The many head hops throughout the read made for a very tedious read, and then having the prologue already showing us a lot of what happens and then having to backtrack to a few months before and figure it all out further made this a hard slog. Also found the heroine totally self-centered and entrenched so far in victim mentality and her woe-is-me routine that totally turned me off let alone allowed me to be sympathetic to her plight. Sadly, not for me - I could not enjoy this one

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this a lot. I felt like I really connected with Penny and could see myself in her. I had no idea what to expect from the end of this book and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Thrilled to see an ethically non-monogamous relationship in a commercial fiction book, even if his character is presented as a stereotypical player (tour manager and all). A fun and emotional read, and I especially love stories that feature food, cooking and/or restaurants.

I flew through the first half of this book. The concept and setting were fresh and fun. Loved the issue of whether Penelope should stay in her own business or move to the country manage her beloved uncle’s restaurant. Loved the side characters as well, felt they added great perspective and diversity. 

However, somewhere  around the second half  of this book, it started to drag on. The idea that she had to see all three guys seemed a little strange to me, and some of the scenes seemed there just for shock value. I found the relationship with one of the guys a little far fetched and uncomfortable, which is probably why it took me forever to get through.

This is a quick, easy read, perfect for the summer. It's fairly predictable, but still enjoyable. I really loved Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams so was looking forward to reading this. 
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I liked Penny for most of the book, but particularly towards the end, I felt her confidence and independence came across really well, and it showed how her character had developed. I actually didn't really care for any of the three guys, I didn't really find any of their relationships particularly believable, they felt a bit too cliché. I felt like the book was more about Penny and her journey and the "love square" was just a part of that - I think I'd have enjoyed the book more if it had focused on her and made the love interests a bit of a sub-plot. 
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I was impressed at how the book dealt with issues of infertility very sensitively, and the book also included great LGBTQ+ characters.
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I really like Williams' writing style, though at times the dialogue felt a little stilted. I'd probably give it 3.5/5, it's not the most groundbreaking rom-com I've read, but it's perfect if you want a lovely, easy read.

Penny Bridges, a cafe owner is struggling to find the man of her dreams. She can't believe her luck when finally, one comes along. But then so does another guy. And then another one too. How can Penny choose between the three? How will she know which one is right for her?

The Love Square was on my highly anticipated list as I really loved the author's previous book, Our Stop. Her writing style is amazing and you are instantly hooked into her books from page one. This book was no exception however something happened in the middle of this book and I went from loving the book to vigorously shaking my head. I understood that Penny felt she was unlucky in love but for her to think sleeping with 3 men at a time was okay and was going to solve her situation just didn't sit right with me. The Penny I was hoping would get her happy ending at the start of the book became the Penny I hoped would sort her priorities out instead midway through the book. I won't give spoilers away but will say that the ending was a tad unrealistic too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve had Our Stop on my shelves since it came out and after reading this one, which is the authors second book, I regret not picking that one up yet!! Swipe to see synopsis for The Love Square. 

Thank you to @avon and @netgalley for the #freebook !

Things I loved:
•unique romance with a “love square” vs love triangle
•cute, sweet, witty
•a feel good read
•quick pacing, never got bored
•loved the characters

Things that weren’t my fave:
•although unique, it wasn’t super memorable
•lack of communication between characters at times (pet peeve of mine - JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!)

Overall, an enjoyable, feel good book. Pick it up if you need something lighter, something to take your mind off the heaviness of the world right now - it’s perfect for that! 4⭐️

Penny might have had more than her fair share of bad dates but all of that is set to change after meeting Francesco. After a bad start and a cowardly ignoring of his phone number, Penny and Francesco really hit it off, finding an easy friendship as well as a steamy romance.

Penny works as a chef in the café she owns in Stoke Newington, where she loves the bustle, the people and working for herself. I really liked Penny, she was pretty laid back, very funny and she loved food. She was also reasonably honest with herself with what she wanted and after battling cancer and essentially going into early menopause, she knew she wanted kids. Only thing is, that’s a pretty tough subject to bring up with a guy you’ve been seeing for a few weeks. 

Penny’s uncle has a heart attack and she is tasked with running his restaurant for at least a year while he recuperates. Only thing is, it is way out of town, forcing her to leave her café and Francesco. While in Derbyshire, Penny meets two very different guys and falls into easy flirting with them, Thomas the music agent who travels at least 6 months of the year, and Priyesh the wine supplier for her uncle’s restaurant. Both men are very different and bring out different sides of Penny. But her heart is still a little bit in London, with Francesco, and she doesn’t want to lead anyone on.

This wasn’t what I thought it would be but I still really enjoyed it. Like I said, the three men brought out a different side of Penny and I enjoyed seeing her explore herself like that, especially after everything’s she been through. However, she didn’t handle it well, particularly when all three men had the misfortune of being in the same place! 

