I really enjoyed this. I thought the friendships between Miranda and her two friends were solid and I loved the setting of Newcastle too, taking my own memories right back to Whitley Bay and St Mary's Lighthouse!

The pacing was spot on, I didn't find any dragging moments and I fully believed in Miranda's whimsical quest of searching for her soulmate after a few kickbacks in life. There was a great mix of strength and vulnerability in the characters. I read this in pretty much one sitting...the perfect escapism for a blustery afternoon.

A real feel good, pick me up read of the heart! It's not my first Clare Swatman read, and definitely won't be my last.

I wanted to like this more and by the end of the book I did but it was too late. Unfortunately, I just found the premise ridiculous. It was humorous in parts but I did not believe in the plot.
The characters are good and likeable and I did enjoy getting to know them and spending time with them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy.

This gentle, feel-good read is perfect for fans of second chances and a little fate-driven magic. Five Things I Love About You follows Miranda, a woman at a turning point in her life, as she takes an unexpected detour—quite literally—after a bike accident leads to a series of mysterious dreams and five clues pointing her toward a new love story. The concept is whimsical and heartwarming, and Swatman writes with emotional sensitivity and charm. While the plot unfolds at a measured pace and some of the twists feel predictable, the story’s warmth, hopeful tone, and themes of reinvention make it an enjoyable weekend read. A solid pick for anyone craving a comforting story about starting over and trusting the universe.

things are at a crossroads in her life. she is divorced. her kids are grown. and she finds herself without a job after being let go from her job. for me this would be enough to have me feeling a little shaky. but Miranda is a strong lady and a brave one. so when one day she is involved in a bike accident nearly running a man down, she decides to shake things waaaaay up. because there is someone lurking at her subconscious and now in her dreams, they all started whilst she had slight concussion. and have continued ever since.and now she fully believes this is the sign she needs, the sign she wants, the sign to go for it. and so with only five things known about this mystery man she moves to Newcastle to start life again. because its the first and best thing she knows about him. will she find him? will she find herself? will it be what her destiny has in store for her when she first started this journey?
i really enjoyed this book. it was a different and original plot. and it involved a "older" character out to find love and herself which i thought was another tick for me. i thought Miranda was so brave to do what she did. and just boldly go into a new life. subconsciously i think this "man" seeking was her way and much needed reason to find herself again. sometimes when we need to be brave its easier to find a "reason" to do so that is always there when we feel shaky about what we are about to do. so when you might get scared or waver you can say "no no there is a reason im doing this"
i thought her friendship group was so great. they felt real and relatable. they were there for her and encouraged when she needed it and supported her through it all. it depicted the deep and meaningful relationships really well. the ones that are just part of your life, the good and the bad you know these woman are there for you. its not always plain sailing for friendships either. but when you get those goodens. you know just deep inside you that they are for life. and these two added so much warmth to the book and to Miranda herself.
this is a cosy book for all seasons. just snuggle up and enjoy.

Such a refreshing and lovely book this was. I throughly enjoyed reading this, and yet again, my standards have been raised!!

Miranda is knocked off her bike, and when in hospital, decides to take a chance to try and find the man who did it as she is convinced he is her true love. She however only knows five things about him - the first being that he is from Newcastle. She leaves her job and moves to the Northern town to try and track him down. Will her hunt be fruitful?

A fun rom com that I found very predictable but enjoyed nonetheless. I loved the relationship between Miranda and her two best friends Sophie and Kirstie, and the final romance was very sweet.

A really unusual unique book , and also a very good read, Storyline was a bit far fetched at times but something kept me reading !
Characters came alive to the reader and the various relationships were fully explored . really enjoyed the relationship between Miranda and her two close friends , Kirstie and Sophie .
A light easy read, highly enjoyable and I would definitely recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Clare Swatman for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely wonderful! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I'm so glad its finally out.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The characters were complex and interesting and the story is unusual and unique, but so captivating. I loved the way things unfolded in the story. It teaches us that what was meant to be, will be, that we can't control what and who happens in our lives but when we see an opportunity, we should grab it with both hands, without waiting for our plans to happen in the way we want. Sometimes we need to embrace the uncertain and trust that what we need will find us 💚

This book was a fast-paced romance that had me hooked from the very first chapter. I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading the entire thing in less than 24 hours. The story was engaging, emotional, and full of chemistry between the characters.

