This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!! This book was unputdownable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Shari had me transporting around the world in a quest to revisit past relationships in the hopes of finding her happily ever after. I was hooked from the beginning and the romantic in me was just willing for everything to work out. I enjoyed the highs and lows the laughs and the sadness in this story. I highly recommend you give it a read.

A fun although slightly dated romcom of a story.
This book is 20yrs old now and it takes you back to the days before social media, before everyone had a mobile. The friendships of the girls / women in this story are no doubt the best thing in Cooper’s life but the life she leads and experiences she gains from taking chances and living her life bring the humour and fun. The loves and men are just the supporting acts.
It’s worth a read for the nostalgia alone but mostly for the giggles

This book was originally released 20 years ago, and is now being re-released for its 20th anniversary. I have to admit, I didn’t realise this until I started to read and wondered why it was all set in the late 1990’s!! I did initially think the storyline may be a bit dated and therefore may spoil it, but I was most definitely wrong!!! We meet Carly Cooper who, having reached her 30’s and is still single, wonders out of all the men she has loved what if one of them was her Mr Right! I have to admit, it didn’t really matter what decade the storyline was set, as once I started reading I was so hooked into Carly’s story that I didn’t even realise what was going on around me!

I loved Carly’s character! As the younger Carly, she’s fun, flirty and care-free! As the older Carly though she begins to re-evaluate her life and wonders whether any of the men she loved was her Mr Right, and she just never gave their relationship a chance. She decides, if not somewhat irresponsibly, to charge up her credit cards, leave her job and search the world for the few men she could honestly say she loved at the time. The premise of the storyline was fabulous and completely original, with the dual times switching chapter to chapter from present day to Carly’s earlier times. She certainly led a very interesting life then, moving around the world from job to job, and man to man! I loved the idea to go, 12 years later, and find them all, which certainly proved eye-opening!! Carly most definitely epitomises what it’s like to be unlucky in love!

Alongside Carly’s character, we are treated to an array of wonderful supporting characters consisting of Carly’s best friends, family and of the course the people she meets on her travels. I loved almost all of the men she meets (with an exception of one!) and putting myself in her position I would have definitely have chosen all of them to be the love of my life as they were all perfect in one way or another!! The book is a sheer delight to read, with a wonderfully funny and heart-warming storyline. It captures you into the storyline very early in the book and doesn’t let you go until the very last word! Much to my husband’s annoyance I finished the last quarter of the book on a Sunday morning, refusing to get out of bed until I’d finished it!!

I’ve read many of this author’s books but I have to admit that this is most definitely my favourite so far. In the author’s notes at the end of the book, it is mentioned that there will be a sequel, catching up on Carly’s story 20 years later! I’m so excited for this book, and literally cannot wait to meet back up with Carly to see how her life turned out! What If? is a fabulous funny, emotional and romantic read and I loved loved LOVED it!! Take a trip back to the 90’s and read one of the best books I’ve read this year!!

Five friends that you wish you knew in real time. Friends that you know in your own social circle. The impulsive mad one who is always on a roller-coaster adventure decides to go back over her romantic history. The mad escapades and tales will make you smile and laugh. Can't wait to read the follow up book What now? Not the first book I have read read by Shari Low and by just seeing her name on the cover I know I will have a fantastic book to read.

I have been and still am a fan of Helen Fielding and Sophie Kinsella; and back in the day I was a consumer of many other chick lit titles. But I couldn’t kindle to this one. Maybe I’ve just reached my saturation point with the genre, but I just felt Low was trying to hard to be cute. It all just felt dated rather than classic.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

It’s fair to say I’ve enjoyed more than my fair share of Shari Low books over the years. How wonderful to visit the book where it all began and what a lovely story it is. It makes you want to take a good look at yourself

What If? Is a very funny story set back in the 90s. As the year 2000 is fast approaching, Carly Cooper decides that she needs to take stock of her life and settle down before she hits 30. She feels that one of the 6 great loves of her life, really could have been "the one" so she quits her job and sets off on an around the world trip to hunt down these 6 men.


The story flips back further in time where we witness a younger Carly fall in and out of love with a succession of boys/young men. Times that involve a lot of booze, varying amounts of sex, and take her to Benidorm, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Dublin, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and London.



