This was my last read of 2021 and was quite a nice one to end on. It's easy and fun but not massively exciting post the big reunion.

I did really like the character development of Eliza and Lara, but for me it somewhat fell flat for Kirsten and Ben, I would have liked to delve deeper.

Most particularly I loved reading about Lara's character growth, it reminded me that we're not always who we've become or have to change with age or children. Really loved her heading down a path of self-discovery and remembering what she loved about herself, similar to Kirsten foraging a new path.

It ended in true rom com happy ending style but in a way I was glad as thats exactly what I wanted. Although as it headed exactly where I thought it would, there were no real surprises and I kinda wanted to read about Eliza's reaction upon finding out.

That said it is a really nice story about growing up, lost opportunities and new chances for everyone.

This one just wasn’t for me. I didn’t hate it but it didn’t grab me either. It’s a quick read but it’s not my favourite by Lucy Diamond. Hasn’t put me off her as an author but I’d probably grab a different title first.

This book follows a mother/daughter relationship when the daughter, Eliza at 18 finally wants to know the truth about her father which leads them on a journey around the UK and finally to New York City.

I adore Lucy Diamond's writing, always have done, always will. This isn't my favourite book of hers, I feel at some points she was trying to do too much with too many perspectives (I don't think Kristen's perspective was needed) but overall I did still really enjoy this book.

It was super fast paced, I loved, not only the budding romance but also the relationship between Lara (mother) and Eliza. Eliza being 18 could, at times be a little annoying but she did have a lot of character growth which I appreciated.

It wrapped up really nicely and I laughed out loud on multiple occasions with the inside jokes the characters shared.

PS Ben is a sweet heart and don't scare me like that again!

The book is filled with realistic ‘what ifs’ of life, missed opportunities and regrets of what could have been.

Lara & Ben met by chance in New York – they seemed to be made for each other and had a genuine spark of chemistry. Now 19 years later Eliza wants to meet her father, which takes all three characters on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery and reconnection.

All characters are well written, and relatable to real life.

The book flows well and is an easy ready, but does loose pace half way through.

Love found, love lost. This book spans 20 years. A chance encounter in New York while working for a 4 months posting Lara met Ben and they get together for just one night due to unexpected circumstances. They were due to meet up the evening after the night before but cupid was not playing that day. After a biology lesson at school which included genetics Eliza at 18 decides to look up her father who left when she was young only to be told that he was not, in fact, her father at all. Eliza quizzes her mom to find out the story of her conception and demands to meet her real dad. She will not take no for an answer and the story continues down a slippery slope. Eliza is determined to meet her dad whatever the circumstances and this happens even though Lara would have liked to keep her secret as that is what has held her heart together with the not knowing what happened to Ben. The book swings between Ben, his wife and family and Lara’s until they intertwine with Eliza’s forthright way. New York plays an important part in the story for the three of them and truths come out. I really enjoyed the story and found it easy to read. It somehow puts you in a frame of mind that anything can be achieved if you set your mind to it and happy endings are always good even if you are not sure if that be achieved as you read the story

Another wonder read by Lucy Diamond. Follow the story of Lara and Eliza with a surprise or two along the way, keeps this book interesting, fun and very enjoyable. A must read for anyone who enjoys a witty uplifting story of love, hope and family.

I really enjoyed this story and loved how fate played a part in this story , I won’t ruin this review with any spoilers but if you enjoyed reading any of the authors other books your going to love this one
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this review

I love Lucy Diamonds storytelling it’s always a great escape.

Anything could happen was just that.

Easy to read with great characters the book takes you in from the beginning.
Really enjoyed it

A fun book and you could picture it as a movie or short TV series. Cute storyline. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Lucy Diamond's books and this one is no exception.
A sweet romance with near misses and a hint of An Affair To Remember.
Lara and Ben meet in New York and have the perfect night together. Could this be love at first sight?
Events conspire to keep them from making their second date and fate continues to play its part in their will they, won't they story.
There's also a strong, interesting group of family and friends as supporting characters.
Sit back, relax and prepare to be entertained.

This really was a book of two halves I loved the first half, became really disappointed in the second half.

⭐ The beginning of the novel is fast paced & punchy it draws you in quickly & I couldn't can't wait to see how it all develops.
⭐ I absolutely adored the premise, the split second decisions or events that happen outside of our control that lead our lives down completely different paths.
⭐ The characters are full of depth (well aside from Paint guy!) & so easily relatable. You find yourself really sypathesising with them, almost feeling the palpable chemistry or remembering that head strong teenage attitude....
☆ I felt the second half of the novel lost momentum & was needlessly drawn out.
☆ I became so annoyed/disappointed with Lara (I can't say more without spoilers!).

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to Quercus Book & Netgalley for sending me this title for an honest & unbiased review.

I've read almost every Lucy Diamond book and unfortunately this wasn't one of my favourites. It was a highly relatable story which displayed relationships between teenagers and parents, especially when you haven't had a full set your whole life. I thought the story was relatively engaging and I was interested to know where it was going to go but I don't think the characters came across in the best way. Maybe that's because I like at least one lovable character in each story and this didn't have any I fell for.