What really stood out to me was the ending—it was incredibly satisfying and tied everything together in such a meaningful way. So often, I finish a book and feel a bit lost, wondering how that could possibly be the end. But that was absolutely not the case here. The conclusion felt earned, thoughtful, and left me with a full heart.

I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. If you’re looking for a romance that pulls you in and doesn’t let go, this is the one.

Due to cut backs at the school where she teaches English, Miranda makes the decision to find the man she nearly hit with her bike, He's been in her dreams, but she knows only five facts about him, one is that he's from Newcastle. Miranda takes a part time position in Newcastle for three months. As she's exploring Newcastle, she meets Matt who offers to show her around while she looks for her mystery man, Jay. Will Jay live up to her dreams when she finds him? How will it impact her friendship with Matt?
Story of a woman looking for love with strong support from her friends Sophie and Kirstie.
#FiveThingsILoveAboutYou #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

I skim read some of the conversations between the three friends. I found them overlong and boring, dragging the story out too much. I never quite warmed to Miranda, the main character. I found some of her decisions strange, perhaps a little childish. The ending was too abrupt. I think Matty was lovely though. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, light, fun read. Estelle kind of annoyed me a tiny bit sometimes.lol Crosby I just loved:) I thought they were cute together. I needed more in the epilogue though:)
safety gang safe.
both were sexually experience. both had non serious relationships in the past. both never loved and never felt what they feel for each other. that's it nothing about how they were in bed or anything. Totally safe.

I loved this book so much a real feel good read that I didn't want to end such a lovely story with the perfect ending

This book was a feel good romance, Miranda has a chance meeting with a stranger and believing him to be the love of her life, she leaves London and moves to Newcastle on a quest to find him.

Miranda doubts her decision on many occasions but still strives on in the hope she will eventually find him. Along the way she meets Matt, a warm friendly Geordie, who volunteers to help her getting accustomed to her new neighbourhood and also help with her search.

I loved the setting of the North East, being familiar with some of the locations really made the story more special to me. As Matt and Miranda spend more time together, it’s obvious he’s beginning to become more than just her friend but Miranda is still obsessed with finding her mystery man, and this jeopardises her relationship with Matt.

A chance encounter means Miranda finds her mystery man, but is he really who she thought and dreamed he was? Can two completely different people really have a relationship or was that only part of a dream?

This book had me thinking of how sometimes the perfect thing can be right in front of your eyes but you can fail to see it. You can imagine a different future or relationship for yourself when real life is ultimately just as good.

If you love romantic fiction, this will tick all the boxes for you. Easy to read and with the perfect ending , I really enjoyed it.

A cozy romance with the added magical element which brings an extra dimension. It made me feel hopeful. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

One fate, five clues, and a love story waiting to be told. Five Things I Love About You written by Clare Swatman is an uplifting and magical story about second chances, self discovery, best friends, soulmates, and fresh starts. I haven't had the best luck with Clare Swatman, so I thought it would be best to give her books another try and then make my judgment, well I think I can now say that her books aren't for me, I know many people will love this author, but personally she's not for me. I know I'm a sucker for pretty covers and Five Things I Love About You definitely got me with the stunning cover. This book wasn't horrible by any means, but there were just a few too many issues I had with this one hence the three star rating. At first, I was going to give this book two stars because it ended so abruptly, and then I didn't agree with the main character, she just constantly made so many irrational choices. I know many people will love this book, but it just wasn't for me and that's okay, I'm still glad I had the privilege to be an early reader. I settled on a three star rating for the friendship aspect of this book, it was such a shining light and honestly it saved this book from being a total flop for me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, everyone is allowed to have their own opinions, these are mine. Please be respectful. If anyone is interested in reading this love story, please mark your calendars for April 24th, 2025, I hope you love this book.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BOLDWOOD BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

FOR TODAY'S HOMEWORK: I WANT YOU TO WRITE DOWN FIVE THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT YOURSELF AND OR GO TELL SOMEONE FIVE THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT THEM!!!!!!!

"Dogs are like the best parts of humans. Plus they are cheaper than a therapist, and infinitely cuter".

"You can tell a lot about people by their taste in books".

