansy also is having issues with her employer (she’s a fashion buyer for an online retailer) as well as struggling financially since she needs to send money home to her family to support them as well. Tansy is also determined to help Chelsea, a young clothing designer who wishes to sell her designs in her own online boutique.
Overall, this is a feel good story that you don’t want to miss. By the end, Tansy will be the girl that you’re rooting for as she not only discovers more about herself but also through helping those she loves as well.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
January 26, 2021
Lighthearted (but also wise) romance/chick lit about breakups.
This book is perfect for anyone who:
- has ever experienced a major heartbreak,
- has ever idealized a partner,
- is still looking for herself,
- wants to fall in love with relatable, well-developed characters.
This was an enjoyable story of Tansy - a tall, beautiful, blonde twenty-seven-year-old who works in fashion and... has just been broken up with for something she had done in her past. The man in question, Renzo, is simply perfect: sophisticated, handsome, Italian, successful, passionate and generous. So, Tansy's goal is to get him back - even if it involves faking a relationship, starving and spending obscene sums of money on going out to the fancy places he visits.
It was between 3 and 4 stars for me because while I loved Tansy's relatable problems and fantastic personality, I also found myself bored in the second part of the book. It should have been shorter, and perhaps sprinkled with more humor or romance.
This book is perfect for anyone who:
- has ever experienced a major heartbreak,
- has ever idealized a partner,
- is still looking for herself,
- wants to fall in love with relatable, well-developed characters.
This was an enjoyable story of Tansy - a tall, beautiful, blonde twenty-seven-year-old who works in fashion and... has just been broken up with for something she had done in her past. The man in question, Renzo, is simply perfect: sophisticated, handsome, Italian, successful, passionate and generous. So, Tansy's goal is to get him back - even if it involves faking a relationship, starving and spending obscene sums of money on going out to the fancy places he visits.
It was between 3 and 4 stars for me because while I loved Tansy's relatable problems and fantastic personality, I also found myself bored in the second part of the book. It should have been shorter, and perhaps sprinkled with more humor or romance.
June 25, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy.
Normally, chick lit wouldn't be in my regular wheelhouse. I am, however, really surprised at how great It's Not You It's Him is.
I do have a soft spot for romcom's and Ranald definitely hits the entire RomCom bingo here.
Let's start with the premise - I admit, looking at it from a glance made me question just how the plot would play out. It didn't seem like a strong enough starting point.
It works well here because of the quirky cast of characters you meet with - each with their own set of issues. A great character-driven story that's just fun, hearfelt, and just right for a modern audience.
4.09 / 5
Normally, chick lit wouldn't be in my regular wheelhouse. I am, however, really surprised at how great It's Not You It's Him is.
I do have a soft spot for romcom's and Ranald definitely hits the entire RomCom bingo here.
Let's start with the premise - I admit, looking at it from a glance made me question just how the plot would play out. It didn't seem like a strong enough starting point.
It works well here because of the quirky cast of characters you meet with - each with their own set of issues. A great character-driven story that's just fun, hearfelt, and just right for a modern audience.
4.09 / 5
May 27, 2019
* 2,5 stars *
Thank you NetGalley for providing me a digital copy in return for an honest review, this hasn't altered my opinions in any way.
The book is a story about an insecure business woman trying to get back with her ex after an argument. Her plan involves making him jealous and finding out where he'll be to win him back, all this with the help of her roommate Adam and later with help of Josh her childhood friend.
It's a dramatic and modern tale of love and heartbreaks, which I enjoyed to an extent.
Well frankly, here's my problems with the book:
• People's reviews kepts describing how it was hilarious while actually I didn't see any funny scenes in it... I could say wholesome scenes, but funny? Hilarious? No.
• I felt like the author used to write fanfiction, it's not exactly badly written but simply and also the fanfiction tropes annoyed me. (E.g. describing clothes in excruciating detail and yes I know she works in the fashion industry but it was ridiculous, the moment she gets with the good guy all her problems fade away, ofc the fake dating au but I quite liked that, angsty discovery of a secret but turns out okay anyway! X2,...)
