This book was pretty good, but I found it a little boring at times. My attention span had a hard time getting past chapter six at first, I'm not a huge fan of long text conversations in books, but other than that, it was a pretty solid read.

Quite sweet but wasn't blown away by it. I'll definitely keep an eye out for future books from this author but I wasn't convinced by the chemistry, mostly because it was a bit too sweet without any edge to it.

I really wanted to love it but just ended up liking this book. There were too many plot twists and side stories and not enough time spent on building a romance between Riley and Becca. It felt like a lot of the time there was a brief moment of chemistry but it was brushed away quickly so when they do finally kiss, I was surprised because I didn’t feel the build the way I usually do while reading romance. I did love Ivy and found myself laughing out loud at the parts she was in but otherwise I never really felt attached to any of the characters or their backstory.

I was provided an EARC of this book through NetGalley and the publishers for my honest review.

A bit of slow burn, but keep with it as ends up being super cute with loads of good chemistry
When Becky losses her best friend in a car accident she is totally distraught.
She is even more distraught when she discovers at her funeral,that her bets friend was dating her ex.
She needs to get away and she she receives an invitation to go to Ireland and stay with her online author friend she jumps at the chance.
They are both struggling writers and it seems the perfect solution
But is once again astounded when Riley, she discovers is a handsome man and not a woman as she thought.
She settles into the Irish way of life, they both encourage each other to work on their novels and even start their own writing retreat.
Loved the storyline and the blossoming relationship between Becca & Riley.
Had Beth O’Leary vibes about it.
A fabulous debut novel, definitely an author to keep an eye on.
Thanks @breeakeenan @headlinepg & @netgalley for the fabulous debut read

3.5 ⭐️
I think the idea was really great. I really liked the banter and all the writer talk they were doing. But the story was not well executed.
There was so much angst in one part and then abruptly, without any lead up, they would resolve the issue, and then a few pages later, the same thing would happen.
Seriously, there was no build up of tension and anticipation when they first got together. They were just talking, and then it just happened.
It felt like the author just wanted to throw in a random scene just to appease the readers.

This was a lovely read.

Following her best friend’s death, writer Becca takes up an offer to escape from her problems and stay with writer friend, Riley. Only…..Riley isn’t quite what she was expecting.

This has a wealth of emotions, shock, betrayal, friendship and a slow burning affection. What happens when a grieving and aspiring children’s writer finds herself falling for a charming and hopeless romantic? Sweet and softly simmering, this romance was a gentle look at grief, moving on and chasing dreams.

"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳. 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴."


Man.... was this book A. RIDE.

In a good way. lol

I can't give full review without giving away 1000 spoilers. But what I will say is that I did really enjoy this book.

There is a lot of uniqueness to this book. And one them is that it's like book-ception. LOL where you have writers, specifically romance writers, who are blatantly calling out things like tropes and happy ever afters.

And while this is technically a romance, it's also a LOT about finding yourself (especially after loss), navigating grief, and just overall finding your place in the world.

A huge thank you to @headlinebooks and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this review! 😍
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #plottwist #breeakeenan #book21of2024 #whatsnikkireading #ireland #scotland #friendstolovers #griefandloss #headlinebooks #netgalley #advancedreadercopy

This was a quick read similar to an Emily Henry book, although I definitely cried more at this one. I felt Rae's death as if she were my own best friend.

The plot twist for Riley being a man and their blossoming relationship was perfectly executed and the betrayal of Drew and everything his character was involved in was a lot.

The book had a lovely ending and I really appreciated the relationship that she had with Adam by the end too.

The betrayal, the second chance, the tropes, the loss and grief through this book - it was a lot (in a good way) and I'm sure I'll still be thinking about this book for a while to come.

Plot Twist is the first novel by Scottish journalist, poet and author, Breea Keenan. Glasgow primary school teacher and aspiring children’s author, Becca Taylor is dealing with feelings of profound grief and betrayal. At her best friend Rae’s funeral, she learns that the ex-boyfriend she could never forgive had been about to marry Rae. alternating

The best way to sort out her head, Riley O’Connell suggests, is to spend the summer in a small Irish village working on their books together. Becca met Riley, a published romance author with a very full-on four-year-old, an even more impatient agent, and a bit of second-novel writer’s block, through a social media writers’ group. Impulsive, drunk-made arrangements see her on the ferry to Rathcliffe.

But when she arrives, she discovers that “Riley – the yoga-loving, long-skirted, clean-living, romance writer I’d envisaged – was not a she at all. Riley was a he. A tall, broad-shouldered, messy-dark-haired, green-eyed, athletic, manly-man.” She can’t stay, surely? But Riley counters: it’s not the nineteen forties, and there’s a spare room in Bellinder Cottage, the setting is gorgeous, and little Ivy begs her to stay.

