Thanks to One More Chapter and Net Galley for my advanced copy.

I LOVED this book. George and Ashleigh were both wholly relatable characters, and I love that they were able to open up to each other and were able to see areas of improvement in their lives. I wish they'd been able to meet sooner (as they don't meet until almost exactly 50%) but Devon was able to create such a sweet dynamic without having the characters on page together, which is so hard to do. It was reminiscent of The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. I love the new crossword take on the classic epistolary form of storytelling, and the title and cover were *chef's kiss.* A win all around!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

This was a sweet rom-com set in New York between our FMC, Ashleigh, who has recently switched careers to her true love, cleaning, and MMC, George, your classic type-A businessman. What made me incredibly uncomfortable at the start was the fact that George still had a girlfriend -- obviously, no cheating ever truly occurs in the book, but it's never a great place to start. This ex-girlfriend is clearly written to be a poor fit for George, but also clearly does care for him - and not that I'm rooting for pure villainy, but with the way the book starts, it was just hard to push through for me personally.

George's character fell a little flat for me personally, starting with just his name. I don't know, George and Ashleigh are just two names that don't feel like they fit together? I appreciated the depiction of his panic attacks and his constant obsession and concern with his heart condition -- and, I liked that in some ways, Ashleigh and George fit in their obsession with cleanliness. It always confuses me when we get an opposites-attracts romance and one person (the girl usually) is a quirky slob while the male character is a neat freak. Like yes, it does serve my deep seated love of a man who cleans up after me, don't get me wrong, but it does take a little more suspension of belief.

If you're a lover of little notes, and specifically, little crossword puzzle clues, this is a book that fulfills that craving! It does feel very slow to start, as we are introduced to Ashleigh and George and their respective lives in detail, separately, but I do think that makes this a romance book that is willing to fully flesh out its characters and their eventual growth!

This novel could seriously be called The Life Changing Magic of Falling in Love With This Book! Ashleigh is a cleaner who is fastidious in her work. Her friends Oz and Carlos are a couple and own Oscars, a lovely bakery that has many patrons. George works at a prestigious firm and girlfriend, Anya is the boss's daughter but things are slowly falling apart for them. Throw all these people together and you have this remarkable book about friends, lovers, relationships, and yes, crossword puzzles! I laughed and I cried and I just felt so "full" when I finished this book that my heart is overflowing. This is one of those books you need to pre-order as soon as you can; you will not be disappointed!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Unfortunately, I tried to read this book but could not get on with it so I chose to DNF it. I didn't mesh with the characters and the story line left me cringing way more than I would like to. I will not be reviewing this book on Goodreads/Amazon.

This cover is so cute and drew me in. This story was unique for a romance and I really enjoyed it! I love books with alternate forms of communications like notes/emails so the crossword aspect was so cool!

This was a beautiful book that gripped me from the beginning. Ashleigh is just lovely. Her way of living, her way of protecting herself and her care and kindness to the world that she inhabits is appealing. It takes longer to like George and to get to know him, as the book develops, so do the characters, in ways that drew me in to their world. The panics and fears are very well described. The parental worry, the pain of loss and of losing control is all detailed naturally and in a way that makes life very real. I had an excellent cry too which made the book!

it felt as if i was drudging through quick sand trying to read this book. the plot is flimsy at best and felt like the author just threw various jobs and tropes at a wall and whatever stuck she went with. just not a good book. there was an occasional chapter or paragraph that wasn't bad but it was rough to do so.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Ich liebes das Buchcover und empfand die Grundidee der Liebesgeschichte als frisch sowie außergewöhnlich.

Leider bin ich beim Lesen überhaupt nicht in die Geschichte reingekommen. Der Schreibstil hörte sich für meine Ohren etwas distanziert an, was mich vor allem in den Dialogen immer wieder aus meinem Lesefluss gerissen hat.

Zunächst dachte ich, dass ich mich noch daran gewöhnen können würde, doch nach gut acht Kapiteln musste ich einsehen, dass dies nicht der Fall war.

Durch meine Probleme mit dem Schreibstil lief so gut wie alles in der Liebesgeschichte an mir vorbei. Da machte das Weiterlesen leider keinen Sinn.

