The main premise of this book reminded me of another one about fated soulmates in a bit of a family-history type of way and those storylines don't always work for me but the cast of characters in this book including the fun aunties made it cute and believable (for what it's worth!) I think the story is told in a way that feels very realistic for the characters' young 20s age group and how they're just trying to sort through life and feelings and what everything means. Lo's optimism really worked for me and Teller and Caleb both had their merits and moments that made me smile.

This one also inspires a lot of wanderlust because there are vivid descriptions of a trip to Italy and various amazing places and foods and experiences along the way!

This was an easy one to soak up after a few heavier reads and I appreciated that about it a lot! Forget the snow and the world and head to Italy with Teller and Lo!

This book was really fun.
•I'm usually a little hesitant to read friends to more because it can feel like they never will take the leap, the stakes are too high, etc. but this one was well paced.
Ireally loved Teller. He is an interesting character to watch since he has so many irritations and liked things just so. He sort of feels like a more emotionally available Sheldon Cooper (big bang theory, anyone?)
And Lo was a really interesting heroine. Her struggle to connect with her mom, her love for her friends and for people in general, her love for romance, she was very relatable and I really enjoyed her.
Obviously the backdrop of Italy was gorgeous and interesting. And the end left me feeling fluttery and hopeful

The tension is this book!! “Something Like Fate” is the sweetest, slow burn romance that I didn’t want to put down. Lo and her family have always believed in soulmates. Lo goes to Italy for the summer with her best friend, hoping to meet her soulmate along the way. I did not connect with Lo as a main character as much, but I loved Teller. The “will they, won’t they” romance kept me on the edge of my seat!

For those who love:
💕Friends to Lovers
💕Slow Burn
💕Forced Proximity
💕Only One Bed
💕Trip through Italy
💕Young Adult
💕Love Triangle-ish

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Ah this hurts to type. While I have generally enjoyed Amy’s books I could not get into this one. It was way too predictable. I couldn’t look past the age of the characters..which 99% of the time I can. It wasn’t remarkable. It wasn’t memorable.

Lo honestly felt kind of bratty to me. And I get it. I get her age and how young she really is. I loved the concept of going on a trip that her mom went on. But i wish the story focused more on that side of things instead of a brief mention of the mom and aunt doing this trip but she wants to do it totally different to getting upset about losing her moms picture and her dad suddenly joining her.

I couldn’t get past the way she treated Teller and kinda guilted him into coming on the trip and how she treated him during the trip. But Teller was a constant steady presence for her.

It honestly sounded like it would be a fun book but it just wasn’t for me at this time. It’d be a strong 3.5/3.75 ⭐️for me

This book was a fun ride. I loved living victoriously through Lo’s travels and the lore of fortune telling. The side characters also really made this book an enjoyable read.

✨ARC Review✨

3.75 stars

I felt like this story started out strong, but it ultimately fell a bit flat unfortunately. It was cute, and I did find myself giggling at first, but there wasn't enough of the characters actually being a couple to satisfy me, and the way she basically pushed him into another girl's arms for most of the story was just not it for me.

I liked the soulmate aspect of it all, and the travel plot was great too; I definitely want to go to Italy too! I'm not a fan of friends to lovers in general, so this may be why it didn't quite hit the right notes for me. I also felt like the characters should've been younger? It felt YA-adjacent a lot even though they're in their 20s!

Thank you to Skyscape and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

While the premise of Something Like Fate is cute and intriguing, I unfortunately found that the delivery didn't full hold up. There was an incredible opportunity on every page—a month in lush Italy, a family of psychic, and romance galore.

But, though the characters were ~19ish, the writing felt younger and a bit cliche at times. I felt like we were told a lot about Lo's emotions, but weren't /shown/ as much. It was like Amy Lea was 3/4 of the way there but she just wasn't able to translate it beyond saying Lo felt guilt (as an example of any emotion) versus just showing.

I also had a hard time buying the relationships in the novel—both familial and romantic. It either felt very surface level or just completely unrealistic. The dialogue also was, at times, very juvenile and unrealistic.

I think there's a great story here and there will be plenty of readers who eat this up. But unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Something Like Fate
3.5 ⭐

Pub Date: March 1st

I'm Lo Zhao Jensen the only woman in my family who doesn't have psychic abilities. I always felt like an outcast until the day came and I had THE VISION and by vision I mean our ability to know our soulmate and it told me that I'm going to fall in love in Venice while I have the best trip of my life backpacking through Italy with my best friend since 10th grade Teller Owens.

Teller is the opposite of me but he also completes me in a way and this trip is about to change our lives forever because sometimes THE ONE could be right beside you, you just have to look closely.

This is a cute YA novel about two people figuring out their life and feelings towards each other. The bonus of course is that it takes place in the amazing Italy.
Make sure to check it out once it's out.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #SomethingLikeFate in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo 😘

Something Like Fate had a fun premise with forced proximity and a touch of destiny, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me. The chemistry was there, and Amy Lea’s writing is as charming as ever, but some parts felt a bit predictable, and I wanted more depth from the characters. Still, it’s an enjoyable read with sweet moments and solid banter—just not my favorite from her.

