Member Reviews
Gemma is a girl who runs her own YouTube channel about make-up tricks and after a long time of hunting-job, she gets a job in a digital journal looking for curiosities about cats. However, her life is smashed into pieces when her boyfriend Jack dumped her because he wants to travel around the world. Gemma is totally sad and knackered and decides to tell her own broke-up through her YouTube channel, due to that, the number of her followers is multiplied out of the blue. Afterward Gemma’s life changes and she becomes into a YouTuber star. However, it is so cool her new life like she thought?
This is a modern love story with a speed pace that makes you want to read one chapter and another. It calls into question the world of social networks and its use, and I think the author does it pretty well through Gemma’s life , and also, you will have fun time with its reading.
Be careful! It’s more than a simple rom com, the last twist will leave you totally thoughtful.
This is a lovely easy read romantic comedy but there is also a darker element within it which gives it that little bit of an edge. It taps into the world of You Tube influencers and shows the other side.
Gemma has a You Tube channel vlogging about make up and clothes which has a small following. When she gets dumped by her boyfriend Jack she uploads her brokenhearted rant and her channel blows up.
It's quick paced and funny and the characters are relatable. I like how it shows the other side to vlogging and thought the way the domestic abuse element was written into the book was very clever.
This was the first Sophie Ranald book I've read but it won't be the last.
Thank you to Netgally and Bookouture for the ARC.
I was really excited by the description of this book and thought I would find another author to love like I do Sophie Kinsella. The description and premise nodded towards this expectation and I was quite disappointed.
The book had promise but it just did not live up to everything I wanted from it. I enjoyed the book but I felt that it dragged and could have been so much more.
It was funny in places and I felt like Gemma was a friend but I feel that the relationships she built were very wishy washy and very jumpy from one to the next. I didnt feel we got to know her all that well as it focused on everything else in her life.
The vlogging parts of the book were good as it shows an insight into how this huge part of the modern world work. And how many of these worlds connect.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and may give another one of this authors books another go, but this one just didnt grab me.
There was also quite a few spelling mistakes which made it hard to read also.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book is a typical rom-com set in London and this is where we first meet Gemma and her boyfriend Jack. They have been together for 4 years and have what would appear as a good relationship. However, while out celebrating Gemma's new job, Jack throws her a new one by admitting that he actually not ready to settle down and he wants to travel the world--and not alone but with Olivia, Jack's childhood friend.
The story/premise was okay and I like the fact it gives the reader in inside view of the daily life of a Youtuber, something I haven't seen before. However, the story was really slow at times and just kind of bland. It was a nice quick read.
When Jack breaks up with Gemma, her rant on her vlog goes viral and, much to her surprise, leads to an incredible uptick in her activity. All the sudden she's a star, reviewing makeup and clothes, and being sponsored and so on. That doesn't mean she's really happy, btw, but then she meets Charlie. He's also an influencer and soon the two of them are the hottest thing out there. Then Jack comes back from his travel and Gemma has to make some decisions. What's right for her might not be right for everyone but she does it with humor. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a tad shallow at times but it is topical re the vlogging and there's a classic romantic challenge.
This book has a lot of heart. It’s pretty straightforward, but I liked Gemma’s arc as a person.
That time in your life of thinking you’ll take the world by storm and realizing it’s harder than it seems, alongside seeing that no one really has it all together is one of my favorite life periods to read about. Gemma’s rise to fame is portrayed well, with the hard work and ugly side getting just as much attention as all the glitter and glitz.
3.5 solid stars.
Out with the Ex. In with the new Sophie Ranald a four-star read that will surprise you. I nearly gave this three-stars but went with four as overall it was well written, it just lacked in a few places. Gemma is a great character, you will love her, and you will want to shake her, but most of all you will want to hug her and make it all right for her. This was a sweet story, but it does have its moments, one in particular about domestic violence that may upset some, but overall, I liked the theme of the story and Gemma as a character. It was just that there were chunks that could have been removed and the story would have been better as it wouldn’t have dragged so much.
