Thank You NetGAlley/Publisher & Author for this gifted e-book!

Summary--
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.

Review--
This book is Chick Lit and takes place in London and Italy. The story is based around & told by Ava.
This was a very cute loving romance book. I enjoyed this book alot. It was cute, funny, enjoyable.
Worth the time to read for sure.

Rating--3/5

Matt and Ava go separately to Italy for a retreat and meet there with fake names as per the rules at retreat. Their relationship kicks off right away and without knowing even their names or background they fall in love. On returning back home, they realize both of them have previous baggage they need to deal with first. They set up rules and try to make the relationship work. They face many hurdles in their path.

It took some time for me to get involved in the plot but after 15%, the drama kicks in and makes the book very engaging. Ava is a kind of quirky female who is mostly sweet and cute but seemed a bit all over in her life. Matt was an entirely carefree person in Italy but the opposite stuck-up person in London. But I felt Matt's personality is more understandable and I could understand why he did things that way. The best part is both their friends who had amazing moments in the book and also a great support system. They are absolutely hilarious. Each friend has a very different personality that made the whole set up interesting. I also enjoyed the drama brought in by Matts' parents and his ex-girlfriend. It did seem like one of the Bollywood movies I had watched with an almost similar storyline.

Overall, it was definitely juicy and fun. It is a light and quick read!

Sophie Kinsella is back!! I loved this book. So funny. Out loud giggling funny. Just so heartwarming and fun.. I shed a few tears as well. I loved Ava and Matt. How they met, their relationship journey❤️And Harold! Geez funny, crazy, naughty Harold. Reminds me of my pupper. I loved Ava’s and Matt’s friends too. I’ve read all of Sophie’s books. My most favorite was Can you keep a secret and this book is just as good! Enjoy! What a great read!

I have been a fan of Sophie Kinsella for a long time, so I was very excited to read her new book. I must admit I liked the beginning section in Italy much more than the rest when they were back in London. I understand Ava and Matt had their issues, but Ava and all her quirks started to wear thin for me. A few are fine but sometimes she felt like a caricature of what the author thought a quirky female heroine should be.

Well, I've really been procrastinating about writing this review. I don't enjoy writing semi-negative reviews.

I liked the first part of the book, when Ava was at the writing retreat and she was known as "Aria". When the romance was blooming between Aria and Dutch, their characters were fun and like-able, and you were rooting for them. Once they returned to the real world however, and they became completely different people, it was unclear to me why they were so committed to making the relationship work. I found Ava to be flighty, judgmental, and very irritating. I'm still not sure why anyone would want to have Maude as a friend, and don't even get me started on that naughty dog. . . So the middle of the book was not so great for me.

The last part brought it back around, and I was happy with the ending, but unfortunately that large annoying middle part was too much for me to overlook and give a higher rating. Being 1st person POV with Ava was just too exhausting for me.

As always, Kinsella provides the quintessential summer read, Light and lots of fun, the characters are engaging and Kinsella’s style is easygoing as ever.

I was drawn to this title because I've enjoyed books by Sophie Kinsella that I've read in the past and the plot sounded super cute and a bit different from other romances I've read.

The basic premise is that Ava "Aria" is on a writer's retreat in Italy when she meets and instantly falls for Matt "Dutch." One of the big rules of the retreat is anonymity, and so Aria and Dutch follow the rules and engage in a week long whirlwind romance. Upon returning to London, it becomes very clear just how different their lives are and they struggle to keep the magic they felt in Italy alive.

I had a hard time accepting why they would try so hard to stay together in London after their fling when they both appeared miserable. I also think that Matt's personality turned such a complete 180 when they returned while Ava's stayed fairly the same, making me not really enjoy Matt as a character and also (again) having trouble figuring out why they both felt that they *had* to make this relationship work. Both of these issues that I had with the book can be attributed, I think, to the book taking place in the first person POV, so we are only/always in Ava's head.

