This is one of the first books I have read, written with the actual time difference between the two. Two decades have elapsed in the lives of the protagonists that we were introduced to in the first book, and two decades have passed in the writing of it. It was written and placed in the time pre-pandemic else there would have been a whole other extra angle to the narrative!
I must say that I did not enjoy the first as much, mostly because I found it hard to like the flighty Carly. This experience was a whole lot better. Carly has many more facets to her personality now, and it is inherently who she is now. As with the book, my review is for people who have both read or not read the previous work. The author juxtaposes events with those that we knew of previously and those that happened in the intervening years to provide appropriate context. There are some (very few) chapters verbatim from the first book, ensuring that you do not need to pick the first up.
In the first book, Carly tracked a few significant exes to check if they were Mr Right. She finds her happily-ever-after for then. This book is about what happens after. Carly Cooper has a close-knit group of friends, one of whom lives next door. They are all an integral part of each other's lives and their children's. At the beginning of the book, we know that Carly is in trouble again and begins with a dramatic change in her life. Her friends rally around her and try to give her a new lease of life. This brings about a lot of introspection as well as the examination of changes that ageing and time brings in all their inter-relationships. It does not go too deep enough to linger but does track the changes that happen gradually throughout the book. 
Carly's bodily changes are referenced one too many times for my liking, but given the mental state she is in, it is believable that she thinks about it that aggressively. It is filled with family and friends and an overall quick read. It had some more touchy-feely moments than others, but overall I was satisfied when I put the book down (although I did not really like the ending choice, which is saying something).
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I absolutely loved What If? and was excited when Boldwood emailed me about Shari Low's 2021 novel, What Now? Carly was fun and 30 in What If? and now, 20 years on, her life has moved on. 

She is a mother to two sons, and has split from her husband. They seem to have a comfortable home and I enjoyed the banter and relationship between her and her sons. 

Understandably, she wasn't going to be relaxed and carefree. She now does not have her husband, and the boys don't have their father in their lives so much. 

There's something "off" about Carly still, like she's lost her spark. We see her go through the motions of daily life and how her love for her sons fits in. She gets nostalgic for when she was younger and the boys were small. This was done in such a way that it was heartwarming though. 

I get the impression that she and her husband Mark were good parents and still are despite their not being together anymore. 

Carly does still have her close group of friends, who I really liked. Val is great and everything she says is a real pick-me-up. The friendship between them all is one that has truly stood the test of time and this is uplifting. 

What Now? has an air of Sex and the City 2 with a trip of a lifetime for the friends. But will it really be that way? Mark has decided to fly off to the US with their sons and the reveal of that does not come in the best way of moment for Carly. 

Well, she thinks she's entitled to do what she wants, too. True, she's hurt and shocked, but they're his sons too. She thinks she may be stuck at home (and here, I had a memory of Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones' Diary. And the song "All By Myself"). 

Carly does get quite down at some points in this book and she's not as happy as 20 years ago. Pushing 50 and a size 14 (facts which, by the way, seem to drag her down even more) were mentioned a tad too much for my liking. But it did fit to illustrate her low points. If you can see it from that point of view then you'll see this novel is a realistic portrayal of who she is now. 

I liked how she relaxed around her friends and I think she did the very best for her sons all the way through the book. 

Her ex Sam still has a special place in her heart. He's out in the States too. Will she rekindle some of those feelings she had? Will the trip and being with friends make her feel she has finally "moved on?" or has Carly changed forever despite all the good things in life? 

What Now? is such a contrast from What If?, and I loved that. It really showed the progression of Carly's life. Where What If? is funky, throwback "real 90s" and dreamy, What Now? is Carly's reality right now. The rough the smooth, the joys, tears, heartache and the friends who have stuck by her throughout the years. 

Each chapter is titled with a song like Sister Sledge's We Are Family. If I could add to it, I'd add the Friends TV show song I'll Be There for You which just fits perfectly to describe Carly's relationships with her friends and how close-knit they are. 

I was pleased to find another reference to the TV show ER and George Clooney (and yes, I did find him handsome although I was in my teens and early 20s back when ER was on TV). Carly's and my own passion for that show and the fact we both have the DVDs (one of the best purchases I ever made) was something that made me identify with her. 

I'm glad she had her forever friends there to help her out in life.

What Now? is realistic, gripping, thought-provoking (it certainly made me miss friends who weren't in my life anymore because of circumstance). It made me question whether my own life is full enough. 

True, Carly does not have the extra challenges I do because of my disabilities, and just personal situation. There is no pandemic in this book. 

In short, it made me smile, laugh, feel for Carly and also feel hope. Wonderful escapism from current circumstances. 

Although Carly may not be as happy as she is in What If? I feel this is still a feel-good book and is one I enjoyed. It shows Shari Low can write a novel that pulls your heartstrings whatever the characters are feeling. 

Thanks to Shari Low and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. 

5 stars.

Wow what a read- I adored the first book and was so excited we were getting to spend time with Carly and her wonderful friends again.

