The plot of this was really bizarre. I found that it went really off the rails and was very challenging to follow. I also did not find the romance all that convincing, when there is a second chance plot there needs to be more effort into showing why the characters should be together again.

The drama and twists in this one were on point! It was like watching a train wreck! I loved the rebuilding of friendships and relationships and the relationship angst.

This was a fun read even though it seemed a little far fetched at times.

There are some fun twists and turns and it did keep me guessing as to who was behind some of the goings on.

If you’re looking for an easy entertaining read this one’s for you!

The concept of a tv-reboot actress in the Bahamas with the cast is great. It gives white lotus/knives out vibes. Overall the writing style just wasn't for me and the plot was all over the place.

By Robin Lefler
Pub Date: Apr 23 2024

Not How I Pictured It is about a cast of characters that come together 20 years later for a reunion show.

Ness Larkin, the main character in the show, stepped away from show biz and started managing an apartment property in Toronto, Ontario. She was extremely reluctant to go back to Hollywood where she would be forced to revisit a time in her life that she was trying to forget and more importantly, she would be face to face with the people with whom she cut all ties.

The story had some very interesting twists and turns and some jaw dropping moments!
Through flashbacks and learning the history about the characters, you begin to understand the challenges they faced and how they each grew over the years.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Canada for an E-arc.

I loved the summary of this read and had very high expectations going in, unfortunately the summary was some of the more exciting parts of this novel. I didn't find the characters interesting as most of the drama they had was in the past and we had very little insight into most of it. I wish this was a sequel maybe and their time on the show before this was the first book so we had more connection to them. For a stranded on an isolated island with no skills or supplies plot, it had surprisingly little action.

I really enjoyed this one. It was fun to have the whole reunion gone wrong concept. I also loved the romance aspect and discovering past secrets as we went.

Not How I Pictured It is another great story from Robin Lefler.

Be still my heart, Robin has created an incredible cast of characters with all the drama, juicy backstories, and backstabbing my Beverly Hills 90210 (the original though, not the remake) loving self could handle. I loved everything about it.

Folks looking for the usual romance formula will be disappointed though, this is not that. There is definitely a romance element, but I’d say this is more women’s fiction than romance. And that’s just fine by me. It also has a mystery that unravels over the course of the story. Don’t worry though, we still get our HEA.

I loved the concept of the book. It’s just so bonkers. The cast of a teen serial drama reunites twenty years later for a reboot, only to get shipwrecked on a deserted island. An island with a deserted castle. And while I personally would love to get stranded on a tropical island, this particular group has barely any survival skills. Not a scout or camp counsellor among them. With little food and no idea when they will be rescued, old feuds, rivalries, and flames ignite to create delicious drama and conflict.

It’s not all hijinks and drama though, each of the characters is struggling with their own issues from anxiety to alcoholism that helps them seem more like real people and not caricatures. Robin did a great job at fleshing out the characters and giving them more depth than I was expecting.

Main character Ness is great. She’s sort of the odd woman out here, as she’s the only one that didn’t stay in show business. And she burned a lot of bridges on her way out. That’s the thing about fires, the scent lingers for a loooong time. Her castmates are definitely not over it. But Ness is resilient and she certainly tries really hard. She’s had to create a whole new life for herself after her manager father took off with all her money. I found myself rooting for her.

Overall, another great read from Robin. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This book was exactly what it promised to be, for me. It was a fun ride - it kept me engaged and I flew right through it.
The plot was wild, if not a bit far fetched - but, I did enjoy that about this book. A band of former cast mates are supposed to be getting back together for a 20-year reunion series, but are stranded on an island after be stuck in a hurricane, along with a member of the crew. While they navigate how to survive their time on the island, someone is trying to gather secrets, but who? While this was obvious to me from the start, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story.
I felt that there was a lot of character growth throughout the book, particularly for the main character. They was a lot for the cast mates to unpack during their time together. I enjoyed the denouement of there story. The one complaint that I have is that I would have liked more development of the romance aspect of the story - it could have been taken to another level.
Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for a digital arc of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

I really enjoyed this. I went in thinking it was going to be a pretty straightforward romance, similar to the authors previous novel which I really enjoyed, but this was actually a very unique read. There is romance but there's also a lot of character growth and friendship within this that really made the story shine. The plot was truly so much fun, I could not get enough of the mystery element within it and just really enjoyed it overall. Following Ness on her personal growth journey was so lovely, I love when main characters feel real and complex, and she was just so multi-dimensional. I'm definitely going to recommend this to all of my friends because it was a lot of fun!

I didn't finish this book. I wasn't enjoying it. I found there was too much dialogue and too many characters that I didn't feel I was really getting to know. At one point I even looked to see if this was the second book in a series because I felt like I was coming in at the middle of a book like I should already know everyone.

This was reality show in book. Totally over the top drama, some strange twists, a bit of humour, a little romance and some silly shenanigans. There were times I was left thinking, is this really happening??? But I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to see what happened, why it was happening and what was going to transpire next.

I guess that's what you get with you have a tv show cast getting together for a reunion 20 years later and then finds themselves stranded on an island. Fun, totally over the top, and makes it work reality tv in a book. Grab some wine and read this!

Will be sharing on Instagram (April 15th)

This was ABSOLUTE bonkers in the BEST way!! Think a survival film where a cast of former teen actors sign on for a reunion show but get stranded on a deserted Bahamian island and have to fight to survive long enough to be rescued. Reading this book was like watching a train wreck where the twists kept coming and the drama was over the top ridiculous in all the most fun ways!! I couldn't put it down and it is by far my new favorite from Canadian author Robin Lefler. I can't wait to see what she writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: closed door/kissing only

3.5 ⭐️ I got to say this book did live up to its title - not how I pictured it, I thought I was in for a fun little romcom second chance love story, what I got ended up being more a thriller with a social experiment.

The story did pull me in, I was invested in finding out what was happening on the island and I enjoyed learning all the pieces of this cast of characters and their history together.

This book is a great pick if you’re looking for a fun desserted island mystery with a colourful cast of characters and a lot of drama with a dash of romance.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Canada and the author Robin Lefler for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.