Maggie and Ibby live with their 13 year old daughter, Amelia. They’re not a couple though in the traditional sense, with Amelia being the result of a drunken one night stand. The unconventional thing is that Ibby is gay, always has been always will be! But doing the right thing by Amelia, Ibby and Maggie decide to bring her up as a family. Life has been good for the last 13 years that is until a face from their past reappears. Rock star Jordan Nash succumbed to the rock and roll lifestyle many years ago, choosing hard-partying and drugs over his student friendships with Maggie and Ibby. When he reaches out for their help, they all find their lives turned upside down….

This was a wonderful romantic comedy about an unconventional family! I have to admit it did take me a few chapters to get into the story. The chapters were told from different characters points of view and it took a little while to settle into this. By the time I had done though I was well and truly hooked and the slower start was a dim and distant memory! Maggie and Ibby were great characters and I loved their set up as a family! They, and their daughter Amelia, didn’t shove their unusual family relationships in people’s faces, but they also didn’t shy away from being proud of who they are and putting their daughter first despite their own sexual preferences!! They were also very funny and I just knew that Maggie, as a relationship counsellor (AKA a sex coach), would provide plenty of witty one-liners and humorous moments!

Rock star Jordan Nash was a completely different story. Right from the beginning it was obvious that he was pressing the self-destruct button repeatedly, and whilst he sounded very aesthetically pleasing, I didn’t really like him as a character. That did all change though as the story moved on and I went from thinking “what was this guy doing” to actually understanding what was going on with him. He was the classic example of a character completely and utterly redeeming himself. By the end of the book Jordan Nash was nothing like the man he was at the beginning!

The storyline was so well written and it had everything that I could ask for in a book! The main characters were so likeable, and there were great supporting characters such as Other Max and Nikki. Ask me who my favourite character was and I’d have to say Ibby who I felt had the most endearing storyline! He did though have his flaws, as did all the characters, which made them all so genuine and realistic! This wasn’t just the light-hearted read that it comes across as though. It tackled some serious issues such as addiction and homophobia, but these were written well into the storyline so that these issues were dealt with but didn’t overpower the story. The lighter moments made me laugh out loud and the more serious parts left me with a warm feeling in my heart – a completely perfect balance! There was a little twist of the story at the end, and the epilogue rounded the story off nicely.

This was my first book by this author, although she does write under another name. It certainly won’t be my last though and I will be definitely looking out for more by her. Packed full of family, love, laughs and second chances, I would highly recommend this book! I hope my review gives across how much I loved this book because it’s one of the loveliest books I’ve read in a long time! Fab, fab, fab……!!!

I really adored this story, it was so well written. The characters were a warm bunch who took me to their hearts. This is my first book by this author and I feel it won't be my last. I liked the cover too, a proper summer read.

Thank you NetGalley for my early copy!

It took me some time to really get into this story but I enjoyed it. There are some really loveable characters and I always love a story about lost love reconnected.

This was an interesting read for me. It was cute but it did hit on a lit of important topics. Maggie and Ibby are a non traditional family raising their teenage daughter. It does help give perspective of how a child might perceive things like drugs, sexuality ect. Im not sure it was for me.

Thank you #Netgalley

**I received this book on Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest opinion**

Cute. Just too flipping cute. This book was filled with laugh out loud moments, and enough heart warming quips to satisfy any romance reader.

A light, fun and endearing book that was a lovely read.

Such a cute read about a modern family! Maggie and Ibby are a non traditional family raising their teenage daughter. This novel covers many hot topics, sexuality, drug abuse, etc and helps give perspective of how a child might perceive things. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you #Netgalley

Four friends share a house at uni but one breaks away, falling into a life of drugs and meaningless sex and rock star fame. Fourteen years later and he's back, out of rehab, desperate and broken. Can they fix him? And will the past come back to wreck the lives they have made for themselves without him? A story of love and family and forgiveness. I enjoyed it.

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

Loved loved loved this book, what an absolutely perfect summer holiday read! The characters in this book are so likeable and well crafted, you really feel invested in their journeys. On the surface this is a story based around family and the importance it has, but it explores heavier themes such as homophobia and drug addiction, without once becoming ‘too dark’. You can really feel the love between the characters and I honestly wanted the story to go on for longer just so I could read about them a little more. I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author.
Thank you to netgalley for gifting this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of When You Were Mine through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were real and multifaceted, and I grew to care about how their lives turned out. Most of the story line is pretty straight forward, but there is a bit of a twist at the end. The epilogue wrapped the whole story up well, but I'd still love to read a sequel.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. When You Were Mine is the first book British author Mary Jane Baker has written under the pen name Lisa Swift. Magdalena Nightingale (Maggie) a couples counsellor and Aaron Ibbotson (Ibby) a journalist and bookseller and their daughter Amelia are a family, an unconventional family because Maggie and Ibby are not a couple in that Ibby is gay but they are raising their daughter Amelia together and to them family comes first making it difficult to find romantic partners. Maggie has basically given up on the idea and Ibby always hopeful that someone will pass the Harrison test (which Harrison Ford role is the best) as well as understand about his family and how it works is still actively looking. Their placid existence is upended when Maggie’s college boy friend Max Jordan aka rockstar Jordan Nash writes a song while in rehab called Magdalena and the paparazzi come calling. Max crashes back into their lives and nothing will ever be the same as secrets are revealed and bonds are tested. I really enjoyed this story that explores love in all its permutations, second chances and friendship. Sweet not steamy. Publishing Date August 14, 2019 #NetGalley #LisaSwift #HeraBooks #Bookstagram

This book was so full of heart, it made my own want to burst from all the tender family moments it has. If you’re looking for a book where family takes center stage with the occasional secret here and there, this is it!

