Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon M. Peterson, and Bookouture for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an easy, light read with a lot of laughable moments. It was also super cheesy, which is never a bad thing. I really felt as though the book was teaching me to love who I am, not to love who others think I am. I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. Perci was a fantastic main character that I was easily able to connect with. I highly recommend this book!

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and to my instagram account @ginganinja333 on August 1, 2022.

"There are moments in life—sometimes they’re big, sometimes small. Some are happy, like meeting the man you’ll marry or having a baby. But sometimes they’re ugly. It’s sometimes they’re ugly. It’s the moments that make us who we are."
Booby Jo (Perci's Mom) has taken over Perci's life. This has Perci self-doubting herself, but her only saviour is Mimi.
Mimi is my all-time favorite. She has seen so much in her life which only led her to be super cool. Her support for Perci was like a ray of sunshine on a dull day.
"Perci, darling a man wants a spoon not a ladle. Remember that."
Perci has been doing things that don't make her happy. Her wardrobe is nothing like her it is a dead wardrobe because they are of only one color BLACK. She cannot stop saying weird things when she is nervous, especially in front of Nate.
Nate is her neighbor whose courier keeps landing in her place. He did not impress me a lot though. The attraction and support was dull from his end. She got that support and love from her best friend, Mathias.
Loved how Perci from being underconfident and happy became confident and happy.
Overall, It was a great read.
"When life gives you lemons, give them back and ask for grapes. You can make wine with grapes.”

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

I adored this book! Everything about it was perfection! I was constantly laughing out loud and cheesy grinning while reading. Perci was an amazing main character and I was rooting for her throughout the entire book. Mimi and Lilah may have been my favorite characters though and I wanted more of those two. My favorite part is I felt like this book teaches you to love who you are.

After spending her life struggling to gain the approval of her overbearing mother, and most importantly, herself, Perci Mayfield has 4 resolutions for this year.
1. Stop dating. (Men are the worst.)
2. Stop trying to lose weight. (I’m never giving up chocolate!)
3. Stop working so hard. (Selling mortgages is not my dream career.)
4. Stop trying to live up to unrealistic expectations. (Start living my best life!)

As someone who is very fussy about romance novels- I adored this one! I find a good Romance novel is dependent on a few factors, on which this novel fully delivers.
Firstly, a relatable main character you can route for. I found myself attached to Perci from the very first page. Perci is a strong willed, slightly awkward plus sized woman who has dampened herself down to fit into the standards her mother and society has set out for her, and yet still doesn't receive approval. This year, with the encouragement of her best friend Mathias, she decides to learn to love herself and live her life the way she wants.

The second must for any romance novel is, of course, a dreamy romantic interest. Peterson nailed this one. Nate is a heart meltingly sweet single dad of the delightful, bird obsessed Lilah. Their blossoming relationship had me smiling at my screen, and even involved a little of everyone's favourite trope- fake dating. I particularly enjoyed how Perci wasn't initially attracted to him in a physical way but grew to love him as it made their relationship seem far more genuine.

Thirdly, I often find romance novels focus solely on the relationship, which can often get dull after they've inevitably ended up together. However Perci was such a well developed character, I think I would have still enjoyed this novel without the romance at all, and instead simply followed her on her attempt to discover herself and what she wants out of life. Of course Nate was a large bonus.

A few other things I really enjoyed about this novel: the theme of the importance and complications of family relationships, as well as the humour and situations Perci experienced that had me laughing at my screen. Particularly Perci's grandma, Mimi. If Perci wasn't such a strong character herself Mimi would have stolen the show. I enjoyed each chapter heading, which includes one of her 'words of wisdom', one of my favourites being:

"Silence may be golden,
But duct tape is silver and it's real cheap"- Mimi.

Her characterisation also had a perfect contrast to Perci's Mother strict mother. The ending was perfectly wrapped up and hinted at Perci's happy future.

The only real thing I didn't like in this novel was the mention of Perci having lost weight near the end. Despite it not being intentional and her mentioning a better relationship with food, it still made it seem in a way that being thinner had made her life better, when she could have achieved all those things regardless. I would also like to mention, this book has a spice rating of nill so if you need that in her romance novels this one may not be for you!

The Do- Over by Sharon M. Peterson is out on August 1st 2022. Thank you bookouture for an early copy of this book in return for a honest review.

I really, really loved this book. It was a quick read with delightful characters.

Realizing that she is a chronic people-pleaser at the expense of her own happiness, Perci creates Anti-New Year Resolutions, and learns about the growing pains of making changes in your life, your career and your relationships. Plus, I loved the Houston, TX setting!

I really felt like I related to the main character Perci, and was able to see myself in her. I think that helped me enjoy this book even more. it was well paced and it kept me engaged. I am currently in a book slump so it was something interesting enough to help pull me out for a bit. I would recommend to a friend!

Hands down, a five-star read. I loved every minute of this book, Perci is a wonderful heroine with all the best parts of a quirky, true-to-herself romcom lead. Her insecurities are something I believe a lot of readers can relate to, and seeing representation in a story such as this one was fantastic. In style, it is up there with Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood.

