This is my second book of Sophies, and once again, she created a lighthearted romance. I knew I would eat this up because I love an enemies to lovers - with forced proximity! Two enemies go on holiday together to find a missing friend - obviously going to be a hit for me.

It wasn't just romance, though, which I think is what sets this book apart. It also focuses heavily on (TW's) sexuality and Andy, one of the main characters, being in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and looking at how that has affected those around him.

I think that the fact the second half focuses heavily on this addiction narrative however would come as a shock to many, as it is not mentioned in the blurb, it simply tells us about Kate and Daniels enemies x lovers situation.

Definitely think for many this would be something you'd want to know before going in expecting an airy-fairy romance, because whilst it had that, it was also quite serious too.

I am a big Sophie Ranald fan, particularly the way in which the plots of her novels intersect and give us insights into different characters within the same friendship group. In 'Not in a Million Years', it was the turn of Kate to be under the microscope as she ventures on a dream holiday - the only issue is that she is chasing her friend Andy, who may well be in trouble, with the very person she blames for allowing Andy's off the rails lifestyle to continue (Andy's friend Daniel). This is a classic tale of enemies to lovers as they realise perhaps they aren't so much at odds after all.

The clashes between Kate and Daniel are very fun to read and their chemistry is convincing. Reading other reviews, people clearly wanted this book to carry on being light and fluffy but, after the first quarter, it certainly goes to a much darker place. Andy is a drug addict and we get clear insights into his struggles over the years and his impact/ interaction with his friendship group (not convinced any of them are brilliant friends to each other to be honest). Ranald tackles these plotlines with aplomb and I found the plot really engaging throughout. Some of the miscommunication is a little grating but we got to a good place by the end of the novel!

4 stars! I remain excited to read Sophie Ranald's next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not In A Million Years is not your classic enemy to lover story, it comes with a couple of twists and turns as well as some heavy themes. Trigger warning, addiction is key theme throughout the book and some of the situations that happen are very sad but also very frustrating.

One thing I liked about this book was there were only a few key characters, so you became completely immersed in the story without having to remind yourself who is who. Of course there are a number of secondary characters that appear throughout the book but your key focus is Kate and David, with Andy coming in and out throughout.

The overall story itself is fairly predictable to be honest and there were times where I really enjoyed the laugh out loud moments and other times that I found the characters and overall plot a little frustrating. I think how Ranald showcases Andy's addiction and the toll it has on those around him, especially Kate, is done very well. It is painful but sheds an uncomfortable light on the realities of addiction (both for the victim and those around them). The manipulation from Andy (be it consciously done or not) really got under my skin but the fact Kate always gave in and nearly enabled it was just as frustrating. But I also have to remind myself that I have not been in this position before and can't even imagine how hard it must be (for all involved).

But it isn't all doom and gloom, some of the moments between Kate and David are very cute and the level of cheesiness that you need. You know exactly where it is going to go and in a way it helpd to balance out some of the darker parts of the story.

If you're looking for a beach read, this is a good one to have in your arsenal but be aware it isn't all rosy and cheesy like many others. There are dark undertones at certain points, so you want to be prepared for that.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this before its publication.

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I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Okay book that had a decent story. There were a few slower parts that for me brought the pace of the story down.

I have read quite a few books by this author but I think this one is my current favourite. I loved Kate and I thought the situation she was placed in made this by-chance romance which contains the enemies-to-lovers trope very unique and intriguing. Sophie's characters have true warmth, adequate depth, and the narrative structure really makes this book a difficult one to put. I also felt completely transported to the Turkish holiday resoirt setting which made this an ultimate escapist and feel good read!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Interesting book, I enjoyed it.

Fun, quick read full of laughs. I liked these characters and their lively banter between one another

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Not in a Million Years by Sophie Ranald from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I enjoyed the beginning of this book and found myself laughing out loud many times throughout the beginning. I know this book is being marketed as "hilarious" however the story deals with drug addiction and I personally don't think anyone should find that funny. Great author and I will definitely read her books again.

A little deeper than your average romcom, but this enemies to lovers read had just the right amount of character depth helping me care about the outcome and fun to keep my attention easily.

Enemies to lovers vibes for daysssss. What a fun premise. Loved it and will read more from this author.

