Imagine the cast of Beverly Hills 90210 brought together again to film a reunion show on an island in the Bahamas. Now imagine a ferocious storm, a boat off course and an emergency landing on a remote island. Could you imagine that the main structure on the island was an abandoned castle, once the vacation home of the Prince of Porn? Still with me? This is what happened to the cast of the teen drama Ocean Views. They grew up together but Ness, Hayes, Bradley, Libby. Coco and Ian parted ways when their series was cancelled. All (including new actor Daisy and production assistant Tyler) have reasons for signing up for the new show Ocean Views: Turning Tides and those secrets will be revealed in the quick, impossible to put down wild ride that is Not How I Pictured It.

It is almost impossible to believe that this is a debut novel. Sign me up for whatever comes next! You might leave out the python, though. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Robin Lefler for this ARC.

Fans of reality tv (think Love Island with a touch of Survivor) might enjoy this light read that sees a group of former teen stars on a desert island. Ness thought the trip might revive her career and her life but it turns out that there are a lot of old grudges etc. And there's a mystery. And someone seems to be filming them. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. These people are annoying but it's funny enough to keep you reading.

This was a book with a lot of promise in the plot, I love behind the scenes TV stuff, island settings, romance... but the execution did not quite work for me. I was looking for fun and banter, some snark and self growth, and while some of that is there (esp self growth) and I loved that the main characters were in their 40s (yay!), this book never quite came together for me, some pacing was off, some writing/dialogue didn't quite land, and some themes just weren't for me.

Loved this book! What a fun and unique ride this was. I read constantly, and I just love when a book is not what I was expecting. I didn't see any of it coming! Ness is a great FMC! I love how she talked about therapy like it's a regular part of her life. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Robin is definitely an auto-buy author for me from now on.

The opportunity for a great story lay firmly in this book; sadly it never materialized. Poor written, with horrible dialogue- save your money.

First of all, the Author and I share a first name so shout out to Robin Lefler! Anyway, this book was everything I wanted in it and more. It was a great read and I can see it being very popular at my library. I can see a book club reading this and really enjoying it!

When I saw Not How I Pictured It available on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. I really enjoyed Reasonable Adults and am always eager to read more from Canadian authors. I skimmed the blurb and crossed my fingers that Kensington would approve my ARC request. I was so excited when they did.

Ness Larkin, a former child actor, has agreed to participate in a reboot of the teen drama that made her famous. Ness has been out of the spotlight for a long time, making ends meet like an average person. This reboot is her chance to get ahead and finally right some old wrongs. The tension between Ness and her former castmates flares on day one, and it looks like it will be a lot more complicated than she'd initially thought. While on the way to the exotic resort film location, things take a wild turn, and the cast will have to work together much more closely than expected.

Since I only skimmed the blurb, I was unprepared for the entire cast to get stranded on a remote island in the first couple of chapters. It was such a turbulent ride! Locked-door mysteries are one of my favourite plot devices, and Not How I Pictured It executes it wonderfully. I learned who was behind the mayhem and trickery when the characters did. Everyone on the island has excellent motivations, and a heavy cobweb of mistrust connects each person.

While the shenanigans keep escalating, every cast member achieves significant character development. Old grudges from when they were teens get rehashed with 20/20 vision, and new problems arise from their challenges surviving on the island. Each character is nuanced and complex. I was so surprised by Daisy's unexpected skills and impressed with Libby's acerbic wit. Ness stepped up to every challenge and she performed outstandingly.

Not How I Pictured It is definitely a romance novel, but I wasn't sure if they'd make it to a happily ever after. I was impressed by how patient and kind Hayes is, There may be low steam, but the high emotional intimacy throughout this story makes it so heartwarming. I am really satisfied with this book.

Overall, this is another knockout from Robin Lefler. It has well-executed plot devices and a great second-chance romance. I had a hard time putting it down, and I connected with all of the characters. Looking forward to more from Robin! Thanks to Netgalley & Kensington for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Super cute book that sucks you in from the very beginning and does not let you go. Loved all the characters in this one.

