Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Ready for a fun tale of true love with a long journey on getting there? Then this one is for you!
Meet Amanda Dean, who has bopped from person to person her whole life while really only wanting one. Who tore herself away from her one true love so that person could become all they needed to be.
This story if told in alternating past and present day chapters. I will say at first this threw me a little. The chapters are headed with the years and I just didn't think they were necessary. It would have been easier for me to keep up had it been the main character's age listed. Then things would have made more sense earlier on. I also found it hard to keep up with the flow because it's actually told in three different time lines. Once I got about 50% into the book, this was easier to differentiate. But overall it was quite confusing at first and was taking me out of the story.
You meet Amanda on her wedding day but just who is she marrying? I will admit, I kind of guessed it from the start, but the journey was still fun to get to that point.
I liked Amanda and her growth throughout this story. You can see how she changes and morphs and becomes what she needs to be in order to find everlasting love. There were times I found her a bit whiny or annoying. She was in her head way too much. And she was too stubborn to listen to what others around her were telling her.
I liked the LBGTQ+ representation in this book. It was interesting to watch Amanda struggle with who she was and find her truth north. I feel like there could have been more to it, though. I didn't totally feel her struggle and I wanted that more than anything else.
It's not the traditional romance I was looking for. There's a bit of mystery in the plot. But you do get friends to lovers and second chance romance in the plot line.
Overall it was enjoyable enough but will not go down as a favorite romance that I would re-read.

Sorry, but I did not like this book. My biggest pet peeve is when authors randomly skip from one time to another, from chapter to chapter, for no justifiable reason. This is one of the worst examples of that writing device. At the start of each chapter, I had to calculate (based on the year) approximately how old Amanda (Mandy) was, and each time, it took me out of the story. Sometimes she was kindergarten age, then in her late twenties, or just 17, heading over to London, then second grade and so on. Not only were the loose ends not tied up at the end, but I also felt like the author intentionally misdirected readers about who Mandy was going to marry. It just all made my head spin and kept me from feeling at all engaged with the main characters or the story. Not recommended.

This adorable book is adult romance, but since there are plenty of flashbacks to childhood, it often feels like YA. If you like both, you're in for a treat.

If the road to true love ever runs smooth, it was a road unknown to Amanda Dean.

With character evolution, lessons learned, failure, and triumphs alike, we go on the twisty path with Amanda as the book opens on her wedding day and then goes into flashbacks until we return to the present day and discover who Mandy’s person is.

Both incredibly fun and heartwarming, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean is a winner and a recommendation from me 🙂



Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC

I'm giving this 3 stars even though I only got through about 30% of this. I have high hopes for it, but I'm going to wait until I have a physical copy.

It's so hard to keep track of the story because of the time jumping around in a non-linear fashion. It would be so much easier if, instead of the year, we got Mandy's age. Or both. It's difficult to do the math over and over again to figure out how old she is and where she is in life with just the year.

I do want to read this, but the format as it is in Kindle form doesn't leave space for me to keep track of anything.

Holy smokes, I'm incredibly impressed by Ann Rose's The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean! I read the first 3/4 of the book in one night lol, I couldn't put it down.

My favorite part of this story is how beautifully Rose weaves the time skipping. This is extremely hard to do well, and Rose executes it masterfully. This clever reveal of how Amanda and Isa's relationship developes, implodes, and all the how's and why's so much to this splendid tale.

The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean, written by Ann Rose, was not my usual choice of reading material. Unfortunately, I found myself unable to finish the book as I struggled to become engaged with the storyline.

Who doesn’t love a messy love story? i know i do! This was such a cute book about love, family and hope! Mandy is such a fun character that you can’t help but love her! Definitely recommend this one!!

"The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean" is a novel that intricately weaves a tapestry of love, self-discovery, and the myriad challenges life presents over two decades. The narrative begins on the tumultuous day of Amanda's wedding, rife with uncertainty and chaos, yet skillfully shifts between the present and the past, offering insights into pivotal moments that have shaped her romantic journey.

Amanda Dean defies the archetype of a romance novel protagonist. She is a beautifully flawed, complex character whose path is littered with errors and heartaches, yet punctuated by instances of sheer happiness. Through her introspection, readers are presented with an unvarnished truth about the nature of love, loss, and the pressing issues of grief and reproductive health care, all seamlessly integrated into the plot without detracting from the central romantic theme.

The narrative structure fluidly navigates through various periods of Amanda's life, engaging readers in a puzzle-like quest to understand her romantic history. The suspense surrounding her eventual partner adds to the novel's allure, culminating in a gratifying and warm resolution. The cast of strong, supportive characters—particularly the women, including Abuela, Isa, and Sophie—highlight themes of chosen family and enduring friendships.

This book transcends the confines of a mere romance story; it is an ode to the beautifully flawed odyssey of life and love. Combining poignant moments with valuable life lessons and a dash of suspense, "The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean" promises a profoundly moving experience that resonates well beyond the last page.

The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean is at one time a thoughtfully constructed, emotionally deep love story running across two decades—to the inner precincts of relationships, self-discovery, and life's challenges. The novel opens on Amanda's wedding day, full of doubts and pandemonium, but it moves artfully between present and past to afford glimpses into those key moments that had turned her life in love.

