I wanted to like this book because of the holiday vibes but I just felt like James couldn’t catch a break, everyone was rude and the holiday itself was a very small plot. I think it’s good book but not perfect, definitely a bit of fun and I would recommend it but I wasn’t a fan of the daughter. Too many povs I think

A sweet and romantic five-star read that has much more depth than expected. Lauren and James have a very quick connection but is that connection enough when real life comes a knocking. I really liked the characters and the story flow if this one, what I didn’t like was the self-doubt that both main characters had. They both second guessed every little interaction, and I know when your older I can be difficult to know you are in the right frame when you have so much at stake, but it was a little too much. The best thing was that the whole story was great, and when they stopped second guessing the story was so much deeper and I enjoyed it so much, there were great secondary characters as well who just lit the page up when they finally got where they wanted to be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for sharing this ARC!

This was a sweet romantic comedy that included real-life experiences and relationships between family and friends. Overall I thought this was a cute read, however, I was surprised at how little the story involved the characters being on holiday. I did not enjoy the side characters and felt like they hijacked the story with multiple POVs. If you enjoy a summer fling romance that also incorporates the aftermath of what happens next, this book may be for you!

I’m a huge Fiona Gibson fan so was thrilled to receive an ARC to read. As always it’s a great read. So very true to life with a lovely ending that did cause a bit of lip wobble. The characters were likeable in their own ways, all flawed as most humans are! The main story of love in your 50’s with the baggage of life in the past causing all sorts of issues reflected my own experiences…these 2 were lucky to have just one child each!

I absolutely loved the book and thoroughly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

this book gave me the feels. i was drawn by the title of the book and then i was sucked in completely. really liked this and want to find more of her books.

You know you can rely on Fiona Gibson when it comes to chicklit and this book is no exception, it’s one that will comfortably see you through your beachside holiday.

This really was the right book at the right time when I read it; I was in need of something positive and uplifting.
Fiona Gibson writes such honest characters; they are flawed, they are funny and they are exactly like people we all know - full of ambition and self-doubt, full of love but unsure if they are loved and parents who never feel as though they are enough even when they are everything to their kids.
I love reading the perspectives of each different character and how they view the unfolding situations in the book and I love how the younger characters reflect the ambitions of young people today and show how they are often misunderstood by older generations. I work with teenagers and it matters to them that this is acknowledged - they might do things differently but they have the same aspirations as any generation before them.
As a general rule, I am not a fan of rom-com kind of books but Fiona Gibson writes differently; the romance is, of course, a significant aspect of the plot but she writes about whole families and real lives that we can all connect with.
Another uplifting and fantastic read and one that I highly recommend to anyone in need of a pick-me-up.

I loved the characters and the plot of the story, I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Lauren and James are just so real. The rows, the relationships with their offspring and the frustrations leap off the page and resonate. The different points of view on the relationship as the book progresses build up the pressure and give a fuller view of what is going on - as well as giving some great dialogue and the thinking behind the words. The use of the presence tense took a little getting used to but worked as the book progressed and the future of Lauren and James is in play.

What a fun romcom! I had a good time with this book! It wasnt my favorite, but I enjoyed it while I read!

This was an easy read, everything flowing so gently... before you know you'll be glued to the page. And don't we all have our insecurities, anxiety and misunderstandings which in this case let to a disastrous Sunday lunch.

However, I'm wondering about the lack of at least a wee bit of diversity when it comes to skin color, sexual preferences, religion, history, cultural background, income (or lack of), and chronics. Couldn't Lauren's best friend Kim have been a woman of color, or in a wheelchair?

Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Another great book from Fiona Gibson
Light hearted, funny,relatable and easy to read!
A romantic holiday fling in beautiful Corsica for Lauren and James, but what happens when you return home ? How can you keep that holiday romance going? Faced with family, distance and work commitments Lauren and James have to juggle in order to see each other on a regular basis, this is not always successful due to interference from James daughter and her never ending dramas!
However true love will always find a way and everyone is entitled to a second chance at love!
Families, friendship and middle aged love makes for a charming read!
Thank you netgalley fir this early read.