What follows is a delightful romance that starts off predictable, then takes a few surprising turns before the obligatory happy ever after. Some well-worn romance tropes come into play: friends who become lovers, lovers who become friends, exes turning up to put a fly in the ointment, being forced to share a room, and grand gestures. An impressive debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Headline Publishing

This started out so well! I really giggled so hard at bits and pieces in the beginning. Everything went great until about the middle section when the flashbacks started and Becca lost my sympathy a little bit (more than a little bit honestly because she still blamed Drew for their break up when her behaviour was selfish and self centred and then Drew... I thought I might feel for Drew but by the end I couldn't stand him either).

I really liked Riley. Though, I must mention the chemistry wasn't their for me between him and Becca. They worked as friends but I just didn't feel more was there between them.

I'm a sucker for drama and third act break ups but there's such a thing as too much. The three (two and a half?) break ups did my head in for sure. Exes all over the places, everybody assuming, everybody changing their minds... And on top of it, how the last break up was resolved was way too easy for me.

Anyway, this is a quick read, more of a woman's fiction (though, I don't feel like Becca is reflecting enough for that...) than romance really. It doesn't hurt to read it, the characters are nice for the most part and the story is alright. Oh and Ivy is an absolute blast, the best part of the book.

I really liked it. The way the author deals with the emotional plot lines without making it overly dramatic is something that I enjoy. The fact that the main character is a bookish person was enjoyable, but the MMC being bookish made the story even better. Ivy was a lovely character, too.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this book
I liked where the story was going but the problem is that I was going to at least get a good plot twist, the story wasn't anything out of ordinary we have the female main character that goes to the city where her best friend used to work something that reminds me of hallmark movies we get to see how she recovers of some events that happened to her. It was a little meh until the last chapters where I felt that things started to get interesting. I was just soo mad for some things that happened and how the male character reacted to them, it made me root for the main character to just end up alone, without a partner.
The epilogue, I get it there are people that do that but it just wasn't for me, also I like my epilogues a little more into the future, finished this book two days ago but I wasn't sure what I could say about this book.
This book is for people that like a little bit of drama and like books about books or the process of writing a book, loved the cover of this book but I felt that something was missing

This was a cute read for me. At first it gives off sort of like beach read vibes as the main characters are both writers and wanting to finish a book they’re writing. The first I’d say 75% of the book was fun and entertaining. However the third act breakup was not it. I feel like it was so unnecessary and it actually just made me dislike the mmc sorry :( Also towards the end I feel like there’s so much going on and it felt like it’s just thrown into the last few chapters. I do like the other characters tho. And the writing style is very fun and easy to read, I liked it. It’s such a cute and easy read I feel like.

Read from March 21st, 2024 to March 27th, 2024. Written on March 28th, 2024

~3.5~

NEW BOOK RELEASE ALERT!!

What an amazing debut! I am so happy that I got to read this book ahead of its release and share my thoughts about it.

So, first off: wow. I am truly amazed with this book; its characters, storyline and writing are filled with such emotion, it genuinely gave me so much pleasure to read this. It was funny, warm, emotional and a great mix of it all; the cosiest of book soups!

Now, I didn't really enjoy the fact that we kept moving back and forth in the story. It felt out of place at times, even though it did answer some questions while reading. Also, the so called "grand gesture" from the main male character was...lacklustre, after all that happened, I expected something a little bit less more strong and with more meaning to it. Apart from that, I can't really remember anything else that I disliked about this.

Now, I was not expecting to cry while reading this, especially to cry the way I did (which was a lot). No spoilers here, but if you pick up this book, you'll know what I mean. That alone had so much more power than I could ever envision this book having.

For a good with such a happy cover and fun title, I was not expecting such a deep story. I guess you could say it was a great plot twist! Sorry, I'll leave now. Thank you so much for the opportunity and all the luck for the literary career of Breea Keenan!

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Headline | Headline Accent that I chose to review after reading)

this rom-com is witty and funny, great flow throughout and this was really an enjoyable read. you wouldnt be disappointed if you picked this up.

Well that's the first time I've read a book with a plot twist like that!

When Becca's best friend suddenly dies she finds herself accepting help from her online book friend and romance writer, Riley. Becca agrees to visit her in Ireland and help to look after her young daughter to give Riley time to write over the summer. But Riley turns out to be a man. And not just any man but a drop dead gorgeous one, of course.

I really enjoyed their initial meeting and the hilarity of the mix up! Ivy, Riley's daughter stole the show! I like how Riley has such golden retriever energy and him and Becca seem to compliment each other well. The story running parallel with is sister and her wife was nice to see. This book is slow burn! It probably fits more into book club or women's fiction category than straight romance as it deals with some heavy topics like grief. It'll have you laughing and crying!

I found the first few chapters had me close to calling it quits. Only because I highly doubt that as childhood besties this woman would just land for the funeral and leave over a man. It felt a tad rushed in order to get to the meet cute. I hated Becca's ex! I felt that some of the flashbacks could have been skipped out entirely.