• Don't care about Chelsea's subplot and wasn't given enough to make me care about it honestly. Also didn't care about her workplace at all. You have a shitty boss, we know.
• I absolutely hated the majority of the characters because of how superficial and fake they seem, I wouldn't mingle with any of them besides Adam or Josh tbh.
• The character was telling the story first person but describes things as 'I caught myself blushing' well you cannot unless you have a mirror close. You feel the heat going to your cheeks, you don't control blushing really. (also a fanfiction writer thing actually)
Now besides this, I still have it 2,5 stars because I am a sucker for happy endings, otherwise it would've been 1,5 or 2 to be honest. Also I liked Freezer's tiny subplot. Like for some reason I really disliked pretty much any female in this book besides the mom, Chelsea's mom, Perdita and sometime Chelsea.
In general, it was the fake dating au I wanted but executed in a non-satisfactory way to me. Maybe it's because I generally don't gravitate to contemporary romance, but I just felt like the editors were lacking and the author didn't deliver as well as she could've, there is potential I know that.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me a digital copy in return for an honest review, this hasn't altered my opinions in any way.
The book is a story about an insecure business woman trying to get back with her ex after an argument. Her plan involves making him jealous and finding out where he'll be to win him back, all this with the help of her roommate Adam and later with help of Josh her childhood friend.
It's a dramatic and modern tale of love and heartbreaks, which I enjoyed to an extent.
Well frankly, here's my problems with the book:
• People's reviews kepts describing how it was hilarious while actually I didn't see any funny scenes in it... I could say wholesome scenes, but funny? Hilarious? No.
• I felt like the author used to write fanfiction, it's not exactly badly written but simply and also the fanfiction tropes annoyed me. (E.g. describing clothes in excruciating detail and yes I know she works in the fashion industry but it was ridiculous, the moment she gets with the good guy all her problems fade away, ofc the fake dating au but I quite liked that, angsty discovery of a secret but turns out okay anyway! X2,...)
• Don't care about Chelsea's subplot and wasn't given enough to make me care about it honestly. Also didn't care about her workplace at all. You have a shitty boss, we know.
• I absolutely hated the majority of the characters because of how superficial and fake they seem, I wouldn't mingle with any of them besides Adam or Josh tbh.
• The character was telling the story first person but describes things as 'I caught myself blushing' well you cannot unless you have a mirror close. You feel the heat going to your cheeks, you don't control blushing really. (also a fanfiction writer thing actually)
Now besides this, I still have it 2,5 stars because I am a sucker for happy endings, otherwise it would've been 1,5 or 2 to be honest. Also I liked Freezer's tiny subplot. Like for some reason I really disliked pretty much any female in this book besides the mom, Chelsea's mom, Perdita and sometime Chelsea.
In general, it was the fake dating au I wanted but executed in a non-satisfactory way to me. Maybe it's because I generally don't gravitate to contemporary romance, but I just felt like the editors were lacking and the author didn't deliver as well as she could've, there is potential I know that.
June 18, 2019
What I really liked about this book was that Tansy was able to have a friendship with a male, Adam (and one of her housemates, at that!), that didn't have any secret agendas - they were friends. Plain and simple.
However, that's about all I liked about this book. There were quite a few different story lines. I felt like TOO many story lines. The story line with Tansy's dad was never resolved with Tansy, just with her mother, and even that felt like an afterthought. I also felt like Tansy seeing a counselor at the end felt like an afterthought. This would have been a great topic to dig into further, but it never got there. The story line with the dresses at her work - seriously? She most definitely should have been fired. Then she had the audacity to talk about her work being amoral.
Tansy is likable enough, but she is a user. Using her housemates and her coworkers to get what she wants even when what she wants is horrible (looking at you, Renzo).
