Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Wow Dani, with all your books on my tbr, I am now questioning why I hadn't picked them up earlier. I absolutely loved this novella. Fate and Ethan have my heart, I loved their story and connection. I am always hesitant with novellas as they can fall short but this one is simply perfect.

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: Special thanks to Dani McLean for providing me an ARC copy to share my honest review.

This book is so adorable and so cosy, a very quick read with a fun premise that played out just like a movie, and although I guessed what the twist was from very early on, it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book at all, not in the slightest bit.
The characters were so lovable.
It's sad it was just a short novella!!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very enjoyable, quick read!

Indy was told by a psychic that the bracelet she has is special. That the man it belongs to is her destiny. It was gifted by her ex boyfriend. So she searches for him and instead keeps bumping into his cousin. I loved that everything Ethan said was steeped in innuendo and longing. Ethan is a top tier book boyfriend and the mirror scene at the end??? Get out of here. It was phenomenal.

While at times the main character frustrated me with her determination to find her destiny, overall this was a cute book with a great story line.

I originally started to read this book over a year ago, and I was not really in the mood to finish it. I'm a big mood reader, so I figured I would just take a break and finish it another time. This past month, I finally decided to give it another go, and again, I got to the halfway point and could not bring myself to continue it. My biggest issue at the halfway point was that it felt like there was no more surprise. I read a lot of romances, so I understand that the couple is going to end up together, but at the same time, I want some tension! Sadly, there was no tension at all. I knew as soon as we found out that her "soulmate" had a girlfriend and was actually a terrible person that there was no chance at all. However, for some reason, Indy did not figure this out right away because she was convinced he was her "Destiny."

I did want to see how it ended, so I forced myself to keep going. Things picked up a little more after the 70%, and I found myself enjoying the romance a little more. I didn't vibe with most of the book, but I enjoyed the chemistry between Indy and Ethan. They seemed like they would work very well together as a couple, even in real life. While I wish there was a little bit more plot between the two of them, they definitely were well-developed characters.

I loved reading this short novel. This is the first time that I have read a book by Dani but and I will definitely be picking up more by her. A cute fast paced story. Truly enjoyed the flirtatious banter between the two lead characters. There a little spice at the end but not too much.

Eu amei essa história! Ela é tão fofinha e nos faz lembrar que não devemos nos fixar numa ideia a ponto de parar de desfrutar o que pode entrar na nossa vida sem querer.

O proto um fofoooo! ❤️

I am not usually a fan of short novellas, but this book had so much included in it that I felt as if I was reading a much longer work. The quality of the writing and pacing of the story just drew me an and engaged me in a way this format usually doesn't. This was a well paced, well plotted, and well written story that I read in one day. I loved everything about this book and found even the slow burn romance to really fit well into the novella format, something I never thought I would say.

Do not miss this book! With characters that will draw you in because they are real, a romance that will cause you to quickly flip pages, and the perfect amount of spice, this is a book that I am thrilled to have found and I know you'll be checking out more from the author just as I am.

Steamy romantic little novella that was fun to read. Friends to lovers, he falls first. It was fun and I'll be reading other books by Dani for sure.