If you're a fan of laugh out loud, can't put down, fake dating romances then this is the book for you!

Well, I truly had so much fun during my reading journey.

This book’s secret weapon is absolutely Mimi who stole the show as the sweetest, wisest, funniest grandma! Mimi-sm rules are opening quotes of each chapter that are entertaining, inspirational showing the character’s great sense of humor!

Perci Mayfield is well portrayed character you can easily resonate and feel for!

She’s getting through the worst year of her life because of inner circle!

She’s being publicly humiliated and dumped on the radio by her boyfriend. She’s trapped at a family business she wants to quit. And she deals with her family members including her mother who keeps making irritating comments about her appearance. She’s wearing clothes and hair style which gets approval of her mother. But enough is enough! She’s sick of being people pleaser! She has to find her way out of her trepidations by making wise choices set herself free.

One night, when she’s hanging with her best friend Matthias, she forms a resolution list after being fueled with booze and jalapeño poppers. That list is a manifesto of taking no shit! She will free herself from people’s negative comments including family and stop dating!

I loved to see transformation and evolving of Perci! That liberation process was even more exciting than her blooming love story with gold hearted neighbor Nate!

Perci was interesting character with unusual perspective. I enjoyed her sarcastic comments!

The book’s plus side body representation was perfect! The messages to embrace your own qualities and learning to love yourself were also powerful.

Absolutely another feelgood, though provoking, heart warming reading that I highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I found this book an enjoyable read. I liked Perci as a character and although I felt frustrated by her people-pleasing at times, I also felt that I could really resonate with her! I loved her transition and how she grew throughout the book. I liked the insight into her difficult relationship with her mother. If you liked the Love Hypothesis you'll love this! An enjoyable read although a little descriptive with no context at times. Gorgeous cover and would recommend as a summer read.

I really enjoyed this one!

Perci is so relatable with her feeling insecurities, feelings of failure, and not living up to the expectations of those in her life. Her interactions with Mimi are hilarious and I loved all the Mimi-isms at the beginning of each chapter and throughout the novel. I enjoyed her development throughout the novel.

I think Sharon M. Peterson does a great job with character and place development, making it easy for the reader to picture themselves in the novel. My only wish was for more development of Nate's personality, I feel like he was the only character that I had difficulty picturing. The flow of the narration kept me engaged and made me want to keep reading.

Overall I really enjoyed the novel, hitting on my favorite tropes: fake relationships, semi-forced proximity with Perci and Nate being neighbors, and a slow-burn romance. There were several points where I had to set my Kindle down for a quick moment as I was laughing at the dialogue and second-hand embarrassment.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture, and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

It takes A LOT for me to give 5 stars to a book, but this one was stellar. I can relate this author's writing style to that of Christina Lauren, Emily Henry, and Ali Hazelwood (minus the spice!)

The Do-Over had me laughing out loud at Perci's antics and crying when things didn't go her way. I adored the way Sharon Peterson developed the characters' relationships and felt like I could really relate to Perci as a main character. Perci's strained relationship with a mom, dad, and sister she loved but couldn't voice her true opinions to is something I think a lot of people can relate to. Not wanting to disappoint those you love is a universal theme in most everyone's life and Perci's embodiment of the "New Perci" telling the truth, being confident, and not trying to please anyone but herself was simultaneously hysterical and anxiety inducing! When there is a strong emotional and laugh out loud reaction like that, it solidifies a five star book for me!

Sharon Peterson's writing style really resonated with me. I loved the way she expressed Perci's thoughts, being optimistic, then realistic. (ex. three (ok maybe four) drinks). It had me giggling to myself because this is EXACTLY the way I think in my head and the way I would express something when writing. Her descriptions of situations and settings are vivid, but not overly descriptive which is absolutely perfect for a rom-com.

I am excited to recommend this one to my friends and hopefully read more by Sharon Peterson!

A truly delightful, gorgeous and funny read. Lovely blend of characters and lots of fun along the way.

Thank you so much to Bookouture, NetGalley and Sharon M. Peterson for granting me an ARC for 'The Do-Over'

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! The Do-Over is Sharon M. Peterson's debut novel, following a woman named Perci on her journey of self-love and escaping her overbearing mother's control on her life.
I laughed, I cried, I gasped out loud - this book may be a contender for my favourite read of 2022!
All the characters were so fun, Mimi and her Mimi-isms were definitely my favourite and Perci was so goofy, funny and highly relatable, her story never had a dull moment.
The love interest, Nate, was adorable and I loved his down-to-earth energy, I just wish we saw more of him and Perci together, as the 'romance' doesnt really start until around 60-70% of the way through the book, so I would say calling this book a romance book, is a bit of a stretch, but that doesnt mean I enjoyed it any less!

This books includes:
- Clean romance
- Fake dating

Review also posted to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4831176761
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf6B5u1vZKa

A really good story about self-discovery and self-love, and a path for a happy life. Perci life’s wasn’t the best after her boyfriend broke up with her for a concert ticket and all her life Perci’s mother tried to control her in every way just to make her daughter a better person than her mother was. But it all came back in a wrong way. And Perci decided she will became a new herself and she will control her own life for good.

