As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:

1 star: Did not finish
2 Stars: Finished but do not recommend
3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
4 Stars: Loved this book!
5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
Being a big fan of Elizabeth Neep’s previous novel, The Spare Bedroom, I couldn’t miss out on a chance to read her sophmore outing, Never Say No. Considering that the blurb talked about The Devil Wears Prada, I knew going in that I would like the book.

Never Say No is a finding yourself novel set in the workplace, specifically, a law firm in London. Hailey is a former teacher restarting her career, becoming an attorney after spending years being what she thought she should be instead of what she wanted.

She soon finds out that changing jobs is not always enough to find what you want in life.

Elizabeth Neep is a great writer, with a very easy-to-read style while not shying away from conflicted characters with deep emotional turmoil. Sometimes, with contemporary fiction/romance, the books are easy reads because there isn’t any depth, but somehow, through both of her books, Neep manages to bring complicated characters with big life problems to the usually light genre.

Hailey is a great character because she is a flawed heroine. She isn’t sure about herself, her work, her boyfriend, or pretty much any decision she has made in her life. While infuriating at times with her indecision, Hailey is every person who has ever questioned what they want out of life. It is infuriating to ask these questions because there are never easy answers. Hailey was the physical embodiment of a fork in the road of life.

I could have used more from Dom and Liam, though I definitely appreciated how Elizabeth Neep kept their characters extremely neutral. I got the feeling she didn’t want to tell us who to root for, since Hailey didn’t know, and I appreciate that a lot. I just wanted to know them more.

The story wasn’t predictable at all and I loved, loved, loved the format. It was original but didn’t feel forced in the least. I honestly enjoyed reading Never Say No and looked forward to the moments I was able to tuck into the pages.

Hailey has always been the one to say yes - yes to friends, boyfriend, everyone. She is a people pleaser.
Then she starts a new job and needs to be more involved at work but still tries to always say yes to those in her life. The work starts to blur the lines of her personal life and Hailey has to start making some serious decisions on her job and the type of personal she wants to be.

I enjoyed this book - it really reminded me of the movie The Devil Wears Prada. It has that vibe to it - a law firm versus and magazine. The story lines seemed familiar.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I loved this book! Never Say No reminds me of The Devil Wears Prada, but with a different take of course. I really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, so it attests to this story.
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Hailey rarely says no to her boyfriend Dom, her best friend, Sophie & her role model/boss Vivian Jones who is a partner at the law firm Hailey has recently started training at.
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Hailey wants to make a good impression & have a seat at the “big boys’ table”, but she finds herself making sacrifices to get that seat.
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I had to take a big risk to give up a full-time job after making a decision to go back to school to pursue a career in something that I truly wanted to do. I felt the determination & the fear of failure of not reaching aspirations of attaining the type of position I worked so hard to achieve. Needless to say, I got there after hard work, fortitude & pushing down inner voices of insecurities. While Hailey wanted to please everyone around her, she began to forget what she, herself wanted.
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I liked how the moral of the story was that life is messy, people make mistakes & it’s okay if you don’t always know what you want. Focus on today & tomorrow, but sometimes the future is intimidating, so it’s important to enjoy the ride.

Vivian Jones has it all: top female London divorce lawyer, marital bliss, and a perfect home life. Hailey Kidd wants to be just like her and is thrilled to be one of her two trainees after switching into law from teaching. Her boyfriend, Dom, and best friend, Sophie, though, are less thrilled as Hailey suddenly has no time for them. They say the grass is always greener, and Hailey definitely agrees, but, when her personal and professional lives clash, she's in for a rude awakening.

The Plot: The Other Side is Not Always Better

I can't decide if this book is better summed up with "the grass is always greener" or "you always want what you can't have". Or maybe they're the same. Either way, both fit the novel perfectly. Hailey wants something and is striving for it, but, when she gets to the other side, it isn't quite as she expected. This is a novel about one woman finding her true self while making a number of mistakes along the way.

Hailey is a former teacher nearing her thirtieth birthday, though she has to plan her best friend's first. Switching to law after reading an article about the wildly successful Vivian Jones, she's thrilled to be one of two trainees the only female partner in the firm has taken on. At first, Daniel, the other trainee, gets all of Vivian's attention no matter how hard Hailey works, no matter how many hours Hailey puts in. Instead, she attracts the attention of Liam, an entirely too charming older lawyer about to be voted partner.