Friendship, romance and parenthood combine to develop into a really strong narrative. The characters were well written and the story was fast paced - like all of Gibson's books this is a very easy, yet brilliantly written read. Perfect for a bit of 'down time' - cannot recommend more highly. Gibson is one of the best in this genre.

This book was nothing like I was expecting it to be. Based on the blurb, I was expecting a light hearted, fun, holiday romance turns into forever kind of book.

The blurb reads:
Is he just a summer fling? Or the one she’s been waiting for…

How Lauren thought her summer holiday would go: Priceless mother-son memories of swimming and sunshine before Charlie leaves for university.

How things actually are, now they’re here: Charlie refusing to speak to her, locked in a darkened room in their Corsican cottage, and a creeping sense of dread contemplating the rest of her life alone.

Although Charlie has decided that holidays with mum are now deeply uncool, Lauren is determined not to waste this trip. Then she meets James, who was supposed to be holidaying with his daughter but is now, like her, unexpectedly flying solo.

Lauren is soon sneaking away for romantic dinners under the stars. Instead of the end of something, she hopes this could be a new beginning.

But what happens when Lauren and James pick up their emotional baggage back home? And what will their kids make of their mid-life rom com in the making?

Instead, what I got was very litle holiday, a whole lot of over the top, unrelatable, unbelieveable, unikelable characters, angst, and way too much attention focused on one single side character, who by the way is 20 and has been dating a man in his 50s for two years.

Just not my type of book.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

@netgalley #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #contemporaryromance

A quick, easy, funny and cute read that I read in one sitting. It was an easy read in between some heavier books and I really enjoyed it for its light heartedness and humour.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to like this book (as one skis with all books that one reads) but it felt lacklustre. Due to multiple POVs the story at some point just felt like it had drifted away from the main characters that were the foundation of the story. It also didn’t help that most of the side-characters (all of them from James’s side, poor him) were so ridiculously awful to him and to each other. I needed someone to whisk him away from his predicaments. His awful, conceited daughter, ridiculous and nasty ex-wife made me feel so sorry for him, it nauseated me.

Other than that there was very little holiday in the book itself, before they go back to real life, where things turn to shit so quickly that I almost stopped rooting for the main couple. Pair this with a ridiculous amount of attention on James’s daughter (who’s been dating a man in his fifties for two years and she’s twenty in the books timeline so go do that math) and her irritating self-obsessed rambling in her POVs, I can’t say this book took me on the escape I wanted it to, unfortunately. Better luck next time!

I'm not a fan of summer fling books. But this one had it's funny moments. Though I'm not the target audience for this one I did enjoy it. It's one of those that will make you laugh out loud.

This is a quick fun read about romance and friendship. Starting over…children growing up…the characters are so realistic that this would make a delightful sitcom. This author has written a novel that reads like nonfiction. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Curl up…find a comfy chair…a warm blanket…a cup of steaming herbal tea…get lost in the lives of the characters…

Loved this story, a book full of romance warmth and laughs .Perfect book to take you out of your daily life into the world of these characters.Read it this weekend and enjoyed from beginning to end #netgalley#avonbooksuk.

Lauren and James meet while on holiday. Lauren’s son is with her but wants to be left alone, while James ended up there alone after his daughter ditched him at the last minute. These two decide they can still have a great vacation together, without their kids. Within two weeks, it develops into a relationship. However, back at home, real life isn’t quite as splendid as they had hoped.

There were some parts I really enjoyed, like the main storyline of Lauren and James. However, I was not a fan of Esther, Miles, and Rhona. Too much drama for my taste… but I know a lot of people who really like the drama, so don’t let that stop you from reading it ;-)

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for The Man I Met on Holidau to come out March 2, 2023.