This book had the potential to be the right book for me but I DNF after a few chapters. I felt something off with the FMC and the insta-lust (I didn't get if she was still in a relationship at the beginning or not?). Well, I guess I'll never know.

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and HarperCollins for the ebook!

This was a disappointment for the following reasons:

Allie's "character arc." I appreciated the main character's inner conflict, especially that she overcame not only a mistake she made in the story, but a mistake she had in her overall mindset! Even so, her redemption wasn't as big or dramatic as it needed to be; instead, the characters she had done dirty understood her actions and easily excused her.

The "plot twist" in The Plot Twist. It was so obvious that I wonder if it was supposed to be a surprise at all. Maybe the author intended it to be dramatic irony?

Preaching. Don't get me wrong--I'm all for bringing down Jake Matthews! But with women grumbling about the patriarchy and men's advantages, it came across as forced and flat. If not for their preaching, the subplot would have been more powerful. Actions speak louder than words.

Poor exposition. Show, don't tell! Descriptions of an outfit, how and when people met, this bar and what it means, etc. interrupted the story and could have been shortened with bits of dialogue (or removed altogether).

Chunky paragraphs. If this was written 100+ years ago and about a main character spiraling into madness or pondering life, I'd get it--but it wasn't. I appreciate that the author thought out everyone's backstories and every setting, but we didn't need to hear about all of them, much less every detail.

Alcohol. Granted, I should have expected this, seeing the champagne glasses on the front cover. But if not for Will, Allie's love would have been wine, gin, beer, and every other form alcohol comes in. Don't get me wrong; I believe in free choice, so Allie can drink all she wants. However, I have first-handedly seen alcohol destroy people's lives, it leading to abandoned children, slow minds, and homelessness. Hence, to see it normalized and indirectly encouraged was discouraging.

Lust. Yes, most of the time, romance begins with attraction. Chances are, you don't notice his character or sense of humor; you notice his sparkling eyes, thick hair, or broad chest. But you shouldn't moon over his muscles for forever, thinking that maybe after a few weeks it can go deeper--you quickly get to know him and start liking him for who he is on the inside, not outside.

Jess. Cliche, annoying, and flat, she was the token long-time best friend character to give pep talks and to whom Allie could pour out her heart. Without her, the exposition would have been even worse--i.e., instead of Allie explaining everything to Jess, the author would have explained even more to the reader--but Jess didn't have a part of her own in the story.

Dirty content. As hinted by the mentions of lust and alcohol, the book was not clean. Although infrequent, there jokes about sex, crude jokes, and explicit words. At least it was closed door (i.e., no descriptions of sex).

I am not saying the novel was a complete disaster. As mentioned, I appreciated Allie's inner conflict; as a writer, I could relate to her at times; and the cover was cute. All the same, I would not recommend it.

2.5 stars - I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received a review copy of The Plot Twist from the author, and Harper Collins UK! 🫶

The Plot Twist unfortunately was not my cup of tea. It's a cute rom-com book and I do think that a lot of people would enjoy it. However, I had struggles connecting with the FMC and the miscommunication trope in particular bothered me while I was reading. I did enjoy the writing style and I did enjoy other characters in the story however!

If you love fake dating, rom-coms, small town romance, an adorable golden retriever, grumpy meets sunshine, and a book that will make you smile then this is the book for you! 🫶

2.5 stars - I read this whilst on holiday, it was definitely a good holiday choice as I was able to read it quickly and I liked Goymer’s writing style. I struggled to connect with the FMC and the miscommunication trope was strongly featured and sadly, I find this trope frustrating so I couldn’t get invested in the romance. I enjoyed reading about an author and the writing process, it felt like there were several sub plots taking place which could have benefited from more development.

I think this was definitely more a ‘me’ problem rather than the book, as it includes tropes I typically don’t enjoy, so I wouldn’t not recommend because as mentioned above, it was a quick one to read with low stakes, perfect for the summer in my opinion!

A huge thank you to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute, fun read. Rom-Com vibes! I loved the relationship between Allie and Martin. Definitely recommend. Really enjoyed this book!

In this enjoyable and funny new romance novel, readers follow romance author Allie Edwards and crime writer Martin Clark in their respective writing slumps -- writer’s block, zero words written for overdue manuscripts, and unhappy editors. Deciding to switch plots and tell the other’s story, Allie and Martin develop a father-daughter bond, and Allie even meets events caterer Will, who might be the person to help her solve her relationship and writing blocks. However, no one knows about Allie and Martin’s writing swap, and that might just cause some issues for their careers and Allie and Will’s relationship. Charming, entertaining, and heartwarming, this novel about writers and the bonds forged among the characters is a fun read. Allie and Martin’s relationship is particularly relatable and heartwarming, and the growing relationship between Allie and Will hits the right romance notes, obstacles, and tropes that readers are looking for. The characters are well-written and have developed personalities, and the added bits of drama and tension really add necessary excitement and challenges to Allie’s life in this fun and charming new romance novel. An easy and lighthearted read perfect for romance fans, this great new novel has fantastic characters and excellent relationships that readers will love.

