It is cute and funny, espiecally to start. The main characters banter and back and forth is great, even if I'm not sure why they hate each other at the start. I feel the plot got a bit lost at the end, and focused on the wrong characters almost. But iverable enjoyable, lighthearted, and if you focus on the main couple then it's quite heartwarming

I really adored this! The cover was perfect for a beach read and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't as laugh out loud funny as the tagline said it would be but I still had a good time. Kate and Daniel had a perfect enemies to lovers arc and I loved it.

Sophie Ranald has done it again! I discovered Ranald last year and her books immediately gripped me so big thank you to NetGalley for approving this earc in exchange for an honest review. 

Not in a Million Years is a book with all the tropes: enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine and forced proximity that will leave you laughing out loud with every interaction between Daniel and Kate. Their teasing banter between eachother was hilarious to read and I read the whole book within a day, I just could not put this down. 

Ranald’s writing is so lovely, the first half of this book centres around the holiday to Turkey that Daniel and Kate have to go on to find their missing best friend Andy. I would say this is the typical light hearted romance portion of the book and let me just say, I want to book a holiday as soon as possible because the way Ranald set the scene had me itching to be on the beach in the sun somewhere! 

However, I think this is important to note: this book is not just a typical lighthearted enemies to lovers on a holiday. I know it can come as a bit of a shock to some people if they have not previously read any of Ranald’s work and the book does revolve heavily around the subplot of their friend Andy being in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. This is what the second half of the book mainly revolves around, their battle and miscommunication on how best to help Andy and keep him in recovery. We do still have the lighthearted banter and interactions between them both but the plot does take a diversion. 

I personally loved this, in the previous books I have read from Ranald, I always feel like her characters are so relatable and realistic. They are just normal people battling real life difficulties and navigating real life complicated love experiences. She has a way of writing about deep and heavy topics whilst still keeping an interesting plot and there’s always a “both sides to the story” perspective. People don’t and can’t always agree on the best ways to tackle these messy life events and Ranald portrays it so wonderfully in her novels. 

All in all, the first half of this book would be an amazing summer beach reach and the romance is just beautiful. I routed for Daniel and Kate the whole way through and laughed out loud in place - but I did just want to put the disclaimer in that it can be heavy in parts and I feel the subtitle/blurb can be a bit misleading.

Another brilliant book by Sophie Ranald. I love her style of writing and the way she brings her characters to life.

When Kate agrees to drop everything and jump on a plane to try and find her missing friend Andy during a potential spiral, she's not only happy to try and find her friend but kind of looking forward to her first holiday in forever. 

If it wasn't for the mutual 'friend' Daniel who came along, it would be paradise. Clear seas, delicious food and and mesmerising sunsets are much harder to enjoy when the man who's caused so many problems for Kate, and Andy, is always there. 

But as the days go by and their trip keeps getting longer, she can't help but feel that something has changed with Daniel - after all this time, there might be something she actually likes about him. But Kate has been chronically and purposefully single for years and this is probably just a holiday crush ... it wouldn't happen, not a million years. Or that's what she tries telling herself, anyway.

"I could only ignore the seismic shift that seemed to affect the way I saw not just Daniel, but my entire life."

I'd call Sophie Ranald my guilty pleasure, but I don't feel guilty at all for loving everything she writes. She always gives me that perfect romcom vibe with tried-and-true formulas but a refreshingly modern twist.  This was a hilariously chaotic enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity romcom in an absolutely stunning setting that made me feel the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair. As usual, Ranalds writing is like butter - it's so smooth and the story flows from one moment to another with ease. 

We return to a group of familiar faces from the Ranald-iverse to check up on all the characters we've loved (or not) from different stories and see where they're at now, which always makes me smile - if you've not read the others, don't worry because all these stories stand out alone and the stories don't rely on one another, but I'd read them anyway because they're delightful.

