I really enjoyed this story of Callum and Emma who find each other after a break became a de facto break up 12 years earlier. Great chemistry and a sweet story. The end was a bit abrupt but otherwise lovely.

- second chance romance
- closed door romance
- easy fun read

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

The first book I read of Lovett's was "The First Time We Met", and I loved it. I read it several times. Her other books have not come close to this one for me. As for this latest book, it was okay, but I was underwhelmed by the ending. I felt it was rushed. Whilst I felt some of Emma's emotion, I never really felt Callum's. I did not feel his angst at all. The author did not sell him to me (he's no Sam from "The First Time We Met"). Instead I thought he was immature and a jerk basically. There were too many internal monologues, which made the pace slow. I liked Emma, but wasn't she a bit too perfect? Aren't our female protagonists supposed to have flaws? There was enough there to make me want to read until the end, but it did not leave a lasting impression. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, the concept and title intrigued me right away! I mean 2 exes stuck together in a van and the title making me think of Ross from Friends, I had some high expectations for this one, but it fell a bit short for me. I loved the beginning and found it very funny and sweet. As the book went on it felt like it dragged. I usually do love slow burn and second chance, but it was too slow that I found it boring and there wasn't enough detail of the previous relationship to set up a really good second chance trope. I also didn't like how Callum's addiction struggles were super glossed over, it felt weird to me. It was mostly a cute read, but just not for me.

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

Thank you to Boldwood Books for the ARC of this book. I would say that I enjoyed it overall for what it was. I do typically love a second chance romance and that's exactly what this story is. The main characters seemed quite likeable especially Emma. That being said, there were parts of it that fell flat for me. For a second chance romance to be really well done, I feel like you need to have a lot of details about the previous relationship. In this case, I felt like the details of their love over a decade ago were very glossed over and not detailed at all. I found myself wondering why they couldn't make it work in the first place for most of the book. There was also just a lot of miscommunication in general which can be frustrating to read about.

I do enjoy the author's writing style and think I would be interested in reading other books by her. The background details were just missing for me in this book. Thanks for the opportunity to review it!

I really loved the idea of this book but unfortunately the pace was way too slow, the characters lacked depth and felt very immature. I had to dnf at 20%.

First I have to say the books title reminded me of Friends Rachel And Ross lol
When two old romantic people find themself in an unexpected predicament and
Are Stuck together for a long miserable ride home.
But the more they travel the more they start to wonder if things might work this time.
Ride along with them as they have to deal with all sorts of situations.
This is a cute and lighthearted funny romance you will be rooting for them.

We Were on a Break by Jo Lovett is a charming and heartwarming story that delves into the complexities of relationships and the difficulties of second chances.

The plot centers on Liv and Nate, a couple who decide to take a break from their relationship. We are shown both sides of the story, giving a lot more depth by dual narrative & making their journey feel genuine and relatable.

I found this story starts off with a witty dialogue (which caught me straight away) and situations that many will find familiar. I found the middle section to drags a bit - thankfully I pushed through until the end, which picks up and leads to a satisfying and emotional ending.

Jo Lovett's writing is both engaging and insightful, making this a great Summer read!
Its delightful for anyone interested in the ups and downs of love and the possibility of rekindling old flames. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an eARC.

I was really looking forward to this book, I loved the "blurb" and the tag line, but unfortunately it really didn't hit the mark, there was so much promise and it felt like there was something missing and a lot more could have been explored but the commitment to the story just wasn't there, just didn't hit the mark for me, sorry.

I really loved this book! The romance was so cute and I loved the story so much. Thank you netgalley for this arc. I would highly recommend this book.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Up front, I have to admit that the statement, “We were on a break” make me think of Ross and Rachel from friends and this book brought all of those fun and familiar vibes with it, with the wanderlust fun of travel through Europe! All of those components made for an absolutely fun read about the decisions we make in life. We Were On a Break makes you want to say “cin cin” or “cheers” to adventure and second chances!

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

I read We Were on a Break in one sitting...during work hours, simply because I couldn't put it down. I'm not usually a fan of travel novels but I loved this one and the places the characters visited.

The book made me cry, several times, but also laugh and swoon in equal measure.

I can only recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and believes in second chances.

Emma and Callum have history, and they never intended to run into each other again...much less be stuck in a small van travelling together for several days, forcing them to rehash the past and move forward. I was not as much a fan of this story as the introductory blurb led me to believe I would be, based on my love of romcoms. It wasn't predictable, so that wasn't it, but I just couldn't get into the characters. There was a lot of 'me' focus from each of the main characters that was interesting at first, but became annoying. One of the things I wasn't a fan of was the alcoholism...for anyone whom that is a trigger, just know that it's a big part of the underlying storyline.

Such a blast, highly enjoyed. Gave FRIENDS vibes which was perfect for me as it’s a huge comfort show for me. Was a good time.

Emma and Callum had a whirlwind romance that ended with Callum needing a break, despite everything Emma had done for Callum, he couldn’t find it within himself to stop being so messy and drunk all the time or for acting out. Callum telling Emma he needed some space came as a shock, yet became even more shocking when he never came back to her.

Emma took years to heal her broken heart and decided to set off on the adventure of a lifetime, alone. Heading back home, she was asked by a friend if she could help by driving someone back to London. Emma needed the petrol money so decided she would. Emma was nervous about having to spend so much time with a stranger … yet was horrified when her companion was Callum!

Emma and Callum’s journey together was super sweet! It made me laugh in parts and secretly I was wishing for them to get back together. I loved the travel details in this book it made it feel really sweet and homely! I loved the forced proximity, second change troupes!

Emma and Callum’s journey through Italy and France started off quite comedic, but sadly the last third was rather frustrating, and I found myself rooting for Emma to end up with anyone but Callum. The storyline is 2 exes who end up sharing a road trip home, facing various disasters like rubbish hotels and broken vehicles, and a whole will they won’t they along the journey. Callum, though, has such a skewed perspective that I ended up feeling he was a scummy person and didn’t want him to end up with the lovely Emma. It’s an ok book to while away a few hours, but if you’re looking for a good romance novel, I wouldn’t say this is it

People have complained in the reviews about his explanation for how he stopped drinking. I thought it made sense and I had no problems with it. I experienced similar things with my young and dumb exes of the past.

Pros
- I like the plot device of being stuck traveling in a van
- I liked their internal dialogue
- Perfect amount of pining

Cons
- while the beginning was an interesting idea, it felt a bit boring in execution
- The ending felt rushed and cut short

📖 I loved this sweet, second chance romance! Emma and Callum were fantastic and so easy to root for. I loved their trip through Italy and France; the places they saw, the people they met. It was the perfect summer read!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb is very interesting, it drew me from the beginning. Emma is traveling through Italy and one of her friends back in London asks her if she could give his friend a ride back home, since all flights are cancelled. Turns out, this friend of a friend is none other than Emma's ex boyfriend, love of her life, whom she gave an ultimatum 12 years before, either her or his wild life of alcohol addiction.

The idea of two exes being stuck together in a van for days traveling was extremely interesting, but my expectations fell short. The characters and plot had so much potential, but they were under developed. Callum's addiction was reduced to 'I decided to stop and I stopped', that was anticlimactic, especially if he took this little to break an habit, then the whole plot of them not getting back together because of his addiction, collapsed.

The story became repetitive after a while, they're together, they break up, than back together and break up again. It stretched on a lot, and I mean, a lot. Also, reading both their internal monologues listing all the reasons why they couldn't be together got annoying pretty soon.

But, if you're looking for a slow burn, closed door, second chance romance don't hesitate to pick up this novel, coming out on July 29th.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.