Elissa is down on her luck. Her boyfriend passively broke up with her, she has until the end of the month to find a new place to live, and she is struggling to stay afloat at a job she is barely getting paid anything for. But thanks to an ad, she takes a risk for a free place to live and ends up changing her life for the better in the process.

This was a good read. The beginning was slow but once you got past it really picked up. The story is relatable in a sense that we all get stuck in our lives. Some are forced to make changes and we got to go with Elissa as she had some major upheavals while trying to date again. This is not a book I would reread over and over but it definitely was a good read.

This book was given to me an an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

2.5 - An average story with a main protagonist that I will soon forget. I probably shouldn't have expected a book to grip me emotionally with a title such as this. An okay Summer read.

This is very much a beach read, the type of holiday we can't take in lockdown, like waiting for a bus that never comes. The main character was clueless, self absorbed and very unlikeable. Why leave it so long before Annie comes in to save the day? At least the second half went much quicker for me!
It is a well trodden story, that should always be written better than the one before it. Sorry, but I found this book a very odd way to rehash it.

After seeing some great reviews on this book, I was over the moon to receive it via Netgalley and Harper Collins UK.

It's the story of Elissa, recently kinda single, kinda homeless and kinda employed. Elissa finds herself lonely in London, and embarks upon living with Annie, a woman in her 80's with her own problems.

What could have been a great, if not slightly recycled story of a lonely and lost young woman coming into her own, fell a little flat for me.

Annie gets introduced around halfway through the book and I wish it had been much earlier. She was definently a breath of fresh air in what I felt was becoming a bit of a muddled story.

I do feel a little like the black sheep when it comes to this book, after reading some fantastic reviews, this book just didnt hit the spot or have me laughing along with it.

At times I felt there may be too many plots trying to come into it but none of them really became one that I became engrossed with.

Overall, it's not a bad read, I think I just expected a little more.

I really liked this book and the story it presented. Elissa was an interesting character to follow, she wasn't too quirky or out there but was fun and realistic enough that she could be someone you know. There was a variety of characters in this and they all had a clear voice. My main complaint with this is that it should have introduced the living with the older woman sooner as it was over 50% of the way through before she was introduced properly. I think if this had been re-edited so this happened a bit quicker than I would have enjoyed it a bit more but this was a fun romance novel.

Sadly I couldn't get excited for this book. The plot is recycled: countless other books out there following a women's journey from clueless to magically sorting out their life with the help of someone(friends, a neighbor, a total stranger). Elissa is rather annoying and not very likable. Annie on the other hand is a breath of fresh air, even if she's not new to literature either. Cliché, predictable and rather boring at times....
Thank you for the opportunity.

Book Review: The Lonely Fajita by Abigail Mann

2.5 stars

The Lonely Fajita is about Elissa, a 26 year old living in London and interning as a social media officer at a new dating app business. The story takes us through many problems that Elissa has to overcome including the break up of her relationship, her awful work life and lack of money. Because she cannot afford rent, Elissa moves in with Annie, an elderly woman that she looks after in return for free housing.

I was really excited about this book but sadly for me it really did not hit the mark.
Firstly Elissa as a character I found quite problematic. She seemed to just accept some really awful situations and people and not fight for what she believed in. Her boyfriend was awful and an absolute time waster yet she stays with him until he disappears to the other side of the world. It was a really odd scenario. Her work place was horrific, she was paid basically nothing and yet was expected to do as much as a normal job and more. Her boss was a chauvinistic pig which I understand was the idea but I found the whole idea to be really outdated. No one would get away with what he did and said nowadays. I felt Elissa was quite naive for her age and just wanted to give her a shake. I sadly didn't feel a connection with her which I generally need to enjoy a book. The shining light in this book was Annie, the older lady that Elissa moves in with. She was feisty, no nonsense and an absolute breath of fresh air.

The general storyline felt confused and cluttered with too much going on but nothing that really made me excited or hooked. It was also pretty slow paced. I found the ending to be rather silly and ridiculous as well.

There is so many amazing contemporary books out at the moment that sadly I would not recommend this.

This book is out May 14th.

I was #gifted this ebook from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to HarperCollins and One More Chapter for an ARC of The Lonely Fajita.

This is Mann's first piece of fiction and my goodness did she nail it. The Lonely Fajita was an absolute pleasure to read and provided me with a few hours of distraction from all that is going on in the world at the moment.

The Lonely Fajita follows Elissa as she learns to navigate single life when she finds herself as an elderly companion and living with Annie. Annie and Elissa's relationship builds swiftly but felt authentic throughout, Annie is an absolute spitfire and I liked her all the more for it.

A perfect Spring read for curling up on the sofa with a warm beverage. I look forward to seeing what Mann writes next.

I requested this book from Netgalley because I loved the title.
This is a fun, light hearted read and is genuinely funny. Elissa is in an intern position that's losing her money, she has a terrible boyfriend and is about to be made homeless. She signs up to be a companion for the an elderly lady called Annie. The story is about loneliness - both Elissa and Annie, with their different lifestyles, are lonely. They find in each other the impetus to move out of their respective ruts.
I was expecting a rom com and kept waiting for the romantic storyline to kick off, which impaired my enjoyment a little. There is only a mere hint of a romance subplot in it. There is plenty of comedy though and all the other good stuff with the interesting friends. If you're looking for a coming of age type story of a twenty something Londoner, you'll enjoy this book.
I got a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in one sitting. This is a light-hearted read full of loveable characters that you can relate with. I found the book was a bit slow at times but overall, it was a brilliant read and I highly recommend.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Lighthearted, cute read. I giggled out loud a few times at some of the silly lines. I enjoyed the characters very much, and the plot was easy to follow and fun.

I requested this book as I had seen a lot of chatter on social media, and was in need of a hilarious read.

