What a wonderful read, very uplifting in allowing yourself the time and space for reflection and self improvement. Lara and Ben are star crossed lovers that fate had plans for. Their story really touched me, Lara had to make some pretty quick life choices and no longer put herself first when she discovers she’s pregnant, this was very relatable, then doing it as a single parent, it’s only natural that her outlook on life is going to change, and the things she found fun in her youth just as important to her. Ben gives her a wake up call 19 years later and she allows herself the chance to change and to find herself again, all the little things that added up to her being her. I loved this aspect as she also had to deal with her daughter Eliza flying the nest, which is always an emotional time of which I could also relate to.

I liked that Ben and Lara didn’t have that instant attraction when they met again and they had to work hard just to get along and be friends for Eliza’s sake. Their growing friendship was nice to see as Ben also took stock of his life and deal with the fall out of New York 19 years ago.

A lovely story that wrapped itself around me and made me feel cosy.

Warm and bittersweet, Anything Could Happen felt remarkably close to home while still managing to capture the essence of the contemporary romance genre where everything does work out in the end - just perhaps not in the way you might have originally thought.

Following Lara and her daughter Eliza, the pair have always been a secure familial unit. That is until Eliza starts to push to find out who exactly her dad is and why he's never mentioned. The novel follows the rollercoaster of uncovering the truth, a very impromptu road trip, and Lara and her old beau Ben finding themselves back in New York where it all started (but with the addition of their child this time).

The miscommunication between the characters in the novel made me both want to laugh and cry; simply because of how obvious it would be to solve their situation if they just spoke to one another. But that's the fun of it - as things between Lara and Ben circle from past to present, neither really knows what happened between them and their brief encounter that could have been so much more. Eliza really ramps up this cycle of omission. Young and inexperienced but dealing with her own pain, much of her meddling brings her parents back together but at the sacrifice of Ben's marriage and Lara's feelings. In this tale, everything has to get incredibly messy before things start to look up again.

However, relationships aside, I really enjoyed reading about the character growth in this novel. There's a lot of introspection for the four central characters - Lara, Eliza, Ben, and his wife Kirsten - who are each coming to terms with their identity, their desires and their aims. I particularly enjoyed this journey for Eliza and Kirsten who both found some level of sexual freedom and how these encounters shaped their way going forward. Kirsten's narrative was wonderful for not demonising her as 'the other woman' and showcased a freedom for choice to chase what makes you happy, even if you have to deal with the consequences.

Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable and engaging read with a wide variety of topics covered that made it stand out against other similar novels on the shelves. Diamond's authorial voice shines through and I can guarantee, you won't want to put this book down.

Lara and Ben have an instant attraction when they meet in New York but fate intervenes to separate them before their second date. Reconnecting many years later, do they still have the same chemistry or has life changed them both too much in the mean time?

You would think from this plot description that it is entirely obvious how the novel will end, but Lucy Diamond writes this story very cleverly, so that by the time you are halfway through the book, you can imagine and also invest in other possible outcomes. Should Lara and Ben reunite or should Ben stay in his marriage? Should Lara pursue a relationship with single dad Ollie?

Anyway, this is a familiarish tale which nevertheless feels fresh and relatable, testament to the skill of the author. Lucy Diamond writes very believable characters and is particularly good with dialogue. I enjoyed this novel as much as any of her others and will continue to look forward to new works by this author.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

I absolutely loved this Lucy Diamond novel! I have always enjoyed her novels, some more than others. I would admittedly say the last one or two weren’t my favourites, I felt like there was a bit of her usual charm and warmth missing. However this book has it in bags. Yes it’s perhaps a little predictable towards the end but I don’t care - there was plenty of twists and turns and excitement and it kept me flipping through the pages to find out whether it would all work out!

The characters are absolute gems.

Such a warm feel good read!

Really recommend this one.

In Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond, the main characters - Lara, Ben and Eliza find that indeed anything just could happen!

Lara and Ben met one day in New York while they were both there on holiday as young twenty somethings. Then life - well anything could happen and it did.

About eighteen years on, back in the UK,  we find Lara and Ben into their forties and Eliza - Lara's daughter determined to find out who her mystery father is. And she is determined to find out. In so doing she unearths a few secrets and hidden truths. In those eighteen years Ben has married Kirsten and Lara has raised  a young woman - Eliza.

I enjoyed all the characters. They are very realistic, imperfect and yet willing to take an honest look at things and eventually make decisions that will affect their lives going into the future. I liked that we got the viewpoint of Ben's wife - Kirsten, as it added to the 360 degree viewpoint.

I liked this book although I didn't fall totally into it. It kept me reading to the end though and I enjoyed the final epilogue scenario.

This was my first read from Lucy Diamond and it didn’t disappoint.

I found it was slightly slow to get going, but once it did I couldn’t put it down and managed to get through it in a couple of days.

A super charming story, with some really likeable characters that I found myself routing for!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Anything Could Happen is a lovely story exploring the concept of family and discovering who you are!

