Alice and Joe are trainee lawyers at the same large solicitors firm. Alice is all set up with a permanent post once her training finishes, Joe is hoping he too will be offered a fulltime position soon. They live together in a small but comfortable flat and Alice is at the point of dreaming that in a couple of years time there will be a wedding, a mortgage for a bigger place and all the things which come with being content in a relationship. Life is good... until it isn't any more.

Within 24 hours Alice's dream world has come off the rails and the train is running away in a totally different direction. The job has vanished along with her boss who has been suspended under a cloud of dodgy allegations, and suddenly they have a house guest (or two if you count Frazzle the cat) who just happens to be Joe's stunner of an ex girlfriend who is dropping not-so-subtle hints that she is still interested in him. Some people might be of the opinion that Alice should have handled the house guest situation in a more forthright manner, however I thought the way it panned out was perfectly representative of Alice's personality. Not one to make a fuss, perhaps a bit head-in-the-sand, it was classic Alice as we find out later in the book that she's not a person to confront any situation head on. We later find out that Alice is actually a very strong person though who has been carrying a huge secret all the time she has been with Joe - she hasn't even told him. Without knowing this secret, Alice's decision to not pursue her dream job does seem rather random but all becomes clear once her secret is out.

I enjoyed watching the interaction between the couple and their house guest - I felt very much like a fly on the wall - with Alice and Joe drifting apart each with their own work commitments and Zoe buzzing around the periphery, constantly there preventing the couple from having any time on their own.

While Alice's personal life is starting to look as doubtful as her legal career, we meet a fantastic selection of other characters: her best friend Heather who won't change her menu choice from Pret in case she's disappointed with an alternative option, landlady Shirley who is dreaming of retirement in Spain with "chef" Juan, and a plethora of pub regulars who are as varied as the stains on the sticky pub carpet. They all come with their own back stories which will either make you smile or tug at your heart strings.

This book had me keen to pick it back up as often as was possible (in between real life getting in the way) and I was eager to find out whether Alice's job and relationship would survive. Had she made the right choices? With the delectable Archie selling craft ales and gin next door too, maybe it wasn't just Joe whose head could be turned. A fun page turner of a novel I loved the characters Sophie Ranald has created here, and have downloaded a nice selection of her previous work for future reading too.

Just Saying by Sophie Ranald is exactly what I was looking for in a contemporary romance — maybe not the greatest book in the entire world, or even the genre, but overall cozy and comforting and perfect for a rainy afternoon read.

The plot revolves around our darling Alice, who, despite her best efforts, loses her job at a prestigious law firm. On top of that, her incredibly romantic and lovely boyfriend Joe, who has just secured a job at the same law firm, has invited his ex-girlfriend from college to stay at their flat to make ends meet while Alice works at the local pub in the meantime. But what happens when Alice wants her “in the meantime” job to become her forever job?

This story was such a feel-good one, all about the power of change and love and how it can work wonders in your life and in the world, despite any nay-saying otherwise. It had some twists and turns I wasn’t expecting, which is always a delightful surprise, and took on some huge real-world issues as well, including the MeToo Movement, immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. That being said, I want right now to put out a huge TW for sexual assault. (It’s handled delicately and intricately but it’s still not something someone should confront unawares.)

I absolutely loved Alice & Joe, who are just too adorable sometimes, and I desperately wanted to find a pub like the one where Alice works, which sounds incredible. I loved her withdrawal from the fast-paced, high-power life of London, as a girl who prefers a slower scene myself, and I love that at the end (no spoilers!) she found a way to combine her multitude of passions into a fulfilling career.

I received a free advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture!

So this was my second book by Sophie Ranald and she’s now officially one of my favourites.

Just Saying is about Alice and her romance with Joe. She has had some truly awful encounters with men until she meets Joe. Joe – at the risk of sounding cliched – is her knight in shining armour after one particularly bad night. They instantly click and are enjoying their lives together when they meet Zoe, someone who Joe says is just an old fling. However, Alice noticed their reaction to each other. So she cannot help but be anxious when Joe offers to let Zoe move in with them when she finds herself needing a place to stay. Alice tries to take it all in stride but she can’t help but feel threatened by Zoe who seems to be nearly perfect especially when compared to her.

The first book I read by this author was No, We Can’t Be Friends and after the amount of laughs that elicited from me, I definitely had to try this book when I saw it on NetGalley. My favourite part of both books was the combination of humor and life issues we all face. In most relationships, our significant other has ‘that ex.’ The ex whose name they say differently and think we don’t notice.Alice, like all of us, noticed that difference. So when Joe asked for Zoe to move in with them, she was understandably nervous.

However, there were other problems arising in Alice’s life. The author touched on a very serious problem which is more common than we think, one that the #metoo campaign is fighting to get rid of. Many women have experienced it but thankfully it is now gaining publicity because some brave souls decided to step up and tell their story. I should point out that for some women, that may be a trigger.

As if that wasn’t enough current events, the author also found a way to throw in the issue of deportation of the Windrush generation. This is a story I’m familiar with. Many Caribbean immigrants in England right now are experiencing this right now.

Moving along through life even with those dramas thrown in, Alice had quite the adventure. Her relationship with her brother was quite lovely to read about. Heather, her ex-roommate and best friend was hilarious and the kind of friend women need in their lives. As for Joe, the big question was if their relationship could stand this test. To get the answer to that, you would have to read the book.

I found this story to be a great read. There were some places I laughed out loud and others which shone light on some issues the world is dealing with. I would definitely be checking out more books by Sophie Ranald.

Suitable audience: Adults who enjoy romantic comedies

Recurrent themes: #metoo, Windrush generation, romance, comedy

Violence: None
Sexual Content: The author does not go into detail but sex happens. There is also a description of a sexual assault, which may be a trigger
Profanity: Many instances of obscene language
Religious Themes: None
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: The majority of the book happens in a bar so there is a lot of talk about drinking and smoking.

At first glance, this book might appear to be your typical chick-lit.

Girl meets boy and realizes it is her Mr. Right.
Life throws her a bunch of obstacles, but in the end, Mr. Right is still Mr. Right for her.

But aside from some of the typical issues, Ms. Ranald throws in other timely issues.

Immigration and how many now face deportation (or "removal" if you haven't broken any laws beyond being an immigrant.)
Sexual assault and the fear wrapped up inside those who were the victims, but feel unable to speak about it. Mention of the #MeToo movement is in the book.

And throughout the story is Alice's realization that the path she thought she should be walking in terms of career and lifestyle is not the path she wants to walk.

So, alongside the fun ride, you can have a few things to ponder later on.

Rating: 4 cheery stars

“Just Saying” was a cracking good read for me. Ms. Ranald has captured the angst of a set of mid-twenty somethings as they try to establish themselves in their lives and careers. The books is set in London with a varied and interesting cast of characters. It was just the change of pace I was looking for. While this is billed as being humorous, do not expect over the top wacky humor. There were some scenes that made me smile or even chuckle. However, this book also tackles real life problems that are not humorous.

Alice Carlisle is the book’s narrator. She’s almost finished her two-year qualification period (apprenticeship it seems) at a large law firm in the City of London. She and her boyfriend Joe, who also in the process of qualifying as a solicitor, are now living together in a tiny flat. Their days in the office are long. However, they have both almost finished their qualification time. Luckily, for them, their firm has offered them permanent positions.

Then, enter Zoe. She is an ex-girlfriend of Joe’s. He has offered to rent her their spare bedroom. In part to help her out, in part to make-up for lost income when Alice loses her job. That is the lift-off point for the drama. It sets off Alice’s insecurities, and puts a damper on her relationship with Joe.

After being let go from her firm, Alice starts working at a rundown neighborhood pub. The quirky characters start entering the scene. Think episodes of ‘Cheers’. It felt similar to that in a good way. Alice starts to modernize the place in small ways, and brings in more customers. Thankfully, the long-standing manager, Shirley, doesn’t mind Alice’s changes. Passion for the pub engulfs Alice. She works hard to make it prosper.

Along the way, there is drama, and the introduction of some relevant social issues. There are light-hearted gatherings, and quirky characters that made me care about them. I really liked this book. As the story developed, I kept telling myself that I knew exactly how it was going to end. I was wrong. It ended completely differently than I had imagined. The clever ending made me smile as I finished the last sentence.

I would recommend this for readers who enjoy contemporary romance, or those who like a good British immersion in London and its environs. Just be aware that there were a lot of British words or sayings that I either had to look up, or guess the meaning of based on the context of the sentence. I grew to like the cast of characters, and the challenges they faced. While there was less humor than I expected, the humor lightened the storyline in just the right places. It was a nice change of pace from usual fare of psychological thrillers, or historical fiction.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Sophie Ranald, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Things start to fall apart for Alice when she finds out she’s not getting going to be able to start the job she’d hoped for. But on a good note, the relationship with her boyfriend Joe is perfect. Until Joe suggests that, to help them out with finances due to Alice’s lack of job, they should get a lodger ~ none other than Joe’s recently rediscovered ex, Zoe.