I liked Josh, but he felt dull. I just never got that into him, and he didn't feel like someone I should be fighting for.
Truly, I liked Adam and Freezer (the cat!) the best. At least they were up front about their intentions.
However, that's about all I liked about this book. There were quite a few different story lines. I felt like TOO many story lines. The story line with Tansy's dad was never resolved with Tansy, just with her mother, and even that felt like an afterthought. I also felt like Tansy seeing a counselor at the end felt like an afterthought. This would have been a great topic to dig into further, but it never got there. The story line with the dresses at her work - seriously? She most definitely should have been fired. Then she had the audacity to talk about her work being amoral.
Tansy is likable enough, but she is a user. Using her housemates and her coworkers to get what she wants even when what she wants is horrible (looking at you, Renzo).
I liked Josh, but he felt dull. I just never got that into him, and he didn't feel like someone I should be fighting for.
Truly, I liked Adam and Freezer (the cat!) the best. At least they were up front about their intentions.
June 15, 2019
Like Hot Dog Girl earlier this month, this was another fake dating, manipulative heroine, let down 😭 I thought the romance here made more sense how it came together, at least, but I found it so hard to root for anyone as both the heroine and the ex she wanted to win back we’re not great people. I had high hopes for this but hated the why of their breakup, that she tried to win him back despite him having a new girl, and that her fake BF wasn’t in on the plot 😩
I did like how the side plots wrapped up though.
I did like how the side plots wrapped up though.
December 26, 2019
3 STARS! It was fun, with nice character developments and great focus on building up relationships. I specially loved Adam and Josh's. Adam 😍
RTC
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher, Bookouture!
RTC
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher, Bookouture!
June 21, 2019
I love it when an author writes a book about a small group of friends and makes a series out of it by highlighting a different person in each one. You meet up with old ‘friends’ and in the meantime you get the opportunity to delve deeper in the live of one of them.
How cruel young people can be, but that’s no news. I guess everybody has been confronted with it or heard about it at least. When the victim has been hurt deeply enough, it will put a profound dent in your self-esteem and you will suffer the consequences for a very long time.
Those people will always try to please everybody and blame themselves when something goes wrong. But is it always your fault? Of course, not!! Often it certainly is not you. It’s him.
One day you will meet someone who loves you for who you are and not for who they want you to be. You can pretend for a long time, but it will never make you happy.
It’s not wrong or bad to put yourself in pole position every once in a while.
You can love someone from the bottom of your heart, but you can’t change them. So, it’s only natural to make changes that suit you!
A lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed. 5 stars.
Thank you, Sophie Ranald, Bookouture and Netgalley.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
How cruel young people can be, but that’s no news. I guess everybody has been confronted with it or heard about it at least. When the victim has been hurt deeply enough, it will put a profound dent in your self-esteem and you will suffer the consequences for a very long time.
Those people will always try to please everybody and blame themselves when something goes wrong. But is it always your fault? Of course, not!! Often it certainly is not you. It’s him.
One day you will meet someone who loves you for who you are and not for who they want you to be. You can pretend for a long time, but it will never make you happy.
It’s not wrong or bad to put yourself in pole position every once in a while.
You can love someone from the bottom of your heart, but you can’t change them. So, it’s only natural to make changes that suit you!
A lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed. 5 stars.
Thank you, Sophie Ranald, Bookouture and Netgalley.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
November 17, 2019
This RomCom follows a London girl on a mission to get the ex back. Tansy is a fashion buyer for an online fashion store and she was recently dumped by her posh rich ex Renzo. She plots to get him back and in her mission has to determine whether she was meant to be with him after all.
I really enjoyed the characters in the story. The Roommate, the posh friends, the other girls in the office. I generally love stories set in London because I can feel the vibe of the city as I read. I know the streets they’re walking on, what the bars they’re describing might look like. it’s my favourite city on earth so why wouldn’t I love it?
