Member Reviews
This was a sweet classic romance book. Nice and short. James and Piper were perfect gentle souls. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't absolutely world shattering but it was wholesome and fun.
This was such a cute and engaging story with one of my favorite tropes as of late - a marriage of convenience between strangers that eventually become lovers!
It was really nicely paced, and the characters I found myself rooting for them. Piper was just plain adorable and James? Oh my goodness I loved him but with Piper he was just so much better.
I really couldn't put this one down!
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!!
Short and sweet is how I'd describe Somewhere Along the Line.
It wasn't earth shattering, but it wasn't the worst.
I thought I might enjoy the premise of this book but went in without expectations. I ended up really enjoying it, a lot more than I expected. I liked the POV and thought it went well with the plot of the story. I would definitely recommend this book!
4.5 stars! ⭐️ I loved it soooo much. I needed an easy read and this delivered. Both main characters are so easy to relate to. Especially if you’re someone with anxiety 🙋🏽♀️
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book truly moved me!
One of my top reads for 2024 and I just gobbled it up.
I loved how the author focused on the growth of both characters and the growth of their relationship. I also appreciated how they were older and in the middle of their careers.
I couldn't put the book down at all.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! This steamy, sweet and heartfelt romance was so well written. It was funny, emotional, witty and really tugged at the heartstrings. I couldn't put this down, I was rooting for these two lovebirds throughout every page and interaction.
What did I love:
- Dual POV (sometimes you need to see inside each character's head, because what they say and do has so much more meaning when you understand the 'why')
- Banter! Chemistry!
- The pacing of this was perfect, and the plot and romance worked hand-in-hand - neither took a back seat and they were seamlessly interwoven without becoming boring or making the reader lose track of what was going on.
- James - you sweeet, caregiver, warm man. James SHOWS his love, he takes care of people, he reads people. He doesn't make assumptions, he is emotionally intelligent, and just a wonderfully written MMC.
- Piper - complicated, traumatized but strong, phoenix Piper. Funny, hardworking, trying to really love and break down the walls she understandably built around her heart. She is smart, caring and the pure embodiment of sunshine. I loved her instantly.
Many many thanks to NetGalley, Mallory Thomas and Thomas Books for the ARC. This my unbiased and honest review.
This was very cute and sweet! I really liked the premise for this book, how they meet on the train and end up “fake” married, although the reason why they did felt a little bit far-fetched. I liked Piper and James a lot, and their relationship was so sweet and real. This was a cosy and cute quick read, and a great debut novel!
Thank you to the author, Thomas Books, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a just a great read. I was just all in the story.
Loved the MCs. Lovely written book. i enjoyed more than I expected I would
Thomas personifies her characters with such great details you’ll find yourself rooting, wincing and laughing right along with the characters!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book so much that I bought my own copy so I could read it again!
I really struggled to read this book. The FMC I felt was well written but our MMC felt incredibly one sided and I have never been a fan of the love at first sight trope. He wants to love and protect this woman after he sees her on the train once? She scratches his shoe with her TOENAIL?!
It just felt like this not very real or genuine, and I struggled to believe any character would think in the way these two were written. The plotline was farcical and I just was not invested at all.
I liked this opposites attract romance. Piper and James are drawn to each other in large part because they remind each other of their past. She reminds him of his mother and he reminds her of a previous relationship. Both add conflict to their reaching their happily ever after and make for some interesting story arc’s that held my interest and kept me reading. Were there problematic moments? Yes, but the positive outweighed the negative and these problems didn’t slow the story down or take me out of the story so I was able to stay “in the moment” and move past those brief moments.
I looked up the author and didn’t see any other books in her bio so I believe this is her debut novel. In this reviewers humble opinion I think she did a solid job, gave us interesting characters to read about, and created a plot that was simple but had some dynamics that were unexpected and gave the reader that element of surprise that keeps us reading. Nice job!
5/5 ⭐️
what an incredible debut! i decided to give this book a go because the cover was pretty and the blurb seemed interesting, but this was probably one of my favorite romances of this year.
Piper and James are me. combine these two and you have me, which is probably why i understood everything that was happening in their heads, why all their actions made sense, and why the third-act breakup didn’t give me an ick. if you are or know people who deal with anxiety or are socially stunted then give this book a go – you won’t regret it :)
i loved how this author introduced the side characters and how they just all made sense. the plot of this book was entertaining, and every scene just happened there for a reason (which is not always the case in romance books). loved loved loved this one!
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I enjoyed this- spicy in places, made me cry in places, made me laugh in others. You can’t really ask for more! I enjoyed the chapters being from different perspectives of the main characters and the train commute being at the heart of the story worked really well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I need to get a few things off of my chest. HOW is this Mallory’s debut book?! This book reads like a well seasoned author. ALSO, can we talk about this cover? It might be my favorite book cover of the year. It’s beautiful ✨
Ok onto Piper + James. I just adore them. Two strangers turned to lovers after meeting on a commuter train. I’m not usually one for “marriage of convenience” tropes but this was so enjoyable. Their interactions felt so authentic and sweet. I related with Piper a lot, knowing I’d be just as awkward and quirky in my interactions. I absolutely ate this up and am so excited for Mallory’s next book!
Expect:
-strangers to lovers
-dual POV
-marriage of convenience
-loss of a parent (removed)
-opposites attract
Thank you NetGalley, the author and Thomas publishing for the e-arc and early gifted physical copy!
A fun, fantastic debut book!
The characters are awesome - so fleshed out and relatable. The storyline is fun and serious. It's an entertaining sweet romance. Piper and James are wonderful MCs - I love their meet cute on the train and how their story develops. Both characters have a lot going on - Piper is out of an abusive relationship, starting a new job she loves and living with her BFF roommate. James has just lost his mother, is struggling to adjust to his new way of life and helping his father clean out their family home. Their dialogue is fun and had me smiling while reading. There are super serious threads in their story, too. I just really enjoyed reading this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
I LOVED this book and will be posting about it shortly via instagram to tell literally everyone I know to go and read it! I love marriage of convenience and the banter was incredible and the chemistry... I will be talking about this book forever. One of my new go-to recs!!
What a fun book! Piper and James meet on the train during their morning commute, and romance follows. Presented as total opposites, the two main characters had some similarities, and both experienced growth throughout the novel.
The dialogue was well written, and the story moved at a good pace- I didn’t want to put it down!
I appreciated the author’s note at the beginning, functioning as a trigger warning.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great romance.
What an amazing debut romance! I love a fake marriage and James and Piper were so cute together!! The plot was so fun and easy to read, I cant recommend this book enough!