I'll be looking out for more from this author! 💚

For me, Plot Twist got off to a rough start. The first few chapters were hard to get into, largely because the main character, Becca, isn’t easy to like at first. When her best friend Rae unexpectedly dies, Becca’s behavior towards Rae’s brother and her ex is insensitive and immature, especially given that Becca is in her thirties and they’re all at Rae’s funeral.

Luckily, the book gets better when Becca arranges to meet an online writer friend, Riley, in real life for the first time. Becca will stay with her in Northern Ireland for the summer to work on their respective books. But Becca is shocked to learn that Riley is actually a man, not a woman. He’s a single dad and, yes, a romance author who truly believes in happily ever afters. Becca feels weird about staying with a man all summer, but agrees. They’re friends, and they could both use the support to make progress on their books.

Plot Twist is mainly meant to be a romance, but while there is an underlying love story slowly unfolding between Becca and Riley, the novel overall feels more women’s fiction. There is a lot going on here. In some ways, it enriches the story well; in others, it just bogs everything down. I liked the themes of grieving a loss (though it wasn’t tackled well in those first few chapters), navigating single parenthood, managing career issues, and coming to terms with an ex-boyfriend secretly dating your late best friend. However, the health scare towards the end, the imagined love triangle, and even the numerous flashbacks could have been pared down or eliminated and the novel would have been stronger for it. There should have more focus on developing Riley and Becca’s relationship, rather than so many distractions from it.

However, I also loved a lot here. I enjoyed Becca and Riley’s discussions around writing. Becca is clueless about writing styles (plotter vs. pantser) and romance tropes (like the second chance romance that comes up throughout this book), but Riley clues her in, and they bond over their writing sprints and goals met at the end of each day. Riley’s four-year-old daughter Ivy is also a standout character here; she’s so cute! I love Riley’s sister and sister-in-law, as well as their own arcs around starting a business and trying to adopt.

Plot Twist is engaging and has great voice. I enjoyed the settings of Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Scotland, and I found the characters mostly likable (except when Becca interacts with her ex!). It is a bit overcrowded with plot points and themes, but is otherwise an easy, thoughtful, and immersive read. It’s a strong debut and promises more goodness to come in future books from Breea Keenan.

Becca and Riley captured my heart with their story! Becca's life is a bit of a mess and Riley is a hopeless romantic as well as a romance author. When Becca books a trip to Ireland to stay with Riley one drunken evening it all gets a bit interesting!

A lot of the story hung around them trying to be friends and not wanting to cross over into more for longer than it needed! I loved them as a couple and I wish there was more of it. I felt the plot with Drew was good context but it all felt rather pointless with the whole Rae and Drew area as it felt that Becca got over it quite quickly - just felt rather rushed!

It was a fun story and I loved all the characters but it felt that the stories were not really delved into but more just touched on - maybe too many stories happening to really have more detail. I would have loved more about Bridget and Ellie - they were a hoot. There were some aspects though, seeing more realistic portrayals of relationships as adults, how everyone kind of sucks sometimes, people keep secrets, we get jealous and stalk-that-one-girl-at-his-work-that's-way-cooler-than-me, was well done and so relatable.

I think there were parts that were 5 stars for me but just felt a bit incomplete so this was a 3 star one for me.

This overall story was an easy cute and fluffy read, which is something that I always love. I enjoyed the hysterical first face-to-face interaction between Becca and Riley along with their banter and evolving love story throughout the book.
However, I thought the structure of the book as a whole was lagging. It almost felt like there were multiple things introduced out of nowhere in a very unorganized fashion and even though everything was wrapped up nicely, I think it made for a more confusing and choppy reading experience. I also do not enjoy the miscommunication trope at all because it just makes me super frustrated. While this was not a main trope, it was definitely prominent in the story, which brought my experience down a bit.
Overall, I enjoyed the story as a whole, but didn’t always enjoy the pieces that made up the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for a #gifted eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off this was super cute. I love the concept of becoming online best friends with someone and they turn out to be the hottest and nicest man, that is the dream. I did really love Riley. I thought he was the sweetest guy and was very likable. I loved that he was a romance writer too, since that can be viewed as a more feminine genre and I love that he wasn’t ashamed to be apart of that and to love romance. The main character Becca was also pretty relatable. I understand the struggles she was going through and the emotions she was trying to figure out. The grief she feels and how she doesn’t really know how to handle it was very real.

In general, I feel like I wanted more from the story. I didn’t always feel the connection between Becca and Riley as much as we’re told they have a connection. It also felt like there was a lot going on in the book, like a lot of subplots that didn’t always need as much attention on them. There was quite a lot crammed in and it felt like at times it suffocated the actual emotion of the story or just didn’t feel necessary to drive the story and emotion forward.

A very small thing, but I also always love a book that describes the female lead as wearing makeup! And here it was done in a great way where Becca was often described as putting on her foundation but there was never any discussion of her not needing to wear makeup or that she looks better without it. It was just a part of her routine and who she is and clearly made her feel more confident and I love that for her. So many books describe our main ladies as never wearing makeup except once a little mascara or lipgloss and I love seeing that you can be a leading lady and wear makeup!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!