Member Reviews
The premise was promising, but the book exceeded all my expectations! It was so so good, full of hilarIous banter, heartwarming and a cute romance thrown in. A perfect summer read that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling.
Nora is someone a lot of women might relate to, a single mother nearing middle age, never making herself a priority and jaded in love.
She finds the idea of a romance retreat ridiculous but begrudgingly agrees to the birthday present.
Her banter with Will was cute, funny and their speed dating experience had me cringing. 🤣 Will is now one of my favourite book boyfriends.
I enjoyed the fact that there was a lot of talk about positive manifestation and law of attraction in the book and that's all I will say to avoid any spoilers.
The character building was good, the writing crisp and witty, the plot flowed smoothly and the backstories were provided at the appropriate intervals. The slowburn added to the charm of this book!
I binge read this on a Saturday and was so glad I did.
Pick it up if you are looking for a cute and fun summer read.
I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nora who’s been single for ten years and has a daughter called Charlie is kind of stuck in rut as she approaches 40, she’s just working and coming home and having no fun at all. The café that she runs with her best friend Victoria is in urgent need of an update just like Nora.
Nora’s sister Faith is always trying to set her up on dates and this time Nora gives in and agrees to go to Romance Reboot!.
This had my laughing my head off! The language and sayings used are exactly how I speak to my friends and it just cracked me up as it’s so down to earth and relatable!.
If you’re looking for a light hearted read that will make you smile and brighten up your day then this is the book for you .
Bootcamp for Broken Hearts by Joanna Bolouri
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Nora Brown is totally happy single. The men in her life have all been selfish, cheating liars and being alone is far easier than risking a broken heart again – for her and for her daughter. She’s only going to Romance Reboot – a posh ‘singles’ bootcamp’ at a castle in the Scottish Highlands – to keep her sister quiet.
But surrounded by tumbling waterfalls and sweet birdsong, Nora can’t deny she’s starting to relax. Even better, she finds another guest with no intention of finding love. Will Thomson has dark tousled hair, a sly grin, and a shocking sense of humour. Everybody else hears their laughter and thinks they’re falling for one another, but Nora knows she’s safe – he’s just here on a research trip.
Determined to ignore the spark between them, Nora agrees to be Will’s cover, fending off other suitors with private sniggers over wine and quite convincing public displays of affection. Just when she starts to question if she might be missing something important, she starts to suspect Will might be hiding something from her.
This is an enjoyable summer read. I was sceptical about this book from the start but it soon won me over and I surprised myself when I found myself eager to read on. A predictable ending, but I didn't let that spoil the writing. A great story about getting to know yourself and making positive changes in your life.
Rating 4/5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.
For Nora's birthday, her family and friends surprise her with stay at a “Bootcamp” for singles.
She decides to give it a go and when she gets there, Nora notices that the place is posh and she’s soon doing meditation, yoga etc.
Nora doesn’t believe in all this, but slowly she’s doing what she can to change, find herself and mend her broken heart.
I loved Nora’s character, a strong person, who you could relate to. The story made me laugh.
I recommend this book.
This was so good!! I was expecting a light, fluffy romcom but it was so much more! Perfect for an afternoon read by the pool , very hard to put down.
This book really talks to your soul but will also have you laughing at every turn. This was a great read and really packs a punch.
Nora is happily single, but her daughter and sister send her to a bootcamp for "Romance Reboot" in the Scottish Highlands. Here, she meets Will, who finds it just as ridiculous as she does. Everyone assumes they are falling for each other as they laugh together and hang out. But, it soon looks as though they might be falling for each other after all...
I loved this book! The characters at the bootcamp are hilarious and the scenes with Nora and Will are so well written. Their chemistry is off the charts! You also see Nora struggle with whether or not she can really trust Will. There is a lot of growth for her in this book, but the end of this book can go either way- she and Will can end up together or not. What is important is that Nora learns that she can trust again.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Nora, a 40 year old mum who owns a cafe, is perfectly happy being single, in fact she prefers it. But, when her sister gifts her a romance reboot retreat at a Castle in the Scottish Highlands as a birthday gift (worth 5000 pounds!), she has no choice but to go. It’s new age and a little kookie but she has her nights free to binge tv and eat whatever she wants. Only the further into the retreat she gets, the more she starts figuring out about herself. We
I immediately connected with Nora and found her inner dialogue absolutely hilarious. The bootcamp was full of the most eclectic mix of people. They were the perfect side characters. Nora’s chemistry with Will, and their cheerful banter was excellent. And the setting! The setting was so beautifully described, that I wanted to climb into the book and live there.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Bootcamp for Broken Hearts by Joanna Bolouri is a delightful rom-com that would make the perfect beach read. The story revolves around Nora, who is roped into going to Romance Reboot, a singles bootcamp at a Scottish castle. The point of the bootcamp is to revitalize people who have been single for too long or who still have trauma from past relationships. While there, she meets the handsome Will. Will Will turn out to be exactly what Nora is looking for?
Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:
"'Victoria, can you go and tell Romeo and Juliet over there to calm down before I turn the hose on them? There's a time and a place for everything. I don't want their teenage hormones dripping all over my nice cafe floor and I need to get these invoices finished.'
Victoria stops loading the dishwasher and turns to peer over the coffee machine. She snorts as she spots the teenage couple fused together at the mouth.
'Ah, young love,' she responds, wiping her hands on her apron. 'They're not doing any harm, Nora. I seem to remember you and Mark Davis getting pretty hot and heavy after school in Burger King...'
Overall, Bootcamp for Broken Hearts is a delightful rom-com that will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella or Emily Henry. One highlight of this book is that it contains everything that is necessary for a rom-com, including humor and romance. I did take off 1 star, because I found the plot to be a bit predictable. But sometimes, that's what you're looking for rom-com - something simple and not complicated. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
A stunning Scottish castle, a tall dark stranger, and a vow to stay single happily ever after… What could go wrong?
Firstly I have never read a book by Joanna Bolouri so having an opportunity to find a new author to add to my TBR pile is always welcome.
I was drawn to this book because I'm currently on a romance binge and this did not disappoint- I found it an easy feel good read and set in Scotland which is always a magical scenario.
Can't wait to seek out more books by this author and hoping that they are as good as this read!
I was expecting this to just be a cutesy romcom about a single woman who goes to a romance reboot camp. And yes, it was that, but there was so much more to it. This book had a lot of insight about how we start doubting ourselves and how that spirals into self sabotaging and counting ourselves out before we’ve even started. There were so many things said in the workshops that really resonated with me. Also this book was so funny! Nora and Will had me cackling! And the speed dating scene! So much great humor. And THE ROMANCE. Ugh, it was just perfect. Nora and Will were so cute and well suited for each other. I loved the ending, especially the little twist of fate at the end! I’ll definitely be reading more books from Bolouri in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced digital copy.
I need to start this review by stating that I am a huge fan of the author. I’ve read all of her books and was so excited when I saw a new offering!
Boot camp for broken hearts appealed to me - the title, cover and synopsis- and I could not wait to dive in.
I found the book a little difficult to gel with, I’m not sure why. It wasn’t until around 30% into the story that I felt engaged.
The characters were well written, each had a unique personality that was portrayed brilliantly.
Sometimes I think it’s difficult when we have authors that we love. Our expectations are so high…and that’s quite unfair on them really.
I really enjoyed this story, but not as much as previous books by the author. I still love her work and will be eagerly waiting for the next one to be written 😊
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest reivew. This book is set to come out July 6!
I honestly struggled with this one. It felt like a delicious piece of steak but you had to chew for a while before swallowing. I couldn't connect to Eleanora and I didn't really find any humor. The bootcamp was fun to read while it was described and there were a few relationship tips that I found interesting. This didn't feel like a "hilarious romantic comedy".
The plot was slow and felt more like a relationship self help book at times. I think the problem is that I'm not the reader for this book and it's possibly geared towards an older crowd. Overall, it was a cute read but I personally had to work for it.
Bookouture knocks it out of the park once again! I love books that have a romantic reboot type program and how often the protagonist finds love were she least suspects it! I loved Nora and Wills chemistry and highly recommend this read if you love reading about the beauty of Scotland and enjoy great characters and an intriguing love story!
Summary
A stunning Scottish castle, a tall dark stranger, and a vow to stay single happily ever after… What could go wrong?
Nora Brown is totally happy single. The men in her life have all been selfish, cheating liars and being alone is far easier than risking a broken heart again – for her and for her daughter. She’s only going to Romance Reboot – a posh ‘singles’ bootcamp’ at a castle in the Scottish Highlands – to keep her sister quiet.
