This is one of those cases where the blurb and cover are misleading, and in the end the book didn’t delivered. It’s sad because I had high hopes for this book. The cover caught my eye, the blurb sealed the deal, but when it came to the story, it was a bit of a let down.

I love seeing all these new debut authors coming to the genre, but I also feel like there is so much to work on. The book needed so much more chemistry between the characters. The story could not carry the book alone when there was nothing plausible between the couple. Also the one thing that always kills a story for me is if the characters aren’t relatable and most of all likable.

So, unfortunately this book wasn’t the right one for me.

In Hayley Doyle's Never Saw You Coming, this feel-good romantic comedy/woman's fiction novel would have you in stitches. Zara Khoury lived in Dubai most of her life and planned to track down a man she met named Nick Gregory in London and had a long-distance online relationship with him. She boarded a plane to go there to speak to him and crashed her car into Jim Glover's new car. For Jim Glover, he worked a dead-end job as a toll booth collector and won a brand new car from a radio call-in contest. He was a former lead singer of a band that got nowhere and took care of his mother since his father died. From there, it was a collision course of calamities between them when it wasn't love at first sight. When Zara tells Jim about her woes and heartbreaks during the car ride, she gets to know him a bit longer. At first, Jim just wanted to deal with the car repair and move on with his life.  But when he took her and a "mop" to Nick's place, he waits for her to confront him. Then he spots her on the ground and comes to her rescue when he later learns who Nick really is. From there, he begins to care for her and plan to take her to the airport--but they did hit a couple of snags along the way. Later, they went their separate ways to start their new lives at the opposite ends of the world and discovers they care for each other before they reunite in the end and decide to give it a chance.

A compelling read that is addictive once started! Fantastically written and sweet as pie! A definite must read for fans of the genre

Love the story of Zara and Jim. Had some real laugh out loud moments. Thought the scouse humour was funny.
Probably would have liked a better ending, maybe the author has plans for a sequel.? If so I will be the first to read it

For a debut novel this was pretty good. An original story about the circumstances leading up to a chance meeting between Jim and Zara. It's a bit sad into places as you find out what has happened on their lives before they met - but other parts are laugh out loud funny. It was well written and the story drew you in slowly. Not your traditional love story though.

Beautiful, thought provoking book. I enjoyed sharing the development of the main characters relationship and was rooting for them all the way. Really well written!

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
 
I don’t really know how to start this review, because I’m really torn with this book. I love the idea behind it and the storyline had some great moments, but I also struggled with certain things. 
 
Let’s start at the beginning. Zara lives in Dubai and flies to Liverpool fort he love of her love, only for her to have her heart broken. Jim is not in a great part of his life, he is stuck. 
 
They litarally bump in to each other with their cars and their story begins. The go on a journey together, some of which didn’t make any sense too me. I also didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t warm to any oft he characters, so it was hard to find a connection tot he story or them. For me the depth was definitely missing. 
 
As I already mentioned, I liked certain moments and some scenes were adorable and cute. I also liked reading from both perspectives and enjoyed the story.

I think this book has a lot of potential - I enjoyed the premise of it but I think it fell a bit short for me. I found it rather refreshing how Jim and Zara met and their story. I didn't really like how the flashbacks happened but I really liked Jim's friends and how they were woven into the story. I definitely enjoyed the ending more than I thought I would!

Have you ever heard a little kid tell a story? It meanders all over the place, adding in details seemingly at random, zipping here and there with no discernible endpoint in mind. That's what this book reminds me of. The writing is fine, but I didn't really get invested in the characters and so I couldn't really care where the mishmash of a story was going. That may very well be a "me" issue and not one with the book itself. Plenty of other reviewers seem to be enjoying it. But for me, this one was a little too slow with not enough direction.

**Thank you to NetGalley and AvonBooksUK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

I didn't really like either of the main characters, Nick and Zara, or find them particularly compelling or sympathetic. However, I thought the storyline was unique and interesting. 

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 25%

I so very much wanted to love this one, but it didn't hit me in any of the right ways. I pretty much immediately disliked both of the main characters, and that didn't change by the second quarter of the book. I wasn't invested in either of their individual stories, or looking forward to them eventually coming together. (Not to mention that the male MC does something kind of scheisty, and I wasn't about it.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

I wasn’t particularly enthralled by this book, I could see what was happening with the story line before it happened. I liked the main male character but couldn’t take to Zara. It was well written but sadly just wasn’t one I would put in my book list recommendations.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Zara decides to leave her life of privilege in Dubai to travel to England to surprise Nick who she met at a party in Dubai and has been conducting an online romance with him since his return home.
Jim has won a high end car in a phone in competition which he plans to sell to get away from his dead end job.
A collision sees Zara and Jim meeting, and he ends up helping her find Nick - who turns out to be married with children and has been stringing her along, never expecting her to turn up on his doorstep. Zara and Jim get to know each other through their travels as he tries to help her, and make some money for himself.
Good relatable characters, a good storyline, decent read.