I really loved reading about the whole family drama, even when it was really hurtful but very eye opening. Perci brought her best, and her development was amazing. Quitting her job, wore her own loved style, didn’t give af about what she eats and in the most important part she stood up for herself front of her mother. I’m not saying I enjoyed all of it, because there was a lot of cringe parts that was meant to be funny but I found it really embarrassing, but it didn’t scare me off from finishing the book.
I loved Nate the love interest. I found him really charming but I was sad that he wasn’t always in the picture. I wish we got more moments with him. The story didn’t focus on the romance between Nate and Perci. It was all about Percis personal development which was absolutely amazing and a writing style totally devoured me. I ate this book
up in a day.
And I liked reading romances when the plot isn’t really focusing on a partner relationship, but on self love with body and spirit and family love.
Absolutely worth to read this one. Thank you for the arc!

As Mathias eloquently stated, "If you believe it, you will be it." From the beginning, Perci never believed that she deserved more than she had. She didn't like the way she looked, in an attempt to please everyone she took the back seat, and found no joy in either her job or her relationships. In her eyes, she was and would always be a failure. Her resolve and her abiding to the anti New Years' Resolutions changed all of that. No one would describe her as a "chubby mouse". New Perci had arrived! Her true self was in line with how her apartment was decorated. It was a joy to see her evolution. In speaking her truth, her relationships deepened with Phee, her mom and her dad. Mimi was there to cheer her on. And yes, that was when she was ready to meet Nate. She is and always was beautiful.

This is a clean, feel-good story that tackles some real life scenarios but doesn't get overly heavy. This book was a solid 4 stars for me! It was a super quick and easy read, but didn't feel fluffy. The characters have real life problems that make them believable and likable. Our main characters Perci and Nate are neighbors and support each other through a variety of challenges thrown each of their ways as they work their way toward each other. I loved the way they interacted with each other, and especially loved Mimi, Perci's grandma. I would recommend this to a friend for sure.

A very enjoyable read, “The Do-Over”, by Sharon M. Peterson (Bookouture), features a heroine finally coming to terms with her body and accepting it for what it is, and meeting an incredible tender and loving single dad, and is an appropriate story to have some good laughs this summer.
I liked Perci‘s journey and her personality: insecure but conquering the fears, generous and caring, and extremely patient with her parents’ meddling and/or indifference. I felt frustrated and at the same time I understood her tendency to accommodate their wishes, but it surely was grating on my nerves!
This is more about Perci shedding her old skin and becoming who she really is than about the romance; and it was interesting and fun to watch the process and I was often laughing with some humorous observations.
Still, Nate is a great, solid hero (the final indecision was a bit annoying).
There’s a bunch of great secondary characters that really make the story compelling: sweet, single-minded Lilah, the formidable grandmother, Phee, Mathias, Bria.
I liked watching the two sisters interactions, and the transformations both went through, but thought the mother’s character was a bit far-fetched.
I liked the first person point of view (Phee’s), even though it’s not usually my favorite option, but I thought it was well done and written and the story was light, romantic and heartwarming.

I was nervous to read this story because from the blurb, it seemed like it would be a new favorite for me. I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the expectations I created in my head. Boy, was I wrong. This story is in the running for one of my favorite reads of the year. I LOVED it. I related to Perci SO much that it was a bit eerie ( in the best way). I devoured this and already can’t wait to read and annotate a physical copy when it comes out. There was so much goodness here. I loved Perci as a character and learning more about what her “best self” is. And then Nate!? He was the perfect book boyfriend boy next door.

I absolutely loved The Do Over and smashed it in a single day. I loved Perci so much and really enjoyed her finding out who she is and taking control of her life. Her relationships are complicated and she doesn't really know who she is outside of trying to force herself into someone her mother wants her to be. The Do Over is a such a sweet read the flows effortlessly. Think chick lit but with a lot of depth and characters that have real flaws.

I loved that Perci was a curvy woman who learns to embrace who she is. I love Mimi as a strong patriarch that loves her daughter but recognises her flaws. I love that despite the mistakes they all make, the relationships are all born from love.

Overall this is a book about female empowerment and relationships which did come at a cost of the male characters who often felt like they were there as storyline props rather fully developed characters in their own right. Do you know what though? I really didn't care. I was so invested in Perci and her journey of self-discovery, I didn't care that it came at a cost of some of the other characters. A great summer read, I would definitely recommend this one.

This is not a romantic story, there is romance? Yes, but this book is the story of a woman learning to love herself.

Perci finds herself in a horrible situation on New Year's Eve, her boyfriend breaks up with her in a horrible way, her mother constantly criticizes and judges all her decisions and she is working in a place she hates, so in a moment of weakness her best friend pressures her to make a list of resolutions for the new year and in the hope of fulfilling them she writes down 5 things.

When the people closest to you start telling you that there is something wrong with you, you start to believe it, and Perci goes through situations that make her doubt herself over and over again, so being able to read about how she starts the new year in a different way is refreshing.

This book is cute, fun and perfect for when you want to read about how important it is to love yourself and put your happiness first.

(Thank you NetGalley and for an ARC in exchange for an honest review)