But surrounded by tumbling waterfalls and sweet birdsong, Nora can’t deny she’s starting to relax. Even better, she finds another guest with no intention of finding love. Will Thomson has dark tousled hair, a sly grin, and a shocking sense of humour. Everybody else hears their laughter and thinks they’re falling for one another, but Nora knows she’s safe – he’s just here on a research trip.
Determined to ignore the spark between them, Nora agrees to be Will’s cover, fending off other suitors with private sniggers over wine and quite convincing public displays of affection. Just when she starts to question if she might be missing something important, she starts to suspect Will might be hiding something from her.
Will is just another cheater-in-the-making like all the others, isn’t he? Nora will go home to her daughter happy and single, just like she always intended. Even if she could find out the truth about him, she isn’t interested… is she?
An absolutely hilarious, totally unputdownable romantic comedy from a bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sorry Not Sorry and Marian Keyes.
Well, to be honest, it was not a book I was expecting from Joanna Bolouri.
What I was expecting was a hilariously funny and filled with swearing relatable read. What I got, was a dragging on, like a chewing gum, story about meditating, yoga and visualisation. The plot was only built around the whole bootcamp idea and I had a feeling that it's not as important. I really had a feeling that I'm reading a kind of self - help book and not a fiction from one of the funniest authors ever.
The characters were not so bad. Nora was entertaining and down - to - earth and Will was sharp - witted. They were believable and were sharp observers of the reality.
It was a story about getting to know yourself better, about being positive, changes and filled with tons of self - help talk that eventually grew old, but in the end it felt flat and not as genuine as Bolouri's previous book, which is a real pity. Of course, as a Bookouture book it's being sold as "A totally perfect and hilarious romantic comedy". It's not. Sadly.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have received this book by NetGalley and Bookouture, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is July 6th, 2022. I will post this review on my Goodreads, Facebook page and Instagram.
I needed a good read and that's what I've got with this book. I laughed so much, and I couldn't stop reading.
Nora Brown is a very pleasant character, and we can relate to her almost all the way - still, there were some small things that I didn’t enjoy but nothing major. I guess it was just a *Me* things. I adored that we've learned more about self-love and how powerful that could be. Trust and friendships. I kind of liked the other characters too, but I was more immersed in the story and journey than in the romance. Some good tips too, about relationships.
Another thing that made me a bit frustrated was how we got to the end. I was expecting something different. Something more. I guess it was that kind of endings that doesn’t work out for everyone but still can make sense to many of the readers.
It was my first book by this author, and I liked it very much. I'll be searching for more books about her.
If you want a funny and cute book, this is a very good choice.
I absolutely love this authors books and couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one. This was the perfect mix of humour and romance mixed in with real emotion and relatable issues.
I laughed out loud on numerous occasions at the to the point revelations and exclamations of the various scenarios that the characters got themselves into.
Absolutely loved the banter and connection between Nora and will and how they bounced off one another. I would love a sequel to see where their journeys take them next
Perfect feel good escapism read which would make a good holiday beach read.
3.5-4 Stars! Cute book. Started off a bit slow but I really enjoyed reading about Wil and Nora’s bootcamp relationship. They were both relatable and funny and I loved the banter between the two of them. I laughed a few times and got some great tips from the relationship bootcamp that I’m planning on trying in real life. I didn’t really care for the ending. It made me frustrated and irritated with Nora. It felt like Wil was settling with a runner up choice and Nora was happy to even get that. What happened with the wife? Did she want to break it up or did he? Wish Wil would’ve tried harder to contact Nora. And an epilogue probably would’ve made the ending better. Other than the ending, I really enjoyed reading this book.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*
Wow, can I give 7 stars out of 5? Six aren’t enough! I LOVED this book! Sweet romance, loveable characters, cute story, with some (insightful) self help talk. Good banter and snark, romantic moments, I laughed out loud, cried, and I couldn't put the book down. Edinburgh was an extra bonus for me because I love books set in Scotland. I'll definitely re-read it this summer or grab it if I'm feeling down or in a reading slump.
Highly recommended!
Thank you to the author and publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Single and lonely, although she doesn’t think she is, Nora Brown is about to embark on the trip of her life. Presented with the gift of a singles bootcamp for her fortieth birthday, she agrees to go just to shut her friends and family up. But for Nora, the week-long bootcamp is about to change her life.
If you are looking for a lighthearted fun filled story, this will hit the spot.