Amanda Dean is anything but your typical romance heroine. She's a gorgeously messy, multifaceted character whose journey is marked by mistakes and heartbreaks, with moments of pure joy. In her reflection, we get to see naked, unfiltered realness on how to love, lose, and confront such major issues as grief and reproductive health care, deftly woven into the storyline without overshadowing the romance.

The structure of the story is a fluid slide through different times in Amanda's life, keeping one guessing at, and thereby piecing together, how she got into that love life. There is suspense about who she finally marries, and that makes it satisfying and heartwarming to see. Strong supporting characters are strongly represented females in the form of Abuela, Isa, and Sophie, bringing out found families and long-lasting friendships.

This is so much more than a romance novel; it's a celebration of the beautifully imperfect journey of life and love. With its perfect mixture of heartwarming moments and hard-earned life lessons, flavored by just the right amount of suspense, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean leaves the reader with a breathtakingly beautiful read that will linger long after the final page.

4.25 stars

Mandy is about to get married, if everything would quit going wrong. While she's getting ready, she reflects on her lifetime of great loves.

The jumping around in time really threw me off on figuring what was happening when, especially with references to Mandy's standing with Isa. Past that, it was a pretty cute story about a bi woman living her life until she gets to marry her forever person. I grew up in the same time period as the character, so I really liked all the references to things I loved as a kid. This book also tackles a couple of hard topics like abortion and death of a prominent family figure, and it does both with grace.

If you want an atypical queer romance, this is the one.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Maybe 3.5-4?

I truly did enjoy watching Amanda's story play out, even if the trope and the ending were fairly obvious from the get go! Seeing someone work through their identity as love interests weave in and out of their life is such a real and relatable way to enjoy a rom-com. The flashbacks and flash forwards got a little hard to follow, but over all, I had a great time reading it!

Some heavy-ish things were handled that weighed the tone down a bit, but it was essential to the character and relationship development, but it's always good to make sure readers are aware.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

OUTLIER ALERT!!! 🎶It’s me🎶!! This was just not my cup of tea ☕️! As a Christian, I found this book does not align with my personal beliefs. So I do not recommend this book.

✨Please note that others will probably love the book so don’t base your decision to read it only on my review.✨

I was very excited about this one, because I'm always looking for more openly bi MCs, but unfortunately this one just didn't hit for me. The premise was interesting, but the more I thought about it, it is less a traditional romance and more of a mystery, which just isn't for me.

This book is an absolute treasure. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I never wanted to end. Amanda's journey through her past loves, leading up to her wedding day, is both heartwarming and deeply relatable. The storytelling is beautifully crafted, capturing the bittersweet nature of love and the courage it takes to open your heart again. The romance is a poignant and delightful read, filled with moments that made me laugh, cry, and cheer for Amanda's happiness. I adored every page and couldn’t put it down.

I love the set up to this refreshingly original, queer romance debut novel. On one of the most important day of her life, Amanda Dean is terrified that she is making the wrong decision on her wedding day and reflects upon the previous loves and disasters of her life. Unlike the general romance characters who usually have their ducks in order, Amanda is a lovable yet messy disaster and I loved her for it. Through Amanda's past memories we can cringe and commiserate for making the same mistakes and ignoring the glaring red flags of people who are just not good for her. There is a building suspense as to who Amanda eventually marries since the partner isn't revealed until the very end, which makes it a very satisfying read. I like how there is a balance between heartwarming and heart fluttering romance and hard real life lessons learned along the way. I'm really looking forward to sharing this book with my patrons at the library and reading more from this author.

It's Amanda Dean's wedding day! Her mother is of course haranguing her about what she is wearing and she is so nervous she could cry.

Ann Rose takes us through Amanda's life, bouncing seamlessly back and forth creating a picture of a solid friend and artist and all around decent human being. The only question is, of all the people featured in the flashbacks, just who is Amanda Dean marrying?

Super cute, super well executed, and a fun all around read for any lovers of romance, weddings and happy endings!
#berkley #theseeminglyimpossiblelovelifeofamandadean #annrose

while it took me a second to get into because of all the time jumps, i fell in love with this book and all the characters (well not all but you know what i mean). this book was filled with so much hope and love and messiness, i just loved it

Oh my gosh this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full disclosure upfront—I do know the author. HOWEVER, if I didn’t like the book, I’d simply not leave a review. Period.
But that’s not an issue bc I adored The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean! I am typically a thriller/horror reader…but I’m also a huge mood reader and sometimes that mood is romance. 💘
The pacing and banter in the book were perfection. The author has a way with creating realistic, layered characters you can root for. I especially loved guessing who Mandy was going to end up with on her wedding day. Was I right? Well. I’m not saying, lol. It was a fun, sweet, humorous ride with lots of heart. I flew through it.
Perfect for; romance lovers. Especially romance bookclubs.
Avoid if: you hate good books.

I did not love The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean. Partly because I felt incredibly mislead by the book description. There was never any doubt in my mind that she was eventually going to end up with Isa - in fact, the only real "surprise" to the story is why they broke up in the first place. That being said, it's a fairly cute friends to lovers, second chance romance kind of a tale, with a fun/modern bisexual element. Just not the book that I was expecting.