Unfortunately it didn't quite hit the spot. The story was enjoyable enough, but I didn't find myself laughing out loud. I didn't particularly find much empathy with the lead character, Elissa. She just seemed a bit too flaky. I might be a bit behind but is 26 a little old to be an intern? I may well be wrong. but I found her character to be a little annoying, although less so towards the end - obviously a good thing!

However, Annie was a breath of fresh air. She is the elderly widow that Elissa ends up being 'matched' with via an agency. Now she IS hilarious; I found her swearing and general approach to life delightfully unexpected. She reminded me so much of my darling Nan (who coincidentally did not swear). Watching the relationship develop between Annie and Elissa is the most enjoyable part of this book, showing that the elderly most certainly should not be written off or ignored by society, but should be protected, respected and loved.

Overall an enjoyable read, but one that didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

A fun Chic Lit read about Elissa, a struggling tech intern. Struggling both in her work and relationship. With no money she moves out and on from her boyfriend to live as a companion for a single elderly lady. This move proves to be ultimately beneficial for both the elderly lady, the community in which she lives and for Elissa. With the expected feel good ending of finding a far nicer man than the one she started out with.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC of this book.

I requested this book based purely on the title because it sounded absolutely hilarious and I hoped the book would be too, and it was at times, but most of the time it was missing something.

There is a real pacing issue with this story which isn't helped by the fact that there are so many different plot threads crammed into one relatively short book. It becomes hard to know what is important and what we should focus on because there are so many different threads to keep track of. I really like the concept of this book but it just didn't execute it that well I don't think. I never felt particularly invested in any of the plots because we never got to spend that much time on each thread. Like the relationship between Annie and Elissa; I never felt there was much heart to it because we never really get to see it, instead we're just told about things they've done together and their relationship but it means I wasn't invested in it. We never get to sink into these characters and learn more about who they are and their motivations and so everything feels a bit surface level.

I did really like the concept and I really wanted to love it; for the first 30% or so I was really enjoying it but the book just never quite got going in the way I hoped. None of the plots really felt solved by the end and you're sort of left in limbo a little bit...

It's a light-hearted read and there is nothing awful about it, I just wanted a little more.

Published on 14th May 2020 so go check it out for yourself!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The protagonist Elissa is having some life crisis that ultimately leads her to signing up to be a an elderly companion in exchange for room and board. There we meet Anne, an eccentric elderly who has a mysterious past and family drama, which Elissa will no doubt try and help fix. I really liked the heartwarming feeling of this book You get a sense of community from the elderly community and Elissa's support.

It hit home and made me remember explaining internet and apps to my gran which was a pleasant memory , and laugh out loud moment.

If you want a feel good story, relationships, family, older generation/millennial friendship, and a "started from the bottom now we here" type of book, then this is it for you.

Elisa is turning 26...she is working as an unpaid intern and sharing a room in a flat with her boyfriend. When her boyfriend decides to travel leaving her behind Elissa has to find somewhere else and quick. She ends up as a companion/housemate to 83 year old Annie. They both teach each other plenty and Elissa starts to release she has what it takes to make it on her own.
It’s a nice feel good read. I really enjoyed it. Reminiscent of Libby Page and Beth O’Leary.

I absolutely loved this book! The title and cover are just gorgeous and although I've read it now, I'm definitely going to buy a hard copy because it will cheer me up just being on my bookshelf!

I wanted to hug Elissa, she is having the worst luck with jobs, relationships, homes, but then Annie enters her life.
I think it's a beautiful idea and the storyline felt particularly relevant at the moment when people are forming bonds with neighbours which maybe weren't there before COVID-19.

I also learnt a new term - cloaking 😂 - which I had to look up on the Urban Dictionary!

This is the author's first novel and I can't wait for the next one!

Lovely book with a lot to enjoy. I am reminded of Fleabag and Bridget Jones with this British protagonist who is trying to make her way in the world still. I love the relationships in the book that feel very real. The workplace is also reminiscent of places my friends report from. Very enjoyable and fun.

It's very rare that I read a book and find myself laughing out loud throughout! It's very rare that I even find a book funny. Most are not.

The Lonely Fajita is such a feel good, heartwarming, hilarious book- and I'm so glad I read it. I couldn't put it down... but I kept this book for my daily baths and night time reads as an indulgent treat- that truly made me feel good.

I saw so many aspects of Elissa in myself growing up, and so many parts of Annie in my nan and her ways- so it was a delight to feel close to the characters. To feel they were relatable. To laugh at the many jokes Elissa made. To be reminded that the older generation have a story to tell.

I was intrigued at every turn of the page- to find out what was waiting for Elissa as she started a new journey living with an old gal!

It's the first book in years that actually made me feel joyful and sad at the same time. Following Elissa and Annie overcoming their challenges together and thinking how true to life this book actually was.

I've based this review purely on how it made me feel and I was laying in the bath, I got to the last page, I read the last word. I Closed the book...and I had a huge smile on my face with slightly watery eyes (must have been the bath water!)

Abigail Mann is one witty writer! Who managed to pull every possible emotion out of me.

The Lonely Fajita is such a light-hearted and fun read! It was an incredibly well written book which had me laughing from the very beginning. I flew through this book and found myself enjoying the friendship that developed between Annie and Elissa, who were both relatable and realistic.

However, I found myself struggling investing in the characters and this story. I wanted more of how Annie and Elissa became so close. I wanted more of their day to day happenings. I felt that it jumped quite a bit and before I knew it they were more comfortable with each other. I also would have liked to have seen more about Lovr and the dates that she was supposed to be going on. We saw one date?

Overall this was a heart-warming and effortless read that I was looking for in these weird times! I look forward to reading more of Abigail Mann’s work!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarpercCollins and One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.