Out with the ex in with the new is a sweet charming novel set in the world of social media,vloggers and social influencers. This is a lightweight,easy read with likeable characters and I found myself quickly swept up in the life of Gemma Grey, newly single, having moved to London starting a new job at Clickfrenzy and lodging with the odd couple that are Hannah and Richard.
Yes this read is predictable;I could see exactly where this was heading after a few pages but I expect that from this type of novel and it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. Immerse yourself in the bizarre world of vlogging and social influencing and meet the seemingly shallow duo, the Berry brothers who are top of their game and agent Sloane who appears cold and calculating except you’ll find there is a heart somewhere underneath that hard business persona. This is an environment full of smokescreens and mirrors where what you see isn’t necessarily real and people are discarded at the drop of a hat. Can Gemma see beyond her ever growing band of followers to discover what’s really important in life?? Thankfully her character seems to have some depth, some integrity and that is evident when the subject of abusive relationships is touched upon.
Ultimately this is a feel good read.
It is a novel about starting over, throwing yourself into the unknown, forging new friendships and possibly, maybe falling in love?? I enjoyed this immensely and would definitely recommend as perfect ‘comfort’ reading, unchallenging but delightful nonetheless.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

i really enjoyed out with the ex and in with the new, it seemed to be the the book i needed at the time, im not going to go into a love review with this book , but i really enjoyed everything about it and it really perked me up.
i recieved this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this review is my own feelings on how i felt about this book.

Entertaining and funny. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review

Since I loved her previous work 'Sorry not Sorry' I didn't think twice before requesting this novel. Previously published as the Truth about Gemma Grey, this tale of self-discovery opens before us the glittering world of vlogging. With unexpected success which her sudden-impulse video garnered, she gets entry to the world of vlogging celebs along with its false charm.
More than a romance, this novel traces Gemma's path from ruin to instant fame and the prize she will have to pay in order to keep it that way. Sure, we could guess right away who she is going to select at the end but that seems irrelevant in the larger scheme of things. What I loved most is the way Ranald describes the vlogging community and the raw emotions of a vlogger. Anyone who is in the same field can identify with her desire for recognition and the comradeship she feels for the camera. This is a place to reveal your inner goddess and when nothing in life goes according to plan, the likes and comments there is the perfect balm.
So I wouldn't term this novel as a laugh out loud romantic comedy. This is a light read for sure, but what it offers is something more profound. It is the story of a simple girl finally finding her way. . .

A lovely read, very funny but also touches on important issues and handles them so well. It’s a great book, steady pacing, well written and nice characters. A fun read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

While I was able to relate to Gemma a little bit (mainly due to her job and “The Great British Bake-Off” references) I was not able to get behind her fully. I thought she came across as whiny and I didn’t feel like her journey from beginning to end was natural. An opening scene on her first day of work also left a bad taste, as I am tired of the potshots taken at America for no plot value. This book may appeal to many people and I would recommend giving it a try for the few humorous moments (the kitchen scene after Amy’s party is particularly amusing), but it just didn’t do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

Gemma and Jack have been together for 4 years when Jack says he wants to travel the world with his best friend. So while they initially discuss a long distance relationship, they break up.

So, Gemma takes to YouTube to vent her emotions and goes viral. As a result she becomes an influencer…..! She finds romance with another YouTube star……living the dream right? But is she?

Jack eventually returns from his travels. Will Gemma take him back or decide to make her own life in the real world?

A romantic comedy with a few tough moments and touches on the difficult subject of domestic violence but it’s overall a light, heartwarming tale.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

I loved this book and read it really quickly. Apparently it’s part of a series that’s loosely based around a coffee shop called The Daily Grind in the trendy London suburb of Hackney.

And here we find Gemma Grey who’s just moved into a house-share nearby. Her life’s not quite turning out to be what she’d planned. After what seemed like an eternal search, she finally landed what seemed like a fairly acceptable job at social media company, ClickFrenzy. Yay! She’s one step closer to accomplishing her dream of working in London and being able to move in with her boyfriend Jack … until they go out to celebrate her new job and he tells her that actually he’s gone and quit his own job and is about to go off travelling the world for six months with his best friend, Olivia! But don’t worry, he tells her, because when he gets back they’ll pick up where they left off and everything will carry on as before, happy as can be!

