I must admit I was a bit disappointed with this latest offering from Kinsella. Ava and Matt meet at a writer's retreat and after very little time together, decide they are destined for each other. When back in the real world, all signs indicate otherwise. I tried so hard to like this book but it felt forced. Not my favorite from this author.
2.5

Love Your Life is another light and breezy read from Sophie Kinsella. It's funny and romantic...but something about these characters - all of them - were just...too much. It seemed like there wasn't one character that wasn't over-the-top and outlandish. It definitely made for some humorous moments, but I felt like I needed just <i>one</i> straight man and got none. One of my absolute favorite parts of the novel though was how Ava was with Matt's grandfather. I love that she kept in touch with him the whole time and allowed him to open up to her when everyone else shut him down. Also, Ava is vegetarian, and I LOVE that.

I love anything by Sophie Kinsella and was so excited to read an ARC of Love Your Life. Like every other book Kinsella writes, this story has a great story line, memorable characters, & is impossible to put down. This is my favorite book by Sophie Kinsella, which says A LOT, because I love ALL of her books!

I have previously read one other book by Sophie Kinsella, (I Owe You One) and I remembered her characters were funny and the story was a light, easy read so I was happy to pick up another.

This story is about a woman Ava who meets a man at a writer’s retreat and without knowing anything about him due to the strict rules of the retreat, falls in love with him. But when they go back to the real world and learn about each other's real lives, things get complicated.

Right away we learn that Ava believes you only need passion to find the right person after her best friend is using a new dating app that allows you to eliminate people based on very detailed preferences. So right away I assumed that the story line was going to test this theory.

When Ava is at the writer's retreat and falling in love with "Dutch", I kept questioning where this story was going to go. It seemed so out of place and very unrealistic. This was my least favorite part of the story.

Once they return back to their real lives and attempt to keep their relationship going after learning more about each other, the story shifts tones. I enjoyed this part better. I liked the banter with the roommates and friends of the main characters the most.

I liked that this book was funny and light but there were some things that confused me. I feel like this would have been a GREAT rom-com movie, but not my favorite type of book to read.

Love Your Life
A Novel
by Sophie Kinsella
Random House Publishing Group - Random House
The Dial Press
Romance | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 27 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 11 Jan 2021

As I was reading this I could think of several people I know who would enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC.
Great read !

I got a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book. Awkward at times due to the nature of real life, I feel that it so perfectly captured the essence of real life. This made me ache for a true love and gave me all the feels about my own fierce tribe of friends. Kinsella has rarely let me down with her books, and this is no exception. 5 stars.

I loved the characters! I wasn't too sure about the story of meeting someone and seeming to fall completely in love with them after knowing them for such a short amount of time. However, the story seemed to work. I could see where the characters and plot were heading, but it was still a good read.

3.5 stars. I have to say, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. But, at the same time, it also stuck with me for awhile after I finished, and the more I thought about it, the more I really loved the ending. *NOTE* SPOILERS AHEAD!

I really enjoyed the overall plot of how two people who find each other while on a vacation of sorts, seem totally perfect for each other, but when they come back home to the real world and try to make it work they realize they come from almost completely opposite backgrounds and have virtually nothing in common. However, what drove me a little crazy was Ava's unending optimism (being a pessimist myself it grated on my nerves a bit), as well as the stubbornness she displayed in keeping her relationship with Matt going despite what seemed like completely irreconcilable differences. I feel like most people would have abandoned that relationship a LOT faster than they did, and maybe that was the point of this story, but at times I wanted to just stop reading to get away from Ava's positivism and determination. I really liked how both Matt and Ava grew as people and in the end made it work because they loved each other that much (like Ava finishing her book and Matt moving on from the family business to do what he loves). I also loved how her friends also clicked and in the end they all became their own family.

This book had a lot of humor and in the end was a really great love story, and I'm very glad I stuck with it to the end as it was definitely the best part of the story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this advanced reading copy!

Sophie Kinsella never disappoints and the message to love your life is a great lesson to learn through this book. Ava and Matt meet at writing retreat where participants aren't allowed to divulge their real names or any personal information. The two have an instant connection and fall in love. When it's time to return home, they are both thrilled to learn that they both live in London and can continue their relationship in the real world. Unfortunately, their identities from the retreat didn't connect the way they hoped in real life. Ava and Matt have to love their life before they can love each other.

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella didn't quite meet the expectations I had for it. Sophie Kinsella is an auto-buy author for me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one! (Thanks NetGalley!) Sadly, I just didn't love Ava and her friends. Matt and his family didn't seem lovable, either. It was a cute story and I enjoyed it but it wasn't really my favorite. 3 Stars

3.5 Stars!

I'm glad that this book is not at par with her previous releases which sadly, wasn't it for me.

This book has some laugh out loud moments that had me smiling while reading it. Although, do not expect well matured characters because as with her previous books, mostly, the heroines are not.

Still, it was an enjoyable light read especially if you're kind of stress with our current situation. Perfect for chicklit lovers.