Kate was amazing - I loved how she took us with her on her thought trains and spoke right to us like we were one of her friends. She was the definition of a hot mess, a little lost, sometimes did dumb things - but she was strong, loyal, determined and bold. She wanted someone to love not because she needed it, but because she loved to love. Although it's not explicitly mentioned, she's also one of the most authentic characters with OCD/Anxiety I've read in a long time - showing how intrusive thoughts actually work and the physical manifestations they can show. Ranald tenderly and respectfully explores this, showing both the fragility and resilience we hold within in, whether through mental illness, addiction or health - but always with an honest and optimistic voice.

Her relationship with Andy was complex - there was a deep understanding and love there, but a lot of heartache and history. As we go back and reflect on their early friendship, we see the happy times but also the complicated, darker moments, where Andy wasn't a good friend and things got toxic. It made me think about how important my own friends are, and how far I'd go to make sure they were okay. He was utterly absurd, charismatic and charming, but troubled - something Kate blames partially on Daniel for his own bad influence. Kate and Daniels backstory reveals slowly but naturally, showing the complications that led to them being enemies, and watching as they turn into something much more.

Indulgently sweet and magnificently chaotic with a lot of heart - Ranald is the reigning Queen of feel-good for a reason and it's clear she isn't letting go of that crown.

Sophie Ranald has put together a heartwarming and enjoyable read. The major characters - Kate & Daniel - complement each other nicely.  Kate is intense, head strong & feisty. Daniel is her opposite - he is patient, relaxed & sees the reality of the situations surrounding him. Ranald also writes about the serious addiction of drugs & alcohol. Nothing about her portrayal of the addiction is one sided. Yet, within all the seriousness she peppers in humor that lightens the heaviness. When I finally came to the end of the novel I was somewhat disappointed. Because I was looking for more however after really thinking about it there never could have been another ending - it was just right.

A cute romance book but I felt I struggled to get into it, unfortunately. It could be me but I didn't enjoy it as much as her other books.

Not in a Million Years

Kate and her frenemy Daniel travel to find their mutual friend, Andy that was last seen in Greece. The three friends have a complicated past and old feelings are brought up by Andy’s disappearance. 

I liked the banter between Daniel and Kate throughout the story, and it was easy to see them fall in love especially in Greece. Andy isn’t a likable character, but I think that’s on purpose to show how addiction strains relationships. There was quite a bit of heavier content about addiction in this book and I wasn’t expecting that from the description and certainly not from the cover, but it gave the story more impact. 

#netgalley #bookstagram #bookreview #booklover

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy of Not in a Million Years in exchange for my honest review.

To be honest, this was not my favourite Rom-Com. I'm not even sure if I would label it a Rom-Com?
I was excited to read this book because it was compared to Emily Henry. I should have paid more attention to it also being compared to Sophie Kinsella, so that's on me.

Tropes: enemies to lovers (but I'm still confused how they were enemies in the first place)
Spice Level: 1.5

I could see how people might enjoy this, but it really just wasn't for me.

Though definitely a romantic comedy this story delivers an insight into addiction and how it affects those around them.  Also, the humorous aspect in the story was a bit overplayed in my opinion.  This doesn’t mean I disliked the storyline because I did enjoy it.  It is a very complex story for sure.
All in all, an engaging enemy to friends to more.  
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to the author and publishers for this e-ARC via NetGalley. 

I absolutely LOVE cute romance novels and was so excited to start reading this book. But while the first third of the book started out strong (great banter between main character and love interest, romantic location, cute stray cats), the rest of the book was a big let down for me. It just didn’t feel like the fun, laugh out loud romantic comedy that I was expecting. There is some heavy subject matter (trigger warning for substance abuse), and I really disliked Andy.  All in all, I’d give it 2.5/5 stars.

I really thought that this one was going to be a qute and a lighthearted rom com, but unfortunately it wasn't like that at all. This book deals with some serious subjects as addicition, manipulative and toxic relationships. Not at all what I expected when I read the synopsis of this book. Overall it was an okey read for me.