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd the book. The first few chapters were all over the place for me and it was hard for me to engage with the story. I really wanted to love it but I struggled it continue on :(

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. This is my first book by this author so I didn’t know what to expect but I really enjoyed it and thought it was excellently written and the characters were very believable. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future

This felt so Lizzie McGuire movie coded! I loved Lo and Teller. I felt like we really got to know them and understand the history between them! The scenery was amazing and the idea of fate and adventure was so fun. I didn’t love Caleb, nor did I love how that whole storyline played out. All in all though, I love an Amy Lea book and it had just as much charm as the rest of her books!

I really enjoyed this book!

The idea of psychic abilities and knowing your soulmate in advance was interesting, but the execution felt just okay. There were quite a few cringeworthy and immature moments that didn’t really work for me. However, the second half of the book improved.

My favorite aspect was the relationship between Teller and Loren. Their strong friendship provided a solid foundation that naturally evolved into something deeper. They really understood each other, and I enjoyed all their scenes together. I just wish there had been more moments of them as a couple before the story wrapped up. Ending a book without an epilogue should be considered a crime, in my opinion!

Something like fate was a beautifully written magical realism book, with a grumpy sunshine vibe of friends to lovers. I loved the psychic vision aspect of the book because it was a unique plot line for a romance book. Lo and Teller are the best of friends that make the book that much better because of their bond. They clearly care for each other in an immense way I mean the picture searching and hotel booking was so sweet and romantic! He’s even willing to step aside for her happiness which is amazing. I loved her realization of finding love in the mundane. Overall this was a great book and one I would recommend. I truly appreciate the eARC in return for an honest review.

Amy Lea is one of my favorite authors, and this story was no different. This road trip romance is absolute perfection. The setting was lush, the idea of fate an intangible force I’ve always been fascinated by and that I think Lea handled amazingly. I don’t typically enjoy love triangle vibes, but this was so well written. Highly recommend.

There’s just something about the way Amy Lea writes YA. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of her adult novels as well, but when it comes to her YA outings — Woke Up Like This, and now Something Like Fate — she so deftly manages to capture the joys and thrills of being a teenager/new adult, while also working in just how hard and heartbreaking it is, and how life-and-death every seemingly small decision feels.

I was inclined to love Something Like Fate anyway, as Lea said it drew some inspiration from the criminally underrated rom-com Only You, starring Marisa Tomei as a woman who travels to Italy to find the soulmate she’s dreamt of since childhood, and in the process meets and falls for Robert Downey Jr.’s character instead. In this case, however, the books follows Lo, a young woman whose family is full of women who have visions of their soulmates. When she finally has a vision of her own on the eve of her trip to Italy with her best friend Teller, she becomes determined to find her soulmate, all while he helps her find the man from her visions.

Like Only You, Something Like Fate is an exploration of the idea that we make our own fate in life, and that whatever destiny has in store for us, sometimes it’s up to us to determine how we want to interpret the future and what it holds. The answers are not easy. Lo and Teller don’t always make the right choices — but really, who does? But what that leaves us with is a sweet, heartsqueezing story that earns every little drop of its happy ever after.

Something Like Fate is out on February 11. Special thanks to Skyscape for the advance copy for review purposes.

I’ve loved Amy Lea’s previous works and was so excited for a new release featuring the friends to lovers trope with an Italian setting.

For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One―the great loves of their lives―before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.

Until now.
When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.
Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.
Unfortunately, while this is a cute story; it’s nothing new/unique/original. The psychic abilities existing to find your soulmate has become quite popular and quite honestly I’ve seen it done better than what was executed here.
I loved exploring Italy with Lo but all I could picture was Lizzie and Gordo not wanting to give into their feelings back in the early 2000s which again points to how unoriginal this is.

I loved the characters and Lo’s journey with grief was so so so well done, emotional and relatable. It was my love for the characters that really saved the book from being a DNF for me.

Overall, a cute easy palate cleanser but nothing special and not something I’ll remember for long.

I don’t think this book is for me. I really wanted to love it as I loved her Influencer series. I am going to dnf for now bit will try and go back to it soon. I’m about a third through. It is just super slow and I am not getting attached to either main character.
I will not rate it at this time.

Something Like Fate is a cute, young adult read! Lo and Teller's friendship really made me love this book! The psychic family/aunties cracked me up and I was thoroughly entertained by them. There were some themes that didn't mesh with a 19-year-old's point of view, it felt like Lo acted and thought much older than her age, but then turned around and acted more juvenile, which was a little off. Overall, I thought this was a really cute story about growing up and finding the love we all hope for.

For generations the Zhao women have been able to foresee the one. Lo is the one exception, she has zero psychic abilities. Until she doesn’t. A vision has her convinced she’ll meet the one on her trip thru Italy with her best friend Teller. Upon arrival in Venice a handsome man saves her form being run over by a trolley. Her meet cute with Caleb has to be fate. But with each destination her doubts grow, maybe fate has other plans.

This is such a sweet read with likable characters and emotional depth. Lo has been thru so much and it’s so inspiring that she’s reaching for the stars. She’s walking in her late mother’s footsteps and is doing what makes her happy. And in the and I thing she got way more than a soulmate.

There is a bit of spicy but not a lot considering it’s a ya novel.
I wish Lo would’ve figured out how her HEA would look sooner. But hopefully we’ll get an epilogue in the future.

I highly recommend Something Like Fate, you just can’t go wrong with Amy Leas books.

Read this if you like
🩷Soulmates
☀️Italian vacation
✨YA romance
🫶🏼Opposites attract