This story was so fun! A celebrity romance with a twist, where the celebrities end up vulnerable due to being stranded on a tropical island... It kept me laughing and smiling throughout reading and I thoroughly enjoyed following along as Ness tried to rediscover what is important to her, and more importantly, who. I really enjoyed this story so much and highly recommend.

I thought this was a really cute rom-com! It took probably the first 30% for me to really get into it, and even then, it was a bit slow at times. But overall, I really enjoyed the book and liked the mystery woven in as well. I would've liked more romance between Ness and Hayes, but it was still cute nonetheless. I absolutely loved the humor, especially Ness' self-deprecating quips.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!

When ex-actress Ness Larkin finds herself stranded in a desert island with her old estranged friends/co-actors, we get to know more about her past and why she estranged her best-friend and ended her relationship with big name star Hayes Beaumont.
Since the beginning when we get to know more about her old friends, it's clear that a lot of unresolved issues were bottled up which now came to the surface as they had nowhere to go and were very much stuck on an Island using a castle wannabe as refuge.
As time goes on we get to experience the characters explore the house/porn director's sex castle as I like to call it and understand more about not only Ness's past but also her friends, exploring issues such as addiction and how hard it can be on a person to always be under a spotlight and being watched by so many eyes.
There are twists and turns and a lot of hidden spaces and an unexpected mystery that they uncover in a hidden room in the house.
There are a few adventures and character growth mostly from our main character at first and by the end of it we actually get a happily ever after with the flames of not only love but also friendship reignited.
Overall it was a fun experience to follow their adventure on Ginger Cay, that even though didn't seem like a very good experience with them suffering with hunger, from the awful heat and the "castle" almost collapsing on them, it had however a positive outcome as it was what the characters needed to resolve their past issues and come together as one to survive.
It had no plot twists by any means as a fan of murder mysteries, I found that my guess was correct quite early on the book, however the book was not meant to be any of that, it was a lighthearted version (kind of) of a mystery which nonetheless was quite fun.
Overall it was a solid 3.5 for me, the writing was good, and it was an enjoyable book, the characters were a bit insufferable at times which I think it's to be expected as they were Hollywood stars and I had a bit of trouble connecting to the characters at times. I would have liked to see a POV of Hayes or even the other characters of when Ness was stuck in that underground place with Bradley as I found that their reactions underplayed what actually happened as they almost died.

After Agnes, a child star, has her money stolen from her by her manager/father, she moves to Canada, purchases properties, and becomes a landlord who unclogs toilets. When she is approached with the chance to participate in a 20 year reunion show, Ness sees it as a chance to dip her toe back into acting, something she loved, but also to repair friendships that she broke with her former castmates, and in particular, her former best friend.
The romance in this story almost took a back seat to the mystery, as the castmates end up on a deserted island, trying to use their talents to survive... But, as it turns out, a group of spoiled actors isn't the best at survival skills. When they find out they're being recorded, fingers start to point, and most are pointed at Ness. Can Ness prove her innocence while trying to survive, learning to fish, and chancing a rekindled romance?

Three stars is my rating safe place, especially with this book.

The premise is enticing — Agnus ‘Ness’ Larkin used to be a former teen TV star on the show ‘Turning Tides’ but, due to a betrayal in her career and deciding to abruptly leave the limelight, she’s now a landlord in her 40s haunted by her ‘but what if…’

So when the opportunity presents itself to step back into her character for an island getaway revival the answer seems to be a no brainer.

Of course, that means having to face what she left behind, who she left behind and, the unknown of what’s to come.

In whole I enjoyed this book, I’m sure I’ll recommend it to someone once it’s out, especially those of the love island viewing community, but there were times I felt it dragged a little too long and tried too hard to be something it wasn’t while instead, it could’ve built upon the main romance story as it felt a little lacklustre all in all.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review

Wow! This was SUCH a fun read. I went into it blind (don’t @ me okay the cover was too cute to pass up) and honestly highly recommend it.