What I especially enjoyed was the relationships and how they form a person. Not just romantically but platonic and familial. Penny has a great relationship with her sister and her uncles. She also desperately wants to be a mother, although after cancer that path is a little more complicated. So even though the story is generally about finding love in a romantic sense, it was also about finding your place and a partner to share things with. Penny was lucky enough to find that in a man she loved, but eventually she realised that she was good enough alone and didn’t need a man to complete her. Added bonus of course, but point still stands!

Unlucky In Love?.....
Amusing romcom with some very real issues at its’ heart. Written with warmth and empathy. A likeable protagonist in funny, independent Penny who has found herself with rather too many men to choose from. Which one, if any, is ‘The One’? An escapist read.

Love Square by Laura Jane Williams

What if I tell you that throughout the first half of the book I thought that this book is going to be my next favorite of the month and the second half just ruined the possibility? I mean a book that speaks about breast cancer and how that trauma never leaves the patient even after the actual disease leaving it, a book that describes how the IVF process has its reparcation on on the society, a book that has fun side characters and an interesting plotline –What could possibly go wrong?  The answer is pretty simple- too much of everything.

Penny Bridge has always been unlucky in love. So she can believe it when she meets a remarkable new man. Followed by another, and thenanother…And all of them want to date her. 

When I received the book as an ARC, I was hoping it to be a fun read. However, I could not have been more wrong. The book deals with some pretty serious issues. I love it when a book tries to deliver some social messages through the context. The side characters were fun and adorable. I love thelgbtq+ representations of the book. The book has a smooth way of going in the first half. 

But where is the LOVE?

 Even after trying to like Penny throughout the book, I miserably failed to do so. Just when I felt that I am starting to like Penny, the monotonous portrayal of the character made me lose interest in her pretty soon. And the love interests, oh my god!! I thought there would be some fun time choosing one among them. But, I did not get it. It was pretty clear from the first with whom Penny is going to end up with. I felt that things were rushed just to reach a conclusion. Also, the frequent changes of the POVs were making me irritated. Williams had obviously tried to write something different but I realized that to add a little bit of everything she has made a messy situation way messier.  

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was left feeling very disappointed with this book. I read Our Stop which I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. 

I didn't really connect with the characters or the plot in this one. I found the pacing to be quite slow and I struggled to get into the story. One of the main plot points for this book is the love square between Penny and three guys. I didn't really like any of the love interests so wasn't invested in Penny's decision. 

Penny does have infertility problems and her sister offers to be a surrogate for her. I would personally like to have seen more of this storyline and also Penny raising the baby by herself.

Sadly this one didn't work for me but I would still check out more from the author in the future as I did really enjoy Our Stop.

I'm a big fan of Laura Jane Williams and after reading Our Stop, I was excited to read her second novel. I really enjoyed this book, perhaps even more so than the first. I liked the characters despite their flawed presentations and having followed Williams on social media for a long while, enjoyed the ?semi-autobiographical parts. Another great novel.

A lovely, easy read to be able to switch off and get into the lives of the characters. A few twists and turns along the way too

This was a lovely light-hearted read where I really connected with the main character,  Penny. When Penny chooses to leave her life temporarily to help out a family member it takes her a little while to relax into her new life. But then she suddenly has 3 men who can all offer her different things and she’s forced to make a choice. Except that doesn’t quite go to plan.... 

I loved the culinary elements of this book and loved that Penny was such a great female chef. 

Journeying with Penny through her different relationships to her ultimate life decision towards the end made me really proud of how she was doing something solely for her and I loved her sister’s part in helping that to happen. The friendship between sisters is such a strong bond and it made me think of what I’d do to make my own sister happy! 

This was a great read and I would recommend picking this up if you’re after a light-hearted romance.

This book was a fun, fast read! I loved the main character, Penny, immediately and enjoyed the lighthearted banter between her and the several men in her life. Realistic? Not totally. But it was an entertaining book that i flew through!

[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]
It seemed my kind of book but sadly it wasn't.
It's light and cute but although it hooked me at first, later I felt more and more disconnected. Everthing was going great but then something happens, Penny must go and the whole book felt wrong for me. I thought Penny's love life was going to be something funny but I was reading and getting angrier at her by her choices and her behaviour toward her love interests. I don't know how to explain it but it isn't the light and funny book I thought it was going to be (my bad, of course). 
But it's easy to read so maybe you'll like it.
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//SPANISH REVIEW//
Lo mejor que puedo decir de este libro es que se lee rapidito y que el primer tercio sí me gustó. Luego ya va cuesta abajo y sin frenos. No sé qué ha querido hacer la escritora pero a mí, desde luego, no me ha gustado, pero es algo previsible teniendo en cuenta que ocurre algo que nunca me gusta leer. 
Lo del cuadrado amoroso podría haber estado mejor si no fuera justo por esa primera parte, que ya parece una novela romántica por sí misma. Poco a poco la protagonista me ha ido cayendo cada vez peor y casi ha arrastrado a los maromos.
Otro libro de portada colorinchi que me sale rana.

