I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely, wonderfully sweet. This is my first Luci Adams book and it definitely will not be my last.

Daisy’s redemption story here is what made the book so memorable and I really enjoyed the character development here. She was quite a “disaster” for lack of better words but it led to a lot of hilarity and her character was so relatable.

I do not typically read “non-spicy” books. While this one was closed-door, it had a great slow burn to it that I did not even really notice that there was a lack of spice.

My only comment that might be considered a negative, is that the pacing was kind of weird in certain places. BUT, that did not lend itself to not allow me to enjoy the book.

I wanted so badly to love this one, but unfortunately it just didn't deliver for me. The pacing was very slow and usually that's not a big deal, but in this case, I also wasn't the biggest fan of the FMC, Daisy, so it was hard to stay invested when not much was happening. The main thing that put a damper on this was the secondhand embarrassment I felt when Daisy went to some pretty great lengths to try to win back Jackson (who, to me, was not worth it at all). I really hated that journey for her. The main thing/person that I did love was Archie. He was SO sweet! He had me when he sent Daisy dinner after a cooking incident that went wrong. I think I would have loved this one much more if the romance happened much quicker.

I really enjoyed Luci’s first book so easily requested this one. But I found that the pacing was wildly off here. It took forever to get going. I also didn’t really like the main character. But I loved the kids and Archie in this.

This was a sweet rom com. In this story we meet Daisy who is going through the worst time of her life. Daisy all in one day has lost her job, gotten dumped by her boyfriend, and is not speaking anymore with her sister. Daisy struggles holding onto her old life, stuck in the past and all her regrets. While she is struggling to rebuild her life, she meets these two sweet precocious girls and a handsome man who keep showing up in her life. This was a nice story about finding our way in life, and learning what is most important. I loved Archie, Bailey, Cara, and Betsy, but struggled a bit to connect with the stubborn opinionated Daisy. I took a star off because the pacing was very slow and Daisy was hard to connect with. I received an ARC and this was my honest review.

I have no idea what was going on in this book. It read like a series of unrelated hallucinations. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This had a little bit of backwards storytelling, so it took me a minute to get situated with the use of flashbacks to reveal pieces of information, but I quickly became invested in the endearing mess that was Daisy Peterson!

After losing her job of thirteen years, her boyfriend dumping her, and her relationship with her sister crumbling, Daisy is determined to climb her way out of rock bottom. I loved in this hilariously desperate attempt to win back her old life, Daisy slowly discovers the importance of embracing her true self.

Lots of uplifting messages in this one, especially involving social comparison and finding people that accept you and not just the curated version of what you think will please them. I’m a sucker for women’s fiction with humour and life lessons. And without giving too much away, the romance was beyond precious!

Daisy is down on her luck. She's fired. Her boyfriend dumps her. Her sister isn't speaking to her. And now she's not sure what she wants to do with her life. But after a chance encounter with two kids and their very attractive father, things start looking up.

I adored Adams' last book and this one was just as good! Here's what I loved:

-The humor. Adams has this really great sense of humor in her writing. I find myself laughing right along with the characters a lot. Her dialogue is snappy and just works so well.

-Daisy. This book is really all about Daisy and how she comes into her own. The romance is secondary to her life journey, and I was fine with that. A major topic in the book is the image people put out for others on Instagram. I found this it be very modern and a needed lesson for so many.

-Archie. This man was perfect. Scottish. Lovable. Single father. A little lost. Just perfect.

-The kids. I really liked Archie's two daughters. They were funny and added some good drama to the story. I looked forward to scenes with them.

All in all, this was a really good romcom with so many amazing elements.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy.

I struggled with this one. It took me a while to get into it and by the time I did, I didn't really care enough about any of the characters. I'm bummed. I liked the premise, but it just wasn't executed well.

This book turned out different than what I expected. It held a lot of promise but unfortunately it ended up not being my cup of tea. The writing was good and I liked some of the characters but some things really ticked me off and made it hard to really get into the story and fully enjoy it. One thing I had a hard time with was the constant flashbacks. Some of them I could understand the value to the story and how it was brought but lots of them I could've done without. Also Daisy was a character I had a hard time appreciating and liking. Her constant judgement of everyone (that was mostly harsh), her personality was just not for me. I wish I could've seen a bit more redemption for her and a good turnaround. The romantic aspect of the story also felt a bit forced and non existent between the characters. Overall it was still a good story just not for me.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I went into this book optimistically thinking it would be a sweet and funny Rom Com… it was not. It was not really a romance at all, it was more like a sad retelling of Daisy’s days, over and over.

Daisy was an extremely hard main character to like. She saw the world as very black and white, and was quite harsh in her judgements of people. While I did feel bad that she lost her job and was dumped in the same day, it was hard to really empathize with her when everyday all she does is judge other people, and take pics for her instagram.

Also the “romance” between Archie and Daisy didn’t feel real, or genuine, or even happy. It always felt awkward, their conversations, their interactions, and every single cringeworthy time Daisy delivered a sour speech to Archie that she would NEVER want children, even though he has two children. Daisy felt insufferable to me, Archie seemed less than interested in her, and this whole book felt like a jumbled mess of mixed timelines/life events that just didn’t really add up to any great story.

- 5 stars. 1 spice

- A story of unexpected but necessary heartbreak to rediscover her authenticity, find healing, and self love in a very relatable messy way.
- Archie and kids were absolutely the cutest and their dynamic made me want to be a part of their little family too.
- I love how wholesome the 4 of them are together!!! I want more of them!!
- I can see this easily being turned into a movie.
- cute kids, single dad

Summary
Daisy's life takes a hard left turn when she is fired from her job and her coworker boyfriend breaks up with her, in the same day. She's also not currently speaking to her sister, who she is normally very close with. After a healthy period of moping, she decides it's time to take a step back and try something new. She a silly encounter with two young girls at the grocery store and subsequently answers an ad to be their nanny, something she's never done before. When she goes to interview for the job, the last thing she expects to find is a family, love, and a better relationship with herself.

