This is a really interesting way to tell a story. It ends up feeling like a friend telling you a story because so much of it is flashback. Are we at the point where pointing out things are cliche is a cliche? This whole book is ridiculous things happening and then the characters saying how ridiculous they are. You should trust your readers' suspensions of disbelief. Half the fun of reading these kinds of books is reveling in the wacky shenanigans and marveling at the odds of these things actually happening. Still enjoyed it, but I couldn't read another book like this right after.

Plot Twist by Bethany Turner
⭐⭐⭐💫

Olivia Ross was a struggling screenplay writer when she met Sexy Irish Guy, a struggling actor, on June 4, 2003. Their encounter turned into a meaningful, warm conversation where sparks fly and they made a pact to meet again at the same place, same time 10 years down the road. By that time, Sexy Irish Guy would have been a famous actor and Olivia would have a great screenplay written for him and the two would make a movie together. Without knowing each other's name, they went their separate ways.

The chapters continue where the story takes place on June 4 every year for the span of a decade and each June forth is full of coincidence and ironies. Some year was sweet, some was fun (hello George Clooney, Eva Longoria and Vera Wang!), and some are unfortunate but Sexy Irish Guy never leaves her mind.

Will Olivia and Sexy Irish Guy make it on the 10th anniversary of their meet cute?

*  *  *

The premise of the story was what made me interested in the first place. I thought it was cute and I love their meet cute at the cafe! This book is star studded it's like having a glimpse on how it's like living in Hollywood. So near to the stars but never one of them.

And I did not see the plot twist at the end coming at all!

Honestly, this story is more about friendship than romance. I love the kind of friendship Olivia and her best friend Fiona has. Through thick and thin, many career change, and they definitely never let any men comes between their friendship. And speaking of men, sigh. We really don't know what we've got til it's gone, don't we? Throughout the book I wonder if Olivia will gather her courage and go after the love of her life.

That being said, one thing bothers me. The story starts when Olivia was 30 when she was lost and confused. Almost a decade later, she is still lost, confused and afraid to fight for what she wants and it just doesn't sit with me. I mean, yeah, sometimes you find yourself floating, trying to find your footing in life but I think at mid 30s, you get a sense of yourself and your bearing.

Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for an eARC of Plot Twist in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun book! I thought I saw the plot twists coming, but I was totally wrong. I also loved the combination between the fantastical (I'm looking at you, Clooney) and the realism (ahh, career trajectories). Overall, I thought this was a great summer read!

This felt like breaking the 4th wall at times. Such a cool premise and was so well done. I loved that the book was cute while still having depth! Have already recommended to friends.

This is a tough one to review. It's not my jam (I almost DNF'd multiple times), but I think there's a place for it and a significant audience for it. If you like Hallmark channel movies but find them a little too saccharine, this book might be for you — character-driven, slow-burn, PG romance that isn't too cloying or overtly religious. I'm fine with all of that, and I did think the overall plot (and the twist) were clever and interesting. My main issue is that I didn't really like the main character. It's hard to root for someone's HEA through a slow-burn, 10-year plotline when you aren't enjoying hanging out with them and aren't sure you want them in another character's life for the long haul.

As we enter the story, Olivia is a 30-year-old, somewhat aspiring screenwriter who likes classic Hollywood movies and serious films. She disdains rom-coms and anything sappy or cutesy, but she supports herself by writing both sappy and cutesy greeting card content for a Hallmarkesque company. (I'm not judging. That's probably the most realistic bit of the book. I'm not sure you could support yourself in L.A. doing that now, but it might have just been possible in 2003). She calls herself a Joan Cusack type — ever a supporting character and never a lead — but Joan is supportive AND interesting, and I didn't find Olivia to be either (or kind or respectful or honest or self-aware). We're told, rather than shown, that she's funny and smart and beautiful. She has clearly captivated her friends, Fiona and Liam, and a charming aspiring actor who helps rescue her from unwanted creeper attention in a coffee shop in the opening scenes. She and the actor make a pact to meet back at the shop in 10 years, on February 4, 2013, to make her film together. For the rest of the book, we check in on each February 4 to see how things are going with the screenplay and life, and to find that there's always a series of coincidences or ironies (of the Alanis Morissette variety, not the Lit 101 variety) involving Olivia, the actor, and her friends. By the tenth February 4, they've been through some ups and downs, and we've covered a lot of fun pop culture territory — but will the meetup and the movie actually happen?

The screenplay/movie thing hardly held my attention. I liked seeing the edits/changes made as time went by, but other than that, I barely cared about it by the end. But I was motivated to stick around to see where these characters ended up. Well, one character in particular. The overall character development wasn't what I wanted, but the last 1/3 of the book was definitely better than the first 2/3, so I'm moderately satisfied that I made it to the end.