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer ruhige Liebesromane mag, für den könnte das vorliegende Buch einen Versuch wert sein. Schaut unbedingt in eine Leseprobe rein und achtet darauf, wie der Schreibstil auf euch wirkt.

Ashleigh embarked on her cleaning job half a year back following the tragic loss of her closest friend in an unexpected mishap. Her assignment leads her to George's apartment in New York, recently transplanted from England to be with his partner, grappling with work-induced panic attacks. But surely, those will dissipate with time, won't they?

The protagonists' paths don't intersect until midway through the narrative. During this first half, readers are treated to the charming exchange of notes and crossword hints between them, a delightful aspect of the story. Personally, I found this portion the most endearing. However, I wasn't as enamored with the extraneous romantic entanglements, particularly George's ongoing relationship and Ashleigh's casual fling with Zach, initiated out of convenience. While these subplots didn't resonate with me, I was eager to delve into the central dynamic between George and Ashleigh, though I'm not a fan of love triangles.

Nevertheless, the initial segment of the book was engaging. The gradual connection between Ashleigh and George through their exchanged notes, coupled with Ashleigh's thoughtful gestures of leaving surprises in his apartment, added a delightful touch.

Once they finally meet, under rather peculiar circumstances with one nearly nude and the other in the throes of a panic attack, their subsequent interactions are heartwarming, hinting at the prospect of budding friendship. Their candid conversations foster a sense of mutual understanding and acceptance.

However, the latter part of the book felt somewhat disjointed. The lack of a clear resolution or overarching goal was noticeable. Initially, Ashleigh's invitation to a wedding in the following June serves as a catalyst for her romantic endeavors with Zach. Yet, the sudden introduction of another imminent wedding in the current June, coupled with George's own wedding-related predicament in the UK, felt chaotic and rushed.

Despite these criticisms, I found the book enjoyable. The characters were endearing and relatable, particularly in their exploration of grief stemming from sudden loss. Additionally, the side characters Oz and Carlos added an intriguing layer of depth to the narrative.

Lastly, I appreciated the representation of a cleaner as the main character, diverging from the typical CEO archetype. It's a refreshing departure from convention.

Disclosure: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love by Eve Devon

Release Date: April, 2nd, 2024

3.5 Stars

Ashleigh and George lead seemingly ordinary lives in New York City, each grappling with their own set of challenges. While Ashleigh navigates strained relationships with her mother and struggles with the dating scene, George is fixated on securing a promotion at work to validate his move to the city. Despite never having met, Ashleigh learns a lot about George through her job as his cleaner, while George remains unaware of her existence. As fate brings them closer together, they both wonder if the other could be the missing piece in their lives.


Readers are treated to a cute story. However, for me, the romance felt a bit too rushed, with the main female character falling for the male lead based solely on a picture! This aspect of instant attraction strained believability, impacting the overall enjoyment of the book for me.

Despite this, the rest of the story unfolds in a charming manner making it a cute read overall.


Thank you to The Publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter , The Author Eve Devon & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

I feel this book had a problem with pacing, and I struggled to get interested in the middle of the book - especially when the two main characters hadn't even met in person yet.

The first 40% was slow moving and I almost dnf’d it. Once Ashleigh and George finally meet in person it picked up. They were adorable together and it saved the book for me.

There were so many elements to this book that I liked. I only wish they had all come together more cohesively. Maybe it was the pacing that threw me off - I don't mind a slow burn, but the main characters don't even meet until the 50% mark. Or maybe it's that parts of the book felt very grounded, while others felt a bit cartoonish. Perhaps it's that I was never fully sold on the chemistry.

What I did enjoy: George was indeed swoon-worthy. The subjects of grief and mental health/anxiety were handled thoughtfully. And the initial communication through notes/crosswords was cute.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

If this doesn’t speak romcom perfection I don’t know what does!… I was so delighted with the warm fuzzy feeling this book left me with.

I loved Eve Devon’s Whisper Wood series and it’s been a long wait for this but definitely worth it. This has some of the most lovely book characters with Ashleigh who has rebuilt her life after a painful loss and now has a job she loves, the most caring friends in Oz and Carlos and the warmest heart. Then there’s George who feels like he’s finally living after a childhood of restrictions but is the life he’s got the one he actually wants? This is a delightful character read about moving on but also crucially about anxiety which is very sensitively handled whilst demonstrating how terrifying it can seem. The relationship between Ashleigh and George was beautifully set up with the crossword connection which provided a cute link between them throughout and Ashleigh’s fears about getting close to someone she might lose adding another dimension. Overall this an incredibly warm and uplifting read which was well worth waiting for.

