This was such a fun romance! Firstly, I enjoyed that it was a romance story with older characters, in their 40s and 50s - I feel like you don’t get this very often in romance books, as it always seems to be young love or elderly people looking for a ‘last-chance romance’.

Our main character Daisy has been in showbiz for 25 years, so we get a lot of insight into celebrity and the affects this can have on peoples lives - not only just the celebrity themselves, but to the people around them that get dragged into the public eye as well. I found these elements really interesting and you really feel for the other characters that get stories told about them (more often than not, false stories), and have to deal with the unexpected press attention.

There were some brilliant secondary characters in this, including a gay ex-husband, a mother questioning her own sexuality, an awkward teenage boy dating the daughter of a celebrity, and an unhappy wife who finds solace in her new friendship with Daisy. I thought the book was so well-rounded and each of the characters had their own storyline going, that all tied in together with the main plot.

The romance wasn’t at all cheesy which I liked, and it felt quite realistic. This was a really easy read and very wholesome story, that I definitely recommend for a cosy pick-me-up!

I had high hopes since I love romances that have characters with life experience, but I was severely disappointed. It was marketed as "absolutely hilarious" and 'will have you snorting with laughter," but it did not deliver. I tried repeatedly, but I just couldn't get into it. The beginning chapters I read were incredibly repetitive and dull and I just kept waiting for something interest to happen and it ... didn't. This was a DNF for me.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy to review.

Synopsis: When Daisy makes a fool of herself at an awards show, she disappears to a small village in Cotswolds to recoup and rebuild. What she didn’t plan on was the community of people she falls in love with.

I really enjoyed this book! There is a lot to enjoy, the characters are well written, the pacing is great, and you can’t help but love Daisy. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves reading about people starting over, or just rom coms in general.

Thanks to @netgalley, @heidistephens and @headlinebooks for the chance to pre-read this book. Look for this one that comes out March 2023!

The Only Way is Up was a refreshing read! I loved getting Daisy & Tom’s perspectives throughout the book. It was refreshing to read a story about two grown adults who have both been through quite a bit in their lives (divorce, loss, parenthood, etc.) and yet were both still open to change, friendship, and love. The side characters in this book were all completely captivating - Ruby & Will, Stella, Justin, Melanie (who might have been my favorite in the whole book!) – so much so that I would read their stories if they were written in the future! The romance between Daisy & Tom is not the primary storyline but it is woven seamlessly throughout the book in a way that feels realistic. Read this book if you enjoy celebrity-meets-local romance, small towns, a fun cast of characters, and a feel good book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

HEIDI STEPHENS: THE ONLY WAY IS UP.

Daisy has had a successful twenty five year tv career. Then she suffers a mortifying and very public wardrobe malfunction.
Hoping to let things die down, Daisy heads off to a small Cotswold village, where she plans to do some writing while she lies low.
Life takes some unexpected turns for Daisy and she still has many hurdles to clear. However her retreat from the limelight may be just what Daisy needs, and she may even find her happy ever after while she’s at it.
I adored this book. Daisy is a likeable main character, who I was rooting for from the start.
Tom is a man with a heartbreaking past and he deserved nothing less than a happily ever after.
The other characters in the story are a fabulous mix of colourful souls.
TheOnlyWayIsUp skips along at a good pace and kept me interested and turning those pages.
There is a very sweet love story at the heart of this book, but it is not the main focus of the story. There is so much more going on in this fun read.
I loved how inclusive this book is, without making a song and dance about it. Just the way things should be.
HeidiStephens writes beautifully. The words flow effortlessly between the pages.
If you’d like to read a light hearted, feel good story that will leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart, you won’t go far wrong with this charming and delightful tale.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy publication day to this cozy, wonderful novel!

This is a lovely read and an overall heartwarming book! It follows the story of famed TV presenter Daisy Crawford during a crux in both her career and personal life. If coming-of-age stories for adults can exist, this is a perfect example of one.

I really enjoy books that round out the lives of all the characters rather than just the main character and their love interest. “The Only Way is Up” is more than a romance — it’s a story of the impact of friendships, relationships, and community. This story feels all the more beautiful due to the skillful way that Heidi Stephens writes side plots. Almost every single character in this book got their own story arc and had developed as an individual by the end of the novel. Yet this was somehow done without the book ever feeling too busy, and it never detracted from Daisy’s story! It just made it feel like a story of decent, imperfect, real people living decent, imperfect, real lives.

This book is a perfect winter read. It made me want to move to a countryside cottage in England and curl up under a warm blanket with a freshly lit fire (not that it takes a lot for me to want to do that). I loved it and I’m sad it’s over. Time to re-read, I guess! “The Only Way is Up” is out today, so go buy your copy wherever you like to buy your books!

Thank you to Headline Accent and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Listened to this book via audio. Narration was geat! But I didnt feel that this was a romance book, but more of women’s literature. I didn’t really connect with the characters, but that doesn’t mean the same for other readers.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgally for the ARC
3 stars

The blurb for this sounded really interesting and I went in with high expectations. It did feel current and I liked Daisy and the dynamics she had with her friends and her daughter. However I felt like it was far too long, by the 50% mark I was bored with everyone and just wanted to get to the conclusion. It also felt like it became less about Daisy and Tom and more just about Daisy deciding what she wanted out of life, which is fine but it doesn’t feel like a romance. I also don’t think that Tom’s POV gave that much to the story, honestly. Disappointing in the end.
2.5*

Review posted to Amazon.co.uk but awaiting verification

The Only Way Is Up is about Daisy who endures a wardrobe malfunction and flashes her bits at an awards show and follows her life in the months afterwards as she tries to escape the media attention.