This story took us on a whole new adventure with Carly where we met characters from the previous book and a few new ones as well that she has met in the 20 year interlude in the timeline.

An emotionally charged story filled with life long friendships, life altering loss and some big decisions. This is a story that quickly pulled you in and reminded you of the whirlwind that Carly used to be and fills you in on her life and relationships over the past 20 years.

I am so sad to reach the end as I loved Carly as a character, she is vibrant and leaps off the pages and made me laugh throughout. A proper page turner that has left me feeling like I just lost a great group of friends.

What a treat to reunite with old friends. Carly and the gang - Kate, Jess and Carol. I re-read What If? a few days earlier so this sequel, 20 years later, flowed. We catch up with the gang as they near 50, teenage and grown up children, husbands, ex-husbands - one big extended "framily" (I love this term). Carly has recently split with her husband of 19 years, childhood sweetheart Mark Barwick, and her friends stage an intervention (another one) to get her back to life. She's devoted the last 19 years to marriage and family and the Carly we knew has disappeared into middle age and motherhood. Can they get her back by dragging her to old flame Sam's Hollywood pad? I love how her old boyfriend is still part of her life, and an accepted part at that. All is not as comfortable as normal when Carly visits Sam, but she has a great holiday with the girls and the inimitable Aunt Val. It's great to catch up on what happened in the intervening years, some happy, some sad, to see how life has moved on, and to share in the hilarity that ensues when they all get together. How will this work out for Carly, the usual misunderstandings and frustration, not least because the book starts with her in a police cell! This does not disappoint - lives up to the standard of a Shari Low book that I love and expect, and it was such a treat to find out what happened with the girls, not least because I am one of a group of five forever friends in their 50s from Glasgow!!  I wish our lives were half as exciting mind you!!!!  Thanks Shari for this treat, it was a brilliant way to spend a lockdown weekend, and I hope we'll catch up with them again before another 20 years have passed. #whatnow #netgalley

This bok is a sequel and I did not realize this when I picked it up. Sometimes missing the first book does not make a difference in understanding and enjoying the next but I don't think this was one of those books. I feel as if I missed a lot from the first book so I wish I would have read it first. 

I liked how each chapter has a song in the title. It gave you a feel for what was coming.

This book follows on from the previous one but can be read as a stand alone book. The story has moved on twenty years but still works.
Tackling changing relationships, cyber bullying, loads of laugh out loud moments. 
Another hit, can't wait to see what Shari does next. Total fan. Enjoy the roller-coaster that is Carly I definitely did.

Well-defined characters, good story, great dialogues - this book has it all. I was invested in Cooper's story right from page 1 and now I want to know what happens next. 

This is one of the better books I have read in 2020. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I haven't read the first book in the series yet (I didn't know about it before) but I will surely pick it up now. Not reading the first book didn't make a difference while reading this one.

Thanks to Netgalley, Shari Low, and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

Twenty years after Carly Cooper went on her adventure to find al the men she ever loved, we find her separated and bringing up her two teenage sons.  

Having lost her spark and sense of adventure, her girlfriends get together to shake things up. Setting off to LA can she find the parts of herself that she has lost?

This was such a great follow up from What If? I laughed, cried and cheered for Carly the whole way through.

At the end of What If? we saw Carly Cooper realise that her high school boyfriend Mark Barwick was "the one". 20 years later, at the beginning of What Now? they have separated & are on the verge of divorce. They both decide to take separate vacations (Mark with their two sons & Carly with her girlfriends); will they split for good or realise they are meant to be?

I absolutely loved What If? so I was very excited to read this sequel. Shari writes truly amazing, relatable, 'real' characters. I would definitely love to go on holiday with Carly & her friends! This is a wonderful, easy read & the characters will stay with you long after you read the final page. 

I'm nearly at the point now where I have read every book Shari Low has written & would encourage everyone to do the same.

I liked it. I liked how the plot developed and the emotions behind every action, I just couldn't connect with the characters. Maybe it was because they're not in my age range, and I couldn't relate to their experience. But aside from that, I liked the story and how it was told.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.   I like this author and everything she has written.   She was a nice story with nice characters but not as good as her previous novels.

The Next Quest....
The sequel, from Shari Low, to ‘What If...’ . We meet up once again with Carly Cooper, following her search to find Mr Right, who is now asking herself...what now..? Carly is on a quest for answers. As ever, both humorous and relatable this is a fun read with a likeable protagonist. Whilst this could be read as a standalone it is more enjoyable having read the first book in the series.

An enjoyable if somewhat predictable rom-com that is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. There are a few unexpected turns that make it a little more interesting than most books of this type.