[3.25⭐️]
The premises of this book were actually really cute and interesting but in the end the book didn’t stuck with me. I have to be honest, at some point I contemplated of dnf-ing this but in the end I stick trough. 
The first part of the book, when they were together in Turkey was actually good, Kate and Daniel had a pretty decent chemistry and their scenes were funny. Once Andy arrived though, the book focused less and less on her relationship with Daniel and more on the one with Andy. This was a choice that I didn’t particularly love because Daniel and Kate’s banter was the highlight of the first part. 
Also the ending was too rushed, our couple deserved something more in my opinion

I approached Not In A Million Years as a lighthearted and laugh out loud rom-com, but I soon found out it was something else entirely. This book deals with some serious subjects as addiction, manipulative friendships, and toxic relationships. I usually like books that tell this kind of stories... but, to be honest, I wasn’t able to fully like this one. To me, it felt like a lot of very dark, concerning and serious situations were told a little bit too lightly. I did not see characters growth. At the beginning of the book, the main characters are basically three incoherent, judgmental, and kind of shallow twentysomethings. At the end of the book, fifteen years later, they're almost forty years old... but they haven’t changed a bit. It felt to me like many important issues were set aside to make room for a forced happy ending. I really would have liked a deeper characters and relationships (whether toxic or healthy) analysis. 

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book based on the synopsis and cover, but unfortunately the book didn't work for me. It is promised as a beachy forced-proximity rom-com, and it really is anything but. Kate is angry for the majority of the book, and she is really quite unlikable for most of it. As time goes on you get some glimpses as to why she may be so angry, but her behavior doesn't come across as endearing. The "quippy humor" comes off much more strongly as passive aggressive. I don't feel I ever truly got to know Kate or Daniel; if anything I feel I got to know Andy as a character much more deeply. I like a slow burn, but Kate and Daniel's romance is really a stop and go with jumps that just felt incredibly jarring. The book jumps in time quite a bit as well, which added to the chaos. I actually think the heavier topics addressed were really well done - perhaps this is two books, tried to meld into one. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I think I’ve done something right in a past life because i’ve really lucked out recently with the amazing books i’ve been reading. First a quick thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! 

Now for the good stuff…. this book is beautiful, heartbreaking, shocking, funny and pretty much every other thing you look for in a book. 

The character are flawed in their own way but that’s what makes you love them because they’re real and relatable. 

The way addiction is touched on in this has honestly been one of the best i’ve seen in a book, the author approached from that raw, ugly viewpoint that most of us like to shield ourselves away from in such a graceful manner, I honestly can’t praise her enough. 

The romance was more subdued than i usually read but i think that’s what made it more special in the end. 

Will gladly be recommending this to everyone i met lol! 

luv & kisses <3

I cannot put this book down. I loved everything about it from the beginning to the very end. This book will definitely stick with me for quite some time especially the characters. I love the writing style of the book and cannot wait to read more books from this author in the near future. Please, as a fellow reader, I recommend adding this book to your to be Read list.

Feedback
From the very first chapter I could see how much Kate truly cares for and seemingly understands her friends, especially how much she values their friendship over romantic relationships. This kind of first view of Kate gave me a sense of trust with her, I found she was loyal and her brutal honesty in her POV made her seem a tad harsh but realistic. Her dating struggles also came off as honest and relatable. 

I loved her baking the treats for the hall, showed her patience, compassion, and that she’s charitable. Daniel’s cafe choice for their meet up showed that he has a similar moral compass and the same charitable quality. Andy saying he thought they were meant for one another and these displays of their similarities made me believe in their compatibility from very early on in the story.

The forced proximity trope was often used but not too overplayed - the common task of trying to ensure Andy was safe, them only having one car in Turkey, as well as the noisy neighbours of Kate’s.  

The flashback to the housewarming party was a great scene to instil doubt in Andy, and showing the pedestal that Kate had put him on. Andy’s ignorance and disrespect made me almost hate him, and the power of Kate’s first impression of Daniel made me understand how she was almost set up to dislike him.

The use of Kate’s first person POV was a brilliant choice, especially when it came to her descriptions of Daniel - she notices so many little details in his mannerisms and appearance that it is so obvious she’s in love and in denial. Daniel is almost always being friendly and caring towards her, while Kate is so snarky with him. As a reader I could tell how hard he was trying to make her like him, and seeing how often she pushed him away was sad. 