Reluctantly Alice agrees, and a chance meeting sees her working all the hours under the sun in the local pub down the road. It’s a dive but Alice starts enjoying it, but when the landlady has to take some time off to look after her Husband, Alice steps up. And with the help of some reliable friends, starts to transform the place. But when she finds out it’s set to be bought and sold for property development she feels lost. Can she and her friends fight it? Or will this be the end?

At the same time, her and Joe are working long hours, which starts to take a toll on their relationship. Feeling the distance grow between them, and the relationship between Joe and Zoe growing, will Alice be able to save what she has with Joe? Or will the pubs gorgeous neighbour turn her head?

I love Ranald’s writing style and couldn’t wait to read this. Her books always have me laughing out loud and cringing at some of the characters exploits and this was no different.

The story line was mostly light hearted, and mainly focussed around Alice, her relationship with Joe and her love for the pub. There are a number of other minor storylines, which are fab including the story of Maurice and recollections of something that had happened to Alice in the past ~ a dark secret, that no one but her best friend knows.

In terms of characters, I really liked Alice and you get to know her well. She’s been through stuff that no one knows and is relieved to leave the career that she’d worked hard for. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her fall in love with the pub and transform it. I wasn’t sure about Zoe, although she does some amazing things, I always had suspicions about her. Joe, although seemingly romantic, let me down a bit although does pull it back in a way. And I loved Drew, Heather and Maurice.

The one thing I would say is that the blurb is slightly misleading. Although the story does cover the three way relationship and dynamics between Alice, Joe and Zoe; to me the story is more focussed on Alice, her story and the pub. But I still throughly enjoyed it.

Overall, this is another fab book by Ranald. Easy and enjoyable to read and follow, mostly light-hearted with some fab characters, I enjoyed every minute of this. It will make you smile and laugh out loud, and you’ll come away feeling uplifted. Recommended by me.

Sophie Ranald always does an outstanding job of weaving humor and real life situations together. The book kicks off with Alice coming home to her boyfriend Joe’s grand gesture. Not only filling their apartment with roses and cooking dinner, but he also rented a hot tub. Of course Alice’s Brother shows up and puts a little damper on the romance plans. The next day Alice shows up to work and finds out she’s being let go. To make things even worse one of Joe’s ex-girlfriend is back in town and before Alice realizes it Zoe has moved in with Joe and her? Alice’s life has definitely been turned upside down and next thing she knows she’s working at the Local pub and really enjoying it. Dominoes, boardgames, friendship, poetry reading, vegetarian cuisine, miscommunication, misunderstanding, A secret love, and a ginger cat.

Alice was a great character who I really adored. Joe seemed like such a great guy, so I really cannot understand why he was allowing his ex to move in with them? I mean how can that go any way but wrong? All of the secondary characters in this book were so colorful and well drawn my favorites being Drew, Shirley, and Maurice. Heck even Zoe grew on me after a while. The book also addresses the #MeToo movement, and while I thought it was handled well I’m not certain that needed to be included in this book? Sophie Ranald never fails to put a smile on my face and this book was no exception to that.

This book in emojis 🐱 🍺 🍲 💐 🎲 🎹

***Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Cute Romantic Comedy
This is a cute story that is neither sweet nor clean. There is so much going on in the story that it is hard to describe. On the romantic level, it is about people appreciating what they have and not letting themselves get distracted by the 'greener pastures' fallacy. On another level, it is about love your job/career or find a new one. The story is very busy, but is well written and is not confusing. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This was a book that was so much more than the average 'girly book' It had a lot of very serious issues and it dealt with them quite well. In saying that I found it hard to get into. it felt very slow to me and took over a week for me to read (which is not like me)

Oh well can't love them all

I enjoyed Ranald's book 'It's Not You It's Him' so I was excited about this one.

Alice and Joe both work at a law firm in central London and have been together for two years. I really loved Alice and Joe's relationship as they truly do seem like the perfect couple and they are written very well.

Something happens at work, meaning that the job offer that Alice had received for when she was fully qualified, has fallen through and she decides to leave and help out with the running of a local pub. I love this. I love that she wasn't happy with where she was and decided to do something that she truly enjoyed, even if that meant taking a pay cut. That pay cut though, meant that it would be tough on Alice and Joe when it came to paying the bills so they decided to rent out their spare room...to Zoë, a girl Joe dated for three months, seven years ago. Firstly, that's bizarre and secondly, I can't see any woman being okay with that.

