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Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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We meet our main character, Mara, on vacation in Budapest, on a trip that she had planned with her best friend but ended up going on alone. Mara (31, Sagittarius) , a believer (to a fault) in fate, destiny, and astrology, decides to visit a clairvoyant to have her palm read. The clairvoyant tells her that meeting “the one” is imminent and goes into some specific details, then unexpectedly goes into labor. Mara, apparently nosy and lacking in boundaries, stays in the clairvoyant’s office while waiting for a cab and decides to try on (literally what?!) the woman’s veil and earrings. When she does that, a man walks in to have his palm read. Mara then tells this attractive man that his soulmate is named Mara (shocker) and lives in the town she lives in, and that he will meet her at a pub on the last Friday in August. The book then takes us on a trip through Mara’s summer - learning to love her job, putting too much pressure on herself to look and act a certain way - all while living with a new man named Ash.
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I honestly just really, truly hated the main character and felt that I couldn’t relate to her at all. She’s all torn up about a relationship that ended when she was 21… girl, just go to therapy like the rest of us! Where the main character lacks in literally any likable traits, the other characters in the story brought the book to life. Samira, Mara’s coworker and eventual friend, was the true star of the show in my opinion. I really liked Ash and wish we had more character development from him.
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I thought the premise was good, similar to that of Just Haven’t Met You Yet, and liked the pacing of the story a lot. I enjoyed the style of writing and would definitely read more from Lizzy! I definitely think there’s an audience for this book, I just don’t think it was for me!

the premise of this book had a lot of potential. though, for me, it became very predictable right off the bat. not the worst quality in a book, but worth noting. i did really enjoy the small town setting, where everyone knows everyone. it gave the book a special ambiance and cozy vibe. I also really enjoyed reading about mara and Charlie’s relationship. i related to that feeling of loneliness that comes with growing up and having friends in different stages of life.

however, Mara absolutely drove me insane. some of the decisions regarding joe and ash were absurd and i couldn’t imagine anyone making those same calls. ash is a better person than I am cause whew girl….

thank you netgalley & penguin group Putnam for the eARC!

3/5 STARS!!
Oh, this was super cute!! I loved the summer aspect of this book. I really enjoyed the witty and playful banter as well as all of the side characters. I thought the love interest had a lot of patience and understanding towards the main character because she could definitely get on your nerves sometimes because of some of her actions. However, I did think that she had excellent character growth. I didn't really appreciate how this book ended, it felt a bit rushed and unplanned.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

To the best of my recollection, my issue with Lizzy Dent's first book was that the MC was basically the mayor of bad decision town. She made self-sabotage an absolute artform. This is a significant improvement, well, an improvement, well...the MC is tough to get behind, but I didn't fund myself screaming at her like I do the soon to be next victim in a horror movie, so. The other characters were downright endearing.

This was a cute book. I really liked all of the other characters and their side stories. There were definitely moments reading this where I found myself laughing.
I feel like the ending was a little rushed.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At the age of 31, Mara Williams is living a decidedly average life. Having left behind her dreams of working in film, she now serves as a bookkeeper at a small-town community pool and has little on the horizon aside from a trip to Budapest with her best friend Charlie.

When Charlie has to bail on the trip last minute, Mara decides to go alone. A bizarre series of events lead her to meet Josef, a man she believes to be “the one”, while she is disguised as a fortune teller. Desperate to orchestrate an opportunity for them to meet under different circumstances, she tells Josef that his destiny is a woman named Mara and that he will find her in a specific pub on a specific day… 3 months from now.

Convinced that he will show up on the appointed date and spark the true beginning of her life, Mara launches into a project of reforming herself to be the woman she thinks she should be to be desired by a man like Josef. As she takes on her makeover she also finds herself passionately involved in the salvation of her once-iconic workplace, dealing with turmoil in her few close relationships and adjusting to life with a new flatmate. A flatmate who happens to be quite handsome and kind…

Lizzy Dent does a great job of creating a cast of lovable supporting characters who carry storylines in their own right. Personally I would love to see a Samira spin-off!

The painting class scene literally had me laughing out loud- it was such a snarky moment and revealed to us that Mara has some spunk.

*Light Spoilers*
Ash is the perfect bookish boyfriend, an irresistible combination of brains, warmth and brawn. He is also excessively patient because Mara is… infuriating. Honestly I spent most of this book wanting to shake her. She did end up showing some character growth beyond the superficial makeover and there was definitely clear potential at the end, but I still didn’t feel like she had demonstrated enough sustained maturity to be an equal partner for Ash after an entire book of mostly childish and selfish behavior.

Despite my frustrations with Mara, I really enjoyed Lizzy Dent’s writing style and I’ll be reading The Summer Job as soon as I can!