It Has To Be You is the latest fun and flirty instalment of Dani McLean’s ‘Movie Magic Novella’ series. It’s a slow burn friends to lovers romance which would be the perfect short and sweet read if you are a fan of magical realism or just want a contemporary romance packed full of charm, heart and a bit of spice.
After reading and reviewing ‘A Missing Connection’ earlier in the year, I was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to venture back into the world of Chance City and It Has To Be You certainly didn’t disappoint. Although it is part of a wider series, all of the novellas can be read as standalone stories in any order and each feature a magical or supernatural element, such as telepathy or in this case the idea of fate and soulmates.
The heartfelt narrative is very well-paced and well-developed despite only being a novella. It’s a book which is very easy to absolutely devour in a single sitting which would make it perfect for breaking you out of a reading slump.
I’m a sucker for a slow burn romance novel and especially when the payout is as strong as it is here as we get a fantastically written spicy scene which was definitely worth waiting most of the book for. Whilst conscious of avoiding spoilers, the mirror scene was absolutely everything and I was thinking about it for literally DAYS afterwards.
As usual, Dani McLean writes fantastic characters with such depth to them, despite a limited wordcount. Indy is a fantastic strong female lead character who was endearing and so relatable. I loved that she was an author and the focus on her finding it difficult to write an authentic happily ever after love story when she hadn’t experienced one for herself. Ethan probably takes top spot as my fictional book boyfriend of the year so far (which is no mean feat as there have been some very strong contenders) as he has such as good heart, brilliant banter and was cutely nerdy whilst still being a totally swoonworthy motorcycle rider. He also definitely got bonus points for being such a passionate elementary school teacher!
I didn’t necessarily find the focus on soulmates as compelling as the telepathy plotline from A Missing Connection and the twist was quite predictable but it is such a well written story that this didn’t impact on my ultimate enjoyment of the novella.
Overall, It Has To Be You is a fantastic contemporary romance novella which is humorous and packed full of charm and loveable characters. I have already downloaded the rest of the series (as side note – they are all available on Kindle Unlimited) and can’t wait to see what it has to offer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

This was so super cute. Short and sweet but not missing anything. Ethan being immediately smitten with Indy was so adorable and reminiscent of Ali Hazelwood MMC’s. I didn’t like how Indy was apparently self-conscious about her tattoos and then ended up being so passionate about them. As a somewhat heavily tattooed elementary art teacher, I get the feeling of being out of place in corporate-like settings but being insecure and wanting to cover them up would never cross my mind. But Ethan being a teacher was fantastic. “Have you met a ten year old?” Yes. They’re scary.

3.7 rounded to 4 stars.

I just found out this book is part of a series, and now I HAVE TO READ THE OTHERS. Obsessed! Ethan might just be my favorite book boyfriend!

This one was not for me. I found the main character infuriating. Her pining for a man she hasn’t seen for 10 years who is also objectively awful while a charming, lovely man stands right in front of her was so annoying it almost gave me a nose bleed. Dani writes well, she knows how to create a romance and is able to flesh out her characters even in a novella. If she ever releases a full length novel I’ll be the first to read it, but these smaller romances tend to be a bit repetitive.

It Has To Be You by Dani McLean was the loveliest surprise! Based of the blurb and cover I thought this was going to be a a light, quick read, but this dove deeper than expected. Definitely in a good way! That's not to say this wasn't a funny and heartwarming book. It was just more emotionally diverse than I expected.

Indy, our FMC, deals with some mental health issues, that I will not even try to name because I don't want to get it wrong, but some of the symptoms/things she deals with are severe self doubt, spiraling thoughts and anxiety. On top of that she is a self proclaimed introvert. As someone who also deals with anxiety and racing thoughts it was hard to read some of these passages. On one hand I was yelling at her that it's just the anxiety clouding her thoughts, but on the other hand I completely understand how that feels. Dani McLean wrote these passages with a gentle, yet educated hand, which stirred emotions, without it being overwhelming. Well done.

Our MMC, Ethan, was was such a great balance for Indy. He was kind, patient, understanding, forthright, honest and did I already say patient? That kind of steadying, comforting presence is such a balm for someone with anxiety and he provided all of that and more for Indy. He was also smokin' hot so ... bonus. I mean the guy was a rock climber, rode a motorcycle and wore glasses. Hot damn.

The destiny/fate hook was interesting, but did become grating at times, which is why I knocked a star off. I truly don't know how that could be improved though and I think it was just personal preference.

Overall, a great read and I will definitely be going back and checking out Dani's backlist.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a really sweet story! I enjoyed the rom com tropy-ness of it all. Indy did get on my nerves a little with her focus on Fate and looking for signs, but Ethan more than made up for it.

The chemistry & banter was chefs kiss!!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

For such a short read it packed a lot in! I did find that it was a bit rushed at times and also incredibly infuriating to read at times as it was so obvious the two main characters had chemistry and BOTH liked eachother. I found the whole fate thing quite annoying as well as it isn’t something I believe in. Overall though, it was a good read, and THAT chapter was very good, if you know what I mean ;)

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

This was such a cute story! Ethan is a top tier book boyfriend, I will be binging the rest of the novellas in this series ASAP.