Member Reviews
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This cute and quirky story follows two orphaned sisters and their respective journeys to finding love.
Molly is a nerdy chemistry workaholic who is in love with her obtuse project leader. She’s working on an exciting, top secret project, to develop a “love bug” that looks to chemically bond two people together. Her sister Sarah is the responsible one, but when she comes home to tell her long term boyfriend she’s pregnant, only to find herself alone, she’s had it, and decides she wants to use the love bug to put her relationship and her life back together.
Molly and Sarah are both very different but both very endearing. They were a little all over the place, bumbling through life and love, trying to help each out along the way. For that matter so were the love interests which made for a lot of fun watching all the many awkward moments on their search for love.
I would definitely categorise this as chick lit more than a romance. We switch back and forth between the two, with the main plot driver being their personal growth. This is intertwined with the romance but, the relationships with themselves and each other was definitely what shined for me.
All the characters in this story were a little frustrating with their stubbornness and but I find this particular brand of it very characteristic of the chick lit style, so it didn’t bother me too much, and after all it’s usually what gets them stuck in hilarious situations.
The writing style was fine, didn’t stick out one way or another to me and I didn’t find myself wishing it was shorter or longer.
Overall a great feel good chick lit read!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, it was very enjoyable. I found the plot line engaging and the characters believable. I have not read anything by this author before but will do in the future! I will be recommending this book to friends and family.
I don't think this book was for me. I thought it was going to be a fun romance novel but it felt off for some reason.
Sarah and Molly's story is sweet yet a bit of a roller coaster at times. The story takes you through a glimpse at their life and just how different these sisters are.
***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I found this book somewhat silly, The characters were well-written, but I could not get past the "science" aspect of the story.
Really really enjoyed this book - it was light hearted and sweet! The main characters (two sisters - Molly and Sarah) are genuinely likable and I could definitely relate with the love of a sister being incredibly strong and powerful. The story itself was fairly predictable but I enjoyed reading how the characters evolved and "grew up". I even loved the secondary characters - especially Sarah's poor old neighbor who witnessed all the drama unfold... Definitely a lovely and enjoyable book if you're up for something light hearted!
I couldn't make up my mind about this one. I didn't like the 'science' aspect of it, and while the story was entertaining enough for me to keep reading, it didn't really grab me in the way a great read does. I found it a bit too cute, a bit too kooky for my personal taste. It did bring up a couple of good morality questions, but it wasn't quite serious enough, or funny enough, to do it for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for supplying a copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.
I went into this book knowing nothing about the story but as I read further I found the storyline silly. The first few chapters were good but then when it came to the part of the elder sister asking the younger one to use the Love Bug on her ex boyfriend it went downhill. I couldn't complete this book and DNF-ed without wasting any further time on it.
The Love Solution presents a story of two sisters and their respective love lives. Add in an office romance, some experimental chemistry (involving yes, a 'love solution' aka. a potion), dirtbag ex's and some tandem bike riding adventures. For me, if I'm being perfectly honest, this book was okay. I didn't mind it, but gain, that's just my personal opinion and I'm sure many others liked it.
Characterisation:
Sarah and Molly are two sisters and they've been close ever since their parents passed away when they were young. The story follows both of them as they navigate relationships. As protagonists, I didn't mind them - they were nice and fun to read alongside, although there were times when I was simply annoyed. (See below for Sarah). As for the male leads? Molly's boss Ewan - I really did have mixed feelings about. And to be honest - I didn't 'swoon' (for lack of a better word) at him at all. He just seemed like a bit of a douche to be honest. As for Liam? Ah, Liam. What a nice guy. I just wish we could have seen more of him.
Storyline and Plotting:
This was one of those novels where there's so much exciting business going on that it almost becomes a little bit too much. From 'the Love Bug' storyline to the tandem bike riding to the jewellery business to the sisterly relationships to their own relationships to the pregnancy, there was just so much going on that I didn't really feel as if I got to fully immerse myself in the stories themselves.
Furthermore - there were moments when I just wanted to smack the characters upside the head and say to them - "really?!" I understand that that's normal, but for example, the amount of time that Sarah spent pining after her cheating ex (and the extent she was willing to go to to get him back?) felt a bit too much for me. And there were a few moments like that throughout the novel.