When Zara makes the trip from Dubai to Liverpool to surprise the love of her life, things don’t exactly go to plan.  

Jim is stuck in a dead end job, caring for his Mother and has little ambition to change his life.  Fate steps in when he wins a brand new car, on his way to sell the car Zara crashes into his life - quite literally. 

While I did enjoy aspects of this book, it was very slow.

The story follows Zara who travels from Dubai to Liverpool to meet up with the love of her life. Events ensue and she ends up meeting Jim, a local lad, in difficult circumstances. I won’t give away much more of the plot though as I don’t want to ruin it.⁣
⁣
I’ll be honest, I have mixed feelings about this book. It started very slowly and I felt that the first chunk of the book dragged. I nearly gave up a number of times but I was determined to carry on. Ultimately I am glad I did as it was enjoyable, but I wish that I hadn’t spent the first third of the book not sure whether I wanted to read it.⁣
⁣
It was mostly entertaining and well written, and the author clearly knows both Dubai and Liverpool well so I appreciated the detail. However I do not think it’s a book I would ever reread as it felt overly long for what it was.⁣

Really enjoyable contemporary, with a very original 'meet cute' storyline.  I loved both Zara and Jim, their alternating chapters were really well written and kept me reading.  I really felt for Zara, you could really sense her loneliness, and at the same time, you could feel how loved Jim was, from both his Ma and his friendship group.

The road trip was really well done, though I did wish they'd moved things along a bit quicker, but the anticipation was drawn out and the book had a satisfying conclusion for me.

4*

I also got the chance to review the debut from Hayley Doyle 'Never Saw You Coming'  and I loved the story. It did take a while to really get going and perhaps the beginning could have had some of the padding taken out but once it got really started (about 15-20% through) then I couldn't put it down. I did feel the ending was a little rushed though. 

If you love a fun rom-com then this is ideal for you! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author too.

Hayley Doyle’s Never Saw You Coming is a witty, engaging and immensely enjoyable debut that pulls you into the story from page one and keeps you entertained and engrossed until the very last word.

Zara Khoury is ready to give up her life in Dubai for love. She has met the most wonderful guy who makes her feel like she is on top of the world. A guy who promises her the moon and the stars and whom she is sure would make her world complete. There is only one problem though: Nick, the guy she is head over heels in love with, is somebody she has never met in the flesh. Sure, they communicate all the time online and he seems kind, caring, funny and gorgeous, but she has never actually seen him – until now. Fed up of living a life without the man she loves by her side, Zara decides to leave her life in Dubai behind by surprising her man in Liverpool, where they can then start to live a life full of love and happiness. Having crossed continents, Zara is finally in Liverpool only when she knocks on the door to Nick’s house she is greeted by a woman with two small kids…

Jim Glover is living a life that seems to be going nowhere. When he had gone to University to read English, he had been full of hopes and dreams for the future, but the reality turned out to be far different. Stuck working in a dead-end job with no girlfriend and a not exactly exhilarating social life, Jim’s life has not panned out as he thought it would. He hates his job and has started to grow resentful of the inertia that has consumed him. Maybe the time has come for him to stop waiting for something to happen and to take the bull by the horns and start living. Yet, little does Jim know that his life is about to be turned upside down by the arrival of Zara Khoury in his life.

Jim and Zara should never have met, let alone strike up any kind of relationship, but when theirs fates – and their cars – collide, it is going to be the start of a strange, bizarre and exhilarating journey that is going to change them…forever!

Never Say You Coming is a brilliant romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud. A fantastic, captivating and hilarious tale about taking risks, grabbing life by the horns and finding the courage to fight for your heart’s desire, Never Saw You Coming is a stylish, uplifting and feel-good romantic comedy that is the literary equivalent of a Richard Curtis film.

I absolutely loved Zara and Jim’s story. Funny, heart-warming and so brilliantly told, Zara and Jim are two fantastic characters you will fall in love with and root for.

An absolutely fabulous read that delivers on all counts, Hayley Doyle’s Never Saw You Coming is a wonderful romantic comedy Sophie Kinsella fans are going to lap up.

This book was an unexpected delight! Thoroughly enjoyed it and could picture the sights and sounds of Liverpool, as I have family there. Devoured this in one sitting. Was great!

Love, love, loved it!!! I want to read the next instalment on their journey, I hope there will be a second book. 

Hapless ditzy girl meets grumpy loner with no ambition. Two people who shouldn't work together embark on a serious of doomed adventure. Feel good, heart warming and utterly delightful. Go read it now, you won't be disappointed!