I absolutely LOVED this book, just as I knew I would! I’m a huge fan of Shari Low and have read everything she’s written and this book certainly didn’t disappoint. I read What If when it was first published 20 years ago and then I read it again recently, in anticipation of this follow up novel. However, this book did recap the main events from the first story and did a great job of refreshing the reader’s memory of the younger Carly so it could still be enjoyed even if you didn’t read the first one.
I suspect there’s more than a little of Shari herself in the main character of Carly in that her life evolves around her family, her 2 boys, close friends and the ever present fun and laughter. I love the recurring theme of the strong friendships which run through all her books and can identify with the joy that comes from the bonds of true friendships which stand the test of time.
As the book progressed, I was a little worried that the ending was perhaps going to be different to the one I was hoping for....but I’m happy to say that I agreed 100% with Carly’s decision!
If you enjoy a feel good story with lots of humour, laugh out loud funny moments, larger than life characters with just a few poignant and tearful moments to make you feel that these characters are real, then this is definitely the book for you!!

I absolutely loved Carly’s adventures in ‘What If?’ set 20 years prior to this follow on. It was great to step back in time to an age when computers and the internet were not so readily available. It was a simpler time, and it really allowed Carly’s story to play centre stage. So, I was excited that the author was bringing out a follow-on and we were going to see what Carly and her motley crew were up to 20 years later. 
I have mixed emotions after reading the book, on the one hand, I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad we got more of Val who has been seen in lots of Shari Low’s other books. The amusement level of this book was off the scale; I wish I could be as witty as these characters. However, on the other hand, I wished we’d left Carly with her happy ever after and not destroyed that bubble. I know that’s not what life is like, there are ups and downs in reality, but when I enter these worlds, it’s to read about the happy endings and the forevers of couples dancing off into the sunset. To suddenly have the end of a book I enjoyed so much torn up and to effectively start again was discombobulating. I think it was even more so as I’d only read the first book a few weeks ago so it was all fresh in my mind and I still had the happy glow from the perfectness of Carly’s story.
We saw Carly happily married to her childhood sweetheart, Mark. However, now they have split, and she is reevaluating her life that has become one big plod fest! Wacky antics are afoot when Carly, Val and the girls head off to LA to visit Sam one of her exes and get some long needed Vitamin D. Lots of ups, downs, and drama make for a fun read. 
I can’t say the book was as gripping as the first as Carly’s attitude, which was very downtrodden and depressed made me read the book at the same pace she moved. Overall, I’m glad I read the book even if it was just to see Val a little more, but I still think it would have been better off left at the end of ‘What If?’

Unfortunately I didn’t realise when I requested this book that there had been a book before this one so, I really didn’t know what happened which spoilt things a little for me. I didn’t really enjoy this book as I disliked the characters. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I read the prequel ‘What If’ earlier on in the year and I loved it. So when I discovered that there was going to be a sequel I was so excited to read it and reunite with Carly Cooper. So a big thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for approaching me to be on this blog tour for ‘What Now.’

I’m always a bit dubious about sequels - will they be as good as the first ? Well I needn’t have worried about this sequel as it was amazing , it certainly ticked all the boxes !

I liked how parts of ‘What If’ were revisited, this helped to refresh my memory as I have read quite a few books since reading ‘what if.’ 
Also in this book there were 2 mysteries surrounding characters... I’m not saying anymore - you will have to get the book , you will not be disappointed.

I loved this sequel. I adored Carly in the first book and she is just as good in the second book! Grappling with real life problems can be so tough, so I love how Low approaches those major decisions in a way that is relatable.

I loved this sequel.  Great story , loved the characters, and the ending was a nice surprise.
Carly finally stopped trying to be happy in her unhappy marriage two years ago.  Her boys are going on a three week vacation with Marc, and she is at a loss of what to do.  Her girls step in and book them all on a holiday to LA to visit Sam, her ex-boyfriend.  LA proves to be just what Carly needs to make decisions that will make the rest of her life complete.  
I don't want to give anything away, but if you enjoyed the first book, this is a MUST read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right. Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong. As the years have passed, lots of things have changed, leaving Carly asking ‘What Now?’ With a divorce and an empty nest on the horizon, Carly sets off once more to Los Angeles with her band of trusty girlfriends, to find the carefree, wild and adventurous Carly Cooper that she used to be. On this latest quest, Carly discovers a few home truths and has to decide If her marriage is worth saving or is there a new happy-ever-after out there, just waiting for her. 

I read the first book, 'What If' fairly recently and it was still fresh in my mind when I read this. Was it as good? Well no, I do not think it was. I enjoyed being back with Carly and her friends and they do get up to some more funny antics but I also found this to be quite cringey. I do not really know what aspect it was, but all of it came together to leave me feeling embarrassed at times. I also have to say, the plot is too similar to the first book and therefore I felt it was lacking originality. 

On the positive side, I did still enjoy the plot, some of it anyway. The beginning is good and I enjoyed the ending but everything in between was a bit meh. Throughout this there are multiple plot threads, I will not detail them, but some are more enjoyable than others. I do of course expect this but some of them definitely could have been cut!

I have mentioned I enjoyed reading about the characters again and I did, it is always enjoyable to catch up with established characters and see where they are in their lives. Sadly, I did not connect with them as much as I did in the first book and again was left feeling embarrassed by some of their antics. Thankfully, there are some funny moments as well. 

'What Now?' is a good read and plenty of fun, however disappointingly it also has plenty of cringeworthy moments. This is not my favourite read. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy.