Love Your Life answers the question "What happens after instalove?".
This was a unique story about following Cinderella home after the slipper fits and find out maybe she moved into the castle a little too quickly.

The start was rough, the characters all seemed to be stock characters, everything is too cute, instalove that works too well, but then silly me who skims summaries realized that was on purpose! Do not give up on this book in the first 20%, the completely unrealistic perfect holiday romance is the point of the story, rolling your eyes at it is the correct idea.

When we get back from vacation is when the characters flaws, and thus their real personalities get fleshed out.
Ava is...she is the problem. She is DREADFUL - which is once again the point, she's a failing but you want to watch the disaster happen. Her expectations for a relationship are unrealistic, she is needlessly jealous, she is irresponsible in it seems all aspect of her life, and yet she remains upbeat at all times even when its not functional or practical.

Matt on the other hand, his communication skills are poor, but other than that he is pretty close to as perfect as real humans come. He has a very demanding job which was a conflict in the story, but it seems to pay at an amount that would expect that level of dedication so that seemed true to real life and unavoidable for him. He was definitely the hero of the story with a normal amount of flaws.

The ending was amazing, cutest thing ever. Considering this is not really a romance, I was nervous for the ending, I am not at all a fan of instalove or romance pairings I just don't see, but just trust me!! The ending is done so well!

Maybe I would have liked this more 15 years ago? I used to love a Sophie Kinsella book. This one missed the mark for me. The story starts out ok, Ava and Matt meet are a writers retreat and “fall” in love during their week together. Back in London, they realize they aren’t so compatible. This is when it got really annoying. I didn’t like either main character, especially Ava. All that to say, this was not for me.

Ava, the heroine in this tale, is easy to relate to. I’m sure we all have unfinished, grandiose projects or schemes we need to get to, items we’ve rescued from abandonment or destruction, bubbles that burst. It’s believable because she’s young and trying to figure out her life. Matt sounds great except for his nightmare family – mostly.
As usually I couldn’t put the book down. Enjoyed every hilarious, thoughtful, hair-raising, cringe-worthy second.

Cute cute cute!!! Although I found myself frustrated with both characters at times, I also found myself relating to them both as well! I really enjoyed this fast-paced read! The friends were cute and hilarious too! Overall, 4/5 stars for me!

I had heard about author Sophie Kinsella, of Shopaholic fame, for years before I picked up one of her novels last year (I Own You One) and was pleasantly delighted. Her latest novel, Love Your Life, is a prime example of Kinsella’s trademark style: humor and romance with a dash of bittersweet.

The tale is told from Ava’s perspective. She is a free spirit full of optimism despite a life full of major setbacks. Trying to finish a romance novel she’s been tinkering with for a while (among the many other projects she begins but has a hard time finishing), she signs up for week long writer’s retreat in Italy. There she meets Matt who came to Italy for a martial arts retreat. They have an instant attraction and an idyllic week, ignoring their “baggage” at Ava’s request.

Kinsella lulls the reader into thinking this might be an insta-love story, but when Ava and Matt return to the real world in London, they, sometimes hilariously, realize their baggage can’t be ignored and that each other’s real life is totally different from what each had imagined. Kinsella gives a believable account of how two people with the best of intentions might not always get the ending they think they want. Throw in some vibrant secondary characters as Matt and Ava’s friends plus an adorable, mischievous beagle named Harold, and you have a delightful rom-com read that might make you shed a tear or two.

I wanted to fall in love with this book but I couldn’t. It was cute and okay but I didn’t get into it like her other ones. It felt scattered at the beginning like there was no clear path for the story line.

Sophie Kinsella is great for engaging, light romance, and this latest is no different.

Ditching her regular life for a week at a writers' retreat, Ava instantly falls for another attendee, but will their romance work outside of sunny Italy.

The book was cute with a heart of seriousness. Both characters were cute, and I enjoyed their friends. While nothing will top Twenties Girl, this was a fun read.