Gemma is devastated. She knows that even if things turn out as Jack says they will, they can never be the same. But still, she pulls herself together and gets on with her new life and slowly gets used to sharing a house with the rather strange owners Hannah and Richard, and the other tenant Amy. She settles into her job, which turns out not to be as glamorous as expected, being that she spends all day everyday researching and posting everything to do with cats, and she continues with her little hobby … vlogging about makeup.

Until the day that she inadvertently discovers that Jack and Olivia are, in fact, an item, and he subsequently dumps her by email. Truthfully, Gemma was expecting this all along but the fact that it’s actually happened completely destroys her and she has a complete rant about it on her vlog. The next day she’s horrified at what she’s done … until she sees the reactions her post has received and realises that it’s gone viral. Gemma’s life as she knows it is over as she becomes a social media sensation!

I think my enjoyment of this story came mainly from the fact that I work a lot in the social media industry – not on YouTube, but on many other platforms. So I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the reality of it all play out on the pages in front of me. Ms Ranald didn’t sugarcoat the truth of those who make their living in front of the cameras and the fans, or that of the ones who exploit those very people. The lines are very blurred as to what is fact and what is fiction, and as much as I disliked Sloane, whose job is to manage and blend the faces and brands on-screen, I ended up really understanding her and can’t wait to read and review No, We Can’t Be Friends, next month, which focuses on Sloane’s own story.

Gemma struggles to come to terms with her new, glamorous life, especially as she’s still juggling a job, her rent, and a frightening lack of sleep and funds. She’s not sure if this is really who she wants to be and as much as she’s enjoying all the new-found attention, she doesn’t really know if all these followers actually ‘get’ her. Until she’s confronted with a much harsher, shocking truth and once she realises that this is something that she can truly identify with, she hopes that she can finally represent something that has meaning and that will be able to help those around her.

This is a wonderful 5-star read. The author manages to combine easy, light-hearted reading with more serious subject matter, in a way that flows well and which showed empathy and sensitivity.

This is a very funny book, I couldn't stop reading it, I needed to know what was happening after on this romantic story. But though it is a light book it approaches an very important subject, the domestic violence.

Out With the Ex, In With the New by Sophie Ranald is a lovely and absorbing read.

Gemma is in a rut, twenty something and she is still living with her mother, has no job despite many CV's sent to various companies and the only light in her life is her boyfriend Jack and her vlogging channel.
Until Jack announces that instead of moving in together he is going on a world trip with his best friend Olive without inviting Gemma to join them.
Gemma is devastated but she has finally found a job and is trying her best to keep faith and believe in Jack's love.
And then he dumps her by a text.
Her life will suddenly change into the glamorous world of famous and rich when she joins a marketing agency.
Many tumultuous affairs await Gemma in her pursuit of happiness.

Easy to read and steady paced this is a book that will keep you hooked. It is a story about one girl's growing up and finding out what truly matters in life.
I really found out a lot about the vlogging world and everything that goes with it, all the good and bad things.
I especially liked that author touched a very sensitive but extremely important subject of domestic violence so by the second half of the book it struck a serious note.

All in all an entertaining read that you can't go wrong with.

What an enjoyable read this was!! The main character, Gemma is great! Being dumped by her boyfriend Jack whilst he’s off travelling with his best friend, Olivia, gives Gemma a kick up the backside to re-evaluate her life! She gets a new job and a new place to live…and I have to admit, I loved the new Gemma! The vlogger storyline makes this book really modern and fresh, and whilst I don’t really do YouTube (am I the only person who doesn’t ‘get it’?!!), it gives a refreshing insight into the lives of an online video blogger!!

Personally, I’m quite happy to be hiding behind a keyboard and a screen, but the parts of the story where Gemma was doing her videos for YouTube looked so fun that I would understand why people do it! Gemma was a very likeable character and was easy to relate to. So many of us have been in Gemma’s situation and she was so well written that you just wanted to be her best friend! The other characters were also interesting…although not all of them as likeable as Gemma was. Richard and Hannah, Gemma’s new landlords were a difficult couple to work out although, being ever so slightly OCD, I loved their welcome pack which they had devised for their new tenants and am considering making up one for my husband to follow!!

The book looks like it’s a funny, romantic read but whilst it has plenty of laugh out loud moments, it also has some serious issues to tackle. Incorporating these issues into Gemma’s vlogging was clever and original, and as the story moved on you become more aware of how influential sites such as YouTube are! This story is one which takes you on an emotional rollercoaster but with equal amounts of happy times and laughter to counteract some of the more sensitive issues. I connected with Gemma right from the beginning of the book and really enjoyed her journey to find any happiness she deserved!! Would definitely recommend!!

