I cannot and never will be able to take books seriously when they use ' ' instead of " " for dialogue. It is so easy to get confused, thinking what someone is saying is actually a quote when using ' '. I have had to read multiple sentences again because they didn't make sense. is ' ' a UK thing or something? I get UK authors exist but using ' ' just reads like a bad fanfiction to me, and I can't really focus on anything else when I'm so distracted by the dialogue mess.

2.5 stars

Wren and Nick keep missing each other. I felt like this book was too many near misses and took a while to get into and then was rushed at the end. I wanted more romance

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I loved this book - it was lighthearted and an easy read. I loved both Wren & Nick as characters and each near miss had me feeling disappointed and I became slightly impatient as the story progressed. I found some of the accidents far fetched and repetitive but that didn’t take away from how I felt about the book.
I loved Wren’s character and how she let loose after her break-up with Alex, it was refreshing & exciting.
Nick’s character was so charming & had me rooting for him from the start.
I really loved how everything ties together at the end, but wish we got to see more of Wren & Nick together and how their relationship blossomed.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very clever narrative with the different strands woven together seamlessly, it is almost a stage show where one character walks off stage as the other arrives looking for them. The books is a fascinating series of near misses and connections, both present and past that join up at various points as the plot ebbs and flows. The characters are lovely, well described and well meaning, apart from a weasel of an ex. There are some great surprises alongside the numerous links and mini disasters that strike Nick and Wren. A lovely, chaotic read.

Wren and Nick keep missing each other at home, but when they meet in Capri, in yet another mishap, their heartbeats begin to sync.
Lily Joseph writes great settings, and I could feel the hot sun on my face and see the whitewashed walls while reading about Capri. Sadly, though, this was a disappointing read for me otherwise. While Wren and Nick were lovely characters, there were too many characters, too many incidents, too many sub plots, and a thread that kept thinning when trying to draw them together in a fluid way. I almost did not bother finishing, so it's a 2.5 for me.
That said, this is Joseph's debut romance, and I congratulate her on this effort.

A incredible tale of friendship, fate, loss and of course love.

After a near death experience where Nick the handyman accidentally drops a pain of glass from a height into the street Wren starts to question her life as does Nick. What follows is a hilarious story of near misses for the pair, fate is either trying to bring them together or kill them trying.

I really enjoyed this story, there were funny moments but also a really in depth plot of the characters finding themselves and there lives interconnected but always missing each other. The characters were likeable and relatable and it was a very easy read.
This book was a slow burn and I would of liked to see more of Nick and Wrens actual relationship once they had finally met. As far as a romance goes it was okay but I would sway more on the side of it being literary fiction with magical realism.

I adored the book highlighting the community kitchen and what one place and a group of volunteers can do together to benefit people in need and how easy it is to give back to others.
Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more of Lily Josephs work.

Thankyou NetGalley, Lily Joseph and Bookouture for an advanced copy

This book is all about Wren and Nick who were both likeable and relatable characters.
I loved how their lives were intertwined by fate and their romance was just perfect once it got going.
The setting was great and I think Italy really added to the romance.
An easy romantic read with a lovely ending.
Thanks to NetGalley, Lily Joseph and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

3/5! The first bit of the book read more like a literary fiction, where the characters seemed to have some type of existential crisis because of where they’re at in life and situations they keep finding themselves in. I liked how the two main characters had their own individual storylines, but they kept intersecting and just nearly meeting each other. Their circumstances always seemed to draw them apart, however, and I became a little frustrated after this happened time after time. It felt a bit repetitive and like the start of their romance was right in front of me but kept getting taken away. That being said, I love how the invisible string theory was incorporated. It was fun reading from one persons point of view about something and then getting to the next chapter and seeing the same thing from another perspective. I think this is a good book for fans of Rebecca Serle and would recommend to anyone who is looking for a short and sweet romance!

