I want the publisher to know that even though this one probably won't get as many positive reviews as her other books, I will always read what Sophie Kinsella writes! This one just wasn't a hit for me. I really didn't like Ava. I didn't find her endearing at all and it really took away from the story. I also didn't laugh out loud like I usually do with a Sophie Kinsella book, and the romance just didn't work for me. The ending felt a little weird to me, but I will say that the plotting for the rest of the story was very well done.

After her unsuccessful attempts with dating, Ava decides to put aside love and focus on writing her novel. She sets out to a remote writers retreat in Italy, leaving behind her best friends and beloved beagle Harold. The rules of the retreat are simple: no cell phones and no sharing real identities or personal information. When a martial arts retreat being held at the same location gets canceled, some of the students join the writing course. Ava now called Aria meets Dutch (Matt), who appears to be her perfect mach. Their relationship quickly turns into a romantic fling with both professing their love for one another. As the retreat comes to an end, they decide to continue their relationship despite knowing very little about each other. Reality kicks in when Ava and Matt return to their normal lives and quickly realize they don't seem to be compatible at all.

Love Your Life is a charming, fun, and somewhat quirky romance novel in which two people who think they are perfect for each other soon realize they couldn't be more opposite. I don't typically read books from the romance genre, but I wanted something a little more fluffy and upbeat than my usual selections. I have read and enjoyed several of Sophie Kinsella's novels (shopaholic series) in the past. There were definitely some endearing moments and a few times I even laughed out loud but there were also a few themes that were a bit disheartening. Although there were some really loveable moments, the characters are absolutely ridiculous and their interactions after Italy are almost cringe-worthy. I found most of the friends to be quirky and more charming than Ava and Matt and the clever and witty Harold (the Beagle) ended up being my favorite character. Overall this was a fun and flirtatious novel with several laughable moments that I am sure many romance lovers will enjoy.

This was one of my favorite Kinsella novels to date! Her characters are quirky and flawed, with enough redeeming qualities to make them easy to root for. This was a light and fun romance, a bit predictable, but just what I needed.

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella was a light, fun, cute book which I needed in-between everything going on in the world and the darker novels I gravitate towards.

Ava and Matt meet at a writers workshop where they have taken on fake names and can’t speak of anything personal. Despite this, they instantly connect and have a week long romance. When its time to get back to their normal lives, they decide to make this new relationship work.

As they get to know each other, they realize that they might be way more different than they first thought. Are they truly compatible? Or was their week long fling just a vacation romance, not meant to go the distance?

Heres the official synopsis:

Call Ava romantic, but she thinks love should be found in the real world, not on apps that filter men by height, job, or astrological sign. She believes in feelings, not algorithms. So after a recent breakup and dating app debacle, she decides to put love on hold and escapes to a remote writers’ retreat in coastal Italy. She’s determined to finish writing the novel she’s been fantasizing about, even though it means leaving her close-knit group of friends and her precious dog, Harold, behind.

At the retreat, she’s not allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information. When the neighboring martial arts retreat is canceled and a few of its attendees join their small writing community, Ava, now going by “Aria,” meets “Dutch,” a man who seems too good to be true. The two embark on a baggage-free, whirlwind love affair, cliff-jumping into gem-colored Mediterranean waters and exploring the splendor of the Italian coast. Things seem to be perfect for Aria and Dutch.

But then their real identities–Ava and Matt–must return to London. As their fantasy starts to fade, they discover just how different their personal worlds are. From food choices to annoying habits to sauna etiquette . . . are they compatible in anything? And then there’s the prickly situation with Matt’s ex-girlfriend, who isn’t too eager to let him go. As one mishap follows another, it seems while they love each other, they just can’t love each other’s lives. Can they reconcile their differences to find one life together?

In her signature writing style, Sophie Kinsella delivers a perfectly good book that is pure entertainment. Just grab this book and relax for an afternoon of reading! You don’t have to focus on it too hard, just enjoy this sweet and humorous story!



