I have a love/hate relationship with Sophie Kinsella novels; I love the irreverence of her books and how one of her characters (usually the heroine) is always super positive and has an overactive imagination. But, I also hate that that character also has an overactive imagination and gets way carried away. That said, I did enjoy this book. I love Ava's friends and I loved that they had such a strong support group for each other! And I really enjoyed that Ava and Matt didn't give up on each other. And that their friends didn't try to "talk sense" into them and just supported them. I love it when side characters support main characters!

**Love Your Life is a story about finding love. Aspiring author, Ava meets someone she thinks is simply perfect at a writer’s retreat. Retreat rules forbade them revealing anything about their real lives, but what will happen when real life is revealed? Ava had some very strong daydreams about the man that seem to be diametrically opposite to his real self. Will the physical pull these two feel be enough to overcome their differences? Sophie Kinsella has created supporting characters aka known as friends of the principals that will both amuse readers and sometimes make them. cringe...especially Harold... a friend of the canine variety. I had high hopes for this book, but finishing it became a chore as I couldn’t relate to any of the characters except the dog. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

I was happy to get the chance to read an advance copy of Love Your Life. I always enjoy Sophie's books, and I thought it would make fun quarantine reading. This one was entertaining, but a little more far-fetched than usual. There was a fun cast of characters, but the main character was somewhat juvenile, but maybe I'm too old to relate to her. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the escapism and think a lot of readers will enjoy reading this.

There’s a dog, and he doesn’t die. Now that we’ve got that out of the way... When I see a new Sophie Kinsella book is coming out, I get excited because they always make me laugh out loud! This one was only a two-laugher, though. More of a romance than a rom-com.

These two people meet and fall in “love” at a retreat where they know nothing about one another. Surprise! They are quite different back in real life with their own clothes, names, and stuff. And baggage, which they decide not to discuss until it’s too late. I live that she has such a lovely, supportive group of friends and so does he. It makes the main characters more complete and enjoyable. The ending was ideal.

Yes! This is hilarious, humorous, entertaining, heartwarming! This is a real winner!

I’m a big fan of author’s works and her last two books “ I owe you one” and “ Surprise me” were a little disappointing for me. ( Actually since I’ve read “ I’ve got your name”, I haven’t found any of her books so much adorable. I truly missed her optimistic, clumsy but likable heroines and smart,funny, feel good stories like first books of Shopaholic series and “ Can you keep a secret”, “Twenties girl”)

But here are the good news:

This book brought back the author’s old time books’ vivid, laughable, exhilarating, heart churning, emotional, sarcastic, clever vibes!

Other strengths of the book that I truly enjoyed: Well developed characters, inappropriate situations ( including naked sauna adventures, writing steamy scenes for your creative writing class based on your real experiences and sharing them with your classmates) , amazing supporting characters ( Nell, Maud, Topher we’re adorable! I have to admit at some parts of the book I loved them more than protagonists) opposite attracts, meaningful, heartfelt representation of chronic illness and emphasizing importance of tight friendship bounds.

There’s nothing to say more because there are so many things to fall in love with this book and take it to Vegetarian restaurant and end your night with creamy gelato!

Quick summary of plot line: Ava is free lancer between jobs and focusing on different things including aromatherapy and writing a book! With her close gang of friends’ pressure she attends a writing retreat program in coastal Italy.

She wants to focus on finishing her historical romance novel. But with the cancellation of martial art retreat program, a few students decide to join their writing group including very charming, sexy man with sunshiny smile nicknamed himself as “ Dutch” . As their retreat’s basic rule Ava also introduces herself “Aria”! But as you may imagine instead of writing her historical romance she starts work on a erotic romance because after she’s experienced cliff-jumping’s full taste of adrenaline rush, she also decides jumping on charming stranger and their whirlwind romance blooms faster they can imagine.

They realize they start to fall hard even though they don’t know anything about each other including their real names.

And as they both say they loved each other when they go back to London, harsh realities start to punch their faces incessantly because Aria and Dutch’s steamy insta love story turns into Ava and Matt’s struggling relationship which needs to handle with care because they don’t like their houses, job preferences, approaches to the art and have complex feelings about each other’s friends. Actually they don’t even like the same kind of food. And of course Matt’s pretentious, icy cold, irritating family members who adore his ex girlfriend don’t help to fix their problems.

Could the polar opposites have a long term commitment or should they give up and part their ways?

You’re gonna read and find out!

I’m still giving 4.25 stars! Don’t throw anything on my face! I still find crushed tomato pieces on my scalp when I get shower after writing a mediocre review for Shadows!

This book was so close to five stars but Matt’s 180 degree rotation and turning into a pretentious, nervous, serious stress ball and his unlikable attitudes around Ava and their too fast insta love theme are a little bit unrealistic for me. Romance parts are overshadowed by the entertaining parts and friendship bounding of the story. But of the protagonists’ friends stole their show. I loved their parts more and let’s not forget the mischievous, shirt lover Harold, the lovely dog who stole my heart!

Overall: I’m giving four stars but I highly recommend this book to all comedy, romcom, feel good romance lovers and especially the author’s fans like me. I had amazing time! I laughed so much! I’m so thankful to the author to make me smile and warm my heart !