Kate and Daniel’s chemistry was written incredibly, we weren’t told as readers that they had chemistry, we were shown it. Their charisma, banter, and tension was incredible to read. Not to mention the night in the hotel room - perfect amount of smutty. Not too over the top that it was cringey, but perfectly placed.

The plot twist of Kate and Andy having slept together shocked me! Also the fact that Andy claimed to only ever love one person was heartbreaking once I realised he had clearly loved Kate. Not to mention the longevity of their relationship - it helped show Kate’s motivation towards Andy’s sobriety as well as her harshness towards Daniel as she believed he was a root cause of Andy’s inability to stay sober. 

The little breaks from the main plot were very much needed. Kate’s date with Claude, the sex tape recording, dropping off cakes etc. these scenes felt like little palette cleanses. I think without them the story would’ve been too dark, which is easy to do when touching on such tough topics like addiction.

The storytelling was very emotional and had me hating all of them at different points, especially when they each were enabling bad behaviour for the others. By the end of the book I didn’t hate any of them though, which was surprising, they all had their own little redemptions which I was thankful for.

These were two of my favourite quotes from the book:

“Before, it had been enough. Now, it wasn’t.”

“But I no longer believed that by giving and giving until I had nothing left to give, I could somehow save him from himself.”

One thing I’d like to note is that I wish the title had more to do with the story. I understand the premise that it’s in relation to Kate and Daniel’s relationship and how they wouldn’t date one another in a million years, but I feel that it isn’t true as from the onset we see that they are somewhat compatible and especially after finding out that Daniel has loved her since the beginning. Perhaps I’ve gotten too used to titles of books being in important quotes of the book, but I imagined a play on the concept of “not in a million years” such as her saying she would never have guessed she’d love him as much as she does, or a play on him saying they have all the time in the world etc. Feels like a missed opportunity but maybe I’ve just read too many corny rom-coms.

Also I think marketing this book as a hilarious enemies to lovers rom com is false advertising. It is not really a light hilarious rom-com, it is quite dark and the relationships between the characters is very toxic. The characters are manipulative and toxic, and the plot of Andy’s addiction is very heavy to read. While each character has redeemable qualities and by the end of the book you can understand each characters individual motivations and set backs, it’s still not a light summery romance like the cover, write similarities, and descriptions of the book make it seem. 
 
There were some minor errors I spotted while reading, as well as some slang that I didn’t understand. Being Australian and reading a book based in the UK I assume some of these may be colloquial but thought worth a mention as some of them ruined my immersion in the read while I tried to understand what was said. Examples below, these were written down at time of reading in order throughout the book. 

The use of “search me” - no understanding as to what the author meant by this? (Chapter 1/2 I believe?)

“I don’t want my fears conquering” - I assume meant conquered, chapter 3

“Gawped” was this a typo between gawked and gaped? Chapter 5

“Oh give over” I assume slang? Chapter 6

“Bessie mates” this was used multiple times and I assumed by the end of it that it was just slang. First noticeable use chapter 15.

“As last” instead of ‘at last’ (forgot what chapter)

I"m not sure how to feel about this book -- it starts out great, but then things derail.  It's being touted as a fun-filled romance, but I don't think it really was.

Kate, Daniel and Andy are the main characters -- when Andy goes missing abroad, Daniel is determined to go find him and asks Kate along.  The book blurb leads you to believe it's a fun, romantic trip - but she spends half of it hating Daniel for something he's done in the past we aren't privy of and the other half complaining as she's dragged along trying to find Andy.  And Andy's character isn't very fun and his substance abuse becomes the main topic in the second half of the book.

Honestly, not what I'd consider a fun-filled romance even though there is a HEA ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I enjoyed this book, it is my first read from Sophie Ranald. This book however, wasn't as light hearted as I thought it would be, having said that I actually quite liked the heavier parts of the book. I feel as though Andy's issues with addiction were well written. 

overall I really liked this book and will 100% be picking up more from this author!