I thought the premise of this book was good. It reminded me of a story I had read before hand. Two people connecting through crossword puzzles. The story features Ashleigh and George. Ashleigh cleans for George and that’s where they connect. And it starts through crosswords. The two form a sweet friendship. As the story moves, they become closer and closer. Both stepping in for each other when it matters most. They don’t really form a love connection till the end of the story which is okay but I do like when it happens a little earlier so we can see the relationship grow. It is a heartfelt and charming story.

This was a really sweet romance, I loved the notes exchanged between George and Ashleigh before they finally came to meet face to face and the crossword clues!

‘The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love' - Eve Devon

Set in New York, Ashleigh is a cleaner with an almost pathological need to clean and create order out of chaos. Meanwhile, George is a new client who doesn’t appear to need a cleaner; his apartment is so sterile and neat. What is going on? And what’s with all the crossword clues that they start to leave each other?

On the face of it, this is a book about two people connecting and falling in love. However, ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love’ is so much more than that. It looks at how our experiences growing up and our expectations as adults can often cause us to make the wrong decisions, in an effort to keep going or to run away and hide from our perceived failures. Anyone who has ever had a panic attack or suffered stress at work, will identify with the main characters and some of the side characters too.

I read ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love’ in one sitting. It is well written, fast paced and flows really well. I loved Ashleigh and George from the beginning which, for me, is half the battle. The novel is very romantic, funny and witty. It made me laugh out loud and also made me cry. It has a host of likeable characters besides the main protagonists who all add to the charm of this novel. ( I am aspiring to be Mrs Lundy when I am older).

Five stars from me!

Thank you to Chloe Cummings at One More Chapter - HarperCollins

This was a really touching, warm love story. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and explore their journey together. A great romantic read, I loved the crossword clues sprinkled throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This was a good book. It was cute. It started out really great.

Ashleigh started working as a cleaner 6 months ago after losing her best friend in a freak accident.  She is hired to clean George's apartment, who just moved to New York from England to be with his girlfriend, and is suffering from panic attacks at work, but they'll go away, right?

These characters don't meet face to face until 45% into the book. So, in half of the book, we get to meet the characters and see them interact through cute notes and crossword clues, which was pretty cute to see. This is the cutest part of the book imo. However, I did not love the OW/OM drama, which there is quite a lot of in this first part. George is in a relationship from the beginning of the book right up until they meet, and even though it was obvious they weren't going anywhere, I still didn't care to read about it. Moreover, Ashley is starting to date this guy Zach because she needs a date for a wedding and someone to share her weekends with (girl, were you wrong). We get to read how they meet and a bunch of their dates. I also didn't care about it much. Zach was the standard "go with flow", "I hate drama dude", so it was pretty obvious their relationship was never going to be serious, either. Still, I wanted to read about George and Asleigh!! This is probably on me, though. I abhor love triangles.

Despite this, I think the first part of the book was great. Ashley and George keep missing each other, and they communicate through little notes where they get to know each other. I love how thoughtful Asleigh was, leaving little presents for George in the apartment. Cute!!

Once they meet, which happens bizarrely with one of them almost naked while the other is having a panic attack, they are really cute scenes and friend-dates in the horizon. They really open up to one another, and there is a  "only you see me as I really am" vibe.

However, I do think this last part was a little disorganized. There was just no clear ending or goal for the book. In the beginning, Ashleig is invited to a wedding in June of next year, which she needs a date for, and is the reason why she starts going out with this guy, Zach. But, then, suddenly, there is another wedding THIS June? And then George also has a wedding in the UK he has to go to and needs a date too? It just felt a little chaotic.

Overall, I enjoyed myself. The characters were cute and relatable. I like how this book dealt with grief, especially when you lose someone so suddenly. I also loved Oz and Carlos, I honestly was more interested in their drama than Ashleigh's sometimes.

Just as a last note, I have to say that I loved that the main character was a cleaner. We don't all have to be CEOs!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.