If you love Sophie Kinsella, you will love this book -- and it is also a good introduction to this author for those of you who haven't read any of her books yet. Ava is a little scattered -- she can't seem to launch her career or her love life. She goes away for a week to a writer's conference in Italy, determined to write a novel. She meets "Dutch," and falls instantly in love with this man of mystery. Can their love survive real life back in London? It's a rough road, with lots of twists and turns, and lots of fun in this lighthearted romance.

Fans of Sophie Kinsella will certainly enjoy reading her newest book, Love Your Life. The main character, Ava (who is very reminiscent of Becky from the Shopaholic series in her tone and attitude), meets the perfect man and falls in love at an anonymous writing retreat. However, when they return to their real life, things aren't quite as rosy as they seemed at first. While ultimately predictable, this book did a great job of delving into the ups and downs of a relationship as well as examining the question of 'how much compromise is too much?'. Overall, a great read!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Although absolutely operating in different interpretations of "land", Ava and Matt believed in their love and were committed to each other. Ava certainly is scatty and had a hard time finishing anything unless it pertained to Harold. However, no one can argue about her optimism and the size of her heart. She opened Matt's eyes to new perspective as to how you can view life and that he can strike his own path. I was glad that Ava went back to Italy and achieved her goal. In achieving their separate dreams, they became stronger as a couple. A truly happy novel.

This is my first time reading anything by Sophie Kinsella. I know, I am very behind. I recently got into the romance genre and she comes highly recommended. I can totally see why!

From the second I started this book, I was hooked! Dutch and Aria are away at a writer's retreat in Italy and they perfect couple from day 1. The catch? They use aliases while on the retreat, so they don't know each others real names. They decide to jump head first into the fantasy and agree not to share personal details while on the trip. I had butterflies in my stomach from the moment they connect. They go on a dreamy first date, that is very Mamma Mia meets Sisterhood of the Traveling pants vibe. Dutch is such a big strong lovable teddy bear, and Aria is a marvelous author-to-be, who loves to live in a fantasy world. It is everything you could ever want from a romance novel.

This is where the book gets a little crazy, and the reason for the so-so review.
Aria, who is actually named Ava, and Dutch, who is actually Matt leave their dreamland of Italy and head back into the real world. From the moment they land, you know they are in trouble. Ava's crazy best friends show up and cause absolute chaos and the airport, no thanks to Harold, her crazy dog. Matt also immediately runs into a work situation and they are pulled in separate directions.

Ava, who once came off as whimsical, became really annoying and unlikeable to me. She lived in such a dream world, I felt myself getting secondhand embarrassment from her actions. She was easily the most arrogant person in the book, and called everyone else arrogant. She could never see her own faults, only others, and refused to live in the real world. She constantly was whining and acting like a child. It drove me nuts.

Matt on the other hand, had an entire personality change once they got home. He was stiff as a rock, couldn't relax, and got so mad about EVERYTHING. I understand that Italy was a vacation, but I am not THAT different on vacation. It was almost unbelievable.

The story lost a bit of it's spark with both characters being so unlikeable. The side characters, like Matt's roommates were more interesting than listening to these people fight.

SPOILER: The story turned around when they finally talked through their issues. It became much more realistic to me, and I was back aboard, shipping Ava and Matt yet again. The ending actually made me shed a tear.


OVERALL: If you are a fan of Sophie's already, you will love this book. It was a wonderfully original romance novel that made me laugh out loud multiple times. Although the characters were maddening at times, it made me get immersed in the story more because I needed to see how it would turn out between them!

Thank you Sophie, Netgalley, and Dial Press for lending me an early copy! I am honored!!

The first part of Love Your Life is like a bachelor dream date love story set in one of the most picturesque parts of Italy, Puglia, with its warm sunshine and Mediterranean cliffs and mouth watering gelato…but then real life sets in. When free-spirited Ava and the more serious Matt return to London, they continue to get to know each other, and realize that their lives are a lot different outside of the perfect vacation bubble they created back in Italy. Filled with funny and awkward moments, quirky characters, and the perfect ending - Love Your Life has all the things I’ve come to expect and love from Sophie Kinsella novels!

Typical Sophie Kinsella fluff with romance and light hearted read. Fans of a good beach read will appreciate this title.