Topics, tropes and themes: LA culture, pop culture of the early 2000s, struggling writer, 30-somethings, lifelong friends, sibling rivalry, self-esteem, self-awareness, love triangle, being the star of your own life,
Content notes: love triangle, cheating, controlling behavior via lies of omission, months-long estrangements, all privileged characters (middle class country club set)

My thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for a digital ARC.

i didn't read any reviews before reading this and i probably should've. is not a bad book by any means, but is just not for me. it read like a hallmark movie, in a bad way and i struggled to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bethany Turner and Thomas Nelson for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would. I was concerned that the plot wouldn't work so well, but it is unique and it works really well! The chapters are longer than I would like, but it was so clever of Turner to use each chapter as a year of the main characters life. I also really enjoyed the greeting cards at the beginning of each chapter and I kind of wish that there were actually cards like that out there. I really enjoyed the three main characters and really felt for them and their issues throughout the decade. I adored the love story in this one and how back and forth it goes. The ending was definitely my favorite because I really didn't see it coming and it was so shocking that I had to read it twice. I'm also a sucker for a happy ending so it is the perfect ending for me! Definitely recommend!

“ You deserve someone whose love for you causes them to be a person worthy of you.”

Plot Twist by Bethan Turner is a story that made me laugh, made me wonder, and had me guessing how it would turn out till the end. In this romantic comedy I enjoyed the characters and I loved the idea of visiting someone’s life one day a year for ten years. Bethany Turner’s insights on life and love kept me laughing and thinking. She is one of my favorite story tellers.

“Like the way a great scarf can make an outfit you love even better, but you can’t go out dressed in just the scarf.”

Plot Twist was funny, romantic, embraced life, and reminded me to be my best self. I really enjoyed it. I recommend it.

I received a copy from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.
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What a book! This book was an absolutely unexpected marvel! I did not expect the story that played out or how it managed to constantly tug on my heartstrings. Ironically I wasn’t sure about this book at first. It started off really well but then seemed to lag and I was disappointed and wondering if it was worth continuing and before I had the chance to think that through it ramped up and I could not look away. The pacing after that was perfect and I found myself completely caught up in the pages. The author has crafted such a beautiful story I highly recommend it. There is the potential for this to be easily ruined so I would also recommend you dive in and avoid reviews that could spoil the magic before you experience it. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

Plot Twist follows Olivia, an aspiring screenwriter, who has a meet cute with an actor at a coffee shop. After their chance encounter, they make a pact - in 10 years, after they have achieved all of their success, they will return to the coffee shop and make a film together. Problem is Olivia never gets the actor’s name. Over the next 10 years , we check in with Olivia and others on the same day each year. She still thinks about the coffee shop actor and becomes convinced that he is A-lister Hamish Macdougal. As she dreams of their reunion, she may be missing the real romance playing out in front of her.

This was a cute story with a fun storyline. However, I did have some issues with the pacing. Spanning ten years plus a slow burn romance, I found it to drag a bit in places. I also wanted to see a bit more growth with the characters since, at the top of the story, Olivia and the characters are 30 years old and as they approach 40, they continue to feel like 20-somethings. That being said, I loved the humor and the dialogue. The romance does pay off and the finale is very sweet and fun. It may not have been the book for me, but I feel that if you go in with the right expectations of a unique character-driven (vs romance-driven) story, you will find Plot Twist to be a heartwarming, sweet book. Fans of Beth O’Leary definitely need to check this one out when it releases on 6/15/21.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

The plot of this book reminded me somewhat of the movie The Serendipity! I enjoyed the unique plot setting where each chapter is a year in the life of MC!

Olivia is a greeting card writer with aspiration to be a screenwriter one day! On the eventful day of Feb 4, 2003, she meets this struggling actor at a coffee shop in Culver City, CA. They both hit it off instantaneously and make a remarkable deal ! They both will meet at the same coffee shop Feb 4, 2013, I.e. 10 years from their first meeting and by that time, Olivia will have a script written and the actor will cast in the movie!

Side character of her friend Fiona and her boyfriend Liam were more likable than Olivia! I would have enjoyed more character development which was a bit lacking and Olivia was way too immature in my opinion!

I enjoyed the uniqueness and the concept of the plot! Get a copy of this book on its release day of June 15, 2021 to be utterly surprised by the unexpected ending!

Thank you @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the gifted galley in exchange of my honest review!

Olivia Ross is a greeting card slogan writer who aspires to write award-winning screenplays. At a coffee shop one day she encounters a handsome stranger ... who she later recognizes as Hamish MacDougal, a heartthrob actor destined to be an A-lister. The two hatch a plot to meet back at the coffee shop in exactly ten years.

We visit Olivia every year on the anniversary of her encounter and each year shenanigans ensue. She dumps her boyfriend, Liam, because she thinks he's too good for her; George Clooney bids on her in a charity auction; she sees Hamish in LAX. All the while she struggles to write the perfect screenplay with Hamish as the leading man. What will happen when their decade-in-the-making date finally happens?

This was a fun, fluffy romcom that deals with friendship, love, and pursuing dreams. I liked that Olivia was a little bit older than most romance novel heroines--she's 40 by the time of her reunion with her dreamy actor date--and appreciated Turner's focus on her friendship with glamorous pal Fiona. I tended to skim over Olivia's sometimes-excessive inner dialogue, but otherwise was rooting for her and her guy to get together. And while I anticipated the major "plot twist" at the end, there's another surprise that had me smiling. Plus the greeting card slogans between each chapter were clever and cute.