2,5 ⭐️ I liked the idea of their story but it didn’t swiped me off my feet. I think I needed more of them interacting. Their relationship development wasn’t enough for me, they barely interact in the book and suddenly they were together. The book could’ve been longer just to develop a bit more their relationship. I was actually more interested in Travis and Liam’s story than in Wren and Nick’s.

'The Near Miss' is a feel good rom-com, which I absolutely loved. Right from the characters, to the plot, for me, this book had everything. This book is a slow burn romance which may not be to everyones taste, but I for one, absolutely devoured it.

The main characters, Nick and Wren, were so lovable and I was rooting for them throughout the entirety of the book and had me giggling and kicking my feet, as for the secondary characters, Libby and Travis, they were an absolute delight. Ms Joseph, if you see this, I would like a book for Libby please x

As much as I loved the book, I found the ending slightly rushed and wished as a reader, I could've seen more of Nick and Wren as a couple, maybe through a cheeky little epilogue. Overall, 'The Near Miss' by Lily Joseph was a quick and easy light hearted romance, which should definitely not be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

ARC Review:
Might have spoilers!
I have to start off by saying I didn't read the blurb for this book. The cover said it was a romantic comedy which was more than enough for me so I jumped in. I was immediately hooked to the book from the first chapter and found the story line really interesting. I also found the characters intriguing and enjoyed reading all the encounters and sets ups. What I couldn't understand was why was this book called romantic comedy. There was barely any humour in this book. And romance might be like 10% part of it. I mean the main leads met each other around the mark of 50% of the book and then were separated again and then met again in the end.
All in all it was a enjoyable read but won't call it a romantic comedy at all.

This book was a good rom com. Very much a will they won’t they book. It took a while to get into but once I got in to it I couldn’t put it down.
Nick and Wrens points of view throughout the book kept me to thinking when or if they will meet.
The characters were likeable and overall I really enjoyed the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Do you love books about star crossed and fated lovers? Check out Near Miss by Lily Joseph. This story is about Nick and Wren whose paths cross multiple times without them realizing it, but not in the way you would suspect. In fact, in the first chapter, Nick drops a plate glass window from a bookstore he’s renovating inches in front of Wren who’s walking to work on the sidewalk below. The entire story is full of I’ll-timed accidents happening to both characters. In fact, as a reader, we have to suspend disbelief multiple times as the accidents become so serious they are almost deadly. However, if you love a slow burn romance, this is the book for you. The characters don’t even meet until 50% of the way through the book. This is a closed door romance but Joseph paints her characters with intense chemistry. You know they will do anything to be together. The coolest part about this book is how every character is interconnected to each other without them realizing it until they very end. This is heavy on the side characters which range from the lovable dad and Grandmom to the exes that we all loathe and wish were not in the book. Overall, this is a cozy romance read.

I'm sorry to say that this book was a near miss for me. Far too slow to get going for this genre. I nearly gave up as i was starting to think it was never going to happen. I don't think the dual POV added anything for me either, felt a tad repetitive at times too.
Was left wanting more.

This was such a heartwarming romance and I was obsessed with the meet cute in Italy and the undeniable chemistry between the protagonists, whose relationship unfolds through a series of cute and clever near misses, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying. This premise is ingeniously crafted, ensuring you’ll be hooked, eagerly anticipating the moment of their meeting. The novel shines with a mysterious and sweet connection between the characters, which tugs at the heartstrings and adds a profound depth to the narrative. This, combined with a tasteful "fade to black" scene, maintains the warm and fuzzy feel of the romance, making it a delightful and quick read. Lily Joseph has woven a story that is both light-hearted and emotionally resonant, making it the perfect escape into a world where love's serendipity is celebrated, leaving readers with a lingering sense of joy and contentment.

2.5/5 stars!

When I first read this book's description I was immediately hooked. It was original, intriguing and got me so excited to start reading it. However, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed - not because the author didn't deliver what she promised, but because of the way it was written.

