The plot is quite interesting and I expected it to be an entertaining and quirky read. But I am disappointed.

Writing is conversational type, and to be honest, I like this style but I felt it was too conversational in this book, that I missed the flow of narration, a little description and the storytelling. It seemed that the author just want to tell everything too quickly. The dialogues could have been more interesting. Also, I didn't feel any spark or chemistry between the protagonists.

It was not my kind of book. Young readers may like it.

Thank you to @netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this ARC

' Armed with a super-sized backpack full of optimism, Jess sets off in search of sun, sea and a much-needed new beginning. Things don’t get off to a good start. Instead of sunshine, she’s met with torrential rain. Her job prospects are as dismal as the weather and that friend-of-a-friend she was meant to stay with has fallen through. Just as Jess is homeless, jobless and wishing she’d gone for the waterproof mascara, she runs into the last person she expected to see. Sam. The ex she never got over. Jess always believed that one day fate would bring them back together. Now he’s here, more gorgeous than ever. '

This wasn't my usual kinda read but either way I really enjoyed it. Jess is a really lovable character who for me, I loved her more throughout. So she bumps into Sam her ex who she's struggled to get over.. He offers her somewhere to stay without realising it also means with his new fiancée Jamie. So first impressions I thought here we go, Jamie is going to be awful etc but honestly without giving anything away, she wasn't like that and I actually really liked her.

The story goes from present to past when she was with Sam and when they split etc. Her life revolved around him, including her plans etc. But when she moved she wanted a fresh start.. It didn't all go to plan but in the end she realises what's truly important.
I loved the friendships in the book, especially with Alice and Joshua and Jess..

It was a nice, easy read and definitely easy to get through.

I really liked how Jess learnt that there was other things she could be passionate about in her life other than Sam. He was all she had known and I was glad to see her finally getting over him. I found the little flashbacks a bit boring sometimes, but it gave me an insight into how Sam treated her when they were dating and I liked that. All along I was wishing for her to just get over Sam because Josh clearly had a thing for her and they would be cute, but I can understand that getting over someone you’ve loved for eight years would be hard. I liked how Jamie wasn’t a jealous fiancée and was kind to Jess when she didn’t need to be, especially since Sam was obviously leading Jess on and I liked Alice.

Lemme just add that this story made me cry. I didn’t know how the story would end; I was expecting Sam to ditch Jamie and get back with Jess, but I’m not mad at how it really ended because it’s much more realistic. Overall, great story and would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the early access!

i was given this book from publisher and netgalley for an honest opinion and review.

typically chick lit book that was pretty cute. Jess moves to Sydney after a break up and is trying to find her life while all her friends are getting married, buying houses and having children.
she ends up running into him and offers his spare room to her while she settles down in Sydney
it was an ok book, something about the character was very irritating to me.

Have you ever felt like your life isn’t moving forward, like you’re somehow stuck? That’s how Jess feels after being let go from her years long position as a PA at an art magazine. She takes a chance and moves to Sydney from London and runs into her ex-fiance at the market right in the middle of a meltdown. He invites her to stay with him and later Jess realizes he lives with his new fiance. Jess feels so relatable, she’s trying to figure out her life when it seems everyone else is becoming settled. I love how real this story feels. I expected a romcom book, and while there are many relationships in this book, it hits home the importance of following your dreams and working on yourself. Didn’t see the ending coming and was pleasantly surprised! If you’re looking for an inspiring, easy read look no further!

This is a fun read based in Sydney, Australia. We meet Jess, who has just arrived in Sydney from London in search of a fresh start. She has nowhere to live and no job, but when she bumps into her ex, Sam he offers her his spare room until she finds herself somewhere. Jess has spent the last 3 years getting over Sam and she cannot believe he is also in Australia! A little bit of Sam is still under her skin, and she begins to wonder whether there may be a chance for them to get back together…that is until his flatmate, Jamie walks in!

I loved the look of this book. The bright, cheerful cover gives the impression of a fun and easy to read book! I loved Jess’s character and couldn’t believe that she’s gone half way around the world for a fresh start. I really felt for her, not just at the beginning when she’s stood there soaking wet with no job or home, but all the way through the book as things never seemed to go right for her. She was such a friendly character though and you couldn’t help but wish you was there to help her out! Bumping into Sam was unbelievable and went to show that the world certainly is a small place! The author kept the wonder of who Jamie was and what her relationship to Sam was going through the story and whilst you knew that they were together, it seemed that Jess was the last one to work that out!

The story wasn’t as fun and light-hearted as I first imagined though. It had its moments, and there were plenty of light hearted humour, but this for me was definitely a journey of discovery for Jess! Some of her story was quite sad and there was certainly an emotional side to this book. The first part of the story was set at a slower pace, building up the characters and their relationships. Once I’d got to know them all, I settled right into the storyline and tore through the pages to get to the end! The ending, for me, was perfect, and completely different to other books in this genre!

