Member Reviews
Loved this story of a woman figuring out her life to move forward with her best friend, close family and friends. Love her family, her quirkiness, and her determination. Great uplifting story.
I absolutely adored this book. The cover was so cute and the title made me laugh. It was a fun romcom which made me laugh but also had great characters that I loved and connected to. Did I mention it made me laugh?!
Cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
If you're in search of a story centred on self-growth, unexpected love just around the corner, and quirky yet endearing family dynamics, this is one you won’t want to miss. It offers a heartwarming mix of humour, charm, and relatable life challenges, making it a delightful and uplifting read.
I liked this story a lot I thought the MC was very well written and fun to follow along with.
The story itself just didn’t keep me as engaged as a lot of other similar books I have read but it was an easy fun read all the same.
I liked how livs loser list actually ended up helping her a lot as she is the type of person who lacks self belief.
I would say it’s not really a romance style book as it is marketed at as I think the romance is probably the least believable part of the story itself.
An ok read for me but not one I would personally pick up again x
I genuinely giggled out loud while reading this book. An actual rom com/ chick lit advertised correctly! I very much appreciated that the romance is just one aspect and that a major focus of the book is Liz (the narrator) getting her life unstuck.
This book reminded me of Nina Kenwood. An easy and entertaining read about a young woman who doesn't think her life is panning oput as it should. Liv has been working the same part time job since high school, has never managed to finish her degree, no permanent place to call home and a complex family dynamic.
There is no rule book that tells us we have do thing by a ceratin age, or in a certain order, but I think there are a lot of young women who will identify with Liv's story, feeling that their not 'doing life' quite right.
The surprise highlight characters in this book for me are Liv's neice Daisy, and her best friend Barry. We all need a Barry in our corner!
Classic friend to lover trope will appeal to a a large readership, and ebven through Canelo is a UK imprint, this title is by an Australian author, set in Australia.
Received as an ARC via NetGalley. The expectations I had going into this book were that it would be a simple and familiar disastrous romcom, and I was not disappointed to find out that I was right. While this was a wholly predictable and enjoyable book, the shining light of the story was its incredibly love-able and varied cast of characters. From self proclaimed losers, loud and adorably extra siblings, an a pair of hilariously business savvy children to name a few, the characters brought this tried and true plot to life. Without such a colorful cast, I don’t think this story would have had the impact on me that it did, and for that I am thankful! Overall a wonderful and fun read.
Thank you for my earc of this book. I loved the characters and writing style and found this book funny and relatable. I’d definitely recommend and will read more from this author for sure!
A fantastic laugh out loud read about Liv who suddenly looses everything, Maybe she really is a looser. Liv and her friends write list of things to do to get out of her rut and prove she isn't a loser, but can she do it?
Highly recommend if you need a pick me up laugh out loud read.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot. It was a very fun book!
At the beginning I loved this book, absolutely. Actually, I loved it all the time. But, as I can't read only one book at a time, I've started reading two other books and sadly, they were much better than this one.
But it doesn't mean that "Liv is Not a Loser" was not a good read, because it was! Funny and entertaining and the characters brilliantly carried the plot. Actually, those were the background characters that were absolutely the best, Joe, Seth, Daisy, Barry - brilliantly witty, they added tons of humour and depth to story. Liv was also a great character, especially her way to discover herself, to allow herself enjoy things, the emotional journey and working out her history. I think that Henry was the weakest link in this book, or maybe rather, the romance between the two characters - I had a feeling that Liv was in this completely, with her whole heart, but Henry not so, and it bothered me a little.
However, the writing style was light and so easy to follow, enveloping you like a long - missed hug.
It was a feel - good, uplifting, poignant, charming story with quirky characters and strange family dynamics (strange in a positive way!) that I truly enjoyed.
A big thanks to Netgalley for this arc! I've been waiting for this one to dive in since i'd been in a reading slump.
Here's my short and simple thoughts.
- good comedic writing that brings out the fun
- friends to lovers trope was a great idea but felt a little boring when executed. probably due to lack or chemistry.
- the first few chapters were hard to get through. i found myself skimming most of it just so i could get to the interesting parts.
- it feels more like women's fiction with a mix of comedic rather than romance fiction.
If it weren't for my reading slump, i would probably liked this. Im a bit disheartened that this is a 'miss' for me
This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, cute and heartwarming. It was fast-paced and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.
This was a light-hearted, relatable rom-com featuring a heroine who's life is a mess. It was pleasant and easy to read. I thought it started stronger than it ended though. I found my interest fading a bit as the book went on.
The main relationship was cute but not the strongest part of the story. I preferred the parts about Liv's personal growth and platonic relationships. I thought they had the most charm and heart.
I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.
Three and a half stars.
Olivia 'Liv' Granger has trouble committing, to a career, to a hot drink, to an apartment, to a boyfriend, to a new phone, to her degree. When her brother Joe gets engaged to his boyfriend she realises that everyone else seems to have their lives together whereas she is still acting like a teenager. Together with her brother, his boyfriend, and her brother's best friend Henry, Liv creates a ten point list to stop her being such a loser (I can only remember seven):
1. Finish her degree
2. Get an internship in her chosen field
3. Sign a lease
4. Get a new phone
5. Commit to one hot drink (I feel in this I need to explain that she routinely buys three drinks at a time)
6. Have at least three dates with a guy before rejecting him
7. Keep a pet alive
Liv starts to make headway with her list, despite being dragged into wedding planning by her obsessive mother, and forced to meet yet another of her father's new girlfriends (each of whom believes she is far more special to him than she really is), but her dating life is terrible - it is only the calm acceptance and commiserations from Henry that keeps her going. But when Liv overhears a conversation between her niece and Henry she realises Henry may have feelings for her and when she looks at him in the light of this new knowledge she realises she might have feelings for him too.