I will say that I think reader's who are big fans of Sohpie Kinsella will probably still enjoy this book quite a bit. Between quirky characters and hilarious (if not totally cringeworthy awkward) scenes, the romance has all the makings of a light, heartwarming Kinsella novel. This one just didn't work for me. I look forward to reading the next Kinsella novel nonetheless. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am always drawn to Sophie Kinsella books. The minute I see she has a new arrival I am giddy with joy. I admit this had a slow start for me, but once it picked up I could not put it down. Ava and Matt meet on a writing retreat, and while they do know a thing about each other, they soon do once they return to normalcy. They both learn to give and take as any relationship, but can it withstand? Read to find out.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book by the fact that the main character was to attend a writing workshop in Italy, but the setting shifts back to the UK faster than I anticipated. I had also never read a Sophie Kinsella book before, and I obviously know how beloved they can be. It had the same vibe as Bridget Jones's Diary and other British romcom-esque books I've read, so in the beginning I was chuckling along and flying through. After a while though, I felt less like I was laughing with Ava about the ridiculousness of her life, and more like I was laughing *at* Ava about the RIDICULOUSness of her life. There was never a believable reason to understand the foundation of Ava and Matt's relationship beyond lust. They were soo comically different from each other, which of course is the point, but this was taken to a wild extreme. My favorite part of the book was Matt's flatmates, who seemed like the only people I would want to meet in real life.

What an interesting and different premise for a book. I was instantly drawn into the plot and the cast of characters. I did find Ava a little hard to relate to as we have very little in common but I was able to get over it. I liked how it felt as if the readers got a sneak peek as to what happens after the final kiss and I was left feeling very satisfied. Overall a satisfying and heart warming read.

Sophie Kinsella has done it again! Love Your Life follows a complicated relationship between Ava and Matt, and it is filled with endearing characters and a few that you just want to slap. I particularly loved how Kinsella wove the character of Harold, Ava's dog, throughout the book. He was endearing and a key character. Overall, a fun read!

I've been reading Sophie Kinsella's writing for over 15 years: and I have yet to be disappointed! In Love Your Life, we meet Ava, a sweet, scattered woman who attends a writing retreat so she can stop distracting herself with terrible dates and get "that novel" done... and, of course, she meets a handsome man, Dutch, and falls in love. Determined to make it work, they stay together upon their return to London... and realize that they have conflicting lifestyles. I grew attached to Ava--- she was similar to Shopaholic's Becky, except with free items--- and, more importantly, Ava's terribly behaved beagle. Anyone who loves Shopaholic will love this book, or if you're just a fan of lighthearted romances. Thank you so much to netgalley and Random House for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review!

A new Sophie Kinsella book is always exciting! I realized recently that it has been 20 years since her first Shopaholic book and in those 20 years I have read every book she has written. I even recently re=read my favourite of hers, The Undomestic Goddess. More recently however her books have become a bit hit or miss for me. Some have gone on to become absolute favourites, some more middle of the road reads for me.

This book was more of the latter for me.. I took me quite a few chapters to really become engaged with the story and I think the only reason why I didn't absolutely love this book was because it felt rushed. I think it needed a bit more time invested in who the characters are so we understand why they are behaving the way they do. It wasn't enough to just find them in their situation, I couldn't understand what it was about them that was driving them to be so invested in their relationship which left me uninvested in them.

However, like all Sophie Kinsella books, I wouldn't dissuade someone from reading this book. Especially if they are a fan. I would offer a "it's not my favourite, but it's still a good read." Maybe that's a problem of reading an author who writes so many books, you are always comparing the book to their previous works rather than considering it just on its own. But if someone were looking to start reading Kinsella's books, I wouldn't start them with this one. I would rate this book a 3.5 to reflect how I feel about the book but I would round that up to 4 because even when a book isn't what I would consider her best, a book by Sophie Kinsella is always a good read.

Another fun Sophie Kinsella book! I love how the author always finds a way into the readers heart with her writing and funny exchanges. If you are a Sophie Kinsella fan, this is a must read.

Aria and Dutch end up at a writers retreat under assumed names where the focus is on writing, and real names and personal details are not to be a topic of conversation during that time. The two hit it off and a romance begins. They don't reveal anything about their true identities until they land home in London. Promises to be together forever are thrown on end when their true personalities, quirks, and circles of friends/families are revealed. This book was a light-hearted read that felt a little cutesy and awkward at times, but enjoyable overall.

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!