Clarrie and Simon have been best friends since primary school. Clarrie doesn't particularly want to grow up. Simon ... well, Simon keeps asking Clarrie out. She keeps saying no. It's a long running joke between them. Isn't it?

This book revolves around a pub quiz league and a group of quiz enthusiasts who are almost, but not quite, grown up. I loved the banter between the friends. I spent my mid teens in West Yorkshire and this is exactly the way my friends would talk to each other! It made me laugh out loud.
The 'found family' dynamic between the friends was wonderful.

Clarrie is one of the lads, which was great, but sometimes you did want to shake her. That said, she's a completely believable character because someone who is prone to anxiety would be scared at the idea of ruining things by moving out of the status quo. Simon was lucky enough to have figured out what (and whom) he wanted early on. I like a hero who isn't too uptight to cry when things go horribly wrong.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up. I’m torn on my feelings for this book. I liked the basis of the story and the group of friends in this book as a whole but Clairre the main character drove me crazy l seriously wanted to smack her. She was just one big pity party for her self and seemed super immature. Yes she did develop and grow up a bit by the end but she was still whiny. I didn’t connect to her at all so it was hard to connect emotionally to the story which I really need in a contemporary romance. In the end I didn’t not like it but I didn’t swoon or love it and the steam was barely there. Just an okay read for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Note: this book is very British with lots of British slang I’ve read enough books like this to understand it but some people may be put off because they don’t understand what they’re saying.

this was a super fun read - loved the humour, the banter was on point, really felt the friendships. i did want it to be a bit more romance, but what can you do!

I liked this story. It was light hearted, sweet characters, and a sense of real friendship.

Although I liked Clarrie, I found her a little irritating at the same time unfortunately. I liked her more than I didn’t though. I found her chemistry with all the characters believable, and her connection with Simon felt real and really worked for me. I didn’t like her at the same time because she came across as extremely needy and very me-me-me and I feel she really didn’t need to be like that, she could have been a pretty fierce leading lady. She had strong moments, and very weak moments. Just the like all of us I suppose.

I wish we had got things from Simon’s view as well. I really liked him as a character, I found him funny, charming, a little over confident but that was all part of his charm. I would have loved to know how he really felt about everything.

As for the plot, I thought it was great. I wish we had more quiz time as that’s when the characters came alive for me. What I didn’t like is how plain the in-between parts were. We had really great moments during the quizzes but as soon we step away from them, I felt things were a little forced. But! I could look past that really enjoy the rest of the story.

As a whole, there were funny moments, sweet moments, and romantic moments. We even had a steamy moment, which was a little unexpected but was worked into the story really well. It wasn’t overdone. I loved the easy to get into style of writing, and how easy it was to connect with the characters. I hope this isn’t the end of their story and that maybe we get more from them. I’d love to learn more about Sonny and Dave.

This is a fun, light hearted read. What I liked most is that it felt very real life. I could totally imagine being friends with all the people in this book. Simon and Clarrie’s friendship and chemistry was spot on. This is a slow slow burn so just be prepared to get invested. Clarrie was very frustrating at times and I wanted to smack her, but at the same time, I understood her struggles. Overall, I enjoyed it as it was different from most of the books I usually read.

I'm sorry, but this one just wasn't for me - I think I might just be forty years too old - and I've given up at 20%. It probably really was just a bad match of book to reader though - I'm sure a younger reader might really enjoy it. The banter's very well written, the humour did make me smile, but I just wasn't enjoying it enough to keep reading - I found it difficult to engage with the characters or get involved with the story.

This wasn't necessarily my jam. I felt like the ending was a little too much, but that's just me. I definitely think it will find great readership in my library, so I will be buying a couple copies for the shelves. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it early :)

Right from the get-go, A Question of Us throws us smack bang in the middle of a friendship group you know you’re going to love. The friends have stuck together through thick and thin and their social lives centre around the great British pub quiz, a theme which I loved! Cue plenty of funny banter and lots of playful ribbing that’s so incredibly realistic that as a reader you feel like part of the gang.