A perfect summer read that had a good mix of cutesy and some more serious reading in it also. The book is well written and has well developed charcaters with a storyline that had me hooked. It deals with some hard hitting topics such as toxic relationships and everything that involves and addiction. However I think these were handled well and added another layer to the story

When Kates friend Andy goes missing in Turkey herself and Andys closest friend Daniel decide to travel to Turkey to find him. Only problem is Kate blames Daniel for enabling Andys wild lifestyle and addiction and she can't think of anything worse than spending time with him.
But soon they find themselves actually enjoying each others company as they spend their days looking for Andy. Until they find him and have to return home where they end up falling out again. Can Kate and Daniel make their relationship work or will something always come between them?

This deals with some heavy topics, addiction and toxic relationships. It's marketed as feel good and laugh out loud funny but I wouldn't say it is. Poor Kate has so much toxicity to deal with from Andy and its causing her to put her life on hold and Andys a horrible character I really didn't like him. I wish there'd been more comedy throughout as I feel there were so many missed opportunities. I didn't really enjoy the ending either I feel it was all a bit rushed and was resolved too quickly. There's a lot I feel could've been done differently in this.

Overall a very quick read that wasn't too bad.

This book is perfect for summer (I intended it for my week away but I actually finished it on the plane!)

It's a romantic comedy about two 'frienemies' who are sort of forced into close proximity: Kate is terminally single and goes on a well-deserved holiday, only to find that her friend has invited a mutual acquaintance that she doesn't really like. It's not long before she starts noticing his perfect body, though!!

The book is funny and quite an addictive read. I'd recommend this to fans of Emily Henry.

The perfect feel good rom com that I devored. The characters are superbly witty and the dialogue is charming. Brilliant! I read it in one sitting by the pool. So grab the sunscreen and a hat and chill with this romance book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

At first, even the characters' names bored me along with everything else. But, while reading and finding out little things about the characters I got sucked in. The way Daniel would stop and spend time with stray cats really just won me over. I grew to enjoy the characters and even yearn for them to be together.

There were, however, some things I definitely did not enjoy. Everytime the female MC would get dressed or see her reflection she would make a comment about her weight. She would say these out loud sometimes and other characters would ask questions like did you say something and of course she would just say no. This happened so frequently that along with the main plot of finding their friend and getting him help I was sure another major plot point would be Kate's support group helping her realize she needs help too. I was just waiting for the big eating disorder shoe to drop and it never did. Without there being a point to including all of the harsh judgemental comments Kate makes to herself it just furthers the idea of body criticism. This, in my mind, took this book so far away from the realm of comedy.

I found the serious undertones around addiction and the impact this has on not only the addict but those around them made this book not your typical “rom com”. The tensions between Daniel and Kate are particularly well written.

Not as light of a read as I was expecting from the cover and the description, and could potentially be triggering so read the warnings ahead of time. It was a nice book and some of the topics were handled quite well, I just did not really connect with the characters. If I cannot find that connection with at least one, it makes it challenging for me. The writing is good, pacing is fine, just not for me.

I found this novel quite enjoyable. I was a bit underwhelmed when the object of the search, Andy, was finally found. It was a slightly unusual plot, a bit different from the usual enemies to lovers genre. Kate and Daniel, the main characters were a bit hard to like at times, and the back story of Kate’s relationship with Andy was a bit uncomfortable. It was difficult to see at times why she continued to support him and care about his well being. However over all the novel was enjoyable and I would probably read another novel by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Foran ARC of this novel.

Kate has got her life together. She can’t ask for anything more - even if it means that she is chronically single. However, when her best friend Andy goes missing whilst travelling abroad, she needs to go and help him - even if that means going with Daniel, Andy’s friend who Kate is less than fond of. When they arrive, amongst looking for Andy, they take some time to enjoy their idyllic setting. Could Daniel perhaps not be so bad after all?

This was such a fun book to read. I felt like I was on holiday reading it, vividly imagining the landscape described. I loved reading about the relationship between Kate and Daniel as well, and how things are not always as they seem. I definitely recommend this for a fun beach read (or to cheer you up from the gloom of winter.

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookouture for the review copy.