Ava meets Matt at a writer’s retreat in Italy and they have a lot of fun together, determined to keep their romance going when they return to reality. Through when reintroduced to real life and finally learning more about one another, their differences become quite apparent. Can they figure out a way to make their relationship work or will the fantasy and love be dashed?

The first half was very cringe-y and I almost put the book down. Ava seemed so unaware and was mildly unlikeable. If I wasn’t reading it to review it I would have. About sixty percent in, it finally started improving and ended happily, though also quite predictably.

Ava goes to an anonymous writing retreat and meets “Dutch”, a handsome man that she falls instantly in love with. But when they return home to real life, they find it much more complicated and disparate than they imagined on vacation. Love Your Life explores how two very different lives can fit together, and how sometimes, you need the right person to call you out on improvements you can make to yourself.

Love Your Life had some great lessons about relationships, communication and friendship. I loved the ending, and some of the friendships and side stories laced throughout. The premise was creative and different from anything I’d ever read.

I wanted to love it, but I found the main character very naive and overly optimistic. The couple fell instantly in love without knowing anything about each other. Their relationship was unrealistic for today’s day and age, and Ava’s inner dialogue was upsetting when she did not know her worth. I also wished to see more dimension to Matt’s character throughout the book.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for the ARC!

I am giving this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the beginning and loved the ending, but the middle can use some work. Overall I liked the characters and the secondary characters as well as the plot. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free e-arc of this book.

Now onto the review. So first this was my first Sophie Kinsella book for me. I have seen her books around and have always said I would get to it and I never did. I don't know if I wasn't in the right head space for this book or it was the writing style something did not jive with me.

I liked the plot of this story (which is why I put in for it). Ava goes on a writing retreat meets a man and when they leave the bubble of that week real life slaps them in the face.

I liked the characters well enough. I think I actually enjoyed Matt's character more than Ava. Also the secondary characters I loved. I would definitely read about them any day of the week. I enjoyed the beginning (I will try not to give anything away) and the end made me make this a 3 star review instead of 2. I feel it was more cringey for me then funny. I think I will chock that up to not being in the right reading mood.

It was a struggle for me to finish it but am glad I did because the last few chapters really made up for the middle section. That being said I still wanted a glimpse into their futures because I am sucker for that!

I've read several of Sophie Kinsella's books and have enjoyed them. This one was enjoyable, although rather predictable. It reminded me of a light beach read; it had a sweet story line with some funny mishaps along the way.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had to DNF this book. I could not finish it. The relationship between Ava and Matt was so uncomfortable and forced that it made me extremely uncomfortable to read. Also, there was no relationship development when they were in Italy. I felt like these characters went from strangers to saying I love you in all of 5 seconds. I wanted to love this book so much because Sophie is an amazing author but this one did not work for me.

Thank you to netgalley and The Dial Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this story was everything I thought I would enjoy: falling in love in Italy, rescue dogs named Harold, a quirky main character, who with her optimistic mindset reminded me of Becky Bloomwood. But all in all, it was about two people who were simply not right for each other. And the ending was not what I expected. I really enjoyed the parts with their friends and with Harold, and there were a few swoon-worthy moments, but overall it was frustrating to watch them force their lives together when they clashed so much. I adore Sophie Kinsella books, but sadly this one was not for me!⁣ Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC for my honest review.

I received a free digital advance reading copy from Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

It's been awhile since I read a book by Sophie Kinsella and was happy to find that Love Your Life was both a fresh story (though it's categorized as romance, at its heart I think it is mostly about on the bonds of friendship) and included laugh out loud moments reminiscent of Kinsella's Shopaholic series. Ava, the main character, falls in love with the man of her dreams during a writers retreat/vacation in Italy - except that the retreat rules prevent the participants from disclosing any details about their lives or even their real names. Upon returning home to London, the couple must determine whether their "real lives" are as compatible as their anonymous vacation selves were. Kinsella includes wry commentary on the internet dating age where filters and algorithms promise to produce a perfectly compatible match. I also appreciated the inclusion of a character living with a chronic illness (lupus). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a "lighter but with substance" read.