Don’t miss this, due out on October 27!

Love Your Life is an entertaining book. It is a typical Sophie Kinsella book with a cute story line, fun characters, romance, and laughs. Sophie Kinsella's books always make me happy and this is no exception. Love Your Life is a perfect book for something lighter during 2020.

Love Your Life is about a women, Ava, that is done with online dating and goes to a writing retreat in Italy. At the retreat everyone makes up new names and doesn't share any personal information. Ava falls in love with Matt but doesn't know anything about him. After the retreat Ava and Matt find out who the other really is. Do they actually know each other? Will their relationship last?

I highly recommend Love Your Life to all Sophie Kinsella fans and anyone looking for a cute fun story. Anyone looking for a happy story Love Your Life is for you. This book will make you laugh and you will feel like the characters are your friends. Anyone that is a hopeless romantic and sick of online dating will love this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars

I've loved Sophie Kinsella books since the Shopaholic series and this one didn't disappoint.

Ava is a romantic and flits from one thing to the next. Never really finishing anything. She decides to join a writer's retreat in Italy to work on her novel. She meets Dutch, aka Matt, who attended because his martial arts retreat and the same location was cancelled. They fall head over heels for each other.

Once back in the real world, they find out how different they really are. There were times I wanted to slap Ava upside the head because she was so flighty. But can her and Matt make it work? If you want to know, you will have to read the book :)

This was a fun read that I couldn't put down.

4.5/ 5 stars

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors. I'm pretty sure that I've read every book that she has written. So I was beyond excited to read her newest book, Love Your Life.

This book is Chick Lit and takes place in London and Italy. The narrator is Ava (1st person POV).

Ava is quirky and funny and I loved her right from the start. She has a dog named Harold and best girlfriends named Nell, Maud and Sarika.

The book begins with Ava going on a writing retreat. I loved this part of the story.

The author is an expert at writing this type of heroine. Someone silly and charming. But she usually has some habits that border on annoying. So the author has to balance the funny stuff and make sure that it is actually funny. In this case the book is definitely full of mishaps and funny situations. Some of them were great. And a few were just so so for me, until the end when the author tied everything together (she is great at doing this).

I really liked the beginning part of this story. But there was a part in the middle that wasn't quite as enjoyable. I guess I just wasn't expecting it re: the romance. But the second half and end were very strong.

Ava's job is writing pharmaceutical leaflets and online copy. However she has so many other careers that she wants to pursue. She is a bit all over the place in this respect. She wants to write a book. But she also wants to do something with aromatherapy...

Romance is definitely a main part of this story. And for the most part I really enjoyed it. However I was not expecting the middle part of the romance to be like it was. So that took time for me to get used to.

So much of the story is set around her dog, her group of friends, his group of friends, and his family. There is also a serious part of the story re: one of her friends. I thought that this added a lot to the story.

Overall, the end is everything to me. And I found the last part of Love Your Life to be very strong.

I enjoy reading Sophie Kinsella books and this one did not disappoint. Love at first sight, opposite attractions, friends, family, and dogs. In the beginning I was a little bit annoyed with Ava because I felt that no one can be that happy, but as the story moved along you got to see why she was the way that she was. And sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and do something you're not comfortable with. I'm happy with the ending, and enjoyed the story.

Ava, a writer who strongly believes in true love and romance whisks off to a writing retreat in Italy after many failed attempts at dating. While in Italy, meant to be working on her novel, circumstances lead her to meeting Dutch, a mysterious and handsome man who joins the retreat as a late entry. The two have an instant attraction and begin a relationship-maintaining the rules about not sharing any personal information. The whirlwind love affair continues back to London, where Ava and Dutch (Matt) begin to discover each other for their true selves. Quickly, they realize that they aren't who the other thought they were, can they make it through?