Rising to new reality fame Gemma is entering a new life reality of her own. Laugh out loud romantic comedy that will have readers engaged.

Sophie Ranald is known for her heartwarming contemporary fiction that’s laced with some good laughs. Out With the Ex, In With the New is no exception.

Poor Gemma just can’t catch a break. She finally lands her first career position out of university to find out that her long-term boyfriend Jack wants to go galavanting around the world with his best friend Olivia in tow. Of course he promises that they will work things out and that everything will be wonderful…until he decides to send a Dear John letter via email.

Determined to put the past behind her, Gemma focuses on her vlogging, which eventually connects her with Charlie (a vlogging celebrity). As they start dating, Gemma begins to question her life decisions and whether she wants to be a part of the vlogging community anymore or be with Charlie.

This story definitely gives an interesting insight into the vlogging community as Gemma creates her different videos and interacts with the YouTube like community. As someone who is doesn’t take part in that community, I didn’t find it all that relatable, but it was still fascinating nonetheless.

Gemma is a bit of a mess, but that is to be expected for a 24 year old who is just trying to figure out what she wants and needs out of line. Her relationship entanglements are all over the place, but it’s clear that Gemma is finally coming into her own skin rather than simply doing what is expected of her.

Overall, if you’re looking for a heartwarming read with a protagonist you can cheer for, pick this one up.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

This is the second Sophie Ranald book that I have read. It was a very enjoyable and modern book set within today’s world of social media. Very lighthearted and fun.

This is the second book I’ve ever read by Sophie Ranald and I enjoyed it. It seemed to take a long time to get through it, though, as the chapters seemed especially long. I don’t really know where (or that) they could have been cut, though. Also I was quite confused near the end when the mc starts doing something that I thought was out of line, as it seemed a betrayal in a number of ways. I don’t want to spoil it for those that haven’t read it, though. Also, the book seemed modern but also anachronistic because I remember the social media phenomena described in the book being big a few years ago, and some of it still is big, but the pictures thing seemed passé. But then I was reminded that the book was originally written and released two years ago, under another title. So it made more sense.

But there were still many laugh-out-loud moments, just as in Sorry Not Sorry, weighed against heartwrenchers, that still make for a really enjoyable read and, all in all, I definitely recommend this book.

<b>3 stars</b> //Really long review.

Overall thoughts:

<i>Out With The Ex, In With The New</i> by Sophie Ranald is a contemporary novel centred on 24 y/o Gemma, a small-time YouTuber who lives in London. With central themes of social media popularity, finding oneself (as people in their twenties are wont to do), and romantic agonising, this novel makes for a quick and fun read.

The story (no spoilers; only things available in the blurb mentioned here, in my own words):

Gemma, after months of looking for a job, finds one as a junior content creator at ClickFrenzy (the novel's equivalent of Buzzfeed), and she's really chuffed to share the news, only to find out that Jack, her boyfriend of 4 years has decided that he needs to travel the world to find out where his head is at — with his best mate Olivia.

Gemma does her best to maintain an LDR while getting her bearings with her new job, when Jacks dumps her via email to be with Olivia (romantically), and this breaks Gemma's heart. She posts a video on her make-up channel about how she feels, and the video unexpectedly goes viral — she's a YouTube star overnight.

She's now got more subscribers and followers than before, and she starts receiving free samples and offers for product placement — she even gets an offer from an agency willing to rep her, and most of all, by becoming the girlfriend of a super popular vlogger (Charlie), she now has the attention of thousands of young teenage girls.

Charlie is one half of the The Berry Boys YouTuber duo (the other half being his twin), and with him, Gemma starts living the life of a celebrity — the hippest pubs in town, the swankiest merch on the market — albeit like a fish out of water. But all this gets stale soon, and when Jack comes back to apologise and get back together with her, Gemma realises that neither Charlie nor Jack is what she needs.

Things I liked:

— Gemma: The main character was highly relatable. Up till she found a job, to save money, she lived with her mom, and shot vlogs occasionally to post them on YouTube. She's down-to-earth, and I love how awkward her overnight fame made her feel. She's a completely lovely narrator in terms of personality, and I enjoyed how even when she hated her day-job at times, the thought of how un-fun unemployment was kept her in check. While the narration is not witty per se, there's a grounding quality to the narration, and I like how she uses her platform to address more serious issues.

