This book had a lot going on with side plots and pieces of information that made it feel a bit overwhelming for me. I enjoyed the main characters and found the story to be a cute romance overall, but I didn't find myself itching to pick it up again it like I do while reading most romances. The author did do a great job of writing about what this book promises with the title and book info, so I really am not too disappointed! She did deliver on that and I think I would be open to reading more of her future work. Overall this was just an average story for me with a lot of potential.

I really enjoyed the Near Miss and getting to know Wren and Nick's world - that they shared for 90% of the book before realizing it. Wren and Nick keep missing each other and keep causing issues and missteps in each others lives, only they do not realize it. The universe seemingly wants them together but when they are together it delivers incident after incident.

But somehow they meet while both visiting an entire different country and when they return home are brought back together.

This was an excellent first novel by Lily Joseph.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing the ARC.

Woo boy, this book had me stressing, if only because I feel like these characters would be dead and/or dying in real life.

The number of catastrophic situations that plagued Wren and Nick was already unbelievable, and the fact that they came out of them relatively unscathed was even more so. I understand that there is some suspension of disbelief with most books, but this one was hard for me to get over. Additionally, these 'near misses' were so much of the focus, that the book actually lost me on the romance. What resulted was a somewhat discombobulated mess.

Not my favorite, but I think this book could have definitely developed into something more with the right editor.

This book was very cute! It didn't delve into new literary depths, but it'll make you smile.

Reading the story was much like watching "Sliding Doors." The amount of "near misses" was many, and wildly entertaining.

If you want a light read that's perfect for summer, this is it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was cute! I just don't think I necessarily jived with this book. Just to start, the punctuation drove me crazy. Things also felt... almost too disastrous. To the point where the plot sort of drug along. While I thought Wren was likable and the characters were cute, I didn't really connect with either of them and the actual romance felt a bit underdeveloped.

This charming romance novel explores the serendipitous encounters of Nick and Wren, two strangers destined to meet. Wren desires a quiet life, but her world is momentarily disrupted when a sheet of glass shatters at her feet. Nick, recovering from a painful breakup, is the man responsible for the near miss. Their paths cross repeatedly in unexpected ways, creating a delightful narrative filled with humor, heartache, and hope. The bookshop setting adds charm, while the characters’ evolving connection feels authentic and relatable. The story beautifully balances romantic possibility with life’s unpredictability, making readers root for Nick and Wren to finally seize their chance at love. This heartwarming tale is perfect for anyone who believes in the magic of fate and the power of persistence.

This was an enjoyable read, but I feel as though it was missing something.

Our main protagonists Wren and Nick keep missing each other. This is amusing at first but eventually becomes tiresome after a while (46% of the book for example). Once they have met, it is captivating to see the two work out just how interconnected their lives are - although it occasionally felt unrealistic (the Italy meet 2.0).

Joseph was great at setting the scene, the way she describes atmosphere and landscape was thoroughly engaging, especially those where the characters were abroad.
The main characters were well fleshed out, I found myself hating those we were meant to dislike and liking those we got to meet in more depth. Unfortunately, I do feel as though the chemistry between Wren and Nick was lacking - they felt more like friends than lovers and I struggle to imagine the pair having feelings for each other. This is a shame as the book was marketed as a love story. The love was definitely not there for me.
I also wish that we got to see more of Wren's best friend, she felt like a filler character to fill space which was a shame as she had potential.

I would read more of Joseph's work in the future - depending on the themes. This would be a good holiday poolside book.

Woof. At the rate this book was going, I’m surprised none of the main characters died, even though they should have. Are they superheroes?!

I really like most of the plot of the novel. I liked Wren figuring out her relationship, finding out about the mom, etc. I liked Nick’s story with his grandma and trying to find his father.

What I didn’t like was the lack of a love story. The premise of it sounded good but the near misses were overly exaggerated. It went on for far too long and lacked finding any of the love between our main characters.

I also didn’t like that it felt that the scenes were cut short.

A good premise but just wasn’t executed well unfortunately.


Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Storyline was solid and very cute.
The character development was great, pacing was good.
The lack of actual romance was a bit of a let down for me. I was really looking forward to that. It felt rushed and under developed. Like an after thought?