On a trip abroad to Budapest, Mara goes and gets her palm read. The reader informs Mara that she needs to change some things about her life in order to prepare to meet her dream man very imminently. Mara then poses as a fortune teller and tells a man, Joe, that he should come looking for a woman named Mara in a bar in England in August. She believes in fate and that it brought them together so they could start a relationship.

Most of Maras friends see the huge flaw in the plan but she can’t be swayed in any other direction. There are moments where she comes across as nearly unhinged and downright stalkerish in her obsession with a man she doesn’t even know even though she thinks he is the one she will be with forever. She truly believes in fate and destiny and because of this she is crippled with being unable to make decisions and riddled with indecision at every turn.

Mara is a woman who is obsessed with star signs. If she doesn’t think someones star signs align with hers she doesn’t get involved with them in anyway. She is a chronic first dater because of this and has only had one long term relationship. She is terrible at making decisions for herself unless she consults her horoscope and uses multiple different websites to get as much information as possible.

Mara’s flatmate Ash is a total looker and helps her renovate their flat to make it look fresher now that they are sharing the space. Here enters the not-so-love-triangle that is Maras love life. Caught between the man she knows and the thrill of the unknown she can’t decide which route to take until the very last minute.

There were definitely moments reading this where I found myself shaking my head at Mara. She’s supposed to be quirky and unique but I just found myself feeling bad that she’s still emotionally wrecked 10 years after her previous relationship. The girl needs some therapy pronto. I think a therapist could help her unpack a lot about her past relationship and also why she is projecting a lot of issues onto her family.

Speaking of family: I would have loved to get more closure with Mara’s parents. It’s left very open and I think a conversation with them talking things over would have been very therapeutic for both Mara and those reading the book. She’s pretty rude to them the whole book but there’s not enough justification ever given for her acting out the way she does. More information here would go a long way.

Lastly I would have loved to see more development from Ash. He’s written to be rather flat as compared to Mara who is full of personality and eccentricities. There’s not a lot of info given about him; we never really get to see him beyond just what little Mara knows about him. I wanted to dive more into his past and meet some friends of him and see him continue to work towards all of his goals. He’s an interesting character and I think we needed more of him to help us fall in love with him.

This is a book with a very peculiar premise and it’s not one over ever read before so the author gets credit for that. I just wanted more character development on and individual level and in the relationships that Mara develops throughout the book. It was an entertaining read none the less and I would definitely read other books this author writes in the future.

On a solo holiday Mara, who bases her life on astrology, finds herself at a fortune teller who goes into labor after telling Mara that she will meet the love of her life eminently. Mara is left at the shop to close up when a man walks in, could this be the man the fortune teller was talking about?
When she gets home she meets her new roommate, Ash. He is absolutely wonderful, but Mara can't see him because she is blinded by this fated man. She now has 3 months to get her life in order and to see who is the man that is her fate.

Unfortunately I did not connect with Mara at all. Honestly I was a bit mad at her for the way she treated her mom. Actually she treated everyone around her poorly.
I felt like she needed to love herself so that she could treat those around her better. She never redeemed herself, in my eyes at least.

Ash is a dream. He is the perfect man. I almost wish that he had just gone off to University at the end and left Mara.

I really liked all of the other characters and their side stories.
I enjoyed Lizzy's writing style and I look forward to reading more of her work.
But when I can't connect with the protagonist I can't really enjoy the story.
I stayed interested, I just didn't get any satisfaction.
This one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC

This was a cute story overall, though Mara was a little annoying at times because she was always looking for answers anyplace but herself—though that was really the whole point of what she needed to work on—and ultimately she seems rather selfish (though again, something she needed to work on).

She watches a ton of movies and seems to picture her life as if it could possibly be like a movie (all fate and epic love and whatnot) so she’s incredibly disappointed and disbelieving in a life that doesn’t seem like that.

I like that alongside the romantic relationship aspect Mara also was dealing with a long-time friendship that had changed and her relationship with her parents. Although there is the start of a resolution to those two aspects, I would have like to see little more of the resolution of those. I also liked the smaller town setting and the whole idea of community.

All in all, this was a fun read.

I wanted to like this book but I really really didn’t. Mara was just annoying. I don’t have a problem if characters are unlikable for a reason but she was just annoying and so passive in her life, depending on fate and astrology to make her decisions.