I will say that it was a bit wordy! On top of that the story jumped a lot and there were a couple major storylines to follow so as soon as you get into one storyline another would pop up and you’d have a long wait to find out what happened in the earlier story. Still it was cute and a fairly quick read.
3.5/5 stars (thanks Netgalley)
I really enjoyed the characters in the story. The Roommate, the posh friends, the other girls in the office. I generally love stories set in London because I can feel the vibe of the city as I read. I know the streets they’re walking on, what the bars they’re describing might look like. it’s my favourite city on earth so why wouldn’t I love it?
I will say that it was a bit wordy! On top of that the story jumped a lot and there were a couple major storylines to follow so as soon as you get into one storyline another would pop up and you’d have a long wait to find out what happened in the earlier story. Still it was cute and a fairly quick read.
3.5/5 stars (thanks Netgalley)
July 23, 2024
A predictable story but funny in places and I really like the FMC!
May 28, 2019
ROMCOM! This book is a decent romantic comedy. Definitely has all the right aspects.
Tansy’s personal life is kind of a mess, her work life is only slightly better. She’s stalking her ex, an old friend from school is her new housemate. I adored Josh and would have loved to have seen more of him in the story.
Whilst I enjoyed this books and Tansy’s exploits. It also frustrated me a bit. Her obsession to get back with her ex and her jealousy kind of overtook the story. I did love that the author touches on some sensitive issues such as abusive relations, body image/ body shaming, anorexia, gambling and bullying.
This book has great writing. Solid characters and is just a fun, easy read! I recommend this to lovers of romantic comedies & romance/ contemporary fiction.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this gorgeous book. This has in no way affected my views or opinions of the book or the content of my review
Tansy’s personal life is kind of a mess, her work life is only slightly better. She’s stalking her ex, an old friend from school is her new housemate. I adored Josh and would have loved to have seen more of him in the story.
Whilst I enjoyed this books and Tansy’s exploits. It also frustrated me a bit. Her obsession to get back with her ex and her jealousy kind of overtook the story. I did love that the author touches on some sensitive issues such as abusive relations, body image/ body shaming, anorexia, gambling and bullying.
This book has great writing. Solid characters and is just a fun, easy read! I recommend this to lovers of romantic comedies & romance/ contemporary fiction.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this gorgeous book. This has in no way affected my views or opinions of the book or the content of my review
October 15, 2019
Pues nada, otro libro de Netgalley que prometía más de lo que ha dado (o lo mismo es que cada vez me gustan menos cosas, que todo puede ser).
Tenía pinta de ser algo tipo Bridget Jones porque la gente lo pone en la estantería Humor, pero yo no le he visto la gracia por ningún sitio. El libro está bien escrito, a pesar de alternar presente, pasado cercano y pasado lejano (eso se me ha olvidado ponerlo en la reseña en inglés, por cierto), pero tú esperas una historia de amor o de superación o algo y lo que te encuentras es que te cuentan la vida triste de una persona triste a la que le deja el (supuesto) novio perfecto y que quiere recuperarlo a toda costa. Pero esto no es La boda de mi mejor amigo, ya os lo digo, yo no le he visto la gracia por ningún sitio, de hecho me iba poniendo cada vez más triste (aunque termina bien). Hay un maromazo estupendísimo al que vemos muy poco y eso hace que tengas menos interés por la lectura (por mucho que sea chick lit, yo necesito algo de amorcito para respirar). Lo que me ha gustado es la deconstrucción del maravilloso Renzo, que al final no es tan maravilloso como Tansy lo ve. También me ha gustado que ella tenga problemas serios y reales (aunque algunos se solucionen de un modo irreal).
En fin, que ha sido una lectura algo decepcionante, aunque creo que la escritora puede crear algo que me guste más, así que estaré pendiente de lo que publique.
[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself 😊]
This book was a bit disappointing to me. I thought it was going to be something like Bridget Jones books, funny and charming with a touching side, but I couldn't find the funny side of the story. I have to say that I was looking for a funny book with a main romance, so maybe the book was a little disappointing because I expected another thing.