— The setting: I’ve only read one other book where the character was a vlogger, but that book didn’t do the YouTube any justice, unlike this one. Right from how a viral video can turn things in terms of subscriber in flow, to product placement offers and monetising the videos; from how SEO works and how keywords need to be targeted in order to get the highest number of organic clicks — this book got all the tech aspects right. Randal has done in-depth research in a field that I work with everyday, and I immensely respect her for that.

—The intention behind the plot: While the book is an easy read, it does touch upon some heavier topics, and though it’s tone didn’t gel as well (since this was only in the last 30% and I felt it needed a lot more space in the book), it was a nice way to bring the book to its conclusion. Gemma uses her online presence for this cause, and I like that the author took it in that direction.

—The supplementary characters: Charlie and Gus of the Berry Boys duo were so reminiscent of Fred and George from Harry Potter that I instantaneously liked them. They play pranks on others, finish each other’s sentences, and have an easy camaraderie. Ranald has done an amazing job not just characterising these two, but also the other characters who come in.

Things I disliked:

— Disclosure of the plot as the blurb: So everything I mentioned in the “The Story” part of my review, which is events from the blurb, make up about 70% of the book. Which means for the first 70%, I knew what was coming. I knew Jack would dump her. I knew that though Charlie seems lovely, Genma’s going to fall out love pretty quick. I knew that since Gemma isn’t going to end up with Jack or Charlie (see blurb), and since there was only other person with whom a spark was foreshadowed, Gemma is 100% going to end up with the third guy.

— Gemma ending up with the third guy: When the narrative was for Gemma to find herself, it bothered me that she sprang out of Charlie’s arms, into this guy’s. I would have liked to see Gemma be single and take on the world on her own (considering she’s always had a boyfriend since she was 20), but that didn’t happen, and it kinda bummed me out.

— Slagging off on vegetarians: What’s with this book-trend of making vegetarians sound like they’re snooty people with tons of money to blow on food? Being a vegetarian cannot be looked at as a personality flaw; it’s just a dietary preference. I’m a vegetarian (was brought up that way, because my religion says we shouldn’t harm any other living being capable of feeling pain) and I honestly felt low-key attacked.

If saying you prefer coffee to tea isn’t a character flaw, then preferring a caprese salad to tandoori chicken can’t be a flaw either.

Also, not every vegetarian dish tastes disgusting or is boring; only the disgusting ones do. Case in point: French fries/chips. Chocolate ice-cream. Pop corn. Strawberry smoothies. Good ol' chocolate.

Sorry about the mini-rant here, it’s just that this kind of corroded into how much I’d enjoyed reading about Gemma’s sedentary adventures into online popularity. Without that, it would have been a 4-star read for me.

But overall, Out With The Ex, In With The New was a fun and quick read, perfect for lazy Sundays, and sunny days in the park. It comes out on Dec 3, 2019, and I’m pretty sure fans of Sophie Kinsella will enjoy this book. I’d certainly like to read more by the author; looks interesting!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with an ARC. I enjoyed the book. :)

Ranald weaves a story that keeps a reader turning pages and ignoring adult responsibilities. Just enough detail to perfectly imagine a scene and yet still allows the reader some creative liberties. More importantly, I love that each story I have read by Ranald contains an underlying message of empowerment, self-love, and self-care. We all have been Gemma at some point. Flailing about, pretending to be an adult while we apply for job after job, still live with our parents and dreaming of a glamorous life that doesn’t require a diet of instant ramen for two out of three meals a day.

Gemma was a bit of a mess but her story is a relatable one. Well… mostly. I struggled to connect with Gemma and her passion for lifestyle vlogging. There was so much information about vlogging and Youtube that the pace slowed significantly. Of course, it picked right up once dialogue saved the day. Additionally, the relationships felt awfully abrupt in Gemma’s story leaving me a bit confused. I wish we had a chance to see more of Gemma interacting with others outside of boyfriends specifically at the office, her mother, and her roommates. Even more of her adapting and rising above cat content at work would have sated my greedy palate.

While this story didn’t gel with me as much as the others, I still devoured it and I suspect other readers will connect with Gemma in a way that I couldn’t. After you finish Gemma’s story, pop on over and read Sorry not Sorry and Its Not You, Its Him because both of those are fabulous.