The plot twist is a really fun Rom-Com story filled with a really good plot and twists you won’t guess from the beginning. I love all the humor and flirting between Allie and Martin. This story falls under contemporary romance so If you’re into that genre , definitely check it out. This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style so much.

2.5⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I found this story was incredibly slow at times, and repetitive, and sadly did put me in a bit of a slump. There was such a mixture of 4 plot lines, it was hard to just follow one and as a result caused all the plots to be on a superficial level.

I really would have enjoyed more time being dedicated to Will and Allie’s adventures, in addition to there being less repetition about the fact Allie was having such a hard time to find inspiration to write. At times, I also found there was repeated information a page apart or references which were either not known or didn’t give weight to the point being discussed.

Although these points sadly did make the book a bit unenjoyable at times. I did strongly enjoy the ending, and fell in love with Will’s grand gesture.

I made it to 56% and just can’t anymore. I’m bored, the main character is annoying and I don’t care what happens. Moving on! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This read was a little over the place in some parts but over all, I loved the way writers block was written and discussed and the romance was something that I really enjoy. It was nice, fresh and interesting to read.

It felt like the process of our MFC dealing with and coming to terms with the troubles in her life was more of the focus than the romance was, which I wasn't mad about but would have preferred a little more for my liking.

At times it felt like there was way to much going on at once however, which made it a little hard to keep track of in the long run but if you read it in one large session, I think it isn't something that would bother you (depends on how you personally work though)

Stunning cover and an intriguing premise had me excited to start reading—but sadly, the story didn’t deliver. I finished the book still unsure what it was trying to be. Was it about exposing a bad guy in the publishing world? Or a slow-build friendship between two authors from different genres? What I do know is: it wasn’t a romance. There were no romantic beats or chemistry to support that label, and as a reader who picked it up expecting one, I felt misled and a little disappointed.

This is a cozy, feel-good read that really hit the spot. I loved the idea of two writers swapping genres—it was a fun twist, and the behind-the-scenes look at their creative struggles felt real. Allie and Will’s romance is sweet and full of playful banter, even if some parts of the story were a bit predictable.

The Plot Twist sounded like something I was absolutely going to love and in the end, it feel a bit short. While the storyline and characters were likeable, the romance aspect was not as present as one would have thought it would be. I think overall, there was too much trying to be accomplished and the execution was not there.

Thank you for my early copy!

Honestly, this was such a cute book 10 out of 10 will definitely recommend. it was a bit predictable, but it was a great pallet cleanser

2.75 stars rounded to 3 stars

The Plot Twist by Eleanor Goymer is a sweet contemporary romance set in the writing world. If you like books about books or books then you'll enjoy this one!

Synopsis: When romcom author Allie Edwards crosses paths with bestselling crime novelist – aka publishing dinosaur – Martin Clark at a party, they discover they both have crippling writer’s block, overdue manuscripts and precisely zero words to show to their respective editors. With deadlines looming, Allie and Martin decide to switch plots and tell each other’s stories. In the writing process, Allie not only gains a father-figure in Martin, but also meets gorgeous events caterer Will, the answer to the leading man-shaped hole in her life and her lack of spicy material. Caught between love and her career, what could possibly go wrong?

My thoughts: I was excited to be able to read this book. I found the cover illustration appealing and the synopsis and tag line both pulled me in. However, after reading I can say that this romance wasn't for me. I thought the story was slow and the main characters lacked any chemistry. I enjoyed Martin and Allie's relationship and the found family aspect, but I really didn't connect with Allie or Will and I absolutely HATE the miscommunication trope - like, act like adults and talk to each other. Overall I felt like I needed more from the characters and from the romance.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Plot Twist is a love letter to writers everywhere. Allie’s experience with writers block and imposter syndrome were all too familiar and real, and I appreciated the sentiment of networking and how writers can lift one another up.

The pacing of this book did feel slow, and I was left wishing there was more of Will and Allie’s romance on page. The conflict and miscommunication in the latter half of the novel was a little frustrating because it didn’t seem like a big enough deal to cause issues in their relationship.

But overall this was a neat idea and I enjoyed it.

Fave Quotes:

“Who would want to buy a book by a romance author who didn’t have any romance in her life?”

“How long could you go without writing and still call yourself an author?”

an absolutely amazing romcom. The writing was so easy to follow and the characters were all so funny and loveable. An absolutely fantastic read with a great storyline

I binged this book within a week and absolutely loved the concept of it. It was a super easy read and I definitely look forward to reading more of Eleanor’s work. I enjoyed the relationship between Allie and Martin and did not mind the light romance between Allie and Will. I loved that we were able to get a look into the publishing industry and how hard it can be to get through a writers block. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your book! ❤️

There can never be too many books about book and the people who write them, especially when they are well-written rom coms. If this is in your wheelhouse, *it'll be in your wheelhouse*, you know? Just do it. You're welcome.

Was really excited to read this one as it seemed like it could be really fun and cute, but it fell so flat! I hate writing a negative review, but this was just not worth my time unfortunately.