Well let me begin by saying that Angela Marsons is one of my all time favorite authors. Her crime thrillers are just phenomenal. So when I heard she was writing a romcom, I was gobsmacked and had to preorder immediately! It’s always fun to take a little break from the dark thrillers I read to breathe a little lighter with a sweet and funny romcom. If Only did not disappoint! It was everything I want in a lighthearted yet tender and funny book that tugs at my heartstrings. Marsons managed to make me love and want to throttle all three main characters simultaneously. She’s talented like that. And all for different reasons! This book definitely makes you think about the what ifs and the if only scenarios in your life! How differently things could turn out!
I’ll also say that if you enjoy this book but are bummer because Angie only wrote the one romcom (for now), I HIGHLY recommend that you check out the amazing romcom books by Kim Nash… who happens to be who If Only is dedicated to!

in If Only, Cher declares that she wants Michael Hunter to fall deeply in love with her. Michael is funny, gorgeous, smart and is about to become Cher's boss. Other people do not see Michael the same way that Cher does. In addition to his good attributes. he is also self centered, snobby and condescending. Michael barely looks at Cher unless he needs her to bring something to him. Her workmate tries to warn Cher about Michael. Dan cares about Cher as a friend but has an attraction to her also. He is a genuine good guy.
Her best friends also have drama in their lives. Sarah wants to start a new life with a man who won't commit. Deb has a great fiance' but her future mother=in-law in turning her wedding into the wedding from hell.

This book is hilarious and full of twists and turns. I highly recommend it.

So this was an interesting reading experience, mostly because the blurb totally misled me. So I went into this, thinking I knew what to expect but it turned out that this is a completely different story. This does follow three women but the wish part doesn't play a huge part apart from being mentioned twice.

Deb was my favourite character in the sense that she was the only character whose story I was invested in.

Sarah - I have complicated feelings about. At first, I couldn't stand her and I honestly don't get why she makes a lot of the decisions she did and hated reading about her so long but I also did see some character growth and I like the character she ended up being. If I was to read a story about her as the character she is by the end of the story, I would probably enjoy it more. The fact that I hated the guy she's in love with didn't help.

Cher was my least favourite character. In all honesty, I feel like Marsons was trying to write a Sophie Kinsella esque heroine but unfortunately, Cher lacked the...charm for the lack of a better word that Kinsella's heroines typically hold. It was honestly so painful to read about her for most of the book though there were a few moments that I did like. I also feel like there wasn't any character growth for Cher. Maybe if there had been some, I would have enjoyed this more.


Overall, I wouldn't recommend this because it was an okay, predictable read for me and though I feel satisfied with the ending, I wouldn't say I actively enjoyed reading this unless it was Deb or Sarah near the end.

I really enjoy hearing different perspectives within a book, but I really had a hard time connecting with one of the three main characters. I felt the trials of the bride-to-be were likely annoying, but not as every life changing as the other two. Of the three women, the strongest character was Cher. Her attempts at getting what she wanted didn't destroy someone else's life, and was more to her own detriment. Deb's anger at her soon-to-be mother-in-law was truly something that could have been squashed had she been more open and honest about her disappointment in the interference. And Sarah was knowingly the other woman, which bothers me. Overall, I really enjoyed the ending, as it ends the way most romantic comedies do.

Don’t condemn what you can’t comprehend.

I still don’t know what to think about this book for I am still confused. This book sure as hell left me dumb-founded. Some chapters are really good and some are really bad. Lets once see the blurb.

"I want Michael Hunter to fall so deeply in love with me that he can’t bear to be more than 50 feet away,” Cher declares to her best friends over cheesecake and wine. But what if she’s searching for happiness in the wrong place?


I hated this part about Cher. She was SO OBSESSED with Michael Hunter!

As Cher types up letters about overflowing rubbish bins in a job she hates, she dreams of Michael Hunter. He’s gorgeous, smart, funny, and he’s about to become her new boss. But he barely looks at Cher except to ask for a coffee refill. How can she get him to notice she’s the perfect girl for him?

That is what Cher ever think about. ‘Michael Hunter. Michael Hunter. Michael Hunter. He is my love. He is my heart. The love of my life.’

While Cher ignores the warning from workmate Dan that Michael is bad news, her friends have their own problems to fix.

Okay, I hope we all are clear about one thing. Cher doesn’t deserve Dan. Dan is too good for her, too sweet for her, he is someone that deserves the love of someone way better than Dan. Dan is awesome though! Michael is not.

Sarah is longing to start a new life with a man who won’t commit,

I hated her at first. She was just-too much. She acted like one of those ‘drama queens’. Thank the saints she finally (a bit) learned her lesson by the end.

and bride-to-be Deb should be looking forward to her wedding, but her future mother-in-law is turning it into a nightmare from hell.... If only her fiancé could see it that way.