I want to start this off by saying I am a huge Sophie Kinsella fan. I own and love all of her books, that's why I was beyond excited when I received this ARC, especially since Ava is my name too (spelt differently, ha)! So it greatly disappoints me to say I could barely make it through this book, I strongly disliked every single character. Everything about this book felt amateurish and if Kinsella hadn't written it, I would've dropped out very early on.

First, the characters. Ava, while good intentioned and loyal, is a mess. I think she was meant to come off as quirky and different, and she does, but she's also annoying, frustrating and delusional. She seems to lack understanding of the world as it happens around her, is attached to her dog in a way that made me cringe and lives this all over the place, super disorganized life. She constantly makes excuses for those around her, claims she's a feminist but allows herself to be treated horribly by her friends and Matt, and continuously stops herself from expressing her true thoughts and feelings. The fact that she "fell in love" so quickly with someone she had zero chemistry with, and claimed to stay in love with that person was so unbelievable. Matt is a liar, he's inconsiderate and secretive. He came off as so bland and boring past the beginning of the book it was hard to read about the relationship with Ava. Again, absolutely zero chemistry between the two. I found the countless friends, I believe who were also written to be different and quirky, annoying, weird and rude in their own way. While I found them realistic, which I appreciated because Ava certainly wasn't, Ava brushed them off and they were present but just odd. Next, the plot. Basically if you want to read a book about two characters who have absolutely nothing in common besides a love of ice cream, with zero chemistry, who in no world should be together, this is the book for you. The entire book is just them realizing they're not meant for each other but staying together anyways. I thought the side plot with Harold just made Ava weirder. Ava is just so naive and all she wanted was to make something work that so clearly wasn't, although it tried, this book was about little else. I do not recommend this read at all. I would rate it 1 star but since I finished I'll rate it a 1.5 rounded up.

It's breathakingly easy for "Aria" and "Dutch" to fall for each other at an Italian retreat. Banned from using their real names or telling personal details, it's all a heady mix of infatuation, swoon and adventure that our star-crossed lovers hope to preserve when they return to their real lives in London. Hijinks ensue...I'm resisting the urge to describe it further because it was very hilarious to follow along with Ava (when she's not Aria) as she learns about Dutch!

I enjoyed Love Your Life, even if it was a little over-the-top at times. I love a book that features friendships and fleshed out supporting characters, and Love Your Life doesn't disappoint! In fact, I was kind of more into the Ava/Dutch's friends more than them? Like I'm ready for a Maud book please! Read this book if you're in the mood for comedy!

I am normally a big Sophie Kinsella fan. Unfortunately, Love Your Life fell flat for me. It wasn’t terrible, but the plot was a bit lackluster. I liked Ava, the main character, but I also found her to be a bit young in her thinking. Maybe I’m just too old to relate to her character. Everyone loves a happily ever after, and this didn’t disappoint. I just wanted more of a “meat and potatoes” plot. I am thankful to have had the chance to read an advanced copy. Thank you!

I always look forward to a new release from Sophie Kinsella, and Love Your Life did not disappoint! I finished it in one weekend, as I was unable to put it down. As always, be prepared to laugh! Her books come with so much lighthearted humor, which I think everyone can use right about now. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it’s beautiful ending!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

While Love Your Life is certainly cute and fun, there were moments where I didn’t feel fully convinced of Matt and Ava’s relationship and love for each other.... I still found the story to be heartwarming and adorable. In some parts I longed to back on that Italian beach with them but still with the read. I’d put this one in your bag next time you head to the beach! As always, Kinsella shines with her characters and wit!

Love Your Life was just the kind of book I needed in these stressful times. A bit formulaic for Sophie Kinsella, perhaps, but a formula I always enjoy. Nell and Topher were great side characters; we had an appropriate villainess, some difficult parents to sort out, and a connection with an older character who just needs to be seen. If you liked Shopaholic (the early ones), this is in the same vein. Perhaps a sequel? Let's hope so.

When I see a new Sophie Kinsella book, I reach for it RIGHT THAT SECOND. "Love Your Life" once again shows why she is the queen of romance.

I still have shivers, it was that much fun.

I felt that I could truly relate to Ava, a hopeless romantic unsuited for the digital world of dating, or... the digital world, in general. As the blurb beautifully sums up, "he believes in feelings, not algorithms," So, as she goes on a writers' retreat in Italy, she fits perfectly into the 'camp' where no one is even allowed to use their real names. In this totally different setting, Ava meets a man - one who literally couldn't be more different from her. He is hella annoying, lacks manners and has a drastically different lifestyle. Will their relationship survive the dreamy Italian adventure?

Honestly, I'm so glad I picked up this book which made me laugh out loud (in public places). The awkward situations that result from the couple's differences are... awkward AF, and therefore hilarious and lighthearted.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will read anything written by Sophie Kinsella. That said, I don't always enjoy them Sadly, this was one of those times. The book was just meh/okay for me. I really really enjoyed the first part of the book (until Ava and Matt returned to "real life"). After that, I didn't really care for either Ava or Matt or their story. I did enjoy the ending and found myself wanting to read more about the friends! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I confess -- I love Sophie Kinsella's books and enjoy her style of writing. This book was true to form, with a lovely happily-ever-after ending.

True to form, there's a female lead character who falls for a guy and hits rocky roads in the relationship. But it all works out in the end. Which is just what I need in these dark days...a light hearted story about two kind, earnest, deeply in love people who fight their way through troubled waters to a happy ending.

I wanted to read a fun book and this book hit the spot. The main character Ava is a quirky writer who goes on a writing retreat and meets the man of her dreams. When they come home to real life, things get real and their differences sure stand out. Will they stay together or will their differences win?

I love this author and wanted to love this book but I did not love it but I did not hate it either. It was a struggle for me in parts. Some of the characters were so negative and unlikable in parts. This did read pretty fast though. IT was good.

In this lighthearted, fun novel, we follow protagonist Ava as she prepares for an Italian writing retreat to finish her book following a disastrous string of bad dates and relationships. She's going there to strictly focus, however, all that goes out the window as soon as "Dutch" saunters into the retreat. This book has such an engaging tone and POV that keeps me reading, because she's such a relatable lead. During the anonymous "no personal information given" retreat, Ava as Aria is so taken with this Dutch guy who isn't good at writing but is willing to learn. They cant reveal any personal details, yet they keep flirting and it's getting precious. It's a cute, steamy, fun, and indulgent holiday romance that's fun and enjoyable to read. Aria and Dutch have such an undeniable pull and connection, which makes for a sweeping romance. The holiday part only lasts for the beginning, and most of the story sees them attempt to bring their holiday fling back to their vastly different real-world lives, dogs, jobs, exes, family, and all. Outside the retreat bubble, Ava and Matt (his real name) try to meld their lives and figure out if their vacation love is real and enough. It's a fast read that I couldn't put down and ended up finishing in a single sitting. The rose-colored glasses of their holiday romance wears off, but neither of them want to split because they believe they are meant to be and this is real, despite being polar opposites in nearly every sense. Together, they've managed to expand each other's views, and that's real love: That you can accept that what you think isn't the end-all-be-all that you think it might be, but rather that they could try something new and still accept one another. It's like more than just a romance between Ava and Matt, but as they make each other better as individuals and it's just cute as hell.

It's not an easy love story, because hey life isn't easy, and I think that's why I loved it so much. It's honest, vulnerable, and authentic. It's funny, witty, romantic, emotional, and heartfelt. So many emotions in one book and that's why I fell hard for this book. Wow, just incredible. It's not just a happy, sugary-sweet romance but we see raw emotions and growth from both sides, and that's what makes it special. I didn't want the story to end, I wanted more and just to see where else there love story and journey goes whether together or apart, well, hopefully together, because that ending was precious.

This book gives me all the inspiration to write more, finish more, and move past by seemingly crippling case of writer's block.