Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read an ARC of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love by Eve Devon, in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this story for so many reasons, mostly, because it was about helping others before yourself. I've dealt with panic/anxiety for many years, and the descriptions were spot on. The anticipation, talking yourself into/out of, second guessing, etc. and then doing it all over again the next time. For someone who still experiences this, it was refreshing.

It was also utterly adorable! I loved the interaction between Ashley and all of her people, especially George.

I look forward to reading more by Eve Devon.

The perfect book for cheesy rom com lovers. Unfortunately, a little TOO cheesy for me. While I usually feel like romcoms tend to play out the same tropes I don’t have a problem with it, although the tropes in this one were feeling bland despite my being 20% of the way through the book, as well as repeatedly giving me such severe secondhand embarrassment I just couldn’t do it anymore. Definitely not the book for me. Thanks again to One More Chapter and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I hope this book finds its perfect audience!

I couldn't say exactly what didn't blow me away about this book, but I could tend to say that there were no particularly interesting moments, just a series of events that unfolded exactly as expected. The two main characters are "lukewarm" and their interactions flat. Pity.

Non saprei dire esattamente cosa non mi ha fatto impazzire di questo libro, ma tendenzialmente potrei affermare che non ci sono momenti particolarmente interessanti, soltanto una serie di eventi che si susseguono esattamente come atteso. I due protagonisti sono "tiepidi" e le loro interazioni piatte. Peccato.

I received a complementary Digital Advance Review Copy from the Publisher in exchange for a honest review.

This was my first book by Eve Devon and I unfortunately it wasn’t for me. A slow going romance with little interaction between the main characters. Sorry to say I gave up before finishing the book. Thanks to the publisher and Eve. Also to NetGalley for the ARC copy for an honest review

Yes this is a soppy romance, but it had some depth to it. Two damaged souls finding each other. Loved the story line, don’t wish to spoil the tale for everyone. Definitely a great romantic read, flowed well.

I usually enjoy slow burn romances but this one just didn't work for me. I am sorry to say that I gave up quite early on.

🔘Slow burn
🔘Friends-to-lovers
🔘Grieving

After the devastating loss of her childhood friend, Ashleigh found herself battling crippling anxiety. In an attempt to change her career and distract herself from the constant unease, she took up a job as a housekeeper. Little did she know that this decision would lead her down an unexpected path of true friendships.

✨Thoughts✨
Assigned to clean the home of a man named George, Ashleigh initially had no idea how their lives would intertwine. But as she spent her days tackling the household chores, a unique bond began to form between them, all thanks to their shared love for crossword puzzles.

This story unfolds gradually, steadily building up the connection between the characters. Romance takes a back seat, blossoming much later on, as the main focus lies in how both Ashleigh and George learn to embrace life again after the hardships they've endured. What fascinated me the most was witnessing Ashleigh's genuine friendships with the people she met through her work. It felt authentic and natural, particularly her unexpected companionship with George, which she didn't even realize was happening. Somehow, without even trying, Ashleigh became a beacon of care and support in George's life.

George, on the other hand, was suffocating. Trapped in a passionless relationship and burdened by a demanding job, his stress levels reached their peak. However, his friendship with Ashleigh begins to awaken something within him, exposing him to new experiences and perspectives. It was truly heartwarming to witness their connection evolve and grow.

Overall, if you appreciate stories that slowly kindle emotions and relationships, then this is the read for you. Special thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

This was a well-written, charming romance between a high-end house cleaner, Ashleigh, and an advertising executive, George, who are both recovering from trauma. I especially loved the epistolary interaction between the central couple in the first half, when they had never met but exchanged notes via crossword puzzles, and I enjoyed reading about Ashleigh's love of cleaning, home organization, and interior design.

The story references a lot of difficult material: George spent his childhood dealing with a heart condition and suffers from panic attacks in the first half of the book; and Ashleigh is slowly recovering from the sudden death of her lifelong best friend. The author manages to keep the tone light (in keeping with the cover and promotional copy - this is a rom-com!), which I appreciated. But that comes at the expense of letting the characters really grapple with their issues on the page, which meant their resulting actions sometimes felt arbitrary.

Logistically, also, the novel felt a bit adrift - Ashleigh seems to be about 24 but every other character must be at least in their early 30s, and even though the story purports to be set in New York City it feels like a smallish town in England. Like the rest of the book, this disconnect was charming and frustrating by turns.

The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love is a romance that is set up a bit differently; as in our main characters don't meet one another for AWHILE. I'm talking like 45% off the way through the book & they still haven't met one another other than through small notes. I honestly thought it was weird that each main character is still in a relationship with other folks half way through the book.
Overall, the story just wasn't for me. DNF 50%.
Thank you to HarperCollinsUK, OneMoreChapter & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of content.

this was a cute story! This feels like a cheesy romcom from the early 2000'ends. Some parts of the story felt like it was dropped out of nowhere and some of the drama felt forced/unrealistic. but overall it is a light fluffy romance.