Deb is alright but her future mother-in-law wasn’t.

So, when one summer evening, over several glasses of wine, Cher, Sarah, and Deb stumble across an old book and decide to cast a wishing spell, they don’t think for one minute that it will come true. It’s just three best friends having a laugh and throwing some herbs around the garden. Or is it?

That whole para is wrong. It isn’t as cheerful as it sounds. There is not one drop of magic in the whole story.

Listening Length: 9 hours and 36 minutes

9 hours and 36 minutes of hell and heaven.

Plot:

Cher, Sarah and Deb are three best friends who have their own problems and suffering. They utter some magic words and BAM! Everything changes. Their lives change. For good or bad? Read and find out.

Michael suddenly talks to Cher which doesn’t involve coffee.

David chooses to live with Sarah.

And there is a new wedding date for Deb that might actually go according to her plans without Margie (mother-in-law) involving.

But at what cost?

Would they fully have what they deeply wanted or would they regret uttering the words? Choose your words carefully. I think that’s the moral…

The Writing:

It was alright but a bit um dolty? Its also a bit chatty. But I didn’t get attached to it; the sentences didn’t pull me in and it felt incomplete.

The Characters

Cher

One of the most annoying character I have ever met. I enjoyed her chapters at first even though it was just a holy Michael Hunter chant. But then it got to a point where I just couldn’t handle it anymore. She was way worse than both Sarah and Deb combined. I kept skipping (a bit) her chapters continuously so now I have zero idea what happened to her by the end. I just remember her finally think ‘but she DID love him’ to Dan. Seriously?

Sarah

I don’t know whether I like her or hate her, but I do feel bad for her by the end. She was the only character that I liked out of the three and the one I connected with and didn’t feel annoyed.

I kinda feel ashamed (a bit) that I liked her but one cannot control their heart. It has a mind of it own. But mostly I think liking arose from pity. I swear her story by the end is really mobilising.

Deb

I liked her but by the end I didn’t feel any kind of connection which is annoying as I found her personality better than that of Sarah’s. She was not treated properly by Margie which angered me. (obviously!) I don’t have much to add but she is really sweet. You all would love her.

Michael

Number one asshole in this book. He was just Cher for his own good and didn’t deserve a~n~y~t~h~i~n.

Dan

I liked Dan. He was sweet, kind, polite and not someone who should settle for someone like Cher. Not judging though…

The Ending:

Th ending seriously disappointed me. It was fine and okay if your expectations are low but this just didn’t meet mine. Romantically. Personally. In every way. I would have given it a 4 star if there was an alternate ending to this book.

My thoughts:

Well, it wasn’t that bad and is definitely worth a read. It did have flaws and the characters were a bit bland whose world revolved around the men but this was a sweet read. Don’t let that three star fool you.

Audiobook Comments:

This was the first audiobook that I have ever listened and man! Its long!
The voice was a bit breathy and failed to pull me in some chapters but overall, it okay and definitely worth listening to. To be honest, the voice suited this book.

~Is it time to start wishing and start living?~

This is the first time I read a book by this author, and I have to say that I will definitely be reading others. This book was enjoyable and entertaining to read. I really like that the three main characters experienced growth by the end of the story, and the story itself has lessons. The downside of this book was that the plot was too predictable, and the first few chapters were a little boring. In summary, this book is worth reading if you are looking for a well-written lighthearted reading, and you do not mind the plot's predictability.

I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review, thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture.

We all know that romcoms are supposed to be predictable. In fact, that’s one of their strong appeals: the fact that we can hope for everything to become alright at the end, a true “happily ever after” to satiate us tired souls fed up of reality. But even within this realm of predictability, there has to be some bit of sense, something realistic, something you can connect with. That’s where this book failed me.

Story:
The story is told from the third person perspective of three women in their twenties. Usually, when it comes to multiple lead characters, each of them is dealing with one specific problem area. But in this case, we have two main problems per character that need to be resolved by ‘The End’.
Deb:
1. Getting married soon to Mark. But her future mother-in-law is a dominant know-it-all who wants to have her say in every bit of the wedding.
2. Up for a prospective promotion at work, she has three months in which to prove herself better suited to the new job than the other colleague who is a sneaky fox.
Sarah:
1. Having an extra-marital affair with David. Decides that her only solution to get him to leave his family is if she becomes pregnant with his child. (Don’t even ask!!)
2. Wants to have a career as a writer but afraid to give up her day job and take this big risk.
Cher:
1. Loves her low-grade job, loves the main boss in her company even more, Keeps dreaming about when they can be together, though he shows no signs of being interested in her.
2. With many layoffs in her company, her future seems to be shaky. Added to this, she is constantly put down by her family for being an underachiever.
One evening, after a heavy drinking bout, they come across an old book of spells and decide to try their luck, casting a wishing spell to make their dreams come true. But as they say, you have to be careful what you wish for.