Although I liked the main character, Tansy, for me she's a sad character. I know she has an awful past and I think it's great you can see a main character with real problems but I couldn't connect with her and her obsession with Renzo, a man I didn't like at the beginning and hated at the end of the book.
On the other hand, Josh is absolutely marvelous but it's a pity we almost cannot see his relationship with Tansy and what a wonderful man he is.
The book is well written but the reading didn't hook me, I really couldn't connect with the whole story although I tried very hard.
However, I think Sophie Ranald can write and I'm going to read more of her work.
Tenía pinta de ser algo tipo Bridget Jones porque la gente lo pone en la estantería Humor, pero yo no le he visto la gracia por ningún sitio. El libro está bien escrito, a pesar de alternar presente, pasado cercano y pasado lejano (eso se me ha olvidado ponerlo en la reseña en inglés, por cierto), pero tú esperas una historia de amor o de superación o algo y lo que te encuentras es que te cuentan la vida triste de una persona triste a la que le deja el (supuesto) novio perfecto y que quiere recuperarlo a toda costa. Pero esto no es La boda de mi mejor amigo, ya os lo digo, yo no le he visto la gracia por ningún sitio, de hecho me iba poniendo cada vez más triste (aunque termina bien). Hay un maromazo estupendísimo al que vemos muy poco y eso hace que tengas menos interés por la lectura (por mucho que sea chick lit, yo necesito algo de amorcito para respirar). Lo que me ha gustado es la deconstrucción del maravilloso Renzo, que al final no es tan maravilloso como Tansy lo ve. También me ha gustado que ella tenga problemas serios y reales (aunque algunos se solucionen de un modo irreal).
En fin, que ha sido una lectura algo decepcionante, aunque creo que la escritora puede crear algo que me guste más, así que estaré pendiente de lo que publique.
[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself 😊]
This book was a bit disappointing to me. I thought it was going to be something like Bridget Jones books, funny and charming with a touching side, but I couldn't find the funny side of the story. I have to say that I was looking for a funny book with a main romance, so maybe the book was a little disappointing because I expected another thing.
Although I liked the main character, Tansy, for me she's a sad character. I know she has an awful past and I think it's great you can see a main character with real problems but I couldn't connect with her and her obsession with Renzo, a man I didn't like at the beginning and hated at the end of the book.
On the other hand, Josh is absolutely marvelous but it's a pity we almost cannot see his relationship with Tansy and what a wonderful man he is.
The book is well written but the reading didn't hook me, I really couldn't connect with the whole story although I tried very hard.
However, I think Sophie Ranald can write and I'm going to read more of her work.
May 10, 2019
Tansy just can't bring herself to accept that her 6-month long relationship with the man she thinks is the one for her is over. She decides to make it her mission to get Renzo back and enlists help from her housemate Adam to get updates on him, as both the guys work in the same place. Tansy not only has to deal with her heartbreak, but also her work as a fashion buyer for an online boutique, in addition to money problems what with sending money to help out her parents back home. She also takes on another personal mission - Chelsea, a young girl who independently sells clothes she personally makes and designs.
It took me time to get into the story. Because the author takes time to set the story up. But this is necessary for us to get a proper insight into Tansy's character. She's a little naive, a bit of a romantic. We see flashbacks of her time back in school to see what made her this way. Things get complicated when she's forced to let her former employer's son become a temporary housemate. This happens to be the same guy who she has bad memories with back from school.
It always makes me happy when a protagonist has real life problems that I can relate to. All the characters were interesting with some solid female friendships. But my favorite perhaps was Adam, an amazing friend and all-round adorable guy, not to mention his possessiveness over a certain cat. There was also a particular scene where Tansy gets a surprise from her friend that just mad my heart melt!