Meanwhile, Hailey's friend Sophie just wants Hailey to make time to train for a marathon with her and be a sounding board when it comes to her disastrous dating life and Hailey's boyfriend Dom just wants her to make time for him instead of rushing off whenever work calls. It's frustrating to Hailey, especially once she witnesses Vivian doing something she shouldn't be, catching Vivian's attention and thrusting Hailey into the glittering life of Vivian Jones. Everything is roses and she's finally getting everything she wanted, but it comes at a price that might be too high for her to pay.

Billed as perfect for fans of The Devil Wears Prada it definitely delivers in terms of a demanding boss and a young woman wanting to fit in. But it also fell short as Hailey blatantly ignored her friend and boyfriend in favor of people that had her starry eyed, and she only found redemption when everything went up in flames. As women's fiction, I liked that it had a high powered woman and thrust Hailey into a fast-paced business-oriented lifestyle, but the story didn't have much to endear itself. It painted Hailey as self-absorbed and I was annoyed when she so willingly turned her back on the very people who always had her back.

The Characters: Self-Absorbed

The problem mostly lies with Hailey. Initially likable as she tries and works really hard to make her dreams reality, as she does her job as a good friend and girlfriend, she quickly turns into something of a monster. She becomes like Vivian Jones, willing to step on others to get what she wants. She also turns her back on the very people supporting her, the people who need her as much as they are asking her to need them. Honestly, I felt like slapping her for most of the book as she's drawn more and more into the glittery lifestyle.

Hailey might not have been perfect, but neither were most of the other characters. They came across as self-absorbed in their own ways, especially the people at the law firm. But Sophie and Dom weren't perfect, either. They felt like they were either holding Hailey back and trying to keep her from evolving and growing, or painting themselves as victims when work kept her busy. Still, I could understand their viewpoints as Hailey flat out refused them in favor of work, but it also felt like they were too willing to turn their backs to her when this trainee position was only to last 4 months.

The only redeeming character was Daniel. Initially, Hailey's rival for Vivian's attention, it's understandable that Hailey should hate him and want to bring him down. He seems cocky and perfect and hits all the right notes in the firm. But, the longer they work together, the more Hailey notices about him. His subplot turned out to be quite sweet and innocent, a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating novel.

The Setting: Glittering London

But I have to admit it was fun to run around London a bit. I think the reader spends more time in the law offices, but it was also fun to pretend to be wealthy and slip into all the glitz and glamour of Vivian's life. From exclusive clubs to estates, this book delivered in terms of glamour and wealth. It was almost breathtaking with the amount of wealth on display. At the same time, I missed out on a lot of the iconic places in London. Sure, there was the Thames and London Bridge, but it was mostly high class places that may or may not actually exist. It was fun to pretend to be wealthy, but it left a lot to be desired. I almost forgot it takes place in London quite a few times. Maybe it was the reference to The Devil Wears Prada, but I kept thinking Never Say No took place in New York City.

Overall: Not Quite For Me

Never Say No isn't a terrible book; it just wasn't quite for me. I did like The Devil Wears Prada about ten years ago, but this didn't quite do it for me. Or maybe I don't remember the movie accurately as I could never bring myself to read the book. But Never Say No felt too self-absorbed and I got the feeling the characters were more interested in playing with each other and drinking than actually doing something good and useful. Still, the characters weren't cardboard but 3D living, breathing people I could believe and the story actually moved at a decent pace. It just didn't reveal too much good in most of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookcouture for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-never-say-no-by-elizabeth-neep/

Never Say No by Elizabeth Neep is a contemporary, lighthearted story of 29 year old Hailey who has just started work in a new career at a law firm. Sophie, her best friend is a teacher as is Dom, Haileys boyfriend. Hailey is always chasing her tail in life, Sophe wants her to run a marathon with her and obviously they train together. Dom wants Hailey to spend more time with him as a couple and then we have Haileys boss, Vivian who gets her to stay late at work and even attend events. Ergo Hailey is unable to spend more time with Dom! She is a sucker for overloading herself and having to let down the most important people. As we can see, this storyline is highlighting the work/life balance that she has got herself into, by having none!
I really enjoyed reading this, it gave a good chuckle that's for sure. Hailey is a woman aiming for something in life and she sees her boss Vivian has it all and thinks "I can do this!" Then she sees what sacrifices Vivian has to make for this life and wonders if she should follow Vivians way of doing things.Making her consider her relationship and everything around her.
I thought Vivian a great go-getter in this world. A woman who doesn't care at all if people see her in a negative light! She knows what she wants and she will grab it.The story develops Vivian and we learn more as we go along . Then there are Haileys collegues at work, we meet Daniel, on a par with Hailey at work and a little bit of an enigmatic man who, in a positive way, makes it a little hard to figure him out. Then we have a proper ladies man, Liam - a wish he was partner type, all the charm buy yuk!
On the surface an amusing look at life but scratch a few layers and we see that its a story of friendship and even loyalty. A why do we worry about other people and the impact of your decisions on them? Can we actually never say no? Do as we really wish deep inside and forget everyone else.
An enjoyable read for me and I loved the twists with the relationship side to Haileys story at work. I felt for Dom and Sophie, waiting patiently for Hailey constantly. Their loyalty shone through.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