Why did I pick up this book?
I was graciously gifted an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on March 12, 2024.

What did I enjoy about it?
I think we can all relate to some element of Daisy, and I don't think that should be taken lightly. Whether we've tried to get the attention of someone we were interested in, whether we looked back at a job or relationship with rose-tinted glasses until someone shakes us out of it, whether we felt someone was out of our league and we didn't deserve a second look from them, whether we've had a fight with a family member that wasn't actually about them at all, or whether we've just been in a massive slump that needed drastic measures to come out of, we have all been like Daisy, and I love that. It made her a very charming character, despite her flaws, and had me rooting for her to do better, find better. I loved Archie, Cara, and Bailey and the relationship she built with each of them, as well as the others she repaired along the way. Overall, just a very feel-good, redeeming story.

What did I not enjoy about it?
The pacing was very slow at times, and I found we were getting lost in very small details. Maybe it's because I was too excited about the budding relationship with Archie, but since this was not the sole focus of the book (as in traditional romances), I found myself wishing some of the other story points would speed along. Also, the description was very deceptive - it states that Daisy becomes a nanny for Archie's kids, so I thought it would be a story with that trope. But she never becomes their nanny, only attempts to get the job, and I didn't like being misled like that.

Cute story. But, for me anyway, a little too predictable and sweet. Characters are likeable but stereotypical. But a cheerful read for a winter afternoon.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, It Must Be True was another romance that started off promising and then fizzled out for me.

I'm not sure if it was the pacing of the story or my issues with Daisy, the protagonist, but it took me forever to get through this story.

It did have a cute ending and I feel like it's the type of love story most romance readers would enjoy, but it was simply not my cup of tea.

Contemporary romance is one of my favorite genres. After being fired from her job of 13 years, being ghosted by her boyfriend, and her sister no longer talking to her after a fight, Daisy is ready to get back what she lost. But her journey is not easy or straightforward. The story felt chaotic at times but I think that is because Daisy has a lot of personal growth to go through. She isn't the most sympathetic character at the beginning of the book. Eventually, as she began to take responsibility for her situation, I enjoyed spending time with her more. The romance is sweet and the message that social media is not real life was nice to see.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the gifted copy.

Let me start by saying I loved Daisy! Luci Adams developed a wonderful character with her that you can’t help but love.

The synopsis for this book hooked me and it really followed through. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were so many down to earth make you want to be their friend characters.

I loved Daisy throughout because even though she came across as a little aloof, she was really just HER. She was true to herself.

This book was a comeback story and a story of growth and someone finding her way. I often enjoy these stories but they have to be well written which this in definitely was.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This book wasn’t for me. I didn’t really enjoy Daisy as a character and couldn’t get into her story. It’s not a bad book but it’s a not for me book.

This was SUCH a cute book. Gave me “Emily in Paris” vibes and just made me smile throughout. COMPLETE character growth in a character driven book with so many themes of female empowerment. Also loved the current references & the fact that it didn’t need to have unnecessary crude spice to still be a great romance. 4.5 stars, really enjoyed!

Illustrated book covers aren’t usually my thing, but sometimes I come across one that makes me sit back, ponder and appreciate. It Must Be True Then book jacket took my breath away. It’s all about familiarity, the skyline of London in the background, those few words on the left that flared my reading appetite, and the heroine opening her arms to what I would imagine adventure. Consequently, I was intrigued even before reading the first line.

I love discovering new authors, and Lili Adams is my most recent favourite. Not knowing what to expect, she drew me into Daisy’s story with much more than just lightheartedness. Romance comedy has to keep me immersed because otherwise, I quickly lose interest–yeah, it’s hard to make me laugh. However, I devoured every single word while chuckling and swooning.

I found it incredibly easy to relate to Daisy. We’ve all had embarrassing mishaps at some time or another, and her ones are no exception. Moreover, losing her job as a data analyst, falling out with her sister and getting dumped by her boyfriend–he’s a real piece of work, only adds insult to injury. Weakened, she’s determined to step up her game and get back on track. Where does she do it? One solution is posting on a social media platform, naturally! However, it’s a far cry from showing reality.

Daisy’s voyage of self-discovery is enhanced when she befriends single dad Archie and his beautiful daughters. Adams has questioned acceptance and dexterously weaves the significance of happiness in the now amidst coming to terms with past truths. Narrated from Daisy’s perspective, she also took me to a place I’d all love to visit.

Observing Archie and Daisy get to know each other well favours this immensely gratifying read. Adam’s building of the slow burn is utterly delectable, giving readers an in-depth look at their emotions, insecurities and joint growth. And the girls–my word, so unalike but so endearing. Give me energetic interactions in family dynamics any day, and I’m all in!

Although steaminess is low-key, which I am eternally grateful for, being spoilt with laugh-out-loud scenes and heartfelt memorable moments brings out all the feels and inspires readers to step out of their comfort zone. I thoroughly enjoyed Adam’s offering and cannot recommend it highly enough. Bravo!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in favour of an honest review.

To be honest, it took me a while to get into this book. I almost decided to forget it but all of a sudden, I was enjoying the story. It is mainly due to Archie, Bailey, and Cara-all three down to earth characters. Daisy is irritating and self-absorbed in many instances. Her growth through the book pages is refreshing.
It definitely ended up being an enjoyable novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.