It is the story of Ava who has a steamy romantic interlude with a man at a writer’s retreat in Italy where they aren’t allowed to share their real names or any facts about themselves. But when they return home and start a relationship in their real lives, they realize how different they really are and perhaps not compatible. Does this book have a protagonist who is flighty, ditzy, makes really poor decisions and sets feminism back a gazillion years like every other Kinsella book? Absolutely. Did I yell at the book a few times at the absurdity? You bet. But was it frothy and fun and let me escape the stresses of distance learning starting next week while I am still working full time from home during the longest no vacation day summer ever? A definite yes. Ava was a caricature of herself and so much was exaggerated but it was also very funny and heartwarming. I absolutely loved the friends in this book. I loved her dog. I loved that even though it was so far from reality, I still laughed out loud. And frankly, there was something so incredibly comforting about the formulaic nature of the Kinsella book with the over the top characters. Kind of like getting a warm hug and some hot chocolate when you most need it.

The premise was great and I found myself laughing out loud all the time - it’s an easygoing easy-reading rom com

At first I thought they pulled out the love card too quickly with not enough character buildup - I didn’t feel I knew either of them enough for love to be thrown into the equation - but then realize that’s all part of the story, love first - getting to know each other later - I mean I’ve been there falling in love abroad happens QUICK. Romance kinda seeps into the this is gonna end quickly never want to leave my travel bubble life.

Also, I thought that the story jumped around too much within the same chapters- when it really should’ve just started another chapter - for example - it went from them having dinner and Matt inviting her on a road trip to coastal towns to next paragraph jumping right into the road trip without Segway - where’s the fun anticipation buildup?

In the beginning there was Underdeveloped character build, and I needed more chemistry between them- could have spent longer in Italy building that relationship- but I actually ended up loving their relationship in the end - just took a bit too long to get there.

I adored Matt’s roommates and their banter with Ava more than Matt sometimes. (A better sexier London I love it - total Gilmore girls life and death brigade friend vibes)

I loved watching the characters grow into themselves and let go of their black and white “This is Ava land this is only Matt land” and we can’t cross over. There were also some super cute awwwww moments with Matt - bringing back the beach stones for one made my heart swoon. And of course, the ending gave me all the feels and is exactly what was needed.

I’ve heard such amazing things about this author and I truly can’t wait to res more of her things this book just wasn’t a win for me -

I want to thank the publisher for this from NetGalley in exchange for my review - thank you thank you.

When you read a Sophie Kinsella novel, you know exactly what you're getting into. And this one is par for the course. Cute, slightly mess of an English girl meets uptight, straight-laced English man.. and they fall in love, kind of. But there's an uptight ex-girlfriend somewhere who is "competition," and the family has huge expectations for the man, but they become better for one another, and it's all a happy ending. And I'm not spoiling anything because that's literally every single book of Sophie Kinsella's and that is OK. This book was cute, and I really enjoyed it. I'd recommend. It's fluffy and adorable and you need that every once in a while. 4 stars. (rounded up.)

Another soon to be smash hit by Sophie Kinsella. I requested this book as soon as I saw the cover artwork, author and the fact that it was set in Italy at a writing retreat.

I thought this was a nice change from so many rom-com novels where the two love interests start out as opposites or hating each other. This one starts with two people falling madly, blindly in love without really knowing much at all about each other. It was almost like a love story in reverse, with the characters discovering each other and their own true selves along the way. Also, a good antidote to the culture of online dating where some people are looking at how someone looks “on paper” before even giving them a chance. Although, this is also well contrasted in this novel as well by another character.

I was a little disappointed that only a short portion of the novel actually took place in Italy, but it worked with the story.

Even if you’ve never had your own vacation romance, we can all relate to that vacation version of yourself, who you are without all the distractions and deadlines. This book will inspire you to bring out that vacation side a little more often.

Another win! I was so excited to read another book by Mrs. Kinsella!! I read this in one day and plan on reading it again. I really enjoyed the unique storyline and how opposite the main characters are.. Kudos!!