My only complaint is that it's a bit slow in the beginning, which while understanding takes away from initial enjoyment. The romance was also unpredictable but enjoyable, and yet I'd have liked a little more buildup to it. But overall, it's a heartening and engaging story with a lovely heroine.
It took me time to get into the story. Because the author takes time to set the story up. But this is necessary for us to get a proper insight into Tansy's character. She's a little naive, a bit of a romantic. We see flashbacks of her time back in school to see what made her this way. Things get complicated when she's forced to let her former employer's son become a temporary housemate. This happens to be the same guy who she has bad memories with back from school.
It always makes me happy when a protagonist has real life problems that I can relate to. All the characters were interesting with some solid female friendships. But my favorite perhaps was Adam, an amazing friend and all-round adorable guy, not to mention his possessiveness over a certain cat. There was also a particular scene where Tansy gets a surprise from her friend that just mad my heart melt!
My only complaint is that it's a bit slow in the beginning, which while understanding takes away from initial enjoyment. The romance was also unpredictable but enjoyable, and yet I'd have liked a little more buildup to it. But overall, it's a heartening and engaging story with a lovely heroine.
June 26, 2019
It's Not You It's Him was a bit more angsty chicklit and much less the rom-com I was expecting from the blurb. The leading lady's life is really not going well and the stalker-y desperation in trying to win back her ex didn't really work for me. I also found the flashbacks to be odd, since there are jumps back to both her teen years and to the earlier days of her relationship with her ex. I did like the ending of the story though and I liked the 'cat'-ty love triangle;)
This is an unpaid review of an ARC received via NetGalley - release date June 2019.
This is an unpaid review of an ARC received via NetGalley - release date June 2019.
December 14, 2020
it saddens me to say that i didn’t enjoy this book. i feel like it’s filled with unnecessary plots and it took everything in me to finish this book instead of shoving into my DNF list. the only thing i like about this book is tansy’s growth and the adorably weird friendship she has with adam. as for josh, i wish we got to see more of him considering that he’s tansy’s love interest but we didn’t so i feel like we were robbed of the development between him and tansy.
May 27, 2019
I liked the premise of this, it sounded like a Sophie Kinsella or Helen Fielding kind of read. Tansy got dumped by her dream guy Renzo and she planned on getting him back. She went through all sorts of schemes and plots. This was funny enough but some parts dragged for me. Tansy had a tough school life and part of why she has her own hang ups. It continued on for her as she got older.
I wanted to see if her plans worked in getting back her ex only to realize that there were red flags she didn't realize. So many times she could've done something about the messy stuff in her life, yes I get that it's not easy but she had these thoughts in her head just didn't want to take action. I wish it had more resolution than near the end wrap it all up fast. Josh the other guy in the picture had a past with teenage Tansy and it clouded her view of him since. He grew up and was actually more mature. Tansy used him for one of her plots and it backfired.
The setting was my favorite part the whole fashion and London scene. Tansy had lots of growing to do and accepting the real her it was a good start. It did have the British rom com vibe that was always great to read. I just felt like it could have been more, the other romance was also slow lots of misunderstandings that suddenly went from zero to 100. It was an ok read but not one I read straight through.
I wanted to see if her plans worked in getting back her ex only to realize that there were red flags she didn't realize. So many times she could've done something about the messy stuff in her life, yes I get that it's not easy but she had these thoughts in her head just didn't want to take action. I wish it had more resolution than near the end wrap it all up fast. Josh the other guy in the picture had a past with teenage Tansy and it clouded her view of him since. He grew up and was actually more mature. Tansy used him for one of her plots and it backfired.
The setting was my favorite part the whole fashion and London scene. Tansy had lots of growing to do and accepting the real her it was a good start. It did have the British rom com vibe that was always great to read. I just felt like it could have been more, the other romance was also slow lots of misunderstandings that suddenly went from zero to 100. It was an ok read but not one I read straight through.
August 18, 2019
I received an eARC of this via NetGalley, but that doesn't affect my review on it.