Miranda Kennedy is a forty-nine year old empty nester. Miranda is at a crossroads in her life, she doesn't believe in fate, she's indecisive, her ex-husband left twelve years ago, and her two children are grown and moved out doing their studies around the world, that leaves Miranda completely alone besides her two best friends. Miranda, Kirstie, and Sophie have been best friends for over twenty-five plus years. I loved the friendship between these three friends, they kept each other on their toes constantly. In London, Miranda is a secondary school teacher, but one day on her way to work, Miranda is involved in a bike accident in the rain. Miranda wore her helmet, but ends up with a mild concussion and nearly ran over a man. After the accident, Miranda starts having dreams about this mystery man, Miranda can only see his dark hair and his slender neck, but the rest of his face is in shadow, this man has deep dark brown eyes with flecks of gold. After leaving the hospital, Miranda keeps having these dreams about this man, but only this time they get steamy, and Miranda continues to have these dreams while she's in real life relationships. Miranda never got this man's name, but she believes in could be Jay, James, or Jason, she just has no clue.

Despite being at a crossroads, Sophie gives Miranda a tarot card reading that says her soul mate is out their looking for her. Miranda thinks this is about the mystery man she nearly ran over. Despite not knowing this man's name or even know him, Miranda moves three hundred miles to Newcastle because she has nothing holding her back in London, she was just let go from her job as head of the English department despite being there for one year. Miranda decides to move to Newcastle to chase someone she almost ran over despite knowing absolutely nothing about him. Miranda honestly made so many irrational choices without thinking and they just irked me. Miranda now wants to reassess her life, she becomes a teacher in Newcastle while she tries to find this man who could also potentially have a dog, but Miranda still has no clue, she's just going based off of what her dreams tell her. I truly felt bad for Miranda, but this woman just made me want to knock some sense into her following the decisions she made based off of dreams mind you, like I completely agree about wanting to reassess your life, but moving across the country to chase a man from your dreams is just wild to me.

In Newcastle, Miranda gets into another accident when she's riding her bike drunk and causes a car to crash after swerving her bike right in front of this car. Again, she was just being careless. This man's name is James but everyone calls him Jay, could it be the man from Miranda's dream? Read this book to find out. Jay ends up in the hospital all bruised from the car accident, Miranda felt bad, so she shows up to help him out. Jay has a dog named Alan, he gave Miranda the keys to his apartment so Miranda can feed his dog, but while feeding the dog, Miranda decides to snoop through Jay's apartment trying to figure out some clues if he could be her soul mate. Jay is an adrenaline junkie, he's training to become a skydiving instructor, he plays golf regularly and loves football. Jay is kind, he makes Miranda laugh and as they spend time together, they both realize they have absolutely nothing in common. Honestly, I would so be weirded out if a stranger who could potentially be my soul mate snoops through my things after this so named person causes me a car accident, but anyway, I'm not Miranda. I love that Sophie and Kirstie encouraged Miranda despite having their disagreements, but ladies, y'all need to get your best friend a reality check because her choices were often delusional that I just couldn't agree with. Don't get me wrong, Miranda was a wonderful character, but her life choices were crazy.

49 year old Miranda, has a cycling accident and starts dreaming about a mysterious man, her friends encourage her to try to find him. sweet story.

Clare Swatman's Five Things I Love About You offers a charming tale of self-discovery and second chances. The protagonist, 49-year-old Miranda, finds herself at a crossroads after a cycling accident and recurring dreams of a mysterious man. Encouraged by her friends, she embarks on a quest to uncover his identity, leading her to Newcastle and unexpected relationships.

The novel shines in its portrayal of female friendships; Miranda's interactions with her best friends, Sophie and Kirstie, are both humorous and heartfelt, adding depth to the narrative. However, the plot's predictability diminishes some of its impact. The central mystery unfolds in a manner that may feel familiar to seasoned readers of the genre, and certain character decisions, particularly Miranda's, can be frustratingly naive.

Despite these shortcomings, the book's lighthearted tone and uplifting message make it an enjoyable read for those seeking a cozy romance. While it may not break new ground, Five Things I Love About You delivers a pleasant story about embracing change and the unexpected paths to love.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a heartfelt, uplifting novel about fresh starts and self-discovery at 49. After a bike accident and a series of mysterious dreams prompt Miranda to track down a recurring figure from her subconscious, she embarks on a journey of reinvention. The first half of the book is vibrant, bolstered by the warmth and humor of her friendships with Sophie and Kirstie, while also exploring the courage it takes to step outside one’s comfort zone. However, the latter half shifts focus to predictable romantic detours—with a relationship with Jay and communication issues with Matt—that leave the reviewer wishing for more emphasis on Miranda’s personal growth beyond simply finding “the one.” Despite this, ’the engaging writing and the book’s themes of love, fate, and second chances make it a warm, enjoyable read, recommended for fans of uplifting, romantic fiction.