What If is not only a good story in its own right, but it's a fun trip down memory lane that had me remembering songs, tv shows, technology and the food mentioned. Supported by her troupe of childhood friends, this book is crying out to be made into a romcom movie.

I think it would have been a good idea to state the year of each chapter in the title, as sometimes it took me a while to realise the story had reverted to a different time, but I still really enjoyed it.

What If was originally published 20 years ago as Shari Low's very first novel. 20 years and 20 books later this has been rereleased in preparation for the 2021 sequel What Now. I can't wait to read that.

Shari has such a witty way of writing that makes for an easy, fun read. This book is highly recommended and bound to put a smile on your face.

Shari Low has a real talent for creating characters who are memorable, witty, completely off centre but loveable anyway.

As Carly Cooper edges towards 30, she wonders if she has let Mr Right slip through her fingers. She decides to track down her old boyfriends to see if any of them are THE ONE.

Naturally all does not go to plan and although I found Carly quite selfish and immature, she did grow on me. This is an amusing tale of lost love, rejected love, young love, revenge love and possibly love ever after.

Read, laugh and enjoy.

Carly Cooper's love life is a mess she goes from one relationship to another but at the first sign of commitment doubt starts to set in and she self sabotages what could be her perfect relationship and happy ever after. Now with months to go until not only a new year but a new millennium she decides to set out on an adventure of her lifetime and reconnect with all her exes.
What If? Is funny, relatable and kept me hooked from start to finish, Im really excited about the sequel, this will definitely be on my must read list.

Carly is approaching thirty, single, and in a job she hates. After reminiscing on her five ex’s, who are all “the one who got away”, she decided to take a world-wide trip to find them all and see if maybe her past is her future after all. ⁣
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This book was so much fun! I loved the journey of meeting all Carly’s ex’s, and then re-meeting them again. I haven’t read many British chick lit books, but this book was pretty hilarious. It was probably a hit when it was first released, but this re-release adds a special nostalgia for all who dated in the nineties. There are so many 90’s references that it also seems it was made to be released for nostalgic purposes. This book is also a testament to friendship, as Carly’s part of a close knit group of friends, which basically gets her through the craziness of the book. ⁣
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What If? re-releases 9/29. ⁣
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“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧.... 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭.”⁣
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I truly enjoyed this book. It had it all love, laughs, friendships, mistakes and forgiveness.
Carly Cooper goes through her twenties falling in and out of love with several men. She moves around, changes jobs, and leaves broken hearts all over the globe. Carly never truly means to hurt anyone, she just never finds her mister perfect. Carly and her group of friends go through all the trials and tribulations of life together, celebrating when needed and crying when all else fails.
One day Carly realizes she needs to reevaluate her life, quits her job, sells her flat, and begins a year long journey to reconnect with the men she left behind. She knows that all the relationships ended because she left, and perhaps she left mister right behind after all. Her journey takes her all around the world again, reacquainting with friends, meeting up with past loves, and finding the answers to her life questions. Along the way her friends also seem to find their way.
Great read, will make you cry, laugh out loud, yell and cheer!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun lighthearted read. Made me giggle a lot. Cooper is a friend everyone would want to have! It was fun traveling the world with Carly through this book, seeing what all her exes were up to. And a surprise ending with who Carly finally ends up with! I can’t wait to read the sequel “what now” when it comes out to see where everyone is 20 years later in their lives! Especially Carly Cooper!

Dang I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!! I love Shari Low's way of writing funny, feel good stories that make you laugh, emphasis w/the characters, and are fun reads all around. If you haven't read one of her books i highly recommend that you go buy a few NOW.
Note: this is a republication of her very first novel. 20 years and celebrating for this amazing author. Thank you to Netgalley and BoldWood Books for my honest review