For starters, it didn't always make sense to me that we needed to read both the FMC's and the MMC's POV to hear about these "near misses" - in fact, it often felt like the book wouldn't move forward because we kept going back in time to see what happened in the other character's perspective.
It was also very frustrating to be reading a romantic comedy where the couple only meet half way through the book and then spend more chapters apart than together. I actually had to check if I was reading a romance book because it didn't really feel like one.
The main couple had chemistry and it was fun reading their moments together, but it was so rare it didn't really feel satisfying. Nor did the ending - I felt like I was missing a big chunk of their story for their relationship and feelings for each other to be believable.

It was an okay book but I do feel like it needed a lot more moments between the main couple for it to be labelled a "romance".

A cosy book to curl up with. I enjoyed reading this. It was an easy, comfortable read that leaves you feeling fuzzy inside. The only thing I would say is it’s quite slow-burn and the MC’s don’t actually meet for quite a while and it would have been great to see more of that. However, a good read overall.

When I first read the book description for "The Near Miss" by Lily Joseph, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of fate bringing two people together through a series of near-misses. The initial setup of Wren and Nick's almost-encounters had me hooked, eagerly awaiting the moment when their paths would finally cross.

However, as the story progressed, I found myself growing a bit impatient with the prolonged build-up. While the concept of "near-misses" is charming (I mean I love the movie Serendipity exactly for this concept) the sheer number of accidents and coincidences started to feel a bit excessive at times.

That said, once Wren and Nick finally crossed paths in Italy, I became invested in their romance. Their chemistry and tension was palpable. They truly felt like two magnets attracting each other. There were a bit too many side-stories revolving around the "supporting" characters in my opinion as it took the focus away from Wren and Nick. As I already had to wait for quite a long time to finally see some interaction between them, I didn't want the focus to shift yet again to someone else. That being said, I still really enjoyed the side storyline involving Wren's father and his own self-discovery in Italy.

Overall, "The Near Miss" is a cozy, feel-good romance that hits its stride when Wren and Nick's interactions take center stage. I'd rate this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars - a cozy, enjoyable read with some room for improvement in the pacing department.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me an ARC of this book. This review reflects my own, honest and unbiased opinion.

The Near Miss by Lily Joseph is a sweet read that I enjoyed very much.

Lily and Wren seem to be living parallel lives, almost running into each other, meeting, and/or killing or maiming each other all over the place.

They finally run into each other while on holiday, but still don’t make the connection until later.

I really enjoyed the characters, who were easy to like and especially the secondary characters of Libby and Travis. I hope Libby gets a book!

This is a good book and would have only been better if Wren and Nick could have had more time together, I think the build up was a bit too long.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Title: The Near Miss By Lily Joseph

Release Date: July,10th 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

Nick and Wren are destined to cross paths, but they've never even met. However, fate has other plans in store. Wren, a local reporter craving a quiet life, finds herself stuck in a less-than-thrilling relationship with her controlling boyfriend, Alex. Meanwhile, Nick, a handyman reeling from a painful breakup, just wants to focus on his business and his daughter.

Their lives take an unexpected turn when Nick accidentally narrowly misses Wren with a sheet of glass while restoring an old bookshop. From there, a series of near misses and mishaps bring them closer together, culminating in a chance encounter in Italy's magical Blue Grotto in Capri.

In "The Near Miss" by Lily Joseph, readers are taken on a journey of a very long, slow burn romance. While the concept of near misses and mishaps adds a unique twist to the story, I did find it dragging and chaotic, particularly since the two main characters don't physically meet until halfway through the book.

However, despite these pacing issues, the novel remains an entertaining read.

Tropes:

Slow Burn Romance
Meet-Cute: Moments of near encounters or accidental meetings that bring the characters closer together.
Coincidental Meetings: Instances where the characters keep narrowly missing each other, adding to the tension and anticipation.
Chaotic Mishaps: Various accidents or mishaps that disrupt the characters' lives.
Entwined Destinies


I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.