Whilst I get that Liv was stuck in a bit of a rut, I also felt that her family/friends were pushing her into a pigeonhole (maybe because she was the youngest they felt she still needed to be babied and/or told what to do?), really is it too much for someone to want three drinks? Really is your reality so rigid?
I've read a couple of similar books recently and this one didn't really stand out from the rest. There was a bit too much therapy-style chat and things just quickly fell into place when Liv started her list. How many times have I said this? I liked it but I didn't love it.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Liv is a Loser by Lauren Ford
This book is super cute. It's like perfect cotton candy, light, quick, and joyful. Liv realizes her life is not where she wants it to be and makes a Loser List to try to pull it together. As she begins to take a chance on "adulting" she learns to trust herself, take risks, and that she is much less of a loser than she thought.
The relationships between Liv and her brother Joe and friend Henry were amazing. I think everyone wants supportive people like that in her corner. And Joe and his partner had such a loving and supportive relationship. All of the characters were authentic and specific. I really appreciated the character arcs and how Liv and Henry (and her dad) matured through the course of the book. Felicity was also a hoot!
My one weird point is that I couldn't tell where this book was set. I was thinking England, but maybe it's Australia. Maybe I missed it or she wanted it to be anywhere. But a minor quibble. Great summer read! 4 stars Thanks to Net Galley and Canelo Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for allowing me to read this eARC.
Liv is Not a Loser is a romantic coming of age comedy. Liv feels like her life is 'stuck'; procrastinating on finishing her postgraduate, working the same part time job she's always had, avoiding confronting her overbearing parents. When her brother Joe announces his engagement, she's confronted with the realisation that her life cannot stay the way it is and enlists the help of her brother and her oldest friend, Henry, in changing switching things up.
Between family tension and her own crushing self-doubt, Liv will learn that self-improvement starts from within.
I'll start with the Not So Goods. I mainly found it hard to connect with the side characters; outside of their interactions with Liv they all felt a bit flat. This was especially apparent with Henry which was a little disappointing considering.
"Perhaps my choices have been a silent way to rage because that's a more pleasant version for everyone around me"
Despite this, I really liked the dynamics between Liv and her friends and with her families, even if she had her grievances with them at times. Liv was also a very relatable character in terms of her internal struggles. I loved seeing her overcome her self-doubts and gain newfound confidence in herself and her decisions. Its for this reason that I'd say this is more a coming-of-age than just a romcom novel.
Overall, Liv is Not A Loser is a fun and light read, great for anybody feeling stagnant in life or on the edge of starting new chapters in life.
Part romcom, part women’s fiction, part train crash (in a good way) - this is a funny, heartfelt read.
Lauren Ford’s first novel and she’s got lots happening. Liv really is a bit of a loser, and she tries to get herself together with some help and a list, but she’s got years of muddled thinking to work her way through. Henry is a delight, and he’s sooooooo patient, and he’s right there in front of her.
It’s in Liv’s point of view - she’s very well intentioned (possibly neurodiverse?) and a bit immature. It’s really about her growth, and Henry waits for her to work it all out. It’s a tricky balance between humour and pathos, which isn’t perfect, but overall I cared about Liv and Henry and wanted them to be together.
Lauren has a wonderful writing voice and I’m already looking forward to her next novel.
Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Ford and Canelo for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
Olivia Granger, an astronomy enthusiast working at a planetarium, faces everyday struggles and feelings of inadequacy. The story begins with her needing to vacate her apartment, feeling left behind compared to her successful peers. With support from friends and her boyfriend Henry, Olivia realizes her problems stem from a lack of long-term planning. As she navigates her journey, overcoming failures with Henry by her side, she finds the missing piece of her life. The book is relatable, depicting real-life challenges and personal growth, with a healthy, gradual romance between Olivia and Henry.
Liv is not a loser by Lauren Ford, follows Liv, a free spirited, commitment and responsibility adverse twenty-something as she attempts to change her life. With the help of her brother Joe, Joe's partner Seth, and her best friend Henry, they devise a list of 10 things to help get Liv to not feel like loser, commit to at least one thing at a time and something long term. Liv as a main character is a bit on the childish side (I guess that's where the commitment/responsibility aversion comes into play?). Like with all things in life, there are successes and failures on her journey. As time goes on, Liv finally starts to realize where her issues stem from, ways she can address them - even if it means taking a risk (or two, or three) to get what she wants and to be where she wants to be in life.
I did find myself laughing out loud a few times, especially at Daisy and Barry - I mean those two kind of stole the show from Liv. The dynamic between Liv and her brother, and Liv and Seth felt very real. Henry, Liv's best friend and love interest was probably one of my favorite characters, if not my favorite. There is just something about loving your best friend that little to nothing else can compete with. As with all rom-com's you know there will be a happy ever after, but its the journey that makes it worth it.
Overall, Liv is not a loser, is a charming easy read, perfect for the beach.
Thank you NetGalley, Laurne Ford, and Canelo for the opportunity to read and review this arc.
3.5 stars overall