Ava is a starter—she started an aromatherapy course, she’s going to sell her Batik prints on Etsy, she’s writing a book—but not much of a finisher. Love Your Life begins with Ava leaving for a writing retreat in Italy, where she meets the dishy Dutch, who ended up in the course when his martial arts retreat was cancelled. They fall for each other on vacation, with rules about not talking about their lives at home. Uhh, recipe for disaster. The rest of the book is them getting to know each other and deciding if this is really going to work or not (spoiler: they don’t have much in common).
Typical of Sophie’s books (I have a hard time calling her by her last name, I feel like we're friends), she introduces us to quirky lovable characters. Ava is erratic and a rescuer (she rescues dogs, books, furniture), a militant vegetarian who thinks everyone else should be, too, but she has a big heart and is a loyal friend. The scene where she’s reading to Dutch from this relationship book that she found, that isn’t a relationship book at all but is really a travel guide entitled, In a Strange Land: How to Acclimate to a New Country, is really the epitome of her worldview, and so funny. Her friends don’t get nearly as many pages as she does, but we still get a great sense of who they are—Maud the asker-of-favors, Sarika the controller (her dating algorithm kind of takes your breath away), and Nell who speaks her mind yet doesn’t scare anyone away. Then there is Dutch, whose real name, well, I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s not Jean-Luc, and his friends. We see even less of them in the book, yet still by the end we see how well they fit in with Ava’s friends. Then there are villains—Dutch’s family and ex-girlfriend—who turn out to be not quite so bad, or at least comical in their badness. While this isn’t my favorite of Sophie Kinsella’s books (head for Can you Keep a Secret? if you want her best, and sorry, but stay away from the Shopaholic series), and I think the title isn’t quite right, I still devoured the book and come away wishing I knew these people in real life.

Typical Sophie Ronald. Ava meets a Matt at a writers' retreat and they fall in love. They are determined to make it work, but in the real world, they see that they do not mesh at all. Ava is a romantic who loves her dog and lives in a apartment that consists of thrift store finds. Matt lives in a modern apartment with scary artwork and is astonished to learn that she is a vegetarian. Their families, friends and lives do not seem to mesh, but they are determined to make it work.

Sophie Kinsella has created another must read story. Ava is a free spirit who starts many things but never quite gets around to finishing them. Matt is more of a Type A personality, down to only wearing blue shirts. They meet at a writers workshop in Italy, where everything is magical. They are happy to find out that they both live in London and can easily continue the relationship. But reality gets in the way as both Ava and Matt discover things that they don’t like about the other. Will they be able to get past those issues or will they even be willing to try? You’ll enjoy the journey!

Love your Life by Sophie Kinsella brings forth all the good things about the genre, humor, relatable characters, and a wonderful storyline. The story is about Ava and Matt, two people who are drawn to each other despite their different personalities, backgrounds, and differences of opinion in just about anything. They are supported by a cast of characters who are equally interesting and well- developed.
Ava and Matt meet at a writer's retreat in Italy, and sparks fly instantly. But when they come back to London (and reality), cracks begin to appear in the relationship. What follows is a journey of self-discovery and what it means to love someone unconditionally. Ava and Matt's characters are beautifully developed and well-rounded. The pacing and storyline flow naturally. But one of the best things about this book is the humor, and once again, the author does not disappoint. The incidents with the chair in Ava's house or sauna at Matt's home are hilarious. The book is alternately funny and poignant in the best possible way. I am a librarian, and we have many patrons who love Sophie Kinsella. Then, there are those patrons who ask for reader's advisory about books that are women's fiction or books with lots of humor. I will recommend this book to them.

A very cute read! Sophie Kinsella’s characters are always so relatable! Great book to read while relaxing on the beach!

I LOVE Sophie Kinsella. Some of her books I would consider my very favorite in my life of reading and she truly made me fall in love with Chick Lit. It pains me to not love her book but I'll be honest, I probably only gave this 3 stars because it was a Kinsella, I started off liking it okay, and I did finish it. If you had given me this book without an author I would have never guessed it was a Sophie Kinsella book as it had a more immature feel to it. Looking back at the past few books I'm wondering if I'm just not compatible with Kinsella's new writing style.
I have conflicting feelings as there were cute parts in the beginning/end and cute parts sprinkled throughout with some funny bits but as a whole I couldn't connect and found myself feeling meh. The biggest issue is I didn't really like any of the characters 80% of the time. Ava was a mess and I know it was suppose to be quirky but it came out annoying to me. Normally we would cheer for her on her growth but it felt a little meh. Matt became boring most the time with a few sweet moments. Ava's friends were not fun to read about. My favorites were Matt's roommates, esp Topher. But as this book had some moments that made me smile and overall I did root for Ava and Matt, I don't regret reading it.
Of course I will continue to read Kinsella's books! She's one of my favorites. I've just been disappointed in 4 of the last 5 books which breaks my heart. I just want us to get back to the earlier writing style as it was perfect!

I have always been a fan of Sophie's ever since I read my first Shopaholic book! Love Your Life did not disappoint!
Ava-Londoner, single, 30-something, dog lover, vegetarian...finds herself on a once in a lifetime writing adventure in Italy. As luck would have it at the same hotel, another workshop has just canceled, and several of their participants choose to join the writing workshop. Amongst them is super hot, super muscular "Dutch" whom Ava is immediately taken to. Ava and Dutch start a relationship while in Italy and decide to continue it once they return to London. They know little about each other as the workshop is meant to be focused on writing and not on the persons involved in it. As they return to London they Ava starts to realize that Dutch aka. Matt, is the epitome of everything she did NOT want in a boyfriend. Meat eater, golfer, and not the biggest fan of her true love, her dog Harold. What I really love about this book is how the not so perfect perfect relationship is put to the test. It is a story that really explores the boundaries of true love and two people who are meant to be together despite the odds. I barely could put this book down the whole night after I started reading. Had it not been so late I probably would have read it the whole way through in one sitting! If you believe in true love, READ THIS BOOK!