When they say something that could go wrong, can go wrong, it’s definitely going happen to Wren or Nick. This book was an easy read though it took me far longer to read than it should have because I had such a hard time getting into it. The POV alternates from Wren to Nick each chapter and each chapter sets up the next mishap for the other character. The main characters don’t meet each other until approximately 60% of the way through the book. This book is set in England and there are a lot of English/British jargon which was a little difficult for me as well. I received this book as an ARC for an honest review of Lily Joseph’s first romance.

3.5 stars rounded up. The Near Miss is a cute meet cute starring Wren and Nick, who keep missing each other again and again (and again) in a series of freak accidents and comic trips, I mean the first time they 'meet' Nick nearly drops a pane of glass on Wren's head when he's fitting a window in a first floor flat. The near misses keep ramping up, with numerous encounters and mishaps. When they finally meet on holiday, they dont know that they have nearly missed each other a million times before.
There are lots of coincidences and close calls that you have to overlook in the name of love, but its an entertaining read.

Based on the cover and the description, I so so so so badly wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it was a DNF after the first chapter. The story was good, but the writing style was driving me nutty to the point I couldn't focus on the story at all. Instead of using quotation marks ("xxx") the author used apostrophes ('xxx'). I understand that's a trivial reason to DNF a book but my brain couldn't handle it.

The Near Miss by Lily Joseph is a fantastic debut novel whose plot focuses on the concept of fate & the notion,”meant to be.” Wren & Nick’s journey is filled with chaos & paved with several near misses along the way. I enjoyed the character development & how each one has a purpose in their story . The storyline was so original. I wanted to keep reading to see what disaster was around the next corner for this dynamic duo. I was taken on a journey of jaw dropping moments filled with laughter, “are you kidding me?”, smiling until it hurt and tears of joy moments. I highly recommend this arc I received from Netgalley

"The Near Miss" by Lily Joseph is such a cute romantic story! 😍 I really enjoyed how the characters' lives kept crossing paths but they always narrowly missed each other. It was frustrating in the best way! The book tackles real-world issues which made the characters feel relatable. The ending tied everything together nicely and left me feeling satisfied. That being said, I did feel that it dragged on at times, and some of the accidents felt a little far-fetched. 📚 However, I did enjoy this one, If you're into feel-good romances with a touch of serendipity, this one's definitely worth a read! Thank you to Lily Joseph and Netgalley for the opportunity to review the ARC! 👏

Lily Joseph’s “The Near Miss” has an interesting premise to me. The reader knows from the start that Nick and Wren are “meant to be,” but they have not met each other yet.

The book was a little uneven to me in the beginning. I also eventually found some of the near misses to be unrealistic or unnecessary. Luckily, the book hit its stride for me about a third of the way in and I enjoyed the way Nick and Wren met.

I will admit to being hesitant to read this book based on some of the reviews I saw when I was deciding which book to read next from my TBR list. I’m glad I decided to give the book a chance because I found it enjoyable.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Can two people meant to be together but at the same time skip meeting and finding themselves in dangerous situations? While you read Wren and Nick’s sweet and chaotic story you can help but be rotting for them to meet and fall in love, even if it seems dangerous.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this amazing ARC!

The Near Miss is a very sweet book about taking risks, fate and family.
Enjoyed Wren's and Nick's POV so much, especially after they'd finally met. I was a bit afraid that their meeting each other would happen in the last few pages, but thankfully, it happened earlier (btw it was very cute! and eventful hehe) :)

I loved how this book, while being a funny summery romance, still had some very important topics in it. The sense of community throughout the book is great!

Wren and Nick keep almost - almost- meeting one another but it's not until they both get to Capri that.....They're both dealing with romantic issues, both are thoughtful, both just miss being seriously injured at each of their near misses. It's a little disconcerting at first, and perhaps unrealistic, but I found myself rolling with the plot because I became fond of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Well, this story certainly took us on a wild ride!
It took me awhile to get into the plot. Once I got to the Italy part of the story, I was hooked.
How many near misses can one have before something changes?????
I really enjoyed the humor throughout the story.
I could have used a bit more romance between the two main characters, Wren and Nick.
A fun, fast read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

hank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book is a delightful romance and I recommend to anyone who enjoys Sophie Cousens or Sophia Kinsella. This book is seriously adorable and fun and just made me so happy to read. It was like being wrapped up in a big hug and it gave me all the feels. This is the ultimate summer romance!

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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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