**Reviews have been posted to Bookbub, Goodreads, and my blog Dream Come Review.
**Reviews will be posted to retailers (B&N and Amazon) after release

I generally don't read chick-lit or any of the lighter books, unless well recommended. This book pulled me in due to its title. That resonated with me... 😂

Gemma was a part of a couple till Jack broke off with her over an email. Her heartbroken story went viral via vlogging and YouTube. An overnight sensation with a good job and product endorsement deals, Gemma had it made. But something was missing wasn't it?

My first book by Sophie Ranald, I liked Gemma. She cane across as honest and endearing. Her life felt more like a whirlpool when she wanted shallow calm waters. Most times I felt she was thrown into the deep end and had to learn to swim. The author had brought out quite a few of the facets of her personality.

The story moved with its own winding ways with relationships, attraction, and friendships. The YouTube culture was well shown, something which so far I have stayed away. The flow of writing and story went off the rails many a time. But I supposed most chick-lit did the same.

The author could show Gemma's struggle in trying to stay afloat well. She was the driving force in the book. Overall, something new for me. Still unsure about the YouTube culture.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Gemma is a beauty guru YouTuber with a few thousand followers, who’s struggling to find a job in social media. But the day she lands a job at ClickFrenzy, Jack, her boyfriend of four years, breaks up with her to go on a world tour with his best friend Olivia. Heartbroken, drunk, and with no one else to talk to (all her friends being technically Jack and Olivia’s friends first), Gemma ends up venting her soul out to her YouTube followers. The next day, she discovers she has became an overnight YouTube sensation. She finds herself thrown into a new world of vlogging, getting herself an agent and rubbing shoulders with successful YouTubers. Can her personal, professional, and YouTuber lives co-exist together? Or has she started living a life of lies and deceptions?
As you’ve probably guessed from the synopsis, this story revolved at lot around YouTubers, the raise to fame, and what really goes on behind the scenes. It did feel exhausting and dull to read at times, especially in the first half, when the narrative talked on and on about how product placements and the obsession with number of views, likes, comments. In the second half, the story took on a more serious note as it dealt with mature themes. Though it did involve Gemma using her platform to create awareness and ways to help, I felt like Ranald did a fantastic job driving home how strongly this cause resonated with Gemma. I especially loved how Ranald laid the seeds in the beginning, making the readers unsure about the relationship of her new landlords Hannah and Richard. It kept the suspense for me when the chemistry between Gemma and Charlie bored me. Having Gemma witness, hesitate, ignore, regret, and later come to Hannah’s aid made her actions so much more believable.
Gemma is a people pleaser — a pushover if you will — who‘s uncomfortable stepping out of her comfort zone. I loved seeing her growth as a character over the course of the novel, seeing her become more vocal about her opinions and thoughts and beliefs. My favourite part was her realizing how she’s evolved after initially denying it like many people often do.
After Jack dumps her for Olivia, Gemma is heartbroken and I found she jumps into another relationship quite quickly. I wished we got to see her being single for a period of time, figuring out who she was, but I saw how the plot demanded it. I didn’t quite feel her chemistry with Charlie, one of the popular YouTubers who was also represented by the same agency. The relationship didn’t feel genuine and their scenes bored me. I felt Gemma had more of a connection to Raffy, the barista at The Daily Grind.
Overall, though this started off slow and a bit dull, it surprised me by turning into an enjoyable and intriguing read. I’d recommend the book, with a warning that it does deals with sensitive topics, but I felt they were handled in a respectful way. I don’t know if I’d ever reread it personally, but I’m open to reading more by Sophie Ranald.

Please note: I received an advance digital copy of this book through NetGalley from Bookouture and Sophie Ranald in exchange for a honest review. This does not influence my opinions in any way.

When you read a feel good book, you are certain about one thing : a happy ending. It does not mean that the whole story is captured in a rosy cloud, that violins are playing or that everything is lovey-dovey.

More than once the road to happiness is very bumpy and twisty, but in the end you get where you want to be. 

When you are being dumped, you are on a rollercoaster of emotions. You are sad, angry and a lot of scenarios for revenge go through your mind. 

Suddenly you realise your heart is on the mend and it's time to do what's good for you. That's when you know you are on the right track.

This story is about turning your life around for more than one of the characters. It's nice to see them change and grow towards happiness and how they put themselves first instead of living in the shadow of someone else. 

Even though this genre includes serious subjects, the whole is always made a little lighter due to the funny situations. 4 stars.

Thank you, Sophie Ranald and Bookouture.