Out with the Ex, In With the New was a fresh take on a rom-com featuring Gemma Grey. After recently being dumped by her long term boyfriend, Gemma moves to London to start her new job and pursue her sideline career of vlogging. When one of her vlogs goes viral, Gemma's popularity is catapulted into stardom. However, this increase of viewers comes at a price to her personal and online career.
I loved that this book felt like a modern-day Bridget Jones by focusing on YouTube as a career. I found Gemma really relatable as a character. I loved that she didn't have everything figured out and was navigating adult life as best she could. I also loved the female characters in this book, they were all career driven and were lifting the other women characters up. This was really refreshing and positive to read. Furthermore, the book dealt with many serious themes including; trolling, abusive relationships, abuse of power and the downfall of fame. I felt that the domestic abuse storyline was dealt with particularly well and was very opening.
Some parts about the book I didn't like was that the references to YouTube felt a little outdated, and as if they had been written by someone who didn't completely understand how YouTube worked. As well as this, I felt that there were quite a lot of different story-lines that had been thrown into the book. While this made for an interesting read, it did mean that many of the more dramatic themes were dealt with superficially and didn't have time to be fleshed out.
Overall, this was a enjoyable quick and easy read, and one that I would definitely recommend to someone getting over their first heartbreak!
This was a very fun read for a day off - I picked it up on my way home from he university, and ended up reading it over the weekend and enjoying it a lot ! You get attached pretty fast to the main character, Gemma, who over the course of the book kind of "grows up" as a person and starts to become more independent, discovering things about herself, what she will or won't stand for in life, etc. The settings, the Youtube and vlogging spheres, are interesting and well described by the author, and it doesn't fall into the "everything is perfect a fame is amazing" clichés.
Also, I hated Jack, the boyfriend-ex-boyfriend, from the moment he appeared on the page, and I was 100% rooting for Gemma and her "living my best life as a revenge" plan. Just saying.
Gemma is living at home with her mum. Numerous failed interviews, then things change. She just landed a job at Clickfrenzy. She’s got her boyfriend Jack. Now they can plan to get somewhere to move in together. However, Jack has other ideas! He’s off backpacking for a year with his friend Olivia.
Off she sets to London. Renting a room off Richard and Hannah. Keeping out of their way most nights she records videos for YouTube. Gemma loves Vlogging. Following an email from Jack to break up with her she leaves a heartbroken Vlog. She rants on what she wants to happen to him.
Next thing she knows she’s an internet sensation. Leading her on to trying goods and meeting her new boyfriend Charlie another Vlogger.
This is a very entertaining book. You really felt for Gemma. The book really gives an insight to the Vlogging craze. It also covers domestic abuse. This is brought into the story in a very clever way, and does get you thinking.
Well done Sophie Ranald.
I’ve had a really hard time deciding my thoughts on this book. Definitely an enjoyable and easy read but something has definitely been missing for me. I have found this slightly predictable on occasions.
I really enjoyed this. It is a cute romantic story, but it's also a story about Gemma discovering things about herself. There are some unlikable characters & some serious moments, but it's a sweet story & sometimes that's just what you need.
Thanks to the publisher Bookouture and netgalley for the ARC for an honest review.
I started out well into this book and then I started to lose interest completely.
We follow the life of .Gemma a youtuber who has a few followers but that changes after she post a video, showing how her boyfriend of four years suddenly broke up with her and broke her heart. Her video goes viral and everything changes.
I love that the book gives a good insight to the youtubers world, how some YouTube careers starts off and some of its criticism. Still, the story was so slow and seemed so long going in circles and some unnecessary details.
I had comic expectations for this novel,I was sorely disappointed. It was typical in that the lead character has loved and lost in almost comic fashion. Losing Jack to his best friend since nappies, when the two decide to see the world before settling down. So our brave girl fresh from this setback begins to expand her vlog audience with a glimpse into her real life. Gemma through no fault of her own becomes the darling of the internet set if only for a moment. At least we glimpse the life of these young people who have given over their personal for the non stop world of ‘brands and product placement and constant ramble ‘ of their every utterance and intrigue. I was exhausted. There were a few real moments for Gemma, a roommate who turns out to be a very competent law officer and a roommate stretched to a breaking point. In the end common sense is allowed to reign and Gemma faces reality face first for once. Happy reading
I enjoyed this book! Very light hearted, easy read. I’m a blogger/vlogger so I do love all of the YouTube storylines, it felt very modern.