This is a very engaging story, one that I read over a two-day period. The dialogue is cute and quirky, yet believable. But I was unendingly frustrated with the MCs. Olivia thinks she’s this dumpy, sad sack of a person, but we’re given no reason for her to feel that way - her life is actually pretty great, so naturally she breaks up with a boyfriend who was exactly perfect for her. And while she’s acting the martyr, pining for the love of her life, not really dating anyone, said love of her life (who’s supposedly miserable and pining for her as well) has at least two major relationships that we’re aware of, so he can’t be pining too hard if he’s still getting laid. (Note that this is an entirely clean book and intimacy isn’t even referred to by the author. This is simply how my cynical self interprets boyfriend’s behavior because, seriously, they’re in their 30s when the book starts, so none of the characters can realistically be totally chaste).

Believe it or not, I still liked this book. With each chapter covering just one day in the course of a decade, I simply HAD to know what would happen next. And honestly, Olivia and Fiona have the true love story of the book. :)

I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Fiction through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Slow burn.
Unrelatable self-deprecating main character with zero development in the decade we follow her.
Atrociously annoying “best friend”/ supporting character.
Inconsistencies galore - MC constantly says she doesn’t know “who’s who” in Hollywood yet constantly names old school movies and actors. Somehow her “friend” with no degree, who job hops, is thrust into amazing opportunists around A-List celebs nonstop?!
The last chapter... just no. 😅

I gave it the old college try- I just can’t love it ☹️

Plot Twist has everything you want in a rom-com! An unexpected love story, an amazing best friend, heartache, pop culture references, humor, swoony-worthy guys, and a journey of self discovery.

February 4, 2003 started out like any other day with Olivia sitting at a coffee shop trying to get work done until a handsome man sits down and eventually ends up saving Olivia from another suitor. Together, they make a pact to meet up in 10 years with a finished screenplay from Olivia and a handful of awards for him. Despite not knowing his name, something always seems to happen on February 4th of every year that ties back to him.

Olivia is so relatable and she is exactly the kind of character you want to read about in a rom-com. Through Olivia's decade long journey you feel every emotion with her and constantly root for her just like her best friend does, Plot Twist is a quick and easy fun filled rom-com read worthy to be read by all rom-com lovers!

Bethany Turner's Plot Twist has a delightful gimmick. And she tells the story with wonderful humor and heartache.

Firstly, I loved how it spanned from 2003-2013. We really got to see Olivia grow and develop over the years.

It was a lighthearted fun read that kept me wanting to read more. I loved the friendships in the book also. Although fun there was an interesting twist!

This has a clever premise - Olivia meets an actor on 4 February 2003 when he saves her from an obnoxious guy in a coffee shop and they agree to meet in 2013 when she will have finished her screenplay and he will be a famous actor. She never gets his name. Each chapter sees Olivia on the next 04 February, giving us insight into her life, her friendship with Fiona, and her relationship with Liam. The transition from greeting card writer to screenplay author is tortuous for her and you gotta give her credit for keeping up with it. The only thing is, her voice sounds the same at the start as it does at the end, when she's, ahem, 40, and I wasn't thrilled with some of her decisions but she does own them. No spoilers from me on how this turns out but know that there is, in fact, a plot twist. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A light, clean, rom-com.

I have enjoyed Bethany’s other books - I know she brings a lot of fun pop culture references- which she delivered in this book. I was intrigued by the beginning but I wanted more by the end.

This book consists of the same date, February 4th, and covers 10 years worth. It’s an interesting was to plot a story but I didn’t like that there wasn’t any growth from the MC until the 9th year which is like 85% into the book. Everything before then was interesting ways for Feb 4th to play out and then half of the writing was telling rather than showing- to explain what happened the rest of the year after Feb 4th.

I liked the twist at the end but by the end I didn’t care for Olivia and if she got an HEA. She isn’t a good friend and kisses other people’s boyfriend. Olivia is lost in the book which shows in this book.

Olivia doesn’t think she’s a leading lady and compares herself to Joan Cusack but her friends see her for the leading lady she is - I wish we could’ve seen more of that throughout the book. This is published by Thomas Nelson and has no faith element and I think that could’ve helped Olivia find herself.

It was a cute read. I received a copy from the publisher and Net Galley. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

After meeting a cute stranger in a coffee shop, Olivia agrees to meet up with him again in 10 years - he with his Emmy's and she with her screenplay for him to star in. Every year on that same date Olivia experiences coincidences and ironies worthy of any rom-com. Is this all leading her to her rom-com worthy fate or in waiting for this day will she completely miss living her real life?

I enjoyed the unique writing style, the characters, and the - wait for it - plot twist at the end. The story really did read like a rom-com as well; the words easily melted into scenes from a movie in my mind and had a very satisfying and romantic end - as all rom-coms should.