The chemistry between Si and Clarrie is obvious from quite early on and I loved Clarrie’s game of hard-to-get verses Si’s die-hard determination to get the girl.

The camping scene was one of my favourite parts of the book (and one of my favourite romantic scenes in a long while), I loved the perfect chemistry between Si and Clarrie here and how genuine they both are.

The characters are all down-to-earth, believable and likeable. Each one just leaps off the page and even the argument scenes were entertaining and believable.

I think I’ve said this before about a Mary Jayne Baker book, but, A Question if Us would make the most wonderful British romcom movie or series.

I wanted this book to be more romantic than it was. I had quite a few laughs, but it wasn't what I expected. I would say it was more comedic than romantic.

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Jayne Baker and Aria.***

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of A Question of Us, by author Mary Jayne Baker, but the story was just okay for me.

Clarrie is a bit of a hot mess. Her best friend Simon is constantly asking her out, and uses the pub quiz league competition to bring the issue to a head. He makes a bet with Clarrie that if their team wins, she has to go on a date with him. If they lose, he’ll never ask again. It’s time for Clarrie to grow up and figure out what she wants out of life.

I truly wanted to love this story. I enjoyed the format based around the 8 pub quiz nights. But for me, the pace of the story was off and the love story was too dragged out. Clarrie had anxiety issues that were touched on but never really explained. They seemed to come up as a convenient way to move the plot along but the anxiety was otherwise very inconsistent. Normally I love back and forth between love interests, but here it went from cute to annoying to excruciating. What Clarrie did to Simon at one point was heart wrenching. I suppose it demonstrated that she had some growing up to do, but it was hard to respect her after that.

I loved Simon. Really, truly adored him. I loved that he wore his heart on his sleeve. So often you could see the emotions on his face and I thought Baker did a great job with the writing in this sense. It did take a little while to understand that he was serious when he was asking Clarrie out. The group of friends were fun and I liked what they added to the story.

Overall this was a decent read. I wish Simon and Clarrie coming together hadn’t been dragged out so much. The problem mainly related to Clarrie’s inability to make up her mind and stick with a decision, and after a while it became annoying.

Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.

This book was extremely my jam, in that it takes place during an annual pub quiz (quizzo for us Americans) and focuses on a group trying to win for the first time. I started out liking the primary romance (best friends who are perfect for each other) but some weird plotting at the end had me rolling my eyes and wishing the book had either let them get together or focused more on the quiz rather than dragging out the inevitable.

I feel like everyone probably has that one friend. You know, the one that might have been. The one that theoretically, you wouldn’t mind dating – but never would, because it’s not really worth risking your friendship? Or is it? Really, it’s all A Question of Us.

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story
Two best friends. Eight pub quizzes. One shot at love…

There are some people who seem like they have all the answers in life. Clarrie Midwinter isn’t one of them.

At the age of 26, tomboy Clarrie is still struggling to become a ‘proper’ grown-up. She’s eternally strapped for cash, she hasn’t had a date in nearly a year and her attempts to quit smoking tend to take a nosedive after the second pint. Most annoyingly of all, her ladykiller best friend Simon just won’t stop asking her out. The only thing keeping her sane is her pub quiz team, the Mighty Morphin Flower Arrangers.

But when Simon bets her a date their team will win the quiz league, Clarrie is forced to confront what she really wants out of life – and love. Is it finally time for her to grow up?

The opinion
Honestly, as soon as I started reading this one, I knew it would hit close to home. Just how much it would do so, though? How absolutely real it would be? To what extent it would feel as if I wasn’t reading these events, but rather almost seeing them? I wasn’t prepared for any of that.

Mary Jayne Baker’s writing manages to hit that perfect balance between show and tell, and she depicts the emotions, which this book is largely driven by, perfectly. You know how sometimes, when you’re reading, you get that little twist in your stomach, from the anticipation of what is almost about to happen? That was me – this entire book.

If there’s one thing I liked less about this book, it would have to be that it felt as if Clarrie’s anxiety was sort of used whenever that helped to move the plot along, only to then be forgotten about. It felt kind of unresolved, within the story. Then again – that too, is probably true to life for quite a lot of people…

The rating: 4/5
All in all, this book was a really pleasant discovery. It’s made me want to go and read the rest of this authors oeuvre – and then go back and reread this one!

-Saar

I adore quizzes and I love this authors works, so combined this was a fabulous book for me.

Featuring a local quiz league Clarrie and her friends are determined to win this year, as there is the outcome of a big bet riding on it.

The connection between Si and Clarrie is obvious to everyone apart from Clarrie and at times I wanted to knock some sense into her, to see the obvious.

I loved the whole group of friends, and seeing their dynamic at play.

And their competitiveness was amusing to see too. I loved the various quiz questions and can't help but wonder how much research was done in the compilation of the quiz snippets seen.

Filled with great humour, really relatable to character and loads more besides, A Question of Us is another fantastically enjoyable story from Mary Jayne Baker.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This one just wasn’t for me, I love a good friends-to-lovers scenario, but this felt pushy from the beginning until there was more backstory and then it felt like it just resolved? The pacing didn’t work for me, and there were a lot of really awkward sex jokes - about the friends, which I could see, but also endlessly speculating and joking about their parents’ sex lives. There was a lot of build up and then after all that adult joking, the sex scene itself seemed tame.

It was maybe too British for me, I’ve noticed my last few romances from the UK have felt weirdly paced to me, but maybe that’s how it is there?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had the same issue that numerous other reviewers had: namely pacing, inappropriate sex jokes, and lack of backstory. There were scenes that flowed and ones that seemed stuck in quicksand and floundering around for ages. I know these characters are supposed to have known each other for years and several of them have even had sex with each other but the non-stop sexual jokes got uncomfortable for me and I generally enjoy British "taking the piss" out of someone. Perhaps this is a generational thing.

As many have said, most of the book is dialog with little background information on the characters. What we do get is doled out in drips and drabs and I always felt I was missing out on stuff that would have helped me understand these people and their motivations. Also initially Si repeatedly asking Clarrie out seemed a little skeevy until finally we're told about his serious looking eyes while he's doing so. Then Clarrie keeps putting the breaks on things and backing off.

I wanted to like this book and was excited about the "friends to lovers" and using British pub quizzes as a background but it just didn't work for me.

I was drawn to the description of this one as it is a love story centred around the traditional British pub quiz. I was curious how that would work and I really liked it.

A group of friends, who have know each other since school, are regulars in a pub quiz league. There is a lot of history between them as you'd imagine and the author really captured their banter and close ties well.
The main storyline focuses on a guy and a girl in the group who have been best friends since nursery. It is an interesting dynamic and one that you can see playing out in real life.

The village setting also added to this book, where the story opened up and moved along by the group's patrents talking in the supermarket about their kids, despite them being 26...which definitely happens in real life!

Overall, a good read, would recommend it for a holiday or plane journey, it absorbs you for a couple of hours!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

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A Question of Us by Mary Jayne Baker is a story about a group of friends who are trying to grow up and find love along the way.

Four friends have been playing pub quizzes for years in their local pubs while they talk, laugh and tease each other.
Dave can't seem to find girlfriend, Sonny has found a love of his life but she had a one night stand with someone, Clarrie is secretly in love with her best friend Simon, local heartthrob. Simon has been asking Clarrie out for years but she has always turned him down, thinking that it was just a joke,
So Simon makes Clarrie promise that she will go out with him if they win the quiz league. Clarrie accept since she thinks she is safe as they have never won the league.

This was quite an unusual experience.
Almost an entire book is told through the banter and jokes among the friends. I have never read a book written in a similar technique. I loved how strong their friendship is and how loyal they are to each other.