Having said that though, there were definitely moments where I found myself smiling or even laughing aloud.
Overall:
This book was just okay for me. As much as I hate to say it, I could have read it or not and it wouldn't bother me that much either way. That being said, give this book a go - particularly if you like books centering on sisters and their respective lives.
NB: I was kindly gifted an ARC of this novel by the publisher and the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This was such a fun story! I loved the dynamics of the sisters and how their journeys played out. I think this is a delightful read for fall, and loved the character development.
The Love Solution is a charming story of two sisters and their romantic pitfalls and close friendship following the death of their parents when they were teens. Sarah, the oldest sister, finds out she’s pregnant and catches her boyfriend, Niall, cheating on the same day. Heartbroken, and at risk of losing her home and jewelry workshop, she turns to her sister Molly for help. Molly, a young scientist, hopelessly in love with her lab partner and boss, Ewan, has invented a chemical fondly known as the “Love Bug”. Sarah begs Molly to help her use the love bug on Niall to get him back, and hijinks ensue.
This was a very light and cute read. I did put it down a few times before I really got into it, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I particularly liked the character of Sarah. She finds herself in very unfortunate circumstances and still tries to make the best of it. I felt very sympathetic towards her struggle. Molly was also a relatable character but I didn’t personally relate to her personality or circumstances as much as Sarah.
I would recommend The Love Solution to anyone in need of a light read that isn’t necessarily a romance.
The Love Solution focuses on the strong bond between two sisters, whilst dealing with heartbreak from the men in their lives. Molly is a scientist, working with her incredibly handsome boss, Ewan, on a love bug potion for animals. Sarah is a self-employed jewellery maker and a soon-to-be mum, with her ex-partner, Niall.
I really enjoyed both of the sister's stories and wouldn't be able to say I loved one more than the other. Molly's journey of deciding whether or not to fall out of love or fall further in love with her boss was a trying time and although it started off rocky, the bond between them was one-hundred-percent there.
Sarah's story had a lot more depth to it, in which she was expecting a baby with a man she was no longer with, whilst trying to keep her new business running and finding a new place to live. Luckily, she had the help of the extremely handsome, Liam, who I absolutely adored. He was constantly by Sarah's side, even when there was no reason to be and he never stopped waiting.
I loved this story from start to finish and will most certainly be looking to the other, no doubt, wonderful stories the author already has out in the world as well!
This book was a little flat for me. I did find some parts funny, but I found myself not really enjoying or connecting to the characters, which made it hard to root for them and their love stories. I did enjoy the ending which raises my rating.
I love when books cross subjects - like chemistry and romance. It adds a quirky touch that makes the read more interesting. This one was cute, lighthearted, and easy to read!! Would definitely recommend to a friend.
I'm a big Philippa Ashley fan, so when I found out this book was written by her, I was doubly keen to read it. What a triumph and a great premise. I loved the interaction between the two sisters and the will they won't they between the younger sister and Evan. I thought it was perfectly plotted and really well placed. In fact, it was a very clever plot and I didn't see the twist coming at all.
Loved this book. So fun, sweet and cute. Sarah and Molly are great protagonist. A wonderfully written sister relationship between them makes it an great read. I loved the drama and all of the romance. So well done.
I judged a book by its cover on this one and unfortunately this story just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and the writing style was very bland and although there were a few entertaining parts, for the most part I was just ready to be done with the book. Also I think the science part of the story was the biggest thing I couldn’t connect with which made the rest of it fall short for me.
I just had a hard time connecting with this book. The writing was really well but it just wasn’t a story for me. I just could not connect to any parts of it.
This story follows Sarah and Molly after a traumatic event that makes them very close sisters who look out for each other through their relationships, work and various life challenges.
I can’t give too much away without spoiling it, so you’ll simply have to read it! But I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to pick up and carry on where you left off, and the writing was very clear. I had strong feelings for the characters, particularly the women’s partners Ewan and Niall (not always for good reasons) 🤦🏼♀️ However the only reason I’ve knocked it down is because I think that one of the story lines about Molly needed a bit more detail, as I felt a bit lost with it at times.