I’ll be honest and say though that I couldn’t get into this book at first. Things like why Other Max was even called Other Max confused the heck out of me, and I also had two problems with the book that made me want to lower my rating.

First, there was the pacing. At least for me, it was really slow for the first half of the book. There would be chapters for Ibby, Maggie (Mags), and Amelia (Melie) and their life and then chapters for Jordan and his. When this was still going on, I was definitely more interested in what the family was doing over Jordan and his band, but after their two worlds finally collided, the pacing really improved. I /loved/the first reactions they had to each other!

My other problem was with Melie. I get that she was a teenager dealing with a lot, but goodness, it was tough getting through a few of the chapters she was in. Her parents had the worst luck since it seemed like Melie always seemed to turn up at the right (or should I say wrong) times when she shouldn’t have been around. *spoiler* Like when Jordan was alone in the house and Melie came home one day early from her grandma’s to find him there. *spoiler* But at the end of the day, Melie was just a 13, later 14 year old girl who loved her family, and she was never angry at them for too long.

But those two problems didn’t keep me from falling completely in love with this book. The best part of it was absolutely the family. Ibby and Mags weren’t perfect, but they were amazing parents. Both Ibby and Mags and also Melie were totally aware of how untraditional their family was, but they were always fine when they were asked questions about it, especially from people who didn’t understand how their family worked. And no matter what, Ibby and Mags always put Melie first.

Of all the characters, the one that went through the most development was Jordan. Compare Jordan from the beginning to Jordan from the end, and it’ll read like a completely different person. I loved seeing him recover and reconnect with his old flame and friends.

Ibby was 100% my favorite character, although Mags was a close second! Ibby and his Indiana Jones enthusiasm was ridiculous, but his witty replies more than made up for it and it was impossible to hate him.

All in all, When You Were Mine is the perfect summer book or if you just need a light read to unwind to after a long day!

Some authors just have a remarkable talent and the ability to completely suck you into the story. That’s what happened with this book.

Lisa Swift has produced an absolutely wonderful story, with twists which I honestly couldn’t predict. This is one of those books you won’t want to put down. Although, when you finish it- the decision of what to read next will be difficult; purely because this is so wonderful.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book, they almost reminded me of the friends cast. It is easy for the reader to like them and feel invested in them. I am hoping for a follow up book so we can find out more about what happened next.

This is one of those books that I’ve been able to read in just a couple of hours. I was completely sucked into the story and I’m gutted I’ve come to the end.

I can honestly say that this is a truly wonderful and heartwarming read. There’s love, laughs and drama which will keep you desperate to know what is coming next. As a debut novel, this is definitely a must read.

This is an easy book to rate because of how much I’ve enjoyed reading it. However, five stars really doesn’t show how fantastic a book this is.

I had a hard time getting started with this book. The beginning was just
.... . too many characters
...... too British
...... too confusing.

But then all of a sudden, I knew who everyone was and I liked each of them, I then couldn't put the book down and I flew through the rest of it. There are some heavy topics in the book, but they were handled with care.

Overall, a very good summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book. in exchange for an honest review.

This one sounded really interesting and I was wondering where this could possibly go. Does Maggie know Ibby is gay? Did Ibby become gay later in life? How does the rock star disrupt their lives?

I think I got almost half-way through the book before I figured out how the rock star disrupts their lives. Once the reveal happened, I felt silly for not realising sooner. All the signs pointed that way, but it wasn’t quite clear enough for little ‘ol me to figure out.

However, once the reveal happened my brain started ticking and guessed the surprise twist right at the end!

Given how bad my guesses have been recently I didn’t put a lot of stock in it. But it sat there. Even when Maggie made a comment that should’ve blown my guess out of the water. I kept on wondering if I’d be proven right. And my patience was rewarded!

Outside of that long drawn out process this was a surprisingly clean romance. The closest you get to anything raunchy happening is some kisses (in PG rated areas) and a hand that slips up the back of a top.

Given how many of the romances I’ve been reading lately get quite descriptive, this was a nice change. Especially because the time otherwise taken up with describing said sex scenes was better spent unpacking and exploring the emotional reactions to our four main characters.

You’ve got Ibby who’s gay and struggles to date, Maggie who’s a relationship counsellor with no romantic life to speak of, Jordan who seems to be emotionally lost and poor Amelia who’s only 13 (she turns 14 by the end of the book) and struggling to come to terms with teenage hormones and a changing family dynamic. This spoke to me on so many levels. As I’m sure anyone who’s gone through a “broken” family situation could.

The raw emotions felt like they really reflected what people would feel like in the real world if they were in those situations really made this book. I loved reading this and I hope all the subtle social messages come across to anyone who reads it. Which I urge you to do! And share with any kids you have in your social circles!

When You Were Mine is a such an enjoyable read! I loved the relationships between all of the characters whether they were friendships, lovers or family. I especially appreciated the time Lisa Swift took to build those relationships. Nothing about the story seemed rushed and there wasn't one spot where I was tempted to skip ahead.
I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy in return for an honest review.
#WhenYouWereMine

Really a 4.5 but that's not available. I really enjoyed this read once I got more into the story. The beginning with all the characters was a tad confusing but once you 'got to know the characters' it was a quick read!

Cute family with mixed up dynamics. I wish more people stuck it out like this little family.
I love Amelia and her parents relationship. I love the dynamics they all have.

All in all a good read!
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. Thanks netgalley!

A book of love, lust and missed connections. A very easy and wonderful read. Definitely one you need to add to your reading lists.

Lovely feel good story. It was well written and flowed well. Easy to read and hard to put down. Perfect on these summer nights