3.5 stars (rounded)

The second title I’ve read from this author, I was curious as to how the premise of the synopsis would play out for the protagonist, Hailey. Told in her perspective, we join her as she’s moved into a new London law firm, working for her ‘legal hero’ Vivian. Vivian seems to be all that Hailey wants: successful, married, busy and sought-after, and she learns quickly of Vivian’s “Never Say No” attitude, that she credits with her success. And Hailey has been, she thinks, stuck in a rut and staying safe: perhaps it is time to adopt Vivian’s motto for herself.

With a best friend in Sophie, a long-term boyfriend in Dan and her growing friendship with Vivian, it takes a while before she realizes that the motto isn’t all roses – and we see the cracks begin to appear in Vivian’s façade. Hailey is questioning everything in terms of this ‘new outlook’ and before she knows it- things are entirely too complicated – and we start to see that real growth is coming from Vivian and her ‘rejigging’ of her motto – to be a bit more selective as she struggles with her choices and mistakes. It is here, as y seis clearly struggling that Hailey starts to realize that her own ‘desires’ may have been set aside in a rash of enthusiastic ‘do as I say’ moments that have pulled her from her own goals that she’d held for ages.

The book sailed along quite nicely with Vvian becoming the ‘lead’ character and others either serving her purposes, being left as mere outlines of characters or, in the case of Hailey, a bit confused. Yes she jumped in, and through her voice we are getting a sense of the people and place, but just when I was solidly comfortable with some randomness and jumps into ‘challenges of the never say no’ attitude, the story shifted and the story lost moment. Because of the multitude of ‘choices and challenges’ available, there were loose ends left untied, while others did feel a bit contrived in their conclusions. I was feeling a bit let down at the end, but the characters that were flushed out (as in the other title I’d read from this author) truly were special and real – and leave me anxious to see more from this author.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aNC /”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Vivian's new job begins to put her regular life in question as she navigates a new and different world. This had the right start put put me off by sounding too similar to another story and jumping around too much. I just ended up feeling for Dom and hoping he'd move on.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an interesting premise, and was quite enjoyable. As someone who doesn't say no to commitments nearly enough, I was hooked immediately. I have to say, Hailey seemed to be missing that spark that grabs me, but I still enjoyed the story overall. I am keeping an eye out for more books from Neep- a fascinating plot with real relationships, I would absolutely read more!

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I read Elizabeth's first book earlier this year and enjoyed the writing style so I was excited to read her next book.

This book was a little frustrating for me. I felt like Hailey needed a good shake. She has a great boyfriend and best friend and she dropped them for the shiny new toys. It drove me nuts. The real Hailey I think I would like but this new Hailey we see in the book was difficult for me to like.

I am a child of divorce and cheating has always been a big no no for me. Much like Hailey's friend Sophie. So I struggled with a lot of this book. I really wasn't on board with the whole it's all fine as long as no one gets hurt parts. Mainly because someone always gets hurt in the end.

Much like Elizabeth's first book she doesn't write perfect characters. Let me tell you a lot of these characters are so far from perfect they wouldn't know it if jumped up and down in front of them with a sign! Others were good people who just made some bad choices. They are realistic. No one is perfect and it is really good to read people making mistakes. (Even if it makes me frustrated lol) It shows us that we can all be human and make our own mistakes.

I am looking forward to Elizabeth's next read and I would love for Sophie to have her own book. I think that girl has quite a story to tell.

I received an ARC of this book via Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Description

It’s always been yes. Yes, I’ll be your friend. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Yes, yes, yes. I can’t just change my mind now. Can I?

Hailey has always been told she can have it all. And saying yes to every opportunity that comes her way seems like the obvious way to make sure she gets it.

When she finds an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend Dom’s closet, she knows she’ll say yes.