Thank you to Avon and Laura Jane Williams for the advanced review copy. Penny gets herself caught up in the middle of what can only be described as the title says...a love square! I must admit it took me a while to get into this book but I did really enjoy Penny’s journey and her experiences along the way. I do think though that Francesco was out of order to speak to her the way he did when Penny made it very clear that they were friends and yes of course there was underlying feelings but she said she was dating and was honest with him! Her friends should have backed her and told her that actually she wasn’t the problem there but that she did need to decide what she wanted. All in all though I’m glad with the way it ended and would recommend as a light hearted read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the characters, especially Penny. The story is relatable and funny in ways that I wasn't expecting. I can't wait to read the next story written by this author!

The Love Square by Laura Jane Williams is a contemporary Women's fiction. It is the story of an accomplished woman who is following her passion, has her own business and lives life on her own terms. She has faced great challenges in her personal life. Despite all these things there is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction due to her dating life. She finds that she is never asked on second dates.

With this backdrop  I fell in love with the character of Penny Bridge. She is everything any young woman aspires to be. She has amazing family relationships and friendships. When Penny is really going through a bad patch of low self esteem she meets Franscesco who is everything she ever wanted in a partner. Life circumstances push them away and then Penny meets another young man and then another. She is strongly attracted to each one of them for different reasons and the time comes for hr to choose who is the one. Whom dos she choose.

The good part of the story is the journey of Penny in discovering what or whom she really wants. Having said that and having liked Penny, I still couldn't relate to a part of the story.  That could possibly be due to my biases but i really couldn't understand her adamant behaviour at some point. Having said that I persisted and liked how the story progressed. 

If you are a lover of women's fictions and like to read about strong women protagonist then you will enjoy this story.. 
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of the book and the opinions expressed are entirely mine.

When I received Love Square via Netgalley from HarperCollins (thank you, as always), I was super excited. I’ve read a couple of thrillers in a row and thought a bit of chicklit would be a nice relaxing and fun change. I’ve read great things about Williams’s first book, Our Stop, so it would be a good quality chicklit read, I assumed. But my enthusiasm waned soon enough…

Seriously, nothing happened for the first half of the book. Okay, stuff happened but it was boring, boring, boring. Penny has a boring meet-cute with Francesco and we get every word of their boring dates (hint for writers: recapping the routine convo your leads have is okay - I do not need to read boring word for word transcripts - just cut to the chase), they flirt boringly, they kiss boringly, they have boring sex (literally, this is a plot point) and then Penny has to go up north and she doesn’t want a long distance relationship (I googled it and it’s probably around a 3 hour drive away at the most - every Australian rolls their eyes at the ‘distance’) and they break up and she meets other boring men.

Penny has had breast cancer and is in remission. I’ve been searching for a decent post breast cancer sex scene in a book for a long time. I’ll need to keep waiting.

Williams presented the cancer storyline without any consideration of the ‘show not tell’ style of writing. Penny just basically gave Francesco (and us) an info dump early on. Love Square reminded me of another couple of books I’ve read where the writer has obviously had good intentions by adding a medical issue to raise awareness but fail to make it work. In those other books, and this one, it was a case of poor execution. Here it became like a textbook list of symptoms and side effects without any sense of timing for any of the reveals to make anything heartfelt.

Even though Penny has a plethora of men, she has no chemistry with any of them. Nor did she deliver any humorous lines (stuff I think was supposed to be funny really wasn’t).

Diversity is also poorly executed. Every supporting character ticks off something from the ‘Diversity in Books 101’ list. Except, of course, for Penny. I felt like Williams wanted to have her cake and eat it too. If she really wanted to make a difference, why not just make Penny the diverse character! Or at least give one of the diverse characters some point.

Williams actually had other checklists besides the diversity one to tick off. There was also the Modern Technology in Chicklit one (dating apps and texts and podcasts and inability to answer a real phone call), the Required Occupation in Chicklit one (owner of a coffee shop/qualified chef, just don't expect mouth watering food porn - apparently having one of the characters calling out ‘chef’ now and then covered all bases), and the Pop Culture References in Contemporary Chicklit one (why did they have to spoil Frank Ocean’s music for me).

I’ve also got to mention all the weird head hopping Williams indulges in. For example, it’s Penny, Penny, Penny and then - bam - Francesco for one or two lines before we rush back to Penny. It made my head ache.

No, I did not finish the book. I began to skim more and more and it seemed pointless. I didn’t care about the outcome. (I’ve now found some spoilers and I can’t quite believe I wasted my time on reading as much as I did.)

Disappointing with a capital D but I have a zillion other books to read so, thank you, next.

1 out of 5