A little predictable in parts, but I did feel very invested in the main character. I felt I could relate a lot to her, my ex boyfriend did something very similar and dumped me for another girl over text. Some parts I was a bit like ‘meh’ and not all my questions were answered in regards to the popular YouTube star she was dating.
But it is very insightful into the world of YouTube and behind the scenes management! I kind of know how everything works but I know a lot of people would be shocked at what happens in order for publicity. I really liked it.
I really wanted to like this book. I love Ranald's writing, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about Gemma at all. There's not enough Raffy in the book to make me root for him and Gemma as a couple, especially after she finds out he's writing the expose about *her boyfriend's brother* that winds up ruining their career. Yeah, OK, things were rocky... I don't know. She never confronted Charlie about what happened with Stanley. And, okay, it was a dick thing, but she wrote him off so quickly it made it seem like she never cared about him at all a
To me, there just wasn't enough plot here to keep things interesting. Since I personally don't care about the lives of vloggers (which is weird, because I watch plenty of them), the sneak peek did nothing for me. Jack's return was anticlimactic at best. I'll read more of Ranald's books because I'm a big fan, but this one missed the mark for me.
At first I had a hard time enjoying this book because although I liked the humor, I felt that Gemma was emotionally detached and eager to become whomever someone wanted her to be. It's only when she decided that she was worthy of love and success, did her emotional depth come through. I enjoyed reading about her relationships with Hannah and Amy and the work she did for abused women. I would read other books from this author.
I started out into this book and then I started to lose interest in the middle when it kept going on about the day to day life of a Youtube star. Maybe it's because I can't relate but it seemed to be pretty repetitive to the point where the book seemed too long.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the arc. I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I struggled with this book. As it is being republished, it would be worth taking the time to remove some of the clangers that the book contains. The fat shaming is prominent and does not need to be there. The monologues don't feel genuine - they feel false and bounced me out of the story. Is the mention of Trump left in there for effect? It dates the book, if you are not purposefully setting the book in the recent past.
I think this book is mediocre reading for me. I’m again Switzerland not for satisfying my financial sources and amazing chocolates I’m in the middle: I didn’t hate it but I didn’t enjoy it, too. Maybe I was so ready to read an entertaining rom-com instead of a self-discovery book.
So this is about Gemma’s life choices centered by the guys she’s dating with. When she dated Jack for 4 years, she had a simple but happy life, still making youtube videos about make-up products, hair styles which help her to earn a small group of followers. But her douchebag awards winner boyfriend decides to take a vacation with his bestie Olivia. Gemma is still too naïve to save her relationship even it will turn into a long distance one. But as soon as douchebag leaves, he makes his dirty move and dumbs her via email. He also cheats on with Olivia.
Gemma makes a breakup video about her heartbreak and BAMMM! She turns into a popular V-logger. She gets her more than 15 minutes fame and now she starts endorsing some selected brands’ products, turns into a famous Youtuber and dating with another famous V-logger Charlie! Now she hangs out fancy, trendy cocktail bars and starts to get used her new style life.
Then Jack comes back to apologize tails between his legs. But will Gemma accept his apology or will she resume her virtual and artificial life style with Charlie? Or finally will she find out what she truly desires to do with her life?
The book’s pacing is a little slow and some parts seemed like repeating itself and made me bored to death. Ending was good but I think I was expecting more rom-com than a women fiction book.
This weekend I had rom-com binge reading but unfortunately this was the weakest book I read. Maybe those are so much emotional and gave me the magical romance I’ve dreamt of so I was a little harsh to compare this book with them. But unfortunately this is not my cup of black coffee or Chardonnay!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.