It took me way too long to realize this was basically a continuation to Sorry Not Sorry by the same author. Half of the book I was like... This sounds exactly like something I have read before with the neighbours who have a cat and a housemate who is obsessed with said cat. I only realized after finishing it and reading the author's notes that it's the same characters. Oops. I read a lot, what can I say! And a lot of the books are in one ear-out the other when it comes to me, unfortunately. Especially these kinds of feel-good books that don't take that long to finish all-in-all.
Anywho, I quite enjoyed this when I finally got the time to read more than five pages at a time! The characters are lovable, charming (some not so much in the end), funny... And the character development leaves you feeling really optimistic which I liked.
One thing that did leave me confused was the whole "fake boyfriend" thing. I was left with the impression Josh knew about it all when he kissed her, but then he freaked out? I must've misunderstood, I guess.
Altogether, it's a fun and quick read! I'd definitely read more about these characters if I was given the chance.
It took me way too long to realize this was basically a continuation to Sorry Not Sorry by the same author. Half of the book I was like... This sounds exactly like something I have read before with the neighbours who have a cat and a housemate who is obsessed with said cat. I only realized after finishing it and reading the author's notes that it's the same characters. Oops. I read a lot, what can I say! And a lot of the books are in one ear-out the other when it comes to me, unfortunately. Especially these kinds of feel-good books that don't take that long to finish all-in-all.
Anywho, I quite enjoyed this when I finally got the time to read more than five pages at a time! The characters are lovable, charming (some not so much in the end), funny... And the character development leaves you feeling really optimistic which I liked.
One thing that did leave me confused was the whole "fake boyfriend" thing. I was left with the impression Josh knew about it all when he kissed her, but then he freaked out? I must've misunderstood, I guess.
Altogether, it's a fun and quick read! I'd definitely read more about these characters if I was given the chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 17, 2019This was a DNF for me. I could not connect with the main character. And it bothered me how much she was gunning after her ex. Her boyfriend broke up with her because he found out she was moonlighting “Afterhours” to make money. She never physically cheated, but that still counts as cheating for me since she was so dishonest. I gave it 25% on my kindle, and had to put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2019
I enjoyed reading the book and see the character development! Loved the relationship decision she made and how she started to love herself.
Honestly thought that there were more funny scenes/ laugh-out-loud moments in the book... guess those Reviews Amazon uses to promote the book are a little misleading.... Or my sense of humor isn’t that easily triggered :)
Honestly thought that there were more funny scenes/ laugh-out-loud moments in the book... guess those Reviews Amazon uses to promote the book are a little misleading.... Or my sense of humor isn’t that easily triggered :)
April 28, 2024
This was book picked up when couldn’t concentrate on my other when sick. For that purpose it was good, it was easy, light and entertaining. I think I would’ve rated it higher if there’d been a bit more editing, felt about 100 pages too long. There were multiple bits I wanted to cut out and then there were other bits I wanted expanded more on. Overall enjoyable if want an easy read.
August 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this funny and sensitive novel. It reminded me a lot of a Sophie Kinsella novel or The Flatshare. If you enjoy those novels, you'd probably enjoy this one.
Trigger warnings: some coarse language, a few sexual scenes easy to skim over, emotional gaslighting, quite a bit of drinking/some drug use
Trigger warnings: some coarse language, a few sexual scenes easy to skim over, emotional gaslighting, quite a bit of drinking/some drug use
January 31, 2022
i loved the style of writing in this book and just the overall plot!!!! tansy was an amazing character along with all the side characters - i was very invested and will definitely be reading more of the authors books
January 6, 2023
honestly , was going to give it a four but the last chapter was not a good ending. i felt like something was missing . i feel like everything went well at the end of tansys life and it just felt unrealistic .
January 15, 2021
Despite being predictable the plot was incredibly feel-good and satisfying - you cannot help but fall in love with Tansy.
June 20, 2021
Very cute story!
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