Agnes (Ness) is our sassy FMC who was part of a really popular TV show when she was in her teens. She is asked to come back to I guess reprise her role. There is a lot of buried drama that emerge even at the first reading. However, little do you know that is juuuust the start of it all. I will not ruin the twist but let’s just say it was GLORIOUS. Every twist and turn had impeccable comedic timing and honestly I loved all the shenanigans.

The premise of this book is unique but there are components that I think are not quite completely fleshed out. Hayes’s character, for instance. He is painted as this hot mysterious figure (which I LOVE) but I never did figure out why he was mysterious like c’mon you’re killing me Smalls! There is also something to be said about the beef the cast members have that I felt could have been expanded upon.

One last thing I will say about this novel…I would not necessarily say the Romance component is a focal point. If anything, this is a Women’s Lit sort of tale. Overall, it was a wonderful & fun tale to read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange of honest review.

Former child star getting back on camera for a reunion of her hit show turns out to be a castaway experience with her former costars that opened some past issues while being trapped in an abandoned island.

It took me a while to get a grip of this book as lots of characters at the same time but I eventually pushed through and got to enjoy the book. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it like I do now but I'm glad I was past that point and loving the story. I would have loved it more if there were more story between Ness and Libby and how Ness and Hayes worked through their relationship post the catastrophe in the epilogue but that ending was good enough to see how far their relationship has progressed.

Ness Larkin was a teen super star. Now twenty years later she gets a chance to be in the remake of the show and face the cast she walked away from all those years ago.

The entire cast of the show gets stuck on an island in the Bahamas. They have little to no survivor skills. The whole group is entitled and caring about themselves and how to boost their careers. There wasn't anyone to root for or get behind as they all seemed the same.

I didn't like that the castle was owned by a Porn King and talk about porn,....

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my thoughts on it.

Agnes Larkin, known as Ness, is a former teenage tv show star who has feel out of the Hollywood limelight. Her father ran off with her money and Ness had to start over in a more meager type of living.

She was asked to be in a reboot of her tv show and while hesitant, ends up on board. After their first table read full of awkward feelings and lots of side eye, they take off to a Bahamas resort. A storm strands them on an island and shenanigans begin.

Simply put, this book was quite literally not how I pictured it. I felt like it had some hope at the beginning, but it seemed to drag for most of the book. While it was an okay book, it’s definitely not one I’ll be recommending.

I recently read Not How I Pictured It by Robin Lefler and I found it to be a delightful and engaging read. The book tells the story of Agnes “Ness” Larkin, former star of the beloved TV show, Ocean Views, who finds herself stepping back into the role of Hailey Grant twenty years after the show's finale.

Ness is surprised that she's agreed to take on the role again, especially after her father/manager took off with her earnings and she ran away from the spotlight in shame. But as she reunites with her former castmates, Ness starts to wonder if it's time to confront her past.

However, things quickly become complicated when the first table read turns out to be a disaster, and Ness finds herself stuck on a tiny island with her co-stars due to a storm. The producers wanted drama both on and off-screen, and they're going to get it. Ness tries to reconcile her youthful dreams with her present reality while stranded on the island with a group of people who are not exactly survival experts.

The story is well-written and the characters are relatable, with their own quirks and flaws. I particularly enjoyed the witty dialogue and the exploration of the dynamics between the former castmates. The book also touches on themes of aging, regrets, and second chances.

Overall, I highly recommend Not How I Pictured It to anyone who enjoys a good, character-driven story with a touch of humor and drama.

This was a fun story. I loved the concept. Some of the story takes you in a wild ride. I enjoyed it though. More of an adventure story than a romance. Unique.

There were things I enjoyed about this, and it wasn't bad.

I liked:
-mature cast of characters in their 40s (MC is 42)
-lots of people dealing with their own problems and working through them
-rebuilding friendships and relationships
-a little bit of romantic angst

I didn't like:
- the plot really went off the rails...
-despite being a romance lover, this romance was unconvincing