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random Press Publishing/Dial Press for sharing this fantastic ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella is another fun, lighthearted romp from the author of the beloved Shopaholic series, of which I am a huge fan. Ms Kinsella and I must share a similarly quirky sense of humour because I always find myself laughing out loud at many of the antics of her hapless heroines. This one will certainly make you smile as you embark on Ava's rocky road to romance.

Ava is on a writers' retreat in Italy when she meets 'Dutch', a pseudonym given the class rules of remaining anonymous for the duration of the course. The attraction is almost instantaneous, and the two pursue a romantic and idyllic holiday tryst. But when the retreat comes to an end, it is time to reveal not only their names and nationalities, but their true selves. Will the romantic idyll continue when Ava and Dutch return to their everyday lives, and will expectations be met, or left wanting? Is happily ever after, in fact, better left to the writers and readers of fiction and fantasy?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and found myself rooting not only for Ava, but for nearly all of the colourful cast of supporting characters. I did feel that Ava tended to analyze situations in a similar process to one Becky Bloomwood, and I loved her all the more for it. I am already looking forward to devouring Ms Kinsella's next literary treat.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for this ARC.

Ava and her four girlfriends have an ongoing debate to find the perfect guy. While Ava dabbles in online dating she has yet to find that guy. Whereas her friend, Siraka, has a deal-breaker list as long as her arms to weed out the one she doesn't think is compatible with her. Ava went on a writing retreat to try and complete her book, but her attention was taken by Matt who was there for a martial art retreat.

I find Ava extremely juvenile for her age. She is in her mid-thirty yet her attitude is of a teenager. She starts a project and never finishes it. Finally, she's in a relationship with Matt, yet she tries to change him and get frustrated when it didn't go her way. She dislikes everything about him besides sex and how he looks. The book is focused on Ava and just her attitude alone makes me cringe and was very put off reading it. The struggle is within Ava and has nothing to do with the relationship. I don't think Matt and Ava's relationship has truly developed even at the end. The only characters I loved were the supporting characters, Ava, and Matt's friends. Now I want to know more about their stories. They were colorful and had spirits. I love Sophie Kinsella and I've read every single one of her adult fiction. However, this story was not what I expected and was disappointed.

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

This was a hot mess of a book and sadly it did not work for me. Initially I was hooked by the premise and I had really liked a lot of Sophie Kinsella's other works, so I thought that this would be right up my ally, but oh boy how wrong I was. Reading this was like watching a reality tv show where two people hook up and then immediately date, aka: red flags everywhere. Barely spending a week together, they both decide they love each other without knowing anything about the other person. Once they get back from the retreat and actually begin a relationship and learn about the other it is road blocks everywhere because: duh you both don't know a single thing about each other. Ava was immediately obsessed with Matt, to a worrying degree, and was in denial about how much they were incompatible with each other. Reading their interactions and conversations just made me cringe and want to scream: just break up, you both are better off. Ava is exhausting, she is over eager and a bit unhinged, while Matt is just a tepid and lukeworm love interest. They both keep brushing off all these things that they dont like about the other and barely talk about the main issues in their relationship. Every chapter is just Ava being annoyed at Matt or Matt just brushing her off. ( If I'm being honest I was more invested in Topher and Nell than Ava and Matt). I cannot find the chemistry between these two. 83% and they finally recognize just how bad they are together. The ending just conveniently wraps up everything and suddenly everything is okay again. So, all in all, this book was not for me but I want to thank Netgalley for sending me a arc anyways.

This book was a quick fun read. The book is about finding romance with someone who you might have different interests. I struggled with some of the cringe worthy parts of the book. Also, the book seemed fairly negative because the main characters don't agree on a lot throughout the book.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for a copy on exchange for an honest review!

I have long loved reading Sophie Kinsella. She has such a wonderful sense of humor about life, love, and friendship. Love Your Life was fab. Absolutely endearing, sweet, hilarious.....I loved the characters and how they meshed or conflicted with one another. Ava is a treat! She reminds me a bit of myself.....the bit about books needing a home. Oh my! I even have a naughty but devoted dog. No Matt, though, but we do our best. Friendships are so well represented here. This was one I couldn’t put down. In fact, I went to pick up my son early from football so I could sit and read. Literal laugh out loud moments abound! One of her best to date!

Love Your Life was just the romance book I've been searching for. With great, adorable characters and a romance to swoon over this book had me flying through it. I definitely will be buying a copy for my library.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my go to authors. A cute, easy to read story about finding love. Ava was easy to like but you soon learn that she has a lot more "deal breakers" than she originally thought, which leads to lots of laughter and some "oh no's!" Her friends are comical and quirky and I found the group chats very entertaining.

A great escape. Kinsella has been hit or miss with me, but this was just a good old fashioned hit. All the right punch lines at all the right moments. Living for a time with charming, goofy, friends. Love Your Life never gets too deep, which is a relief because we all need some humor in our lives at this time.

I wanted to like this book more but I found Ava to be exhausting. I also felt that the friends were the more interesting characters. I also didn't like the ending they gave to Genevieve.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sophie Kinsella books - they're always laugh out loud funny mixed with the impulse to cover your eyes at some points.

Things I liked: all the characters (so rare to have so many characters that are easy to love)

Things I didn't like: honestly, nothing.

If you're in a similar state of off-and-on pandemic panic, this book is a great escape!

*copy via Netgalley*