I enjoyed following Eliza, Ben, Kristen and Lara on their individual journies through romance, friendship and adulthood, as well as each of them learning more about their own identities along the way.

Overall this book was a fun read, however the pace was a little slow for me (the main story takes place over 3 seasons) and seemed a little too stretched out, however this book is perfect for anyone looking for an easy read or fans of second chance romances!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond

When 18 year old Eliza searches for her Dad she gets way more than she bargained for and stirs up not quite buried memories in her mum Lara of one perfect night in New York 19 years ago.

I absolutely loved this book and read it in a day as I couldn't put it down. Loved the characters and all the twists and turns along the way. What a fabulous read! Very highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I've read many Lucy Diamond novels and Anything Could Happen is definitely my favourite. Lara has raised her daughter Eliza as a single parent but as Eliza reaches 18 Lara is forced to disclose the secret about Eliza's father. Diamond's warm and uplifting romance takes the reader from Scarborough to Cambridge to New York as both women search for the truth and their own emotional healing. This is a beautifully written, hopeful and compassionate read exploring missed opportunities and how it's never too late to find happiness. Diamond is a compelling storyteller, and writes great characters that I really believed in. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is a book about missed opportunities, love, family and second chances.
I usually really enjoy books from this author but I found this one a bit different to her previous books. To me, there was too much extra detail which slowed the actual story down.
On the whole I enjoyed this book even though the pace was a little slow.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this advance read.

It's a compelling, entertaining and interesting story with elements of a comedy of error and some poignant moments.
A story that could have been the love of a life and brought a child in the world. Some misunderstanding, the discovery of a hidden truth.
There's plenty going on in this story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was hooked since the first pages and kept on reading till the end.
My favorite characters were Eliza and Ben even if Lara and Kirsten are more complex and layered.
Each of them is facing changes and want something that maybe or maybe not feasibile.
There're some very funny moments and some poignant parts.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve read a few of Lucy Diamond books & thoroughly enjoyed them.
This is another entertaining lovely read with interesting characters & a great storyline.
An easy read that will draw you in that’s all about second chances in life & love, a heartwarming read we all need.
Eliza & Ben meet in New York under unusual circumstances.
after a 24 hour whirlwind romance they both felt connected & fell in love.
They were supposed to meet up later the next day but it seems everything was against them.
Fast forward 19 years to Lara living with her 18 year old daughter Eliza.
Then the unexpected starts to happen as things start to come unraveled.
The road is full of surprises & the secrets start to unfold.
This is a journey of of discovery for all three.
A lovely engaging read thoroughly enjoyed it .

Lots of characters to get to know and the storylines aren’t as predictable as I thought they were going to be.
A feel good easy read

Just the most perfect book to begin the year with. It had me absolutely hooked, just couldn’t put it down.

This is a lovely romantic read. It starts as the usual boy meets girl and they fall madly in love. They spend one lust fuelled night together and hey presto a baby is on the way. The second meeting doesn’t go to plan and cue grown up daughter, 19 years later, searches for her father. To say any more would give too many spoilers which is not what I want to do. Suffice to say this is a lovely story and great for reading by the fire on a cold winters day

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond is a warm, funny and entertaining story about second chances and life, love and change.
An easy to read story with amiable characters and an entertaining storyline.
Highly recommended.

This is the first time I read a book written by Lucy and I loved it.

Lara had a 24 hour whirlwind romance in NY many years ago. Fast forward many years, Lara now lives in Yorkshire with her daughter Eliza, who is on the quest to find herself and to also re-connect with her dad.

This leads to uncovering her mom's secret and the road is full of surprises. A story of what ifs and taking chances.

A book I didn't want to put down, it captured my attention from the go and enjoyed seeing Eliza growing in confidence.

Another fab book from Lucy Diamond. Follow Lara a single woman and her daughter Eliza on a discovering journey of relationships, parenting and romance. It’s a great storyline with great characters and Lucy keeps you guessing until the end on the outcome which I like. Thanks Lucy, your publisher and NetGalley.

Anything Could Happen is the latest novel from Lucy Diamond.
I'm a fan of Diamond's 'Beach Cafe' series and I was excited to see how a tell involving a lost love, broken hearts and an unspecting father would pan out. The story beings with Lara and Brian falling in love in New York and then jumps forward by 19 years to the present day and Eliza is attempting to catchup with her father.
Lara realises that it's time to confess the truth to her forthright daughter and as a result Brian's life is turned upside-down.
I really felt for both of the characters of Eliza and Brian who have been blind-sighted by the recent revelations. They are struggling to accept the truth, but show willing and are open to these changes. However, I could not warm to the character of Lara. While I realise that her life changed utterly 19 years ago, she is responsible for her decisions and she seems content to blame her ex-husband, her mother, Brian etc. Really only herself and Brian are to blame.
All in all, this was an enjoyable tale but not one of Diamond's strongest and I look forward to reread one of the Beach Cafe stories next.