I've been reading British "Chick Lit" since Helen Fielding and Jane Green in 1996. Somehow, Shari Low's "What If?" escaped me, but I'm so glad I did finally read it.
It's the 20th anniversary of "What If." Some of it is a bit dated but not to the detriment of the book. It's crazy to think how far we've come since 1999.
Carly Cooper is barreling towards 30 and is having a bit of a life crisis. She's in a job she hates selling toilet paper (side note - it's funny how prophetic this book was: " There's a future in toilet rolls. They'll be here long after all this modern technology like CDs and carphones are on a scrap heap somewhere.") and she is a failure at love. She's been engaged or nearly engaged half a dozen times but wonders if maybe she made a mistake and one of those that she ran from was Mr. Right. She decides to embark on a trip around the world to track down all of her ex-es and see if she missed something. Nowadays, she could look them up on Facebook or somewhere on the internet and find out without maxing out her credit cards but back in 1999? She had to do it the old fashioned way, by tracking down last known residences, calling every Lowery in the phone book and relying on the friend of a friend of a friend.
This is the story of 6 ex-es and what happens when Carly Cooper tracks them down years later. Will there be a rekindling with Nick, Joe, Doug, Tom, Phil or Sam? Will she find her happily ever after with someone from her past?
I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit nostalgic for me. I loved that each chapter was named after a pop song of the times. I started putting the songs into a Spotify playlist to listen to as I read the book. Each boyfriend was so different and I really looked forward to reading about each reunion. And the book has me anxiously waiting for the follow up!

I was intrigued by this book as it was published some time ago originally. I could relate to the timeline as it’s similar to mine. It’s a fun romp where we learn about Carlys love life in her teens and twenties and then her plan to revisit these men to see if she missed the man of her dreams.
I think parts of it would seem a little dated now, and the premise that she needs a man once she has reached a certain point in her life, may irk the feminists, but overall, it’s an entertaining read and has a decent ending.
It’s funny and an easy read. Perfect for the beach or a weekend away.

What If? By Shari Low is a fun romance set at the end of the nineties. Carly Cooper is a single thirty year old living in London working for a toilet paper company wondering how she ended up here. After being fed up with her single status and selling tp she decides to revisit the men of her past. This book takes place in the past showing how her relationship with each man went, then the present when she tracks them down in her quest for true love. The premise is fun and it’s an interesting look at this moment in time, however it felt slow to start for me. I didn’t see the ending coming and am glad I finished the book to see where everyone would end up, however it took a long time to get there.

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

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

More Runaway Fiancée than Runaway Bride... 🤣 🏃🏻‍♀️

Carly Cooper, 30, her friends seem to be settling down, and yet she's still single, reminiscing over her exes and whether her Mr Right got away. Carly takes us from the present time, then back to her first girlie holiday, on losing her virginity, then alternating between present time to each ex and how each story unfolds. (Each ending reminding me of Runaway Bride, but more Runaway Fiancée). Moving on to a trip, retracing steps of how she met each Ex, to try meet them again and work out if they were 'the one'.... each with its own amusing tale.

I'm sure must of us have thought What If... on more than one occasion in our time. Carly is a very relatable character, the question is... does she find her Mr Right, or was he right in front of her all along?

What If... is a great light hearted read, I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Carly Cooper is 30, single, and after coming close to saying ‘I Do’ to six different men, she’s wondering if she accidentally said ‘goodbye' to Mr Right. But there is a problem.
Her ex-boyfriends are scattered all over the world and Carly lives in 1999; an era before Facebook, Google, smartphones, 4G and Broadband, when it was impossible to track people down with a few clicks of a mouse. On a mission to discover if she walked away from her 'happy ever after', Carly quits her job, her flat, her whole life and sets off on a quest to track down all the men she has ever loved. Her Mr Right is out there, but can she find him? And what if he’s moved on from the ex-girlfriend who said goodbye?

This is a re-release of Low's first book to celebrate 20 years and in anticipation of a sequel next year. You can definitely tell this is a first book, it is rough around the edges however the characters are a delight and the plot is very entertaining. The first part of the read details Carly's past relationships through flashbacks. I found this very strong and enjoyed reading about all of Carly's romantic mishaps. There are a lot of them! The second part follows Carly as she tracks down all of her exes to see if she made a mistake letting any go. To be honest I thought I would enjoy the second part more, however it was rushed and Low does not devote enough time to the adventure. As a result, the first part is a lot stronger and more developed.

Overall though the plot is a real delight and incredibly entertaining. Yes it is obvious but when it provides this much enjoyment, does it really matter?

The characters, as I have already mentioned, are wonderful. It is such a cliché but the characters came to feel like my group of friends. I loved getting to know them and seeing what they get up to in their own lives, which are every bit as eventful as Carly's. Carly and her friends make for a fantastic cast, this proved to be a good introduction to them and I look forward to seeing what they have got up to in the twenty year gap.

'What If?' is a very enjoyable read but you do have to overlook the flaws. Having said this, I absolutely loved reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy.