When Aria and Dutch meet at a writer’s retreat in Italy sparks fly, and the two quickly find themselves in the midst of a whirlwind romance. Things just seem to “click” between them. (Proof once and for all that meeting in person trumps dating apps, or so Aria thinks.) So when the vacation ends, they’re determined to keep the romance alive and their relationship afloat when they return to England.

But being thrust back into reality comes with its own challenges – ones neither of them could have anticipated.

“Aria” and “Dutch” are really Ava and Matt – and, as becomes quickly apparent, are very different than their vacation alter-egos. Worse, they seem to be complete opposites… about everything! Can they reconcile their differences now that they’re out of the honeymoon phase, or will their relationship only ever be a vacation fling?

I’ve been a big fan of Sophie Kinsella’s writing for a long time! I remember reading Confessions of a Shopaholic as a preteen and absolutely adoring Becky Bloomwood and her – what my 14-year-old self thought was very realistic and relatable (haha) – money troubles. Since then I’ve read a number of Kinsella’s other books, and enjoyed them all to varying amounts.

And even still, this book surprised me! I had a lot of fun reading Love Your Life – more fun than I’ve had in a good long while! There were points when I physically laughed out loud.

The first aspect of this book that really excited me was the premise; it was just so unique! Most romance novels end with the couple getting together. But that’s how this story begins. I also found it really refreshing to have a novel focus on what happens after the “happily ever after.” Having to negotiate and make compromises in relationships is super realistic, but Kinsella finds a way to make it sweet and fun.

On top of that it’s hard not to root for Ava and Matt to work things out. Both characters have their flaws, sure, but they’re also very sweet, kindhearted people that you just want the best for. Even though they’re obviously total opposites in a lot of ways, they were also so perfectly matched that it’s impossible to not want them to end up together.

I also loved all the other characters in this novel. Both sets of friends were really great. I would totally watch a TV show of Ava and her three best friends taking on London together and the hijinx that would inevitably ensue, a la Sex and the City. Kinsella did a great job of making all the characters – both small and big – feel real and unique. Their colourful personalities reeled me in, making this book impossible to put down!

Love Your Life is the perfect mix of cute, fun, and heartfelt. With likeable characters you can’t help but root for and a great premise, this novel sets itself apart; a really enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher, Dial Press/Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5/5 stars

Sophie Kinsella is always a sure thing when you’re in the mood for pure escapism and this was no exception. It’s a fun and breezy romcom with several laugh-out-loud moments and an entertaining cast of endearingly ridiculous supporting characters.

As a romance though, it didn’t quite work for me. Even accepting the instalove at the beginning (never ever my favorite), I was never convinced by the development of Ava and Matt’s relationship as they eventually did get to know one another. We pretty much only got to see them during times of conflict and I struggled to see why they even liked each other and wanted to stay together. Ava in particular I found incredibly irritating and immature.

That said, I did really enjoy the ending and thought it was very sweet – I just wish it had felt a bit more earned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a huge Kinsella fan. I have read all her books and enjoyed them immensely. Sadly, this one did not do it for me. It was just okay. I didn't warm up to the main characters and it was lacking the trademark humor of her previous books. Maybe I have high expectations for Kinsella, but I felt a little let down.

Quote: “You should always be thinking: This is OK…but what else could I be doing?” 

Thanks @netgalley and Dial Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I’ve read and listen to a couple Sophie’s books. At first,this book was so hard to keep up. With this book, I discovered that I hate instant love in books and this book hace this since the beginning. The main character was so annoying and it felt like a couple without chemistry.

We follow Ava who went to a writing retreat because she wants to write a novel. In the retreat she then meets Matt and they fell instantly. When they get back from the retreat, they decide to start a relationship and things goes from there. 

I rolled my eyes every time Ava did something. Although I found her annoying and really hard optimistic, I could relate to her on other aspects of her personality. For example: the overthinking and forcing relationships in life.  

At the end, I started to feel emphatic towards the characters but didn’t like the end at all. The ending was a little bit rushed and they change in personality to accommodate the others personality and it was a little bit unrealistic to me.

Wonderful, Sophie Kinsella at her best. This was just the book I wanted to read, a pure totally escape. Delightful and witty and wise.

A fun and unexpected story! This was my first book by this author and it certainly won't be my last!

I really wanted to love this, as I'm a fan of the author's Shopaholic series. And while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. There was nothing particularly wrong with this book, it just didn't grab my attention in the way I was hoping it would. The first section where they're at the writing retreat was significantly more interesting than when they returned to their normal lives.

Love Your Life is charming and generally delightful for fans familiar with Sophie Kinsella's novels. Ava, a perpetual optimists, meets Matt, a definite realist, on a writer's retreat in Italy. At the retreat guests remain anonymous and Ava and Matt (or rather their pseudonyms Aria and Dutch) fall for each other and decide to continue their relationship post retreat.  They feel they're perfect for each other but what happens when their real lives mingle? That is the heart of this book-loving your life as is but how willing are you to compromise for others? Regular Kinsella readers will recognize the slightly disaster-prone Ava as she is somewhat familiar and similar to Kinsella's other protagonists but she is also a bit more independent and fiercely loyal to those she loves-especially her beagle Harold.  

If you're looking for a lighter read pick this one up-it's sure to make you smile.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

DNF 2 hours into the audio.

There aren't actual issues I can point to other than that I'm bored, which obviously means I'm not connection to the voice or the romance that's happening. It also makes me twitch that she's not even trying to write on this retreat she paid for.

This book was such a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and now I just wish I could travel in real life! But it felt vivid and was such a lovely story.

I hate giving reviews like this, especially when I really love the author's other works. And I do. I love Sophie Kinsella. Her writing voice is always hilarious to me and witty and quick and relatable. But I just could NOT stand these characters. I didn't understand them at all. Honestly, I got 80% of the way through the book and a couple days went by and I remember that I had never finished it.....that's how little I thought about it because I just didn't care. 

It started out so cute. Ava at this writing retreat, meeting a slew of people. She was uninterested in online dating but is willing to meet someone on this retreat and fall for them....and their secret identity: Dutch. But Dutch is really Matt and it all sort of devolves once they leave the writing retreat and actually learn about each other's true identity.

Except here's where I don't get it. Obviously Ava knew they had secret identities on the writing retreat....it was one of the rules. So, why is she surprised? AND most importantly why doesn't even like Matt once they are off the retreat. I don't get it. I didn't even like Dutch. So how in the world, when he become even less likeable Matt, does she stick around.

Plus, Ava is SO DESPERATE. I couldn't stand it. I am all for a flawed character who needs to grow throughout the book. But she was annoyingly desperate. Which I suppose answers the question why she stayed when Matt was so unlikeable. But what doesn't make sense, is that she doesn't seem desperate at the beginning of the book. It's like her friends and their online dating creates this desperation in her...even when she goes about away from them on the retreat. Which I would think in reality would have been more of a cleansing time, but instead she treats it like a dating retreat.

I don't know. I just didn't connect with the characters at all. If there were cliff notes I could have read to find out the end, I probably would not have finished it.

I'm guessing in a week, I won't even remember that I read this book.

I finished listening to this last night when I couldn’t fall asleep. I never put Sophie Kinsella books on the top of my TBR list, but I always enjoy them when I finally get around to reading them. This was about Ava and Matt - who fall in love on a weeklong writers’ retreat in a Italy. And really, they don’t actually meet until they land in London - they use fake names and don’t share any personal details. In some ways, I could really relate to Ava, and in some ways, I couldn’t relate at all. I enjoyed her and Matt’s unconventional relationship, and I think you would too!

This was such a cute read and a great escape!!  This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more by her.  The characters in this book were so funny and the plot was great as well.  I enjoy reading a book that is light and fun and has witty banter between characters. Well done and a must read.

As someone who doesn't read very many beach/bed read type of books, I really wanted to diversify and try a new genre. I thought it was good and entertaining but i dont't think it is exactly the kinds of entertaining easy reads I look for.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This was not my favourite Sophie Kinsey’s book, and I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. It’s not bad by any means, it’s ok but it just seems to lack something for me. I’m not sure if it was because it was too fluffy with not enough substance, or if I just couldn’t get into the characters. I usually devour these books and I struggled to finish this one. 

Probably just a blip and I’ll definitely continue to check out more from this author.

This started out strong with Ava & Matt having real chemistry in an Italian writing retreat but when they return I couldn’t connect with Matt. Even with the ending I just couldn’t connect with him. Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I do love a main character who LOVES her dog.

However, I didn’t connect to Ava on any other wavelength. At times I thought she was downright annoying, at best. And perhaps that was the goal, however it fell a bit flat for me. I never found myself rooting hard for her, or for her relationship. I did find the secondary characters entertaining and perhaps more likable, and the friendships well-developed. 

Did I mention she loves her dog? That I *can* get behind.

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella is a light, feel-good romcom.  Ava has not had much luck with dating apps and decides she needs to focus on herself.  She goes on a writing retreat and meets "Dutch."  They have a real connection in Italy, but when they get back to London they face some issues.   I wasn't sure about this book at first--all the characters seemed rather annoying to me.  But, once I got about halfway through, I actually started enjoying the story and the characters, and I found the ending to be very heartwarming.  Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy.  All opinions are my own.

I'm at the 20% point with this book. So far, there's no conflict, there's nothing at stake, and I haven't laughed once (or even smiled). I'm bored, and I'm not going to keep reading just because this is Sophie Kinsella. DNF.

If you ever find yourself in need of a zany and ridiculous rom-com, don't ever look any further than Sophie Kinsella. I've been a fan of hers for over twelve years now and have read every single one. And while this wasn't one of her best, it certainly was a great time.

Right off the bat, you know you are in for a rocky relationship. Ava and Matt meet on a writing retreat in Italy under the secret names of Aria and Dutch, and hit it off immediately. Like, declaring their undying love for each other by the end of the week hit it off. But it's a bit of a punch in the gut when it turns out the real-life details aren't all so compatible. From differences of opinion on art, tidiness, food, beds, dogs, suddenly there are a lot of dealbreakers for this couple to work through.

Part of what makes Sophie Kinsella's book so fun is that the circumstances her characters fall into are so over-the-top. These things would never happen to people, and yet they actually could. It's such a fine line for her to walk in where she takes Ava and Matt. From poor first impressions on the parents to sleeping over for the first time to run in's with the ex … it's a delightful sort of cringe. Even the secondary characters are perfectly balanced between caricatures and genuine. They have strong personalities that make each of them stand out and hold their own against the star players. Do I wish her main characters weren't all so similar in tone and personality? I'm starting to, with each one I read.

Look, mad props to Kinsella for pulling this one off. If one thing is glaringly clear, it's that Ava and Matt are 99% incompatible. Their lifestyles and choices are practically night and day from the other, and you can't help but wonder how on earth they're going to get a happy ending. There's just no way it's possible. But Kinsella brought it home. Despite all the trials and hardships, the character growth made this a very satisfying story.

Even though I received an ARC, I chose to listen to the audiobook instead. The narrator was great for this! Fiona Hardingham brought these characters to life well and made it easy to follow along with.