I loved all the characters but Simon and Clarrie are very exceptional, their bond is amazing, and the love they have for each other is so special.
I did find Clarrie quite unnecessary difficult and unreasonable toward the end. It was as if she were trying to make matters worse and complicate things needlessly and that is why this book didn't get top marks.

A Question if Us is the type of romance I love most. It’s got fun banter, believable and likeable characters, and immediately makes you hope for the relationship to thrive.

Clarrie doesn’t believe Simon when he constantly asks her out. They’ve known each other so long that it seems to be a joke among friends especially given his playboy ways. When they make a bet that Clarrie will go out on a date with Simon if their quiz team wins their tournament it makes Clarrie wonder if this may be more than a joke. Clarrie and Simon are fantastic friends and from the start you hope that they’ll get together.

I not only loved Clarrie and Simon’s story arc but their entire foul mouthed quiz crew was fantastic. As the story unfolded there were more complications and stressful situations that got in the way but it felt natural and believable. There are some romances where the drama can feel forced but these characters seemed like real people with complex lives and histories making the book all the better. The only negative for me was that the initial quiz night and introduction of characters felt a bit slow but after that I was hooked.

I was provided a free copy of this book by the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

*4.25*

"A Question of Us" tells the story of Clarrie and Simon, best friends since childhood, and among three other of their friends, are participating in a trivia quiz competition. Simon has always asked Clarrie to go out with him, but the girl, taking it as a joke, always refused right away. But what if behind these jokes there actually is some seriousness and most importantly a true feeling?

Like I said in the beginnin, "A Question of Us" is, in my opinion, completely adorable. I'm a sucker for Friends!ToLovers romance books and this surely was a very good one. I enjoyed the dynamics between the two of them so very much, and I also adore when romance books are set in England, so that was a plus. I also loved the use of the slang and of English sayings.

The relationship between our two main character did not feel rushed at all. Surely they have known each other for their whole life, so there was no need to build the chemistry, they already have that, and I adored this aspect.
Simon and Clarrie were very touchy and affectionate for being only friends, and I really like that in book. I mean when two characters are in love, but they do not acknowledge it.
Simon, on his part, was very sure about his feelings for Clarrie, while the girl was totally oblivious. She has always taken Simon's invitations as jokes, and the poor guy has to always specify that he's being utterly serious about it.
I also think that the book dragged a little bit too much in the middle part. I know they did not communicate for the sake of the plot, but in real life they would have seem quite the idiots, and I say that with all of my love. They were in love with each other and it showed, but oh well, let's just put 100 pages of them looking languidly at one another without acknowledging the facts.

One thing I did not enjoy very much was how the guys in the team, Clarrie's friends, basically made jokes about her in a sexual way ALL THE TIME. Maybe it's just me, I've been the only female in a group of friends for a long time, and I would have been okay with a joke or two (or let's just stay on one), but I would not have suffered through this kind of jokes, all the freaking time. They're quite disrespectful and honestly they did non make me laugh.

I loved the ending, I really did like it. I loved how the fought and confronted each other but realized their love in the end was stronger. I'm a sucker for happy endings, I really am, escpecially in romance books.

After all I would really recommend this book, if you're in search of a lovely Friends To Lovers romance set in the English countryside.

I really wanted to like this book more. The premise is good, the setting was nice and I had no problem with it being ‘too British’ as other reviewers have said. Having read a lot of books of this genre we all know the formula and this followed it to the t. However I found it largely narrative based, driven by chats between characters and no real inner monologues or detailed descriptions of anything else. Si and Clarrie spend a lot of time having the same conversation over and over and over again. If I were Si I’d have definitely given up!
I liked the idea of a group of best friends that really relied and confided in each other, but considering the fact that they are all 26 their conversations seemed to be 98% innuendo and sex chat, nothing else of any depth or interest.
I really had to push myself to finish this book as I didn’t really feel invested in the outcome either way.
Thank you to netgalley for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.