An enjoyable read with plenty of life lessons learnt. Its storyline will also leave you with a warm, happy feeling and a sense of contentment by the end. Filled with likeable characters and locations which will give you great images for certain moments in the book, this book is perfect for a little bit of Australian escapism!! Would definitely recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading more from Elizabeth Neep as she continues her career. Full disclaimer, I received an e-ARC of this book for review, but it doesn't influence my feelings.
I felt like I could connect with Jess in so many ways. I recently turned 30 and when that age is approaching I remember thinking I have nothing to show for the last decade. What have I been doing? Where is my life going? It's a bit of a rough ride while figuring that out and I could feel that with Jess's character too. I also was kept guessing as going through as to how this was going to play out in the end. Most stories like this have a predictable ending in which everything goes up in flames at the end and the main character reevaluates themselves and makes amends and grows. I was pretty sure this would go in that direction of course, but there were moments in the book that pulled me in other directions and made me second guess that. I wasn't sure how some of the side characters would play into the story as well which was a good anticipation throughout. The pacing was really good. It kept you guessing and just a little anticipation, but also shared a little so you could start piecing things together. I enjoyed Jess and hated her all at different moments as well as the ex, Sam.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this book mostly because I found the main character, Jess to be so irritable and annoying.

I was happy to be given a chance to read it in advance and I really tried to get into the book. The main character gets the opposite of everything she expects when she moves halfway around the world to start a new life. To add to that misery, she runs into her ex-boyfriend and is given an offer to move into his spare bedroom and there is more misery that follows her. The journey to self-discovery and moving on in life message is the redeeming quality in the story. I did not like the main character and the story did drag in some places. The author’s style of writing makes this is an easy read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for an advance reader copy of the book.

I couldn't really get into this one - I found Jess mostly irritating and I couldn't connect with her journey.

Thankyou Netgalley for giving me this opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion!

There are times in life, when you just need an easy, non complicated read, that makes you completely forget the outside world - and during a pandemic lockdown this is exactly what I needed.
I found Jess the main character instantly likeable, and I could relate to her in many ways.
I sometimes find it confusing when books change their storyline to things that happened in the past, but I didn't get that at all with this book and going back in the past helped me relate to Jess' story even more.
Really enjoyed this book - perfect summer read .

I read this book in one day but that isn’t a reflection of how I felt about this book. It wasn’t something that I couldn’t put down. I actually found myself skimming over chunks of the narrative to get to the dialogue and I don’t think I missed much of the story in doing so.
It’s a good premise - Jess leaves London to start a new life in Sydney. She’s trying to move on from the memories of a relationship that ended 3 years ago when she happens to run into the very man she’s trying to get away from, Sam. She needs a place to stay and Sam is so eager to get Jess back into his life that he invites her to stay with him...and his fiancée. Jess’s life is a mess but she’s sure that it’s fate running into Sam again. Will they get back together?
My biggest issue is the whole church/Christian aspect to this book. If that’s your bag, great! But it wasn’t what I was expecting and this wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookcuture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of The Spare Bedroom was fun, but it was just an ok book. I didn't love the writing, it seemed too drawn out and I couldn't get invested in the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Armed with a super-sized backpack full of optimism, Jess sets off in search of sun, sea and a much-needed new beginning.

Things don’t get off to a good start.

Instead of sunshine, she’s met with torrential rain. Her job prospects are as dismal as the weather and that friend-of-a-friend she was meant to stay with has fallen through. Just as Jess is homeless, jobless and wishing she’d gone for the waterproof mascara, she runs into the last person she expected to see. Sam. The ex she never got over. Jess always believed that one day fate would bring them back together. Now he’s here, more gorgeous than ever.

Before she knows it, Jess is accepting Sam’s offer to stay in his spare room. But while she may have been less than truthful about the mess she’s in, there is also one rather important thing Sam has neglected to mention.

Suddenly Jess isn’t just living with her ex, but with his new girlfriend too. All of that baggage she thought she left behind may have caught up with her…

I don't know what the hell was this ??

I disliked Jess from the start till the end .

Jamie just acted as a jealous girlfriend and obviously Sam was stuck between two

This book is a lighthearted read that kept me entertained.
The messes that jess gets herself in to are amusing to say the least. She leaves London to try to make a new life for herself in the furthest place possible... Sydney. Escaping a heartbreak that has lasted 3 years and counting!
She is down on her luck so decides to go to the supermarket and get some wine to drown her sorrows, when life takes a surprising turn in one of the aisles. From here life becomes a rollacoaster for Jessica. The main male character is Ben, the ex boyfriend of Jess. Overall this book was a nice pleasant read. Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this early release book for my honest review

This was a fantastic read, so much humour and fun. Very easy to read and a great book. The storyline is well thought out and the characters are believable and relatable

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

Thanks for the opportunity to read the book. The premise of the book sounded good, but I found it hard to read and just didn't engage. Not one for me I'm afraid.

This book was just not my favorite. I did not find Jess to be a very likeable character. So it makes it hard to enjoy the book when it is all told from her perspective.

The supporting characters were not well formed, either. Zoe was maybe the most believable, since she called Jess out on her nonsense, but she was hardly in the book.

Overall, I found the whole story just fairly ridiculous. It may have worked with a younger MC, but Jess was just immature and self-centered. It just did not work for me, personally.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book, because the description sounds amazing. It starts off great, with Jess making her way to Sydney for a fresh start at life. However, it soon became apparent to me that I really didn’t like Jess. She’s whiny, and lying seems to be her favorite strategy for dealing with life. Add in the fact that she’s constantly bashing other characters’ religious choices, and I knew that she wasn’t a character I relate to. I really wanted to love this book, and I’m bummed that it took the direction it did.