I really enjoyed The Summer Job so I was excited to read The Setup. Unfortunately I didn't connect with this one as much. Mara seemed self-absorbed and a bit annoying. Ash was the perfect book boyfriend and I didn't feel like Mara deserved him.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THE SETUP by Lizzy Dent was a breezy, heartwarming summer read! I really enjoyed Dent's first novel - THE SUMMER JOB - so I was thrilled to have the chance to read this novel. Mara's journey of self-discovery, self-improvement, community, family, and love was so relatable and lovely. Her connection with Ash and their story - along with the full cast of characters from her coworkers to her best friend to her estranged family - was captivating and genuine. This book had me laughing out loud and smiling from ear to ear. I'd strongly recommend this novel for anyone looking for a light, lovely summer read, and certainly for fans of Dent's first book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a cute romance without much else to it. I enjoyed the premise, and the love interest (Ash). I also really enjoyed the end of the book and thought it summed the story up nicely. The FMC had great growth, and IMO she desperately needed it. I. did not love the FMC... not even in the slightest. She was not enjoyable to read about, to be a part of her inner monologue, or to watch her constantly. made poor decisions (not in an endearing way). She is obsessed with astrology ad nauseam, and I felt that it really clouded the plot with unnecessary wordiness. Astrology elements are fine, fun even, but this was almost a third MC. Lastly, the pairing was completely unrealistic. I love unrealistic couples... I'm all for it, but there's a limit. The FMC is withdrawn, doesn't have a great personality, and altogether is a bad friend to everyone around her. There's not a shift in her personalty or any redeemable qualities tbh. The love interest is essentially a young Brad Pitt with a great job and lofty aspirations. And he grovels for any scrap of attention she will give him. I'm all for unlikely pairing, but this was so unrealistic it took away from the story. Overall I did not love this book. I think with less astrology clutter, and a more believable romance, the book would have been much better.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mara Williams has 3 months to overhaul her life after a fortune teller reveals to her that she will soon meet her dream man. Through a misunderstanding, she believes a cellist named Josef to be “the one”. Her handsome new flatmate Ash thinks Mara is wasting her time on someone she’s barely even spoken to.

While The Setup has plenty of humor and some sweet romantic scenes, I appreciate all of the personal growth the author built into the storyline. I do feel like the ending was rushed a little and I wish there was an epilogue.

This was such a charming read! The author has an engaging and humorous voice, which made me immediately want to move to Broadgate and become friends with all of the characters. The fortune-teller plotline was actually the only part of the book I didn't enjoy. It made Mara come off as flighty and immature, and I think she could have had a stronger character arc without it.

The Setup

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0.5 🌶

The Setup is an absolutely adorable romcom that is the perfect summer read. Mara goes through self discovery and learns to trust herself rather than relying so fully on her best friend Charlie and her horoscope. I loved watching Mara go from a moderately self centered woman to a fierce go getter when it came to saving the lido. She grew so much that I started to enjoy her character more towards the end when she was no longer trying to lie or make herself look "better." One character I absolutely LOVED was Ash. My goodness what a sweet sweet man! He liked her for HER not the new version she was trying to portray. He was hands down my favorite character.

The Setup includes the tropes found family and friends to lovers. It'll be the perfect summer read.

Release date: June 7th 2022

The Setup
by Lizzy Dent
PENGUIN GROUP Putnam
Pub Date 07 Jun 2022
3.5/5 Stars

This book started out on high note for me with a laugh out loud moment. Mara is on a weekend holiday in Hungary when she meets a handsome, Austrian cellist she believes is fated to be the “one” for her.

There are many laugh out loud moments throughout the book and several likeable characters.
I couldn’t relate to Mara’s dependance on astrology and star signs, she just seemed immature. I did, however, love Ash and the entire group of her quirky coworkers and friends.

All in all, this was such a cute book, and the funny moments made the book worth recommending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Putnam for this ARC #TheSetup #NetGalley

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

This is my second book from Lizzy Dent and I was completely hooked on THE SETUP the moment a psychic reading was mentioned.

The book opens with the main character, Mara (Sagittarius), lover of astrology, coming across a psychic during her vacation. After a brief reading, her psychic rushes out to give birth, leaving Mara with the idea that she’ll soon be meeting a tall, handsome stranger. Then in walks Joe, a classical musician who Mara is convinced is the love she’s been desperate for.

Posing as the psychic, she convinces Joe that he’ll be meeting a woman named Mara in a few months and then she leaves the rest up to fate, returning home to make some fixes in her life—hair, wardrobe, local community center where she works—and meet her new roommate, Ash.

I so related to Mara’s love of astrology and the comfort of finding out what’s coming along down the road, not just for the day ahead, but for the great wide expanse of unknown that is the future. I loved the whole quirky cast of characters, especially Ash. And though, as a character, Mara at times could be self-absorbed, it never made her an unlikeable character. The reader is truly able to see her transform and become more confident in herself and her own decisions.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to review an advanced copy of THE SETUP by Lizzy Dent.
Her writing style and tone are so engaging and I look forward to hearing more from her.
The premise is great and I found the book to be the perfect weekend binge-read.
Mara, Is a wonderful character, I loved her. She is funny, witty and very interesting. Her journey was so much fun to follow and watch her grow.
I enjoyed this way too much.

G.P. Putnam's Sons,
Thank you for this eARC!