• I liked this idea of having dual focus areas per character. It is like having two stories per character. Unfortunately, the implementation left a little to be desired. For instance, Deb and Cher both deal with office-related issues. So at times, their character arcs blur into each other (especially when you are hearing the audio.) Having a different location setting could have helped.
• The three ladies are in their (late?) twenties. But some of their actions are downright illogical. I couldn’t put my head around how confident Sarah decides that a baby will be a solution to her problems, or how otherwise smart Cher can’t see any of the flaws in her dreamy boss even though there are so many clear indications of that. Deb was the most realistic of the trio and I enjoyed her story. Sarah’s arc is the most disappointing; she comes across as selfish and short-sighted.
• When the wishing spell part came, I thought the story might go into some comic fantasy mode and was looking forward to a lot of hilarious outcomes. Unfortunately, after that scene, the wishing spell part is hardly referred to. It seemed like a wasted opportunity.

Overall, it is a decent beach read, nothing more. Only a few of the characters are likeable. Recommended for those who want a quick read-and-forget kind of book.
I see from other reviews that the author is known for her crime novels and most of those are very highly rated. But as I haven’t read any of her other works, and going strictly by the Goodreads ratings for those works, I think she might be a better crime fiction novelist than a chick-lit writer.

I heard the audiobook narrated by Alex Tregear. She does a pretty good job of incorporating peppiness and zest in her rendition. However, I kept muddling up the characters (especially when it came to Deb’s and Cher’s office scenes) because they were written so similarly. This isn’t the narrator’s fault; as the book is in third person, she would obviously keep her voice same for all the chapters. Still it is a breezy 9.5 hour audio and goes by quickly.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

If Only is a romantic comedy about three women in their twenties figuring out what they want in life from work to love. Cher is secretary with a crush on her boss, Sarah is dating a married man, and Deb is planning her wedding with a overbearing further MIL. One night at girls night they find a old spell book and cast a spell from it to get the things they want or the things they think they want.

I love how each chapter was from a different girl. It starts where everything was going wrong. in each of there lives then they do the spell and things are still not going well but then small things happens and things start changing. They each realize everything they want is right there and some of the things you think you want really isn't the best outcome.

This was well written and I had a lot of lol moments. I really enjoyed each of the charters Cher was 100% my favorite out of the 3. they were some parts like any book that I didnt like I didnt like dating of the married man and how it seemed normal. But that wasnt the soul part of the story.


Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

I’ve read some of these authors books in the past and liked what I read. When I saw this one by the same author, a detour from her usual genre I thought I’d see what she had to offer.

I occasionally like to steer away from my usual heavy thrillers and read something totally different.

The three grown women in this story were all different, yet had something in common. All friends and each having problems in their lives.

I’ve heard some give negative reviews on books if they don’t like the character/characters. I don’t do that as we can’t like everyone….right? And although one of the characters needed a good shake, there was another one that was totally gobsmacked into her “dream fairytale” world that I felt like pouring cold water over to wake her up!

As for the one trying to get pregnant from her married lover (and yes, I know it happens the world over) I hated her manipulative ways. And her lover didn’t rate in my book either.

It could have been so much better with some depth to these people, but, it’s a rom com huh?

It was ok. I liked it but it’s not something I’d recommend to everyone .
I don’t think it’s memorable.
Ask me in six months.

I enjoyed this book, especially on audiobook! I loved the multiple perspectives and all the characters. The storyline wasn’t anything mind blowing but I was engaged throughout. It was a fun read, great for summer. I recommend checking it out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of #AngelaMarsons. I really enjoy her crime writing and have read the #KimStone series. #IfOnly is the first of her other books I have read. This is described as humour, I would be more inclined to say romcom. There was nothing inherently wrong with the story nor the writing, in fact the author flips into this genre easily. Although I was ready to scream when one character decides to try and become pregnant in order to have her boyfriend leave his wife. 🤦‍♀‍ This is an easy summer read that I am sure will do well, for me it was simply middle of the road.
Thanks to #Netgalley for gifting me this audiobook and ebook (my favourite reading combo) in exchange for an honest review.
#NetgalleyUK #bookouture #booknerd #bookstagramuk #bookish #booksta #readersofinstagram #ARC #goodreadschallenge2021 #riereads #oneadventureafteranother

I am a massive fan of the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out about this beauty If Only! I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

So there I am lapping up the sun on my first holiday first in two years. Grabbing me right from the start I listened to it in just two days. Taking full advantage of my time I found myself strolling up and down the beach. Listening to If Only which was music to my ears.