NOTE: I received a free advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another stand-alone book from the author of the Shopaholic series. Ava falls in love during a writers' retreat in Italy but can love survive back at home in the real world? Usually I have to really like a main character to like a book, but I enjoyed this one despite being completely frustrated by Ava's being a total ditz who seemed out of touch with the real world. In a way, I wish the book was told by Dutch/Matt's POV so we could get a better read into what he was thinking when Ava was nutso. I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters and wish we had seen them more, particularly Matt's roommates. If you like Kinsella's other books or just enjoy a decent beach read, this is a good choice.

I have been reading Sophie Kinsella for almost 20 years. I must have aged out of her target audience as I didn’t relate to these characters or the story. Ava and Matt meet under anonymous circumstances. They feel an undeniable connection but can their relationship survive in the real world? This story was predictable and I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous work.

True to Sophie Kinsella form, this book was light and fun. Ava was so likable and I really enjoyed her perspective. It was fun to follow her. However, I did get a little bored at times and it was hard to push through from lack of excitement.

Sophie Lindella never disappoints. This book is fun and funny, honest and heartwarming. You find yourself cheering on all the characters and hoping for a happy ending.

Love Your Life has the most challenging book to finish— and I’m so glad I read to the last page! I am an avid fan of Sophie Kinsella so I jumped on reviewing one of her books. This book started slow for me but the pace picks up quickly. This book is full of warmth and laughter. The characters all stole a piece of my heart. Of course it wouldn’t be a Kinsella effort without a truly exceptional heroine and a steadfast squad. I turned the last page with a wistful sigh— until the next book, SK!

Although this was definitely not my favourite of Sophie Kinsella's, I still enjoyed it. Her books always make me giggle a bit and I find I just whip through them. I didn't feel as though this one had a very engaging plot line and the ending seemed quite rushed and unbelievable....but I really enjoyed the quirky characters as usual.
Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I really liked the beginning of the book. Ava travels to Italy for a writing workshop. There she meets "Dutch". They aren't allowed to use their first names or make small talk to save their creativity and energy for writing. Ava and Dutch have a whirlwind romance in Italy and wait until they are back at home to really learn about each other. Amazingly, they both live in London and that's when they begin to find out they don't have much in common, I felt they lost their chemistry when they returned to London. Also Ava was needy and annoying.. There are some awkward, funny scenes between them meeting each other's friends and family. One of my favorite parts was when their friends met each other. I would like more scenes like that.

Y’all, "Love Your Life,” let me tell you-

I’ve outgrown Sophie Kinsella. I had a sneaky feeling this had happened.

Fifteen years ago, I couldn’t handle the Shopaholic series. Who has that kind of money? I couldn’t relate, so I moved to her stand alones: Twenties Girl, Undomestic Goddess, Can You Keep a Secret, I’ve Got Your Number, and lastly, and my favorite although strongly the most problematic, Remember Me. I then moved on to meatier, more explicit waters to be found in Sarah MacLean, Julie Anne Long, etc.

I had heard that Sophie Kinsella’s more recent books were worth a second look, so I jumped at the chance to read her latest. I was sadly unimpressed.

I feel like Sophie Kinsella has her heroines rather type-casted: silly, scattered and rather girlish. Not to mention so damn determined to be cheery, especially in awkward situations where I were normally keep my mouth shut, they babble on about how great whatever they are hearing is.

I didn’t like the heroine from the start. She wins the award for being scattered because she can’t complete anything she starts. She worked for insurance or something but wants to be an author, and an aromatherapist and like, idk, master knitter, or whatever the current trend is. I know this is part of her arc, but it drove me crazy. She is also boy crazy like she’s a giggling 15 year old with braces, sneaking aol messages to boys without her parents knowing.

Our hero is not great either. He’s kind of a wiener actually. So, at the beginning (and this isn’t really a spoiler to the story, just a detail) he is a misplaced karate kid whose retreat was canceled so he joins the heroines writers retreat, also hosted at the same location. Well, there is a scene where they have to give a monologue and he gets really into his, telling someone off and y’all, he friggin' jumps in the air and does a karate kick. Like, I guess to accentuate how upset he is? What a weirdo. How is she attracted to a guy to, who when he gets lost in the moment, DOES A KARATE KICK?! It’s hilariously ridiculous. Sigh. What a lunatic.

Anyway, they kissed, whatever.

I haven’t laughed out loud in a while so the unexpected funny scenes and the sometimes cringe-worthy scenes (like the time they were asked to share their creative writing love scene during their writing retreat and Aria’s and Dutch’s impressions were juxtaposed--such humorous and fun light) will make you want to read some more. This is my first Kinsella novel so I have no basis for comparison.

As something labeled a romance novel, there’s more depth and complexity to the relationships in the novel. Some may seem predictable but it’s all entertaining nonetheless and worth reading. I just had to find out how this relationship of two completely different yet likable characters as well as all the side characters (friends and roommates).

Read this and get lost in the drama of the characters' lives that Kinsella captures so well in the dialogue that flows and the sheer humor and humanity of her characters. It’s complicated. Just read it and laugh. You might secretly wish you were on the receiving end of Ava’s rescue mission in life or you might be inspired to venture forth and find what’s important in your life...and work something to completion.
Target audience? Late-twenties to mid-thirties facing possible life crisis or relationship crisis
Four stars (I round up) for sheer entertainment and fun characters despite predictability of plot.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #LoveYourLife.