In conclusion, the basis for the story is spot on but the execution fell flat.

A lovely romance with hints of movies An Affair To Remember and Sleepless In Seattle. I love that Lucy Diamond, unlike many other romantic comedy authors, doesn't just focus on one pair of characters, but includes parents, children, neighbours and even pets in her stories. Keep the tissues close when reading this as you will laugh and cry often at the same time.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#AnythingCouldHappen by @lucydiamondwrites

⏩for book cover & synopsis

My first Lucy diamond book but certainly not my last! This book is just lovely in every which way; it gave me a nice warm feeling throughout 🤗

I couldn’t fault it. I was completely addicted and was desperate to return to it at every opportunity! I loved all the characters and their parts in the story; how the narration was split between them but there was no order to it, so you never knew where the plot was heading next. The book is completely character driven with a theme of self discovery for all and I must say I enjoyed being on the journey with all of them. All the characters were relatable and likeable, especially Eliza on her mission to discover who she is and where she’s from.

Diamond writes with ease, always incorporating a twist here and there to keep your interest and although predictable in some ways, I still felt you were never quite sure which direction things were going and was some surprises hiding around the corner.

All little late with this one, but with thanks to author #LucyDiamond, #Quercus and #Netgalley for allowing us to read this one! It’s out NOW!

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

My first Lucy Diamond book and it certainly won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book and how there were chapters from varying characters, depending on how they fit into the story at that time. I loved the focus of family and creating an unconventional family that turned into a happy one. I enjoyed the relationship Eliza had with her mum Lara - one I could of only dreamed of at 18! I also enjoyed how we explored Lara’s new lease of life and just shows that you are never too old/got too many other things on to do what you really love. Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for the arc!

Lara and her daughter, Eliza live in Sheffield with Lara spending her days as a driving instructor and Eliza studying for A levels. It's always been the two of them as Eliza's dad has left. Then 9ne day, Eliza decides to track him down and life changes for them both.
I really liked the characters who were mainly believable. The story was interesting with several twists. Worth a read

I love this author so was keen to read this book. I have to admit, it wasn’t one of my favourites of hers, but nonetheless was still a lovely, heart-warming read which I did enjoy! It tells us the tale of Lara, Ben and a one-night stand in New York 19 years ago. Fast forward to present day and Eliza, the result of said one night stand has just found out that the man she thought was her dad isn’t and she now wants to meet her real dad, who knows nothing about her!

I thought this was a lovely read which had me hooked from the first page. I liked Lara’s character, both in the present and the past, and thought she unfairly took on a lot of the blame and misunderstandings from the past. Her daughter Eliza was a little annoying at times, and whilst it was understandable that she’d want to find her real dad, she certainly didn’t go about it the right way!

The book alternates through several characters perspectives as we follow the journey of Eliza and Lara connecting with Ben, and Ben’s flailing relationship with his wife Kristen. I liked Kristen’s character and whilst I didn’t think she really earned her position as a scorned woman, I enjoyed her journey to working out where she wanted to be. The storyline flowed along at a perfect pace, and I loved the locations within the book, especially the visit to New York.

This was such a heart-warming read of relationships, love and second chances. There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but each of their stories was interesting and added something to the storyline. Once I started the book, I found myself hooked into Lara and Ben’s story and thought the ending rounded off their story perfectly! Would recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
I have previously enjoyed this author's 'beach cafe' series, this standalone novel is completely different. The first chapter covers Lara's meeting with Ben, then the book moves on to 19 years later. Lara's daughter, Eliza is an angry teenager; her behaviour, attitude and general rudeness coupled with the language she uses made me dislike her instantly. As the story unfolds Lara's behaviour is shown to be duplicitous, she frequently lies (albeit sometimes by ommission) without any thought for the consequences or the effect on other people; a question later in the book "when did you get so nasty?" summed her up completely .
I thought that most of the characters in the book were not very likeable and I would have preferred less strong language and 'first night sex' but I accept that this is only my personal view and other readers would not view this as unrealistic. The story reflects 'second chances' in a way that is popular and I know many readers will enjoy this book.

First off I'd like to say thank you to Net Galley and to the publishers for allowing me to have a read of this book as an E arc.
I really enjoyed following the characters in this story on their different paths, I feel each of the characters brought a different element to the story. I will admit that although Kirsten was Ben's wife i did find it a bit tedious to follow her through the story, but then again It did help to understand how they came to the conclusion they did at the end.
I found Eliza that their Daughter Eliza i warmed to as the chapters kept coming, at the start i found her to be a little overbearing, however as the story comes to light i understand she just wants to find out for sure, and to stop with the hidden truths.
As a whole this book was well written, i've always enjoyed a Lucy Diamond book and have found them easy reads.
Happy Reading!

3.5 stars
This is the first Lucy Diamond book that I've read and whilst I enjoyed it, it didn't blow me away, like I expected it to.
It was a quick, easy read but it did start to drag and feel overly long at parts.
It also always frustrates me in a romance when the two main characters simply talking could resolve almost everything.
It's also predictable and there's basically zero jeopardy but the ending did tie things up nicely.
I did enjoy the way that it was written so I would be up for reading more from this author in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.