Telling the story of three friends. Who find an old book joking about they cast a spell……what could go wrong. Just three best friends having a laugh. Then things start to happen, is it linked to the spell or not?! read it and find out for yourself you wont be disappointed.

This story is about friendship, dreams and living. It is a perfect, fun, light hearted entertaining read. Which will make you laugh out loud. For me it was the perfect holiday read.

It is full of likeable and relatable characters. Not forgetting the narrator who did a wonderful job telling this story. Bringing the characters and the whole story to life. I felt a bit of Practical Magic going on. So anyone that loves that movie will sure as hell love this book.

Massive thank you to Kim Nash for bringing this book to my attention and if inviting me on the tour.

Thank you to @netgalley @bookouture for the ALC in return for my honest review.
.
My thoughts…
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a book for me. I was thinking it’d be a Bridget Jones type of book, but it wasn’t. The “spell” wasn’t what I was expecting. The way the women were trying to get a man, was more sad than hopeful. The narrator was good, I just couldn’t get into story so, this was a DNF.

A light hearted novel about three best friends who are all seeking an answer to their own problems; controlling mother-in-law, lover who won't leave his wife and a crush on a boss. I found the characters themselves to be infuriatingly dim at times - with most of them acting like stupid doormats for the majority of the book. But there are enjoyable subplots to distract the women from their primary wants: Cher’s workplace restructure; Deb's competition with her work rival for a promotion and Sarah furthering her ambition to become a writer.

I thought more could have been made of the spell which seems pivotal in the blurb, but which bears no real importance in the story itself - there is a drunken spell, but it's almost an aside to the story and isn't mentioned again until the very end.

This is the first book I have read by this Author, who I believe is better known for crime writing. I suspect that this, along with the misleading blurb, will be a disappointment to her fans. For myself, I found it an enjoyable enough read - one which would be OK on the beach perhaps.....

Many thanks go to for NetGallery and Bookouture Audio for my complimentary copy of the book.

This is a story of three friends and their search for fulfillment. I was initially worried that the route to happiness seemed to be dependent purely on men, but although this is a romance it is also about their friendship and finding out what ia really important to them.

A lovely, lightheaded, uplifting read. Well narrated and the author has a great writing style.

I am not really sure how to explain this very well, but, the book wasn't.... Believable? I felt like I was reading a Wattpad type story. (Silly) I didn't enjoy it or the characters.

If Only by Angela Marsons 🎧

Last summers I discovered that audiobooks make a road trip so much better! This story made my drive to Shuswap so much more enjoyable.

If Only is about 3 best friends who are all looking to improve an aspect of their life. One is looking for love, one for commitment and one for a better relationship with her Mother in Law.

I adored one of the characters, Cher, and her storyline was wonderful. Another one of the characters I really disliked and found her storyline disappointing and annoying.

So I did enjoy the book, and it was very entertaining. But it’s not a 5 star book for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for my advanced copy of the audiobook! This is out on July 6th!

When do you listen to audiobooks? I listen while I drive and also at home while I do housework.

#audiobooks #books #ifonly #angelamarsons #listentobooks #qotd #readmore #bookish #whatimlisteningto #fiction #summerreads #audiobookreviews #audiobookrecommendations #netgalley #bookouture

Funny, easy and quick to read, Bridget Jones-y.

I liked these three friends a lot! They grew and learnt some important things over the pages.

It was a bit frustrating for me to read Chelsea's disasters, as well as Cher's nephews. Though I understand the attitude of the children, I can't put up with it.

Daniel is one of my favourite characters! He's sweet, caring and funny. Cher was so oblivious and needed to gain self confidence and self love before opening to a healthy relationship.

Almost the same applies to Sarah. She wasn't aware of the things she'd given up for 'love' and lust. She needed to take her blindfold off.

Deb had such patience! Her soon-to-be mother-in-law was insufferable. And Mark was the sweetest one! I would have loved to read more about this couple.

I recommend this story to you if you're looking for a light read. Excellent for people who've enjoyed romcoms like Bridget Jones' Diary, Love Actually and The Hating Game.

This was a light, witty romcom about three close friends all dealing with their own issues before going into the garden one night and casting a spell to wish their problems away. This one is relatively light hearted, well written, and well narrated but I just had a lot of difficulty connecting to the characters. They seemed immature for their age and the problems they were facing and I felt one of the women's plot was pretty problematic (trying to get pregnant with the man she is seeing who is married so that he leaves his wife). It just wasn't for me.

I just couldn't get into this one. The whole plot seemed a bit too ridiculous and none of the characters were relatable for me. Just a little too bizarre with not enough substance for my taste. Wasn't a huge fan of the narrator either. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.