Obviously, throughout the book Alice gets jealous and has suspicions that Zoë wants to get back together with Joe.

The story does focus on sexual assault so that is just something to be aware of if you are planning on reading.

I loved the parts where Alice was working in the bar and getting to know the regulars, especially Maurice, and his and Wesley's story is so lovely.

It's an easy read that just sort of plodded along for me with no real urgency but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This one was a bit of a struggle for me. I guess I was expecting more rom-com and just had trouble getting past Zoe sliding into Joe and Alice's life. I'm not a jealous person but even this situation was a bit much for me to overlook. A cute couple but I don't fully see a strong enough connection to really root for them.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The story isn’t one that I normally read. I love the boy meets girl, fall in love, happily ever after type of stories. Just saying is not one of those. However, it keeled me interested all the way to the end. I wasn’t expecting the ending that I received, but it was better then I could have hoped. I look forwarded to reading more of Sophie Ranald’s books.

This has great premise but unfortunately not the book for me. The opening chapters were painfully slow, offering little connection and little banter/ comedy to or between the characters. I found it very difficult to get in to and thus believe in. The me too topic was sensitively but seriously approached as well as the difficulties of working and living life in London. I did like the reality of the whole girlfriend/ ex girfriend emotion- I think many women could relate!

Just Saying follows Alice and Joe, trainee lawyers in England as they finish up their training years. Alice and Joe have been dating for a long time, and it's just natural that they will continue to be together. Until it all starts to come apart. They bump into Joe's college girlfriend Zoe, Alice loses her job prospect and becomes a bartender at a dive, and Zoe moves in with them when she breaks up with her boyfriend. Alice is convinced Zoe is there to steal her man, and it doesn't help that Joe doesn't particularly approve of her new profession. But as Alice comes to love her work at the bar and Joe becomes more distant, Alice wonders if they can continue like this. Are they meant to be together, or has he been in love with Zoe since college? Time will tell...

I genuinely thought this was a cute story with a LOT of layers to it. Just Saying tackles not only relationships and the drama that comes from exes, but sexual assault, career crises, and just in general being friends with the opposite sex. There are some communication problems between the characters, but I didn't feel the main conflict could'e been resolved with one conversation so that's a positive for me. As much as there are a lot of layers in this book, I didn't feel like they were overwhelming or popping up randomly. The story arc flowed pretty smoothly even with new topics being broached.

The book in the end did not go how I was expecting, in a GOOD way. It avoided the one part of romance novels that I don't like. I can't really be more clear without giving away a spoiler, but it ended the way I would have wanted it to. Alice makes tremendous progress in tackling her own issues through this book, and as much as he is her boyfriend Joe really is a side character in this story almost. It is THEIR story as a couple it's really Alice's story which I appreciate.

The story was missing something to take it to a full 5 star level, I think some subplots were cut off too quickly or easily. Some more depth could have been added to take this to a 5 star level for me. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and stayed up until about 2am to finish it!

**Thank you to Bookouture, Netgalley, and Sophie Ranald for an early copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

TW: sexual assault

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and my copy of this book via netgalley. I really enjoyed No, We Can't be Friends which I read all the way back in January. The world has changed a lot since then but Sophie's writing was still top-notch!

The main character in this book is Alice. Alice seems to have her life exactly on track until she loses her training contract through no fault of her own. This turns her life on its head. Alice was a relatable character. She is strong, ambitious and normal. This might seem like a weird thing to say but this will be relevant once you have read the book.

I don't think I would ever be in the Alice, Joe, Zoe situation but then desperate times call for desperate measures. I have however been in the Alice/Archie situation. For me, I went in the other direction to these two and realised I needed to end my current relationship because it wasn't working but I'm glad that wasn't the case for these.

This book deals with some serious issues and should have a trigger warning for sexual abuse. It also explores the Windrush generation and homosexuality. This is more than just a rom-com and Sophie writes about all of this in such a gentle way that it doesn't ruin the rom-com vibe of the story. While dealing with serious issues the book will still leave you with a smile on your face.

Just Saying by Sophie Ranald is a representation of what happens to many of us in a relationship in “real life”. Alice and Joe both work at a large law firm, but in different departments. Although they are both almost getting their final step completed before becoming full-fledged lawyers. As such, they both work A LOT! And they’ve become comfortable in their relationship.