Her best friend Sophie suggests they run a marathon together and although Hailey hasn’t done more than sprint for a bus in years, she says yes.

And every time her new boss, the infamous Vivian Jones, asks her to stay late (again) at her dream job, the answer is always yes.

But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ to Vivian’s latest demands and still trying to make it home on time for boxsets and burritos on the sofa with Dom, Hailey has lost sight of what she really wanted in the first place.

Far from winning at life, Hailey feels like she is fighting to juggle two very different worlds. When those worlds finally collide, could having it all actually mean losing everything?

My thoughts

Despite the exciting premise, and the promise that if I liked *insert authors I like name(s) here*, it took me a while to get into Never Say No. In part, I’ll say it’s because I’ve been busy doing other things – so reading (for once) has taken a backseat – but I also have to admit that it took me a while to get into the book because I think it took a while to get interesting.

Hailey, the main character, feels like someone we all know – even ourselves maybe. Constantly on the go, a people pleaser, someone who always says “yes”. This leads to some exciting parts of the book but, when I first read the description, I thought it’d be more exciting (posh lunches with lawyers doesn’t exactly sound fun to me!). Plus, some of the things Hailey got up to did grate on me a bit.

The law firm Hailey works at definitely justified the comparisons to The Devil Wears Prada for sure, as her boss was a strong, no-nonsense woman whilst also being a complete bitch! I really wanted to like Vivian but, as the book went on, I just didn’t.

What I did like about the book was its honest portrayal of relationships and friendships. Hailey’s relationship with her boyfriend, Dom, and her best friend, Sophie, wasn’t great – this was refreshing to see. I liked that this book showed that relationships and friendships are about – and full of – give and take, as opposed to being cookie cutter perfect.

Overall, this was a good read but it wasn’t the best book of this genre I’ve ever read.

Never Say No is now available to buy on Amazon (and other book providers)

An engaging story with a Devil Wears Prada vibe. Elizabeth Neep once again completely entertained me with her fabulous storytelling. Hailey has just made a major life move. She is starting a new job at a top law firm with the only and first female partner at the firm, Vivian. Wanting to make a good impression Hailey is willing to do everything and anything, even if that includes a whole lot of nothing except fetching coffee. Then one day Hailey finds her boss in a compromising position and soon thereafter she is Vivian‘s right hand woman. But success at work leads to sacrifice of her personal life. Her long time boyfriend Dom and best friend Sophie are patient and supportive. BUT hailey starts to push things a little too far as she begins to wonder if she wants more out of life? But is the grass really greener on the other side of the boardroom?

What a treat this book was! Loved Hailey and loved hating Vivian. Hailey was so conflicted about what she wanted out of life, so trapped by the need to please everyone. Dom and Sophie were great characters so supportive. It was interesting watching Hailey’s inner conflict between the shiny and new and the old and comfortable. My only small complaint with the book is I wish Dom were better developed as a character. I really got that he was a good guy and cared for Hailey but I would’ve liked to have seen a little more depth to his personality. This wasn’t the story I was anticipating when I started this book, what I got was so much more!

This book in emojis 👩🏻‍💼 ☕️ 🍾 👠 💍

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I enjoyed this light easy read - although I wouldn’t say it was as funny as it was sold as. For me actually it read more like a modern parable on why it’s important to check in with ourselves more, why work life balance is such a necessity and how real love and intimacy is more than just a “spark”.

I will admit I wasn’t as massive fan of Hailey for the majority of the book, I found her selfish and hedonistic whilst also dismissive of her boyfriend and a bit annoying. However the ending redeemed her for me, and the story as a whole as the true meaning of the book became apparent.

Vivian is a kick ass woman, with some questionable morals but the uplifting part was Haileys realisation of what really was important in life! This is a nice easy read which definitely has the vibe of the devil wears Prada!

Addictive , bombshells dropping left, right and centre and one hell of a page turner, You’re arse cheek will go numb as you’ll be on the edge of your seat for the whole time! - PREACH

Bookies - If like me you are obessed with The Devil Wears Prada then this book is a MUST-READ, you will be addicted to this ! Sack off the fashion (minus Vivan Browns wardrobe in this) and get ready for the world of divorce law!