What’s the best way to find the a romantic partner? Algorithms and filters on a dating app, or an open heart and serendipity?

In Sophie Kinsella’s latest novel, “Love Your Life,” young Londoner Ava would never go with the algorithm. She’s a freewheeling, quirky, whimsical kind of gal. When she meets the "perfect man" on a writing retreat in Italy, their effortless romance proves her right, or so she thinks.

Kinsella is writing at the top of her game as she brings her relatable main characters, Ava and Matt, firmly back down to earth in London, as they find out how incompatible they are in every way. Their personalities are polar opposites. Harold, Ava’s spoiled and destructive rescue beagle, wreaks havoc. Matt’s bullying parents and the family business pose obstacles that seem insurmountable, despite Ava’s cheerful determination. A blonde ex-girlfriend of Matt’s, Genevieve, is a spokesperson for the family company, and Matt’s parents want Matt and Genevieve back together. Ava is a vegetarian, and Matt’s an unapologetic carnivore. As Kinsella did throughout her "Shopaholic" series and in other novels, she spins a web of hilarious complications and makes the reader wonder, “how will they ever get out of this?”

With warm humor and hilarious banter (including a delightful supporting cast of girlfriends and guy roommates), Matt and Ava are each forced to grow up, break old patterns, and figure out what will work for their lives and ambitions. Kinsella keeps the reader guessing until the very end, and triumphs with a surprise ending that melted my heart. Highly recommended.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley and was encouraged to submit a review.

What a wonderful book! I am a huge Sophie Kinsella fan and this book did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the main characters and was quickly brought into the story by Kinsella's phenomenal writing. The world is a scary place right now, and this is the perfect book to escape into. I ended it with a smile on my face and laughed out loud quite a few times while reading it. Kinsella really is a timeless author. I'm so happy she gave us a new book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the free ARC!

This was a classic Sophie Kinsella and it was enjoyable to read! The premise of the book is a classic girl meets guy on vacation and they have a world wind romance without finding out any details about each other. And then they decide to make in work in the “real” world when they finish their vacation. Ava and Matt , our two main characters are so incredibly different in the real world that they struggle to find that common footing ! Of course all their problems could be solved with communication but Ava decides that they should not talk about baggage stuff and live in the here and now, which obviously back fires on her, sometimes it was struggle to not yell at the characters to just talk about your issues!! The story really journeys through the idea of can you be with someone without knowing their entire history or much about them which I think Sophie does a great job at describing.

Along with Ava and Matt, Sophie created this wonderful group of secondary characters who are all very unique and depth to the story and by the end of the book I just wanted to end up know more about their stories as well! One of the characters who really stole the show for me was Harold... the dog ! He is just .... a special kind of dog for sure! This book had a lot of laughed out loud moments in it and the dialogue is witty and fun to read!

This is your perfect laid back reading material and if you are already a fan of Sophie Kinsella than you are going to love this!!

Opposites attracting is an understatement for these two totally different people. In Love Your Life, Ava and Matt navigate a relationship upon their return from a magical holiday. Ava’s free spirit and Matt’s structured life collide, while Harold the dog intensifies the chaos that exists between them. Sophie Kinsella presents a hilarious take on what happens when the initial relationship bubble bursts and couples have to face reality. A quick fun read that reminds us to Live our Best Life.

Matt and Ava meet during a magical week in Italy at a writing retreat. They fall in love while frolicking on beaches, building rock towers, and staying up all night with each other all while revealing no personal details about each other. When it is time to return to their real lives they decide they are going to make it work.
Back home they launch right into the middle of a serious relationship, and yet they still barely know each other. Obviously, this causes some rocky patches in their relationship, lots of fighting over work, clutter, and exes. Can the two make it work or was their week in Italy just a magical blip between 2 incompatible people in real life.

This is not among my favorite Sohphie Kinsella books; it lacks a lot of the charm of her best work. The main characters are not that likable; at the end Ava describes herself as having been shrill toward Matt and she was. She is very optimistic and sees her own life through rose colored glasses and yet yells at and is critical of Matt for him not having all of his life together. I found in the end I didn't really care whether they ended up together or now I was much happier when 2 of the supporting characters found love.

I am not the right audience for this book. The writing just seems so simplistic and the story boring. Sorry, but I tried. I'm sure we'll buy it for the patrons who will enjoy it. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I flew through the first half of this book, thinking to myself that Kinsella has redeemed herself after some of her previous books have been let downs for me. I laughed out loud more than once and that's what I love about her quirky writing and characters.
Then Ava just started to get down right whiny, annoying and I wanted her to grow up. I adored Ava & Matt's friends and the dog Harold- they made the entire book for me.
The plot seemed a little weak and underdeveloped for me but overall it was a fun and lighthearted read and I'll always read what Sophie Kinsella writes, I just will.

Love Your Life is out in October! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for my advanced ebook copy.