Well written, quirky and smooth talking, this book jumps in feet first, introducing us to flawed characters (I love a flawed character, fyi, majorly relatable) in a nice twist. We get to grow and develop with our mains alongside the blossoming romance, and if this wasn't one of the sweetest books I've read, I don't know what it. It's nice not to have an overtly masculine, manly man who's overly cocky as the lead, and having an actually flawed, not a 'oh I'm so awkward and not perfect' (whilst being ridiculously perfect) female lead is refreshing.

This was my first novel by Eve Devon, and I loved it! I fell in love with Ashleigh and George, who were such gorgeous and relatable characters, not to mention the side characters - Oz and Carlos, Mrs Lundy "Call me Hildy" and so on. The New York setting is put to good use, too, and there's just the right blend of backstory.

I liked that we heard fairly equally from Ashleigh and George, and pretty much always know what they're thinking, even if they are sometimes at cross-purposes (no pun intended) - this occasional misunderstanding wasn't even annoying, because it was generally plausible.

Most of the humour hit the spot (I did roll my eyes a bit at the accidental bunny costume).

The crossword-themed cover is great, and very fitting - as is the title.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy!

I really wanted to like this book and I honestly tried but it was so slow going and oh so repetitive. The same thing happens over and over again…she cleans, he tries at work, her mother bugs her about a date for a wedding, his girlfriend ignores him, she goes out for coffee and cake, he has a panic attack. This was on repeat until the halfway mark and by that time I was sick of these two. I am not into love triangles and I don’t understand the need to have a date for a wedding. My friend is getting married in September and I am going solo. Is there something wrong with me?

The bakery that Ashleigh hangs out in belongs to Ozzie and Carlos and it is called…Oscars! (Taking the beginning of both their names) I liked that and I liked them. I found them funny, interesting and full of drama. Too bad the main characters weren’t the same. Their dynamic and drama are the only thing that saved this book for me and had me giving it two stars.

I struggled to finish this one and it saddens me because I loved the premise, the cover and really had high hopes but it fell flat because it was such a slow burn. No one should have to read about two hundred pages before the couple talks to each other or meets face to face. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between these two, other than Ashleigh drooling over his photo and they were both with someone at the start so that’s a big no from me.

I really did enjoy this book! Dual p.o.v is something that I like a lot and the author did a great job with this and not making it two opposite stories.

I was immediately pulled in by Ashleigh and her backstory with losing her best friend and trying to live without her. While the MCs don't meet until around the halfway point of the book, I did really appreciate the creative communication they had through crossword puzzles and notes. I have a huge soft spot for cutesy romances and this didn't miss the mark!

I was given an ARC copy of this book for writing an honest review ♡

Absolutely delightful, charming book with likeable characters and an interesting, unique story. I liked Ashleigh's spunk, her commitment to a job that not everyone would find "successful", and just enough self-doubt to feel relatable. Because we all have self-doubt and question ourselves. An easy, adorable read.

What a great read. Written with a lot of lightheartedness but also some of life’s reality. Ashleigh was this burst of sunshine making everyone’s life a little brighter. This started from afar for George. Taking upon herself to fill in that last clue of his puzzles which turned into witty banter in the margins. Throughout their friendship they were able to help one another with their anxieties and bouts of panic. The surrounding characters with all of their idiosyncrasies were a great way to divert anything from being too heavy for too long. There were tears.. but bursts of laughter with the next chapter. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I found this to be a very cute read, I loved watching their relationship develop. Overall the book made me smile a lot!

I was given an advanced copy for my review. This is my honest review that I am leaving voluntarily. I like the plot, the characters are interesting but there isn't character development. It's a long one for being a rom-com novel. The inner dialogue always gets me, I don't like extreme details. For example the first four pages are just about her standing at the door and getting into the apartment. This book is definitely a hit or miss, some people will absolutely love it. Others, like me, not so much. This book is just not for me, it's not bad though.

I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I had to stop reading at 11% of the book. The female main character's behavior was too excessive and peculiar, as she was overly fixated on a client whom she had never even met. She continuously brought up this unknown individual during her date, which was unsettling. Additionally, the male main character was already in a happy relationship with his girlfriend. I couldn't quite understand the direction the author was taking with this storyline, but it did not resonate with me, and I would not recommend it to others.

I think this is a good book but unfortunately it’s not the book for me as I couldn’t get into it or connect with the characters and the beginning was quite slow and didn’t suck me in sadly.