It’s relatable, it’s real and it’s tense - Now, we’ve all been there where work takes over your life and Hailey (main character) is your prime suspect in this - Elizabeth Neep has captured perfectly the work/life balance and how you need to learn the hard way to realise what you want - is it as peachy as it seems?? this story touches on the people at the top are the ones who don’t have their shit together - cue Vivan Jones, the bosslady feature of this story aka your version of Miranda Prisely/ potentially your worst nightmare and kindest enemy 🙅🏻‍♀️

This story is such a page turner you’ll get paper cuts from wanting to find out what happens next - did I see half of the stuff coming ? HELL NO which makes it even more exciting to read. Will Hailey realise she’s slipping away from her boyfriend Dom and best pal Sophie, swapping fajitas on the couch for lobster dinners with hot piece of ass Lawyer Boy Liam ? 😏 As the cover states, FOMO is real !!
No spoilers in this bookies, I was taken a back by this whole story as I didn’t have a Scooby that it would turn out like this - take it from me and get purchasing! Definitely one of my favourites reads this year!!! Bravo Elizabeth

Special thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And I do believe in honest reviews, so I will say that I wanted to love this one more than I did.

This is a new to me author and I did like the writing style and the way the story flowed. It was about a woman named Hailey who always said yes. Yes to the constant need of her friends, yes to staying late at her job, yes to her boss and her many demands, all at the expense of her own happiness. What if she finally decided to change her mind and start saying no? What I did like about the story was the way that Hailey grew. By the end she was finally starting to realize what she wanted and learning to sometimes put herself first, which was nice. She was trying to become a successful lawyer and I do like a powerful female lead who follows her dreams and Hailey did just that.

Something that didn't work for me was the amount of infidelity in this story, so be warned that there is a lot if this is triggering for you. It totally took over. It felt like every character was cheating on their partner, or thinking about cheating on their partner. It was also portrayed in a way that the characters felt no remorse over it, as though it was perfectly normal behaviour. At one point, the characters were even discussing how it was a good idea to test the waters, see if the grass really was greener, to check how strong your love for your partner really was. I did not agree with this at all and that type of storyline is very troubling for me. As a result, I ended up not enjoying the story as much as I would have. And while I enjoyed Hailey's character, I thought her friend Sophie was very needy and selfish and the parts of the story with her sometimes felt like filler.

I have seen a number of very positive reviews for this book and the story had a lot of potential, apart from what bothered me about it, so if this sounds interesting to you, please do check it out! It did have some comedic references to things that added some humour to the story and it was a quick read. I would have rated if higher, if not for the number of cheating partners.

Elizabeth Neep’s Never Say No is a fun, light-hearted and immensely enjoyable tale you simply have to say yes to!

Hailey is the kind of woman who finds it hard to even utter the word no. Whether it’s her boyfriend asking her to move in with him or her best friend wanting her to run a marathon with her, giving an answer not in the affirmative seems anathema to Hailey. Saying yes and jumping into things does have its advantages – as she discovers when she lands her dream job as a trainee to top lawyer Vivian Jones, but it does have its downsides as well. Constantly saying yes means people begin to take you for granted and slowly but surely, you begin to lose a little bit of yourself when you just go along with what everyone wants. For the time being, however, Hailey is unwavering in her decision to keep saying yes to things especially as her new job has propelled her into a glamorous world of black tie galas, glitzy parties and red carpet invitations. Not to mention the fact that she has met drop dead gorgeous Liam who is someone Hailey would love to get to know better.

Not that Hailey would even contemplate the thought of cheating on her boyfriend Dom, but Liam is exciting, debonair, charming and as far removed from her boring and sensible partner as it is possible to get. The more time she spends with Liam, the more she begins to feel drawn to him and his exciting world which leads her to question whether all her affirmative decisions in the past where for things that she actually wanted – or whether she had been merely going along with everybody else’s decisions. The world Liam introduces her to is beguiling and seductive, but will being a part of it make Hailey happy? Or will she realise that beneath the surface of this glittering world, there is the same amount of frustration and heartache?

Torn between two worlds, saying yes to both is definitely not an option, but what will Hailey will do? Who will she choose? And more importantly, will she finally say yes to something which she really, really wants?

An enjoyable tale about impossible choices, having it all and finding the courage to go after what you really want written with style, panache and plenty of humour, Elizabeth Neep’s Never Say No is a brilliantly zesty-paced page turner that will make readers giggle on plenty of occasions. Hailey is a relatable heroine it is impossible not to root for and one who makes the same mistakes and has the same concerns, fears and insecurities that we all do.

Witty, heart-warming and wonderfully compelling, Elizabeth Neep’s Never Say No is a fantastic tale you will not want to put down..

It’s always been yes. Yes, I’ll be your friend. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Yes, yes, yes. I can’t just change my mind now. Can I?

Hailey has always been told she can have it all. And saying yes to every opportunity that comes her way seems like the obvious way to make sure she gets it.

When she finds an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend Dom’s closet, she knows she’ll say yes.

Her best friend Sophie suggests they run a marathon together and although Hailey hasn’t done more than sprint for a bus in years, she says yes.

And every time her new boss, the infamous Vivian Jones, asks her to stay late (again) at her dream job, the answer is always yes.

Even though I wanted to I did not enjoy this book. I felt that the characters were kids playing at being adults, and not doing a very good job.
I thought this book was going to be about learning to say no and the main character discovering who she was and what she wanted in the process but it just turned into a book all about cheating.
This one was just not for me, but will definitely read this author again.

But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ to Vivian’s latest demands and still trying to make it home on time for boxsets and burritos on the sofa with Dom, Hailey has lost sight of what she really wanted in the first place.

Far from winning at life, Hailey feels like she is fighting to juggle two very different worlds. When those worlds finally collide, could having it all actually mean losing everything?

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book by the author so I went into this book with no expectations at all.

'Never Say No' is a story about Hailey Kidd who has spent most of her life saying yes to everything as far back as she can remember. She has the best boyfriend Dom and friend Sophie, who have been in her life since their teenage years but as she changes her career from being a teacher, leaving her besties behind and begins to work as a trainee lawyer at the prestigious firm of her dreams, she finds herself doubting her choices in life and wonders if there is more to it than always saying yes. This is a fun and enjoyable read about love, expectations, fear, ambition and priorities.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I started and I couldn't stop. First of all, it is not your regular romance story and I think I am beginning to tilt towards romance stories featuring people in already in a relationship or married more these days.  The main theme is one that I don't find often in books that I read and it was a breath of fresh air to explore these aspects of a romantic relationship which question what is most important to us. I liked Hailey's character and found myself rooting for her to make the right choices almost through out the book. At first I expected that she would be a bit of a people pleaser but instead I found her relatable and she reminded me of myself in the past when I would unconsciously take on more than I should for family and friends just because I love them.  I also loved the elements of mystery in the story especially around Daniel and Vivian.

I didn't quite fancy Sophie's character much but since it did't do any damage to the story, I guess it was still o.k.

I highly recommend this book because I think it is a great read and I believe you will all enjoy it too. I am definitely looking up other books by the author and I will surely give a feedback.

This is a packed read with never a dull moment!

Hailey has a new career and she wants to take advantage of every opportunity it offers her. She has a long time boyfriend and best friend, both of whom are very important to her and she wants to be there and please them so ends up saying yes - to everything. Having found an engagement ring in Dom's closet, she knows that she will say yes to that too. Sophie want to run a marathon and invites Hailey to join her - so, of course, she says yes to that too. Finding herself fortunate to be working in the office of Vivian Jones, her long time idol who she has put on a pedestal, Hailey finds herself saying yes to more and more and more - and the more she agrees to do, the more falls by the wayside.

Reading this one is quite exhausting - I don't know how Hailey keeps up with it all! So much going on and she has so many different hats to wear. Elizabeth Neep writes books which make me think and ultimately empathise with the main character. This is a realistic storyline; it's amazing that anyone ever manages to have it all when you consider everything going on, and this shows the fallibility of humans trying to balance every aspect of life. It was a more serious read than I expected, but quite enjoyable. Always an author worth following and I'm happy to give her latest novel 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and especially to Book On The Bright Side for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

With all of the positive ratings of this book I was super excited to read it! I wanted to enjoy this book so much since its a contemporary fiction that takes place in a law office. However, I just couldn’t get into it. I personally felt like I kept reading and reading and there was no progression in the storyline. It felt repetitive and convoluted at times. I didn’t find myself rooting for the characters because I felt like I never got to get to know them. This isn’t to say its a bad book at all, the writing style and story just wasn’t for me and that’s ok. I think the summary might've also been a bit vague because when I started reading I was so confused and unsure if I had read the right summary for the right book. The books and authors it was compared to are a reason I wanted to read it but I honestly didn’t see the comparison to them at all.

I wanted to like this one, but unfortunately it fell short for me. Dom was a great guy. I just never liked Hailey.

I had issues with the way the story was told as well. I would like to have gotten to know the characters better. We only ever seemed to get bits and pieces. Then there were the time jumps in the story. All of a sudden an event would be mentioned and I wondered when it happened. I never read about it.

This story just wasn't for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.