Then, Alice’s life blows up! She no longer has a job, Joe and his ex Zoe are reconnecting, and Joe suggests Zoe (and her cat Frazzle) moves in with them to help with their financial issues. Meanwhile, Alice starts working at the local pub, learning she really doesn’t want to be in the city and be a lawyer after all. She brings Zoe into the pub as the cook, (primarily to keep her enemies close), and finds Zoe’s food is a big hit! When her brother also joins her at the pub, she is thrilled! He helps bring the pub to social media, and they are prepared to look at how to improve it even further. Meanwhile, with their hours off, Joe and Alice start drifting apart. Alice starts to feel that Joe may still have feelings for Zoe, and she’s fairly sure Zoe has feelings still for Joe.

I enjoyed this book, showing a lot of what is reality for many of us with our relationships and extended groups of friends. The characters are well developed, and some of the secondary characters seemed to overshadow the main characters in spots. But I enjoyed their interactions, and they provided the support Alice needed when she needed it. I would not say this is a swoon worthy book, but it was a realistic approach to love. Recommended.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

First, I want to thank Sophie Ranald, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Just Saying you need to read this amazing comical book by Sophie Ranald! She had me cracking up laughing so many times during this book! It is such a fun read!

Gotta love the cover and how it looks cartoonish! Kudos to the graphic designer on this one.

There was a part of the story that I was shocked that she went there with. Nobody in my history of reading tackled the comical yet TMI scene! Way to think outside of the box!! I was shaking my head the whole scene!

I loved learning about the backstory of Joe and Alice’s relationship and how it evolved to today! It was such a beautiful story.

Say Anything tackled a difficult subject sexual abuse by someone in authority.

Sophie started writing this novel when the first news of the Covid pandemic hit. She talks about her experience dealing with this new world. Not to mention how humbled she is to have been contacted by readers about how much her books kept them entertained. She thanks you for reading.

Alice and Joe are both solicitors for the same company but in different departments. They work very long hours trying to fight their way up the ladder. Joe treats Alice so well and he’s a wonderful cook.

Life is good for them until one day while lunching at a food stall, Joe locks eyes with Zoe, whom he calls an old friend. Alice isn’t so sure until she comes home one day to find that Joe has invited Zoe and her cat, Frazzle, to rent their second bedroom. Alice is not pleased about this arrangement because Joe and Zoe are so happy together as they are always cooking.

Alice had just left her job due to an “incident" and is now working for a pub. It’s rather old but has some quirky people who frequent it. As she becomes more involved in the pub itself and the customers, she sees the potential in the place and how it could use some improvements. She is hooked on it and even Zoe joins in as the new cook. Her plant based food dishes and new activities bring in lots of people making the pub a busy and happy place. Could trouble be brewing with Joe and Alice because here she is now happy working in a pub when she could be back working as a solicitor making more money? Could their relationship be about to break up?

This is a clever book with several plots going on that shows how people come together as they take care of one another and work for the future of all of them. I liked Alice, Joe, and even Zoe. I also had a soft spot for Frazzle because I love cats and I find that adding a cat to a story is like the sugar on top.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the third book by Sophie Ranald that I have read so was expecting another chic-lit book but it was much more than that as it also dealt with some serious issues too. Funny at times and emotional at others. Overall a good read. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

With the world feeling like it’s on fire, I’ve been craving light hearted books and this one did not disappoint!

Just Saying follows Alice and her life in London. She is about to qualify as a lawyer when her boss is let go because of sexual misconduct allegations which ring all too true for Alice. Now the job she was supposed to have when she became a lawyer isn’t there and she begins to second guess her career choice completely. So she starts taking shifts at a local pub. Meanwhile her boyfriend, Joe, runs into his Ex Zoe and upon finding out she needs a place to stay, asks her to move in with him and Alice. Basically Alice’s life has completely turned upside down. Now she is forced to confront the reality that the life she’s so carefully constructed might not be what she wanted after all.

Honestly, this book isn’t amazing. But it’s light and a quick read. I liked the characters and the dynamic between them. I like how while the book deals with heavier topics like sexual assault and trauma, the author was able to keep the different tones of the novel balanced. Nothing felt overshadowed or under represented which I liked.

Again, there were a lot of rom com cliches but I didn’t mind them that much. The humour wasn’t really there for me but overall it was an okay read! If you’re looking for something to take your mind off of the current craziness, even for a moment, I would definitely recommend this! ☺️