Things I did like:
- Light hearted and easy to read
- Atmospheric descriptions of English countryside / village life
- Full cast of side characters who were entertaining

Things I didn’t connect with:
- Didn’t feel connected to the MC so wasn’t invested in the outcome of her story
- Felt long winded and didn’t really go anywhere
- Not really a romance book, felt more like women’s fiction

2.5 stars rounded up

What a great first chapter! It really introduced us to Daisy and her life. This book was such a romcom, a feel good. It explored the highs and lows of fame, and the way of life in small tight-knit communities. It was such a heart-warming reading.

I'll also be posting the review of this on my Instagram account at @blondesbooknook as well as partaking in the book tour being hosted by Headline publishing.

Many thanks to NetGalley for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my opinion.

Heidi Stephens never fails to bring a smile to my face with her wonderful characters.

This story follows Daisy, a celebrity, nearing 40, who has an unfortunate wardrobe incident at a famous award show and so escapes to the countryside to recover. I really liked that the main character was in her late 30's, it was nice to read about a character falling in love who had already experienced a lot of life. This is more than a romance story too, it focuses on finding oneself and taking a looking at who you choose to let into your life.

I always enjoy small town romances and this was no exception, the tight knit community really warmed my heart as I turned the pages and I could have spent a whole winter surrounded by these characters., they really made the book for me.

I loved this book, especially because the MC is a woman with life experience. It’s well written and I couldn’t put it down, to my surprise. Very well described characters and locales, 5 stars.

Daisy is a longtime TV presenter who has an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction on air. She wants to get away from the press etc, so she goes to a house in the Cotswolds owned by her ex-husband and his partner. She wants to lick her wounds and work on her relationship with her daughter.

The towns people are great, except someone is selling stories to the press. She’s met the headmaster of the local school, named Tom, and the press would love to whip up a romance between the two. Of course, they are quietly working slowly on that themselves. I loved how they take their time and let their relationship develop, which is no less romantic.

5 stars for this layered love story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I loved this - Daisy was such a fantastic main character - strong and really likeable.

Tom was a fantastic male lead and the romance felt genuine and sweet.

The other characters also felt more than side characters which I really enjoyed.

Overall a throughly great read which felt heart warming and inspiring

Escapism at high level: it made me smile, root for the characters, and had a lot of fun.
I liked the style of writing and the storytelling. First book by this author but not the last
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was amazing book I enjoyed. I loved the characters the writing style the chemistry between characters I enjoyed it was a great atmosphere in the story. Fast paced loved every paged. I’ve read a few by Heidi stephens and this one was amazing lovely author and writer.

This was my first book to read by this author but won't be my last! The story and its characters will stick with you long after you finish the story. Highly recommend!

Don't let the cover fool you -- this was my 200th book of the year and I really enjoyed it, way more than I expected. I liked this book so much! It put me right in the English countryside -- super atmospheric with a little drama but mostly a nice slow burn feel good romance! I read it very quickly and can't wait to read more from this author. Definitely recommend this one, especially if you like other Brit Lit authors like Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell, Sophie Kinsella or Jane Green!

The Only Way Is Up comes out next week on November 24, 2022, and you can purchase HERE!

Daisy Crawford perched on the stool in her bedroom, trying to relax as Edith artfully dabbed and blended foundation into her forehead. A glass of champagne fizzed away on the dressing table, hidden among the mountain of pots and jars and tubes that had been decanted from Edith's multitiered cosmetics case, but Daisy hadn't touched it. There would be rivers of booze at various after-parties later, and twenty years of the National Television Awards had taught her not to go too hard, or too early.

A fun read about fame, family, romance and deciding what you want from life.
Daisy is nearing 40 and has been in showbusiness for 25 years, she manages well with the fame side and is loved by all, until she goes A over T and ends up flashing her bits at a TV awards show.
Daisy runs away to a small village and finds a community that's makes her change her mind about the way she lives.
I enjoyed this one, I loved Daisy as a character and the interactions she has with others as well as the main storyline. It did feel slightly long in places, but it just meant I could spend longer in the village with the crazy characters.

Well, what an explosive start with this read! Poor Daisy!
Loved the ensemble cast from this too from her fabulous teenage daughter Ruby, a few people you distrust as stories get leaked to the press. Shows fame in a slightly different way.

Whilst we get a glimpse of romance, I would have liked a tad more reading time of Tom and Daisy together. But I really do love Daisy and how she copes with more and more being thrown at her.

Women's fiction at its very best.

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Only Way Is Up by Heidi Stephens tells a story of a woman who has an embarrassing moment and then finds out what she really wants out of life.

Story Recap:
Daisy has been in show business for 25 years and is one of Britain's most well-known celebrities. When she falls onstage while receiving an award, she inadvertently flashes the audience. Then her younger, tennis star boyfriend declares their engagement on Twitter before she even accepted his proposal. She needs to lay low for a while until the gossip subsides so she decides to go to the Cotswolds where her ex-husband has a little cottage. The small village is also close to her daughter’s school, and it seems like a perfect way to take some time for herself.

But, Daisy finds she can’t escape the press, even in the tiny village of Highgate, someone is selling stories about her and the single headmaster of the local school. But, are those stories true?

My Thoughts:
I don’t usually enjoy books about celebrities, but Daisy was very down to earth and seemed like someone I could be friends with. When she had her dress malfunctioned on national TV, she was understandably embarrassed, but I like that she didn’t have a total meltdown over the possible loss of her career. She just went away for a while while the gossip died down.

Daisy and Tom were both sympathetic characters and obviously meant for each other. But, it’s the side characters that really stole the show for me. The quirky characters in the town, Daisy’s family and friends, all help keep this book lively and fast-paced.

I just loved this heartwarming story, it made me smile and swoon. It was a joy to read.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Only Way is Up to anyone who enjoys fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.